Hi All,
The BirdLife Australia pelagic got out off Portland, Victoria on Sunday.
A fairly bumpy ride out but things settled down after that. We had a
nice selection of birds around the boat once over the continental shelf.
Cheers,
Rohan Clarke
BIRDLIFE AUSTRALIA TRIP OFF PORTLAND, VICTORIA
Sunday 7th October 2012
OBSERVERS: Paul Dodd, Ruth Woodrow, Peter Lansley, Scott Baker, David
Sutherland, Ruth Sutherland, Mary Sutherland, Tim Bawden, John McRae,
Shana Nerenberg, Sarah Brown & Rohan Clarke (report compiler).
WEATHER: 100% cloud cover through much of the day, clearing to 60% cloud
cover around 2 PM. Cool to cold. A south westerly at 10-15 knots for
most of the morning moderating around midday to 5-10 knots. Generally
good visibility though a little dull in the AM.
SEA: Much as forecast with a choppy and confused sea to 1.5 m on a
moderate lumpy south-westerly swell of 2.0 to 3.0 m. The seas moderated
around midday and with a following sea the ride back to port was quite
comfortable.
ACTIVITY: Departed Portland harbour at 0740. Headed to the shelf break
via Lawrence Rocks. Large numbers of shearwaters and a scattering of
albatross in close to the coast with the usual lull in proceedings
before we reached the shelf. Crossed the shelf break (200 m) at 1028
before making our first stop at 38º41.62’S 141º23.82’E over 400 m of
water. Here we berleyed with shark liver and pilchards. Almost no
activity at first but the birds gradually built up. A second stop was
made a few miles SE of this point at (38º45.34’S 141º25.47’E) and then
a final stop was made back on the shelf break at 38º46.05’S 141º28.91’E.
Headed back in at 1455, pausing at Lawrence Rocks for a scan of the
gannet colony and reef platforms before continuing to the wharf where we
docked at 1710.
MAMMALS: Australian Fur Seal: 40 on the Lawrence Rocks. Also 1 in the
Portland harbour in both the AM and PM.
AUSTRALIAN SEA LION: A single individual on Lawrence Rocks (either a
sub-adult male or an adult female) with the fur seals – possibly a first
for a Portland pelagic?
Common Dolphin: A single pod of ~5 in 55m of water a mile beyond
Lawrence Rocks in the PM.
BIRDS: 23 seabird species (+1 additional albatross taxa) beyond the
harbour indicates about average diversity. Highlights were the good
numbers of birds that made close approaches to the vessel at each stop,
whilst the Southern Royal Albatross was the bird of the day.
Grey-backed Storm-Petrel: 1 offshore in the PM (over 140 m) - a real
surprise given none were seen at the three berley points beyond the shelf.
Wilsons Storm-Petrel: 20 (8). All pelagic though a couple followed us
back into offshore waters in the PM.
White-faced Storm-Petrel: 10 (5). All pelagic.
Wandering Albatross: 2 (2). Both gibsoni – an adult male and a stage 1
or 2 individual at several berley points.
SOUTHERN ROYAL ALBATROSS: 1. A single immature at the second berley
point that ended up making some close approaches.
Black-browed Albatross: nominate race 6 (5) 2 adults, 1 immature and 1
juvenile beyond the shelf and 1 immature in inshore waters. impavida 3
(3). 2 immature birds and 1 juvenile beyond the shelf.
Shy Albatross: 150 (60). cauta/steadi 4 inshore, 5 offshore, remainder
pelagic. Just 4 immature individuals and 1 juvenile, the remainder
adult. The dominant albatross for the day.
Yellow-nosed Albatross: 8 (6). 1 sub-adult, remainder adult, all pelagic.
Fairy Prion: 180 (70). 5 offshore, remainder pelagic with good numbers
(70, 60 and 30) at each berley stop.
Short-tailed Shearwater: 8200 (2000). 4500 inshore, 3500 offshore,
remainder pelagic with up to 60 feeding together at a single berley point.
Sooty Shearwater: 1 offshore in the AM.
Fluttering Shearwater: 1 inshore in the PM.
Northern Giant Petrel: 2 immature individuals together over inshore
waters in the AM.
Southern Giant Petrel: 1 juvenile over offshore waters in the PM.
White-chinned Petrel: 2 (2). Both pelagic.
Great-winged Petrel: 20 (9). Mostly (all?) gouldi. All pelagic
Cape Petrel: 8 (5). All off the nominate race. All pelagic.
Australasian Gannet: 20 (6). 8 pelagic, 4 offshore, 8 inshore. Also many
thousands on and immediately adjacent to Lawrence Rocks.
Black-faced Cormorant: 1 inshore in the AM. Also 70 on and immediately
adjacent to Lawrence Rocks in the PM
Crested Tern: 21 (8). 4 inshore, 5 offshore, 12 pelagic. Also 50
roosting on Lawrence Rocks in the PM.
White-fronted Tern: 6 (2). 2 offshore, 4 pelagic. Also 1 on Lawrence
Rocks, 1 in harbour in AM and 2 in harbour in PM.
Kelp Gull: None at sea but 4 on Lawrence Rocks in the PM.
Silver Gull: 2 (2) both inshore in the PM. Also 20 on Lawrence Rocks in
the PM.
On Lawrence Rocks we also sighted 2 Sooty Oystercatchers, 2 Chestnut
Teal (on a shallow rock pool) and 3 Little Black Cormorants.
--
Rohan Clarke
www.wildlifeimages.com.au
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