Newcastle Pelagic Trip Report 18 Feb 2001

[richard baxter <>]

Newcastle NSW Pelagic Trip Report 18 February 2001

Those on board: Richard Baxter, Phil Hansbro, Alan Stuart, Peter Alexander, Graeme O'Conner, Jim Smart, Al Gillies, Keith Laverick, Peter Phillips, Colin Goodenough, Damian Baxter.

 

Summary:  We departed Nelson Bay about 7.30am and before passing the headland we saw Crested Tern and Arctic Jaeger.  The morning was overcast, with a few showers around, but the day cleared to be fine and sunny.  As a soon as we cleared the headland we started to slowly make our way into a strong easterly wind and a 1-2m swell.  The trip out was slow and uncomfortable with very few birds seen.  Apart from the usual Wedge-tailed and Short-tailed Shearwaters we also had Huttons/Fluttering Shearwaters 200m behind the boat, but to far away to determine what they were.

We started to Chum about 2hrs offshore and soon had 30+ Flesh-footed Shearwaters behind the boat and 1-2 Pomerine Jaegers.  We took 3.5hrs to reach 52km offshore which was to be our main chumming location for the next two hours.  For the first half hour we had good numbers of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, Flesh-footed Shearwaters and Pomerine Jaegers around the boat.  They were soon joined by a couple of Great-winged Petrels which circled the boat very closely giving everyone good views.

The first special bird of the day came soon after, in the shape of a WHITE-NECKED PETREL.  This bird cruised passed the boat about 100m away from us and had a quick look at the slick and promptly departed.  Not all on board saw the bird and those that did got only poor views.  Shortly afterwards there was the shout, "KERMADEC PETREL", this bird also briefly appeared 50m from the boat and swiftly departed.  Again not all on board saw it and those that did got only average views.

The next hour of chumming produced no new birds.  Just prior to departure an adult and Juvenile SOOTY TERN flew passed the boat and it to quickly disapeared out of sight.  

                With the wind and swell at our backs, the trip home was far more enjoyable than the trip out.  It was also half as long.  Just prior to entering the heads we saw a raft of 5 Jaegers and several Crested Terns flying overhead.

Other critters:

4 Dolphin Fish

1 Sun Fish

1 Stripped Tuna

Several Bottle-nosed Dolphin

Newcastle Pelagic Trips are organised by the HBOC and visitors are welcome to attend.  All trips are organised as non-profit.  The next trip is from Swansea on the 31 March 2001.

Richard Baxter

Newcastle

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