Hi All,
The Bird Observation and Conservation Australia (BOCA) pelagic got out
off Eaglehawk Neck on the weekend. The trip was one of the better
trips I have done (see below). Next scheduled trips are for September
18th and November 26th and 27th 2010. Both trips are at present fully
booked but contact me if you wish to be on the waitlist for either trip.
Cheers,
Rohan Clarke
BOCA PELAGIC TRIP OFF EAGLEHAWK NECK, TASMANIA
Sunday 20th Feb 2010
OBSERVERS: Sue Abbott, Geoff Bromfield, Heyn de Cock, Xenia Dennett,
Dick Jenkins, Michael Kearns, Chris Lester, Rosemary Lester, Gary
Oliver, Andrew Walter, Brook Whylie, John Young & Rohan Clarke
(organiser and report compiler).
WEATHER: 10% cloud in the am meant largely blue skies, though cloud
increased as the front passed through mid morning. Owing to wind
driven spray, conditions for photography were average to poor.
Reasonably warm in the morning thanks to a north westerly air stream,
even after the front passed it remained warm (well at least not cold)
until just before we docked. A SW change pushed through at about 1000
bringing persistent wind and squalls to gale force. Initially a 15
knot north westerly wind, swinging SW in the 25-30 knot range around
1000 and then building to 30-35 knots and gusting to 35-40 knots at
times. This was the windiest one day pelagic I have ever done but
certainly not the roughest.
SEA: A fairly low sea (0.5 m) on a 1.5- 2 m swell. As the sea followed
us on the way out it was a reasonably gentle ride out. Once the SW
change reached us sea conditions rapidly deteriorated with a 1.5m chop
building fairly quickly. As the wind direction changed with the
arrival of the front, the swell height did not alter much and rather
slowly worked its way around to the SW through the day. There was
quite a bit of spray when underway and occasional wind-whipped blasts
of spray when berleying. The return leg was shaping up to be quite
unpleasant but we turned in early and took it slow and steady and as a
consequence it wasn?t as physically a demanding trip as some. One
seasick.
ACTIVITY: Departed Pirates Bay Wharf at 0720 EST. Headed down to the
Hippolytes, which we circumnavigated before taking an easterly route
directly to the shelf break. Good numbers of birds on the way out with
concentrations of albatross and shearwaters in the 70-90 fathom zone.
Crossed the shelf break (100 fathoms) at 0930 before making our first
stop 3 miles beyond the shelf over 500+ fathoms of water were we
berleyed with chicken skin, tuna frames and fish oil. This was an
extended berley session that saw us drift a further 3 miles out.
Started heading in at around 1100 crossing the shelf again just after
midday. A brief berley stop in worsening conditions in offshore waters
for the day?s highlights (see below) before continuing on with our
slow trip back to Pirates Bay. Docked just after 1500.
MAMMALS: Australian Fur Seals perhaps 120 on the Hippolytes. Also 25
inshore and 10 offshore in the AM.
BIRDS: 27 species of seabird beyond the point at Pirates Bay is a high
count for a Tasmanian pelagic (but then we had this same number of
species in Feb 2010). Highlights were European Storm-Petrel, Great
Shearwater, Little Shearwater, Buller's Shearwater, Gould?s and
Soft-plumaged Petrels.
Wandering Albatross: 10 (8) Good numbers built slowly through the day
so that we had our highest count at the offshore berley point. All
appeared to be gibsoni.
Black-browed Albatross: 4 (2). 1 adult and 1 juv inshore in the AM, 1
smart looking adult in pelagic waters that followed us back into
offshore waters and one scruffy older immature in waters. All were the
nominate subspecies.
Shy Albatross: 100 (60). cauta: 8 inshore, 10 offshore, remainder
pelagic with good numbers following us back inshore on the return leg.
All adult. salvini: 2 older immature birds, both pelagic.
Yellow-nosed Albatross: 16 (4). 2 inshore, 4 offshore, remainder
pelagic. 1 sub-adult, remainder adults.
Buller?s Albatross: 20 (6). 5 pelagic, 5 inshore remainder offshore.
All adults.
EUROPEAN STORM-PETREL: 1 in offshore waters whilst berleying for the
Great Shearwater in the PM. On approach this bird was called as a
Wilson?s Storm-Petrel and it was then (understandably) ignored given
the shearwater had been seen just a minute or so earlier. As the bird
passed through the berley trail the white longitudinal underwing
streak was bought to our attention allowing just enough time for some
to note other important characters (size, structure, absence of pale
carpal bars) as it headed off into the 30+ knot wind. Although most on
board saw the bird, which was the only black and white storm-petrel
for the day, for all involved these were quite poor views of what is a
mega-rarity. Pending BARC assessment this is the first record for
Australia.
Grey-backed Storm-Petrel: 10 (4). 4 pelagic, remainder at our short
berley stop in offshore waters in the PM.
White-faced Storm-Petrel: 17 (10). 5 offshore, remainder pelagic.
Fairy Prion: 8 (4). All offshore in the PM.
Short-tailed Shearwater: 5000 (1000). Mostly offshore, a few inshore
and 40 pelagic.
Sooty Shearwater: 8 (2). 2 offshore, remainder pelagic.
Fluttering Shearwater: 2 (1). 2 definite in offshore waters, 4-5
further ?Fluttons? type birds (ie. either Huttons or Fluttering but
not seen well enough to ID).
BULLERS SHEARWATER: 3 (1) Several close approaches in pelagic waters.
1 in offshore waters in the PM.
GREAT SHEARWATER: A single bird with worn plumage seen by most and
photographed by several in offshore waters on the return leg. It
approached the vessel but never came right in and never responded to
berley. The first record for Tasmania and about the 6th or 7th record
for Australia.
LITTLE SHEARWATER: A dark faced bird of the Sub-Antarctic form in
offshore waters in the AM seen well by most as it overtook the vessel.
White-chinned Petrel: 65 (30). Mostly pelagic but at least 15 followed
us back into offshore waters and 5 followed us into inshore waters.
Great-winged Petrel: 25 (10). All gouldi. On the way out we had our
first over 90 fathoms of water with the remainder pelagic. A few
followed us back into offshore waters.
GOULD?S PETREL: 1. A single flyby at the pelagic berley stop.
SOFT-PLUMAGED PETREL: 1 at brief offshore berley point in the PM. This
was a very distant bird seen (and photographed) by just a few.
Common Diving-Petrel: 1 flashed by near the Hippolytes in the AM.
Little Penguin: 1 inshore in the PM.
Australasian Gannet: 50 (20), 1 pelagic, 2 offshore, remainder
inshore. Also 300+ on and around the Hippolytes.
Black-faced Cormorant: 8 inshore in the AM, 4 offshore in the pm and
~650 on and around the Hippolytes.
Crested Tern: 14 (10). Mostly inshore, but 2 offshore. Also 35 on the
Hippolytes in the AM.
Pacific Gull: 2 inshore in the AM.
Kelp Gull: 13 inshore in the AM. Also about 50 on and around the Hippolytes
Silver Gull: 16 inshore and about 20 around the Hippolytes.
A Swamp Harrier over the Hippolytes in the AM rounds out the list.
Cheers,
Rohan Clarke
--
Rohan Clarke
www.wildlifeimages.com.au
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