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Another Good Sea watch form Magic Pt Maroubra NSW 070702

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Subject: Another Good Sea watch form Magic Pt Maroubra NSW 070702
From: "Edwin Vella" <>
Date: Sun, 7 Jul 2002 19:51:57 +1000

This morning and around noon., myself and David Koffel enjoyed another above average sea watch from Magic Point at Maroubra (approx. 10 km south of Sydney CBD), but in much less desirable weather conditions (mainly moderate westerly winds tending at times south-west) than the previous weekend. Hence no Pterdroma?s (Gadfly) Petrels were seen on this occasion. However we did observe a good number of Albatrosses, 2 Giant Petrels and several Prions (mainly Fairy Prions with 2 Antarctic Prions also seen) quite close to shore. More Prions and Fluttering Shearwaters were noticed today than last Saturday despite the calmer weather. We were later briefly joined by David Mitford, the legendary Rod Gardner and family as well as John Clifton Everest.

 

Today?s main highlights included good views of a Northern Giant Petrel and 2 Antarctic Prions. One Shy/White-capped Albatross was taking its time to feed on its fish catch for what seemed to be over an hour with many Silver Gulls and a few Prions going around it. The Yellow-nosed Albatrosses appeared only after around noon (reinforcing our theory that they tend to appear later in the day than the other Albatrosses). Likewise, Australian Gannets were only noticed around this time with numbers building up to a couple of hundred or so in the early afternoon. There were a number of Black-browed Albatross and atleast one Campbell Albatross also feeding on dead cuttlefish close to shore. One interesting mammal sighting was watching an Australian Fur Seal feeding on a large fish with several Silver Gulls and a Prion or two circling around the seal. This event lasted for about half an hour. There were also atleast 3-5 Humpback Whales heading north in the early morning, but way out and close to the horizon.

 

Disappointingly, none of the larger Albatrosses were seen ? Wandering, Gibson?s, Antipodean etc.

 

---------------------

Birds recorded:

 

Fairy Penguin (2)

Black-browed Albatross (atleast 36)

Campbell Albatross (1)

Yellow-nosed Albatross (5, all race bassi)

Shy/White-capped Albatross (6) (either cauta or steadi)

NORTHERN GIANT PETREL (1)

Giant Petrel unidentified (1)

Fairy Prion (atleast 7 plus)

ANTARCTIC PRION (2)

Prions unidentified (70 plus) (what I personally counted but highly likely many others were missed)

Fluttering Shearwater (atleast 200 plus)

Australasian Gannet (200 plus)

Great Cormorant (1)

Kelp Gull (1 juv. bird)

Silver Gull (numbers not counted)

Crested Tern (20 plus)

White-fronted Tern (atleast 2)

Australian Kestrel (pair, often passing very close by along the cliff and landing nearby)

 

Mammals recorded:

 

Humpback Whale (3-5)

Australian Fur Seal (1)

 

 

Edwin Vella

 

SEABIRDS RULE!

 

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