Four trips: 6th , 7th , 27th and 28th October

6th October 2007, SOSSA WIRES PELAGIC TRIP, WOLLONGONG, NSW, AUSTRALIA.

Report prepared by: P.J. Milburn.

Departed: 07:20 returned at approx. 14:15.
Sea conditions: calm at first then SSE seas at 2.0 to 3.0m offshore following the change.
Swell: NE less than 1.0m.
Weather: high cloud at first, clearing to bright sunshine.
Temperature range: 20.1 to 24.4°C.
Barometric pressure: 998 HPa rising.
Wind: 8 to 10 knots N by mid morning, 30 to 35 knots S after mid-day decreasing to SSE 20 to 25 knots during the afternoon.
Sea surface temperature: 18.6 to 21.1°C.
Primary chumming location: 34° 37’S : 151° 12’E.

Summary:

The sultry morning was laced with wood smoke and Bogong Moths following the hot dry westerly winds of the week preceding. A cold front was moving across the region that brought with it a sharp southerly change. There was very little activity prior to the change but seabirds were abundant behind the front.

Birds were few and far between among the thousands of moths. As we cleared the inshore reefs a small pod of Short-beaked Common Dolphins traveled alongside us briefly and Wedge-tailed Shearwaters were foraging over our wake.

As we headed southeast in anticipation of the impending weather change, a striking white male Gibson’s Albatross and several Brown Skuas joined us.

We continued past the edge of the continental shelf and began to drift and berley in 250 fathoms of water. Soon, Black-browed, Campbell, White-capped and Indic Yellow-nosed Albatross were alongside and several WANDERING appeared among the Gibson’s Albatross. The majority of the petrels were Solander’s with a few Grey-faced in evidence also.

With the weather change visible well to our south we set our course for the shelter of Wollongong Harbour. We were about half way back to port when the front came through and soon we were drenched with spay. Seabirds began to appear immediately all around us and in the wild weather created a very impressive seascape. The wind eased fairly soon shifting around to the east a little and we had a comfortable cruise home. Highlights were a SOUTHERN GIANT-PETREL, an ANTIPODEAN ALBATROSS and an immaculate adult male BROWN BOOBY.

Highlight: The wheeling flocks of seabirds around us following the passage of the cold front that included an immaculate adult male BROWN BOOBY.


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)

929 SOUTHERN GIANT-PETREL Macronectes giganteus 1
075 Grey-faced Petrel Pterodroma macroptera gouldi 2 (1)
971 Solander’s Petrel P. solandri 42 (35)
068 Fluttering Shearwater Puffinus gavia 35 (11)
913 Hutton’s Shearwater P. huttoni 15 (8)
069 Wedge-tailed Shearwater P. pacificus 250+ (230+)
071 Short-tailed Shearwater P. tenuirostris 13 (7)
072 Flesh-footed Shearwater P. carneipes 1
086 WANDERING ALBATROSS Diomedea exulans 3 (2)
846 ANTIPODEAN ALBATROSS D. antipodensis 1
847 Gibson’s Albatross D. gibsoni 14 (11)
088 Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophrys 6 (3)
859 Campbell Albatross T. impavida 1
861 White-capped Albatross T. steadi 1
089 Indic Yellow-nosed Albatross T. carteri 2 (2)
104 Australasian Gannet Morus serrator 14 (7)
105 BROWN BOOBY Sula leucogaster 1
106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 5 (5)
980 Brown Skua Catharacta lonnbergi 3 (2)
128 Arctic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus 1
981 Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus 2 (2)
125 Silver Gull L. novaehollandiae 83 (45)
114 White-fronted Tern Sterna striata 3 (2)
115 Crested Tern S. bergii 24 (17)
953 Common Tern S. hirundo 2 (1)

In the harbour:

096 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 1
097 Little Pied Cormorant P. sulcirostris 3 (3)
106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 7 (7)
115 Crested Tern Sterna bergii 1

25 species of seabird identified outside the breakwater.

Other birds:

None

Mammals:

Short-beaked Common Dolphin Delphinus delphis 4 (4)

Reptiles:

None

Fish:

None

7th October 2007, SOSSA WIRES PELAGIC TRIP, WOLLONGONG, NSW, AUSTRALIA.

Report prepared by: P.J. Milburn.

Departed: 07:15 returned at approx. 15:15.
Sea conditions: gentle.
Swell: SSE less than 1.5 to 2.5m.
Weather: high cloud at first, clearing to bright sunshine.
Temperature range: 18.3 to 23.8°C.
Barometric pressure: 1004 HPa rising.
Wind: variable; 5 to 8 knots S in the morning veering to N the afternoon.
Sea surface temperature: 18.6 to 21.1°C.
Primary chumming location: 34° 37’S : 151° 15’E.

Summary:

The southerly change that preceded this trip had blown away both the smoke and Bogong Moths of the previous morning and, instead, the morning greeted us with misty conditions.

An assortment of shearwaters was present over the inshore reefs and several Australian Pelicans were also patrolling between the fishing boats. Two Humpback Whales were making their way south in a leisurely fashion. We had barely cleared Wollongong Reef when firstly a Black-browed, then a Campbell and finally a Gibson’s Albatross cruised past us. A male New Zealand Fur-Seal was basking in the early morning sunshine and the first Sooty Shearwater sighted this spring passed over our wake.

As we cruised out to the edge of the continental shelf both SHY and White-capped Albatross joined us. Solander’s Petrels were patrolling along the edge of the shelf itself and an ANTIPODEAN ALBATROSS appeared as we pulled up to drift at the 350-fathom line.
Indic Yellow-nosed Albatross appeared eventually and the Solander’s were joined by Grey-faced and a Cape Petrel.

On our return trip to Wollongong Harbour we encountered several additional seabird species including the first Pomarine Jaegers of the spring season.

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)

080 Cape Petrel Daption capense australe 1
075 Grey-faced Petrel Pterodroma macroptera gouldi 3 (3)
971 Solander’s Petrel P. solandri 8 (6)
068 Fluttering Shearwater Puffinus gavia 6 (2)
913 Hutton’s Shearwater P. huttoni 1
069 Wedge-tailed Shearwater P. pacificus 24 (15)
070 Sooty Shearwater P. griseus 1
071 Short-tailed Shearwater P. tenuirostris 36 (12)
846 ANTIPODEAN ALBATROSS Diomedea antipodensis 1
847 Gibson’s Albatross D. gibsoni 8 (4)
088 Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophrys 6 (2)
859 Campbell Albatross T. impavida 1
091 SHY ALBATROSS T. cauta 1
861 White-capped Albatross T. steadi 2 (1)
089 Indic Yellow-nosed Albatross T. carteri 3 (2)
104 Australasian Gannet Morus serrator 5 (3)
106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 7 (4)
945 Pomarine Jaeger Stercorarius pomarinus 2 (1)
981 Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus 3 (3)
125 Silver Gull L. novaehollandiae 57 (37)
114 White-fronted Tern Sterna striata 2 (2)
115 Crested Tern S. bergii 6 (3)
953 Common Tern S. hirundo 1

In the harbour:

096 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 2 (1)
100 Little Pied Cormorant P. melanoleucos 2 (2)
106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 9 (9)
193 Striated Heron Ardeola striatus macrorhynchus 1

23 species of seabird identified outside the breakwater.

Other birds:

131 Sooty Oystercatcher Haematopus fuliginosus 2 (2)

Mammals:

New Zealand Fur-Seal Arctocephalus forsteri 1
Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae 2 (2)

Reptiles:

None

Fish:

None

27th October 2007, SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, WOLLONGONG, NSW , AUSTRALIA.

Report prepared by: P.J. Milburn.

Photographs: Black-browed albatross (B. Whylie), Black petrel (B. Whylie), Whale carcass (B. Whylie),

Departed: 07:10 returned at approx. 17:00 .
Sea conditions: calm at first then NE 1.0 to 1.5m.
Swell: ENE 2.0 to 3.0m offshore.
Weather: clear skies in the morning but patchy cloud in the afternoon.
Temperature range: 16.9 to 26.6°C.
Barometric pressure: 1003 HPa steady.
Wind: 8 to 10 knots NE by mid morning.
Sea surface temperature: 20.9 to 21.7°C.
Primary chumming location: 34° 28’S : 151° 23’E.

Summary:

A high-pressure system was located over New Zealand leaving a weak trough to develop over eastern Australia . Departing from port on beautiful spring morning we found ourselves immediately among Short-tailed and Fluttering Shearwaters close inshore. Several New Zealand Fur-Seals and a SUBANTARCTIC FUR-SEAL were also busy hunting fish and small groups of Little Penguins were foraging over the outer edge of Wollongong Reef. This was the first record of a SUBANTARCTIC FUR-SEAL on a Wollongong Pelagic Cruise.

Birds were plentiful during our cruise eastwards and included Black-browed and Campbell Albatross, Cape Petrel and Wilson ’s Storm-Petrel. We made good headway in the gentle conditions and were greeted at the edge of the continental shelf by White-capped and Indic Yellow-nosed Albatross and several Pomarine Jaegers. As we continued into deeper waters, we encountered Grey-faced and Solander’s Petrels and several Sooty Shearwaters. In the water were Short-beaked Common Dolphins and Short Sunfish and cruising over our wake were several Gibson’s and a second year SALVIN’S ALBATROSS.

Continuing eastward, more seabirds appeared; first an Arctic Jaeger, then a GOULD’S PETREL that typically showed little interest in our vessel and passed us to the south and, finally, a BLACK PETREL that obligingly plonked itself at our transom while we were still under way. As we stopped to admire the BLACK PETREL, several Gibson’s and at least one ANTIPODEAN ALBATROSS crash-landed into the seabird mob at our stern. Once more back under way, we sighted a large herd of dolphins ahead of us and as we cruised towards them we knew that something special was in store. Eventually we were certain that we had encountered a large group of STRIPED DOLPHINS, a species that we have not observed from Wollongong for many years and, to add a little further interest to proceedings, there were also groups of Short-beaked Common Dolphins in their midst.

We stayed with the dolphins for a long time and eventually set up a drift-and-berley session in 600 fathoms of water but it felt as though the major excitement of the day was behind us. Somebody mentioned the time and we realized that we had better head homewards.

For many years it seemed that the trip back to harbour was an interminably dull sort of affair but in the mid-naughties we have learned that sometimes we experience some seriously good fortune on the way back to port. Today were in for a very special experience; we stopped to capture and band a WANDERING ALBATROSS and somewhere during the proceedings somebody noticed a flock of Wilson ’s Storm-Petrels. Under way once more, Cape Petrels appeared from all directions and, while our skipper had already recognized what was happening, the rest of us eventually realized that we had stumbled upon a floating whale carcass. Species diversity was not impressive but the spectacle was! There was the tragic whale carcass surrounded by SOUTHERN GIANT-PETRELS, mobs of Cape Petrels and, over the oil slick, hundreds of Wilson ’s Storm-Petrels. A small group of WANDERING ALBATROSS was competing with the Giant-Petrels. The shark-bite cognoscenti aboard had a field day; clearly in evidence were calling cards from White Pointers and Tiger Sharks along with a myriad of other denture imprints! We invested the time to drift down onto the carcass but the only sharks that we saw were Bronze Whalers. After a lot of effort, everybody on board had good views of the NORTHERN GIANT-PETRELS that were heavily outnumbered by their southern counterparts and several observers recorded an ANTARCTIC CAPE PETREL amidst the hordes of New Zealand Cape Petrels.

Typically as we returned to inshore waters, we added Australian Pelican and Kelp Gull to the daily species tally.

Highlights:

This was a mind-boggling pelagic trip from almost beginning to end! We had clear views of a sub-adult SUBANTARCTIC FUR-SEAL over the inshore reefs, the first recorded on a pelagic trip from Wollongong . Then it was the turn of seabirds to steal the show with a flyby GOULD’S PETREL and an in-your-face BLACK PETREL well beyond the edge of the continental shelf. Then the focus of attention was back to marine mammals in the form a large herd of STRIPED DOLPHINS, the first recorded from Wollongong for over 10 years, with Short-beaked Common Dolphins intermixed.

The climactic highlight of the day occurred on our trip back to port when we experienced a combined marine mammal seabird spectacle. True, the marine mammal was a carcass but the vivacity of the associated seabird throng somehow compensated for that morbid fact. The real let down of the day was the paucity of shark sightings given the number of shark bites evident on the carcass.

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 9 (3)
929 SOUTHERN GIANT-PETREL Macronectes giganteus 12 (12)
937 NORTHERN GIANT-PETREL M. halli 2 (2)
080 ANTARCTIC CAPE PETREL Daption c. capense 1
080 New Zealand Cape Petrel Daption capense australe 325+ (300+ )
075 Grey-faced Petrel Pterodroma macropteragouldi 17 (15)
971 Solander’s Petrel P. solandri 4 (2)
078 GOULD’S PETREL P. leucoptera 1
917 BLACK PETREL Procellaria parkinsoni 1
068 Fluttering Shearwater Puffinus gavia 30 (11)
913 Hutton’s Shearwater P. huttoni 4 (2)
069 Wedge-tailed Shearwater P. pacificus 175+ (85+)
070 Sooty Shearwater P. griseus 3 (2)
071 Short-tailed Shearwater P. tenuirostris 180+ (100+)
072 Flesh-footed Shearwater P. carneipes 3 (1)
086 WANDERING ALBATROSS Diomedea exulans 6 (5)
846 ANTIPODEAN ALBATROSS D. antipodensis 1
847 Gibson’s Albatross D. gibsoni 15 (12)
088 Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophrys 2 (2)
859 Campbell Albatross T. impavida 6 (3)
861 White-capped Albatross T. steadi 3 (2)
862 SALVIN’S ALBATROSS T. salvini 1 second year
089 Indic Yellow-nosed Albatross T.carteri 2 (2)
063 Wilson ’s Storm-Petrel Oceanites oceanicus 360+ (350+)
104 Australasian Gannet Morus serrator 21 (7)
096 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 1
106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 1
128 Arctic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus 2 (1)
945 Pomarine Jaeger S. pomarinus 4 (3)
981 Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus 9 (9)
125 Silver Gull L. novaehollandiae 20 (20)
115 Crested Tern Sterna bergii 15 (5)
953 Common Tern S. hirundo 6 (3)

In the harbour:

097 Little Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax sulcirostris 3 (3)
106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 5 (5)
981 Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus 1 adult

22 species of procellariiformes in a total of 32 species of seabird identified outside the breakwater.

Other birds:

None

Mammals:

SUBANTARCTIC FUR-SEAL Arctocephalus tropicalis 1
New Zealand Fur-Seal Arctocephalus forsteri 3 (3)
STRIPED DOLPHIN Stenella coeruleoalba 250+ (250+)
Short-beaked Common Dolphin Delphinus delphis 70+ (50+)

Reptiles:

None

Fish:

Bronze Whaler Carcharhinus brachyurus 2 (1)
Short Sunfish Mola ramsayi 2 (1)

 

28th October 2007, SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, WOLLONGONG, NSW, AUSTRALIA.

Report prepared by: P.J. Milburn.

Departed: 07:20 returned at approx. 15:30.
Sea conditions: calm at first then NE 1.5 to 2.0 m.
Swell: ENE 2.0 to 3.0 m offshore.
Weather: overcast and foggy in the morning but high cloud in the afternoon.
Temperature range: 18.9 to 23.6°C.
Barometric pressure: 1001 HPa rising.
Wind: calm at first increasing to 10 to 15 knots NE by mid morning.
Sea surface temperature: 20.7 to 21.6°C.
Primary chumming location: 34° 19’S : 151° 21’E.

Summary:

A high-pressure system remained over New Zealand as a trough developed over eastern Australia . Conditions were calm and foggy as we left port and, as on the previous day’s excursion, we were immediately among Short-tailed and Fluttering Shearwaters. A lone Sooty Shearwater was close inshore and provided nice comparative views with a Short-tailed Shearwater. Several Humpback Whales were sighted before we had cleared the inshore reefs. Fur-seals were foraging a little further offshore and among them were 3 SUBANTARCTIC FUR-SEALS that had herded up a school of Cowanyoung . Both Arctic and Pomarine Jaegers were recorded early and it seemed as though they had finally arrived in significant numbers.

Beyond 65 fathoms we encountered several Campbell Albatross and a Solander’s Petrel but otherwise our cruise out to the edge of the continental shelf was relatively uneventful. Heavy northeasterly winds had been forecast for the afternoon so we continued northeast parallel to the shelf break and then stopped to set up a drift-and-berley session. We were joined by ANTIPODEAN, Gibson’s, Black-browed, White-capped and more Campbell Albatross almost immediately. We ultimately accumulated a modest flock of Wilson ’s Storm-Petrels and few Grey-faced and Solander’s Petrels also checked us out but the seabird numbers remained low overall.

The highlights of the return trip were both single first year SHY and Indic Yellow-nosed Albatross along with several Pomarine Jaegers.

Highlights:

Something of a return to normality after the trip of the preceding day but we had great views of a 3 SUBANTARCTIC FUR-SEALS and 3 Humpback Whales over the inshore reefs. Seven albatross species were recorded in a total of 17 procellariiformes.

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)

080 Cape Petrel Daption capense australe 1
075 Grey-faced Petrel Pterodroma macropteragouldi 6 (3)
971 Solander’s Petrel P. solandri 3 (1)
068 Fluttering Shearwater Puffinus gavia 4 (1)
913 Hutton’s Shearwater P. huttoni 1
069 Wedge-tailed Shearwater P. pacificus 68 (25)
070 Sooty Shearwater P. griseus 1
071 Short-tailed Shearwater P. tenuirostris 13 (5)
072 Flesh-footed Shearwater P. carneipes 2 (2)
846 ANTIPODEAN ALBATROSS Diomedea antipodensis 1
847 Gibson’s Albatross D. gibsoni 5 (5)
088 Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophrys 1
859 Campbell Albatross T. impavida 15 (9)
091 Shy Albatross T. cauta 1 first year
861 White-capped Albatross T. steadi 3 (2)
089 Indic Yellow-nosed Albatross T.carteri 1 first year
063 Wilson ’s Storm-Petrel Oceanites oceanicus 13 (10)
104 Australasian Gannet Morus serrator 26 (10)
106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 1
128 Arctic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus 4 (2)
945 Pomarine Jaeger S. pomarinus 5 (3)
981 Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus 1 first summer
125 Silver Gull L. novaehollandiae 105 (48)
115 Crested Tern Sterna bergii 27 (12)
953 Common Tern S. hirundo 4 (2)

In the harbour:

096 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 1
106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 7 (7)

17 procellariiformes in a total of 25 species of seabird identified outside the breakwater.

Other birds:

None

Mammals:

SUBANTARCTIC FUR-SEAL Arctocephalus tropicalis 3 (3)
Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae 3 (2)

Reptiles:

None

Fish:

Greenback Horse Mackerel (Cowanyoung) Trachurus declivis 300+ (300+)