Hi All,
The BirdLife Australia pelagics got out off Eaglehawk Neck, Tasmania on
both Friday and Saturday just gone. Reasonable diversity and very good
numbers of a few bird species. The highlight for the ‘weekend’ was
actually a mammal as we had a pod of the very rarely sighted Shepherd’s
Beaked Whale. Below is Friday’s trip report.
Cheers,
Rohan Clarke
BIRDLIFE AUSTRALIA PELAGIC TRIP OFF EAGLEHAWK NECK, TAS
Friday 27th Jan 2017
OBSERVERS: Tim Bawden, Chris Burwell, Arthur Carew, Judy Christie, Karen
Dick, Elliot Leach, Mona Loofs Samorzewski, Mark Stanley, Peter Vaughan,
George Vaughan, Jill Wilson, Ian Wilson & Rohan Clarke (organiser and
report compiler).
WEATHER: Clear skies other than distant cloud (10% cover) on the
horizon. Mild to warm. A light breeze to 5 knots variable in inshore
waters and a 5 to 7 knot westerly breeze when offshore. Pretty pleasant
really!
SEA: A mild sea with slight to moderate swell. Almost flat in inshore
waters (0.2 m swell, 0.5 m sea) increasing to a comfortable 1.0 m swell
in offshore waters. Beyond the shelf a SW swell of 1.5-2 m was present
but the broad interval meant we didn’t rock and roll much at all. No
spray to speak of for the day.
ACTIVITY: Departed Pirates Bay Wharf at 0700. Headed past, and around,
the Hippolytes before continuing in an easterly direction to the shelf
and beyond. A reasonable number of birds in inshore waters with three
species of albatross before we reached the Hippolytes. We crossed the
shelf break (100 fathoms) at 0905 before making our first drift and
berley session at 43º14.93’S 148º13.73’E over 250 fathoms. We drifted
east with the current for nearly an hour and a half before moving
further east. Whilst on the move we encountered a pod of Shepard’s
Beaked Whales so diverted and spent ~15 mins with them before continuing
out to 43º17.13’S 148º15.50’E over 650 fathoms. At 1230 we moved back to
the shelf break (100 fathoms) for a third berley session at 43º14.43’S
148º12.62’E. Started heading in at 1320 to dock just after 1500.
MAMMALS:
SHEPHERD’S BEAKED WHALE: Highlight of the trip. A pod of three well
photographed over 460 fathoms in the AM. Apparently about the 15th
documented at-sea sighting globally! A couple of pics here:
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1626447800983697&id=100008554777551&pnref=story
Australian Fur Seals: About 45 on the Hippolytes. Another 20 at sea that
were not identified to species.
NZ Fur Seal: About 5 on the Hippolytes.
BIRDS: 26 species beyond the entrance to Pirates Bay is about average
for a Tasmanian pelagic. Best were the good numbers of storm-petrels,
the Southern Royal and NZ Wandering Albatross and a January record of a
Southern Skua.
Wilson’s Storm-Petrel: 4 (2). All pelagic.
White-faced Storm-Petrel: 50 (35). All pelagic.
Grey-backed Storm-Petrel: 70 (50). All pelagic.
New Zealand Wandering Albatross: 1 gibsoni type at the third berley
point just over the shelf.
SOUTHERN ROYAL ALBATROSS: 1 adult at the third berley point.
Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross: 1 adult inshore in the AM.
Black-browed Albatross: 1 immature at the third berley point.
Shy Albatross: 70 (35). 4 adults inshore, 5 adults offshore, remainder
pelagic. Mostly adult but at least 3 immature birds in pelagic waters.
Interestingly, a careful scan a couple of times at berley points across
20+ adults revealed just one to two with an obvious yellow base to the
bill each time that were definite cauta. Whether the others were steadi
or uncoloured cauta I don’t know.
Buller’s Albatross: 10 (2). 3 inshore, 2 offshore, remainder pelagic.
All adult.
Northern Giant Petrel: 3 (2). 1 in offshore waters, 2 pelagic. All
immature.
Fairy Prion: 40 (25). 1 inshore, 2 offshore, remainder pelagic.
Short-tailed Shearwater: ~5000 (500). 40 inshore in the AM, 500
offshore, remainder passing by in pelagic waters.
Sooty Shearwater: 4 (2). All pelagic.
Hutton’s Shearwater: 4 (2). All pelagic.
Fluttering Shearwater: 15 (5). 2 inshore, 10 offshore, 3 pelagic.
Common Diving Petrel: 5 (2). 1 inshore, 4 offshore
White-chinned Petrel: 15 (5). All pelagic.
Little Penguin: 5 (3) 4 inshore and 1 offshore in the AM. Also one dead
bird floating on the surface in offshore waters.
Australasian Gannet: 11 (5) 7 inshore, 4 offshore. 1 immature offshore
remainder adult. Also 15 on the Hippolytes.
Black-faced Cormorant: 12 (5). 12 inshore, plus ~1440 ashore and
immediately adjacent to the Hippolytes.
SOUTHERN SKUA: 1 at the second berley point. I was quite a dark bird and
I was fairly convinced it was a South Polar Skua, given plumage and
perceived slight size, whilst we were out there. Alas photos show a
rather long and robust bill and the consensus is that it is a Southern
Skua. A January record is interesting as a South Polar may actual be
slightly more likely at this time of year.
Arctic Jaeger: 1 inshore in the AM.
Crested Tern: 12 (5). 5 inshore, 5 offshore and 2 pelagic. Also 20 on
the Hippoloytes.
Kelp Gull: 2 inshore and 1 offshore in the AM and ~50 at the Hippolytes.
Pacific Gull: 1 adult inshore in the AM and 1 juvenile at the Hipploytes.
Silver Gull: 143 (80). 12 inshore, 130 offshore and 1 pelagic. Also
about 100 around the Hippolytes.
--
Rohan Clarke
www.wildlifeimages.com.au
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