BirdLife Victoria Pelagic off Portland, Victoria, Sunday 6 April 2014
Participants: Tim Bawden, Mark Buckby, David Burren, Steve Davidson, Iian
Denham, Trevor Hunt, Peter Lansley, Jen Spry, Dave Torr, Ruth Woodrow, Kim
Wormald, Paul Dodd (organiser).
Crew: Shannon and Neville.
Activity: Departed Portland harbour aboard the Southern Pride boat at
07.00 heading just west of south to the shelf past Lawrence Rocks. Went
straight to the shelf and about half a mile beyond. Our first stop was at
38°45.251'S, 141°27.459'E in 190 fathoms of water, where we berleyed from
9.35 till 10.45. We moved to the north-east to 38°42.042'S, 141°31.254'E in
250 fathoms and stayed there from 11.00 until 12.00. We moved further
north-west and berleyed at 38°45.203'S, 141°33.235'E in 95 fathoms from
12.40 until 14.00. Headed back in, passing Lawrence Rocks, where we had a
good look, before returning and docking at 16.40.
Conditions: On the way out there was a swell of 2-3m with easterly wind of
about 10-15 knots. The day was mostly clear and quite mild. On the way back
the swell eased to about 1-2m and the wind shifted to the south-east at
about 15-20 knots.
Summary: Average diversity with xx identified species of seabird recorded
during the trip and with the numbers of most regular species fairly low.
Highlight was a particularly active Brown Skua chasing and harassing
Flesh-footed Shearwaters.
Mammals:
Common Dolphin: about 20 on the way out, with a smaller number seen on the
way in.
Bottlenose Dolphin: about 6 on the way out.
Australian Fur Seal: one in the harbour, normal numbers (about 50) loafing
at Lawrence Rocks.
Birds:
Grey-backed Storm-petrel: 3 (2). Pelagic.
White-faced Storm-petrel: 3 (2). Pelagic.
Wilson?s Storm-petrel: 6 (3): Pelagic.
Black-browed Albatross: 10 (5). Pelagic.
Campbell Albatross: 9 (4). Campbell Albatross outnumbered Black-browed at
two of the three burley points. At the third burley point there was at least
one juvenile Campbell.
Shy Albatross: 20 (11). Most race cauta, one race steadi. Pelagic with quite
a few inshore.
Yellow-nosed Albatross: 9 (2). Pelagic with a couple inshore on the way out
and back in.
Buller?s Albatross: 4 (2). Pelagic. One, at the first burley point, had a
particularly dark head and hood, but on expert review of the photographs is
considered to be the nominate race (the usual race seen in Australian
waters).
Antipodean Albatross: 2. Pelagic, race gibsoni.
Snow Albatross: 1. Pelagic.
Wandering-type albatross: 1. Pelagic. Juvenile of indeterminate species.
Fairy Prion: 50 (20). Pelagic. Mostly inside the shelf. We encountered
several large groups of these birds and hoped to see them in larger numbers
at the burley points, but there were considerably fewer at the shelf and
beyond.
White-chinned Petrel: 2 (1). Pelagic.
Flesh-footed Shearwater: 120 (50). Mostly pelagic.
Short-tailed Shearwater: 50 (10). On the way out and in.
Fluttering Shearwater: 8 (2). On the way in and out.
Hutton?s Shearwater: 1. On the way in.
Great-winged Petrel: 4 (2). Three of race macroptera and one of race gouldi.
Pelagic.
Little Penguin: 1. At harbour entrance on the way out.
Australasian Gannet: 100 + 1000. 100 on the way out, at the shelf and on the
way in with about 1000 on or near Lawrence Rocks.
Black-faced Cormorant: 20, all on or near Lawrence Rocks.
Brown Skua: 1. Pelagic. Observed chasing and harassing Flesh-footed
Shearwaters.
Arctic Jaeger: 2. On the way in and out.
Crested Tern: In Portland Harbour, Lawrence Rocks and inshore.
Pacific Gull: 3. 1 at Lawrence Rocks and 2 in Portland Harbour.
Kelp Gull: 2. 1 at Lawrence Rocks and 1 in Portland Harbour.
Silver Gull: 20 at Lawrence Rocks and a few more in Portland Harbour.
In Portland Harbour there were quite a number of Cattle Egret (on the grass
behind the beach), a number of Masked Lapwing, Chestnut Teal and Welcome
Swallows.
I have posted my photos from the trip to my website at:
http://paul.angrybluecat.com/Trips-and-Locations/2014/Portland-Pelagic-Apr-2
014/
For details of future Portland trips, go to the BirdLife Australia web
site at the bottom of the page on
http://www.birdlife.org.au/locations/all-victoria-statewide/activities-vic
For reports of past BA-Vic and BirdLife Australia trips from Portland
and Port Fairy, search the Birding-Aus archives for the trip reports at
http://bioacoustics.cse.unsw.edu.au/archives/html/birding-aus/
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