Port
Stephens Pelagic Trip Report – Sun 25th March 2012
Boat:
M.V.Argonaut, skippered by Ray Horsefield
OBSERVERS
Graeme
O’Connor, Michael Kearns, Norm and June Harris, Dick Jenkin, Steve Edwards, Tim
Faulkner, Ken and Stephen Aveling-Rowe, Dan Williams, Richard Baxter, Inger
Vandyke, Steve Roderick and Mick Roderick (organiser).
CONDITIONS
A
comfortable day with a steady southerly swell peaking around 2m but generally
much less out wide. Seas under a metre for the most part, with the winds
generally rarely getting over 10 knots. A couple of “first-timers” were
sea-sick but they did vow to return! Water temp was somewhere around the 22-24
degree mark out on the shelf break.
HIGHLIGHTS
An
‘interesting’ day at sea with a couple of surprises given the warm water temps.
17 species recorded outside of the heads. A few birds definitely qualify as
highlights including a “Buller’s daily-double” with more than one of both
BULLER’S SHEARWATER and BULLER’S ALBATROSS seen. The other highlight was a nice
dark KERMADEC PETREL that buzzed around the boat for a few minutes. Two
Yellow-nosed Albatross were also unusual given the season and water temps.
SUMMARY
Departed
Nelson Bay Public Wharf at 0700, returning at 1625.
The
first birds recorded outside of the heads was a group of 3 Little Penguins,
about twenty minutes before the arrival of the first of the shearwater brigade.
For much of the journey out we had the usual suspects behind us but with good
numbers of Fleshy-foots, outnumbering Wedge-tailed for the most part. Quite a
lot of Gannets were seen; the first groups we’ve noticed this season. The
‘brown birds’ were joined by a Buller’s Shearwater about 10km from the heads,
much to the delight of many on board. A Black-browed Albatross caused some
excitement amongst the ‘pelagic newbies’ but the boat was a-buzz when an
unexpected arrival came up the wake soon after in the form of an adult Buller’s
Albatross which remained with the boat until just short of the shelf.
Once
at the shelf (32 55.64 / 152 34.69) a drift was set-up and things were markedly
quieter than the journey outwards. One feature though was the sheer numbers of
Wilson’s Storm-petrels around the boat and down the slick. Within fifteen
minutes the place was crawling with them and a quick count revealed well over
60 birds in the slick alone. No other Stormy species were to be seen however.
An
Arctic Jaeger joined the small throng of Pomarines before a second Buller’s
Albatross arrived, distinguished from the first by the lack of a white spot on
the left wing. Not long after a very hungry Yellow-nosed Albatross arrived and
we all wondered if we’d checked our calendars correctly as some real winter
birds were arriving. It took almost 90 minutes of drifting southwards away from
the shelf break before the one and only Pterodroma of the day flew in; a
beautiful dark-phase Kermadec Petrel. This got the shutterbugs busy, as did the
arrival of a second Buller’s Shearwater.
A
second Yellow-nosed Albatross joined his hungry friend but the promise of more
‘tropical birds’ never really happened. We started the return leg at about 1330
from 32 54.957 152.32.879 (a 3.2 km south-east drift in southerly winds),
adding nothing of note as we went apart from another Buller’s Albatross that
made a probable 3 individuals of this species for the day.
Cheers,
Mick
Roderick
BIRDS
Species:
Total (maximum number visible from the boat at one time)
Little
Penguin: 3 (3)
Black-browed
Albatross: 1
Yellow-nosed
Albatross: 2 (2)
BULLER’S
ALBATROSS: 3 (1)
Wilson’s
Storm-petrel: 150 (80)
Fluttering
Shearwater: 5 (2)
Hutton’s
Shearwater: 1
Fluttering-type
Shearwater: 10 (3)
Wedge-tailed
Shearwater: 250 (150)
Flesh-footed
Shearwater: 100 (60)
Short-tailed
Shearwater: 20 (10)
BULLER’S
SHEARWATER: 2 (1)
KERMADEC
PETREL: 1
Australasian
Gannet: 30 (4)
Crested
Tern: 20 (3)
Pomarine
Jaeger: 10 (3)
Arctic
Jaeger: 2 (1)
Silver
Gull: 5 (5)
MAMMALS
None
recorded.
FISH
Marlin
sp. (Striped?)
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