Hi all,
Here's a link to the photos I took on last Sunday's Portland pelagic:
http://paul.angrybluecat.com/Trips-and-Locations/2014/Portland-Pelagic-Jun-2
014/
I got a quite a few photos of the various Antarctic Prions we saw, some are
even in focus. Unfortunately I missed the Soft-plumaged Petrel.
Paul Dodd
Docklands, Victoria
-----Original Message-----
From: Birding-Aus On Behalf Of
Rohan Clarke
Sent: Tuesday, 3 June 2014 8:46 PM
To:
Subject: BirdLife Australia Pelagic off Portland, Victoria,
Sunday 1 June 2014 trip report
Hi All,
Here's a trip report for the BirdLife Australia pelagic that got off
Portland, western Vic on Sunday 1st June.
Cheers,
Rohan Clarke
BirdLife Australia Pelagic off Portland, Victoria, Sunday 1 June 2014
Participants: Scott Baker, Tim Bawden, Paul Dodd, Dougald Frederick,
Christine Giuliano, Lyle Harding, Malcolm Harding, John McRae, Rowan Mott,
Ruth Woodrow, John Weigel and Rohan Clarke (report compiler).
Thanks to Chris Lester for organising!
Activity: Departed Portland Harbour aboard the 'Southern Pride' at 0705 (in
the dark), passing between Lawrence Rocks and Point Danger and heading
south-west to the shelf. We crossed the shelf at 1000 and stopped for the
first of three berley sessions a few minutes later (38°41.83?E, 141°18.10?S
~220 fathoms). Berleyed here till 1140 before moving to 38°43.23?E,
141°12.80?S over ~750 fathoms water. We had a third short (30 min) berley
session at 38 37.15 E, 141 19.66 S over 80 fathoms. Headed back in at 1430.
Given the large sea we didn't visit Lawrence Rocks, and instead headed
straight for the harbour, arriving at 1650.
Conditions: Wind 15-20 knots from the south-east for much of the day
increasing to 25 knots around 1000 for an hour or so. The wind moderated
around midday and was down to 10-15 knots by the time we had returned to the
harbour. Cool to mild. There was a 2-2.5 m swell inshore and a 2-3 m swell
beyond the shelf. On top of this a 1-2 m sea made for an 'interesting' ride,
though as we were beam on there was more rocking and rolling than crashing
through when underway. Dark low clouds and patchy rain squalls at first but
clearing a little through the day to some patches of sunlight by the third
berley point. Given the rough conditions the ride was more pleasant than one
might have expected, though two were seasick. Average diversity with 22
species of seabird recorded during the trip.
Mammals:
Common Dolphin: 4 small pods of 2-5 animals in offshore and pelagic waters
through the day.
Bottle-nosed Dolphin: 2+ adults in offshore waters in the AM.
Australian Fur Seal. A single sub-adult in offshore waters in the PM.
Birds:
Black-browed Albatross: 65 (30). 2 adults, 2 imms offshore, remainder
pelagic (2 juvs, 4 imms, 55 adult), though many followed us back into
offshore waters in the PM. Two different birds with alpha-numeric darvic
bands.
Campbell Island Albatross (impavida): 13 (6). All pelagic, though 3 followed
us back to the third berley point over 80 fathoms of water. 1 imm (pelagic),
remainder adult.
Shy Albatross (cauta): 50 (12). 1 adult, 1 imm inshore, 12 adults, 2 imms
offshore, 30 adults, 4 imms pelagic.
Buller's Albatross: 5 (3). 1 offshore, remainder pelagic, though 2 followed
us all the way back to Cape Nelson in the PM. All adult - as is the norm for
Victoria.
Yellow-nosed Albatross: 5 (3). 1 adult offshore, 3 adults pelagic, 1
imm/near-adult pelagic.
New Zealand (Wandering) Albatross: 2, both gibsoni. An older adult male at
the first and second berley points and a female type at the second berley
point.
Northern Giant Petrel: 6 (3). 1 fresh juv at the first berley point, was
joined by 2 more juvs at the second berley point. Several of these followed
us back in but we also had 3 worn immature-plumaged birds in inshore waters
in the PM.
White-chinned Petrel: 1 rather worn and tatty looking individual at the
second berley stop. Uncommon off western Victoria in June.
Great-winged Petrel:
macroptera - 75 (28). 1 inshore in the AM over 28 fathoms (perhaps the
closest we've had this species to the harbour?), 2 offshore over 63 fathoms,
and 10 at the third berley point over 80 fathoms, remainder pelagic.
gouldii -- 5 (3). All pelagic.
SOFT-PLUMAGED PETREL: 1 in offshore waters in the AM. Would have been the
bird of the day had it not been a speck on the horizon!
Cape Petrel: 3 (3). All of the nominate form. All pelagic, though 2 followed
us back into inshore waters in the PM.
Fairy Prion: 180 (30). 1 inshore, 100 offshore, remainder pelagic.
ANTARCTIC PRION: 3 (2). All pelagic at the first berley point. A couple of
other 'whale birds' were seen in offshore waters in the AM but they were not
identified to species.
Wilson's Storm-Petrel: 25 (15). 1 offshore in the AM, 2 at third berley
point, remainder pelagic. Several individuals with very tatty flight
feathers and worn covert bars, others in fresh plumage.
Grey-backed Storm-Petrel: 17 (5). 2 offshore in the AM, 3 at third berley
point, remainder pelagic.
Sooty Shearwater: 8 (4) 2 pelagic, 6 at the third berley point over 80
fathoms. Some interesting plumages including 2 very worn birds in heavy
primary moult and a juvenile with relatively dark underwings.
Fluttering/Hutton's Shearwater: 1 in inshore waters in the PM not identified
to species.
Australian Gannet: 75 (30). Mostly inshore, 30 offshore, 4 pelagic at the
first berley point. Mostly adult, 3 juvs/imms inshore in the PM.
1000s visible in the distance on Lawrence Rocks.
Black-faced Cormorant: 1 inshore in the AM, 2 more in the same area in the
PM.
Southern Skua: A single seen distantly in inshore waters in the AM.
Crested Tern: 40 (8). 5 offshore, remainder inshore.
Silver Gull: 7 inshore in the AM and 30 inshore in the PM.
Pacific Gull: 1 adult in inshore waters in PM.
-- Rohan Clarke www.wildlifeimages.com.au Latest updates
http://www.pbase.com/wildlifeimages/root&view=recent
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