Today, myself, David Koffel and
David Mitford enjoyed what you would easily call an above average sea watch from
that ?world famous? Sydney landmark, Magic Pt in Maroubra (approx. 10 km south
of Sydney CBD and one of the world?s best sea watching spots!!). It was mainly
overcast along this coastal stretch with winds from the south-west and very
chilly (though no excuse not to get out of bird early for us determined sea
birdos).
Today?s main highlights included
good numbers of Albatrosses including excellent and lengthy views of a juv.
GREY-HEADED ALBATROSS (personally only my sixthth or seventh
sighting), large numbers of dark Pterodroma Petrels (about half positively
identified as Great-winged Petrels), good numbers of Prions (many Fairy?s very
close to the rocks), 6 juv. Giant Petrels and atleast 3 late Short-tailed
Shearwaters. Mammal sightings included one Australian Fur Seal seen swimming
below the cliff and brief sightings of 3 Humpback Whales.
With our scopes, we identified
the Grey-headed Albatross at first from about 2 km away from the rocks and we
followed it as it came closer and closer to us and eventually land within a few
hundred metres from the rocks. Here it took over a dead cuttlefish (it looks as
if it appeared to have smelt this dead carcass from atleast 2 km away) from a
Black-browed Albatross, both a juv. Kelp and Silver Gull (all 3 of the later
were initially feeding on the cuttlefish and none made no attempt to snatch it
back from the Grey-headed Albatross next to them. There were also a few Fairy
Prions circling around them and snatching the little tit bits from the surface.
We watched the Grey-headed Albatross on the water feeding on the cuttlefish for
atleast 5-10 minutes and then later slowly take flight again and heading south.
Well before it disappeared out of sight, the Grey-headed joined a juv. Shy
Albatross and we had both together in the same field of view through our
scopes/binoculars.
Due to other commitments myself
and David Koffel reluctantly headed back home at 2 pm. Therefore David Mitford may have seen more
seabirds/mammals not accounted for in the list below. In the right conditions
like today, sea birding can be very addictive in anticipating what might be seen
next.
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Birds species recorded (Note:
numbers of some seabird species esp. Black-browed Alabtrosses, Gannets and
Prions would be an under-estimate):
Fairy Penguin (atleast one heard)
Black-browed Albatross (atleast
47)
Campbell
Albatross (3)
Grey-headed Albatross (1
juv.)
Yellow-nosed Albatross (22, all
race bassi)
Shy/White-capped Albatross
(either cauta or steadi)
Giant Petrels (6 in total,
possibly including 2 Northern and one Southern)
Great-winged Petrels (atleast
24)
Other dark Pterodroma Petrels
unidentified (25 plus)
Fairy Prion (atleast 39)
Antarctic Prion (1-2
possible)
Other unidentified Prions
(atleast 35)
Short-tailed Shearwater (atleast
3)
Fluttering Shearwater (atleast
6)
Australasian Gannet (250
plus)
Little Pied Cormorant (1)
Great Cormorant (6)
Brown Skua (1)
Kelp Gull (5, including 2 adults
and 3 juv. birds)
Silver Gull (numbers not
counted)
Crested Tern (15 plus)
White-fronted Tern (atleast
4)
Peregrine Falcon (2)
Eastern Reef Egret (4 included 2
had more obvious white in throat than the other 2)
Mammals recorded:
Humpback Whale (3)
Australian Fur Seal (atleast
1)
Edwin Vella
SEABIRDS
RULE!