Trip Report
Monday 4 December 2004
Another fascinating day on the Hauraki Gulf yesterday. Seven of us headed
out from Sandspit - departed 9AM in light winds and occasional drizzle.
Wharf crammed with folks heading for Kawau for DoC's Carnival at Mansion
House Bay. Obviously the damp conditions weren't going to put people off
- brilliant.
Leaving the party-goers behind we headed out in a big circuit of the
Outer Hauraki Gulf - chumming at six locations including three of our
regular points. Light conditions predominated for the most of the day,
rising to about 10kns for a period later in the day. Drizzle came and
went but the low cloud cover persisted throughout the day.
Birds seen:
White-capped Albatross 1
Buller's Shearwater 100+ - mainly out beyond the Mokohinaus where we had
a fairly steady stream of birds
Flesh-footed Shearwaters 10s - scattered although these came to the chum
readily, with the exception of one location where Fleshies were almost
absent and replaced by Black Petrels
Little Shearwater 20-30
Fluttering Shearwaters 100+ - scattered small groups and only a couple
of sizeable feeding groups in association with WFSPs and White-fronted
Terns but nothing like the huge numbers we'd seen earlier in the week)
Black Petrel (9) 20+
Cook's Petrel 100s - very numerous and were spread from the shipping channel
between Kawau and Little Barrier Island all the way to the outer limits
of the HG. A good number were showing signs of moult! Came across a number
of small groups sitting on the water, but most birds were active. We had
probably the best viewing of them to date with lots of CPs circling close
to and often right over the back of the boat - though never feeding on
chum. Just adding to Sav's comments re. CPs off Tolaga Bay - CPs arrived
here in the Hauraki Gulf in early October which is what we'd expect. With
East Cape and the eastern seaboard of the North Island known to be a major
feeding area for CPs then absence there is intriguing to say the least.
In the late afternoon numbers appeared to be building near to LBI - a
beautiful sight. A number of pairs indulging in aerial chases across the
water.)
Pycroft's Petrel - at least a couple were picked out, and a number of
other Cookilaria pets were keenly discussed
Grey-faced Petrel 2
Fairy Prion 2 - so few even though we a reasonable distance outside the
Mokes
White-faced Storm Petrel 100+ - greatest numbers were inside LBI although
we saw them while steaming throughout the day, and saw them at each chumming
location
NZ Storm Petrel (4) no more than 6. A case of saving the 'best' for last?
We were down to the last of the chum and relying on the slick that had
been set up.
Re. NZSPs - We've been asked by a number of people why these birds
haven't been seen prior to Nov 2003. Good question and one a number of
people have been considering. While it is likely numbers have increased
and are therefore more visible (that is, wherever they are breeding, released
from predation pressure...) misidentification is probably a key factor.
Good example of this was seeing one bird zipping through at a distance
yesterday which could have been id'd as a diving petrel(!) to the naked
eye, such was it's flight pattern. That is, until it got to the chum slick,
where upon it wheeled and skipped... As for these little stormies having
been around for a while, then Croxall's account of two black and white
storm petrels seen while heading out to the Poor Knights in 1969 is worth
reading (Notornis 17(1): 76). Also, it is only recently there have been
regular pelagic birdwatching trips to the Outer Hauraki Gulf. And yes,
NZSP has yet to be confirmed as the same bird described from skins held
at Tring and Paris, but there can be no question they are the New Zealand
Storm Petrel of the moment.
Common Diving Petrel 10+ - again remarkably few given the numbers we'd
seen over previous weeks, especially in light airs or calm conditions
Blue Penguin 20+
A Gannet 100+ - also birds on nests at Maori Rocks colony
Brown Skua 1
Black-backed Gull
Red-billed Gull
White-fronted Tern
Checked for Grey Ternlets 0 Note: last couple of seasons they didn't
show up until January.
Common Dolphin (about 15 feeding quite slowly in the Shipping Channel)
Plus one Arrow Squid - caught while trying to add some fresh fish for
chumming
Back at Sandspit at 7PM.
--Chris Gaskin
Pterodroma Pelagics - Hauraki Gulf Seabird Tours
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