PORTLAND (Vic.) pelagic, Sunday, 14 September 1997. Report by P.S. Lansley.
Delayed one week, the re-run was looking doubtful until the day itself. An
'intense low' deteriorated into a rain depression which fortunately avoided
the shelf-break, but a moderating NE breeze was not conducive for southern
birds like Fulmar, Blue Petrel etc., to materialise.
Those aboard the Michael J IV, 14 September 1997: Peter Lansley (organiser),
Rory O'Brien, Tony Palliser, Maarten Hulzebosch, Rob Berry & Gail Clark
(thanks to birding-aus!), Peter Crabtree, Peter and Valerie Fowler, John
Bolitho, crewman, Judith Hoyle & Gavin.
Course followed: Departed harbour 0645 h; once rounding Lawrence Rocks, we
headed SW to ca. 2 NMi S of C. Nelson at 0800 h, then to 38 deg 41'S, 141
deg 23'E (220 metres depth), drifting to 38 deg 42'S, 141 deg 21'E from
0900-1015 h, then to 38 deg 47'S, 141 deg 21'E (>800 metres depth) from
1050-1215 h, then to 38 deg 47'S, 141 deg 25'E from 1250-1350 h, berleying
at each stop. Docked 1630 h.
Weather. Not good. Overcast, 8/8 cloud with rain periods. Wind NE at 10-15
knots in morning, moderating in afternoon. Wind shift to SW failed to
eventuate. Swell moderated from ca. 2-3 metres initially to almost nothing
by 1500 h. Air temp ranged from ca. 9-14 C.
BIRDS (total 20 spp. at sea + Silver Gull, Great Cormorant and Little
Penguin in harbour and un-id (flutton's) shearwater). Numbers in parentheses
indicate maximum seen together.
Little Penguin 1 in harbour
Southern Giant-Petrel 2 juvs.
Northern Giant-Petrel 1, ?ad. (iris blue-grey, pale mottling visible on
face/chin area).
Giant-Petrel sp. 1 ?sub-ad. most likely Northern
Cape Petrel 40 (30), one inshore near Lawrence Rocks
Great-winged Petrel (subsp. macroptera) 25 (10)
Fairy Prion 3 (1)
White-chinned Petrel 1 at first shelf-break stop
Sooty Shearwater at least 1
Short-tailed Shearwater ca. 4
un-id. Puffinus tenuirostris/griseus ca. 5; all dark shearwaters at first
shelf-break stop, none over deeper water
Fluttering/Hutton's Shearwater 7 (5) inshore
Wandering Albatross 3 (2) (? chionoptera) (all stage 4 birds)
Royal Albatross 3 (1): 2 epomophora (stage 2 and 3), 1 sanfordi (stage 2)
Black-browed Albatross ca. 80 (50) (75 melanophris, 5 impavida)
Shy Albatross ca. 120 (70) cauta
Yellow-nosed Albatross 4 (3) bassi (2 ads., 1 sub-ad., 1 juv.)
Grey-backed Storm-Petrel 2 (1)
White-faced Storm-Petrel 3 (1)
Australasian Gannet ca. 8000 Lawrence Rocks, mainland colony of ca. 150
birds on Pt. Danger; 2 at shelf break.
Black-faced Cormorant ca. 75 Lawrence Rocks; 2 in Portland Bay.
Great Cormorant 1 in harbour
Southern Skua 1 on water near Lawrence Rocks, feeding on cuttlefish
Silver Gull confined to harbour, ca. 10
Pacific Gull 1 ad. in harbour; 4 (3 ads., 1 first year) on Lawrence Rocks
Crested Tern 6 in harbour, 3 (1) at sea.
MAMMALS
Australian Fur-Seal ca. 5 at sea
|
