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Eaglehawk Neck (Tasmania) Pelagic - 23 February 2004

To: "BIRDING-AUS" <>
Subject: Eaglehawk Neck (Tasmania) Pelagic - 23 February 2004
From: "Rohan Clarke" <>
Date: Wed, 17 Mar 2004 14:49:04 +1100
Hi all,
Here's a belated trip report for the pelagic that ran off Eaglehawk neck
Tasmania on Monday 23rd February 2004. This trip was organised by Bill
Wakefield...It followed on from a trip organised by Chris Lester that ran
the day before.

EAGLEHAWK NECK PELAGIC TRIP - Monday 23 February 2004

GROUP: I'm sorry I don't have the full list. Participants included: Adrian
Boyle, Rohan Clarke, Grant Penrhyn, Colin Rogers, Bill Wakefield (organiser)

VESSEL/SKIPPER:   Pauletta / John Males with deckie.

WEATHER: Overcast with occasional squally-showers.  A bit windy inshore
building to very windy at the shelf with 30-40 knots gusting to 50 knots
with each squall that swept through.

SEA:  A rough day. A swell of 4.5-5 m (with the odd one to 6 m) and 2 m chop
on and over the shelf made birding interesting to the say the least! As is
typical of pelagics out of Eaglehawk Neck inshore waters were significantly
calmer.

ACTIVITY: Sailed 0730.  Headed NW from Pirates Bay to pass the Hypolytes at
0830.  Berleyed at several points on or over the shelf from 0930. Most of
our activity involved motoring in circles around a berley point rather than
holding a stationary position or drifting with the wind.  We called it at
day at 1430 and headed back towards Pirates Bay docking at around 1530.

MAMMALS: Australian fur seal: 15 or so on the Hypolytes and another 4 just
inside the shelf. (No cetaceans)

BIRDS: As with the previous day there was nothing exceptional but we still
achieved a solid bird list. Best bird of the day was a large pale shearwater
that got away.

Fairy Penguin                          1
Common Diving-Petrel            5 (2)
Great-winged Petrel                7 (3)
White-chinned Petrel               25 (10)
Fairy Prion                              4 (2)
Sooty Shearwater                   1
Short-tailed Shearwater          3,000 (800)
Fluttering Shearwater              6 (1)
Hutton's Shearwater               1
Northern Giant-petrel             1 immature
Black-browed Albatross        20 (8) (2 impavida)
Shy Albatross                         80 (30) all cauta
Yellow-nosed Albatross         5 (1)
Buller's Albatross                   90 (40) all adults
Wilson's Storm-Petrel             3 (2)
Grey-backed Storm-Petrel      10 (8)
White-faced Storm-Petrel        30 (15)
Australasian Gannet                200 (100)
Black-faced Cormorant           40. (20)
Arctic Jaeger                          1
Pomerine Jaeger                     1
Pacific Gull                              5 mostly on ledges outside Pirates
Bay.
Kelp Gull                                24  mostly on ledges outside
Pirates Bay.
Silver Gull                               100+ mostly at the Hypolytes
Crested Tern                          200 mostly at the Hypolytes

Along the coast just outside Pirates Bay we also recorded Sooty
Oystercatcher, Pied Oystercatcher and Masked Lapwing. The Fiordland Penguin
that has been the subject of numerous other posts on Birding-aus was also
still ashore in the afternoon.

Remaining trips for 2004
Contact Chris Lester for a place on the trips that are scheduled for 19th
September & 21st November 2004.
Contact Bill Wakefield <> for  a place on the trips
that are scheduled for the 26 & 27 June
2004.

Cheers
Rohan


Dr Rohan Clarke
Threatened Mallee Bird Project
Zoology Department
La Trobe University
Bundoora 3086
Ph: 03 9479 1672 Mobile 0408 947001


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