g’Day all
On Sunday afternoon (10/03/2011) with Pat May, Liz Znidersic and Geoff Lodge, we undertook a short trip off shore from St Helens searching for Great Shearwater. I had seen one last week about 5 Nm off St Helens Point and in light of other reports from all around the country we were all keen to search for more, hoping perhaps to find a “hot spot” where a few might be hanging around.
We departed at about 13.30 in the “Vulcan”, sailing for about 5 Nm south east of St Helens Point. Then turning south west and heading inshore eventually to circumnavigate Maraude (St Helens) Island then back out to sea again East for about 6 Nm. Then we crisscrossed northwards passing close to Merricks Reef and St Helens Point and entering the Barway entrance to George Bay just before dark at about 1800 hrs and arriving home in the dark at about 1900.
Although the afternoon trip commenced in light winds and calm seas, soon the wind was strengthening as a complex low pressure front approached. An intense low pressure system was forecast and we could see spectacular cloud banks approaching from the south and simultaneously from the west across the mountain ranges. From about 15.30 hrs, the wind sprung to the south east and was soon exceeding 25 knots and strengthening. This marked the end of a week of mild and calm weather in NE Tasmania but within the hour, the southeasterly gale was building and the sea state deteriorating quickly.
As the front approached, pelagic bird numbers increased remarkably. From the presence of only a hundred or two Short-tailed Shearwater, a couple of dozen mixed Albatross Spp and a few Gannets and Gulls, the atmosphere became suddenly alive with thousands of pelagic seabirds. Coming towards us from the south and first appearing as fast moving specs on the eastern horizon, soaring and then swooping out of nowhere flying rapidly downwind before the front and soon surrounding us in every direction. I have often heard how seabirds can move before a low pressure front but this was a sight to see.
From about 16.00 hrs to 17.40 hrs we sighted and photographed 4 separate Great Shearwaters, all solitary and flying rapidly down wind about between 4-6 Nm off shore.
At 1710 hrs, as we approached Merrik Reef about two Nm off shore, a medium/large pale phase petrel swooped low past us and then soared high. Initially I thought it was another Great Shearwater. Both Liz and I followed it, firing our Canons supported by a brief moment of afternoon sunlight. After reviewing the out of focus results, and because of its large size (20% greater than Short-tailed Shearwater) my initial leaning was towards Atlantic Petrel but after sharing the pics for an opinion and comments with experienced colleagues the id was clinched; a pale morph Kermadec Petrel. Liz and I wish to thank Geoffrey Jones (See http://www.barraimaging.com.au/aboutme.php) and Bill Wakefield for helping to confirm the identity of this bird.
Not long after at about 17.40 hrs, we approached St Helens Point, another Great Shearwater soared past us no more than 300 metres off shore. This one could have been scoped off land from St Helens Point. What a fantastic afternoon we had and only a few hours at sea. Then the rain started and it has not stopped since.
Regards
Ian May St Helens, Tasmania 7216 Mob: 0428337956
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Comments
2 responses to “Great Shearwaters / Kermadec Petrel off St Helens, Tasmania”
Hi john, I’m not sure that a hungry shearwater is necessarily doing badly or about to starve. The voracious Great off Sydney was freshly moulted and looked perfectly healthy. It is an interesting question, what all the Great shearwaters are doing in southern Australia. I wouldn’t assume that so many birds have taken a wrong turn, are lost and have made so many fatal mistakes. This is not a wreck after all (well, not yet, fingers crossed). Adults normally start migrating in April and don’t reach the North Atlantic until about mid May, so they are not really overdue there yet. This is just some rampant speculation – an alternative explanation to lost and confused birds: they need to migrate before winter, across the doldrums and the tropics; food will be scarce and winds will be light; they will need good fat reserves; normally they would regain weight in the South Atlantic after breeding; suppose food stocks crashed in those water this season, might they not take the roaring forties (the local public transport) eastwards to find food and accumulate fat reserves for the migration, rather than risk starving in the tropical Atlantic?
I hope these Great Shearwaters are still around in a month’s time for the May Sydney Pelagic.
However, these birds should be in the North Atlantic by now and have taken a wrong turn, I hope they get enough food this winter. I was concerned that the Sydney bird last week was feeding near the boat for a long time (means it’s hungry).
John Leonard