Sub-Antarctic Islands of New Zealand and Australia No.8
Continue with our trip, although sadly the end is in sight and unfortunately this will be out final blog on this trip. After a rough night, we were approaching the Antipodes but the bad news is that the sea is to rough for landing on the zodiacs.
Arriving at the Antipodes after a rough night.
We had 2 scientists on board who were hoping to be dropped
off onto the Antipodes to stay, but they had to stay on board.
As we could not land it means we will be unable to see the endemic
Antipode Parakeet
.
Departing from the Antipodes, an excellent sea-watch
until it was dark made up for the disappointment of not
being able to land.
Antipodes Wandering Albatross Diomedea antipodensis Breeds primary on the Antipodes with a few on Campbell Island, with a population of around 5,000 pairs. It ranges in the Pacific from SE Australia to the Humboldt Current.
Various ages of the Antipodean Albatross taken off the Antipodes. The Antipodean Albatross is part of the Wandering Albatross group. We recorded it in low numbers on 6 dates with a daily maximum of 20.
Various Black-bellied Storm Petrels. Fregetta tropica Recorded in fair numbers on 10 dates with a daily maximum of 150. Breeds on the Sub-antarctic Islands. Ranges in the Southern Ocean, and out of the breeding season it moves to subtropical and tropical waters of W. Indian Ocean SW Pacific and S. Atlantic.
The black belly stripe is very variable and can be absent in the New Zealand region. This often causes confusion with White-bellied Storm Petrel.
As shown in this picture - the toes often on Black-bellied extends beyond the tail, and the black-belly stripe can be difficult to see in profile.
Avoiding some large waves.
The black hood is more extensive on Black-bellied than on White-bellied, and this shows on the above picture.
Record shot of a Cook's Petrel Pterodroma cookii. Just seen in small numbers on 3 dates only. Most sightings were distant. Several observers considered that a bird seen well was a pycrofts as they felt it had a shorter bill, but I was not convinced and felt it was a Cooks.
Erect Crested Penguins Eudyptes sclateri. Common endemic with 2,000 seen at the Antipodes, and 5,000 seen from the zodiacs around the Bounties. Some wander to the main Islands of New Zealand and a vagrant to S.Australia. and exceptionally to the Faklands,
Erect Crested Penguin with Fur seals .
Erect Crested Penguin taken on the Bounties
Hookers Sea-lions on Enderby beach
Hookers Sea Lion
Flesh-footed Shearwaters Ardenna carneipes were only seen on our last day when 60 were logged between the Chathams and Wellington, New Zealand. A large choclate-brown Shearwater with a black tip to the bill. Breeds from S. Australia to N. New Zealand, also St. Pauls Island in the Indian Ocean.
Flesh-footed Shearwater
Bellbird Anthornis melanura proved to be common on Enderby Island with 35 seen and 8 were also seen on the main Auckland Island.
2nd-cycle with the neck band
Various Black-browed Albatrosses. Thalassarche melanophris Fairly common breeding on the subantartic islands and ranges widely in S. Oceans. Most often seen from the shore in S. South America and a vagrant to N. Atlantic. We recorded it on nine days during our trip with a daily maximum of 40.
Australasian Gannet Morus serrator Just two singles were seen the first as we were leaving the Chathams and the second in Wellington Harbour.
Auckland Island Shag Leucocarbo colensoi 50 seen on Enderby Island part of the Auckland Islands, and 20 on the main Auckland Island. Some birds were showing a blackish neck, not to dis-similar to the Campbell Island Shag.
Collecting nest material
Antarctic Terns Sterna vittata on the Snares. Seen on most of the Sub-Antarctic Islands, but not on the Chathams. 40 were seen on the Snares, 8 on Enderby Island, 2 on Macquarie Island, 8 on Campbell Island, 15 on the Antipodes and 3 on the Bounties.
Juvenile Antarctic Tern on the Snares.
Various Antarctic Prions Pachyptila desolat proved to be very common in the South with a daily maximum of 1,000. Widespread. Breeds on subantarctic islands from South Geogria to Macquarie Island.
Sadly approaching Wellington Harbour and time to disembark
During our trip Doreen and myself recorded a total of 111 species of birds, which includes species we also saw on the Mainland and the Islands. It also incudes 14 species of Albatross but I haven't taken into account the numbers of recent splits of species since we went on the trip in 1999.
Acknowledgement: Ocaeanic Birds of the World by Steve Howell and Kirk Zufelt
The following are a list of interesting species which we saw during the trip, but were unable to photograph them and therefore they have not been included in this report:
Bullers Shearwater Royal Spoonbill Dunnock
Short-tailed Shearwater Black Swan Blackbird
Fluttering Shearwater Mallard Song Thrush
Little Shearwater Grey Duck Chatham Is. Warbler
Common Diving Petrel Aust. Shoveler Silvereye
Westland Petrel Aust. Harrier Tui
Blue Petrel Weka Chaffinch
Fairy Prion Variable Oystercatcher Greenfinch
Juan Fernandez Petrel Spur-winged Plover Goldfinch
Black-winged Petrel Pied Stilt Redpoll
Kerguelen Petrel Banded Dotterel House Sparrow
Wilson's Storm Petrel Turnstone Starling
Grey-backed Storm Petrel Arctic Skua Aust.Magpie
White-faced Storm Petrel Pomarine Skua
Black Shag/Cormorant South Polar Skua
Little Black Shag Red-billed Gull
White-faced Heron Black-billed Gull
Australian Pelican New Zealand Pigeon
