TRIP REPORT – SYDNEY PELAGIC – SUNDAY 6 NOVEMBER 2016
This trip was an extra trip to the normal 2nd Saturday of the month schedule
but still attracted a boat full of eager birders. We experienced a day with
strong winds and big swell, which meant for some fairly uncomfortable
conditions at times during the day and unfortunately several aboard succumbed
to those conditions. The sun shone throughout and the wind and seas were
starting to ease towards the end of the trip, although it was certainly by no
means tranquil even then. We had lots of birds around the boat (my count
numbers, particularly for the shearwaters are probably very conservative) but
the variety of species was a little down on what we expected (or hoped for),
although 18 species is by no means a bad haul.
We left Rose Bay at 7:05 with 23 passengers on board and during the trip
towards the heads, some were lucky enough to see a single Little Penguin in the
boat’s wake. There were definitely fewer Silver Gulls than normal – they may
have also decided the conditions in western NSW were too good to miss despite
the promise of tasty morsels from the burley bucket! We did attract a small
following and as we went through the heads it wasn’t long before we also
started to attract a following crowd of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters. These were
joined by a fly-by Jaeger, which turned out to be a Pomarine and before long we
also picked up a couple of Black-browed Albatross. There were small groups of
Fluttering Shearwaters about but the Wedgies were the dominant species on our
trips in and out. Not far out from the heads we slowed the boat to check out
some splashing and were rewarded with great views of a mum Humpback Whale with
her frisky calf and another hanger-on. We saw a couple more humpbacks as we
headed out. As we motored on, the Jaeger numbers slowly increased and the
Pomarines – a couple of which still sported their tail spoons – were joined by
Arctic Jaegers as well. The Black-browed Albatrosses were supplemented by
first one and then several Shy Albatross, sporting a range of plumages from
scruffy immature to very clean looking adult. As we approached the shelf, we
were briefly accompanied by a small pod of Short-beaked Common Dolphins. We
also encountered some Short-tailed Shearwaters and a possible Sooty Shearwater
as well – another was seen later. There was also a call of a Flesh-footed
Shearwater but if there was one in the throng feeding in the wake it didn’t
hang about.
We reached Browns Mountain at about 10:20 and started our first drift. We were
shortly joined by the first of a good number of Grey-faced Petrel and a single
Wilsons Storm-Petrel and finally a Huttons Shearwater was picked out from the
passing Flutterers. A few Providence Petrels also joined the group circling
the boat and then a single Antipodean Albatross. After 30 minutes we motored
back up the slick and started a second drift, which netted us a second
Antipodean Albatross. The two birds sat close to each other several times and
it was clear that they were different sizes so we may have had a nominate and
Gibsons race bird together. The second drift also saw one or two more Wilsons
Storm-Petrels and a much better view of a Sooty Shearwater that circled the
boat once before heading southwards. A possible Long-tailed Jaeger was called,
but again the ID was never confirmed. We motored into deeper water after about
30 minutes but didn’t pick up any new species, although we did find a Southern
Ocean Sunfish, so we came back in and started a third drift. Up to that point,
the Providence and Grey-faced Petrels seen were in pretty scruffy condition but
two very smart Great-winged Petrels joined the birds near the boat – much
cleaner, not in moult, almost no grey on the face and a much smaller bill all
helped to clinch the ID of (what I understand) is an uncommon bird for NSW
waters. This species, following the recent Great-winged/Grey-faced split, was
a lifer for several on board.
At 12:45 we started the haul homewards, which wasn’t as lumpy as on the way out
as we were running with the swell and the breeze was slowly dropping. We
didn’t get any new species on the way in, although we did encounter some more
dolphins and got some good close views of another Huttons Shearwater. We docked
at Rose Bay at 3:20 after another great day out on the water. It’ll be
interesting to see what this trip this coming Saturday (12 November) turns up.
Cheers
Tom Wilson
BIRD LIST
Species Est no. seen Most seen at any one time Comment
Little Penguin 1 1 In harbour - not seen by all
Wilsons Storm Petrel 4 1
Antipodean Albatross 2 2 Poss different races - noticeable size diff
Black-browed Albatross 30 15 Mostly immature birds
Shy Albatross 10 6 Adults & immatures
Great-winged Petrel 2 2
Grey-faced Petrel 25 12 Mostly in stages of moult
Providence Petrel 10 4 Mostly in stages of moult
Wedge-tailed Shearwater 250 50
Sooty Shearwater 2 1
Short-tailed Shearwater 40 10
Fluttering Shearwater 50 8
Huttons Shearwater 5 1
Australiasian Gannet 6 2
Pomarine Jaeger 8 4 Some still with spoons in place
Arctic Jaeger 8 4
Silver Gull 60 30 Outside harbour
Crested Tern 8 4 Outside harbour
Possibles Both called but not positively ID'd.
Flesh-footed Shearwater
Long-tailed Jaeger
OTHER
Short-beaked Common Dolphin 10 (2 pods)
Humpback Whale 5 (inc one mother & calf pairing)
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