• Sunday, 11th February 2018, Port Stephens, NSW, Australia

    Port Stephens Pelagic Trip Report- Sunday 11th February 2018

    Boat: M.V. Argonaut, skippered by Ray Horsfield

    CONDITIONS
    An unusual day with three vigorous fronts passing through, whipping an otherwise gentile sea into white-capping seas. There was initially a slight offshore breeze that turned to a gentle nor-easter before the first of the southerly fronts moved through not long after we started our first drift (accompanied by some light rain). This died off before a second (weaker) front passed through at about 12:30pm. Again, this dropped off before we set off about an hour later for home. Finally the “real” southerly change hit us about 5 miles from the heads. This final change brought with it many birds as well. We commenced our drift at -32.9121137 / 152.5738861 and spent 3 hours in deep water, turning back for port at -32.93222 / 152.59750 (average speed of southward drift). Water temperature was not taken but was notably warm and was predicted to be ~26 on BoM SST data.


    Black Petrel. Photo: Mick Roderick

    ACTIVITY
    Departed wharf at 7:02am returning at 4:44pm. Activity was moderate, with good numbers of Wedge-tailed and Flesh-footed Shearwaters (though mostly in deep water during the morning). White-faced Storm-petrels were found feeding at 2 sites (1x bird; 3x birds) short of the shelf break and shearwaters were also in these locations. A most unusual observation was when a young male Rufous Whistler literally overtook the boat, heading on a south-easterly course, just a few miles short of the shelf break.


    Common Bottle-nosed Dolphins. Photo: Mick Roderick

    BIRDS
    15 species were recorded outside the heads, representing an average diversity of birds, though the main highlight (the Black Petrel) gave very good, prolonged views. Counts are totals for birds seen outside the heads (with the maximum number visible from the boat at one time in brackets) – many are estimates. Taxonomy follows the BirdLife Australia Working List V2.1.

    Little Penguin: 1. Not far from the heads.

    White-faced Storm-petrel: 5 (3). All pelagic. 1 bird seen about 30 minutes short of the shelf and a further 3 birds seen feeding with Wedge-tailed Shearwaters a little further out. Just the one bird joined the boat during the drift.

    Wedge-tailed Shearwater: 800 (300). Very few birds inshore in the morning with many marauding birds seen out wide. Larger flocks joined the boat late in the day.

    Flesh-footed Shearwater: 50 (10). Inshore and pelagic waters. Many followed the boat.

    Short-tailed Shearwater: 15 (3). Most birds arrived with the southerly change late in the day.

    Sooty Shearwater: 1. Single bird at the shelf.

    Fluttering Shearwater: 8 (2). Mostly inshore (one bird at the shelf). All Fluttering-types were identified today, with all but one being a Fluttering.

    Hutton's Shearwater: 1. One bird on the way back to port.

    Grey-faced Petrel: 7 (3). All pelagic, with one bird following the boat a long way back in.

    Black Petrel: 1. Arrived at the boat about half way through the drift and remained with the boat for maybe 20 minutes, giving good views as it did laps of the boat and alighted on the water.

    Arctic Jaeger: 1. Single dark bird just outside the heads on the way back in.

    Pomarine Jaeger: 6 (3). Three birds together at the shelf; the rest close to the heads on the return leg.

    Crested Tern: 9 (8). None seen til the final 30 minutes of the trip.

    Silver Gull: 7 (5). Like the Crested Terns, completely absent until almost reaching the heads on the way back in.

    Rufous Whistler: This bird caught us all off-guard! It flew towards the back of the boat then steered slightly south and overtook the boat, maintaining a south-easterly course. Identified from photos as most likely a young male bird.

    MAMMALS:

    Pantropical Spotted Dolphin: Several (acrobatic) pods comprising maybe a total of 50 individuals.

    Offshore Bottlenose Dolphin: – a single pod seen near the shelf (<10 individuals)