Friday July 12th 2013 Illawarra Bird Club PELAGIC TRIP, WOLLONGONG, NSW, AUSTRALIA.
Report prepared by: Lindsay E. Smith
Departed: 07.30 hrs
Return 11.30 hrs
Sea conditions: Below 1.0 metres. Swell from the east tending southerly around 1 metre.
Weather: Fine with scattered cloud
Temperature range: 10 - 18 0 °C.
Barometric pressure: 1024Hp steady
Wind: North West 10knots
Sea surface temperature: 18.0
Current From the North at 1.5 knots
Summary:
Conditions at sea were quite comfortable. The sunny and mild weather made for a pleasant morning at sea. Migrating Hump-backed whales on the way out were an added attraction.
Birds for the morning were typical of the winter visitors to our region with a variety of species being observed. See list below.
As the previous Friday, Black-browed albatrosses offered an identification lesson for all and a challenge for some.A further challenge in identification of juvenile Black-browed type Albatrosses was the presence of two juvenile Grey-headed Albatrosses types (not confirmed) so similar are the juveniles of all three species that it may not be possible to separate them at sea.
Thank you to all who supported the trip and helped out.
I hope you enjoyed your introduction to our wonderful Seabirds.
We hope to see you again soon
Kind regards
Lindsay Smith
Bird list for Illawarra Birders (IBC)
Pelagic Trip July 12th 2013
Species code: Species name:
005 Little Penguin, Eudyptula minor
083 Fairy Prion, Pachyptila turtur
068 Fluttering Shearwater, Puffinus gavia
088 Black-browed Albatross, Thalassarche melanophrys
859 Campbell Albatross, Thalassarche impavida
090 Grey-headed albatross Thalassarche chrysostoma
091 Shy Albatross, Thalassarche cauta
864 Indian yellow-nosed Albatross, Thalassarche carteri
104 Australasian Gannet, Morus serrator
100 Little Pied Cormorant, Phalacrocorax melanoleucos
099 Pied Cormorant, Phalacrocorax varius
097 Little black Cormorant, Phalacrocorax sulcirostris
096 Great Cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo
106 Australian Pelican, Pelicanus conspicillatus
980 Brown Skua, Catharacta skua
981 Kelp Gull, Larus dominicanus
125 Silver Gull, Larus novaehollandiae
115 Crested Tern, Sterna bergii
Mammals
Bottle-nosed dolphin
Hump-backed whale
Fur Seal
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 regular SOSSA Wollongong Pelagic Trips. Which departs on the 4th Saturday of each month. Contact: SOSSA: Phone 02 4272 4626 Email: sossa@tpg.com.au For further information in regards to other trips.