Hi All
A group of us organised two pelagics out from Eaglehawk Neck, Tasmania last weekend. Two more fun days on the ocean with the highlight being a Grey Petrel that showed off brilliantly to all on the Saturday trip (also another more distant Grey Petrel later in the day was only seen by one or two observers). The good numbers of Southern Royal Albatross were the clear highlight on Sunday, which was much quieter than the previous day with a marked drop in Great-winged Petrels and no prions or storm-petrels.
Trip summaries are attached below.
Regards Dan Mantle
Eaglehawk Neck – Saturday 18 Aug 2012
Vessel: Pauletta (skipper John Males)
Participants: Andrew Sutherland, Stuart Pickering, Raja Stephenson, Nikolas Haass, Anna-Lea Haass, Mick Roderick, JJ Harrison, Jacob Holzapfel, Jeremy O’Wheel, John Weigel, Carl Billingham, Daniel Mantle
Weather: 15 knot S-SW rising to 15-20 knot S in the early afternoon, 1-1.5m swell with choppy seas on top, mostly overcast with a few showers.
First Berley Point: -43.11797, 148.24488 drifting to -43.079901, 148.25301 (9.10-11.40am)
Second Berley Point: -43.03622, 148.27082 drifting to -43.025038, 148.27209 (12.10-12.50pm)
Birds: numbers given are a rough guess for the total for the day (the maximum number seen at one time is given in parentheses)
Grey-backed Storm-petrel 1 (5)
Wandering Albatross 8 (2) – including antipodensis/gibsoni 4 (2)
Southern Royal Albatross 9 (4) including 2 ad, 1 sub-ad, 6 imm
Black-browed Albatross 5 (2)
Cambpell Albatross 1 (1)
Shy Albatross – cauta/steadi 100 (35)
(Indian) Yellow-nosed Albatross 3 (1)
Buller’s Albatross 2 (2)
Southern Giant Petrel 5 (3)
Northern Giant Petrel 5 (3)
Cape Petrel 15 (7)
Fairy Prion 8 (4)
Grey Petrel 2 (1)
Huttons Shearwater 1 (1)
White-headed Petrel 5 (1)
Great-winged Petrel 100 (11) – mostly gouldi
Common Diving-Petrel 80 (10)
Australasian Gannet 10 (2)
Pacific Gull 1 (1)
Kelp Gull 1 (2)
Crested Tern 10 (2)
Black-faced Cormorant 6 (6)
Eaglehawk Neck – Sunday 19 Aug 2012
Vessel: Pauletta (skipper John Males)
Participants: Andrew Sutherland, Stuart Pickering, Raja Stephenson, Nikolas Haass, Mick Roderick, JJ Harrison, Jeremy O’Wheel, John Weigel, Carl Billingham, Paul Brooks, Daniel Mantle
Weather: 10-15 knot southerlies, 1m swell, mostly overcast but dry.
First Berley Point: -43.01673, 148.28237 drifting to -43.07990, 148.25301 (8.35-9.25am) (350 fathoms)
Second Berley Point: 2km east of above (800 fathoms)
Third Berley Point: a further 3.5km east (1500 fathoms)
Birds: numbers given are a rough guess for the total for the day (the maximum number seen at one time is given in parentheses)
Wandering Albatross 4 (3) – mostly antipodensis/gibsoni, one possible exulans
Southern Royal Albatross 10 (6) – mostly older immatures, one young immature
Black-browed Albatross 1 (2)
Cambpell Albatross 1 (1)
Shy Albatross – cauta/steadi 70 (22)
Buller’s Albatross 1 (1)
Southern Giant Petrel 3 (3)
Northern Giant Petrel 5 (3)
Cape Petrel 12 (5)
Sooty Shearwater 1 (1)
Great-winged Petrel 10 (5) – mostly gouldi
Common Diving-Petrel 50 (5)
Australasian Gannet 14 (4)
Pacific Gull 2 (2)
Kelp Gull 30 (30)
Crested Tern 8 (4)
White-fronted Tern 1 (1)
Black-faced Cormorant 1 (1)
Sooty Oystercatcher 1 (1)
Mammals
2 Fur Seal sp. (at least 1 was probably a NZ Fur Seal)
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