• Saturday 8th December 2012, Sydney, Pelagic Trip Report, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Hi all,

    Here a summary of yesterday's Sydney pelagic on Hal Epstein’s Halicat, 8th December 2012:Pictures will be posted here: http://www.adarman.com/Pelagics/New-South-Wales-Pelagics

    Wilson’s Storm-Petrel: 5 (never more than two at a time)
    Wandering-type Albatross: 4+ (most likely all Gibson’s, one possibly Antipodean)Black-browed Albatross: 1 (1st/2nd year)
    Campbell Albatross: 3 (all 1st/2nd year)
    Shy Albatross: 2 (adult)
    White-chinned Petrel: 1
    Wedge-tailed Shearwater: x
    Flesh-footed Shearwater: 2 (never more than one at a time – very low number)
    Sooty Shearwater: 2 (on the way out; didn’t get good looks – bulky appearance, heavy wing-load and contrasting silver flashes[the three parallel bars on the inner underwing coverts were not seen due toobservation angle])
    Short-tailed Shearwater: x (still southbound migration)
    Hutton’s Shearwater: 1
    Grey-faced Petrel (Great-winged Petrel P. m. gouldi): x
    Providence Petrel: 1 (pristine plumage, late)
    Little Penguin: 1 (seen by only one observer)
    Australasian Gannet: 3 (2 adult, one 2nd year bird)
    Little Black Cormorant: 2
    Pomarine Jaeger: 6
    Arctic Jaeger: 2
    Long-tailed Jaeger: 1
    Sooty Tern: 1
    Sterna spec.: 1 (very white secondaries, sharply defined narrow black trailing edge to primaries ruled outCommon; looked a bit to bulky for Arctic; maybe a late White-fronted?)
    Crested Tern: x
    Silver Gull: only a few in the harbour

    Short-beaked Common Dolphin: 12
    Pygmy Killer Whale: 30

    Flying Fish spec.: 5
    Sunfish: 3 (most likely all Mola ramsayi)

    Cheers,
    Nikolas for all on the Halicat