• 22 August 1999, Wollongong, NSW Pelagic Trip Report

    Departed at 7.15 am and returned at approx. 17:45 pm.
    Sea Conditions: Sea southerly, sea to 1.5 metre on a 1.5 - 2.5 metre swell.
    Weather: Cool southerly breeze, partially overcast with long sunny periods.
    Air temperature 12 to 19 °C.
    Wind: Southerly, variable, 5 to 15 knots.
    Water temperature 16.1 to 18.8 degrees C°.
    Primary chumming location 34° 32' S - 151°15' E: Water depth 200 FM

    Summary:

    A comfortable trip with large numbers of birds to sort through all day, especially when chumming in the area being worked by a trawler. The Wedge-tailed Shearwaters have returned in force heralding the changing season. This was a day of numerous albatross, a total of ten species being identified from the aggregation of 500+ birds. The totals of SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFIED albatross represent a significant underestimate of the total number of birds on this occasion. The Brown Skua was observed to have been banded previously and obligingly pushed its way to the front of the mob behind the boat enabling its capture with a pole net by the SOSSA banders. The bird was banded in September 1995 at sea east of Wollongong by the same SOSSA banders! Additionally, an Antipodean and a Gibson's Albatross were captured and banded. A wonderful highlight was the spectacular adult CHATHAM ALBATROSS.

    Birds recorded:Species code: Species name: Numbers: (Note: numbers in parenthesis = highest count at any one time)

    929 Southern Giant Petrel Macronectes gigantius 4 (2)
    937 Northern Giant Petrel M. halli 1 (2) 1 sub-adult, 1 juvenile
    080 Cape Petrel Daption capense australe 150+ (87)
    073 Great-winged Petrel Pterodroma m. macroptera 3 (2)
    077 White-headed Petrel P. lessonii 5 (1)
    971 Solander's Petrel P. solandri 20 (15)
    081 BLUE PETREL Halobaena caerulea 4 (3)
    083 Fairy Prion Pachyptila turtur 35+ (15+)
    084 ANTARCTIC PRION P. desolata 6 (3)
    069 Wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffinus pacificus 40 (15)
    068 Fluttering Shearwater P. gavia 28 (14)
    070 Sooty Shearwater P. griseus 1
    913 Hutton's Shearwater P. huttoni 9 (3)
    086 WANDERING ALBATROSS Diomedea exulans 2 (2)
    846 ANTIPODEAN ALBATROSS D. antipodensis 2 (1), adult female (i.e. Stage
    2 juvenile!) and adult male.
    847 Gibson's Albatross D. gibsoni 28 (27)
    088 Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophrys 35 (15)
    859 Campbell Albatross T. impavida 134+ (130+)
    091 Shy Albatross T. cauta 2 (1)
    861 White-capped Albatross T. steadi 9 (4)
    863 CHATHAM ALBATROSS T. eremita 1 ADULT !!!!!!!!
    864 Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross T. carteri 50 (38)
    090 GREY-HEADED ALBATROSS T. chrysostoma 1 first year. Approx. 7 miles out
    on return trip.
    065 White-faced Storm-Petrel Pelagodroma marina 6
    104 Australasian Gannet Morus serrator 4 (1)
    980 Brown Skua Catharacta lonnbergi 1
    981 Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus 8 (4)
    125 Silver Gull L. novaehollandiae 200 (150)
    114 White-fronted Tern Sterna striata 3 (3)
    115 Crested Tern S. bergii 185+ (175+)

    In the harbour:

    099 Little Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax melanoleucos 330 species of seabird identified outside the breakwater.

    Mammals:

    None identified.
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