Trip Report
11 October 2003
After abandoning the trip scheduled for the 4th we were all determined to 'get out there' whatever the conditions. Forecast for Saturday was hardly brilliant with horrendous stuff forecast for later in the day. We scrapped our usual goal to be sitting off one of the breeding colonies at nightfall in favour of making the most of a fine morning - a rarity for Auckland in the past couple of months. These conditions held until early afternoon.
As we gathered on the wharf at Ti Point about 10 bottle-nose dolphins cruised up the channel, then did a circuit through the moored boats followed by a couple of kayakers. Watched a flock of about 100 godwits settle on the beach at Omaha Spit in the distance. Glen picked up a banded rail on his drive through, and Alan & Robert were a wee bit late having decided a close look at some Kookabura's was worth while. Birders - don't you love 'em.
Route scheduled for the day aboard HAWERE: Ti Point -> Leigh Reef -> Little Barrier -> Mokohinaus -> Hen & Chickens -> Leigh Reef -> Ti Point (note change below):
Leigh Reef to Little Barrier
Very little wind - 1m swell.
50+ Red-billed Gulls at Leigh Reef (our first waypoint)
15 Fluttering Shearwaters resting
3 Bryde's Whales from 50m
Then an extraordinary sighting of 3 Bryde's Whales to the north of our course. Spent about 20mins watching enthralled as 3 Bryde's Whales swam around us feeding.
20-30 White-faced Storm-petrels spread out feeding/flying, some very close to the two pods of whales; then 100s later on this leg quite evenly spaced, wonderful sight
3 Flesh-footed Shearwaters on the water
4 Buller's Shearwaters on the water
30+ Common Diving Petrels in a wide group, then individuals spread out later on this leg
2 Blue Penguins
20+ A Gannets flying, then a spread group of 20+ close to Little Barrier
1 Pied Shag at Te Titoki Point
Sunshine and sunbathing on the deck during lunch.
Little Barrier to Mokohinaus
Wind 5-10knots, and sky clouding over rather rapidly
200+ Fluttering Shearwaters in a feeding mob just north of Little Barrier (with 1 A Gannet and 2 Buller's Sh)
100s of Fluttering Shearwaters - in small tight and loose groups across the first half of this leg
30+ Bullers Shearwaters
20+ Common Diving Petrels
10s Cook's Petrels scattered
3 Black Petrels
3 Cape Petrels midway across this leg)
1 Fairy Prion (closing in on Mokes)
12 White-fronted Terns on Simpson's Rock
2 A Gannets
Maori Rocks to Mokohinaus
By this time rain was starting to set in. Sky very, very black to the north
100+ Buller's Shearwaters on the inside of Maori Rocks - resting
70-100 Buller's Shearwaters outside of Maori Rocks with 30+ Red-billed Gulls, 2 Flesh-footed Shearwaters, 2 Grey-faced Petrels and 1 Fairy Prion
Big boil-up of Trevally with attendant 40+ Buller's Sh, Red-billed Gulls and White-fronted Terns
On Maori Rocks themselves
150+ Gannets on nests
200+ White-fronted Terns
300+ Red-billed Gulls
1 Pied Shag
No positive sighting of Grey Ternlets - however there appeared to some 'smaller' birds in a group amongst White-fronted terns, unfortunately with the big 2m swell we couldn't get close enough to confirm this.
Afternoon tea in the lee of Burgess Island.
Mokohinaus to Hen & Chicks
With the weather packing in we decided to run 12nms along the line between Mokes and Chicks - to a waypoint just west of the shipping channel - then turn for home.
20+ Flesh-footed Shearwaters
10s Buller's Shearwaters
100+ Fluttering Shearwater (particularly in the first 4nms) then scattered
30+ Common Diving Petrel, then 20+ further on
30+ Cook's Petrels (not easy conditions to separate ID other Cook's)
10+ Fairy Prion
5+ of White-faced Storm-Petrels
1 Cape Petrel
1 Blue Penguin
5+ A Gannets
Northerly Waypoint to Cape Rodney
Basically, this leg was a run in a line inshore of the shipping channel. Not great weather although the rain eased about halfway down encouraging some to get back on the foredeck.
10s Fluttering Shearwaters - scattered, then a couple of largish mobs (100+) further down the track
10s Buller's Shearwaters - scattered
10+ Flesh-footed Shearwaters
10+ Fairy Prions
10s White-faced Storm-petrels - scattered in twos and threes, as well as couple of areas where the birds were evenly spaced across 200-300m; also a tighter group of 100+
5+ Cook's Petrel
1 Sooty Shearwater
5+ Common Diving Petrels
1 Blue Penguin
A Gannets
Black-backed Gulls
White-fronted Terns
Caspian Tern
Red-billed Gulls (colony at Cape Rodney)
--Chris Gaskin & Karen Baird
Pterodroma Pelagics - Hauraki Gulf Seabird Tours
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