Hi Jim
I strongly agree with your comments below and you have certainly highlighted
the advantages on going on a pelagic trip. I was just stirring about who
needs to go on a pelagic and I would strongly recommend if anyone who has
not been on one to give it a go as it is a wonderful experience which I can
certainly relate to (seeing Blue Petrels twice, Chatham Island and Sooty
Albatross off Wollongong will always remain a good memory to me on these
organised pelagic trips)!
However one can definitely can have a good land-based sea watch when the
conditions are right (which unfortunately rarely happens) with good views of
birds (sometimes without scopes). The advantages with land-based
sea-watching is that obviously conditions are more stable and works well if
you have limited time (and can't spend a whole day birding),you can come and
go for a sea watch as you please (as I often find myself). However close up
views of the birds does not happen as regularly with pelagic species as on a
pelagic trip out at sea and experience is needed to ID birds (which is best
gained from a boat trip).
I would like to highlight like pelagics, over a number of sea watches,
several birders including myself have had great views of many pelagic
species from land (a good scope can bring almost pelagic trip views and in
stable conditions), added new birds to our lists and seen some great
rarities (Antarctic Petrel, Southern Fulmar, Grey-headed Albatross amongst
many others). So much valuable data can still be obtained from a land based
sea watch by experienced bird watchers.
I hope I am not upsetting anyone regarding the above. The main thing is that
everyone out there enjoys their birding experience and contributes to the
much needed knowledge on these great birds regardless which way they go
about it.
Edwin
-----Original Message-----
From:
On Behalf Of Jim and Sonia O'Shea
Sent: Thursday, 23 August 2007 2:04 PM
To: birding-aus
Subject: Pelagic trips
Hi birders.
Edwin Vella wrote amongst other things on 22nd August 2007:
PS - It is great when you can see these birds from land and get good to
excellant views from time to time. Do you really need to go on a pelagic
trip!!!
There are many reasons why all birders should go on a pelagic trip.
New birders in particular generally don't have scopes, nor would they have
the experience to identify Seabirds as a speck in the ocean, some Kilometres
out to sea.
All the Pelagic trips I have been on, have had experts on board to assist
with Identification.
You can enjoy good close up views most of the time, of Storm petrels,
Dolphins, Whales, Seals etc. Of course there are excellent views, when the
birds are at the back of the boat, and you can hear their calls, as they
squabble over the available food.
On the Wollongong pelagic trips, you can watch as the birds are caught,
banded, have various measurements taken, and recorded, knowing that all this
information is helping towards our further understanding of these
magnificent creatures.
Wonderful photo opportunities are availble of birds in the water, in hand on
the boat, and flying around the boat.
You can meet overseas birders, swap stories, and enjoy with them their first
views of Albatross, petrels and shearwaters etc.
In short, we should support the various groups that regularly go to sea from
Southport,Newcastle,Sydney,Wollongong,Eden and Port fairy, so that future
birders can experience the joys of being out on the Continental shelves of
the East and South coasts of Australia.
Jim O'Shea
Pelagic tragic
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