Hi all.
Eight keen birders plus crew visited Pelsaert Island in the southern
Abrolhos group off Geraldton on Wednesday 9 November and yes we did see
Lesser Noddys and we were very fortunate to have Dr Chris Sulman aboard
who is the expert on these birds.
It was difficult to locate a boat because most boats had departed
Geraldton as it was out of season for fishing and cray fishing. I
located Justin Pirrottina whose boat,
Apparition, was surveyed as a charter boat as well as for commercial
fishing.
Justin was very helpful in selecting the best day to go out (we allowed
a few days window in which to go) as it is usually windy at this time of
year and the day in fact was superb with a 2 to 3 knot breeze blowing
most of the time. He was also an excellent host.
Bird seen were:
Lesser Noddy (1,000,s)
Common Noddy (10,000s)
Crested Terns (100s)
Sooty Tern (100s)
Bridled Tern (3)
Caspian Tern (6 - 10)
Fairy Tern (3 - 6)
Roseate Tern (6 - 10)
Wedge-tailed Shearwater
Hutton's Shearwater
Osprey
White-bellied Sea-eagle
Ruddy Turnstone
Red Knot
Red-necked Stint
Sandplover species (no consensus reached)
Sooty Oystercatcher (1)
Pied Oystercatcher (many pairs)
Silver Gull
Pacific Gull
Pied Cormorant
Shy Albatross (1 on the way out)
Grey Teal (8)
Welcome Swallow
Silvereye
Eastern Reef Egret (grey morph)
Also seen:
Humpback Whale (3 or 4 with one breaching in the distance)
Sea Lions (3)
Bottlenose Dolphins
Among the variety of sea life we saw was a Spanish Dancer which was a 30
cm long red frilly sea slug, a most attractive animal.
I can certainly recommend the boat to any birders or groups of birders
wishing to visit the Abrolhos.
Happy birding.
--
John Reidy
Sydney
Phone 02 9871 4836
Fax 02 9871 2616
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