Sections
CalendarLeaving harbour at 07.35 hrs, we headed straight out to the shelf edge, travelling through brown water initially, courtesy of the recent NSW deluge, with debris from the floods extending out to 27 kms offshore. Once in clearer water and reaching the shelf edge at 34 47 29 S; 151 10 59 E, 32.5 km southeast of Kiama harbour in 329m/180 fathoms, we stopped and set up a slick. It didn't take long for birds to arrive and the banding team were soon busy processing Flesh-footed Shearwaters, Grey-faced Petrels and Wedge-tailed Shearwaters. It was noticeable how some of the freshly-banded birds were no sooner released than they returned to feed on our chum of chicken mince and suet. We were intrigued to see a skinny juvenile Australasian Gannet land on the slick and proceed to feed on the chum in a most ungannet-like way. It was thought that this bird was likely to be in poor health.
After about two and a half hours and drifting 10.5 km south in the strong northerly current into much deeper water, we shifted 1.5 km west to 34 53 28 S; 151 10 46 E, 38 km from the harbour in 600m/328 fathoms. We started drifting here at 11.55 hrs, again being carried further south by the strong current. Grey-faced Petrels were numerous but we were also visited by several species of albatross, with two being caught and banded, giving those aboard excellent close-up views of these iconic birds. One Grey-faced Petrel showed what it had been recently eating by regurgitating a small octopus while it was being banded. After 40 mins of drifting 3.3 km further south, it was time to turn back before we got too far from the harbour.
In the course of our return, we made a couple of brief stops, once to catch and band one of two Buller's Albatrosses then accompanying us. We remained at this spot, 34 53 36 S; 151 08 27 E, 35.6 km from the harbour in shelf-edge waters, only briefly and were off again after 15 mins, having caught one but not the second of these birds. Our second stop was even briefer, but gave us our first view of Kelp Gulls for the year, 16.5 km offshore in shelf waters. We arrived back at our mooring at 16.00 hrs.
Sea conditions were comfortable with a swell of 1m, diminishing in the afternoon. The wind was fairly light, becoming even lighter in the afternoon. Sea temperature at the shelf edge was 25 degrees and 23 degrees inshore.
Highlight was probably the close-up views of Shy, Campbell and Buller's Albatross as individuals were brought on board for banding.
Species seen outside the harbour, maximum at any one time in brackets:
125 Silver Gull: 25 (20)
981 Kelp Gull: 2 (2) adult and juvenile, seen some 16.5 km offshore
115 Greater Crested Tern: 20 (9)
945 Pomarine Jaeger: 4 (2)
063 Wilson's Storm Petrel: 10 (6)
088 Black-browed Albatross: 2 (1) at least 2 adults seen, but a few other unidentified Black-browed types could have been this species
859 Campbell Albatross: 1 (1) adult, caught & banded; the unidentified Black-browed types could have included this species
091/861 Shy Albatross: 7 (3) one bird caught & banded had the grey culminicorn typical of subspecies White-capped Albatross but could have been this or non-breeding Shy Albatross subspecies
931 Buller's Albatross: 3 (2) one bird caught & banded; subspecies not determined
075 Grey-faced Petrel: 100 (30) easily the commonest seabird (and petrel) at the second of our chumming spots
971 Solander's Petrel: 5 (2) first returns for the season
069 Wedge-tailed Shearwater: 50+ (20)
071 Short-tailed Shearwater: 1+ (1)
072 Flesh-footed Shearwater: 70+ (20)
913 Hutton's Shearwater: 2+ (1)
104 Australasian Gannet: 50+ (2) adults, immatures and juveniles
097 Little Black Cormorant: 5 (5) just outside the harbour
At least 2 unidentified dolphins were seen about 20 km offshore on our way out, but no other cetaceans seen.
Report prepared by Graham Barwell