Two trips: 23rd October , 24th October
23rd October, 2004 SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, WOLLONGONG, NSW, AUSTRALIA.
Report prepared by: P.J. Milburn.
Photos: Coral spawn (L.Smith), Light-mantled sooty albatross (P. Milburn).
Departed: 07:15 returned at 16:00 EST
Sea conditions: Calm at first with a slight easterly sea to 0.5m later.
Swell: 3 to 4 m ENE.
Weather: Bright sunshine.
Temperature range: 18.6 to 24.2°C.
Barometric pressure: 1008 HPa in the morning rising to 1013HPa in the afternoon.
Wind: calm at first with a light breeze 5 to 8 knots from the east developing during the day.
Sea surface temperature: 18.4 to 20.5°C.
Primary chumming location: S 34° 29’ – E 151° 21’.
Summary:
A low-pressure cell in the Tasman Sea had
generated onshore winds and torrential rain during the preceding week. A trough had extended from Northern Australia to form a second but weak cell that was centred off the southern NSW coast, near Wollongong. This resulted in a glorious day for birdwatching at sea with blue skies and light easterly airs. With both a calm surface and a large but comfortable swell, conditions would be ideal for observing cetaceans as well.
Immediately outside the breakwater, terns and shearwaters were foraging over large fish shoals. Several Southern Humpback Whales were with calves heading south and we were soon watching what appeared to be lessons in how to breach and slap one’s tail on the surface of the ocean. Large numbers of shearwaters provided quite a spectacle as well as good views of individual species for visitors from overseas. Short-beaked Common Dolphins and Little Penguins were observed foraging in this area also. 
As we crossed a water interface at the 40-fathom line we moved into cooler water and left all of the activity behind us. We cruised due east to the edge of the Continental Shelf and observed our first Pomarine Jaeger of the spring but nothing else of note. Cruising into deeper water, we encountered marked currents that had collected dense ribbons of bright pink coral spawn. Over these currents, several Solander’s Petrels and a young Gibson’s Albatross greeted us. We elected to try a drift-and-berley session in the calm conditions and soon attracted a number of petrels and a few more Gibson’s Albatross. The serenity of morning was broken in no uncertain terms when it was realised that another incoming pale-backed albatross was in fact a LIGHT-MANTLED SOOTY ALBATROSS. The bird was in its second year and its nape and mantle were rather bleached. After circling us for about five minutes the bird skied gracefully up to our stern!
The return cruise was very pleasant in the hot afternoon sunshine and Flesh-footed Shearwater, Arctic Jaeger and White-fronted Tern were added to the list of species 
observed for the day.
Highlights:
There is no doubt that the birding highlight was the protracted views of the LIGHT-MANTLED SOOTY ALBATROSS. Another highlight was the release of a rehabilitated adult Sooty Tern that had come ashore in the storms during the week. After taking to the wing by itself, the bird towered up to about 200m and then flew rapidly NNE.
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 2 (2)
073 Great-winged Petrel Pterodroma macroptera gouldi 14 (12)
971 Solander’s Petrel P. solandri 22 (14)
068 Fluttering Shearwater Puffinus gavia 160+ (50+)
917 Hutton’s Shearwater P. huttoni 17 (14)
069 Wedge-tailed Shearwater P. pacificus 1000+ (750+)
070 Sooty Shearwater P. griseus 2 (1)
071 Short-tailed Shearwater P. tenuirostris 7 (3)
072 Flesh-footed Shearwater P. carneipes 3 (2)
847 Gibson’s Albatross Diomedea gibsoni 4 (3)
859 Campbell Albatross Thalassarche impavida 3 (2)
093 Light-mantled Sooty Albatross Phoebetria palpebrata 1 second year bird
063 Wilson’s Storm-Petrel Oceanites oceanicus 3 (2)
104 Australasian Gannet Morus serrator 4 (4)
099 Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax varius 1
106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 7 (4)
945 Pomarine Jaeger Stercorarius pomarinus 5 (3)
128 Arctic Jaeger S. parasiticus 4 (2)
981 Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus 11 (8)
125 Silver Gull L. novaehollandiae 125+ (85+)
114 White-fronted tern Sterna striata 2 (1)
115 Crested Tern S. bergii 100+ (25)
953 Common Tern Sterna hirundo 10 (3)
In the harbour:
100Little Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax melanoleucos 1
096 Great Cormorant P. carbo 3
106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 4
23 species of seabird identified outside the breakwater.
Other birds:
None
Mammals:
Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae 8 (3)
Short-beaked Common Dolphin Delphinus delphis 35 (20)
24th October, 2004 SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, WOLLONGONG, NSW, AUSTRALIA.
Report prepared by: P.J. Milburn.
Photos: Antipodean albatross (P. Milburn), Black petrel (I. Vandyke).
Departed: 07:20 returned at 16:05 EST
Sea conditions: to 0.5m ESE to 1.0m SSE in the afternoon.
Swell: 2 to 3m from the east. Weather: Overcast with light rain at first. Occasional showers during the morning, rain developing later with some thunderstorm activity. Temperature range: 20.8 to 22.2°C. Barometric pressure: 1022HPa steady.
Wind: ESE 5 to 10 knots in the morning backing to SSE 10 to 15 knots in the afternoon.
Sea surface temperature: 18.9 to 19.9°C.
Primary chumming location: S 34° 29’ – E 151° 21’. 
Summary:
A weak low-pressure cell in the southwest Tasman Sea had been absorbed overnight by a high-pressure system approaching from the Great Australian Bight. This resulted in showers and weak storm activity in the Wollongong area.
Immediately outside the breakwater, we observed terns and shearwaters foraging and several Southern Humpback Whales with calves heading south. Several Arctic Jaegers were harassing the Silver Gulls.
During the cruise to the edge of the Continental Shelf we observed several more Arctic Jaegers and a first year Indic Yellow-nosed Albatross. As we moved into deeper water, several Solander’s Petrels and a sub adult male ANTIPODEAN ALBATROSS, the first recorded on a Wollongong Pelagic Trip for five years, joined us. A trawler was working ahead of us and several Gibson’s Albatross peeled off and came to investigate our vessel. We pulled up astern of the trawler and began to berley in earnest. We attracted a variety of petrels, including two BLACK PETRELS, several albatross species and Pomarine, Arctic and LONG-TAILED JAEGER. Although the rain threatened to dampen our enjoyment it held off long enough for us to cruise back along our berley trail, which allowed us brief views of a NORTHERN GIANT-PETREL. 
The return cruise was marred by heavy rain and the threat of thunder but an unseasonably late adult Black browed Albatross appeared adding to our species tally.
Highlights:
Fabulous views of a sub adult male ANTIPODEAN ALBATROSS and at least two BLACK PETRELS made this a day to remember.
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)
937NORTHERN GIANT-PETREL Macronectes halli 1
073 Great-winged Petrel Pterodroma macroptera gouldi 70+ (35+)
971 Solander’s Petrel P. solandri 29 (15)
917 BLACK PETREL Procellaria parkinsoni 2 (2)
068 Fluttering Shearwater Puffinus gavia 375+ (300+)
917 Hutton’s Shearwater P. huttoni 9 (5)
069 Wedge-tailed Shearwater P. pacificus 800+ (250+)
070 Sooty Shearwater P. griseus 3 (1)
071 Short-tailed Shearwater P. tenuirostris 48 (15)
072 Flesh-footed Shearwater P. carneipes 3 (1)
846 ANTIPODEAN ALBNATROSS Diomedea antipodensis 1 sub adult male
847 Gibson’s Albatross D. gibsoni 10 (6)
088 Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophrys 1 adult
859 Campbell Albatross T. impavida 4 (2)
861 White-capped Albatross T. steadi 1
864Indic Yellow-nosed Albatross T.carteri 3 (2)
063 Wilson’s Storm-Petrel Oceanites oceanicus 1
104 Australasian Gannet Morus serrator 13 (7)
106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 2 (2)
945 Pomarine Jaeger Stercorarius pomarinus 9 (3)
128 Arctic Jaeger S. parasiticus 5 (2)
933 LONG-TAILED JAEGER S. longicauda 1
981 Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus 8 (7)
125 Silver Gull L. novaehollandiae 200+ (130+)
115 Crested Tern Sterna bergii 45+ (25)
953 Common Tern S. hirundo 2 (1)
In the harbour:
100Little Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax melanoleucos 1
099 Pied Cormorant P. varius 1
096 Great Cormorant P. carbo 1
106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 4
26 species of seabird identified outside the breakwater.
Other birds:
None
Mammals:
Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae 4 (2)
Short-beaked Common Dolphin Delphinus delphis 5 (5)
