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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