• Sunday 24th October 2010 SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, WOLLONGONG, NSW, AUSTRALIA.

    Report prepared by: Lindsay E. Smith

    Departed: 07:10 returned at 11:45.
    Sea conditions: 2.0 - 3m easing later in the day
    Swell: South Easterly 1.5m- 2metres inshore increasing to 3 m beyond the lee of the islands. During the day 1.5mts inshore.
    Weather: Rain during the morning.
    Temperature range: 14 to 17°C.
    Barometric pressure: 1016 HPa. Rising
    Wind: South -SW 25 to 30 Knots.
    Sea surface temperature: 18°-19.2 C
    Primary chumming location: None

    Highlights: Salvin’s Albatross

    Summary:

    Conditions for the day were wet and uncomfortable with rough seas and strong southerly winds. There was no chance that we would be able to reach the continental shelf break and would not be able to stop and chum for birds. However due to the number of overseas visitors on the day we were reluctant to cancel the trip.

    We decided that some time at sea may produce a variety of seabirds that they otherwise would not see.

    Once we were clear of the islands the full brunt of the conditions were felt. We made our way slowly south east to the 60 fathom line before encountering the strong south flowing current and the seas built to 3.5 metres in a 25-30 knot southerly wind. With a number of people becoming very sea sick, we decided to head back to the safety of the harbour.

    In all we did manage to see quite a reasonable number of species and a very large number of individuals. Unfortunately it was not a day conducive to note taking, more a need to hang on situation.

    A very wet day at sea but a most rewarding one
    A species observed list below.
    No count of individuals was possible. Birds were going in to the strong SE front.
    Birds recorded according to the latest Environment Australia Reporting Schedule:


    Species code: Species name: Numbers:
    063 Wilson’s Storm-petrel
    080 Cape Petrel Daption australe
    075 Grey-faced Petrel Pterodroma m. gouldi
    971 Solander’s Petrel Pterodroma solandri
    068 Fluttering Shearwater Puffinus. gavia
    069 Wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffinus.pacificus
    071 Short-tailed Shearwater Puffinus tenuirostris
    072 Flesh-footed Shearwater Puffinus carneipes
    913 Hutton's Shearwater Puffinus. huttoni
    847 Gibson’s Albatross Diomedea.gibsoni
    846 Antipodean Albatross Diomedea .antipodensis
    088 Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophris
    859 Campbell Albatross Thalassarche impavida
    091 Shy Albatross Thalassarche. Cauta.
    862 Salvin’s Albatross Thalassarche salvini
    089 Indian yellow-nosed Albatross Thalassarche carteri
    104 Australasian Gannet Morus serrator
    106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus
    981 Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus
    125 Silver Gull L. novaehollandiae
    115 Crested Tern Sterna bergii
    953 Common Tern Sterna hirundo
    128 Arctic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus
    8698 Brown Skua Catharacta lonnbergi 1

    In the harbour:
    097. Little-black cormorant Phalacrocorax sulcirostris 1
    096 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
    100 Little Pied Cormorant, P. melanoleucos
    106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus

    Other birds:
    131 Sooty Oystercatcher Haematopus fuliginosus

    Mammals:
    Common Dolphin
    Australian Fur Seal

    For previous trip reports and selected images from this trip visit
    http://www.sossa-international.org

    Future Trips:
    All Pelagic Trips from NSW are operated at no profit to the organizers, being operated as group boat charters for the benefit of all who wish to join us. If you would like to join one of these trips please contact us as detailed below:
    To make a booking on the SOSSA Wollongong Pelagic Trips These departs on the 4th Saturday of each month contact: SOSSA: Phone 02 4272 4626 Email: sossa@tpg.com.au
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