• Saturday 27th November 2010 SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, WOLLONGONG, NSW, AUSTRALIA.

    Report prepared by: Lindsay E. Smith

    Departed: 07:10 returned at 15:50.
    Sea conditions: 1.5 – 2.0m easing to 3.0m later in the day
    Swell: Easterly 1.5m- 2metres inshore beyond the lee of the islands.
    Weather: Cloudy mostly dry.
    Temperature range: 17 to 25°C.
    Barometric pressure: 1020 HPa. Rising
    Wind: N.E 15- 20 knots increasing to 30 knots in the afternoon.
    Sea surface temperature: 18°-19.2 C
    Primary chumming location: None, several short stops beyond the continental shelf an in 75 fathoms in areas of peak activity

    Highlights:
    Good numbers of Grey-faced Petrels and an unusual pale-bellied individual Providence Petrel P. solandri created great interest. Two, rarely seen, pale-headed juvenile Arctic Jaegers made for interesting discussion on identification and separation of Long-tailed and Arctic Jaegers. Also, unusually high numbers of Sooty Shearwaters were migrating south with the Short-tailed Shearwaters.

    Summary:
    Conditions for the day were comfortable with low to moderate seas and NE winds.
    In general, an interesting day at sea with a good mix of birds including an unusual number of albatrosses for this time of the year. It was also pleasing to see Grey-faced Petrels in reasonable numbers. The banding team were able to capture and Band / ring nine of these on the day. Flesh-footed and Wedge-tailed Shearwaters were also banded.

    Birds recorded according to the latest Environment Australia Reporting Schedule:

    Species code: Species name: Numbers:
    005. Little Penguin Eudyptula minor
    075 Grey-faced Petrel Pterodroma m. gouldi 40+
    971 Solander’s Petrel Pterodroma solandri 1 (an unusual pale bellied bird)
    068 Fluttering Shearwater Puffinus. gavia 6
    069 Wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffinus.pacificus 150+
    070 Sooty Shearwater puffinus Griseus 30+
    071 Short-tailed Shearwater Puffinus tenuirostris 100’s
    072 Flesh-footed Shearwater Puffinus carneipes few
    913 Hutton's Shearwater Puffinus. huttoni 10+
    847 Gibson’s Albatross Diomedea.gibsoni (1)
    086 Wandering Albatross Diomedea exulans (1)
    088 Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophris 3
    091 Shy Albatross Thalassarche cauta. 2
    104 Australasian Gannet Morus serrator 6
    106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus 6
    981 Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus 3
    125 Silver Gull Larus. novaehollandiae 40+
    115 Crested Tern Sterna bergii
    933 Long-tailed Jaeger Stercorarius logicaudis
    128 Arctic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus 4+
    945 Pomarine Jaeger Stercorarius pomarinus 20+

    21 species sighted outside the harbour

    In the harbour:
    097. Little-black cormorant Phalacrocorax sulcirostris 2
    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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