Birds Australia Vic Group Pelagic off Portland, Victoria, Sunday 03 October 2010
Participants: Roy Bryant, Mike Honeyman, Paul Dodd, Ruth Woodrow, Marlene Lyall, Brian Johnstone, Euan Moore, Patrick Scully, Dirk Tomsa, Wulan Dirgantoro, Dave Torr & Peter Lansley (organiser and report compiler).
Activity: Aboard the Southern Pride, skippered by Shannon Churchill and Peter the deckhand. Left Portland harbour at 07:30 eastern daylight time, passing north of Lawrence Rocks, staying close to the coast for about two nautical miles before turning south-west to the shelf. Travelled at 11-12 knots reaching the shelf at 0945 and the first berley point at 10:00 at 38° 41′ 03” S, 141° 22′ 55” E.
Berleyed here until 11:35 before moving to our second berley session at 38° 44′ 53” S, 141° 26′ 20” E where we stayed from 12:00 – 12:55.
A third berley stop was had at 38° 44′ 52” S, 141° 28′ 42” E, from 13:05 – 13:45, then headed back into port. Cruised down the western side of Lawrence Rocks then along the east observing the gannetry and other wildlife before returning to the harbour, docking at 16:30.
Conditions: Virtually calm on departure, then a light NE wind sprung up reaching moderate strength between 10:00 and 11:00 then moderating to light to very light in the afternoon. Small amount of spray when turning for home but few white-caps. Swell was 1 – 2 metres, increasing as we arrived at the shelf break but soon moderating with the breeze flattening out the waves so that by afternoon, a small swell of perhaps 0.5 metres, from the south west.
Bright and sunny conditions throughout, some cloud on the horizon developing in the afternoon. Temperatures mild, 23°C maximum on land.
A very pleasant day with no-one seasick.
Reasonable diversity with 20 species of seabird recorded beyond the harbour breakwater.
Highlights were the two forms of Royal Albatross, adult Wandering Albatross, Northern Giant Petrel and White-chinned Petrel. Nothing exceptional but enough to maintain interest. Plenty of photography.
Mammals: Common Dolphin: 3 in inshore waters in the am, following us briefly but not particularly lengthy views.
Australian Fur Seal. About 10 at Lawrence Rocks.
Birds Black-browed Albatross, all melanophris: 10 (3). One immature inshore, remainder pelagic. Mostly adults. 3 in offshore waters, remainder pelagic.
Shy Albatross cauta: 80 (50). 3 in inshore waters in the am, 20 (10) in offshore waters in am, remainder pelagic. Mostly adult with only a few (c. 5) immatures.
Yellow-nosed Albatross: 1. Offshore, seen by one observer.
Royal Albatross, 2 adults: 1 epomophora, 1 sanfordi, pelagic.
Wandering Albatross, 1 probable exulans stage 6, pelagic.
White-chinned Petrel: 1. Pelagic, at stops 2 & 3.
Northern Giant-Petrel: 1. Sub-adult, pelagic, stops 2 & 3.
Cape Petrel: 2(2). Pelagic.
Great-winged Petrel: 6(2). All macroptera. All pelagic.
Wilson’s Storm-Petrel: 5(2). All pelagic.
Grey-backed Storm-Petrel: 4(2). All pelagic.
White-faced Storm-Petrel: 8(2). All pelagic.
Fairy Prion 20(6). 6 (2) offshore, remainder pelagic.
Short-tailed Shearwater: 400 (80). 50 inshore, most offshore where est. 300 in large groups. Small numbers (3-4) pelagic waters at the back of the boat.
Fluttering Shearwater: 1 inshore in am, seen by one observer.
Australian Gannet: 60 (25). Mostly inshore, a few (<5) each offshore and pelagic. Mostly adults. Thousands on and around Lawrence Rocks and 100+ on Point Danger. Black-faced Cormorant: 1 inshore in the am, 60 ashore at Lawrence Rocks in the pm. Arctic Jaeger: 1 pale morph bird, pelagic waters stop 1 chasing a short-tailed shearwater. Crested Tern: 10 (4). 4 inshore, 2 or 3 each offshore and pelagic. Another 100 including juveniles in Portland Harbour, am. Silver Gull: 1 inshore in the am. Also in harbour. Extras: Pacific Gull: 1, 2ndyear bird in Portland harbour. White-bellied Sea-Eagle, 1 sub adult on Lawrence Rocks, pm. ============================== To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au
http://birding-aus.org ==============================
Peter,
I may be missing something but can you explain difference (or distances used to determine) inshore, offshore and pelagic please? Particularly the latter two.
Cheers
Alan
Birds Australia Vic Group Pelagic off Portland, Victoria, Sunday 03 October 2010
Participants: Roy Bryant, Mike Honeyman, Paul Dodd, Ruth Woodrow, Marlene Lyall, Brian Johnstone, Euan Moore, Patrick Scully, Dirk Tomsa, Wulan Dirgantoro, Dave Torr & Peter Lansley (organiser and report compiler).
Activity: Aboard the Southern Pride, skippered by Shannon Churchill and Peter the deckhand. Left Portland harbour at 07:30 eastern daylight time, passing north of Lawrence Rocks, staying close to the coast for about two nautical miles before turning south-west to the shelf. Travelled at 11-12 knots reaching the shelf at 0945 and the first berley point at 10:00 at 38° 41′ 03” S, 141° 22′ 55” E.
Berleyed here until 11:35 before moving to our second berley session at 38° 44′ 53” S, 141° 26′ 20” E where we stayed from 12:00 – 12:55.
A third berley stop was had at 38° 44′ 52” S, 141° 28′ 42” E, from 13:05 – 13:45, then headed back into port. Cruised down the western side of Lawrence Rocks then along the east observing the gannetry and other wildlife before returning to the harbour, docking at 16:30.
Conditions: Virtually calm on departure, then a light NE wind sprung up reaching moderate strength between 10:00 and 11:00 then moderating to light to very light in the afternoon. Small amount of spray when turning for home but few white-caps. Swell was 1 – 2 metres, increasing as we arrived at the shelf break but soon moderating with the breeze flattening out the waves so that by afternoon, a small swell of perhaps 0.5 metres, from the south west.
Bright and sunny conditions throughout, some cloud on the horizon developing in the afternoon. Temperatures mild, 23°C maximum on land.
A very pleasant day with no-one seasick.
Reasonable diversity with 20 species of seabird recorded beyond the harbour breakwater.
Highlights were the two forms of Royal Albatross, adult Wandering Albatross, Northern Giant Petrel and White-chinned Petrel. Nothing exceptional but enough to maintain interest. Plenty of photography.
Mammals: Common Dolphin: 3 in inshore waters in the am, following us briefly but not particularly lengthy views.
Australian Fur Seal. About 10 at Lawrence Rocks.
Birds Black-browed Albatross, all melanophris: 10 (3). One immature inshore, remainder pelagic. Mostly adults. 3 in offshore waters, remainder pelagic.
Shy Albatross cauta: 80 (50). 3 in inshore waters in the am, 20 (10) in offshore waters in am, remainder pelagic. Mostly adult with only a few (c. 5) immatures.
Yellow-nosed Albatross: 1. Offshore, seen by one observer.
Royal Albatross, 2 adults: 1 epomophora, 1 sanfordi, pelagic.
Wandering Albatross, 1 probable exulans stage 6, pelagic.
White-chinned Petrel: 1. Pelagic, at stops 2 & 3.
Northern Giant-Petrel: 1. Sub-adult, pelagic, stops 2 & 3.
Cape Petrel: 2(2). Pelagic.
Great-winged Petrel: 6(2). All macroptera. All pelagic.
Wilson’s Storm-Petrel: 5(2). All pelagic.
Grey-backed Storm-Petrel: 4(2). All pelagic.
White-faced Storm-Petrel: 8(2). All pelagic.
Fairy Prion 20(6). 6 (2) offshore, remainder pelagic.
Short-tailed Shearwater: 400 (80). 50 inshore, most offshore where est. 300 in large groups. Small numbers (3-4) pelagic waters at the back of the boat.
Fluttering Shearwater: 1 inshore in am, seen by one observer.
Australian Gannet: 60 (25). Mostly inshore, a few (<5) each offshore and pelagic. Mostly adults. Thousands on and around Lawrence Rocks and 100+ on Point Danger.
Black-faced Cormorant: 1 inshore in the am, 60 ashore at Lawrence Rocks in the pm.
Arctic Jaeger: 1 pale morph bird, pelagic waters stop 1 chasing a short-tailed shearwater.
Crested Tern: 10 (4). 4 inshore, 2 or 3 each offshore and pelagic. Another 100 including juveniles in Portland Harbour, am.
Silver Gull: 1 inshore in the am. Also in harbour.
Extras: Pacific Gull: 1, 2ndyear bird in Portland harbour.
White-bellied Sea-Eagle, 1 sub adult on Lawrence Rocks, pm.
============================== To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) href="mailto:birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au">birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au
http://birding-aus.org ==============================
============================== To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) href=”mailto:birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au
http://birding-aus.org ==============================