[Andrew Whitehouse]

That sounds like a good pelagic Rob. I birded with Steve Anyon-Smith in Brazil last year. He's a bit of a character.

[edenwatcher]

Originally Posted by Andrew Whitehouse

That sounds like a good pelagic Rob. I birded with Steve Anyon-Smith in Brazil last year. He's a bit of a character.

Yes, he is rather. He doesn't use bins on a pelagic, does it all with the naked eye.

Rob

[RobHynson]

Hi Rob,

good to meet up with you in Sydney a few weeks back. I'm just back from the Cairns area myself so good to see your report.

Steve is pretty amazing on the boats I've been on with him, I have seen him use bins once in the last year, he must have spotted something a few km away he couldn't identify! I've met a few other pelagic birders who don't use bins that much, after a while you tend to go on flight style to id a lot of the birds and the birds down here tend to get pretty close to the boat.

Hope to be back next year a some point, will give you a call if I'm back in Fife,

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Hi Rob,
Hope you did well around Cairns.
Having reviewed my pelagic pics - the adult shy type seems to have been white-capped. This fits with the Wollongong stats where white-capped outnumbers shy at this time of year (and they net the alberts so ID is confirmed). All IDable black-browed were Campbell Island albatross (impavida).

Now for some pics.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

some more.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

more alberts.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Big alberts.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Shark!

Rob

[antshrike69]

Fantastic pictures Rob - looks like you had a really good pelagic.

[edenwatcher]

Cheers. It was excellent.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

I am now getting towards the end!

Rob

[edenwatcher]

smaller stuff.

Rob

[Chris D]

wow.......

[Vectis Birder]

I am VERY envious of the pelagic. I was booked to go on one from Wollongong back in May but the weather was atrocious and it got postponed. I couldn't go on the rescheduled one as I was flying to Thailand...

Still, another reason to return in a couple of years' time!

[edenwatcher]

Last ones from the pelagic. The black-bellied stormie shots seem rather topical!

Rob

[edenwatcher]

31/10/09
The final morning of the tour, with most of us having another outing with Gerry Richards to Royal NP. A common brushtail possum outside the information centre was a surprising start. We revisited Wises track and southern emu wren performed rather better, as did chestnut-rumped heath-wren (I even got the bins on a perched bird!). We saw beautiful firetail once more and a black-shouldered kite with prey was nice.
We moved on to Lady Margaret’s Drive which was very birdy. Eastern spinebills were everywhere and we had excellent views of white-throated treecreeper. A superb lyrebird sang from the other side of the river. We had gone a fair distance before we encountered the main objective – New South Wales’ only endemic, the rock warbler. Having found one we then came across a pair nest-building. On the walk back species seen included variegated fairy wren and fan-tailed cuckoo. As we neared the minibus we added one final new bird for the trip – an azure kingfisher.
We returned to the hotel and, after changing and repacking, David took the two of us with flights that afternoon to the airport. I arrived back to one of Fife’s wettest days of recent times (and with all the good birds having departed). Never mind, it was a great trip (better than I was expecting) with some marvellous experiences, in congenial company. I think my species total was 284 (excluding introduced spp.) – not bad for 12 days birding.

Rob

[delia todd]

A great report Rob. Thanks

D

[edenwatcher]

Thanks Delia.
Last few pics.

Rob

[stevieb]

Excellent report Rob

Thanks for sharing