Trip Report
9&10 April 2004 - Overnight (Easter Trip)
Friday 9 April 2004 (Good Friday)
We departed Sandspit at 8AM. We had planned to go the night before but
the forecast was for pretty foul conditions - strong winds and big swell.
So decided to opt for the morning start and get to the east side of Great
Barrier Island as quickly as possible.
SW 10 knots (although calm at Sandspit) and Incoming Tide.
We started our birding day with Caspian Tern (2), Blue Penguins (small
pod), and the occasional Buller's Shearwater, Fluttering Shearwater, A
Gannet, White-fronted Tern and one Pied Shag.
Takatu Point to Little Barrier
Quite a few Buller's Shearwaters, Flesh-footed Shearwaters, White-fronted
Terns and the occasional Diving Petrel.
Caught sight of a big work up of 30+ Common Dolphins, Gannets, Flesh-footed
Shearwaters and two Bryde's Whales - the wheeling birds, spray from the
dolphins and the surge of the whales, an extraordinary sight against a
back drop of lead grey sky, slashes of sunlight and rainbow. Just another
day at the office!
Then fairly quiet through to Little Barrier although the wind was up
to 15 knots and sky was quiet threatening back over the mainland. Saw
just the occasional Buller's or Flesh-footed Shearwater. Saw another pod
of dolphins - Bottle-nosed this time with about 10 Flesh-footed Shearwaters
moving with them as we neared LBI. We were off Te Titoki Point at 9.50AM
then cruised around the south east coast of the island. Started heading
for Miner's Head and the Needles at the north end of Great Barrier at
10.05AM.
Little Barrier to Needles, Great Barrier Island
Fairly quiet initially in the lee of LBI but as we closed in on Miner's
Head the numbers of birds moving along the weather coast of Great Barrier
increased dramatically. Off Miner's Head we picked up a pod of 20+ Common
Dolphins, 50+ A gannets, 10+ Flesh-footed Shearwaters, 1 Sooty and a few
Buller's Shearwaters. Also two Red-billed Gulls to keep us on our toes!
At Needles Point there was a lot of activity - and saw a couple of Cookalaria
Petrels swinging through. Another pod of dolphins - Bottle-nosed Dolphin
this time. Also Diving Petrels and Fluttering Shearwaters.
Wind was about 20kns at this time. Little Barrier and the mainland was
lost in cloud and rain. We enjoyed a bright patch of sunshine at our lunch
spot in a snug cove behind the tip of Great Barrier. Pied Shag, Little
Shag (White-throated phase), Kingfisher, A Harrier, Black-backed and Red-billed
Gulls.
First Chumming Location
After lunch we headed straight out to where we could see birds flying
south to north across the wind - due north of Rakitu and over some uneven
submarine topography at 100m depth. SW 10-15kns.
Buller's Shearwater
Flesh-footed Shearwater
Fluttering Shearwater
Hutton's Shearwater 1 - the comment was if we'd seen this bird in Cook
Strait or at Kaikoura, there'd be no question. Off GBI a very dark Fluttering?
The joys of pelagic birding!
Black Petrel
Diving Petrel - occasionally zipping through off the stern.
A few Grey-faced Petrels flicked through
Also one bird - Black-winged Petrel although the black underwing lines
reached the body and were very solid all the way. Head was very dark grey
and neck-side patches that appeared as a breast-band. In fact when first
seen flying away from the boat the whole head looked dark. While some
discussion about Chatham Petrel followed (as we headed to Rakitu) the
dark underwing pattern was not as solid close to the body as for that
bird. Chris has sketches in his field book.
As we reached Rakitu we watched another pod of Bottle-nosed Dolphins
feeding along the edge of cliffs.
Anchored in Rakitu Cove and after a cuppa went ashore. After chatting
to the caretakers we climbed to the cliffs on the south side of the island
and the high point on eastern end. Wonderful place. Birds seen: Brown
Teal (12), Welcome Swallow (10+), Kingfisher (10), Weka (5), Spur-winged
Plover (2), Paradise Shelduck (2), Goldfinch, Starling, NZ Pigeon (4),
House Sparrow, Grey Warbler (1), Myna (2) and A Harrier (3).
Second Chumming Location
At 5PM headed out to the east of Rakitu - amazing what a difference there
is in a couple of hours, particularly as the afternoon was getting on
and the sun was well down when we finished. SW 10kns
Good numbers of Diving Petrels flying through (20+)
Black Petrel - 10+
Grey-faced petrel - large numbers at this time. A lot flying were through
South to North - heading for the Mokes?
Fluttering Shearwater - 4
Flesh-footed Shearwater - by this time there were only a handful
Fairy Prions 2
Headed back into Rakitu Cove for dinner and the night.
Saturday 10 April 2004
Rakitu to the Hauraki Canyon (300m Line)
Breakfast and some fishing to increase our chum stocks at first light.
SW-W 10kns
From Rakitu we were able to head north towards the Hauraki Canyon and
the edge of the warm East Auckland Current. It was fairly quiet on the
long run north with the occasional Buller's and Flesh-footed Shearwaters,
Diving Petrels, Fairy Prions, Black and Grey-faced Petrels and one Black-winged
Petrel. Not to mention a 28lb Yellow-finned Tuna and several Skipjacks
- the former for the grill, latter we held onto for chum. At 350m we were
noticing a build-up in the numbers of birds and decided on a spot to start
chumming. From there the contours show a fairly steep drop-off.
Then just we thought we had the movement of NZSPs sussed - that they
would be migrating right away from the Outer Hauraki Gulf for the winter
- something new turns up...
At the very moment Brett went forward to lay the sea anchor one NZSP
flicked past - about 15m from the boat. The boat was still moving! This
meant some frantic action to get the burley bags and some fish pieces
(chum) into the water. Immediately another NZSP turned up. In the hour
and half we chummed this location we estimated possibly as many as 30
NZSPs. Although counting accurately in these conditions was difficult,
especially with the birds moving about in the frenetic manner which is
so typical of the bird. So, we can now confirm that we have now located
in April as many NZSPs as we'd ever seen in one location over summer.
Other birds seen at this location:
Campbell Albatross 1
Black-browed Albatross (juv) 1
Grey-faced petrels (most numerous birds seen at that spot) 50+
Buller's Shearwaters (good numbers still, so many have not yet migrated
away) 10+
Black Petrels 10+ (including one with a band on its right leg)
Fairy Prions 10+
Flesh-footed Shearwaters 5
White-faced SP 2
Hauraki Canyon to Mokohinau Island Group
However, such a location (over the Hauraki Canyon) is a pig of place when
the SW wind (and sea) gets up - which it did. There was much cursing of
weather forecasters as we crashed our way back. The wind by this time
was up to 30 knots - gusting well over that and the sea all over the place.
Of course the irony was that had the forecasters got it right we wouldn't
have ventured that far out and be completely ignorant that good numbers
of NZSPs are still in the general area. In fact at the moment they far
outnumber White-faced Stormies - we saw just two WFSPs while chumming
at the location.
Didn't see a great deal on this leg - too busy hanging on and very little
to see as waves crashed over the boat. But just north of the Mokes there
was a very large well-spread group of Fairy Prions (200-300) wheeling
through and feeding over a wide area. We didn't really want to stay too
long in these conditions.
Mokohinau (Burgess Island) to Sandspit
It was welcome relief we when we reached the lee of Burgess Island and
anchored in House Bay. We spent about an hour there then did a little
tiki tour sneaking in and out of the islands before venturing back out
into the wind and seas. We contemplated another night out but with no
guarantees (!) from the forecasters that the next day would be any better
we decided to head back to Sandspit as planned. Actually the wind started
to drop off as we passed Little Barrier and it shifted more West which
made the ride the rest of the way a lot easier.
Nothing new in terms of seabirds on this leg.
--Chris Gaskin & Karen Baird
Pterodroma Pelagics - Hauraki Gulf Seabird Tours
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