Eden, NSW, Pelagic Trip Report
11-12 November 2006
Observers: Simon Mustoe and Nathan Waugh.
Weather: The tail end of a low pressure system on Saturday generated
persistent fresh SE winds. This was followed by a ridge on Sunday
afternoon, creating heavily clouded conditions and moderate NE winds.
There was some rain on the way back in on the Sunday.
Sea: Sea state Beaufort 5+ on Saturday, waves of ~1m on atop a 1-1.5m
swell. On Sunday, a slight NE swell and waves of about 1m created
better conditions than Saturday.
Activity: Sailed between 07:00 and 16:00 each day. On Saturday, headed
south towards Green Cape continuing on a SE heading for a short
distance before returning along the shore keeping the swell behind and
heading towards Pambula, before returning close along the coast to
Eden. Most bird activity appeared to be along a line where there was a
very sudden drop in sea surface temperature from 19.5 to 19 degrees,
consistent with the edge of a large warm core eddy circulating
offshore. On Sunday, milder conditions enabled us to head straight out
to sea eastwards, across the swell into about 1200m depth before
heading west and back south along the first drop off then cruising
back to shore with the swell mostly behind the vessel.
Mammals: Very few, mainly owing to poor viewing conditions. Common
dolphins three times on Sunday, including one very large pod of
several hundred animals. Several humpbacks on Saturday but only one
blow seen on the way out and again on the way back in on Sunday. A few
Australian few seals and bottlenose dolphins in Eden marina on
Saturday afternoon. Not a marine mammal, but a closely observed
breaching sunfish was a highlight in Twofold Bay on Sunday afternoon.
Birds: Very large numbers of migrating short-tailed shearwaters both
days. Offshore, large numbers of great-winged petrel (New Zealand
race), plus a good diversity of albatrosses. Great close up views of a
LITTLE SHEARWATER in fresh plumage were sufficient to determine this
as the Lord Howe Island race.
Total numbers
The following represents total numbers of birds seen on the two days.
Number of groups haven't been presented, mainly because of the volume
of short-tailed shearwaters and great-winged petrels present. The
number of short-tailed shearwaters was estimated on Saturday, based on
a conservative 100 birds passing by every minute throughout.
Species
Little Penguin 0 / 2
Cape Petrel 1 / 0
Great-winged Petrel 1 / 190
Providence Petrel 1 / 0
WHITE-CHINNED PETREL 0 / 2
Wedge-tailed Shearwater 487 / 69
Sooty Shearwater 2 / 4
Short-tailed Shearwater 110698 / 1302
Fluttering Shearwater 1117 / 243
Hutton's Shearwater 1 / 3
LITTLE SHEARWATER 0 / 1
Wandering Albatross 10 / 25 *a few Gibsons and other Diomeda sp.
Black-browed Albatross (impavida / melanophrys) sp. 0 / 3
Campbell Albatross 5 / 17
Shy Albatross sp (steadi / cauta) 34 / 8
SALVIN'S ALBATROSS (subad) 1 / 0
Wilson's Storm-Petrel 0 / 9
White-faced Storm-Petrel 0 / 2
Australasian Gannet 283 / 4
Black-faced Cormorant 1 / 0 *in Eden marina
Great Cormorant 2 / 19
Australian Pelican 0 / 1
Brown Skua 0 / 2
Pomarine Jaeger 0 / 3
Arctic Jaeger 2 / 1
LONG-TAILED JAEGER 0 / 1
Pacific Gull 4 / 8
Silver Gull 305 / 7
Crested Tern 96 / 20
Common Tern 6 / 0
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References
1. http://g.msn.com/8HMBENUK/2755??PS=47575
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