Southport Pelagics (Paul Walbridge)

Sightings anywhere within a 250 km radius of Toowoomba, but excluding the local survey area (see above), for the period 1 Mar - 31 May 2010.

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Mick Atzeni
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Southport Pelagics (Paul Walbridge)

Post by Mick Atzeni »

Copy of Birding-Aus report, with Paul's permission. Thanks Paul.
To: <birding-aus@vicnet.net.au>
Subject: Southport Pelagic 27th March.
From: "Paul Walbridge" <paul_walbridge@health.qld.gov.au>
Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2010 07:19:11 +1000


Southport Pelagic 27th March 2010

Vessel: M.V. Grinner, 37 ft Steber monohull.
Skipper: Craig Newton.
Leader & Orginizer: Paul Walbridge
Pax: Rob Morris, Chris Attewell, Rod Gardner, Larry Dunis, Stuart
Warren, Kevin Delahoy, Jim Sneddon, Andy Jensen, Brian Tynan, Owen
Prowse, Andrew Stafford, Judy Leitch, Robert Meagher, Carl Billingham.

Weather conditions: With a high over the Tasman and a ridge extending
up the Queensland coast, light S-ESE winds to less than 10 knots
prevalent throughout the day. Some light cloud present most of the day
with the occasional scudding squall passing by. Visibility, generally
very good, maximum air temp. 29* C. Barometer 1020 hPa.

Sea conditions: Calm seas on less than 1 metre swell for most of the
day with at times, mirror like conditions. Sea-surface temps. 25.3* C at
the Seaway, rising to 26.4* C halfway across the Shelf and 27.4* C out
wide. EAC at widest point running 2.7 knots N*S.

Summary: Left the Southport Seaway at 0635 hrs and headed ENE to the
area of ridges and canyons known as Jims Mountain approx. 26 nm from the
Seaway. Reached the final drift point at 1015 hrs where we drifted south
approx. 7 nm until it was time to head back at 1250 hrs. Arrived back at
the Seaway at 1530 hours, total duration of trip 8 hrs 57 mins.

On leaving the Seaway there was a fair bit of boating (fishing
activity) but few trawlers and only a few Silver Gulls, Crested Terns
and Wedge-tailed Shearwaters present. After a few miles of travel the
skipper loaded up a berley bag to be dragged behind. Unlike the previous
month however and probably due to the lack of wind, very little appeared
behind the vessel, just the occasional Wedge-tailed Shearwater. One or
two Fluttering Shearwaters passed astern plus a lone Arctic Jaeger but
the first surprise of the day was the appearance of the first Tahiti
Petrel at 0833 hrs, still well on the Shelf at roughly the 50 fathom
mark.

On reaching Jim*s Mountain at 1015 hrs started the drift and on
throwing berley over the first Wilson*s Storm Petrel appeared in the
slick. There was several game boats after marlin present and near one of
them large numbers of cetaceans were sighted along with large tuna. We
headed over to this area but whatever baitfish were being worked must
have been down deep and just one or two Wedge-tailed Shearwaters
present. Continued the drift from this location and very gradually birds
started to appear but not in any great variety, just Tahiti Petrels a
Flesh-footed Shearwater and another Wilson*s Storm Petrel, when the
surprise bird of the day appeared in the shape of an immature Masked
Booby. This bird made several passes around the vessel, diving for bait
fish, not a species we see every year.

Over the next two hours or so more birds continued to appear from
downwind, such as it was and the dominant species by far was Tahiti
Petrel, followed by Wilson*s Storm Petrel. A lone Pomarine Jaeger
appeared in the slick harassing the shearwaters and just about in full
plumage with near full *spoons*. The wind by now was near
non-existent with the water looking quite *glassy* and many of the
birds being more content to rest on the water than feeding.

Steamed back for home at 1250 hrs and after just a few minutes a lone
juvenile Common Noddy crossed astern, then nothing for several minutes
until almost back onto the Shelf when the second Masked Booby of the day
appeared. This bird showed several plumage differences to the first bird
and it too made several passes around the now stationary vessel, diving
for surface fish, the last Tahiti Petrel of the day appeared with this
bird. The remainder of the trip was mainly uneventful and the only new
species being added were a lone Hutton*s Shearwater and a fishing
party of Little Terns just before the Seaway.



Species:

Wilson*s Storm Petrel * 15 (6)
Wedge-tailed Shearwater * 34 (5)
Flesh-footed Shearwater * 9 (3)
Fluttering Shearwater * 5 (1)
Hutton*s Shearwater * 1
Tahiti Petrel * 35 (10)
Masked Booby - 2
Pied Cormorant * 1
Pomarine Jaeger * 1
Arctic Jaeger * 1
Common Noddy -1
Little Tern * 8
Common Tern * 7 (5)
Crested Tern * 51 (20)
Silver Gull * 110 (60)

Cetaceans:

Risso*s Dolphin * 4+
Offshore Bottlenosed Dolphin * 30+
Common Dolphin (Long-beaked) * 4+

The next Southport Pelagic is in April 17th with a few spaces still
available. Contact Paul Walbridge on (PH) (W) 07 3139 4258 (H) 07 3256
4124
E-mail: Paul_Walbridge@health.qld.gov.au

Cheers * Paul W.
Michael Atzeni
7 Woden St, Murphys Creek 4352
Mob: 0499 395 485
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Mick Atzeni
Posts: 1843
Joined: Sun Dec 11, 2005 9:08 pm

April report

Post by Mick Atzeni »

Here's Paul's April trip report to Birding-Aus as well:
To: <birding-aus@vicnet.net.au>
Subject: Southport Pelagic 17th April 2010.
From: "Paul Walbridge" <paul_walbridge@health.qld.gov.au>
Date: Mon, 19 Apr 2010 07:25:36 +1000

Hi All, here is the trip report for Saturday;




Pelagic Trip Report 17th April
2010



Vessel: M.V.Grinner.
Skipper: Craig Newton.

Leader & Organizer: Paul Walbridge.
Pax: Richard Baxter, Inger Van Dyke, Trevor Skipper, Carol Skipper,
Heyn De Kock, Brian Russell, Rob Morris, Julie Sarna, Cheryl Arnott,
Stuart Warren.

Weather Conditions: A near stationary high over the Tasman caused a
ridge to form up the Queensland coast. Light SW winds inshore early,
soon swinging around to SSE-SE and gradually increasing during the day
to maximum velocity of about 20+ knots late afternoon. Generally fine
but with light to moderate cloud cover for most of the day with some
slow moving rain squalls out wide. Visibility very good, max. air temp.
25*C, barometric pressure, 1020 hPa.

Sea Conditions: Varying conditions, seas to 1.5 metres on up to 2+
metre swell early on moderating slightly out wide in the drift but
chopping up again with increasing winds on the way back. Sea surface
temps. 24.1*C at the Seaway, 25.7*C at the Shelf-break & 26.4*C at
widest drift point. EAC running at just over a knot out wide.

Summary: Left the Seaway at 0650 hrs and proceeded as quickly as
conditions would allow out toward Jim*s Mountain (which we didn*t
reach) arriving at the drift point just after the Shelf-break at 1035
hrs approx. 24 nm ENEof Southport Seaway. Maintained this drift until
1300 hrs, we then headed for home, arriving back at the Seaway at 1600
hrs. Total duration of trip, 9 hrs 10 mins.

On leaving the Seaway, not much activity but a lone trawler was noted
just to the NE making its way back, so headed toward it. Nothing of real
note behind this vessel, just the usual Crested Terns, Silver Gulls and
a few late Wedge-tailed Shearwaters but also three species of Cormorant.
Continued on our way across the Shelf with the first Wilson*s Storm
Petrels appearing well before the Shelf-break plus a lone Short-tailed
Shearwater and the first *good* bird of the day in the shape of a
very pale intermediate Kermadec Petrel appearing briefly around the
vessel on just reaching *Slope* waters. A fair bit of baitfish was
detected on the sounder and there was a game-fishing tournament being
conducted in the general area so it was decided to drift.

The first Tahiti Petrel soon appeared followed quickly by a Providence
Petrel and several Wilson*s Storm Petrels and these species plus one
or two Wedge-tailed Shearwaters were basically it for the next hour
until a second different, darker plumaged, intermediate Kermadec
Petrel appeared which approached very closely, for the cameras.
Flesh-footed Shearwaters had now started to appear when the surprise
bird of the day appeared heading upwind toward the slick, a lone
White-faced Storm Petrel. In more than three decades of pelagic trips
off of Brisbane & Southport this species hadn*t been sighted, now
there are records for the last two April trips. A few more Tahiti
Petrels, Wilson*s Storm Petrels and Providence Petrels continued to
appear from downwind and then a 3rd Kermadec appeared, this time an all
dark bird.

About half an hour into the trip back home and back on the Shelf an
adult White-tailed Tropicbird was flushed up from the sea-surface,
providing good views for most but it quickly headed off eastward. Not
much then of note, save for a few Wilson*s Storm Petrels and both
Wedge-tailed & Flesh-footed Shearwaters, until just a few miles east of
the Seaway a full adult Masked Booby circled the vessel briefly. It
should be noted that sizeable flying fish were sighted quite close in to
the coast; boobies of all species love to chase them down. The only new
species then added was a lone Fluttering Shearwater, shortly before
entering the Seaway.


Species:

White-Tailed Tropicbird * 1
Wilson*s Storm-Petrel * 45 (10)
White-faced Storm-Petrel - 1
Wedge-tailed Shearwater * 53 (20)
Flesh-footed Shearwater * 7
Short-tailed Shearwater * 1
Fluttering Shearwater * 1
Tahiti Petrel * 9 (2)
Kermadec Petrel * 3 (1)
Providence Petrel * 12 (3)
Masked Booby * 1
Great Cormorant * 1
Little Black Cormorant * 1
Pied Cormorant * 4
Pomarine Jaeger * 1
Crested Tern * 26 (20)
Silver Gull * 43 (40)


Cetaceans:

Offshore Bottle-nose Dolphin * 1+
Common Dolphin * 10

The next trip is on the 15th of May with several spots still available.
Contact Paul Walbridge on (W) (07) 3139 4258, (H) (07) 3256 4124 or
e-mail: Paul_Walbridge@health.qld.gov.au
Cheers * Paul W.
Michael Atzeni
7 Woden St, Murphys Creek 4352
Mob: 0499 395 485
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