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Port Stephens Pelagic Trip Report Sun 22nd April 2012

To: Birding Aus <>
Subject: Port Stephens Pelagic Trip Report Sun 22nd April 2012
From: Mick Roderick <>
Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2012 06:54:07 -0700 (PDT)
Port
Stephens Pelagic Trip Report – Sun 22nd April 2012
 
Boat:
M.V.Argonaut, skippered by Ray Horsefield
OBSERVERS
 
June
and Norm Harris, Michael Kearns, Allan Richardson, Eric Sohn Tan, Ann Lindsey,
Tim Faulkner, Obi Gabriel, Allan and Hazel Wright, Darryl Eggins, Steve
Roderick and Mick Roderick (organiser). 
 
CONDITIONS 
 
The
moderate easterly swell experienced yesterday persisted but thankfully today
there was a bit of wind around creating some white-caps on the ocean surface. We
had felt that the almost complete lack of wind yesterday may have contributed
to the low diversity and number of birds seen, so the winds, coming pretty much
from the nor-east or straight out of the north to just over ten knots, were a
welcome addition. Water temp at the shelf was again around 22-24 degrees.
 
HIGHLIGHTS
 
In
contrast to yesterday’s effort, today was punctuated by a good handful of
uncommon seabirds. Often, STREAKED SHEARWATER always seems to be highest on
people wish list coming on our autumn trips, so it was great to have one in our
wake about 45 minutes into the trip. At the shelf we had good views of (what is
most likely a) WHITE-NECKED PETREL, with almost as good views of a GOULD’S
PETREL on the way back home. Two WHITE TERNS were a welcome sight, being a 
seldom-seen
bird normally in these parts. 
 
SUMMARY
 
Departed
Nelson Bay Public Wharf at 0710, returning at 1700.
 
After
the experience of the strong current yesterday, we decided to track a little
further north than usual, stopping on the way to view the Gould’s Petrel
nest-boxes on Boondelbah Island, where a pair of Peregrine Falcons provided
some additional entertainment. Once clear of Boondelbah by a km or two the
first Wedge-tailed and Flesh-footed Shearwaters appeared. Not long after, as we
chugged past a professional fishing boat we noticed a small island (maybe
30mx100m) of an oily slick, and lo and behold there were 6 Wilson’s
Storm-petrels feeding within it! Seconds later a Streaked Shearwater appeared
out of nowhere and followed the boat for a good ten minutes or so. 
 
Apart
from a few Gannets and a single Short-tailed Shearwater not much else was seen
en-route to the shelf. Once a mile and half past the shelf break we cut the
motors and started drifting from 32 54.328 / 152 35.206 and although there was
soon a healthy contingent of Wilson’s Stormies in the slick the numbers were
down on yesterday. The first Great-winged and Solander’s Petrels arrived,
though numbers of these were slightly were down on yesterday as well. 
 
The
first real excitement came when a petrel was noticed flying towards the boat
with a “pale or white belly”. The bird flew right over the bow and continued on
its merry way with scarcely a second glance at the boat. Everything about the
bird (apart from the white belly) suggested Great-winged Petrel and this is
what the bird has been accepted as being. Some time later a feeding flock was
noticed to our north so it was decided to “reel the rag” in and make our way
towards it. The unmistakable outline of two White Terns could be seen amongst
what was otherwise just a collection of Fleshy-foots and Wedge-tailed
Shearwaters. It is worth noting at this point that for the entire day the
number of Fleshy-foots outnumbered Wedgies, particularly birds feeding at the
back of the boat. 
 
Minutes
later Michael Kearns drew our attention to a petrel with “proper” white
underparts and soon all on board were looking at a beautiful White-necked
Petrel that circled the boat a number times before leaving and returning
briefly some time later. Some interest has been shown in the interim on this
bird given its greyish primaries in the underwing and thick, consistent black
mark from the carpal joint, suggesting Vanuatu, though the bird on the day
certainly didn’t appear obviously smaller than any White-necked seen previously
by experienced observers on board. 
 
At
1330, we set sail for port, punching into the northerly wind en-route, making
it a very wet trip for the burley boys down the back. But it was fortunate they
were in position as way down the wake a small petrel was seen popping up over
the horizon occasionally and the call went out to “stop the boat!”. As the bird
drew closer it was obvious it was a Gould’s Petrel and it was a very obliging
individual, doing a couple of fly-bys past the boat, enabling all on board
great views. 
 
Cheers,
Mick
Roderick
 
BIRDS
 
Species:
Total (maximum number visible from the boat at one time)
 
Wilson’s
Storm-petrel: 60 (25)
 
Wedge-tailed
Shearwater: 80 (10)
 
Flesh-footed
Shearwater: 100 (20)
 
Short-tailed
Shearwater: 2 (1)
 
STREAKED
SHEARWATER: 1
 
Great-winged
(Grey-faced) Petrel: 3 (2)
 
Solander’s
Petrel: 4 (2)
 
WHITE-NECKED
PETREL: 1
 
GOULD’S
PETREL: 1
 
Australasian
Gannet: 20 (3)
 
Crested
Tern: 5 (3)
 
WHITE
TERN: 2 (2)
 
Pomarine
Jaeger: 2 (1) 
 
Silver
Gull: 10 (10)
 
Peregrine
Falcon (Boondelbah Island): 2
 
MAMMALS
 
Short-beaked
Common Dolphin
 
Unidentified
Whale sp. 
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