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Brilliant NSW Pelagic

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Subject: Brilliant NSW Pelagic
From: Roger McNeill <>
Date: Sun, 12 Jul 2009 18:27:09 -0500
A mate of mine is a regular participant on fishing charters out of out of 
Huskisson and Jervis Bay NSW, and has been talking with me for years about the 
regular quantity of Seabirds off shore.  I took the opportunity to join him on 
Friday 10-7-09 for a Tuna charter, as the goal was to get out into some 
seriously deep water.

We were forced to get a “late start” due to the tides and weren’t able to cross 
the marina sand bar until 7:15.  The bay itself was bubbling with A. Gannets, 
Crested Terns and a few small groups of Inshore Bottle-nosed Dolphins. Once 
past the headlands we started to pick up Albatrosses and had singles and small 
groups of Yellow-nosed and Shy.  A few miles off shore we had two distant “all 
dark” shearwaters, not Hutton’s or Fluttering.  A few pod’s of Common Dolphins 
rode the bow for a while, no Humpback’s were seen.

When we reached the shelf roughly 9 miles out the change was immediately 
apparent with numbers of  Prion’s and Pterodroma petrels showing up.  As the 
fisher people rigged up their trolling gear, a Sooty Albatross, flew right 
across the stern of the boat.  In complete disbelief  I took a few photos and 
expressed to the rest of the fishermen what a megga this was…besides my mate, I 
think one other person possibly turned his head to look at it!

We trolled out to 22 miles off shore and saw birds the entire time, adding 
Black-browed Albatross, Cape Petrel (australe), Providence Petrels and many 
prions.  After reaching “the spot”, the crew switched to cut bait and started 
the cubing trail that would last for the next 6 or so hours.  The birds never 
stopped coming and the turnover and diversity was quite amazing.  Throughout 
the morning and until 3 PM we added…

White-headed Petrel, “Grey-faced Petrel”, Cape Petrel (capense) White-faced 
Storm Petrel, Grey-backed Storm-Petrel, Cambell’s Albatross, Buller’s 
Albatross, Wandering Albatross, Southern Giant Petrel (white form), Northern 
Giant Petrel, Brown Skua,  White-fronted Tern and a probable Arctic Tern.  With 
the large number of prions, I would not be surprised if there was more than one 
flavour mixed in the lot, but I could not decipher one.  A few definitely 
carried a different jizz, but a subsequent review of my photos all favour Fairy.

With regards to the fishing, the boat did not even get a nibble.  I was 
definitely the only one on board thrilled with the day.  The skipper likes the 
idea of doing bird trips so should anyone want to try a Harvey Bay Pelagic, let 
me know.  BTW, the skipper called my mate on Sunday and let him know that they 
went out to the 27 mile line where they actually caught some fish and that he 
had a funny albatross sitting at the back of the boat on Saturday as they fed 
it pilchards.  He described it as all frosty grey with a dark head!  

Pelagic species list and numbers below.  Birds with a “P” were photographed 
should anyone want to have a squiz.  I expect I will need to submit the Sooty 
to the records committee.  

Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross  (T. c. bassi) – 22 (3) P
Buller’s Albatross (T. b. bulleri)– 2 (1) P
Black-browed Albatross (T. m. melanophris)– 11 (4) P
Cambell’s Albatross (T, m. impavida) – 2 (1) P
Sooty Albatross (P. fusca) - 1 (1) P
“Snowy” Wandering Albatross – (D. e. dabbenena) – 1 (1)
“Gibson’s Wandering Albatross – (D. e. gibsoni) - 5 (1)
Southern Giant-Petrel (M. giganteus) white form  - 1 (1) P
Northern Giant-Petrel (M. halli) 1 (1) P
“Nelly” sp. 1 (1)
Cape Petrel (australis) – 9 (2) P
Cape Petrel (capense) – 2 (1)
Great-winged Petrel (P. n. neglecta) – 15 (3) P
“Grey-faced” Petrel (P. n. gouldi) – 3 (2) P
Providence Petrel (P. solandri) – 16 (2) P
White-headed Petrel (P. lessonii) – 1 (1)
Fairy Prion (P. turtur) – 68 (23) P
White-faced Storm-Petrel (P. marina ssp?) – 4 (2) P
Grey-backed Storm-Petrel (G. nereis) – 1 (1) P
Australian Gannet (M. serrator) 36 (11) P
White-fronted Tern (S s. ssp?) – 11 (7) P
Arctic Tern (S. paradisaea) – 1 (1) probable 
Brown Skua (S. a. ssp?) – 3 (2) P 

Cheers,

Roger McNeill
Samford Valley - QLD
0400 567 766

Cheers,

Roger

+61 (0)4 0056 7766
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