14th March 1998 SYDNEY PELAGIC TRIP REPORT
Very similar to last months trip. Highlights included a very confiding
White-necked Petrel and a single (always good to see) Gould's Petrel and
a distant view of an unidentified tropicbird. A few fresh plumaged
Providence Petrel were early arrivals and Wedge-tailed Shearwater numbers
were well down - presumably because they have started to migrate North.
Any trip with White-necked Petrel is a great trip.
Departed at 7.00 am and returned at 2.30 pm.
1 Metre swell, 15-20 knot winds, from the SE
We reached 27 Nautical Miles E of Sydney Heads.
Water temperature up to 24.3 C beyond the shelf.
Those on board:
Rod Gardner, Nick Hodges, Peter Lansley, Bill McLean, Pete Milburn, Ted
Nixon, Tony Palliser, Robert Quoinan, David Siems, Andrew Stafford and
Bob Way.
THE BIRDS
Great-winged Petrel 50-80+ (20+)
Providence Petrel 2
WHITE-NECKED PETREL 1
GOULD'S PETREL 1
Flesh-footed Shearwater 30-50 (18)
Wedge-tailed Shearwater 10-15 (6)
Fluttering Shearwater 2 (1)
Fluttering Type? 3 (1)
Short-tailed Shearwater 5-10 (2)
Tropicbird Sp? 1
Australasian Gannet 3
Silver Gull 50+ in the Harbour
Pomarine Skua 5-10 (3)
Arctic Skua 3 (1)
Crested Tern 30-40 in the harbour
Australasian Pelican 5 in the Harbour
Great Cormorant 2 in the Harbour
White-faced Heron 2 (6 miles from shore)
Reef Egret 1 (dark phase in the harbour)
MAMMALS
None reported
Sydney Pelagics depart on the 2nd Saturday of each month and Wollongong
Pelagics depart on the 4th Sunday of each month. If you would like to
join one of these trips please contact either Tony Palliser or Pete
Milburn to make a booking.
Tony Palliser Ph; 02-99001678 (w), 02-4277563 (h)
http://www.zip.com.au/~palliser
Pete Milburn Ph; 0416-249501 or Wk 06-2494326
Regards
Tony
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