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PORT FAIRY PELAGIC REPORT

To: "BIRDING-AUS" <>
Subject: PORT FAIRY PELAGIC REPORT
From: "Mike Carter" <>
Date: Wed, 9 Oct 2002 22:03:53 -0000
 
PORT FAIRY (PF), VIC, PELAGIC TRIP REPORT, 6 OCT 2002

OBSERVERS: Chris Lester (organiser), Harry Clarke, Rohan Clarke, Stuart Dashpar, Sean Dooley, Euan Fothergill, Rosemary Lester, Susan Myers, Frank Pierce, David Stickney, Iain Woxvold & Mike Carter.

WEATHER: Early partial cloud cover quickly burnt off giving us sunny conditions until midday when cloud built up ahead of an approaching front. Cold. Calm at first with wind gradually freshening from the north but not above 10 Kts till we were back inshore.

 SEA: Flat, rising to slight, on a low swell. So a smooth ride with no-one sick.

 ACTIVITY: Sailed at 06.06. Headed out on a COG of 204º at 12.4 Kts. Some shearwater activity close inshore, but then little except occasional seals and a small pod of Common Dolphins until feeding Gannets, Short-tailed Shearwaters & Fairy Prions about 46 km out at the 65 fathom line. We continued across the shelf-break to join trawler fishing in 220 fathoms. Birds were slow to react to our shark-liver and chopped fish berley, but they gradually accumulated at three stops between 08.25 & 11.25 centred on 38º49’S 141º50’E beyond the shelf-break. Cruised the western and northern shores of Lady Julia Percy Is. (LJPI) from 13.30 to 13.55. Docked at 15.00.

 MAMMALS: About 5 Australian Fur Seals were scattered across the inshore and offshore zones and 1,000’s at LJPI.  A pod of c.12 Common Dolphins offshore.

 BIRDS: 24 species of seabird beyond the river mouth indicated good diversity but only Short-tailed Shearwaters were really abundant. The highlights are in capitals. Unless noted otherwise, those listed below were near or beyond the shelf break (i.e. pelagic).

 Little Penguin: 2 near & 1 on LJPI.

Common Diving-Petrel: 1 inshore.

S. Giant Petrel: 1 juv.

N. Giant Petrel: 2 juv.

Cape Petrel: 1.

Great-winged Petrel: 6 (3), all nominate race.

Fairy Prion: 80 (50), (65 offshore).

WHITE-CHINNED PETREL: 1.

Short-tailed Shearwater: 600; in all areas.

Fluttering Shearwater: 100 inshore.

Wandering Albatross: 1 stage 4, too distant to determine sub-species.

N. ROYAL ALBATROSS: 1.

Black-browed Albatross: 6 (4), all melanophris (2 offshore). 

Shy Albatross: cauta 90 (40), (5 inshore, 15 offshore).

Yellow-nosed Albatross: 6 (3), (1 inshore).

Wilson’s Storm-Petrel: 1.

GREY-BACKED STORM-PETREL: 2 (1).

Australasian Gannet: c. 90, (28 inshore, 60 offshore & 2 pelagic).

Black-faced Cormorant: 1 juv. on LJPI.

Little Black Cormorant: 1 juv. on LJPI.

Kelp Gull: 6 on LJPI.

Silver Gull: 2 on LJPI.

Crested Tern: 62, (60 inshore & 2 pelagic).

Whiskered Tern: 4 inshore.

Mike Carter
30 Canadian Bay Road
Mt Eliza    VIC     3930
Ph:  (03) 9787 7136
Email:  

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