• Saturday 14th December 2013 SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, WOLLONGONG, NSW, AUSTRALIA.

    Saturday 14th December 2013 SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP. WOLLONGONG NSW AUSTRALIA.
    Report prepared by: Lindsay E. Smith.

    Departed: 0700 hrs
    Return 15 30hrs

    Sea conditions: Up to 1.5m swell from the south east tending southerly in the afternoon

    Weather:Mainly overcast scattered cloud poor light through the day

    Temperature range: 17 - 23 0 °C.

    Barometric pressure:

    Wind: East-South east
    Sea surface temperature: 17.7 in harbour 21.8° over the continental shelf break

    Current from the South East at 1.8 knots

    Primary chumming location: 200 Fathoms

    Summary:

    Conditions at sea were a little uncomfortable. Overcast conditions throughout the day. An interesting day at sea, with unusually large numbers of Short-tailed shearwaters present. Pomarine Jaegers, mainly immature birds were also present in reasonable numbers, though Arctic and Long-tailed Jaegers were scarce. A late Brown Skua was also unexpected at this time of the year. The smaller albatrosses (Mollys) were in good numbers and of several different age groups. This allowed for in the field comparison of the plumage changes with age.

    The banding team captured two sub adult Shy albatrosses and two shearwaters on the day.

    Common Dolphins were the only cetaceans for the day.

    Thank you to all who supported the trip and helped out.

    Cheers Lindsay

    Species code: Species name: Numbers:
    (Note: numbers in parenthesis = highest count at any one time)

    075 Great-winged Petrel, Pterodroma macroptera 2
    069 Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Puffinus pacificus 35
    072 Flesh-footed Shearwater, Puffinus carneipes 2
    070 Sooty Shearwater, Puffinus griseus 2
    071 Short-tailed Shearwater, Puffinus tenuirostris 50+
    068 Fluttering Shearwater, Puffinus gavial 1
    088 Black-browed Albatross, Thalassarche melanophrys 10+
    859 Campbell Albatross, Thalassarche impavida 6+
    091 Shy Albatross, Thalassarche cauta 5
    861 White-capped Albatross, Thalassarche steadi 10+
    065 White-faced Storm-Petrel, Pelagodroma marina 2
    104 Australasian Gannet, Morus serrator 2
    100 Little Pied Cormorant, Phalacrocorax melanoleucos 2
    099 Pied Cormorant, Phalacrocorax varius 1
    097 Little black Cormorant, Phalacrocorax sulcirostris 4
    096 Great Cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo 2
    106 Australian Pelican, Pelicanus conspicillatus 6
    980 Brown Skua, Catharacta skua 1
    945 Pomarine Jaeger, Stercorarius pomarinus 15-20
    128 Arctic Jaeger, Stercorarius parasiticus 2
    933 Long-tailed Jaeger, Stercorarius longicauda 2
    125 Silver Gull, Larus novaehollandiae 35
    115 Crested Tern, Sterna bergii 6

    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.