23rd July 2006 SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, WOLLONGONG, NSW, AUSTRALIA.
Report prepared by: P.J. Milburn.
Departed: 07:10 returned at approx. 16:30.
Sea conditions: calm.
Swell: ESE to 1.5 to 2.0m offshore.
Weather: glorious winter sunshine all day.
Temperature range: 9.1 to 19.7°C.
Barometric pressure: 1029 HPa increasing slowly.
Wind: NE 3 to 5 knots later in the day.
Sea surface temperature: 19.6 to 20.9°C.
Primary chumming location: S 34° 28' - E 151° 20'.
Summary:
A slow-moving anticyclone was centered over
southern NSW and calm weather continued. A
low-pressure system that was developing in the
northern Tasman Sea had little immediate
influence on local conditions. The skies had
cleared overnight and the winds remained light
but many seabirds were in the vicinity and these
conditions in combination provided us with a
wonderful day at sea.
A small number of Black-browed and Indic
Yellow-nosed Albatross were foraging inshore and
a juvenile PACIFIC GULL, presumably one of the
two observed on the previous evening, was
reconnoitering the area just outside the
breakwall. A New Zealand Fur-Seal was also
glimpsed briefly almost alongside. Small groups
of Fluttering Shearwaters were searching for fish
over the inshore reefs and, an out of season,
adult Short-tailed Shearwater flew past us
heading north.
Flocks of Fairy Prion were once again present
over a tongue of cooler water at 40 fathoms depth
but our cruise eastward was mostly uneventful
until we reached deeper water. At the 75-fathom
line we found the first White-capped and SHY
Albatross of the day along with the first of
several Brown Skua. Further east, a female
Gibson's and a male ANTIPODEAN Albatross entered
the fray.
In fine conditions we continued to the 300-fathom
line continuing to attract an interesting
assortment of seabirds and began begin a
drift-and-berley session. Despite the calm
conditions we attracted a steady influx of
seabirds, but many of them settled on the water
in mixed species rafts watching us from afar. A
group of 5 ARCTIC TERNS stayed with us for a
while and were later joined by 7 White-fronted
Terns. Several SOUTHERN and one NORTHERN
GIANT-PETREL dominated the group feeding at our
stern. Cape Petrel numbers built up steadily and
peaked at 14 individuals. Four Brown Skua
remained with us in close attendance. Campbell
Albatross outnumbered the Black-browed Albatross
in contrast to the previous day and a large flock
of Crested Terns descended upon us in a noisy
throng. Solander's Petrel numbers were also
higher than the previous day
The trip back to port was eventful to say the
least. The bittersweet highlight of the day
occurred fairly soon after we began heading west;
a black petrel with extensive white markings on
its face was likely to have been a SPECTACLED
PETREL but remained too distant for us to be
certain of its identity. A Minke Whale broke the
surface close astern of us and, in typical
fashion, disappeared without a trace. Closer
inshore a mixed pod of Oceanic Bottle-nosed and
Short-beaked Common Dolphins followed our vessel
briefly and a group of 3 Southern Humpback Whales
rounded out the day nicely.
Highlights:
In sunny calm conditions we enjoyed the presence
of ARCTIC TERNS for the second day in succession.
Birds recorded according to the latest
Environment Australia Reporting Schedule:
Species code: Species name: Numbers:
(Note: numbers in parenthesis = highest count at any one time)
929 SOUTHERN GIANT-PETREL Macronectes giganteus 5 (3)
937 NORTHERN GIANT-PETREL M. halli 1
080 Cape Petrel Daption capense australe 14 (14)
075 Great-winged Petrel Pterodroma m. macroptera 1
971 Solander's Petrel P. solandri 16 (12)
083 Fairy Prion Pachyptila turtur 150+ (50+)
068 Fluttering Shearwater Puffinus gavia 8 (5)
071 Short-tailed Shearwater P. tenuirostris 1 moulting adult
846 ANTIPODEAN ALBATROSS Diomedea antipodensis 2 (1)
847 Gibson's Albatross D. gibsoni 9 (5)
088 Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophrys 39 (8)
859 Campbell Albatross T. impavida 15 (12)
861 SHY ALBATROSS T. cauta 1
861 White-capped Albatross T. steadi 4 (2)
864 Indic Yellow-nosed Albatross T. carteri 33 (14)
104 Australasian Gannet Morus serrator 6 (3)
106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 3 (3)
980 Brown Skua Catharacta lonnbergi 4 (4)
981 Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus 5 (5)
125 Silver Gull L. novaehollandiae 245+ (75+)
126 PACIFIC GULL L. pacificus 1
114 White-fronted Tern Sterna striata 10 (7)
115 Crested Tern S. bergii 88 (71)
952 ARCTIC TERN S. paradisaea 5 (5)
In the harbour:
100 Little Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax melanoleucos 1
101 Australian Darter Anhinga melanogaster 1
106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 3 (3)
193 Striated Heron Ardeola striatus macrorhynchus 1
24 species of seabird identified outside the breakwater.
Other birds
None
Mammals
New Zealand Fur-Seal Arctocephalus forsteri 1
Southern Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae 3 (3)
Minke Whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata 1
Oceanic Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops truncatus 50+ (50+)
Short-beaked Common Dolphin Delphinus delphis 10+ (10+)
Reptiles
None
Fish
None
For previous trip reports and selected images from this trip visit
http://www.sossa-international.org/
Future Trips
All Pelagic Trips from NSW are operated at no
profit to the organizers, being operated as group
boat charters for the benefit of all who wish to
join us. If you would like to join one of these
trips please contact us as detailed below:
To make a booking on the SOSSA Wollongong Pelagic
Trips that departs on the 4th Saturday of each
month contact:
SOSSA: Phone 02 4271 6004.
Email:
Carl Loves Phone: 0427 423 500
Pete Milburn: Mobile 0428 249 506, 02 6255 1313 (AH) or 02 6125 4173 (BH)
To make a booking for Sydney Pelagic Trip that
departs from Rose Bay public jetty on the 2nd
Saturday of each month contact
Tony Palliser Ph; 02-99001678 (w), 02-94115272 (h)
http://www.zip.com.au/~palliser
To make a booking for Eden Pelagic Trips, which
are run on the 5th Sunday of each month as it
occurs, contact
Barbara Jones or Ph (02) 6495 7390
Note: SOSSA = Southern Oceans Seabird Study Association
--
Dr P.J. Milburn
Technical Specialist
ANU Biomolecular Resource Facility
John Curtin School of Medical Research
Australian National University
GPO Box 334
Canberra ACT 0200
'Phone +61 2 6125 4326
FAX +61 2 6125 9533
==============================www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
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