• Friday 15th July 2016 SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, KIAMA, NSW, AUSTRALIA.

    Friday 15th JULY 2016 SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, KIAMA, NSW, AUSTRALIA.

    Report prepared by: Lindsay E. Smith.

    Half Day Trip with members of the Illawarra Birders Club

    Departed: 0730 hrs Return 1130 hrs

    Sea conditions: 1metre. Swell 2m from the southeast tending southerly.

    Weather: Fine and sunny with scattered cloud

    Temperature range: 10.0 - 18 0 °C.

    Wind: SW tending to Southerly 15-20 Knots

    Sea surface temperature: 19°

    Current from the North at 1.5 knots

    Summary:
    Conditions at sea were quite comfortable. After almost a week of strong west to south west winds, following on from two intense low pressure systems which had passed through the region in the last two weeks. There were unusually low numbers of expected winter birds inshore for this time of the year.

    An unexpected highlight of the day was the unusually high number of Hump-backed Whales observed still moving north at this time of the year. Several small pods of 2-3 animals were observed during the morning.

    Thank you to all who supported the trip.
    Cheers Lindsay

    Bird List for the day
    Species code: Species name
    05 Little Penguin Eudyptula minor
    083 Fairy Prion, Pachyptila turtur
    068 Fluttering Shearwater Puffinus gavia
    088 Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophrys
    931 Buller’s Albatross Thalassarche bulleri
    091 Shy Albatross Thalassarche cauta
    104 Australasian Gannet Morus serrator
    097 Little black Cormorant Phalacrocorax sulcirostris
    096 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
    106 Australian Pelican Pelicanus conspicillatus
    980 Brown Skua, Catharacta longbergi
    125 Silver Gull Larus novaehollandiae
    115 Crested Tern Sterna bergii

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