• 27th June 1999 WOLLONGONG PELAGIC TRIP REPORT, NSW, AUSTRALIA

    Report prepared by Tony Palliser & P. Milburn

    Conditions:


    Departed at 7.15 am and returned at approx. 4.30 pm.
    Sea Conditions: Swell 2 to 3 metre, SE
    Weather: Mostly fine with some cloud cover.
    Wind: Light around 10 to 15 knots from the South South East
    Water temperature 16.8 to 18.7 degrees C.
    Primary chumming location 34'31 - 151'20.

    Summary:

    This was one of those great trips that makes Wollongong so famous. A brilliant day with loads of great birds with many regretting that they could have been on board. Top of the bird list would have to have been the Light-mantled Sooty Albatross. It was a most obliging individual that circled the boat many times, it was almost as if it enjoyed the noise of the camera shutters going off, as did the juvenile Grey-headed Albatross. And one could almost touch the Antarctic Prions. As usual though the Kerguelen & Soft-plumaged Petrels were not so obliging offering only reasonable views to those that were first on to them, very exciting though. I love that noise when people shout out "STOP THE BOAT!".

    My highlight of the day were our unusual mammal sightings...magnificent creatures!

    And one must not forget the Wandering Albatross... it was great to see so many young birds, several of which were specifically identified, banded and released by the banders from SOSSA on board.

    Those on board,
    Penny Barker, Leonard Glasser, John Grant, Mark Hocking, Emma Hurford, Ron Imisides, Fiona Johnson, Pete Milburn, Tony Palliser, Bianca Priest, Lindsay Smith, Barry Virtue, Jill Warner, Hazel Wright and Alan Wright,

    Birds recorded:

    Species code: Species name: Numbers:

    (Note: numbers in parenthesis = highest count at any one time)

    086 Wandering Albatross D. exulans 2 (1)
    847 Gibson's Albatross D. gibsoni 15 (7)
    846 Antipodean Albatross D. antipodensis 2 (1)
    864 Yellow-nosed Albatross Thalassarche carteri 40-50 (15)
    091 Shy Albatross T. cauta 4 (1)
    088 Black-browed Albatross T. melanophrys 25-30 (15)
    859 Campbell's Albatross T. impavida 10-20 (5)
    090 GREY-HEADED ALBATROSS T. chrysostoma 1 first year
    093 LIGHT-MANTLED SOOTY ALBATROSS Phoebetria palpebrata1 (adult)
    073 Great-winged Petrel Pterodroma m. macroptera 5-6 (3)
    971 Providence Petrel P. solandri 12-15 (4)
    077 White-headed Petrel P. lessoni 3 (1)
    076 SOFT-PLUMAGED PETREL P. mollis 1
    935 KERGUELEN PETREL Lugensa brevirostris 2 (1)
    929 Southern Giant Petrel Macronectes gigantius 5-6 (3)
    984 Cape Petrel Daption capense australe10+ (5)
    083 Fairy Prion Pachyptila turtur 30+ (10+)
    084 ANTARCTIC PRION P. desolata 60+(15+)
    942 NARROW-BILLED PRION P. belcheri 2 (1)
    063 Wilson's Storm Petrel Oceanites oceanicus 1
    068 Fluttering Shearwater Puffinus gavia 6 (4)
    913 Hutton's Shearwater P. huttoni1
    980 Brown Skua Catharactus lonnbergi1
    104 Australasian Gannet Morus serrator15+ (5)
    125 Silver Gull Larus novaehollandiae 100+
    981 Kelp Gull L. dominicanus 5-6 (including 2 Juv)
    115 Crested Tern Sterna bergii 30+ (15+)
    106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 1 (In the harbour)

    27 species of seabird identified outside the breakwater.

    Mammals:

    DUSKY DOLPHIN 50+
    KILLER WHALE 3
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