Overview
Southern oceans seabird study association (SOSSA) have been running organized pelagic trips for over 25 years and have been banding seabirds since 1958. These trips are run monthly on the 4th Saturday of the month on board the Sandra K.
Trips leave Wollongong harbour at 7 am and return at approximately 4 pm. During the trip the boat goes out as far as the edge of the continental shelf, approximately 20 nautical miles east of Wollongong. Since 1985 over 100 bird and 30 cetacean species have been seen, mainly on board the Sandra K.
Of great interest to visiting birders is the banding operation that goes on during each trip. During the winter months many Albatross species are caught and banded on board and visitors have the opportunity to get up close to these enigmatic birds. Other birds targeted throughout the year include Brown Skua, Wedge-tailed, Short-tailed and Flesh-footed Shearwaters, Northern and Southern Giant Petrels and many more.
Birds
Notable Species
Between May and September large numbers of wintering species can been seen including the former Wandering Albatross, Black-browed Albatross, Campbell Albatross, Buller's Albatross, Shy Albatross, Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross, both Southern and Northern Giant-petrel, Cape Petrel, Fairy Prion, Solander’s Petrel, Brown Skua, Australisian Gannet and White-fronted Tern.
Spring see’s the arrival of many breeding shearwaters to the region including many Wedge-tailed and Short-tailed Shearwaters. In October, daily counts of migrating Short-tailed Shearwaters can reach well into the tens of thousands.
For the summer months the breeding Wedge-tailed Shearwaters will be the most common bird encountered during a trip. Other summer birds include Short-tailed and Flesh-footed Shearwaters, Grey-faced Petrel, All three Jeagers with Pomerine being the most common.
Other notable species include Black Petrel, Streaked Sheawater, Buller's Shearwater and Sooty Tern.
Rarities
111 species of seabird have been seen on the Wollongong trips so far. Of these, rarities include; Southern Fulmar, Murphy's Petrel, Herald Petrel, Kerguelen Petrel, Soft-plumaged Petrel, Mottled Petrel, Juan Fernandez Petrel, Blue Petrel, Broad-billed Prion, Fulmar Prion, Bulwer’s Petrel, Jouanin's Petrel, Westland Black Petrel, Cory’s Shearwater, Pink-footed Shearwater, Manx Shearwater, Newell’s Shearwater, Newell’s Shearwater, Pacific albatross, Chatham Albatross, Sooty Albatross, Light-mantled Sooty Albatross, South Polar Skua, Sabine’s Gull
Check-list
Birds you can see here include:
Little Penguin, Common Diving Petrel, Southern Giant Petrel, Northern Giant Petrel, Southern Fulmar, Pintado Petrel (Daption c. capense and Daption capense australe), Great-winged Petrel, Grey-faced Petrel, White-headed Petrel, Murphy's Petrel, Providence Petrel, Tahiti Petrel, Kermadec Petrel, Herald Petrel, Kerguelen Petrel, Soft-plumaged Petrel, Mottled Petrel, Juan Fernandez Petrel, White-necked Petrel, Black-winged Petrel, Cook's Petrel, Gould's Petrel, Blue Petrel, Broad-billed Prion, Salvin's Prion, Antarctic Prion, Slender-billed Prion, Fairy Prion, Fulmar Prion, Bulwer's Petrel, Jouanin's Petrel, White-chinned Petrel, Westland Petrel, Black Petrel, Cory's Shearwater, Streaked Shearwater, Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Buller's Shearwater, Flesh-footed Shearwater, Pink-footed Shearwater, Sooty Shearwater, Short-tailed Shearwater, Manx Shearwater, Fluttering Shearwater, Hutton's Shearwater, Tropical Shearwater, Newell's Shearwater, Little Shearwater, Snowy Albatross, Amsterdam Albatross, Antipodean Albatross, Gibson's Albatross, Tristan Albatross, Northern Royal Albatross, Southern Royal Albatross, Black-browed Albatross, Campbell Albatross, Buller's Albatross, Pacific Albatross, Shy Albatross,White-capped Albatross, Salvin's Albatross, Chatham Albatross, Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross, Grey-headed Albatross, Sooty Albatross, Light-mantled Albatross, Wilson's Storm Petrel, Grey-backed Storm Petrel, White-faced Storm Petrel, Black-bellied Storm Petrel, White-bellied Storm Petrel, Red-tailed Tropicbird, White-tailed Tropicbird, Australasian Gannet, Brown Booby, Masked Booby, Little Pied Cormorant, Pied Cormorant, Little Black Cormorant, Great Cormorant, Australian Pelican, Lesser Frigatebird, Brown Skua, Antarctic Skua, South Polar Skua, Pomarine Skua, Arctic Skua, Long-tailed Skua, Pacific Gull, Kelp Gull, Silver Gull, Sabine's Gull, Caspian Tern, Lesser Crested Tern, Greater Crested Tern, White-fronted Tern, Common Tern, Arctic Tern, Little Tern, Bridled Tern, Sooty Tern, White-winged Black Tern, Whiskered Tern, Brown Noddy, Black Noddy, Blue Noddy, White Tern
Other Wildlife
Site Information
History and Use
Areas of Interest
Access and Facilities
Contact Details
Lindsay Smith Email: sossa@tpg.com.au
External Links
http://www.sossa-international.org/
