Newcastle, NSW, Australia Pelagic trip report 6 Sept 2003

[richard baxter <>]

Newcastle, NSW, Australia, Pelagic Report SATURDAY 6th September 2003.

Conditions:

Departed 6.10am ? Returned 4pm.

Seas ? nearly flat

Winds ? light and variable

Primary Chumming Location: 75km offshore

Those on board: Phil Hansbro, Richard Baxter, Gaeton Amodeo, Paddy Lightfoot, Daniel Mantle, John Reidy, Robert McDonald, Dick Jenkin, Alan Stuart, Matt Hughes, Maddie Hughes and Colin Scouler.

Trip Summary:

A very pleasant day at sea. Winter has been over for 6 days and spring was certainly here today. The sea was flat, the wind was light, the sun shone all day and it was sun-cream, t-shirts and shorts weather. We departed Swansea at 6.10am with a full boat and a few first timers. After a few Km?s we saw large numbers of Hutton?s Shearwater and a few Australasian Gannet. We continued east and after about 1.5hrs came across a large flock of feeding gannets with a lone Wedge-tailed Shearwater amongst them.

We stopped 75km offshore and began to chum. Birds continued to come into the boat for about 1.5hrs and then the wind dropped and the birds sat on the water. At one stage we had 9 different races of albatross around the boat. After an hour of waiting we decided to start to head back to the shelf to get the birds flying and maybe attract a few different species to the boat. We managed to attract a lone Cape Petrel and briefly saw a group of four Humpback Whales. We continued east for several Km?s stopping again to look at a two humbacks. These two humbacks swam around the boat for 30min giving all on board excellent views. Just prior to entering the harbour we slowed to photograph a flock of Hutton?s Shearwater. An excellent day at sea.

Birds

Wandering Albatross

86 exulans ? 4

846 antipodensis-2

847 gibsoni-8

Shy Albatross

91. Cauta-3

862 salvini-1

Black-browed Albatross

859. impavida-15

88. melanophrys-5

931. Buller?s Albatross-1

864 Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross-50

984 Cape Petrel -1

75 Great-winged Petrel-2

971 Providence Petrel -50

69 Wedge-tailed Shearwater-500+

68 Fluttering Shearwater-10

913 Hutton?s Shearwater ?100+

72 Flesh Footed Shearwater -1

63. Wilson?s Storm Petrel -5
64. White-faced Storm Petrel-3

980 Great Skua -2

115 Crested Tern -10

125. Silver Gull -1000+

104. Australasian Gannet-400

114. White-fronted tern-5

The following Newcastle pelagic trips remain for 2003.

Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 25, Oct 26^th.

Newcastle Pelagic trips are conducted as non-profit outings.

 

Regards

Richard Baxter

Newcastle

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