Four reports: 4th August, 11th August, 12th August & 25th August. 

4th August 2001 WOLLONGONG SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP REPORT, NSW, AUSTRALIA

Report prepared by: P.J. Milburn.

Conditions:

Departed at 7.15 am and returned at approx.4.30 pm.
Sea Conditions: Sea slight, 0.5 to 1.0 metres at first, increasing later.
Swell 1to 1.5 metre, SE.
Weather: Glorious sunshine all day. Max. 18°C
Barometeric pressure: 1025 HPa
Wind: Light in the morning 5 knots NW to moderate 15 to 20 kts NW later.
Water temperature 19.7 to 21.8 degrees C.
Primary chumming location S 34° 34' - E 151° 13'.

Summary:

The extraordinary winter conditions continue. This trip resulted from the cancellation the regular July SOSSA Wollongong Boat Trip scheduled for the previous weekend due to near cyclonic conditions. The sea temperatures were some 3°C above those expected for this time of year.

We departed the harbour in a light NW breeze. Just outside the harbour were several hundred Fluttering Shearwaters. As we were cruising through the small flocks we were joined briefly by a Northern Giant-Petrel.

Small numbers of birds attended the boat as were motored out to the shelf break and to our suprise we encountered groups of flying fish. Unusually, a 2nd year Kelp Gull followed us to the continental break were we found group of Pygmy Killer Whales, which added to the summery atmosphere of the trip. In close attendance were several Solander's Petrels and a White-faced Storm-Petrel which payed no attention to us. Not suprisingly the ovewrall number of sub-antarctic birds was very low. As we stopped the boat to begin chumming 2 ARTCTIC TERN in breeding plumage came by in close investigation.

The number of Solander's Petrel was high for this unusual winter but not remarkable for a 'normal' season. The nor'westerly picked up in the afternoon but this brought little change in the birds but instead we were treated to the companmy of 500+ Common Dolphins of the small acrobatic type that abound in winter. A large flock of Kelp Gulls met the boat on the way back to the harbour. One of several banded birds was captured, which had been banded as a chick by SOSSA (LES) in 1987 on Bass Island, Port Kembla.

Highlights:

Fantastic views of Pygmy Killer Whales and 2 ARTCTIC TERN in breeding plumage.

Birds recorded according to latest Environment Australia Reporting Schedule:Species code: Species name: Numbers:(Note: numbers in parenthesis = highest count at any one time)

937 Northern Giant Petrel Macronectes giganteus 1
080 Cape Petrel Daption capense australe 1
971 Solander's Petrel P. solandri 55+ (25+)
083 Fairy Prion Pachyptila turtur 14 (5)
942 SLENDER-BILLED PRION P. belcheri 1 (1)
068 Fluttering Shearwater Puffinus gavia 300+ (300+)
070 Hutton's Shearwater P. huttoni 2 (1)
088 Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophrys 11 (5) only two adults
859 Campbell Albatross T. impavida 2 only one adult
091 Shy Albatross T. cauta 2 (2)
864 Indic Yellow-nosed Albatross T. carteri 16 (4)
065 White-faced Storm-Petrel Pelagodroma marina 3 (1)
104 Australasian Gannet Morus serrator 12 (10)
981 Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus 30+ (30+)
125 Silver Gull L. novaehollandiae 300+ (100+)
115 Crested Tern Sterna bergii 45+ (20+)
114 White-fronted Tern S. striata 1 adult
952 ARCTIC TERN S. paradisaea 2 (2) adults in breeding plumage

In the harbour:

100 Little Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax melanoleucos 1
101 Darter Anhinga melanogaster 1
106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 7
981 Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus 1 adult
115 Crested Tern Sterna bergii 318 species of seabird identified outside the breakwater.

Mammals:

Pygmy Killer Whale 12
'Pygmy' Common Dolphin 500+

11th August 2001 WOLLONGONG SOSSA PELAGIC RESEARCH TRIP REPORT, NSW, AUSTRALIA

Report prepared by: P.J. Milburn.

Conditions:

Departed at 7.30 am and returned at approx.4.30 pm.
Sea Conditions: calm at first, increasing later to slight. Swell to 1 metre, SE.
Weather: Glorious sunshine all day. Max. 21°C
Barometeric pressure: 1023 HPa rising
Wind: Calm to 10 kts NW later.
Water temperature 18.4 to 21.0 degrees C.
Primary chumming location S 34° 29' - E 151° 19'.

Summary:

Another summer day in winter, although the sea temperatures had fallen over the previous week. Calm weather with no fronts in the offing led us to expect a lovely day for cruising but not many seabirds. A disappointing day for the number of species and individuals, however, one outstanding rarity was recorded. CORY'S SHEARWATER has not been recorded previously on a Pelagic Trip from Wollongong.

We departed the harbour to find ourselves on a glass smooth ocean. At least it would be a goood day for sighting fish, cetaceans etc. We easily saw a couple of Little Pengiun and a number of seals basking on the surface. Further out we encountered a small Striped Marlin and small numbers of albatross and shearwaters. In 80 fathoms we were joined by Common Dolphins in crystal clear water. In the bright sunlight with a glass smooth ocean this was a memorable experience!

Small numbers of birds attended the boat as we sat motionless far beyond the continental shelf break. After 2 hours a sperm whale was spotted in the distance causing everyone to move to the front of the boat. Unfortunately,the whale sounded soon after and as we set off for port a CORY'S SHEARWATER passed across the stern of the boat. The bird typically stayed close to the surface but gave a brilliant view of the underwing pattern as it rode over a small swell. Sadly, the bird did not tarry and was seen by very few people as most on board were still looking for whales.... sometimes it pays to be the one throwing in the chum!

Highlights:

Stunning views of Common Dolphins and CORY'S SHEARWATER within 50m of the boat.

Birds recorded according to latest Environment Australia Reporting Schedule:Species code: Species name: Numbers:(Note: numbers in parenthesis = highest count at any one time)

005 Little Penguin Eudyptula minor 2 (2)
079 Giant Petrel Macronectes sp 1
971 Solander's Petrel P. solandri 3 (3)
083 Fairy Prion Pachyptila turtur 10 6)
068 Fluttering Shearwater Puffinus gavia 19 (9)
070 Hutton's Shearwater P. huttoni 3 (2)
000 CORY'S SHEARWATER Calonectris diomedea 1
088 Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophrys 11 (5)
859 Campbell Albatross T. impavida 1
864 Indic Yellow-nosed Albatross T. carteri 11 (3)
980 Brown Skua Catharacta lonnbergi 1 (1)
104 Australasian Gannet Morus serrator 5 (2)
981 Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus 7 (7)
125 Silver Gull L. novaehollandiae 85+ (45+)
115 Crested Tern Sterna bergii 41 (26)
114 White-fronted Tern S. striata 3 (2)

In the harbour:

115 Crested Tern Sterna bergii 1
100 Little Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax melanoleucos 2
106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 315 species of seabird identified outside the breakwater.

Mammals:

Australain Fur Seal 8 (5)
Sperm Whale 1
Common Dolphin 10

12th August 2001 WOLLONGONG SOSSA PELAGIC RESEARCH TRIP REPORT, NSW, AUSTRALIA

Report prepared by: P.J. Milburn.

Conditions:

Departed at 7.45 am and returned at approx.4.30 pm.
Sea Conditions: calm at first, increasing later to slight. Swell to 1metre, SE.
Weather: Glorious sunshine all day. Max. 21°C
Barometeric pressure: 1025 HPa
Wind: Calm to 10 kts NW later.
Water temperature 18.1 to 21.1 degrees C.
Primary chumming location S 34° 31' - E 151° 23'.

Summary:

Yet another summer day in winter!! The calm weather continued leading to the expectation of another quiet day at sea. Another disappointing day for the number of species with even fewer individuals than the previous day.

We saw a several Little Pengiun and a small number of shearwaters close to the coast. About 10 miles out we ran into a bit more bird life seeing what turned out to be the only group of albatross for the day and a suprising number of Brown Skuas sitting on the water.

Our friend the Kelp Gull followed us out into deep water again with only a small number of other birds in company. Once again we sighted Pygmy Killer Whales with Solander's Petrels in attendance. Closing in on 2 trawlers, we were horrified to observe that not a single albatross was in attendance. Not suprisingly, we did not see a single albatross wide of the continental shelf all day. This was truly the quietest of days.

The NW breeze came up on the return trip and the highlight of the day for those who were still awake was a passage of terns, including an ARCTIC TERN and the first common terns of the spring. It seems as though this is the year to see ARCTIC TERN in NSW!

Highlights:

An interesting coastal passage of terns in the afternoon, which included an adult ARCTIC TERN.

Birds recorded according to latest Environment Australia Reporting Schedule:Species code: Species name: Numbers:(Note: numbers in parenthesis = highest count at any one time)

005 Little Penguin Eudyptula minor 3 (1)
971 Solander's Petrel P. solandri 16 (6)
083 Fairy Prion Pachyptila turtur 5 (1)
068 Fluttering Shearwater Puffinus gavia 14 (3)
070 Hutton's Shearwater P. huttoni 2 (1)
088 Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophrys 3 (1)
864 Indic Yellow-nosed Albatross T. carteri 3 (1)
065 White-faced Storm-Petrel Pelagodroma marina 1
980 Brown Skua Catharacta lonnbergi 4 (2)
104 Australasian Gannet Morus serrator 11 (5)
106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 2 (1)
981 Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus 8 (7)
125 Silver Gull L. novaehollandiae 100+ (35+)
114 White-fronted Tern Sterna striata 2 (1) 1 adult
115 Crested Tern S. bergii 30+ (25+)
953 Common Tern S. hirundo 2 (1) 1 adult in breeding plumage
952 ARCTIC TERN S. paradisaea 1 (1) adult in breeding plumage
100 Little Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax melanoleucos 2 (2)

In the harbour:

115 Crested Tern Sterna bergii 2
100 Little Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax melanoleucos1
106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 4
981 Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus 1
125 Silver Gull L. novaehollandiae 1518 species of seabird identified outside the breakwater.

Mammals:

Pygmy Killer Whale 18 (10)

25th August 2001 WOLLONGONG SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP REPORT, NSW, AUSTRALIA

Report prepared by: P.J. Milburn.

Conditions:

Departed at 7.15 am and returned at approx 5.00 pm.
Sea Conditions: NW 0.5 to 1.0 m at first, increasing later to 1.0 to 1.5m.
Swell 2 to 3 metre, SE.
Weather: Glorious sunshine all day. Max. 21°C
Barometric pressure: 1016 HPa falling.
Wind: 5 to 10 kts NW at first increasing to 15 kts later.
Water temperature 18.1 to 19.5 degrees C.
Primary chumming location S 34° 23' - E 151° 23'.

Summary:

A preceding southerly change and cooler water temperatures than the beginning of August led us to hope that this trip would bring some typical late winter/early spring seabirds. The falling barometer and the forecast of strong northerly winds later in the day added a little spice to the anticipation of the day! A large contingent of overseas visitors were hoping for a good variety of albatross and southern petrels while the seasoned locals were hoping for a continuation in the run of recent unusual sightings, such as Arctic Tern and Cory's Shearwater. The former won the day, which was good because they had travelled further! Overall numbers of southern seabirds were still low but there was a significant improvement over recent weeks.Oustide the harbour we found calm seas and a rolling SE swell. Several Australian Fur Seals and some Fluttering Shearwaters provided early interest. 4 NM offshore we encountered numbers of shearwaters, mostly Fluttering with the occasional Hutton's for the sharp-eyed and quick of reflex and the first Wedge-tailed of the spring (right on schedule). Unusually some 15 Fluttering Shearwaters tagged along following us into deep water, which gave unprecedented photographic opportunities!Further offshore we found small number of albatross including a first year Shy Albatross which gave brilliant views. Common and White-fronted Terns were also around. A small group of Australasian Gannets were observed fishing with a group of Common Dolphins.At 80 fathoms we were lucky enough to encounter 2 Southern Humpback Whales, which gave us a good display. The water temperature dropped wide of the continental shelf and some soutern species were observed including a Cape Petrel and the only ANTARCTIC PRION of the day.At the shelf break we found more birds including, the highlight of the day for many, a white male Gibson's Albatross which spent a lot of time with us. The bird wore a band on its right leg but did not allow itself to be captured by the SOSSA banding team.The bird rarity of the day once again appeared on the return trip in the form of a GREY-BACKED STORM PETREL in 80 fathoms of water.

Highlights:

2 Humpback Whales breaching, protracted views of a white male Gibson's
Albatross and GREY-BACKED STORM-PETREL.

Birds recorded according to latest Environment Australia Reporting Schedule:Species code: Species name: Numbers:(Note: numbers in parenthesis = highest count at any one time)

937 Northern Giant Petrel Macronectes halli 1
080 Cape Petrel Daption capense australe 3 (1)
971 Solander's Petrel P. solandri 35+ (10+)
083 Fairy Prion Pachyptila turtur 50+ (25+)
084 ANTARCTIC PRION P. desolata 1
068 Fluttering Shearwater Puffinus gavia 150+ (50+)
068 Wedge-tailed Shearwater P. pacificus 20+ (13)
913 Hutton's Shearwater P. huttoni 4 (1)
847 Gibson's Albatross Diomedea gibsoni 1
088 Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophrys 6 (2)
859 Campbell Albatross T. impavida 2 (1)
091 Shy Albatross T. cauta 1
861 White-capped Albatross T. steadi 1
864 Indic Yellow-nosed Albatross T. carteri 26 (6)
064 GREY-BACKED STORM-PETREL Garrodia nereis 1
065 White-faced Storm-Petrel Pelagodroma marina 1
104 Australasian Gannet Morus serrator 22 (17)
980 Brown Skua Catharacta lonnbergi 4 (2)
981 Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus 3 (3)
125 Silver Gull L. novaehollandiae 100+ (50+)
114 White-fronted Tern Sterna striata 13 (5) several adults in breeding plumage
115 Crested Tern S. bergii 58 (35)

In the harbour:

106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 422 species of seabird identified outside the breakwater.

Mammals:

Australian Fur Seal 3 (2)
Common Dolphin 20+ (20+)
Southern Humpbacked Whale 2 (2)