27th June 2009, SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, WOLLONGONG, NSW, AUSTRALIA.
Report prepared by: P.J. Milburn.
Departed: 07:15 returned at 16:00.
Sea conditions: SW to 0.5m at first rising to SE 1.0m in the afternoon.
Swell: SE to 1.0 to 1.5m.
Weather: Mostly cloudy at first with sunny
intervals developing around midday but then
showers with the southeasterly change in the
afternoon.
Temperature range: 9.1 to 17.0°C.
Barometric pressure: 1010 HPa falling.
Wind: southwesterly 5 to 8 knots at first backing
to the southeast by the afternoon.
Sea surface temperature: 18.0 to 21.8°C.
Primary chumming locations: 35° 36'S: 151° 17'E.
Summary:
A complex set of four weak low-pressure cells was
located over southeastern Australia that included
two weak troughs. This resulted in gentle but
unstable weather with cool conditions under heavy
cloud and changeable breezes from the southerly
quarter. A weak southeasterly change passed
through the region after lunch bringing low cloud
and rain showers.
The outward-bound leg of the trip was dominated
by sightings of cetaceans rather than seabirds
but the southeasterly change provided a rather
more engaging trip back to the harbour.
Highlights:
A pleasant winter day that was dominated by
albatross sightings; 9 species in all that
included WANDERING, ANTIPODEAN and BULLER'S
ALBATROSS.
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)
937 NORTHERN GIANT-PETREL Macronectes halli 2 (1)
080 New Zealand Cape Petrel Daption capense australe 2 (2)
971 Solander's Petrel Pterodroma solandri 2 (2)
068 Fluttering Shearwater Puffinus gavia 5 (2)
086 WANDERING ALBATROSS Diomedea exulans 2 (2)
846 ANTIPODEAN ALBATROSS D. antipodensis 1
847 Gibson's Albatross D. gibsoni 8 (5)
088 Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophrys 43 (16)
859 Campbell Albatross T. impavida 3 (2)
931 BULLER'S ALBATROSS T. bulleri 2 (2)
091 Shy Albatross T. cauta 9 (3)
861 White-capped Albatross T. steadi 3 (2)
089 Indic Yellow-nosed Albatross T. carteri 34 (12)
104 Australasian Gannet Morus serrator 6 (2)
097 Little Black Cormorant Phalacrocorax sulcirostris 1
100 Little Pied Cormorant P. melanoleucos 1
106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 2 (1)
981 Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus 6 (5)
125 Silver Gull L. novaehollandiae 500+ (300+)
114 White-fronted Tern Sterna striata 5 (1)
115 Crested Tern S. bergii 23 (11)
In the harbour:
096 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 1
097 Little Black Cormorant P. sulcirostris 1
099 Pied Cormorant P. varius 1
100 Little Pied Cormorant P. melanoleucos 1
106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 6 (6)
13 species of procellariiformes in a total of 21
species of seabird identified outside the
breakwater.
Other birds
None
Mammals
Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae 7 (3)
Oceanic Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops truncatus 3 (3)
Australian Fur Seal Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus 1
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
Technology Specialist
Australian Cancer Research Foundation 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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