Trip Report
8 November 2004
Ten of us, plus our skipper headed out for a Hauraki Gulf pelagic 7.20AM
8 November from Sandspit. Light southerly (5-10kns increasing to 20kns
later beyond Little Barrier); wind died away in mid-afternoon to calm.
Northerly swell noticeable in outer Gulf. Fine conditions.
All but one on board (plus skipper) needed to get off at Tiri mid afternoon,
which cut into the day effectively making it a half-day trip.
From Takitu Point it was quiet initially, slowly picking up Fluttering
Shearwaters more and more as we reached the Shipping Channel. Also, one
Blue Penguin, then a group of A Gannets diving, also a pod of Common Dolphins.
From about halfway across more Fluttering Shearwaters and also a few
Flesh-footed Shearwaters. At one point we picked up another pod of dolphins,
one Bryde's Whales and lot of bird activity (A Gannets, Fluttering and
Flesh-footed Shearwaters).
As we passed the western side of Little Barrier we could see a lot of
bird and dolphin activity along the Shipping Channel.
Once again things went quiet for a while until we again started picking
up Cook's Petrels, Flesh-footed and Fluttering Shearwaters, as well as
the occasional White-faced Storm Petrel NW of LBI. What was surprising
was the lack of Diving Petrels - on previous trips we had seen hundreds
in this area. Did see one Black Petrel with Flesh-footed Shearwaters.
Stopped to look at a dead Short-finned Pilot Whale.
First Chumming Location (just over mid-way between LBI and Groper
Rock/Mokohinaus) - wind was up to about 20kns S with a bit of chop, nothing
compared to previous month!
Birds seen:
Flesh-footed Shearwater 30+
Fluttering Shearwater 10+
Sooty Shearwater 2
Cook's Petrel 20+
Black Petrel 5+
Common Diving Petrel 5+
White-faced Storm Petrel 20-30
NZ Storm Petrel - (4) 10-25 during almost two hour's chumming this time
() = birds seen at any one time; second figure, total individual birds.
Took a while for first bird to show.
WFSPs included one that appeared very contrasty, a dark bird with dark
face and collar - almost to the extent of having a dark head. Upper surface
darker too. Very pale rump (almost white). It was the first stormy to
show and had one 'old NZSP hands' fooled when it first appeared and another
when it came back to the boat later on. Other WFSPs nearby could be seen
to be lighter on the upper surface with very obvious white markings on
the face. Last season we have seen what appear to be dark-faced WFSPs
and there is in the Auckland Museum's collection one bird collected near
North Cape that is dark down to the bill.
After two hours chumming we made our way to Little Barrier for lunch
- anchoring in a superb bay on the northern shore. Great viewing of Kaka,
Tui, Red-crowned Parakeet, NZ Pigeon, Welcome Swallow, Pied Shag and heard
Saddleback and Bellbird.
After lunch headed round East side of Little Barrier, passing close to
Lot's Wife, a tall outcrop about 100m offshore from LBI. White-fronted
Terns were feeding close by. Had a bit of look at the stack - to speculate
what potential it might have for a possible breeding site for NZSP. DOC
staff had been on it in recent years but had noticed nothing beyond Diving
Petrels.
From LBI we headed pretty much due South to Anchorite Rock (submerged
pinnacle). This is located between Tiri and the Colville Channel (including
Channel Island). The Noises are further to the South, a known White-faced
Storm Petrel breeding site.
Second Chumming Location - 5kns S, although a fairly noticeable
current was flowing.
After ¾ hour birds seen were:
Flesh-footed Shearwater 2
Fluttering Shearwater 1
White-faced Storm Petrel 4-6
Heard Blue Penguins calling about 50-100m from the boat.
So, this trip we tried chumming at two locations - one in an area we
saw NZSPs consistently last season, the other somewhere we'd not tried
before. NZSPs plus a lot of birds were seen at the former, only WFSPs
at the latter. Not sure how much can be drawn from this one trip but we
will try more 'new' and possibly unproductive locations (unproductive
for NZSP that is) with the aim of looking for patterns of distribution.
We managed to do this last season with the trips we ran. We have more
trips scheduled for this summer, which should give us more data to work
with, the aim being to determine where these NZSPs could be breeding.
On the run west to Tiri the wind died away completely. Saw Blue Penguins,
the occasional Fluttering and Flesh-footed Shearwaters AND one NZ Fur
Seal. This is the second seen by us in the Gulf in two weeks, appeared
smaller and younger, prob last year's male. For any Southerners reading
this NZ Fur Seals are very rare up this way - more often seen on the Auckland's
West Coast. Great to see them coming back after numbers were wiped a few
hundred years ago.
A fascinating day overall although there were some long passages of steaming
with very few birds.
- Chris Gaskin
Pterodroma Pelagics - Hauraki Gulf Seabird Tours
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