Portland Vic Pelagic Trip Report 16
March 2003 --- by Rob Farnes
Observers:
Rob
Farnes (organiser), Peter Barrand, Ivor Graney, Maureen Christie, John Cox,
Colin Rogers, Ian Ashton, Kevin Wight, Murray Grant, Adam Rigg, Lee Milway,
Steve Clark. Captain (Richard
(Dick) Smith and one crew in the Gerald John a brand new Charter vessel on its
inaugural voyage.
Weather:
Slight
swell inshore, fairly calm at the shelf, wind picked up late afternoon to 5-8
knots.
Activity:
Sailed at 0710 h staying close to the coastline until we
cleared Cape Nelson, we then motored SW at 15 knots reaching the shelf at 0915
h. 21 N.M. off Cape Bridgewater
Lat 380 32’ 24” Long.
1410 10’ 09”. Very few
birds were encountered so we cruised further west to rendezvous (by prior
arrangement) with two trawlers as they hauled in their nets. Most birds seen for the day were here
(approx. 200 albatrosses were feeding on dead fish in the wake of the trawlers)
so we cruised up and down the trawl line stopping to burley. 1420 h we started back circumnavigating
Lawrence Rocks (LR) on the way and docking (very late) at 1700 h.
Bird
numbers and species were well down on expectations with 19 sps recorded outside
Portland Harbour.
BIRDS:
Great-winged Petrel two 7 km before
the shelf, small numbers over the shelf up to six at one stop.
Fairy
Prion 1
offshore, 3 pelagic.
Flesh-footed Shearwater
small numbers all pelagic up
to five at one stop.
Short-tailed
Shearwater small numbers mainly
offshore.
Fluttering
Shearwater 3
offshore.
Fluttering/Hutton’s
4
pelagic.
Wandering Albatross
1 stage 6 & 1
juv.
Royal Albatross
1 young southern royal (epomophora).
Black-browed Albatross
at least 4 offshore, 50 pelagic both melanophris and impavida.
Shy
Albatross 2 offshore, 80 pelagic and
1 race salvini.
Yellow-nosed
Albatross 12 offshore, 50
pelagic.
White-faced Storm-Petrel
2 offshore, at least 12
pelagic.
Australasian Gannet:
1,000’s at LR & Pt.
Danger, 2 Ads & 1 Imm pelagic.
Black-faced Cormorant:
approx. 60
LR.
White-faced Heron: 1
LR.
White-bellied
Sea-Eagle: two
imm. LR.
Sooty
Oystercatcher: 1
LR.
Arctic Jaeger 1
offshore.
Silver
Gull small
flocks inshore.
Crested
Tern 400
roosting on LR, small number offshore & pelagic.
MAMMALS:
Several
Australian Fur Seals and two distant whale sightings (may have been Blue Whales
vertical spout).
Rob
Farnes
(03)55271650.
