24th January 2009 SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, WOLLONGONG, NSW, AUSTRALIA.

Report prepared by: P.J. Milburn.

Departed: 07:15 returned at 15:45.
Sea conditions: calm at first then to 1.5 m NE by mid morning rising 1.0 to 2.0 m WSW later.
Swell: east 1.5 to 3.0 m decreasing to 1.5 m during the day.
Weather: bright sunshine with scattered cloud early.
Temperature range: 23.5 to 30.3°C.
Barometric pressure: 1004HPa steady.
Wind: NE to 15 kts in the morning backing to 20 to 30 kts in the afternoon ahead of the late southerly change.
Sea surface temperature: 21.5 to 22.1°C.
Primary chumming location: none.

Summary:

High-pressure systems were located over New Zealand and in the Great Australian Bight sandwiching a trough of low pressure that brought a southerly change late in the day.

Birds were sparse close inshore but as we cleared the reefs were encountered Pomarine Jaegers following mixed species flocks of shearwaters that included the first of 3 STREAKED SHEARWATERS, which provided good opportunities for photography. Heading east, we passed through many flocks of shearwaters on our way out to the continental slope. A small group of Short-beaked Common Dolphin joined us briefly but soon resumed the task of finding something to eat.

At the 80-fathom line we encountered the first Grey-faced Petrels of the day as we continued heading northeast into the stiff breeze. At the 200-fathom line a BLACK PETREL appeared at our stern amongst the shearwater hordes. An unexpected wind change forced us to change course for port before we could set up a drift-and-berley session.

The return trip was bumpy but the flying spray had a welcome cooling effect in the sultry conditions. An adult SOOTY TERN was a welcome addition to the day’s proceedings and followed us for a while as we ran along the edge of the continental shelf.

Highlights:

Among large numbers of summer seabirds we identified 7 species of shearwaters including 3 different STREAKED SHEARWATERS, a BLACK PETREL and a SOOTY TERN.

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 (macroptera) gouldi 28 (14)
917 BLACK PETREL Procellaria parkinsoni 1
853 STREAKED SHEARWATER Calonectris leucomelas 3 (1)
068 Fluttering Shearwater Puffinus gavia 40 (25)
913 Hutton’s Shearwater P. huttoni 10 (1)
069 Wedge-tailed Shearwater P. pacificus 350+ (3120+)
070 Sooty Shearwater P. griseus 1
071 Short-tailed Shearwater P. tenuirostris 7 (2)
072 Flesh-footed Shearwater P. carneipes 12 (4)
104 Australasian Gannet Morus serrator 3 (1)
106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 1
945 Pomarine Jaeger Stercorarius pomarinus 18 (12)
125 Silver Gull Larus novaehollandiae 3 (3)
115 Crested Tern Sterna bergii 9 (2)
120 SOOTY TERN S. fuscata 1

In the harbour:

100 Little Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax melanoleucos 2 (2)
106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 8 (8)
193 Striated Heron Ardeola striatus macrorhynchus 1

9 species of procellariiformes in a total of 15 species of seabird identified outside the breakwater.

Other birds:

357 Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena

Mammals:

Short-beaked Common Dolphin Delphinus delphis 6 (6)

Reptiles:

None

Fish:

None