Of course Sunfish and Mako Shark are not mammals ;-)
Cheers
John
Yours in all things "Green"
John Harris. BASc, GDipEd
Director and Principal Zoologist/Ecologist
Wildlife Experiences P/L
Wildlife Guide
Nature Photographer
0409 090 955
www.wildlifeexperiences.com.au
On 3 Feb. 2018 21:15, "Rohan Clarke" <> wrote:
> That should have been 20th of Jan 2018!
>
> Rohan
>
>
> On 3/02/2018 9:03 PM, Rohan Clarke wrote:
>
>>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> Here's the first of two trip reports for a double header that got out off
>> Tassie a fortnight or so ago.
>>
>> Rohan
>>
>>
>> BirdLife Australia Pelagic off Eaglehawk Neck, Tasmania
>> Saturday 20th Feb 2018
>>
>> OBSERVERS: Tim Bawden, Antonia Burwell, Chris Burwell, Jo Culican, Maggie
>> Grundler, Gina Hopkins, James Kennerley, Jodi Osgood, Glen Pacey, Mike
>> Potter, Richard Webber, Jim Wright & Rohan Clarke (report compiler).
>>
>> WEATHER: Complete cloud cover in the AM, clearing for a few spots of
>> sunshine around 1130 before closing in again as we headed in, hence mostly
>> dull conditions for photography. Winds were generally light and a bit
>> variable – 5-10 knot SW in the AM dropping to 5 knots and swinging round to
>> the SE once we were over the shelf. Reasonably mild all day.
>>
>> SEA: A flat sea on a 0.5 m swell out to the Hippolytes, building slightly
>> in offshore waters. Beyond the shelf we mostly experienced a rather clean
>> 1-2 m swell with little chop. No spray to speak of.
>>
>> ACTIVITY: Departed Pirates Bay Wharf at 0715. Headed down to the
>> Hippolytes, which we circumnavigated, before taking an easterly route
>> directly to the shelf break. Reasonable numbers of birds on the way out
>> with early Buller’s Shearwater and Gould’s Petrel before the shelf to raise
>> expectations. Crossed the shelf break (100 fathoms) at 0920 before making
>> our first stop a couple of miles beyond the shelf over 350 fathoms of water
>> were we berleyed for just over an hour. Later we moved out to 650 fathoms
>> for a second 1.5 hr berley session. Crossed back over the shelf at 1310 and
>> docked just before 1500.
>>
>> MAMMALS (and other non-feathered things)
>> Australian Fur Seals: 20 on the Hippolytes. Also 1 inshore in the PM.
>> Common Dolphin: A small pod of 4 in inshore waters in the AM.
>> SUNFISH: 1 in offshore waters in the PM. Water temp was 18 C at this
>> location.
>> Mako Shark: A big fish, estimated by the crew to be 200+ kg, cruised
>> around behind the boat at our impromptu stop for the Black-bellied Stormie.
>>
>> BIRDS: 28 species of seabird beyond the point at Pirates Bay. Highlights
>> were Black-bellied Storm-Petrel, Buller's Shearwater, Gould’s and Cook’s
>> Petrels. A typical solid Tassie pelagic.
>>
>> Wandering Albatross (exulens): 2 pelagic.
>>
>> NZ Wandering Albatross (gibsoni): 1 pelagic.
>>
>> Southern Royal Albatross 4 (2). All pelagic.
>>
>> Black-browed Albatross: 1 juv pelagic.
>>
>> Shy Albatross: 90 (40). cauta/steadi: 1 inshore, 22 offshore, remainder
>> pelagic, with good numbers following us back inshore on the return leg. 2
>> imm (both pelagic), remainder adult.
>>
>> Buller’s Albatross: 10 (4). 1 inshore, 2 offshore, remainder pelagic. All
>> adults.
>>
>> Northern Giant-Petrel: 3 (1). 1 juv offshore in the AM, 2 imms pelagic.
>>
>> Grey-backed Storm-Petrel: 3 (1). All pelagic.
>>
>> White-faced Storm-Petrel: 100 (60). Just 1 offshore, remainder pelagic.
>>
>> Wilson’s Storm-Petrel: 2 (1). Both pelagic.
>>
>> BLACK-BELLIED STORM-PETREL: 1 pelagic picked in the wake whilst we were
>> underway and well worth a quick stop. An interesting bird with an
>> extensively black belly and active tail moult (see pic).
>>
>> Fairy Prion: 67 (40). 12 offshore in the AM, 15 pelagic, then a flock of
>> ~40 offshore in the PM.
>>
>> Short-tailed Shearwater: 4000 (500). Mostly offshore, but 20 inshore and
>> 150 pelagic.
>>
>> Sooty Shearwater: 20 (2). 7 offshore, remainder pelagic.
>>
>> Hutton’s Shearwater: 5 (1). 3 offshore in AM and another in the PM, 1
>> pelagic.
>>
>> BULLER’S SHEARWATER: 9 (1). 4 offshore, 5 pelagic. Several close
>> approaches.
>>
>> White-chinned Petrel: 33 (12). Mostly pelagic but at least 10 followed us
>> back into offshore waters in the PM.
>>
>> Grey-faced Petrel: 3 (1). All pelagic at the second berley stop.
>>
>> White-headed Petrel: 3 (1). All pelagic. All quite distant.
>>
>> GOULD’S PETREL: 12 (2). 10 pelagic, 1 offshore over 88 fathoms on the way
>> out and another offshore over 67 fathoms on the way back in.
>>
>> COOK’S PETREL: 3 (1). All pelagic. Sadly all were rather distant.
>>
>> Little Penguin: 5 (1). All inshore.
>>
>> Australasian Gannet: 7 (2). 2 inshore in the AM, 5 inshore in the PM.
>> Another 20 on the Hipploytes.
>>
>> Black-faced Cormorant: 25 (5). All inshore. Another 320 on the Hippolytes.
>>
>> Crested Tern: 30 (10). All inshore.
>>
>> Pacific Gull: 3 (1). All Ad inshore in the AM. Also 1 on the Hippolytes.
>>
>> Kelp Gull: 20 (5). All inshore in the AM. Also about 100 on and around
>> the Hippolytes
>>
>> Silver Gull: 20 (5). 19 inshore, 1 pelagic. Also about 100 on the
>> Hippolytes.
>>
>> --
>> Rohan Clarke
>> www.wildlifeimages.com.au
>>
>> Latest updates
>> http://www.pbase.com/wildlifeimages/root&view=recent
>>
>
>
> --
> Rohan Clarke
> www.wildlifeimages.com.au
>
> Latest updates
> http://www.pbase.com/wildlifeimages/root&view=recent
>
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