28 June 2026 Report
OVERVIEW
Overcast with distant showers, otherwise fine while at sea. 18C. Winds mostly easterly, up to 12 knots. Seas to 0.5m. Sea surface temperatures 19.5C.
TRIP SUMMARY
Private charter for Cumberland Bird Observers Club (CBOC).
What a day! After yesterday's mega day we weren't too sure where we could go from there. Last year's CBOC pelagic trip included the mega rarity Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross. Well, we repeated the 'mega' trip again. For many CBOC members this was their introduction to pelagic birding and they certainly hit the jackpot with the trip.
On the trip we had four BLUE PETRELS and two distant LIGHT-MANTLED SOOTY ALBATROSSES. Two of the Blue Petrels joined us at the shelf drift. We crossed paths with the other two during the return leg. One was seen some 5km from the heads.
Besides the megas, the mix and activity of Albatrosses was exceptional. We had species from three of the four genera of albatrosses. The mix included multiple mollymooks, two sooties and six great albatrosses. Of the great albatrosses, interestingly one had a spectacled appearance and the other was a beautiful chocolate brown youngster.
The other secondary highlight, which would have been the primary highlight on a typical day, was an Antarctic Prion. It had to take a back seat for the megas!
Other species seen were two Cape Petrels (probably capense), both species of Giant-Petrels, Wilson's Storm-Petrels, Providence Petrels, Fluttering Shearwaters, Australasian Gannets and of course the expected Crested Tern and Silver Gulls. One eagle-eyed CBOC member spotted a White-fronted Tern in the harbour. They are typically not encountered in the harbour itself, so worth a mention.
Sea critters included many Humpback whales and a pod of Common bottlenose dolphins. There was another unidentified species with the bottlenoses.
BIRD LIST
(Note that the numbers in parentheses represent the approximate maximum number of that species in view at one time)
| Silver Gull | 65 | (50) |
| White-fronted Tern | 1 | (1) |
| Greater Crested Tern | 1 | (1) |
| Antipoden Albatross (Gibson's) | 5 | 5 |
| Antipodean Albatross | 1 | (1) |
| Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross | 4 | (4) |
| Buller's Albatross | 3 | (3) |
| Shy Albatross | 2 | (2) |
| Black-browed Albatross | 19 | (13) |
| Campbell Albatross | 3 | (3) |
| LIGHT-MANTLED SOOTY ALBATROSS | 2 | (1) |
| Wilson's Storm Petrel | 25 | (20) |
| Northern Giant Petrel | 4 | (2) |
| Southern Giant Petrel | 1 | (1) |
| BLUE PETREL | 4 | (2) |
| Pintado Petrel | 2 | (1) |
| Providence Petrel | 27 | (23) |
| Fluttering Shearwater | 2 | (1) |
| Fairy Prion | 9 | (7) |
| Antarctic Prion | 1 | |
| Australasian Gannet | 23 | (5) |
OTHER
| Oceanic Bottlenose Dolphin | 20 |
| Humpback Whale | 7 |
Highlights
(Photographs Greg McLachlan).
Greg McLachlan
Greg McLachlan
Greg McLachlan
Greg McLachlan
Greg McLachlan
Greg McLachlan
Greg McLachlan
Greg McLachlan
Greg McLachlan
Greg McLachlan
Greg McLachlan
Greg McLachlan
Greg McLachlan
Greg McLachlan
Greg McLachlan
Greg McLachlan
Greg McLachlan
Greg McLachlan
Greg McLachlan