25th November 2007, SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, WOLLONGONG, NSW, AUSTRALIA.
Report prepared by: P.J. Milburn.
Departed: 07:25 returned at 16:00.
Sea conditions: calm.
Swell: E less than 0.5 m.
Weather: patchy cloud with sunny periods.
Temperature range: 19.5 to 26.1°C.
Barometric pressure: 1015 HPa rising.
Wind: calm at first and then E 3 to 5 knots later.
Sea surface temperature: 21.4 to 22.6°C.
Primary chumming locations: 34° 29'S : 151° 23'E.
Summary:
A high-pressure system was located east of New
Zealand, a trough lay over the Tasman Sea and a
high-pressure system over Tasmania was developing
a ridge over our area. We enjoyed dry and calm
conditions all day. What a difference a day
makes!
A good variety of seabirds were foraging inshore
and Short-tailed Shearwaters were the dominant
species once again. Two Inshore Bottle-nosed
Dolphins crossed our wake heading south and
several Little Penguins were foraging over the
reefs.
The cruise out to the edge of the continental
shelf was quiet other than the flocks of
migrating Short-tailed Shearwaters. Several
Grey-faced Petrels and a female Gibson's
Albatross greeted us as we reached the deeper
water. Continuing east we began to see fish in
the calm conditions, Short Sunfish at first and
then a Striped Marlin cruising at the surface,
schools of Frigate Mackerel and, finally, a shoal
of Mahi Mahi.
We stopped to drift and berley at the 600-fathom
line in beautiful azure water. Today the fish
oil attracted very little but we did have the
opportunity to watch some Risso's Dolphins cruise
past albeit at a distance. It was a little
difficult to accept that with so much life in the
water there could be so little bird activity.
The trip back to port was also uneventful
although very pleasant in the glorious late
spring conditions.
Highlights:
This was a most pleasant day on the ocean with
many sightings of fish and dolphins to compensate
for the inactivity in the seabird department.
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)
005 Little Penguin Eudyptula minor 3 (1)
075 Grey-faced Petrel Pterodroma macroptera gouldi 56 (35)
068 Fluttering Shearwater Puffinus gavia 39 (15)
913 Hutton's Shearwater P. huttoni 1
069 Wedge-tailed Shearwater P. pacificus 49 (20)
070 Sooty Shearwater P. griseus 1
071 Short-tailed Shearwater P. tenuirostris 3000+ (250+)
072 Flesh-footed Shearwater P. carneipes 2 (1)
086 WANDERING ALBATROSS Diomedea exulans 1
847 Gibson's Albatross D. gibsoni 4 (2)
088 Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophrys 3 (3)
861 White-capped Albatross T. steadi 1
063 Wilson's Storm-Petrel Oceanites oceanicus 2 (1)
104 Australasian Gannet Morus serrator 1
106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 6 (5)
128 Arctic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus 2 (1)
945 Pomarine Jaeger S. pomarinus 17 (10)
981 Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus 5 (5)
125 Silver Gull L. novaehollandiae 4 (1)
115 Crested Tern Sterna bergii 8 (2)
In the harbour:
106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 6 (6)
115 Crested Tern Sterna bergii 2 (2)
12 species of procellariiformes in a total of 20
species of seabird identified outside the
breakwater.
Other birds
None
Mammals
Inshore Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops aduncus 2 (2)
Oceanic Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops truncatus 15+ (15+)
Short-beaked Common Dolphin Delphinus delphis 15 (15)
Risso's Dolphin Grampus griseus 6 (6)
Reptiles
None
Fish
Mahi Mahi Coryphaena hippurus 18 (18)
Frigate Mackerel Auxis thazard 35+ (35+)
Striped Marlin Tetrapturus audax 1
Short Sunfish Mola ramsayi 4 (2)
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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