BirdLife Australia Pelagic Eaglehawk Neck, Tas, 20 JAN 2018

That should have been 20th of Jan 2018!

Rohan

On 3/02/2018 9:03 PM, Rohan Clarke wrote:
>
> Hi all,
>
> Here’s the first of two trip reports for a double header that got out
> off Tassie a fortnight or so ago.
>
> Rohan
>
>
> BirdLife Australia Pelagic off Eaglehawk Neck, Tasmania
> Saturday 20th Feb 2018
>
> OBSERVERS: Tim Bawden, Antonia Burwell, Chris Burwell, Jo Culican,
> Maggie Grundler, Gina Hopkins, James Kennerley, Jodi Osgood, Glen
> Pacey, Mike Potter, Richard Webber, Jim Wright & Rohan Clarke (report
> compiler).
>
> WEATHER: Complete cloud cover in the AM, clearing for a few spots of
> sunshine around 1130 before closing in again as we headed in, hence
> mostly dull conditions for photography. Winds were generally light and
> a bit variable – 5-10 knot SW in the AM dropping to 5 knots and
> swinging round to the SE once we were over the shelf. Reasonably mild
> all day.
>
> SEA: A flat sea on a 0.5 m swell out to the Hippolytes, building
> slightly in offshore waters. Beyond the shelf we mostly experienced a
> rather clean 1-2 m swell with little chop. No spray to speak of.
>
> ACTIVITY: Departed Pirates Bay Wharf at 0715. Headed down to the
> Hippolytes, which we circumnavigated, before taking an easterly route
> directly to the shelf break. Reasonable numbers of birds on the way
> out with early Buller’s Shearwater and Gould’s Petrel before the shelf
> to raise expectations. Crossed the shelf break (100 fathoms) at 0920
> before making our first stop a couple of miles beyond the shelf over
> 350 fathoms of water were we berleyed for just over an hour. Later we
> moved out to 650 fathoms for a second 1.5 hr berley session. Crossed
> back over the shelf at 1310 and docked just before 1500.
>
> MAMMALS (and other non-feathered things)
> Australian Fur Seals: 20 on the Hippolytes. Also 1 inshore in the PM.
> Common Dolphin: A small pod of 4 in inshore waters in the AM.
> SUNFISH: 1 in offshore waters in the PM. Water temp was 18 C at this
> location.
> Mako Shark: A big fish, estimated by the crew to be 200+ kg, cruised
> around behind the boat at our impromptu stop for the Black-bellied
> Stormie.
>
> BIRDS: 28 species of seabird beyond the point at Pirates Bay.
> Highlights were Black-bellied Storm-Petrel, Buller’s Shearwater,
> Gould’s and Cook’s Petrels. A typical solid Tassie pelagic.
>
> Wandering Albatross (exulens): 2 pelagic.
>
> NZ Wandering Albatross (gibsoni): 1 pelagic.
>
> Southern Royal Albatross 4 (2). All pelagic.
>
> Black-browed Albatross: 1 juv pelagic.
>
> Shy Albatross: 90 (40). cauta/steadi: 1 inshore, 22 offshore,
> remainder pelagic, with good numbers following us back inshore on the
> return leg. 2 imm (both pelagic), remainder adult.
>
> Buller’s Albatross: 10 (4). 1 inshore, 2 offshore, remainder pelagic.
> All adults.
>
> Northern Giant-Petrel: 3 (1). 1 juv offshore in the AM, 2 imms pelagic.
>
> Grey-backed Storm-Petrel: 3 (1). All pelagic.
>
> White-faced Storm-Petrel: 100 (60). Just 1 offshore, remainder pelagic.
>
> Wilson’s Storm-Petrel: 2 (1). Both pelagic.
>
> BLACK-BELLIED STORM-PETREL: 1 pelagic picked in the wake whilst we
> were underway and well worth a quick stop. An interesting bird with an
> extensively black belly and active tail moult (see pic).
>
> Fairy Prion: 67 (40). 12 offshore in the AM, 15 pelagic, then a flock
> of ~40 offshore in the PM.
>
> Short-tailed Shearwater: 4000 (500). Mostly offshore, but 20 inshore
> and 150 pelagic.
>
> Sooty Shearwater: 20 (2). 7 offshore, remainder pelagic.
>
> Hutton’s Shearwater: 5 (1). 3 offshore in AM and another in the PM, 1
> pelagic.
>
> BULLER’S SHEARWATER: 9 (1). 4 offshore, 5 pelagic. Several close
> approaches.
>
> White-chinned Petrel: 33 (12). Mostly pelagic but at least 10 followed
> us back into offshore waters in the PM.
>
> Grey-faced Petrel: 3 (1). All pelagic at the second berley stop.
>
> White-headed Petrel: 3 (1). All pelagic. All quite distant.
>
> GOULD’S PETREL: 12 (2). 10 pelagic, 1 offshore over 88 fathoms on the
> way out and another offshore over 67 fathoms on the way back in.
>
> COOK’S PETREL: 3 (1). All pelagic. Sadly all were rather distant.
>
> Little Penguin: 5 (1). All inshore.
>
> Australasian Gannet: 7 (2). 2 inshore in the AM, 5 inshore in the PM.
> Another 20 on the Hipploytes.
>
> Black-faced Cormorant: 25 (5). All inshore. Another 320 on the
> Hippolytes.
>
> Crested Tern: 30 (10). All inshore.
>
> Pacific Gull: 3 (1). All Ad inshore in the AM. Also 1 on the Hippolytes.
>
> Kelp Gull: 20 (5). All inshore in the AM. Also about 100 on and around
> the Hippolytes
>
> Silver Gull: 20 (5). 19 inshore, 1 pelagic. Also about 100 on the
> Hippolytes.
>
> —
> Rohan Clarke
> www.wildlifeimages.com.au
>
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—
Rohan Clarke
www.wildlifeimages.com.au

Latest updates
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