Sections
CalendarBoat: 45ft Randell, skippered by Brad Minors
CONDITIONS
Fierce westerlies preceded and proceeded today’s pelagic with conditions on the day comprised of gentle onshore breezes; not conditions that any seabirder would call ideal. We did have close to 10 knots of south-east for the first couple of hours but thereafter it slowly swung around to the north-east, but generally hovering around the 5 knot mark. Sea and swell 1 to 1.5m. Water temperature taken at the shelf was 17.7 degrees.
Drift Start: -33.225 / 152.2064 @1049
Drift End: -33.20472 / 152.18591 (a 1.2 mile drift on a north-westerly course) @1319
Fairy Prion. Photo: Dick Jenkin
ACTIVITY
Departed wharf at 7:07am returning at 4:14pm. A quiet day in pelagic waters with literally the one single bird that added to the species list for the day having been seen in deep water (a White-faced Storm-petrel). Inshore activity was quite high, with flocks of Fluttering and Hutton’s Shearwaters scooting across the horizon, sometimes close to the boat. A number of Fairy Prions were seen from just past Moon Island to about the 5 mile mark, after which things quietened down somewhat. Even the albatross activity was greater inshore, with Black-browed and Indian Yellow-nosed Albatrosses coming into the boat, as well as the odd Shy-type and a Brown Skua. A very early Wedge-tailed Shearwater got a few of us excited when it appeared in the wake about 6 miles out. No Pterodromas made for a disappointing day for the petrel-heads on board. Perhaps the highlight of the day was a Humpback Whale that did a full, twisting breach about 150m from the boat not long before we left the end of our drift.
Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross. Photo: Mick Roderick
BIRDS
13 species recorded outside the heads was an relatively poor count for a late winter trip. 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.
White-faced Storm-petrel: 1. Pelagic, feeding in the slick. The only species added to the day’s tally by reaching deeper water.
Wedge-tailed Shearwater: 1. Appeared in the wake about 6 miles from the heads. A second sighting about twenty minutes later was assumed to be the same bird. This is the earliest returning Wedge-tailed Shearwater on Hunter-based pelagics.
Fluttering Shearwater: 60 (20). All identified birds inshore, mostly typical fly-bys except for the odd bird that showed interest in the boat.
Hutton’s Shearwater: 15 (1). All inshore, with good views and photographs taken. No flocks of Fluttering-types confirmed to be comprised of Hutton’s.
Fluttering-type Shearwater: 350. All inshore except for 2 birds seen out wide. Some flocks of up to 30 Fluttering-types seen on the way out.
Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross: 30 (10). Moderate numbers today. All but one or two birds showed adult features. Two birds were seen squabbling over a red fish with very large eyes (maybe a rock cod, or ling – too hard to tell).
Black-browed Albatross: 5 (3). All adults, most inshore and at least one ‘new’ bird out wide.
Black-browed type Albatross: 4. A young bird that was possibly a young Campbell was seen at the boat on the outward leg, but too difficult to call.
Shy-type Albatross: 7 (2). All Shy-types seen today were indeterminate adults. Both inshore and in deeper water.
Fairy Prion: 90 (15). Flocks of birds were mostly inshore, though we had up the maximum count of 15 during the drift and there was some evidence of a turnover of birds. Vast majority of birds were photographed/seen well and all were confirmed as Fairy.
Australasian Gannet: 60 (8). Vast majority were adults.
Brown Skua: 1. Followed the boat on two occasions on the outward leg.
White-fronted Tern: 6 (4). Single bird on the outward leg, remainder on journey home, all birds about 5 miles out.
Crested Tern: 50 (30). Mostly close to port but a few birds followed the boat for the entire day.
Silver Gull: 250 (200). Mostly in association with Moon Island, though about a dozen birds followed us to and from the shelf.
MAMMALS:
Unidentified Dolphins: A pair of small-looking dolphins surfaced briefly on the way out.
Humpback Whale: 12, including a spectacular breach from a large individual about 150m from the boat right at the end of the drift.