*28^th August 2010* SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, WOLLONGONG, NSW, AUSTRALIA.
Report prepared by: Lindsay E. Smith.
*Departed: *07:15 returned at 15:25.
*Sea conditions:* 3.0 - 5m easing later in the day
*Swell:* South to 3.0m inshore increasing to 4 m beyond the continental
shelf decreasing during the day.
*Weather*: Scattered cloud during the morning. Clearing, later in the day.
*Temperature range:* 8 to 19°C.
*Barometric pressure:* 1008 HPa. Rising
*Wind:* South -SW 18 to 25 knots in the morning, easing later in the
day. South East 10 to 15 knots in the afternoon.
*Sea surface temperature:* 18°-19.2 C
*Primary chumming location:* Nil.
*Summary:
*
A series of cold fronts and gale force winds from the west south west
had lashed the coast in the previous few days only easing late on Friday
night. As we departed the harbour the wind had eased to 20-25knots from
the SW and the seas had abated to 2-3m inshore, due largely to being
protected from the southerly swell by the Five Islands
A few Crested Terns and Australasian Gannets were patrolling the inshore
waters as were good numbers of Albatrosses, including Wandering,
Black-browed, and Shy types. We had brief views of a small group of
White-fronted and Arctic Terns as we cruised past the Wollongong Trap
Reef. The inshore waters were quite productive with good numbers of
Fluttering and a few Hutton's Shearwaters, as expected at this time of
the year. The Wedge-tailed Shearwaters had begun to return and were
present in low numbers.
At the 80-fathom line we encountered the first Gadfly/ /petrel of the
day it was a Solander's Petrel which flew across our stern. Here, we
were joined by a few Wandering Albatrosses /D.exulans/ and *a
White-headed Petrel,* which past over our wake giving most on board
brief but good views before disappearing to the south east.
Conditions over the shelf were difficult with 4-5m swells, 20-25 knot
winds and a current flowing north at 1.5 knots which made it impossible
to stop and drift. As we burlied, we were soon joined by a variety of
seabirds including the first of two Buller's Albatrosses for the day. We
stopped briefly outside a reef at 60-fathoms before heading back to the
lee of the islands to escape the difficult conditions. Unfortunately
were forced back to harbour earlier than expected after a difficult but
productive day at sea.
*Highlights:*
*White-headed Petrel *
*Arctic Tern*
*
*Good numbers of Albatrosses, including two *Buller's, *one of which was
a* *second year bird*.*
Once again a Great Day on the ocean.
Cheers Lindsay
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)
929. Southern Giant Petrel /Macronectes giganteus/ 1
937 Northern Giant Petrel /Macrononectes halli / 1
080 Cape Petrel /Daption capense /1 (1)
*077 White-headed Petrel* /Pterodroma lessoni/ 1
971 Solander's Petrel /Pterodroma solandri / 1 (1)
083 Fairy Prion /Pachyptila turtur/ <10
068 Fluttering Shearwater/ P. gavia/ 30 (10)
913 Hutton's Shearwater/ P. huttoni/ <10 (6)
086 Wandering Albatross /D.exulans /10 (5)
088 Black-browed Albatross /Thalassarche melanophris/ 40+ (15)
859 Campbell Albatross /T.impavida /3 (2)
*931 Buller's Albatross* /T. bulleri/ 2 (1)
091 Shy Albatross /T. cauta/ .>10 (6)
861 White-capped Albatross /T. steadi/ 2 (1)
089 Indian yellow-nosed Albatross 15+ (7)
104 Australasian Gannet/ Morus serrator/ 10 (6)
106 Australian Pelican/ Pelicanus conspicillatus/ 5 (5)
981 Kelp Gull/ Larus dominicanus/ 8 (3)
125 Silver Gull/ L. novaehollandiae/ 200+ (200+)
115 Crested Tern/ Sterna bergii/ 15 (6)
114 White-fronted Tern /sterna striata />30 (10)
*952 Arctic Tern */sterna paradisea/ 2
* *
*In the harbour:*
096 Great Cormorant/ Phalacrocorax carbo/ 1
100 Little Pied Cormorant,/ P. melanoleucos/ 1
106 Australian Pelican/ Pelicanus conspicillatus/ 1
*Other birds:*
Welcome Swallow /Hirundo /
131 Sooty Oystercatcher/ Haematopus fuliginosus/ 4
*Mammals*:
Common Dolphin 7
Fur Seal 1
For previous trip reports and selected images from this trip visit
*_http://www.sossa-international.org <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 W ollongong Pelagic Trips* These departs
on the 4th Saturday of each month contact: *SOSSA: Phone 02 4272 4626
Email:
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