• Tuesday 18th October 2016 SOSSA PELAGIC TRIP, KIAMA, NSW, AUSTRALIA.

    Date / Month: Tuesday 18th October 2016
    Recorded by: L. E. Smith
    Location: Kiama
    Air temp: 15-27
    Water temp: In Shore 20.7/Off Shore 22.3
    Air pressure: 1012Hp Cloud cover: 1/10
    Wind speed and direction: NE 15-20kts in the morning. W-SW 20-25knts in the afternoon.
    Sea conditions: around 1m in the morning – Southerly to 1.5m in the afternoon

    Comments:

    Conditions over the Shelf break (120 Fathoms) were not comfortable. This was largely due to the strong current running south-east against the swell. Unfortunately we were only able to stay there for an hour before returning to 70 fathoms inside the current then back to the harbour.

    Birds observed on the day were typical of the birds expected for this time of the year with excellent views of most species

    Sp No Species Number (number in brackets indicates the maximum number seen at any one time)
    971 Providence Petrel, Pterodroma solandri - 30+ (22)
    069 Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Puffinus pacificus - 100+ (50)
    071 Short-tailed Shearwater, Puffinus tenuirostris - 100+(20+)
    068 Fluttering Shearwater, Puffinus gavia - 10+ (5)
    088 Black-browed Albatross, Thalassarche melanophrys - 5 (3)
    091 Shy Albatross, Thalassarche cauta - 1
    861 White-capped Albatross, Thalassarche steadi - 3
    063 Wilson’s Storm-Petrel, Oceanites oceanicus - 30+ (5)
    104 Australasian Gannet, Morus serrator - 4 (2)
    097 Little black Cormorant, Phalacrocorax sulcirostris - 1
    096 Great Cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo - 2
    106 Australian Pelican, Pelicanus conspicillatus - 3
    945 Pomarine Jaeger, Stercorarius pomarinus - 1
    128 Arctic Jaeger, Stercorarius parasiticus - 5 (2)
    125 Silver Gull, Larus novaehollandiae - 2
    115 Crested Tern, Sterna bergii - 4 (2)