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CalendarJuvenile Northern Royal Albatross
Leaving Kiama Harbour at 07.35 hrs AEST, we headed out for the edge of the continental shelf, stopping briefly a couple of times on the way. Once 14.7 km E of the harbour; once a further 6 kms E to watch a Humpback Whale rolling on the surface with its fins in the air. Here we seized the opportunity to catch and band Wedge-tailed Shearwaters. We reached the shelf edge, 29.8 km E of the harbour, at 10.15 hrs and began to chum and drift at 34° 46’ 09” S; 151° 09’ 47” E, being pushed 5.6 km S along the shelf edge by the wind and current til 11.55 hrs. The banding team was able to catch and band two female Antipodean Albatrosses subspecies gibsoni but a banded male gibsoni managed to resist capture. Towards the end of our time at this location, the arrival of a banded juvenile Northern Royal Albatross, a rare species in NSW waters, was a particular treat for everyone aboard. Though it accompanied us to our next stopping point, it too resisted capture, staying just beyond the reach of the net, to the banding team’s frustration.
Antipodean Albatross
Having travelled down the slick we had created we next stopped further S at 34° 49’ 05” S; 151° 05’ 41” E, also on shelf edge, chumming and drifting 3.47 km S, 12.05-13.20 hrs. The banding team caught and banded a female Wandering Albatross, a probable Indian Ocean breeder, and a male Antipodean Albatross. We turned for home at the end of this chumming and banding session, stopping briefly again on the way back inshore at 34° 45’ 23” S; 151° 01’ 29” E to catch more Wedge-tailed Shearwaters. We arrived back at the dock at 16.20 hrs.
Wandering Albatross
Sea conditions were calm initially but picked up as the wind increased through the morning with a swell of around 1m. Sea temperature at the shelf edge was 18°.
Highlights were the Northern Royal Albatross and the large numbers of migrating Short-tailed Shearwaters, which were heading south at speed.
Species seen outside the harbour, maximum at any one time in brackets:
086 Wandering Albatross - 2 (1) 1 female (caught and banded) and 1 male
846-47 Antipodean Albatross - 7+ (3) mostly gibsoni; two females caught and banded. A banded probable male could not be caught.
973 Northern Royal Albatross - 1 (1) a banded juvenile which eluded capture
088 Black-browed Albatross - 3 (2)
091 Shy Albatross - 20+ (8) adults and grey-hooded juveniles; at least two cauta adults present but the juveniles all thought to be the NZ breeding subspecies steadi ‘White-capped Albatross’
931 Buller’s Albatross - 2 (1)
937 Northern Giant Petrel - 1 (1) juvenile
083 Fairy Prion - 2 (1)
075 Grey-faced Petrel - 15+ (3)
971 Providence Petrel - 20+ (4)
069 Wedge-tailed Shearwater - 300+ (50+)
071 Short-tailed Shearwater - 5000+ (200+)
068 Fluttering Shearwater - 100+ (20+)
913 Hutton’s Shearwater - 50+ (20+)
Fluttering/Hutton’s Shearwater - 50 (10)
104 Australasian Gannet - 10+ (2) all adults
125 Silver Gull - 60+ (25)
115 Greater Crested Tern - 20+ (9)
114 White-fronted Tern - 3 (1)
980 Brown Skua - 1 (1)
We saw several Humpback Whales on our journey to and from the shelf edge, a pod of Common Dolphins played about us close inshore and we also saw a probable New Zealand Fur Seal.
Graham Barwell