g’Day all
This afternoon at about 1600 hr. while looking south from the end of the town jetty at Ardrossan SA there were many Fluttering Shearwater about 250m out, settling on the sea forming rafts of several hundred birds (at approx. 34˚25’740S, 137˚55’740E). In various directions nearby there were many shearwaters and about 20 Gannets performing the spectacular behavior of pursuit feeding. And looking further to sea all the way to the horizon there were thousands of them flying south west as far as I could see. Currently there are strong to gale force west to north west winds blowing across the region.
Over the years, numerous reports on birding aus have recorded Fluttering Shearwater congregating in St Vincent’s Gulf during winter http://bioacoustics.cse.unsw.edu.au/birding-aus/2002-08/msg00401.html but this year numbers seem to be higher than usual in the northern part of the gulf.
Regards
Ian May
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Hi Ian and All
Plenty of Fluttering Shearwaters off Kangaroo Island coast also. Collected 13 dead birds off of c. 1km of Vivonne Bay beach the other day. Wrecked by winter storms. Also a freshly washed immature Shy Albatross – banded on Albatross Island in January 2011.
Also, White-fronted Terns back at Cape duCouedic again this winter. Counted 33 on Admirals Arch rock platform last weekend and will be keeping close look out for any sign of Antarctic Tern/s again this spring.
Cheers
Chris Baxter