TRIP REPORT
27 December 2007

A group of birders left Simon's Town at 07:15 on 27 December 2007 in no sea and no wind led by Peter Ryan and Alvin Cope on the Zest II. Two White-Chinned Petrels at 3 miles outside the Point were the first pelagic birds seen, followed by a single very white Arctic Jaeger.

At 5 miles we came across a pod of 5 Humpback Whales and had reasonable looks at a single Bryde's Whale 2 miles further on. The water was brown and cold for 15 miles and even after it warmed up and lightened in colour, it remained very green - no blue pelagic water was seen at all.

We spent a few hours with two longliners 25 miles from the Point and as is to be expected at this time of the year, coupled to the windless conditions, no trawlers and no blue water, the bird numbers were low with low species variation, but allowing for excellent photograhic opportunities.

The ride back up to the Point was windless and uneventful except for several unidentified "blows" a few miles to the west of us, almost certainly the whales we had seen on the way out, and very large numbers of Sabine's Gulls just outside the Bellows.

Of interest, the 25+ knot westerly wind inside the Bay, Shy's the only Albatross, no Sub-Antarctic Skua and large numbers of Sabines, arguably the most numerous bird of the day.

Birds seen, with numbers where known, others numerous.

Shy Albatross
Southern Giant Petrel 1
Northern Giant Petrel 1
White chinned Petrel
Sooty Shearwater
Great Shearwater 1
Wilson 's Storm Petrel 2
European Storm Petrel
Parasitic Jaeger 4
Sabine's Gull
Common Tern
Cape Gannet
Swift Tern 2
Arctic Tern

Coastal Birds: Bank Cormorant,Crowned Cormorant, Hartlaub's Gull, Kelp Gull, African Penguin.

Mammals

Cape Fur Seal
Bryde's Whale
Humpback Whale