• 27th June 2009, SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, WOLLONGONG, NSW, AUSTRALIA.

    Report prepared by: P.J. Milburn.

    Photographs: Providence petrel (Menno Hornman); Cape petrel (Menno Hornman); Buller's albatross (Menno Hornman)

    Departed: 07:15 returned at 16:00.
    Sea conditions: SW to 0.5m at first rising to SE 1.0m in the afternoon.
    Swell: SE to 1.0 to 1.5m.
    Weather: Mostly cloudy at first with sunny intervals developing around midday but then showers with the southeasterly change in the afternoon.
    Temperature range: 9.1 to 17.0°C.
    Barometric pressure: 1010 HPa falling.
    Wind: southwesterly 5 to 8 knots at first backing to the southeast by the afternoon.
    Sea surface temperature: 18.0 to 21.8°C.
    Primary chumming locations: 35° 36’S: 151° 17’E.

    Summary:

    A complex set of four weak low-pressure cells was located over southeastern Australia that included two weak troughs. This resulted in gentle but unstable weather with cool conditions under heavy cloud and changeable breezes from the southerly quarter. A weak southeasterly change passed through the region after lunch bringing low cloud and rain showers.

    The outward-bound leg of the trip was dominated by sightings of cetaceans rather than seabirds but the southeasterly change provided a rather more engaging trip back to the harbour.

    Highlights:

    A pleasant winter day that was dominated by albatross sightings; 9 species in all that included WANDERING, ANTIPODEAN and BULLER’S ALBATROSS.

    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)

    937 NORTHERN GIANT-PETREL Macronectes halli 2 (1)
    080 New Zealand Cape Petrel Daption capense australe 2 (2)
    971 Solander’s Petrel Pterodroma solandri 2 (2)
    068 Fluttering Shearwater Puffinus gavia 5 (2)
    086 WANDERING ALBATROSS Diomedea exulans 2 (2)
    846 ANTIPODEAN ALBATROSS D. antipodensis 1
    847 Gibson’s Albatross D. gibsoni 8 (5)
    088 Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophrys 43 (16)
    859 Campbell Albatross T. impavida 3 (2)
    931 BULLER’S ALBATROSS T. bulleri 2 (2)
    091 Shy Albatross T. cauta 9 (3)
    861 White-capped Albatross T. steadi 3 (2)
    089 Indic Yellow-nosed Albatross T. carteri 34 (12)
    104 Australasian Gannet Morus serrator 6 (2)
    097 Little Black Cormorant Phalacrocorax sulcirostris 1
    100 Little Pied Cormorant P. melanoleucos 1
    106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 2 (1)
    981 Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus 6 (5)
    125 Silver Gull L. novaehollandiae 500+ (300+)
    114 White-fronted Tern Sterna striata 5 (1)
    115 Crested Tern S. bergii 23 (11)

    In the harbour:

    096 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 1
    097 Little Black Cormorant P. sulcirostris 1
    099 Pied Cormorant P. varius 1
    100 Little Pied Cormorant P. melanoleucos 1
    106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 6 (6)

    13 species of procellariiformes in a total of 21 species of seabird identified outside the breakwater.

    Other birds:

    None

    Mammals:

    Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae 7 (3)
    Oceanic Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops truncatus 3 (3)
    Australian Fur Seal Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus 1

    Reptiles:

    None

    Fish:

    None

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