• 9th December 2000, Sydney, Pelagic Trip Report, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Sydney, NSW Pelagic Trip Report 9th December 2000

    Conditions,
    Departed at 7.15 am and returned at approx. 3.30 pm.
    Sea Conditions: Mainly Calm.
    Weather: Fine
    Wind: winds 15 to 20 Knots from SE
    Water temperature 21.4 degrees C on the shelf
    Stopped at TBA
    Summary,
    A good December selection of birds. Highlight without doubt was a single Black-bellied Storm Petrel and for the overseas visitors, a few lingering albatross species caused a few sighs of relief. Also of note was the fine views of Spotted Dolphin a species only rarely encountered on Sydney pelagics.

    Birds,
    (Note: numbers in brackets = highest count at any one time)
    000 Wandering Albatross 1 (presumably gibsoni - stage 4)
    000 Shy Albatross 2 (presumably cauta cauta, 1 ad 1 juv)
    000 Black-browed Albatross 1
    005 Little Penguin 3 (in the harbour)
    073 Great-winged Petrel 15+ (5+)
    068 Fluttering Shearwater 3
    000 Flesh-footed Shearwater 35+
    069 Wedge-tailed Shearwater 42
    070 Sooty Shearwater 26
    071 Short-tailed Shearwater 200+
    115 Crested Tern 3+ in the harbour
    125 Silver Gull 50+ mostly in the harbour
    129 Pomarine Jaeger 7
    128 Arctic Jaeger 11
    000 Wilson's Storm Petrel 1
    000 Black-bellied Storm Petrel 1
    000 White-faced Storm Petrel 2
    106 Australian Pelican 4
    000 Australasian Gannet 1

    Mammals,
    SPOTTED DOLPHIN 10+

    Tony Palliser