SYDNEY NSW Pelagic Trip Report -8th December 2001
TRIP SUMMARY:
A rather uncomfortable trip for most (including myself regretfully) reaching the shelf some 23 NM from Sydney heads, just as the winds and seas began to pick up. Not much in the way of unusual species. Highlights included 2 'gibson' type Wandering Albatross a young Black-browed Albatross and 5 of Wilson's and White-faced Storm Petrel and a few Sooty Terns. In spite of the windy overcast conditions I did manage to sneak in a few shots of a White-faced Storm Petrel and a few Pomarine Jaegers.
CONDITIONS:
Overcast
Water temperature was 20.9deg on the shelf.
Swell around 2 metres
Reached 23NM east of Sydney Heads.
Departed at 07.15 and returned at 14.00.
BIRD LIST:
005...Little Penguin 1
847...Wandering Albatross 2 (probably gibsoni)
088...Black-browed Albatross - 1 Juv
073...Great-winged Petrel 30+
069...Wedge-tailed Shearwater 100+
071...Short-tailed Shearwater 25
070...Sooty Shearwater 4
072...Flesh-footed Shearwater 5
068...Fluttering Shearwater 1
913...Hutton's Shearwater 1
065...White-faced Storm Petrel 5
063...Wilson's Storm Petrel 5
945...Pomarine Jaeger 15
128...Arctic Jaeger 1
xxx...Great Skua 1 POSSIBLE sighting?
125...Silver Gull 20+
115...Crested Tern 9-10
120...Sooty Tern 15
953...Common Tern 120+
097...Little Black Cormorant 1
099...Pied Cormorant 1
106...Australian Pelican 6
MAMMALS/FISH:
None