23rd August 2009, SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, WOLLONGONG, NSW, AUSTRALIA.
Report prepared by: P.J. Milburn.
Departed: 07:15 returned at 16:30.
Sea conditions: calm at first then NNE to 0.5m.
Swell: SE to 1.0 to 1.5m.
Weather: Warm and sunny with clear skies all day.
Temperature range: 14.2 to 27.3°C.
Barometric pressure: 1010 HPa falling.
Wind: calm at first then variable northerly
breezes and NNE 5 to 8 knots in the afternoon.
Sea surface temperature: 17.3 to 19.3°C.
Primary chumming locations: 34° 26'S : 151° 18'E and 34° 24'S : 151° 22'E.
Summary:
A weak high-pressure system in the Tasman Sea
created mild and stable conditions for the
duration of the trip, with a gentle north
northeasterly breeze developing in the afternoon.
Once again, Giant Cuttlefish (Sepia aparma) were
evident on the surface outside the harbour. The
water was 2.5°C warmer inshore than on the
previous morning but, paradoxically, there were
more albatross and even a NORTHERN GIANT-PETREL
feeding on them. An Australian Fur-Seal and a
Little Penguin were also recorded close inshore.
While we were enjoying views of rafts of
albatross, including a female WANDERING
ALBATROSS, a lucky glance from the foredeck fell
upon a surfacing KOGIA (PYGMY SPERM WHALE). It
did not make a ripple on the glassy ocean surface
and despite attracting a small group of Silver
Gulls was not seen by most on board before it
sank gently back out of view without further
observation.
Beyond Wollongong Reef, there were further
sightings of Little Penguin and Australian
Fur-Seals and groups of hundreds of Fluttering
Shearwaters. Smaller numbers of Hutton's and
Wedge-tailed Shearwaters and Australian Gannets
were also foraging in this area. In deeper water
we encountered more albatross and we had recorded
Black-browed, WANDERING, Campbell, Indic
Yellow-nosed, Shy and White-capped before we
reached the edge of the continental shelf.
Additionally, we had enjoyed good views of both
NORTHERN and SOUTHERN GIANT-PETREL. Some amongst
our party, who were visiting from the northern
hemisphere, were already pretty excited by events
thus far.
At the 100-fathom line an adult BULLER'S
ALBATROSS closed in on us and began to feed
eagerly at our stern. We stopped to set up a
drift-and-berley session in hope of attracting
some storm-petrels as we had done on the previous
day's trip. We failed in that endeavour but this
was all but forgotten when an ANTARCTIC MINKE
WHALE surfaced virtually alongside. Happily,
everyone aboard saw this magnificent animal.
We continued eastward and set up a second
drift-and-berley session near a trawler that had
stopped to haul its net. This also went
perfectly to plan and we attracted a large mixed
flock of seabirds. Highlights here were NORTHERN
GIANT-PETREL, NEW ZEALAND CAPE and Solander's
Petrels, WANDERING, ANTIPODEAN, Gibson's and Shy
ALBATROSS and a BROWN SKUA. A large pod of
oceanic Bottle-nosed Dolphins were an impressive
sight as they hurtled past our drifting vessel.
Our cruise back to Wollongong featured sightings
of at least 2 more BULLER'S ALBATROSS and lots
more shearwaters.
Highlights:
A pleasant winter day with bird sightings
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)
005 Little Penguin Eudyptula minor 7 (2)
929 SOUTHERN GIANT-PETREL Macronectes giganteus 1
937 NORTHERN GIANT-PETREL M. halli 3 (1)
080 New Zealand Cape Petrel Daption capense australe 3 (3)
971 Solander's Petrel Pterodroma solandri 10 (6)
068 Fluttering Shearwater Puffinus gavia 2300+ (1000+)
913 Hutton's Shearwater P. huttoni 380+ (350+)
069 Wedge-tailed Shearwater P. pacificus 27 (13)
086 WANDERING ALBATROSS Diomedea exulans 4 (3)
846 ANTIPODEAN ALBATROSS D. antipodensis 1
847 Gibson's Albatross D. gibsoni 9 (8)
088 Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophrys 16 (8)
859 Campbell Albatross T. impavida 6 (3)
931 BULLER'S ALBATROSS T. bulleri 3 (2)
091 Shy Albatross T. cauta 2 (1)
861 White-capped Albatross T. steadi 3 (2)
089 Indic Yellow-nosed Albatross T. carteri 11 (4)
104 Australasian Gannet Morus serrator 4 (2)
106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 1
980 Brown Skua Catharacta lonnbergi 1
125 Silver Gull Larus novaehollandiae 88 (55)
114 White-fronted Tern Sterna striata 4 (3)
115 Crested Tern S. bergii 19 (11)
In the harbour:
100 Little Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax melanoleucos 1
106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 7 (7)
16 species of procellariiformes in a total of 23
species of seabird identified outside the
breakwater.
Other birds
None
Mammals
ANTARCTIC MINKE WHALE Balaenoptera bonaerensis 1
PYGMY SPERM WHALE Kogia breviceps 1
Oceanic Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops truncatus 50+ (50+)
Australian Fur Seal Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus 5 (3)
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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