Trip Report
22 February 2003
Moderate to light SE winds meant no America's Cup sailing but a nice breeze and pleasant conditions further out in the Gulf. However, not the big numbers of birds as with the previous trip in January but excellent variety and some other fascinating highlights for a good all-round picture of marine life. The islands themselves are neat to get close to - real gems. 11people aboard for the trip plus Karen/Chris and Murray/Arthur (crew).
Birds were very spread out or in small scattered groups. A good number of birds were sitting on the water (individuals often close to rafts of seaweed, and groups: mostly Buller's sh. but also small mixed flocks of Cook's/Pycrofts and Buller's/Flesh-footed, also occasional Black Petrels).
Ti Point to Little Barrier
2 Reef Herons plus Pied Shags before departure at Ti Point
10s Buller's Shearwaters
10s Flesh-footed Shearwaters
Occasional Fluttering Shearwaters (real surprise as there are big numbers of these in the Inner Gulf - we saw plenty on previous days out from Gulf harbour and around Tiri)
100+ Cook's Petrels
10s Pycrofts Petrels (yes we feel confident about field ID of these guys)
1 Blue Penguin
10s A Gannets
Plus
1 Sei whale (excellent views); also saw another whale blow in the same vicinity (about a kilometre apart)
Little Barrier - Titoki Point (at anchor for 45mins)
8 Spur-winged Plover (small flock lifted off the end of the point and headed to the mainland)
Pied Shags
NZ pigeons
Kaka
Tui
Ongoing chorus of Bellbirds
Barbara couldn't resist hopping in the water.
Little Barrier to Mokohinaus
10s Cook's
10s Pycroft's
1 Black Petrel
A few Fluttering Shearwaters
10+ Flesh-footed Petrels
10+ A Gannets
1 dead gannet
Plus
Several large flying fish - brought smiles to faces after a period of few birds
1 sunfish!
Mokohinaus
12 grey ternlets roosting, 3 flying over water
100+ A Gannets (colony)
Black-backed gulls
Red-billed Gulls
White-fronted Terns
Pied Shags
Red-cr Parakeets
Tui
A Harriers
Mokohinaus to Hen & Chicks
Flock of starlings and 2 A Harriers over Groper Rock
Several Black Petrels
Several Flesh-footed Petrels
A few Fluttering Shearwaters
10s Cook's
10+ Pycroft's
3 White-faced Storm-Petrels
1 grey ternlet over water
1 dead Fluttering Shearwater near Groper Rock brought aboard for +ve ID
Plus
1 Orca fin sighted at a distance (couldn't pick it up after that)
Tried looping further to north over deeper water on this run (towards Poor Knights) but this yielded little.
Hen & Chicks
White-fronted terns
Black-backed gulls
Red-billed Gulls
Good numbers of Pied Shags close to shore
10s Buller's Shearwaters
1 Arctic Skua
10s Cook's Petrels
10s Pycrofts
10s A Gannets
5 Blue Penguins (nice pod of post moult birds - beautiful plumage)
Also
Red-crowned parakeet
Kaka
NZ pigeons
Reef Heron
A Harriers
Tui
Bellbirds
Heard NI Saddlebacks calling frequently
Hen Island to Ti Point
Started to get quite gloomy passing Sail Rock so high-tailed for home at 20 knots
Fl-footed Petrels
Black Petrels
Buller's Shearwaters
Cook's/Pycrofts Petrels
--Chris Gaskin & Karen Baird
Pterodroma Pelagics - Hauraki Gulf Seabird Tours
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