Sydney Pelagic Trip Report 29th OCTOBER 1998
Departed at 7.45 am and returned at 3.00 pm.
1.0M swell, Winds light predominantly North Easterly
Reaching 23 Nautical Miles E of Sydney Heads.
Water temperature 19.3 Degrees
Those on Board,
A special charter organised by David Fisher from WINGS GROUP INC.
Summary,
A relatively calm and mild day. Shearwater numbers were lower than one
would expect for this time of year. Although, there were some great
views of Hutton's and Sooty Shearwaters. The Southerly winds earlier
in the week seem to have increased the number of albatross much to the
delight of those on board. This trip marked the first return for what
has become our annual supply of Black Petrel with three birds sighted
on the shelf. The rarest bird of the day though was a White-winged
Black Tern which is a new bird for the 'Halicat' and a particularly
rare visitor to the Sydney area in recent years. A Fairy Prion in heavy
moult is a particularly late record. And the four breaching Hump-backed
Whales produced a sight never to be forgotten.
BIRDS
(numbers in brackets = highest count at any one time)
Little Penguin 2 (2) Just outside the heads
Wandering Albatross (stage 4 gibsoni?) 4-6 (4)
Black-browed Albatross 15-20+ (Juv 12 + impavida adults 3)
Shy Albatross 4-5 (3)
BLACK PETREL 3 (2)
Cape Petrel 12 (10)
Fairy Prion 1 (in very heavy moult)
Providence (Solander's) Petrel 3 (1)
Great-winged Petrel 10+ (4)
Wilson's Storm Petrel 15+ (10)
White-faced Storm Petrel 1
Fluttering Shearwater 30+ (20+)
Hutton's Shearwater 12-15 (8) most on the shelf
Short-tailed Shearwater 60-80 (c.60)
Sooty Shearwater 15-20 (3)
Wedge-tailed Shearwater 20+ (5)
Silver Gull 10+ inshore
Crested Tern 3-4
White-winged Black Tern 1 adult on the shelf
Arctic Skua 4 (2)
Pomarine Skua 1
Australasian Gannet 6-8 (4)
Australasian Pelican 6 in the harbour
Great Cormorant 2 in the harbour
22 species of seabird - away from the heads.
MAMMALS
Hump-backed Whales 4
Dolphin Sp? : one small pod
Sydney Pelagics depart on the 2nd Saturday of each month, Wollongong
Pelagics depart on the 4th Sunday of each month and Eden Pelagics the 5th
Sunday of each quarter. If you would like to join one of these trips please
contact either Tony Palliser or Pete Milburn to make a booking.
Regards
Tony Palliser
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Ph wk..... 02-99001678 fx..... 02-99001669
Ph mb..... 0416 095875
Ph hm..... 02-94277563
email: wk:
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