SUMMARY: A pleasant, comfortable day on the water with always something to
look at and a reasonable number of birds. Highlights were sustained views of
a BLUE PETREL, repeated passes by a SOUTHERN ROYAL ALBATROSS which appeared
at two berley stations and a near adult SALVIN’S ALBATROSS that joined the
feeding flock at the back of the boat.
OBSERVERS: Chris Lester (organiser), Roy Bryant, Rohan Clarke, Xenia
Dennett, Bob Edwards, Nigel Harland, Stuart Hull, Rosemary Lester, Grant
Penrhyn, Simon Starr, Dave Stickney, & Mike Carter (leader & reporter).
WEATHER: An anticyclone with a large centre located over western Victoria
and eastern South Australia dominated the weather. Patchy cloud and some
mist in the morning cleared to bright sunny conditions with good visibility
around 10.00 and remained that way for the rest of the day. Cool. There was
no wind to speak of as we departed the harbour, but a breeze soon picked up
reaching perhaps 10-15 knots from the SE as we passed through a squall
associated with a narrow belt of cloud. A 5-10 knot SE to E wind persisted
for the remainder of the day.
SEA: 2-3 m long-pitched SW swell with occasional larger sets. Sea was
initially flat but built to 0.5-1.0 m in offshore waters. After the passing
of a squall in offshore waters conditions moderated. So generally a
comfortable ride with a bit of spray going out and on the return leg between
Lady Julia Percy Island (LJPI) and PF when we needed one side screen down.
One person was briefly seasick.
ACTIVITY: Sailed from PF (38º23.3’S 142º14.5’E) at 07.18 EST. Headed
directly to the shelf break on a course of 204º with two short stops for a
Southern Skua and a Southern Giant Petrel. There was a reasonable number of
albatross in inshore waters, with the usual lull between here and deeper
offshore waters. Good numbers of Fairy Prions were encountered in offshore
waters and we decreased speed here to check for anything else that might
have been with them. Several small patches of krill were visible at the sea
surface at 36 and again between 60 and 70 fathoms. Crossed the shelf break
(100 fathoms) at 10.05 to make our first stop at 38º49.00’S 141º53.40’E over
260 fathoms of water where we berleyed with shark liver and sliced fish. Two
further stops were made at 38º51.9’S 141º49.3’E, (above the edge of a deep
canyon) and then at 38º48.6’S 141º49.7’E before heading back in at 13.05. We
cruised the shores of LJPI between 15.05 and 15.25 before docking at 16.25.
MAMMALS: 1,000s of Australian Fur Seals at LJPI. Also ~5 mostly yearlings,
at sea. One yearling and one adult female on LJPI were separately entangled
in heavy blue and green nylon netting. Presumably the same two animals seen
the day before. Two dead yearlings were seen floating near LJPI.
A pod (10+) of Common Dolphins was encountered at 38º29.92’S 142º10.16’E
over 27 fathoms but showed little interest in the boat.
BIRDS: 22 species (25 taxa) beyond the river mouth indicated average
diversity. Unless noted otherwise, all listed below were near or beyond the
shelf break (i.e. pelagic).
Little Penguin: 3 (3), 1 on sea close to the boat at LJPI and 2 on LJPI.
Southern Giant-Petrel: 3 (2). 1 pelagic followed us around from first berley
point was joined by another to follow us in, and 1 offshore in a.m.
Northern Giant-Petrel: 1 pelagic at third berley stop.
Giant-Petrel spp?: 2 (1) 1 inshore & 1 offshore. (All GPs were juv. or
imm.).
Cape Petrel: 12 (9). All nominate race. 1 picked up offshore followed us out
and some accumulated at pelagic stops followed us in almost to LPJI.
Great-winged Petrel: 12 (8). 11 nominate race, 1 gouldi.
BLUE PETREL: 1. The first for several years off PF appeared at the second
berley point. Very photogenic and well seen by all.
Fairy Prion: 800 (100). Mostly over krill patches in offshore waters between
28
and 38 fathoms both outwards and inwards so if those transects ~4 Nm apart
were typical, there would have been many thousands. Beyond the shelf we
attracted a maximum of 5.
Fluttering Shearwater: 1 inshore in pm.
HUTTON’S SHEARWATER: 1 inshore in am.
GREY-BACKED STORM-PETREL: 3 (2).
Wandering Albatross: 5. Most, probably all were exulans. One each stages 2,
3 & 7 and two stage 4.
SOUTHERN ROYAL ALBATROSS: 1 sub-adult.
Black-browed Albatross: nom. race 95 (45) 15 inshore, 15 offshore & 65
pelagic. 90 adults & 4 sub-adults.
Impavida, 5 (2), all sub-adults, pelagic.
Shy Albatross cauta: 55 (25). 10 inshore, 10 offshore, 35 pelagic.
50 adults, 4 sub-adults & 1 juvenile.
SALVINI: 1 sub-adult.
Yellow-nosed Albatross: 5 (2). 1 offshore, 4 pelagic. All adults.
Australasian Gannet: 60 (10), 30 inshore, 22 offshore, 8 pelagic. All adult.
Black-faced Cormorant: 1 inshore off PF in the pm.
Southern Skua: 1 dark skua in offshore waters was thought to be this species
but was surprisingly small. Another more definite individual was seen at
the second berley point (pelagic) briefly chasing the Blue Petrel!
Kelp Gull: 12 on LJPI.
Silver Gull: 25 on LJPI and 2 inshore in pm.
Crested Tern: 50 (10). 32 inshore, 10 offshore, 2 pelagic & 6 on LJPI.
White-fronted Tern: 10. 1 on LJPI & 9 in two groups feeding just off PF in
pm.
Also on LJPI were White-faced Heron (1), Swamp Harrier (2), Nankeen Kestrel
(1), Sooty Oystercatcher (1), Welcome Swallow (6+) and Starling.
Mike Carter
30 Canadian Bay Road
Mt Eliza VIC 3930
Ph: (03) 9787 7136
Email:
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