Sydney Pelagic Trip Report for 31st October 1996 aboard MV Halicat
Highlights:
The good run continues! Mottled Petrels were still going through but
numbers were down when comparing last weeks trip from Wollongong. The
season's first Black Petrel provided excellent opportunities to compare
Westland and White-chinned Petrel at close range. The Storm Petrels
and the procellaria's were close enough to touch. Wilson's Storm Petrel
for example was at times too close to focus with a 300mm Lens. We
suggest that the Easterly winds may be a factor in why we are getting
so many birds this year. For the last few years we have had SW Winds.
Conditions:
Fine, some cloud cover.
Water temperature 18.5C once beyond the shelf.
Departed at 8.00 am and returned at 3.00 pm.
1 metre swell.
5-10 knot changeable winds predominently from the East
Reached 25 Nautical Miles E of Sydney Heads.
Those on Board:
Tony Palliser, Dion Hobcroft & David Fisher leading this years WINGS tour
BIRD LIST
Wandering Albatross (5-8)
Black-browed Albatross (8-10 sub adult + 2 impavida adults)
Shy Albatross (3 two of which were sub adult)
Cape Petrel (6)
Great-winged Petrel (10+) Many in heavy moult
Providence Petrel (7)
Gould's Petrel (1)
MOTTLED PETREL (8) ***
WESTLAND PETREL (1 and possibly 2 birds) ***
BLACK PETREL (2)
WHITE-CHINNED PETREL (2)
Flesh-footed Shearwater (5-10)
Wedge-tailed Shearwater (200+)
Sooty Shearwater (20-30+)
Short-tailed Shearwater (1000+)
Fluttering Shearwater (100+)
Hutton's Shearwater (2 although many more may have been missed)
BULLER'S SHEARWATER (1) ***
Wilson's Storm-Petrel (15-20)
White-faced Storm Petrel (5)
Australasian Gannet (40+ Most in the Harbour)
Pomarine Jaeger (3)
Arctic Jaeger (1)
Long-tailed Jaeger (3)
Silver Gull (60+)
Common Tern (2)
White-fronted Tern (6)
Crested Tern (15+)
Pied Cormorant (2) In the harbour
MAMMAL LIST
Common Dolphin (20+)
The next trips planned are from Wollongong on Sunday 24th November and
from Sydney on Saturday 9th November. Places are still available. To make a
booking or find out more contact either: (Milburn)
or (Tony Palliser )
Regards
Tony Palliser (Sydney, Australia)
Phone +61 2 9900 1678 or +61 2 94277563
Fax +61 2 9900 1669
Email or
http://www.zip.com.au/~palliser
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