24th and 25th November
24th November 2007, SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, WOLLONGONG, NSW, AUSTRALIA.
Report prepared by: P.J. Milburn.
Photographs: Wandering albatross (B. Whylie), Cook's petrel (B. Whylie), White-capped albatross (B. Whylie)
Departed: 07:15 returned at 15:05.
Sea conditions: calm at first then SSE 1.0 to 2.0 m.
Swell: NE 2.0 to 3.0m offshore.
Weather: heavy rain squalls early remaining cloudy in the afternoon.
Temperature range: 19.6 to 21.1°C.
Barometric pressure: 1004 HPa rising.
Wind: SSE 10 to 15 knots.
Sea surface temperature: 20.3 to 22.5°C.
Primary chumming locations: 34° 27’S : 151° 16’E and 34° 26’S : 151° 18’E.
Summary:
A high-pressure system was located over New Zealand with a trough over the western Tasman Sea . A high-pressure system was moving southeast out of the Great Australian Bight towards Tasmania . A cold front moved through our area just as we were boarding. This was going to be a good day to test out our wet weather gear!
Despite the heavy rain there was a good variety of seabirds offshore and a pair of Sooty Oystercatchers flew southward continuing their daily business. Short-tailed Shearwaters were the dominant species and a LONG-TAILED JAEGER was a pleasant surprise close inshore.
We hoped that the rain would soon clear but it did not. An adult female WANDERING ALABTROSS followed us from the 65-fathom line but there was little else to brighten us up. Sea conditions were very uncomfortable in every direction that we tried and it was a welcome break when we stopped to drift and berley at the edge of the continental shelf. The birds ignored us totally until the fish oil began to trail out. Firstly, Grey-faced Petrels appeared, then a Flesh-footed Shearwater and right our stern a WESTLAND PETREL. All aboard were reaching for their cameras when a cookalaria petrel also came onto the slick. Luckily it remained close to our vessel for long enough for excellent images to be obtained, confirming its identity as a COOK’S PETREL.
After the excitement had abated we continued eastward to the 200-fathom line and attempted a repeat performance. Flocks of Short-tailed Shearwaters were moving southward but, as often happens, we could not attract more rarities. However, the attendant feeding flock included several Gibson’s, at least one ANTIPODEAN and a WANDERING ALBATROSS. Immature SHY, White-capped, Black-browed and Campbell Albatross provided a great opportunity for close comparison.
Highlights:
After a bird depauperate trip out to the edge of the continental shelf in miserable weather conditions we cleared the rain and, almost at once, the fish oil slick worked its magic by producing WESTLAND and COOK’S PETREL in short order.
Birds recorded according to the latest Environment Australia Reporting Schedule:
Species code: Species name: Numbers:
(Note: numbers in parenthesis = highest count at any one time)
075 Grey-faced Petrel Pterodroma macropteragouldi 20 (13)
918 COOK’S PETREL P. cookii 1
916 WESTLAND PETREL Procellaria westlandica 1
068 Fluttering Shearwater Puffinus gavia 1
913 Hutton’s Shearwater P. huttoni 1
069 Wedge-tailed Shearwater P. pacificus 45 (25)
070 Sooty Shearwater P. griseus 3 (2)
071 Short-tailed Shearwater P. tenuirostris 400+ (150+)
072 Flesh-footed Shearwater P. carneipes 3 (1)
086 WANDERING ALBATROSS Diomedea exulans 1
846 ANTIPODEAN ALBATROSS D. antipodensis 1
847 Gibson’s Albatross D. gibsoni 5 (5)
088 Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophrys 3 (2)
859 Campbell Albatross T. impavida 2 (2)
091 SHY ALBATROSS T. cauta 1 first year
861 White-capped Albatross T. steadi 2 (1)
063 Wilson ’s Storm-Petrel Oceanites oceanicus 1
104 Australasian Gannet Morus serrator 5 (2)
106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 2 (2)
128 Arctic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus 2 (2)
933 LONG-TAILED JAEGER S. longicauda 1
945 Pomarine Jaeger S. pomarinus 6 (5)
981 Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus 6 (4)
125 Silver Gull L. novaehollandiae 3 (3)
115 Crested Tern Sterna bergii 2 (2)
In the harbour:
096 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 1
106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 14 (14)
17 species of procellariiformes in a total of 25 species of seabird identified outside the breakwater.
Other birds:
131 Sooty Oystercatcher Haematopus fuliginosus 2 (2)
Mammals:
None
Reptiles:
None
Fish:
Short Sunfish Mola ramsayi 1
25th November 2007, SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, WOLLONGONG, NSW, AUSTRALIA.
Report prepared by: P.J. Milburn.
Departed: 07:25 returned at 16:00 .
Sea conditions: calm.
Swell: E less than 0.5 m.
Weather: patchy cloud with sunny periods.
Temperature range: 19.5 to 26.1°C.
Barometric pressure: 1015 HPa rising.
Wind: calm at first and then E 3 to 5 knots later.
Sea surface temperature: 21.4 to 22.6°C.
Primary chumming locations: 34° 29’S : 151° 23’E.
Summary:
A high-pressure system was located east of New Zealand , a trough lay over the Tasman Sea and a high-pressure system over Tasmania was developing a ridge over our area. We enjoyed dry and calm conditions all day. What a difference a day makes!
A good variety of seabirds were foraging inshore and Short-tailed Shearwaters were the dominant species once again. Two Inshore Bottle-nosed Dolphins crossed our wake heading south and several Little Penguins were foraging over the reefs.
The cruise out to the edge of the continental shelf was quiet other than the flocks of migrating Short-tailed Shearwaters. Several Grey-faced Petrels and a female Gibson’s Albatross greeted us as we reached the deeper water. Continuing east we began to see fish in the calm conditions, Short Sunfish at first and then a Striped Marlin cruising at the surface, schools of Frigate Mackerel and, finally, a shoal of Mahi Mahi.
We stopped to drift and berley at the 600-fathom line in beautiful azure water. Today the fish oil attracted very little but we did have the opportunity to watch some Risso’s Dolphins cruise past albeit at a distance. It was a little difficult to accept that with so much life in the water there could be so little bird activity.
The trip back to port was also uneventful although very pleasant in the glorious late spring conditions.
Highlights:
This was a most pleasant day on the ocean with many sightings of fish and dolphins to compensate for the inactivity in the seabird department.
Birds recorded according to the 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)
075 Grey-faced Petrel Pterodroma macropteragouldi 56 (35)
068 Fluttering Shearwater Puffinus gavia 39 (15)
913 Hutton’s Shearwater P. huttoni 1
069 Wedge-tailed Shearwater P. pacificus 49 (20)
070 Sooty Shearwater P. griseus 1
071 Short-tailed Shearwater P. tenuirostris 3000+ (250+)
072 Flesh-footed Shearwater P. carneipes 2 (1)
086 WANDERING ALBATROSS Diomedea exulans 1
847 Gibson’s Albatross D. gibsoni 4 (2)
088 Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophrys 3 (3)
861 White-capped Albatross T. steadi 1
063 Wilson ’s Storm-Petrel Oceanites oceanicus 2 (1)
104 Australasian Gannet Morus serrator 1
106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 6 (5)
128 Arctic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus 2 (1)
945 Pomarine Jaeger S. pomarinus 17 (10)
981 Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus 5 (5)
125 Silver Gull L. novaehollandiae 4 (1)
115 Crested Tern Sterna bergii 8 (2)
In the harbour:
106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 6 (6)
115 Crested Tern Sterna bergii 2 (2)
12 species of procellariiformes in a total of 20 species of seabird identified outside the breakwater.
Other birds:
None
Mammals:
Inshore Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops aduncus 2 (2)
Oceanic Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops truncatus 15+ (15+)
Short-beaked Common Dolphin Delphinus delphis 15 (15)
Risso’s Dolphin Grampus griseus 6 (6)
Reptiles:
None
Fish:
Mahi Mahi Coryphaena hippurus 18 (18)
Frigate Mackerel Auxis thazard 35+ (35+)
Striped Marlin Tetrapturus audax 1
Short Sunfish Mola ramsayi 4 (2)
