Yesterday was a bit of a backtofront trip condition wise - the sea was fairly
smooth going out and rather bumpy on the way back. The vagaries of wind
direction. The bushfire smoke meant that we lost sight of the cost and its
numerous spires when we were only halfway out. Then again, last week's BOz
kerfuffle was also good for a few laughs.
On the pelagic front, we had our first bird before we crossed the bar [and a
very smooth crossing it was too]. A oz gannet was loafing about on the
broadwater.
Out to sea, things were pretty quiet, with just the odd fleshy footed /
wedgetailed shearwater wheeling and dealing. On past trips, we'd be stopping
the boat when interesting birds showed up, but this time, we only stopped so
Paul could get a water temperature reading.
Fortunately, on the burley front we had the real thing this time, and I have to
say that shark liver is really good bird 'bait'. When we pulled up at our usual
lunch spot, I think there was a single crested tern in sight. A couple of
minutes after the first bits hit the water a couple of shearwaters turned up,
and within ten or so minutes we had a mixed flock - mainly shearwaters and
terns, but with a few "maritime woodswallows" [wilsons and black bellies]
fluttering about [cute the way they hang their feet down like grebes] and a
couple of tahiti petrels cruising about.
We also had a jaeger pop in. I was siting alone on the top deck as it slowly
flew in. In flight it appeared very different to the surrounding shearwaters -
with its broad wings it looked a bit like an osprey. It landed in front of the
boat, and its shape immediately said skua to me. However it was a rather
mottled creature, so I poked my nose downstairs and asked Andrew what manner of
skua it was, and he straightway said pomarine.
Of course by the time I returned to my seat, I couldn't find the bird again, but
what I did see was consistent with a juvenile pom.
The moral of the story is that it is always a good idea to lock all conceivable
points of identification into your memory banks before seeking confirmation in a
field guide or from another birder. Not the first time I've missed an
identification by taking my eyes off a bird prematurely.
Very much a case of 'hold onto your hat' on the way home.
Regards, Laurie.
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
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