22nd September 2007, SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, WOLLONGONG, NSW, AUSTRALIA.
Report prepared by: P.J. Milburn.
Departed: 07:15 returned at approx. 12:30.
Sea conditions: SSE seas at 3.0 to 4.0m offshore.
Swell: SE to 1.0 to 2.5m.
Weather: Overcast at first, clearing to bright sunshine.
Temperature range: 14.8 to 21.3°C.
Barometric pressure: 1012 HPa rising.
Wind: SSE 25 to 28 knots at first decreasing to
SSE 20 to 25 knots by mid morning.
Sea surface temperature: 17.7 to 18.9°C.
Primary chumming location: none due to rough conditions.
Summary:
A cold front that was moving across the region
ahead of a high-pressure system had produced a
fresh southerly air stream.
A chilly wind whistled through the rigging even
before we left the harbour, leaving us in little
doubt as to what was in store for us. At first
only a handful of Silver Gulls paid us any
attention as we ventured beyond the lee of the
coast. Eventually a SOUTHERN GIANT-PETREL, a few
kelp Gulls and several Wedge-tailed Shearwaters
also tagged along behind. Our progress was slow
in the heavy weather but eventually we cleared
the Five Islands and a first year Black-browed
and an ANTIPODEAN ALBATROSS took up station at
our stern. Small groups of Fluttering and
occasional Hutton's Shearwaters passed alongside.
A pod of Short-beaked Common Dolphins put on a
fantastic performance clearing the large swells
by several metres, being silhouetted momentarily
against the leaden sky.
Little changed for quite some while until a group
of terns slowly closed upon us preferring to
forage over the wake rather than close upon our
stern. At least 2 were ARCTIC TERNS and several
others were White-fronted Terns; White-capped
Albatross appeared along with mobs of
Short-tailed Shearwaters. A Brown Skua joined
the procession behind us along with least 2 first
year SHY ALBATROSS. Diomedea albatross followed
us but so far behind that specific identification
was impossible.
For several hours we made slow progress against
the unpredictable swells. Eventually, we had
good views of several Gibson's Albatross and the
first of several Indic Yellow-nosed Albatross
before setting course for the shelter of
Wollongong Harbour.
The run back to port was sublime in comparison to
the previous few hours. Another mixed species
group of terns followed us for a while that
included a Common Tern. Yet again
the grand finale of the day was a first year
SALVIN' S ALBATROSS that repeatedly cut across
our wake.
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 3 (2)
075 Great-winged Petrel Pterodroma (m.) macroptera 35 (30)
068 Fluttering Shearwater Puffinus gavia 17 (6)
913 Hutton's Shearwater P. huttoni 5 (2)
069 Wedge-tailed Shearwater P. pacificus 55+ (35+)
071 Short-tailed Shearwater P. tenuirostris 1500+ (350+)
086 WANDERING ALBATROSS Diomedea exulans 3 (3)
846 ANTIPODEAN ALBATROSS D. antipodensis 1
847 Gibson's Albatross D. gibsoni 8 (5)
088 Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophrys 5 (2)
859 Campbell Albatross T. impavida 2 (1)
861 SHY ALBATROSS T. cauta 3 (1)
861 White-capped Albatross T. steadi 5 (3)
862 SALVIN'S ALBATROSS T. salvini 1
864 Indic Yellow-nosed Albatross T. carteri 3 (1)
104 Australasian Gannet Morus serrator 6 (3)
106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 5 (4)
980 Brown Skua Catharacta lonnbergi 3 (2)
981 Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus 9 (6)
125 Silver Gull L. novaehollandiae 450+ (350+)
114 White-fronted Tern Sterna striata 8 (6)
115 Crested Tern S. bergii 18 (9)
952 ARCTIC TERN S. paradisaea 4 (2)
953 Common Tern S. hirundo 1
In the harbour:
096 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 2 (2)
099 Pied Cormorant P. varius 1
100 Little Pied Cormorant P. melanoleucos 1
106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 7 (7)
24 species of seabird identified outside the breakwater.
Other birds
None
Mammals
Short-beaked Common Dolphin Delphinus delphis 12 (7)
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)
Note: SOSSA = Southern Oceans Seabird Study Association
--
Dr P.J. Milburn
Technical Specialist
ANU ACRF 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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