Kermadec Petrel – a Lifer, from New Zealand

It’s Sunday morning and we’re up early for the drive to Port Stephen to join the monthly pelagic – a nine hour boat trip out to the shelf and back, to look for deep ocean birds. The sea was incredibly calm, with only a slight swell but we still managed to see: three species of petrel – Great-winged, Kermadec, & Gould’s; six species of shearwater – Wedge-tailed, Sooty, Short-tailed, Flesh-footed, Fluttering & Hutton’s; White-faced Storm-Petrel, Australasian Gannet, Pomarine Jaeger and Crested Tern. Two were ‘life ticks’ and one was a Hunter ‘tick’.

Some photos:

Flesh-footed Shearwater – a Hunter ‘tick’

This one has sadly been snagged with a fish-hook in it’s left wing

Gould’sPetrel, another Lifer – breed on nearby Cabbage Tree Island

Fluttering Shearwater

Off-shore Bottlenose Dolphin – bow-waving