Trip Report
5 March 2005
STEWART ISLAND PELAGIC
11 of us departed Halfmoon Bay, Stewart Island for an all-day pelagic,
weather SW 10kns at the Bay, with ominous rain clouds building in the
west and south. Forecasts had been all over the place in recent days however
the immediate forecast was for favourable conditions. Favourable, enough
to attempt another circum-navigation of the Island. We opted to head around
the north coast first. Our route was as follows: Halfmoon Bay to Saddle
Point/Black Rock Point; through the Rugged Islands to Codfish (all in
clear weather); down across Mason Bay checking out Mason Reef on the way
(by this time we had 3m swell, but with 5-10kns SW, overcast); as we reached
the south end of the island the misty rain that shrouded Gog, Magog and
South Cape had cleared; we lunch at Nicholsons Harbour just to the west
of South-west Cape after checking out some penguins on Big South Cape);
we cruised(!) inside Murphys Rock (spectacular with the big surge washing
over its crown) and under the granite sentinels of South Cape; a chumming
session off Broad Bay before heading across to North Trap, a superb rollicking
ride with a following 4m swell, wind NE 5-10kns (overcast with fine breaks);
another chumming session amongst the outcrops at North Trap; north to
Big (Wreck) Reef (light rain); Tia Island (outside Port Adventure) for
the spectacle of huge rafts of sooties gathering before dusk; then back
home (NE 5kns, light rain).
Birds seen
Gibson's Albatross - 5 (all seen along the south coast)
Southern Royal Albatross - 8 (all but one seen along the south coast,
the last we saw off Halfmoon Bay)
White-capped Albatross - 300+ (seen through out the trip, but the sight
of 50 or so plus some Buller's and the occasional Royal/Wanderer flying
alongside and off the stern as we surfed the swell was a sight to remember)
Salvin's Albatross - 4 (seen off Masons Bay and South Cape)
Buller's Albatross - 30+ (seen throughout the trip)
Sooty Shearwater - 1000s (seen in big numbers throughout the trip, especially
along the south and east coasts; big rafts gathering towards dusk)
Hutton's Shearwater - 7 (3 seen off South Cape, and 4 more seen off East
Cape; we also saw 4 when we crossed Foveaux Strait the day before)
Mottled Petrel - 150+(all but one seen along the south and east coasts;
the bird of the trip - a stunner!)
Cook's Petrel - 5+ (seen off east coast later in the day)
Cape Petrel (Snares) - 3 (so few!)
Common Diving Petrel - 100s (very few until we closed in on the southern
end of the island, then many after we rounded South Cape)
Fairy Prion - 5 (near North Trap)
Grey-backed Storm Petrel - 3 (off South Cape and at a distance, no stormies
approached the boat while chumming)
White-faced Storm Petrel - 2 (one seen with the Grey-backed, and one later
on near Big Reef)
Fiordland Crested Penguin - 10 (4 seen on Big South Cape, and a small
pod of 6 in the water between South Cape and North Trap)
Blue Penguin - 5 (seen in the water early in the day)
Yellow-eyed Penguin - 1 (one seen in the water off the bow, East Cape)
Brown Skua - 2 (stack near Big South Cape Island)
Black-backed Gull - 10s
Red-billed Gull - 100s
White-fronted Tern - 10s
Black-fronted Tern - 10+
Antarctic Tern - 13 (near South-west Cape, including six mobbing a harrier)
Once again it was great to be able to do a circuit of Stewart Island (NZ's
third largest island is a big island with superb coastal vistas) and the
numbers of birds along the south coast of the Island 'bewildering', 'phenomenal....
We were very lucky with the weather.
Chris Gaskin
Pterodroma Pelagics
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