SOSSA Pelagic trip

[Nephrurus]

Greetings all,

As some of you may be aware, my interest in wildlife doesn't stop at "animals that can be kept in plastic tub at 30degrees". On Sunday I was silly enough to leave the perfectly stable dry land and get onto a rocking, nausea inducing boat that would take us out to the edge of the continental shelf. We were going out to look at some seriously big birds (no, not Emus).

The Southern Ocean Seabird Study Association (SOSSA) has been banding and studying seabirds since 1994 to expand on work banding albatross done in the 50's. They go out twice a month, sometimes more, to watch, record, catch and band seabirds. Visitors are welcome to come along, and most come out with a big camera and lense. I only had my little Nikon camera, so the photos were a bit ordinary. Heres what came out in focus.

Crested Tern

Providence Petrel

Campbells Albatross

Campbells Albatross, Silver Gulls and Wedgetail shearwaters

Another Campbells Albatross

Young Wandering Albatross (antipodean race/species)

That same young Wandering Albatross

Young Wandering Albatross with adult male Wandering Albatross (antipodean species/race)

That same male Albatross, suffering the brief indignity of banding.


It was a fun trip, aside from my seasickness, and for the keen birdwatchers out there it is very easy to quickly learn alot about sea birds.

If you're interested, check out the SOSSA website, www.sossa-international.org


All the best,

-H

 

[MoreliaMatt]

awesome! that would have been a great day out! great pics too!

 

[Whisper2]

that is so interesting!

wish i was in sydney! love big sea birds, dont no jack about them but they still amaze me

 

[Nephrurus]

Sossa pelagic trips run from alot of places. Check the website, one might run out of brisbane.

-H

 

[JasonL]

How did that bird taste H? last one I put in the Weber was fantastic!

 

[Magpie]

Wow that's big!
How do they catch them?

 

[Nephrurus]

They catch em with what looks like a modified pool scoop. Get them nice and close with some berley and chum, sometimes some nice popcorn, then bam! scoop them up!

-H

 

[Magpie]

They catch em with what looks like a modified pool scoop. Get them nice and close with some berley and chum, sometimes some nice popcorn, then bam! scoop them up!

-H

Sounds like the APS forums some days
Seriously, i feel for you being a serious sufferer of seasickness myself but that does sound like a lot of fun.
I can't get over how big that albatross is though.

 

[cement]

Nice photos mate, I don't know the species but coming back from Tassie on a yacht across Bass straight I saw heaps of Albatross. Its awesomw watching them glide down in between the swells. They can hang in the valley of the swell for ages and hardly flap their wings. That would have been a fun trip.
I did rescue an Australasian Gannet once out of heavy seas, It was so tired I didn't hold its beak, sliced my finger to the bone, I notice that isn't going to happen to you there!

 

[Nephrurus]

Ha, I only took photos while others held the birds. Apparently the wanderings are very placid, but the campbells are bitey. I'd think a bite from one of them would leave some interesting scars.

-H

 

[Clairebear]

I did a poem about Albatrosses when i did my letters in Speech and Drama. Did a lot of research, but ended up being mostly on cuttlefish cause that's what they eat... and i that became a focus because i didn't know what a cuttle fish looked like apart from the bone part! I got the highest in the state for that exam so i'm a BIG albatross fan now! If i didn't get sea sick that's something i would love to do. maybe one day... when they find a cure for sea sickness...

 

[PhilK]

Clairebear gets the award for finding the most random way to link albatrosses to herself! Via cuttlefish and speech and drama :lol:

 

[falconboy]

Nice pics. I'm always sent the details on those upcoming trips but never had the nerve to go on one.

 

[JasonL]

I just can't justify going to the shelf without a tiagra or a TLD at least, I look at birds at the beach. I did see a guy catch an albatross from Big Beecroft at JB, though he used 24kg mono and a 8/0, it looked quite small 500 meters away, once he got it in, it was apparent he needed some help to release it! Crikey they are big!

 

[Clairebear]

Quote""Clairebear gets the award for finding the most random way to link albatrosses to herself! Via cuttlefish and speech and drama :lol:""

I'd just like to thank the academy, the albatrosses... and of course the good old cuttlefish!

 

[falconboy]

I just can't justify going to the shelf without a tiagra or a TLD at least

They'd be great fun on light gear too Jason. :shock: