TRIP REPORT
November 2001
Alvin Cope

In flat calm calm conditions, a gaggle of birdgawkers left Simonstown today led by Ian Sinclair, Jim Enticott and Alvin Cope on Sunday morning.

Just off Boulders, there were hundreds of Penguins, mixed Cormorants, Terns and Gulls, with Gannets just lolling about, looking as if they were waiting for something to happen. As we approached the Point, a light mist did not dampen our spirits, neither did the drizzle and poor visibility for the next 15 miles, but it did dampen us. The next 10 miles saw the wind picking up from the South East as did the sea, but we bumped on to a trawler picked up on the Radar and into blue water. This change of weather (perhaps this is what the birds inside the Bay were waiting for) gave us perfect light and visibility and a good few good birds.

This trawler was not chumming but still produced a Fleshfooted Shearwater, Manx Shearwater, & Pomerine & Longtailed Skuas, a Wanderer (close up views on several occasions), both Northern & Southern Giant Petrels, Sabines Gulls and several Greatwinged Petrels.

List for the day:-

Jackass Penguin
Wandering Albatross - 1
Shy Albatross - 100
Black browed Albatross - 30
Indian Ocean Yellow nosed Albatross - 1
Northern Giant Petrel - 5
Southern Giant Petrel - 20
Pintado Petrel - 20
White chinned Petrel - 100
Fleshfooted Shearwater - 1
Sooty Shearwater - 500
Greatwinged Petrel - 30
Great Shearwater - 20
Manx Shearwater - 3
Wilson's Storm Petrel - 50
Cape Gannet
Subantarctic Skua - 10
Pomarine Skua - 2
Arctic Skua - 20
Longtailed Skua - 1
Sabine's Gull - 30
Cape Gull
Arctic Tern - 100
Common Tern
Swift Tern
Sandwich Tern
Bank Cormorant
Crowned Cormorant
White breasted Cormorant
Cape Cormorant
Black Oystercatcher
Grey Heron - 2

Mammals:
Cape Fur Seals
Dusky Dolphins