Sections
CalendarReport by Mick Roderick
Boat: M.V. Contagious, skippered by Dale Wellham.
CONDITIONS Almost a carbon copy of both the September and October trips with a barely discernible northerly breeze for most of the day, which eventually got up from the north-east by about half way back to shore (even then it probably didn’t crack 10 knots). Seas and swell 1-1.5m. We took a slightly north bearing from the heads to look for some patches of baitfish that our skipper had been aware of at the shelf. We commenced our drift at -32.7742743, 152.7023102 drifting parallel to the shelf, but this time in a north-easterly direction (as opposed to the south-westerly course the current normally takes us) ending at -32.741550, 152.717420. Water temperature wasn’t taken but apparently about 21 degrees at the shelf.
ACTIVITY Departed Nelson Bay public wharf at 7:09am returning at 4:11pm. The trip out was underpinned by migrating Sooty and Short-tailed Shearwaters and we had several discussions about picking them from jizz and flight-style. The majority of the birds seen on the outward leg were Sooties but we felt that it was reversed for the trip home, with Short-taileds prevailing (though certainly not in big numbers). Probably the avian highlight of the day was a trio of Sooty Terns seen near a Fish Attraction Device (FAD) about 10 miles from the heads.
Grey-faced Petrel. Photo: Steve Cox
Similar to October we had no interest in the berley by any birds until early on in the drift when the odd shearwater would fly in. Our first Flesh-footed was seen on the outward leg and we all hoped to see them in numbers at the shelf but that wasn't to be. A few Grey-faced Petrels joined us, along with the odd Wilson’s Storm-petrel and a lone Solander’s Petrel that didn’t hang round. Generally though, a pretty quiet day at sea, marginally better than our very poor showing in October.
Common Dolphin. Photo: Steve Cox
BIRDS
13 species were recorded outside of Port Stephens. 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 V3.
Wilson’s Storm-petrel: 4 (2). In the slick – one bird attempted to follow the boat on the return leg for a brief time.
Wedge-tailed Shearwater: 350 (200). Conspicuously few in number again, with literally just the one large flock seen which was on the way out.
Flesh-footed Shearwater: 8 (3). We would normally expect to see many more of these in November. Every bird seen did come into attempt to feed and one individual followed the boat for a good proportion of the return leg.
Short-tailed Shearwater: 50 (10). Difficult to estimate, but definitely far fewer in number than Sooty, with most birds seen migrating on the return leg (the odd bird did feed in the slick at the shelf too).
Sooty Shearwater: 130 (28). Several flocks seen flying south on the outward leg, the largest of which we counted 28 birds. No birds came into the boat at all.
Hutton’s Shearwater: 1. Single bird flying across the wake of the boat on the return journey.
Solander’s Petrel: 1. A freshly-plumaged bird that flew into the slick at the shelf and continued on soon after.
Grey-faced Petrel: 7 (2). Some rather cooperative birds afforded great views and as with each November trip, virtually every bird seen was in heavy wing moult.
Australasian Gannet: 3 (2). All reasonably close to the heads.
Pomarine Jaeger: 2 (1). One inshore, one at the shelf, with the latter chasing a Short-tailed Shearwater, forcing it to disgorge food.
Arctic Jaeger: 4 (3). All close to the heads on the way back in.
Sooty Tern: 3 (3). In the vicinity of a FAD about 10 miles out on the outbound journey; distant views only but photographed.
Crested Tern: 6 (3). All inshore though a tern was seen at the shelf but was unidentifiable.
MAMMALS
Pantropical Spotted Dolphin: A pod of about 15 strong seen on the way out.
Short-beaked Common Dolphin: An acrobatic pod of about 20 individuals came into the boat not far from our drift start.
Sei Whale type sp.: A single animal’s blow was observed to the south of our bearing on the way home but we didn't have time to turn back. Photos taken by Jodi Osgood later revealed that this was a Sei-type Whale.