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Yesterday, myself and a number of keen birdo's
joined Captain Carl on board the Sandra K on this month's pelagic trip off
Wollongong. One of our main highlights of the trip showed up only minutes from
departing Wollongong Harbour, being a first year Grey-headed Albatross
(this now being personally my 4th sighting of this beautiful bird). The
Grey-headed appeared only a few hundred metres off Fairy Meadow Beach. Further
away from shore we saw 7 other species of Albatross - Snowy,
Gibson's, Antipodean, Black-browed, Campbell, Yellow-nosed and Shy
Albatross aswell as a few Solanders Petrels,
White-faced Storm Petrels, many Prions
(mainly Fairy's and the odd Antarctic's, which was not
the case on previous trips)and most seen close to shore, a few
Fluttering Shearwaters, an Antarctic Skua,
several Kelp Gulls (many young birds) and the usuals. I was
suprsied to see no Giant Petrels or Cape Petrels (as seen during the previous
weeks) on this trip as this time last year we had seen several,
especially of the later. Milburn and Lindsay banded a few Albatross
including Wandering type Albatrosses, Yellow-nosed and Campbell's Albatross. We
also saw an Australian Fur Seal and had excellent views of a pod of Sperm
Whales, spending a fair bit of time at the surface and making a spectacular
steep dive down.
No lifers on this trip but some good sightings.
Another fairly good pelagic trip off Wollongong.
Milburn will follow with a more detailed
report.
Edwin
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