Greetings,
I thought I'd post a summary of the highlights of my regular (almost daily)
seawatches off Maroubra in Sydney, between September and November. This
gives an idea of what can be seen with perseverence - especially through
the dull days.
Little Penguin 3 sightings
Wandering Albatross 14 birds, last records 26.11 and 27.11, 5 on 1.11
Black-browed Albatross 68 birds, last record 30.11, 12 on 1.11
Yellow-nosed Albatross 9 birds, last records 9.10 and 12.10
Shy Albatross just 2 birds, last on 12.10
Northern Giant Petrel 1 bird on 21.10
Southern Giant Petrel 2 birds on 20.9
giant petrel sp 9, last record 1.11
Southern Fulmar the highlight of the spring, seen on 20.11
Cape Petrel 1 bird on 21.10
White-headed Petrel 1 bird on 27.8 - not in spring strictly, but...
Providence Petrel 1 on 12.9 and 1 on 20.9
Flesh-footed Shearwater 5 birds, first on 24.10
Wedge-tailed Shearwater numbers down on previous years, max 3300 on 30.9
Buller's Shearwater 1 bird on 25.11
Sooty Shearwater ca. 25(+) birds (I'm still not very confident IDing
this sp from shore)
Short-tailed Shearwater first birds on 20.9, max 9000 in 30' on 18.11
Fluttering Shearwater max 8000+ on 9.9
Hutton's Shearwater max 100+ on 9.9. I can ID only if conditions are good
Australasian Gannet numbers down on previous years, max 70 on 18.9
Pied Cormorant 2 birds
Little Pied Cormorant 14 records
Great Cormorant 180 records
Little Black Cormorant 88 records
Arctic Jaeger 160, very early birds on 11.9 & 17.9, max 10 on 23.10
Pomarine Jaeger 27, first on 22.10, 4 on 23.11
Silver Gull many
Kelp Gull 15 birds
White-winged Black Tern 1 bird with Common and Crested Terns, 4.11
Caspian Tern 1 bird on 2.9
Common Tern ca 700 birds, first 30.9, max 96 on 10.10
White-fronted Tern max 68 on 18.9, two late birds on beach with Common
Terns on 20.11
Crested Tern numbers down on previous years, max 54 on 30.9
That's 32 species.
Best times to go down to the headlands are when stiff southerlies or
south-easterlies are blowing - just in case anyone wants to try it.
Rod Gardner
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