22nd February, 2003 SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, WOLLONGONG, NSW, AUSTRALIA.
Report prepared by: P.J. Milburn.
Departed: 07:15 returned at approx. 17:00.
Sea conditions: calm.
Swell: E 2 to 3m at first, to 5m later.
Weather: Overcast with sea mist, some sunny periods in late afternoon.
Temperature range: 22.4 to 25.9°C.
Barometric pressure: 1016 falling to 1006 HPa.
Wind: calm at first, NNE 5 kts later.
Sea surface temperature: 21.8 to 23.2°C.
Primary chumming location: None due to adverse current conditions.
Summary:
A low-pressure system was developing off the coast resulting in a humid
summer day with poor visibility and a large swell. Erratic oceanic
currents constrained our navigational options and prevented us from
drifting to attract birds.
The usual summer collection of shearwaters and jeagers were apparent with
Flesh-footed Shearwaters being present in unusually high numbers.
Petrel numbers were disappointing but we were rewarded with great views of
a WHITE-NECKED PETREL several kilometres from the coast on our return trip.
Highlights:
A WHITE-NECKED PETREL and a LONG-TAILED JEAGER were identified amidst large
numbers of the usual summer seabird species.
Birds recorded according to the latest Environment Australia Reporting
Schedule:
Species code: Species name: Numbers:
(Note: numbers in parenthesis = highest count at any one time)
005 Little Penguin Eudyptula minor 1
073 Great-winged Petrel Pterodroma macroptera gouldi 3 (1)
774 WHITE-NECKED PETREL P. cervicalis 1
068 Fluttering Shearwater Puffinus gavia 2 (1)
917 Hutton's Shearwater P. huttoni 1
069 Wedge-tailed Shearwater P. pacificus 600+ (150+)
071 Short-tailed Shearwater P. tenuirostris 2 (1)
072 Flesh-footed Shearwater P. carneipes 550+ (200+)
097 Little Black Cormorant Phalacrocorax sulcirostris 2
128 Arctic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus 2 (1)
933 LONG-TAILED JAEGER S. longicauda 1
945 Pomarine Jaeger S. pomarinus 18 (4)
125 Silver Gull Larus novaehollandiae 2 (2)
115 Crested Tern Sterna bergii 15 (6)
In the harbour:
096 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 1
097 Little Black Cormorant P. sulcirostris 5
106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 5
981 Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus 1
115 Crested Tern Sterna bergii 3
14 species of seabird identified outside the breakwater.
Mammals
Sort-beaked Common Dolphin Delphinus delphis 5
For details of previous trips please visit www.sossa-international.org
Future Trips
All Pelagic Trips from NSW are operated at no profit to the organisers
being operated as group boat charters for the benefit of all who wish
to join us. If you would like to join one of these trips please contact us
as below:
Pelagic Trips from Wollongong depart on the 4th Saturday of each month and
additional trips are organised at popular times of the year.
To make a booking on the SOSSA Wollongong Pelagics contact
SOSSA: Phone 02 4271 6004.
Email:
Carl Loves Phone: 0427 423 500
Pete Milburn: Mobile 0428 249 506, 02 6255 1313 (AH) or 02 6125 4173 (BH)
To make a booking for Sydney Pelagics, which depart on the 2nd Saturday of
each month contact
Tony Palliser Ph; 02-99001678 (w), 02-94115272 (h) or 0416 095875 (mobile)
http://users.bigpond.net.au/palliser/pelagic/
To make a booking for Eden Pelagics which are run on the 5th
Sunday of each month it occurs.
Barbara Jones or Ph (02) 6495 7390
Note: SOSSA = Southern Oceans Seabird Study Association
Dr P.J. Milburn
Biomolecular Resource Facility
Australian National University
GPO Box 334
Canberra
ACT 0200
+61 2 6125 4173 'Phone
+61 2 6125 4326 FAX
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
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