Dear Birding-Ausers
Last year, I wrote a series of articles for Babbler, the BA-Vic newsletter,
on the seasonal variation of seabirds seen on the Portland / Port Fairy
trips over the last 10 years. Those articles covered trips up until the
end of 2003. This final article was on pelagic birding during 2003.
Regards
Chris
PELAGIC BIRDING IN 2003
FROM PORT FAIRY, VICTORIA
INTRODUCTION
This is a 2003 update for the series of four articles (which covered the
Victorian seasons) I published in Babbler during 2003 on pelagic birding
from Port Fairy. It will include details of the December 2002 trip, as
otherwise it would be unreported and was an excellent trip worthy of
mention.
2003 was exceptional because an unusually high number of trips got out. As
well, there was some terrific bird-watching as several noteworthy pelagic
birds turned up. So, here are the details.
VICTORIAN PELAGIC BIRDING IN 2003
Trips in 2003 ? a bumper year
2003 was quite unusual, both for the very high number of trips that went (a
total of nine) and for when they went. For the 2002 / 2003 summer, all
three trips (which includes December 2002) got out. All three autumn trips
also went. It was winter that was strangely subdued, as only the August
trip was held. Spring was better than normal with two trips and the
December 2003 trip got out as well. Considering that the September trip
was not cancelled due to weather (the boat driver was ill and a replacement
could not be found), it was certainly a bumper year.
The common pelagic bird species
The birds usually seen year round in good numbers were very much in
evidence on most trips. These were Little Penguin, Great-winged Petrel,
Short-tailed and Fluttering Shearwaters, Shy, Black-browed and Yellow-nosed
Albatrosses, Australasian Gannet, Black-faced Cormorant, Silver, Pacific
and Kelp Gulls and Crested Tern. As might be expected, Common
Diving-Petrel, Fairy Prion, Sooty Shearwater, Wandering Albatross and
Wilson's and Grey-backed Storm-Petrels were recorded on many trips but in
lower or variable numbers. One exceptional omission was that we didn't see
a Black-browed Albatross on the October trip. This is the first time in
over 100 trips that this species was not recorded.
2003 seasonal variation
The regular summer additions in 2003 were White-chinned Petrel,
Flesh-footed Shearwater and White-faced Storm-Petrel. The autumn regulars
that turned up were Flesh-footed Shearwater, White-faced Storm-Petrel and
Arctic and Pomarine Jaegers. In May, there was an early Cape Petrel.
In winter, we saw Southern and Northern Giant-Petrels, Cape Petrel and
Great Skua. Regular spring birds that turned up were Cape and
White-chinned Petrels, Hutton's Shearwater and White-faced Storm-Petrel.
Pomarine and Arctic Jaegers were notable by their absence.
2003 rarities
It was a very good year for rare seabirds. The 2003 highlights were:
· January - Soft-plumaged Petrel, Buller's and Little Shearwaters and
Royal (northern race) Albatross.
· February - White-headed and Gould's Petrels and Long-tailed Jaeger.
An unseasonal Northern Giant-Petrel.
· March - Buller's Albatross and Great Skua (and an unidentified
'cookilaria').
· April - Buller's and Sooty Albatrosses and Long-tailed Jaeger.
· May - Soft-plumaged Petrel and Sooty Albatross.
· August - Slender-billed Prion.
· October - Nothing exceptional.
· November - Black-bellied Storm-Petrel and Arctic Tern.
· December - White-headed Petrel, Wandering (races gibsoni and
antipodensis), Royal (both southern and northern races) and Buller's
Albatrosses. Unseasonal Southern and Northern Giant-Petrels and Great
Skua.
December 2002 was also an exceptional trip with White-headed, Cook's (our
first ever) and Gould's Petrels, Shy (race salvini) and Wandering (race
gibsoni) Albatrosses and Long-tailed Jaeger. As well, an unusual petrel
flew past that was possibly a Barau's Petrel but this could not be
confirmed.
The non-birding highlights from Port Fairy included two exceptional
cetaceans ? 2 Blue Whales in April and 5 Sei Whales in November.
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