26th January 2008 SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, WOLLONGONG, NSW, AUSTRALIA.
Report prepared by: P.J. Milburn.
Departed: 07:20 returned at 15:55.
Sea conditions: calm at first then to 0.5 m later.
Swell: east southeasterly 1.5 to 2.5 m
decreasing to 1.0 to 1.5 m during the day.
Weather: bright sunshine with scattered cloud during the late morning.
Temperature range: 22.4 to 29.8°C.
Barometric pressure: 1014 HPa.
Wind: SSE 5 to 8 kts in the morning veering to 8 to 10 kts in the afternoon.
Sea surface temperature: 23.1 to 24.8°C.
Primary chumming location: S 34° 27' - E 151° 15'.
Summary:
High-pressure systems were located in the Tasman
Sea and the Great Australian Bight creating a
stable weather pattern with gentle mostly
easterly breezes. A warm water core was located
offshore that brought a stream of blue pelagic
water rippling past the continental shelf. The
portents were very promising indeed as we cruised
out of the harbour in near perfect conditions.
Pomarine Jaegers and Crested Terns were
patrolling the inshore waters and we had good
views of a Smooth Hammerhead Shark as we cruised
past. An assortment of small fish was in
abundance so it was not a surprise to find an
assortment of shearwater species also, which
included a BULLER'S SHEARWATER. Marine life was
plentiful until we cleared the outermost reef
system; the highlights being a playful group of
Short-beaked Common Dolphins, another BULLER'S
SHEARWATER, a male ANTIPODEAN ALBATROSS and a
LONG-TAILED JAEGER.
At the 80-fathom line we encountered the first
cookalaria petrel of the day, which flew across
our stern too distantly to be identified with
certainty. Shortly afterwards those on the upper
deck were able to identify a LITTLE SHEARWATER
that also crossed our wake.
As we cruised over the edge of the continental
shelf at the 100-fathom line everybody was fully
alert and we were rewarded with great views of
one of several WHITE-NECKED PETRELS. We were
surrounded by procellariiformes at this point and
several Grey-faced Petrels approached our stern
closely. Then another cookalaria was spotted
ahead of us and this bird obligingly approached
our vessel several times allowing its identity to
be ascertained. We stopped to drift and berley
and although the BLACK-WINGED PETREL remained in
view for several minutes it did not approach us
again. However, a SOLANDER'S PETREL joined the
group foraging alongside the boat to the delight
of our participants from overseas because this
species is extremely unusual in these waters in
late January. Eventually, presumably due to the
low wind speed, the birds lost interest in us and
alighted on the flat ocean.
We elected to continue cruising to the northeast
but it appeared that the major excitement of the
day was behind us. Another cookalaria petrel,
which flew across our stern too distantly to be
identified with certainty, engendered a distinct
feeling of déjà vu.
Eventually we had to set course for the harbour
and leave this productive patch of blue water.
We stopped briefly outside a reef at 60-fathoms
depth and attracted a spectacular crowd of
jaegers that included 8 LONG-TAILED JAEGERS. We
had to wait until we were almost back at
Wollongong for the one and only Arctic Jaeger of
the day.
Highlights:
I wish everyone on board could have been a party
to the sighting of all of the species recorded
but it was one of those frustrating days when
that wish could not be realised. Collective
highlights were: 4 species of pterodroma petrel,
including WHITE-NECKED and BLACK-WINGED PETREL
and 8 species of shearwaters including LITTLE and
BULLER'S SHEARWATER.
Birds recorded according to the latest
Environment Australia Reporting Schedule:
Species code: Species name: Numbers:
(Note: numbers in parenthesis = highest count at any one time)
075 Grey-faced Petrel Pterodroma macroptera gouldi 22 (16)
971 SOLANDER'S PETREL P. solandri 1
774 WHITE-NECKED PETREL P. cervicalis 3 (3)
955 BLACK-WINGED PETREL P. nigripennis 1
067 LITTLE SHEARWATER Puffinus a. assimilis 1
068 Fluttering Shearwater P. gavia 6 (1)
913 Hutton's Shearwater P. huttoni 2 (1)
069 Wedge-tailed Shearwater P. pacificus 550+ (350+)
070 Sooty Shearwater P. griseus 1
071 Short-tailed Shearwater P. tenuirostris 11 (7)
072 Flesh-footed Shearwater P. carneipes 28 (10)
975 BULLER'S SHEARWATER P. bulleri 2 (1)
846 ANTIPODEAN ALBATROSS Diomedea antipodensis 1
096 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 1
100 Little Pied Cormorant, P. melanoleucos 1
104 Australasian Gannet Morus serrator 4 (1)
106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 5 (5)
128 Arctic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus 1
933 LONG-TAILED JAEGER S. longicauda 11 (8)
945 Pomarine Jaeger S. pomarinus 25 (16)
981 Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus 4 (3)
125 Silver Gull L. novaehollandiae 21 (15)
115 Crested Tern Sterna bergii 4 (2)
In the harbour:
096 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 1
100 Little Pied Cormorant, P. melanoleucos 1
106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 1
13 species of procellariiformes in a total of 23
species of seabird identified outside the
breakwater.
Other birds
131 Sooty Oystercatcher Haematopus fuliginosus 1
Mammals
Short-beaked Common Dolphin Delphinus delphis 35+ (35+)
Reptiles
None
Fish
Smooth Hammerhead Sphyrna zygaena 1
Blue Mackerel Scomber australasicus 100+
For previous trip reports and selected images from this trip visit
http://www.sossa-international.org/
Future Trips
All Pelagic Trips from NSW are operated at no
profit to the organizers, being operated as group
boat charters for the benefit of all who wish to
join us. If you would like to join one of these
trips please contact us as detailed below:
To make a booking on the SOSSA Wollongong Pelagic
Trips that departs on the 4th Saturday of each
month contact:
SOSSA: Phone 02 4271 6004.
Email:
Carl Loves Phone: 0427 423 500
Pete Milburn: Mobile 0428 249 506, 02 6255 1313 (AH) or 02 6125 4173 (BH)
Note: SOSSA = Southern Oceans Seabird Study Association
--
Dr P.J. Milburn
Technical Specialist
ANU ACRF Biomolecular Resource Facility
John Curtin School of Medical Research
Australian National University
GPO Box 334
Canberra ACT 0200
'Phone +61 2 6125 4326
FAX +61 2 6125 9533
==============================www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
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