BIRDS AUSTRALIA VICGROUP PELAGIC TRIP OFF PORT FAIRY, VIC
Sunday 11th May 08
OBSERVERS: Chris Lester (organiser), Rosemary Lester, Peter Menkhorst, Frank
Pierce, Peter Crabtree, Charles Smith, John Miller, Vicky Koller, Annette
Hatten, Elizabeth Shaw & Rohan Clarke (leader and report compiler).
WEATHER: 90% cloud through much of the day clearing slightly in the last hour.
Fairly dull conditions for photography though visibility remained very good.
Cool throughout the day. A very light variable wind (less than 5 knots) for the
duration of the trip meant conditions were very pleasant. We enjoyed a smooth
ride with no spray to speak of.
SEA: Conditions remained stable throughout the day. A 1-2 m swell with
occasional larger sets to 2.5 m. The very small chop (< 0.5 m) meant there were
none of the usual bumps when travelling. One seasick.
ACTIVITY: Sailed at 0720 EST. Headed directly to the shelf break with a short
diversion for a Southern Skua and a brief stop for a very distant Soft-plumaged
Petrel. Good numbers of birds on the way out with concentrations of albatross
and prions in the 30 to 40 fathom mark and then again around the 90 fathom
mark. The later concentration also included White-faced Storm-Petrels and
Great-winged Petrels. Crossed the shelf break (100 fathoms) at 0955 before
making our first stop at 38º49.25’S 141º53.77’E over 255 fathoms of water were
we berleyed with shark liver. Two further stops were made at 38º52.09’S
141º49.49’E and 38º49.58’S 141º45.98’E before heading back in at 1320. Despite
all the activity in offshore waters no krill was visible at the sea surface. We
cruised the shores of Lady Julia Percy Island (LJPI) between 1520 and 1550
before docking at 1650.
MAMMALS: Australian Fur Seals 1,000s at LJPI. Also 4 at sea in inshore and
offshore waters.
Common Dolphin: 4 adults over 24 fathoms of water in the AM initially
approached the boat but then showed only passing interest.
BIRDS: 27 species beyond the breakwater indicated excellent diversity.
Highlights were a pale morph South Polar Skua, four separate sightings of
Soft-plumaged Petrels, two Sooty Albatross and an Antarctic Prion.
[Christidis & Boles 2008 order]
Wilson’s Storm-Petrel: 12 (5). 2 offshore, remainder pelagic.
Grey-backed Storm-Petrel: 4 (2). All pelagic.
White-faced Storm-Petrel: 4 (1). 1 offshore, remainder pelagic.
Wandering Albatross: 3 individuals on plumage; at least one exulans type on
size. All pelagic. As with the April 08 trip not one alighted close to the boat.
Black-browed Albatross: nominate race 20 (5). 9 pelagic, 1 inshore, remainder
offshore. impavida 100 (35). 3 offshore, remainder pelagic. Mostly adults,
though at least 4 immature.
Shy Albatross: 70 (15). All cauta. 2 inshore, 27 offshore, remainder pelagic. 2
juvs pelagic, 3 imms inshore, 4 pelagic, remainder adult.
Yellow-nosed Albatross: 15 (4). 9 offshore, 6 pelagic. 1 sub-adult, remainder
adults.
Buller’s Albatross: 10 (5). 6 offshore, remainder pelagic. All adult. A high
count for Port Fairy.
SOOTY ALBATROSS: 2. 1 adult at the first berley point that put on a good show
and a distant pale-napped immature at the second berley point.
Fairy Prion: 400 (50). Approximately 300 in offshore waters, remainder pelagic
with a maximum of 30 at the last berley stop.
ANTARCTIC PRION: 1 offshore in the AM.
Short-tailed Shearwater: 10 (2). Mostly inshore, 2 offshore.
Sooty Shearwater: 6 (2). All pelagic.
Hutton’s Shearwater: 9 (8). All inshore in the AM.
Fluttering Shearwater: 1 inshore in the PM. Not identified at the time but a
photograph confirms the single brown and white shearwater ~ 20 minutes out from
Port Fairy was this species.
Great-winged Petrel: 25 (8). All nominate race. Mostly pelagic, but 4 birds
over 90 fathoms in the AM.
SOFT-PLUMAGED PETREL: 4 (1). 1 offshore in the AM (very distant), 1 providing
great views at the first berley point, 1 near the second berley point and 1
offshore in the PM. The three that were photographed were all different
individuals.
Common Diving Petrel: 2 (1). 1 offshore in the AM and another offshore in the
PM.
Little Penguin: 5 (3). 4 inshore in the AM and 1 ashore on LJPI.
Australasian Gannet: 100 (50), 10 inshore, 30 offshore, 2 pelagic, remainder
inshore in a small work-up of fish just as we passed Griffith Island. 3 distant
juvs, remainder adult.
Black-faced Cormorant: 1 inshore in the AM, 3 ashore on LJPI.
SOUTH POLAR SKUA: 1 pale morph bird at moderate distance at the third berley
point. Unfortunately it showed no interest in the boat.
Southern Skua: 1 (probably immature) feeding on a dead Short-tailed Shearwater
in offshore waters in the AM.
Crested Tern: 40 (25). Mostly inshore, but 12 offshore and 1 pelagic.
Pacific Gull: 1 just outside the breakwater in the AM.
Kelp Gull: 20 on LJPI. Several age classes (juv through to adult) represented,
with at least half being adult.
Silver Gull: 24 inshore and 4 at LJPI.
On LJPI White-faced Heron (5), Peregrine Falcon (pair), Nankeen Kestrel (1),
and Sooty Oystercatcher (4) rounded out the list.
Photographs from the trip can be found here:
Soft-plumaged Petrel (first 3 images in the gallery)
http://www.pbase.com/wildlifeimages/soft_plumaged_petrel
Sooty Albatross (first 2 images in the gallery)
http://www.pbase.com/wildlifeimages/sooty_albatross
South Polar Skua
http://www.pbase.com/wildlifeimages/south_polar_skua
Cheers,
Rohan Clarke
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