The first ever birding trip to the Queensland and Britannia Tablemounts

Friday 13th of April to Monday 16th April 2012.

The TexasT (image from website)

Looking aft (image from the website)

Sometimes opportunities have to be grabbed fast. An email from Paul Walbridge said that, due to a cancellation, two places were available on a pelagic trip to the seamounts off Southport, Queensland. Now, I have a particular thing about boats so when there is an opportunity to combine a boating trip with a birding trip I am in faster than a diving gannet. I rang Paul and grabbed one of the spots. Yea.

My cabin (image from the website)

Then I started on my research. Where were these seamounts? What birds are out there? Google Earth answered the first question for me and I found them about 100 nautical miles off the coast from Brisbane. For the second question I went to the BirdLife atlas website and there I found that no one had done a record sheet for that spot. It appeared that this was going to be the first trip ever to look for birds at these “tablemounts”. There might be anything out there.

Course map (Google Earth)

Then I went to the website for the boat we were to use, the TexasT. Not the most romantic name ever but the website showed me a “25 metre luxury motor yacht”. This was going to be some trip. I was going to be sharing an en-suite double cabin that even had its own TV. And for creature comforts she is fitted with a deck bar, teppanyaki BBQ (whatever that is), icemaker, stabilisers and a covered rear deck to keep the rain and sun off while we bird watch. Sigh, so different to anything I had ever been on. This was going to be fun.

I flew out of Melbourne and was collected in Brisbane by Paul and Kathy, Queenslanders are so nice, and we headed for Southport and the boat. She was moored at Sanctuary Cove, a nice enough little spot, and after dinner we went on board at 1900 and headed out to sea.

When we woke next morning, Saturday, we were about 100 nautical miles off the coast at the Queensland Seamount, and it was a perfect morning for a pelagic. The sun was out and the wind was about 25 knots from the south-east. As the TexasT has stabilisers there was no serious movement of the boat, not even enough to spill a cup of tea, and we sat down to breakfast with flocks of Flesh-footed and Great-winged Petrels circling in our wake. Once we started putting out some berley more and more birds arrived. Wilson’s Storm-petrels were first to join the berley slick and soon after, at 0915, the cry went out, “pale breasted storm petrel – and its got streaks!” All the cameras and binocular swung and sure enough, we had our first New Zealand Storm-petrel for the trip. There is going to be some study needed of the hundreds of photos taken over the two days but it looks like we ended up with about 10 different birds. What a wonderful find.

New Zealand Storm-petrel ©

New Zealand Storm-petrel ©

New Zealand Storm-petrel ©

In fact it really turned out to be a storm-petrel trip as we ended up with five different species; White-faced, Black-bellied, White-bellied, Wilson’s and New Zealand. This was a spectacular count of storm-petrel species and all from on top of the seamounts, a strip of water about 100 nautical miles long and 30 nautical miles wide.

White-faced Storm-petrel

Wilson's Storm-petrel showing yellow webbing on feet

Black-bellied Storm-petrel

The morning progressed and we motored slowly south at about 3 knots spreading berley all the way. Kermadec Petrels came in as did Providence Petrels, and these were soon joined by Gould’s Petrels and White-necked Petrels. Over our lunch of sandwiches filled with fresh roast chicken or other meats and salads we discussed the New Zealand Storm-petrels and watched Flesh-footed and Great-winged Petrels fight for lumps of shark liver. How good can it get?

Gould's Petrel

White-necked Petrel

White-necked Petrel

The bird count grew as we added Red-tailed Tropicbird, a very beautiful and very young Wandering Albatross and more storm-petrels to our list. By the time the sun was going down and we were starting to think about pre-dinner drinks my list for the day was 16 species. This is a respectable list for a day of pelagic birding and we discussed plans for the next day. It was decided to continue south for the night, to the Britannia Seamount, and then motor slowly north the next day.

Juvenile Wandering Albatross

Wandering Albatross

On Sunday morning the wind had dropped and for the first hour or so, from about 0700 to 0800 bird-wise things were fairly quiet and our bacon and eggs breakfast was consumed in relative peace. By about 0900 the wind was once again freshening and more birds began to appear. We motored on to our most southerly point of the trip (28º 48’ 01”  155º 50’ 25”), then turned and headed north. We added Red-tailed Tropicbird and Pomarine Skua to our lists as well as Brown Noddy and Sooty Tern. Two more Wandering Albatross joined the berley trail and at last, at about mid afternoon, we added Tahiti Petrel. This bird came in very close and we had wonderful views as it arced across the stern.

Red-tailed Tropicbird

Pomarine Jaeger

By the time evening came around my list was 21 species but as usual one bird, an Arctic Jaeger, had done a fast fly-by and escaped my view so the boat count was 22. As the sun went down I had seen Wandering Albatross, Great-winged Petrel, Providence Petrel, Kermadec Petrel, White-necked Petrel, Gould’s Petrel, Tahiti Petrel, Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Short-tailed Shearwater, Flesh-footed Shearwater, Wilson’s Storm-petrel, *New-Zealand Storm-petrel, White-faced Storm-petrel, *White-bellied Storm-petrel, Black-bellied Storm-petrel, Red-tailed Tropicbird, White-tailed Tropicbird, Brown Noddy, White Tern, Sooty Tern and Pomarine Skua. (*Ticks)

Great-winged Petrel 

Kermadec Petrel

Providence Petrel

After dinner on Sunday we turned west and headed for port. This trip had been the first time a group of birders had visited the seamounts east if Brisbane, and it was a resounding success. Twenty-two species of seabird including five species of storm-petrel had been seen, and one of these was the Critically Endangered New Zealand Storm-petrel.

Tahiti Petrel

Flying fish

Details of the New Zealand Storm-petrel can be found on the BirdLife International website at:

http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=30105

Some information copied from that website states:

“Previously assumed to have been Extinct following the lack of records since three specimens were collected in the 1800s, this species was spectacularly rediscovered in 2003, with multiple annual records subsequently. Although there is very little information on which to base an assessment, the species has been precautionarily classified as Critically Endangered on the basis of an extremely small population which could be susceptible to the impacts of introduced predators … .

“… one individual was observed and photographed off the Mercury Islands, North Island in January 2003, and subsequently a flock of 10-20 were observed and photographed north of Little Barrier Island, North Island in November 2003. Since then birds have been observed in the Hauraki Gulf each summer (October to April). It is thought to be a summer-breeding visitor to the Hauraki Gulf, although a nest site has yet to be found. A bird apparently of this species was seen well and photographed off the southern end of New Caledonia in April 2008, which may represent a bird in, or migrating to its non-breeding range, and up to three were reported on pelagic trips off New South Wales, Australia in March and April 2010. …

“Population assumed to be tiny based on small number of records since 2003. Most have been of small numbers, but flocks of 10-20, 11 and 10-30 birds have been recorded.”

Office work - someone had to do it

With the Southport Pelagic trip on the TexasT seeing approximately 10 New Zaland Storm-petrels spread over the length of the seamounts it represents an internationally important find, both because of the number of birds seen and also the discovery of a new location for these rare birds. I knew this trip was going to be special but I had no idea just how special. It can only be hoped that further trips will be made to the seamounts and that more information can be gained on the habits of this special bird.

The back deck late in the afternoon

Sunset on the Britannia Seamount

All images on this blog are © to Jenny Spry 2012 unless stated otherwise and can not be used without permission

Why? or How “going birding” is more than just looking at birds

Malayasian Luna Moth, Actias maenas

Have you ever watched Emus run through an outback dust storm? Or seen birds hide down rabbit burrows to keep out of the heat of a 50ºc summer day? How about hearing the kwah – wau call of the Great Argus in a Malaysian rainforest or the mournful, prehistoric cry of the Common Loon on a remote lake in southern Canada? These are all “birding” experiences, but at the same time one experiences what a dust storm is like, how a seriously hot day in desert country feels, how an Asian rainforest smells and sounds, what it means to sit beside the still beauty of a lake shrouded in fog on a cold Canadian morning in fall. I would have had none of these experiences if I had not wanted to be out birdwatching.

Malasian rainforest, habitat for the Great Argus

And yes, one can go to Asia and see the towns, talk to the people and visit the temples, many people do. But if you want to see the non-tourist side of life, a walk down a country track in Vietnam will show you the small farm houses and food gardens as you look for Grey-crowned Crocias; and a walk on the forests trails of Malaysia will take you past the bush camps of the Orang Asli damar-resin gatherers on your way to see a Chestnut-naped Forktail.

Longboat on the Tahan River, Malaysia

For me, in so many ways, birdwatching is so much more than watching birds. Birdwatching is a grand opportunity for new experiences. It is the opportunity to explore out of the way places and see landscapes wide and events small, to be awed by the size and beauty of a Luna Moth and to sigh at the sublime beauty of a small orchid on the forest floor. Birdwatching is even sitting in the doorway of a tent on a cold morning, clasping a hot cup of tea in both hands, as mist sits on a farm dam, or it’s holding a small polished pebble, still wet from a mountain creek bed.

Very large flying beetle, Taman Negara, Malaysia

There are many pastimes that allow these same opportunities for getting out and meeting people from all around the world, seeing new sights, tasting new foods and expanding horizons. Few however, for me, can equal birdwatching as a reason to get out and graze on so many other pastimes from botany to entomology to astronomy to meteorology to geology to palaeontology and so much more.

Sunset on the Indian Ocean, Cocos Island

But of course if you get right down to it, back me into a corner and ask the direct question, then yes, it is really all about the birds. They come first. They are just so beautiful in all their shapes and colours. And there is just so much to see and learn. It was only last weekend that I found out that Wilson’s Storm Petrels have sulphur-yellow webbing between their black toes. Yes, it is mentioned in the field guides but I have never seen it before. It is striking, beautiful and a real surprise. Wilson’s Storm-petrel is a small black and white sea bird but when it spreads its toes, it has BRIGHT yellow feet! Yeea! Gorgeous, I must go and see another one.

Dingo on the Paroo floodplain after heavy rains

Fungus, far south coast NSW

Imprint of a large Flathead, Wonboyn Lake NSW

Orchid White Caladenia, Caladenia catenata

The bore overflow at dawn, Bowra QLD

All images on this blog are © to Jenny Spry and can not be used without permission

An Autumn Day at the Poo Ponds

Early in the morning a mist hangs over Port Phillip Bay but as the sun lifts, so does the fog. The wind is calm and reflections in the ponds are sharp and clean. It is very quiet, not even the lapping of wavelets on the sand. Some days in autumn are just made for birdwatching and last Thursday was one such day.

A pair of brolga were feeding at the edge of the Summer Lagoon and Cape Barren geese were in the grass near the Paradise Rd Lagoon. The raptors have had a good breeding season and brown falcon, whistling kite, swamp harriers, little eagle, wedge-tailed eagle, sea eagle and black-shouldered kites were everywhere. Four whistling kites were in the trees at the Little River Ford, the wedgies were flying low, up the tree line of 29 Mile Road and the brown falcons stood sentinel, as usual, on fence posts and powerlines.

A white ibis stood on the rocks in the Little River near the ford with its neck feathers all fluffed out giving it a white ruff. The sun picked up the beautiful pink markings on the feet. White Ibis can look quite dignified, when they try.

Down in the Western Lagoon pond 9 a group of royal spoonbills were resting on a sandbank. One of them had decided that sleeping on one leg was too difficult and had settled down, perhaps more comfortably, on its haunches. On a quiet day of birding when there is no rush and no noise it is wonderful to sit quietly and see knew sights.

At Western Lagoon pond 4 some red-capped plover mixed with a few red-necked stint and juvenile double-banded plover. On Paradise Rd a flock of plump-looking banded stilts dozed alongside avocet and black-winged stilts. On the low-tide sand flats beside the rocky outcrop inside the Beach Rd gate four bar-tailed godwits picked around amongst the silver gulls and pied oystercatchers looking for food.

A special sight for the day was down at the Murtcain Drain outlet. A flock of 100 +/- red-necked stints were feeding on the sandbank to the left of the outlet and some of them were coming into breeding plumage and showing the red neck of their name. I really enjoy watching waders but as they only visit us outside the breeding season they are normally seen in their drab colours. When some of them colour up for us here on their wintering grounds they are transformed, and my mind draws me to their northern breeding grounds. How wonderful it must be to visit those far off places, Kamchatka, Pribilof, sigh, and see great flocks of waders all in their breeding finery. Ah well, maybe one day, when I win the lottery. Until then I will just have to be content to dream.

Most of the waders have left for the northern breeding grounds but there are always beautiful birds at the Western Treatment Plant.

In flight over the Borrow Pit

Little Raven in the Autumn sun

Some beautiful birds chose very inelegant perches ...

... but they are still elegant within themselves

Brown Falcon on 29 Mile Rd