BA-VIC PORTLAND (VICTORIA) PELAGIC TRIP
Sunday 18 April 2010
OBSERVERS: Roy Bryant, Peter Crabtree, Rob Farnes, Annette Hatten, Oscar
Hatten, Brian Johnston, Peter Lansley, Rosemary Lester, Frank Pierce,
Jim Preston, Andrew Wood, Chris Lester (organiser).
VESSEL: The "Southern Pride" with skipper Shannon Churchill and his
deckie Neville.
WEATHER: Overcast with 90% cloud and some light showers on the way out.
Wind was from the NE at less than 10 knots. Wind picked up slightly to
15 knots in the middle of the day but then eased slightly later and the
day gradually fined up.
SEA: Initially, a swell of 2 m with a sea of less than 1 m. The swell
reduced during the day and was about 1 m in the pm with a sea of less
than 0.5 m.
ACTIVITY: Departed Portland at 7.05 am. Headed directly for the
"Horseshoe, SW of Portland past the shelf break but stopped to try and
locate a whale without success. Proceeded to our first stop at
38º45.31’S 141º23.30’E in 230 fathoms of water. Here we berleyed from
10.00 - 11.30. Modest number of birds with quite a few Storm-Petrels in
our slick. Moved further SE and stopped in 230 fathoms between noon and
1.15 pm at 38º46.99’S 141º29.23’E. Again, the birds were sparse. Moved
again further NE and stopped inside the shelf break in 80 fathoms
between 2.00 and 3.00 pm at 38º40.85’S 141º30.87’E. Halfway through this
stop we had seen no birds at all but a few stragglers then flew by.
Headed back in via Lawrence Rocks diverting to try and (unsuccessfully)
locate another whale. Returned to dock at 5:00 pm.
MAMMALS: Australian Fur Seals about 10 on Lawrence Rocks.
Unidentified Dolphins: Several groups on the way in and out but quite
distant.
Unidentified Whales: At least one on the way out and another on the way
in, but they did not resurface when we got close to their areas.
BIRDS: 23 species is a modest count for a Portland pelagic. Highlights
were good views of a Common Diving-Petrel, a good number of
Storm-Petrels at our first two stops and the pair of Shelducks, which
are not usually seen so far out.
Australian Shelduck: 2 flew past well offshore in the am.
Wilson’s Storm-Petrel: 50 (20). All pelagic.
Grey-backed Storm-Petrel: 15 (5). All pelagic.
White-faced Storm-Petrel: 2 (1). Offshore.
Black-browed Albatross: 20 (5). Mostly nominate race, impavida 3. All
pelagic.
Shy Albatross: 15 (5). All cauta. 2 inshore, 2 offshore, remainder pelagic.
Yellow-nosed Albatross: 2 (1). All pelagic. 1 sub-adult, 1adult.
Buller’s Albatross: 3 (1). 2 pelagic, 1offshore.
Fairy Prion: 10 (3). 1 offshore, remainder pelagic.
Short-tailed Shearwater: 15 (5). Mostly offshore, a couple pelagic.
Fluttering Shearwater: 1. Offshore.
Hutton's Shearwater: 1. Offshore.
Great-winged Petrel: 10 (3). All macroptera. All pelagic.
Common Diving-Petrel: 1. Offshore.
Little Penguin: 1 in Portland Harbour in the AM.
Australasian Gannet: 20 (5), 2 pelagic, remainder offshore. Also
hundreds on and around Lawrence Rocks.
Black-faced Cormorant: 25 (20). 5 inshore, 20 on Lawrence Rocks.
White-faced Heron: 4. On Lawrence Rocks.
Arctic Jaeger: 2 (1). Inshore.
Crested Tern: 2 (2). Pelagic. Also 20 on Lawrence Rocks.
Pacific Gull: 3 (3). In Portland Harbour.
Kelp Gull: 1 on Lawrence Rocks.
Silver Gull: 30. Mostly on Lawrence Rocks with a few inshore.
Chris Lester
===============================
www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
To unsubscribe from this mailing list,
send the message:
unsubscribe
(in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
to:
===============================
|
