No one was
seasick.
ACTIVITY: Sailed at 07.00 EST. Hundreds-of-thousands of
Short-tailed Shearwaters with smaller numbers of prions and other species were
feeding in offshore waters around the 60-70 fathom depth. Consequently we paused
a number of times diverting our course and slowing from our travelling speed of
13 Knots as necessary to investigate these flocks and the more unusual birds
with them enroute to pelagic waters. On reflection, we should have lingered
longer with those flocks. We crossed the shelf break (100 fathoms) and continued
shortly to our first berley stop arriving at 10.00 in 220 fathoms. We
stopped and berleyed with shark liver at each of three locations, 38º48.5'S
141º53.4'E, 38º52.3'S 141º48.8'E (600 fathoms) and 38º49.4'S 141º45.4'E, for
between 35 and 60 minutes. Headed back in at 13.00 arriving at Lady Julia Percy
Island (LJPC) at 15.10. Cruised the western & northern shores before making
the final run back to Port Fairy where we docked at 16.30. This last leg was the
least comfortable ride, the combination of spray and sun-glare making
observation difficult.
MAMMALS:
Common Dolphin: One pod of 6 at
09.00 @ 38º 39.8?S 142º00.5?E.
Australian Fur Seal: 2/3 in inshore and
offshore waters in addition to 100's on LJPI.
[TURTLE: One
probable inshore]
BIRDS: 22 species beyond the river mouth
indicated good diversity. There were vast numbers of feeding Short-tailed
Shearwaters and good numbers of other species feeding, concentrated about the
60-fathom depth where the sounder indicated abundant food supplies. Birding
highlights were a SOUTHERN FULMAR, an ARCTIC TERN and 2 N. Royal Albatrosses. A
probable Blue Petrel was not confirmed. Unless noted otherwise, all listed below
were in the pelagic zone, i.e. beyond the shelf break.
Common Diving
Petrel: 1 close to boat offshore.
Southern
Giant-Petrel: 1.
Giant-Petrel spp?: 1 offshore.
SOUTHERN FULMAR: 1
offshore, briefly but very close.
Cape Petrel: 9 (5).
1 inshore, 3 off & 5 pelagic.
Great-winged Petrel: 20 (10). 15 gouldi, 5
nominate race.
Fairy Prion: 500 (50). 140 inshore, 350 off & 10
pelagic
Short-tailed
Shearwater: >500,000!!! Mainly offshore, but many inshore; 50
pelagic.
Fluttering
Shearwater: 1 inshore.
Wandering Albatross:
7 (5). 1 offshore. 1 gibsoni; 6
exulans.
Nos. of each plumage stage were: 2/1, 1/2, 3/3 & 1/4.
N. ROYAL ALBATROSS:
2 ads.
Black-browed
Albatross: nom. 8 (4). 1 inshore, 2 off & 5 pelagic. 3 ads, 5
sub-ads.
Impavida 1
ad.
Shy Albatross (cauta): 150 (50). 10 inshore, 50 off, 90 pel. 140 ads.
& 10 sub-ads.
Yellow-nosed Albatross: 7 (3). 5 pelagic, 2 offshore. 2 ads
& 5 sub-ads.
Wilson?s Storm-Petrel: 10 (7). 1 offshore & 9
pelagic.
White-faced Storm-Petrel: 5 (1). 4 offshore & 1 pelagic.
Australasian Gannet: 21 (5), 10 inshore, 10 off & 1
pelagic.
Black-faced Cormorant: 1 on sea @ LJPI.
Arctic Jaeger: 1 ad.
Kelp Gull: 4 ads & 3 juvs on LJPI.
Silver Gull: 20 on
LJPI.
Crested Tern: 15 (5). 5 inshore, 5 off & 5 pelagic.
ARCTIC TERN:
1 offshore.
