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birding-aus Private Trip to Ashmore Reef

To:
Subject: birding-aus Private Trip to Ashmore Reef
From: "Tony PALLISER" <>
Date: 19 Mar 99 11:39:43 +1100
birding-aus

Would anyone like to join us on a charter to Ashmore Reef, WA in  
October/November this year departing from Broome?  
 
Following a most enjoyable trip in 1996 we are planning to go again 
this time for an 8 day trip commencing 31-Oct-99. This is a non-profit 
trip with all costs divided equally between everyone (including myself). 
So far we have 7 confirmed bookings but need 3 more. 
 
Total cost for the trip will be $2000 (including all food and  
accommodation, but not the landing fee cost TBA) for the 8 days ex  
Broome, WA. If you are interested please email myself directly. 
 
I have included below a trip report from our 96 voyage which will give 
you an idea as to what may be seen. 
 
 
  
Regards  
Tony Palliser  
**********************************************************  
Ph wk..... 02-99001678 fx..... 02-99001669  
Ph mb..... 0416 095875 
Ph hm..... 02-94277563  
email: wk:     
********************************************************** 
 
 
 
>ASHMORE REEF PELAGIC TRIP REPORT  
>October 1996  
>  
>  
>This report details the results of a six day pelagic to Ashmore Reef NW  
>Australia  from October 10th to October 15th 1996.  I have detailed the  
>events of each day in summary format to consolidate the sightings. Precise  
>locations / Grid references and hourly counts are available for anyone that
 
>needs them.   Because some of the birds seen involve major rarities for  
>Australia, submissions to the RAOU rarities committee are necessary and we  
>therefore ask that this material not be used in any publication without  
>consultation at this point in time.   
>    
>Those on board:  Mike Carter, Barbara Harvey, Neil Macumber, Peter Milburn,
 
>Frank O'Connor, Tony Palliser, John Reidy, Louise Teirney, Alex Watson and  
>Bill Watson,    
>  
>  
>  
>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -   
>Day 1   
>   
>Departed Broome aboard the 'Jodi Anne II' at 9.00am and headed in a North  
>Westerly Direction towards the Lacepede Islands en route to the deep waters
 
>between Scott and Ashmore Reef.  Conditions on the first day were fine and  
>hot with a sea breeze from the SW up to about 20 Knots, seas slight.  
>Highlights included our first major rarity "Leach's Storm Petrel" and  
>unbelievable views of Hump-backed Whale and distant views of Spinner  
>Dolphin.  Of particular note was that the Wilson's Storm Petrels were  
>located in fairly shallow water, depths between 25 and 50M.  
>  
>Wilson's Storm Petrel  (10+)    
>Leach's Storm Petrel  (1)  ***   location 17.10 / 121.48  
>Brown Booby  (200+)  
>Eastern Reef Egret  (2 birds on the Jetty as we were leaving)  
>Silver Gull  (100+ close in shore)  
>Lesser Crested Tern  (5)  
>Crested Tern  (7)  
>Common Tern  (140-150+)  
>Little Tern  (5)  
>Bridled Tern  (10+)  
>Whiskered Tern  (3)  
>White-winged Black Tern  (4)  
>Noddy Sp  (1 bird close in shore)  
>  
>  
>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -   
>Day 2  
>  
>After sailing all night we awoke well out to sea, the position at 0700hrs  
>being 15.15 / 121.35.  We continued sailing all day towards Scott Reef  
>arriving at approximately 1500hrs.  We were rather surprised to see so   
>many Indonesian fishing vessels in the area. Throughout the day conditions 
 
>were reasonably calm and pleasant.  Very few birds could be seen on the   
>reef itself, however the surrounding seas had lots of surprises in store,  
>including our first sightings of Bulwer's Petrel, Matsudaira's Storm   
>Petrel and a possible Jouanin's Petrel.  The night was spent safely   
>anchored in the sheltered waters of the reef.  
>  
>Tahiti Petrel  (4 - 5)                 
>Pterodroma petrels, (2) all dark possibly heraldica  
>Bulwer's Petrel  (3) and possibly 4 more birds ***  
>Jouanin's Petrel  ( 1 bird thought to be this species ??? ) ***  
>Matsudaira's Storm Petrel  (1) and possibly more  ***     
>Brown Booby (10+)  
>Lesser Frigatebird (1 adult male)  
>Long-tailed Skua (2)  
>Lesser Crested Tern (5)  
>Crested Tern  (7)  
>Roseate Tern  (5)  
>Common Tern  (140-150+)  
>Little Tern  (5)  
>Bridled Tern  (4)  
>Sooty Tern  (10-20)  
>White-winged Black Tern  (8)  
>Common Noddy  (1) and possibly more birds  
>  
>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
>Day 3  
>  
>Awoke at the reef, time for breakfast and a quick swim before once again  
>heading out to sea.  Today the seas were very calm with the wind   
>continuing to drop throughout the day.  Sailing this time through very   
>deep waters towards Ashmore Reef, the highlights were many, with much   
>better views obtained of Matsudaira's Storm Petrel and Bulwer's Petrel,   
>in fact the commonest bird of the day was Bulwer's Petrel with an   
>amazing 50-70 birds counted.  And yet another sighting of a bird thought   
>to be a Jouanin's Petrel.  Also our first sightings of Red-tailed   
>Tropicbird.  
>  
>Tahiti Petrel  (8)                 
>Bulwer's Petrel  (50-70) ***  
>Jouanin's Petrel  ( 2 birds, thought to be this species ??? ) ***  
>Matsudaira's Storm Petrel  (8) and possibly more  ***     
>Red-tailed Tropicbird  (3)  
>Brown Booby  (20+)  
>Long-tailed Jaeger  (2) Heading South  
>Silver Gull (1)  
>Brown Noddy (100+)  
>Sooty Tern (5)  
>Roseate Tern (10)  
>Common Tern  ( 4 possible? ) Distant views  
>Black-naped Tern  ( 3 possible? ) Distant views  
>Sooty Tern  (5)  
>Reef Egret (1)  
>  
>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
>Day 4  
>  
>Arrived in the vicinity of Ashmore Reef at first light.  As our yacht   
>was regarded as a charter vessel permission to land on Scott Reef was   
>not granted, landing is permitted for the general public but not for   
>charter vessels.  Charter vessels are required to pre pay a $2000.00   
>fee for a permit. (clearly a good subject for another mail note)  Much   
>of the morning was spent in the vicinity of Ashmore Reef where we managed   
>to see a single adult Red-footed Booby before heading towards Cartier   
>Island a tiny atoll to the SE of Ashmore. Not much in the way of birds   
>though, but excellent for snorkeling.  Worth noting though were sightings   
>of approximately 40 Rough-toothed Dolphin and 20+ Bottle-nosed Dolphin   
>and 2 Melon-headed Whale as well as mating pair of Flatback Tutles.  
>  
>Tahiti Petrel  (1)                 
>Bulwer's Petrel  (8) ***  
>Brown Booby  (150+)  
>Red-footed Booby  (1)  
>Lesser Frigatebird  (7)  
>Lesser-crested Tern (10-20)  
>Crested Tern  (250-300) + approx 400 birds counted on Cartier Island  
>Roseate Tern  (1)  
>Bridled Tern  (10+)  
>Sooty Tern  (350+) + 15-20 birds on Cartier Island  
>Common Noddy  (750+)  
>Black Noddy  (5+)  
>Barn Swallow  (2)   
>  
>Other birds recorded on Cartier Island include: Turnstone (10), Greenshank  
>(2), and Sacred Kingfisher (1)  
>  
>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
>Day 5  
>  
>After sailing through the night we once again awoke to fine and very calm  
>almost glassy conditions.  A great day for storm petrels, our position at  
>0600hrs being 14.00 / 122.58.  Interestingly there was almost a total lack  
>of Bulwer's Petrels and yet a considerable increase in the number of  
>Matsudaira's Storm Petrel no doubt due to the decrease in depth for most of
 
>the day we were travelling in depths between 100 and 300M.  Other
highlights  
>included sightings of our first Streaked Shearwater and Masked Booby,  
>further sightings of Leach's Storm Petrel and a sighting of a bird thought  
>to be a Swinhoe's Storm Petrel, 2 Bryde's Whales, several Spinner,   
>Bottle-nosed Dolphin's and numerous Rough-toothed Dolphin.  
>  
>Tahiti Petrel  (9)  
>Streaked Shearwater  (3)  
>Hutton's Shearwater  (1)                 
>Bulwer's Petrel  (2) ***  
>Wilson's Storm Petrel  (2)  
>Leach's Storm Petrel  (2) (4 sightings of 2-3 birds) ***  
>Swinhoe's Storm Petrel  (1 bird thought to be this species) ***  
>Matsudaira's Storm Petrel  (40-60) and possibly more  ***     
>Masked Booby  (1)  
>Brown Booby  (100+)  
>Long-tailed Jaeger  (1) again heading South  
>Lesser Frigatebird  (4)  
>Common Tern (1)  
>Sooty Tern  (40-50)    
>Common Noddy  (20-25)  
>Whimbrel  (10) Migrating low over the water towards the mainland  
>Fork-tailed Swift  (5)     
>  
>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
>Day 6  
>  
>Awoke once again after sailing through the night, this time in shallow  
>waters (35M) close to the Lacepede Islands with our position at 0600hrs  
>16.33 / 121.53.  The coastal waters produced vast numbers of terns and once
 
>again Wilson's Storm Petrel and yet another 3 Hump-backed Whale. The wind   
>also increased once more to 20 knots again from the SW.  Generally the
birds  
>were somewhat less spectacular, although the large feeding flocks of terns  
>and Hutton's Shearwater were worthy of note.  Our journey ending on
schedule  
>in Broome at 1830 hrs.  
>  
>Streaked Shearwater  (1)  
>Hutton's Shearwater  (70-80+)                 
>Wilson's Storm Petrel  (15-20)  
>Brown Booby  (500+)  
>Lesser Frigatebird  (4)  
>Crested Tern (20+)  
>Lesser Crested Tern (10-20)  
>Common Tern  (50-100)  
>Roseate Tern  (2000+)  
>Little Tern  (25-30)  
>Sooty Tern  (20-30)    
>Bridled Tern  (10-20)  
>Common Noddy  (200+)    
>Black-naped Tern (3) at the Baleine Bank   
>Bar-tailed Godwit (27) heading for Crab Creek   
>  
>Special thanks go to all those who took part and to the captain and crew of
 
>the 'Jodi Anne' who made this amazing trip so pleasurable.  Highlights were
 
>many, the food was just great, as was the weather and the company of  
>everyone on board.  In closing it is worth pointing out that is clear that  
>much is still to be learn't about the seas in this part of Australia.  
>Anyone planning a similar trip should consider other possible additions to  
>the Austrailan list such as   Mascarene Petrel and Maderian Storm Petrel. 
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