Hi all,
Here's the latest trip report for a Port Fairy Pelagic
Cheers,
Rohan
Bayside Branch of the Bird Observers Club of Australia pelagic trip off PORT
FAIRY, VIC, 15 May 2005
OBSERVERS: Tania Ireton (organiser), Ken Baker, Bill Ramsay, Katherine Ramsay,
James Bailey, Brian Johnston, Peter Baitz, Dave Torr, Joy Knight, Charles
Smith, Frank Pierce, Adam Rigg & Rohan Clarke.
WEATHER: Conditions were overcast and dull with 100% cloud cover in the am
clearing to 50% cover and brief sunshine between 1200 and 1300. Cloud cover
increased to 100% for the remainder of the day. Generally good visibility. Cool
to mild. Southerly wind around 5-10 knots throughout the day.
SEA: 0.5-1 m confused swell with steep 0.5-1 m chop made for bumpy conditions.
Seas moderated slightly through the day with regular whitecaps in the am and
occasional white caps in the pm. Swell remained much the same. Given the wind
direction we had significant spray on the way out which necessitated the
lowering of one side screen. This was also necessary on the final hour of the
return leg; from Lady Julia Percy to Port Fairy. Two punters seasick.
ACTIVITY: Sailed at 0715 EST. Headed directly to the shelf break with one short
stop on the way for a Southern Giant Petrel. Very few birds in inshore waters
but reasonable numbers of birds (particularly prions) in offshore waters
concentrated around large krill swarms visible at the sea surface between 28
and 40 fathoms. This seems particularly late for visible krill swarms
presumably driven by the local upwelling. We crossed the shelf break (100
fathoms) at around 0945. We stopped and berleyed with shark liver at three
locations, first at 38º48.95'S 141º53.38'E, then at 38º52.51'S 141º48.99'E and
finally at 38º48.05'S 141º50.79'E before heading back in at 1300. A brief stop
for a Northern Giant Petrel was the main attraction on the return leg. We
cruised the shores of Lady Julia Percy Island between 1445 and 1505 before
docking at around 1605.
MAMMALS: Common Dolphins: a pod of 30 + 2 on the way out and a pod of 2 on the
way back in.
SPERM WHALE: a large animal (presumably adult male) seen at the second berley
point was one of the day's highlights. It surfaced repeatedly nearby whilst we
drifted over a 10 minute period. Eventually it moved off. At the time we were
sitting over a steep section of the shelf were the seabed dropped from 240 to
700+ fathoms in the space of several hundred meters, so presumably it was
feeding in the area.
1,000's of Australian Fur Seals at LJPI. Also ~15 at sea as ones and twos in
both inshore (am only) and offshore waters.
BIRDS: 22 species beyond the river mouth indicated average diversity.
Highlights were the good numbers of prions attracted to the krill offshore,
close approaches by an adult Sooty Albatross and a Soft-plumaged Petrel beyond
the shelf and reasonable views of a Southern Royal Albatross.
Little Penguin: 1 inshore on the return leg, 1 on LJPI, 1 in water by LJPI.
Great-winged Petrel: 50 (20). all nominate race.
SOFT-PLUMAGED PETREL: 1 at the first berley point
Fairy Prion: 300 (100) most over krill patches in offshore waters. Beyond the
shelf we attracted a maximum of 20.
SLENDER-BILLED PRION: 1
ANTARCTIC PRION: 5 (3):
Northern Giant-Petrel: 1 imm offshore
Southern Giant-Petrel: 1 imm inshore.
Common Diving Petrel: 2 inshore in am.
Short-tailed Shearwater: 4 (2) all inshore
Wandering Albatross: 3 individuals on plumage; at least 2 exulens + 1 distant
immature (stage 1) at the third berley point.
SOUTHERN ROYAL ALBATROSS: 1 pelagic
Black-browed Albatross: nom. race 18 (4) 10 pelagic, 7 offshore, 1 inshore:
impavida, 80 (35) mostly adults but 3 imm, 2 offshore, remainder pelagic.
Shy Albatross all cauta: 35 (8). 10 offshore remainder pelagic.
Yellow-nosed Albatross: 10 (4). 1 offshore remainder pelagic.
SOOTY ALBATROSS: 1 adult pelagic.
White-faced Storm-Petrel: 1 offshore
GREY-BACKED STORM-PETREL: 2 together at second berley point.
Australasian Gannet: 70 (20), 20 inshore, 50 offshore, 4 pelagic. No juvs or
immature birds seen.
Kelp Gull: 13 on LJPI.
Silver Gull: 25 on LJPI and 15 inshore, 2 offshore.
Crested Tern: 20 (5) mostly inshore but 7 pelagic including 5 together.
On LJPI Sooty Oystercatcher (1), White-faced Heron (2), Peregrine Falcon (1),
Brown Falcon (1), Nankeen Kestrel (1), Swamp Harrier (1) and Starling rounded
out the list.
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