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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MikeMules" data-source="post: 209671" data-attributes="member: 438">or.........What I did on my weekendI had an unforgettable experience this last weekend (28-29 of August).  My father and I went to Eden (past the angel with the flaming sword) and on a pelagic trip looking for albatross.For those who don’t know, Eden is a town on the tip of the Victoria/NSW border, on the south coast of Australia, about 600km east of Melbourne, which was where I left from on Saturday morning.  After meeting up with Dad in South Gippsland (200km east of Melbourne), we drove non-stop to the town of Orbost, on the Snowy River.  The highlight bird on the way was Banded Lapwing just outside of Sale (about 400km from where we usually expect them).  Stopped for lunch in Orbost where there wasn’t much birdlife apart from the usual waterbirds, but where a local told us platypus are often seen, and admired the riparian restoration work done by the local council.From there we drove the remaining 200km to Eden, through Croajingalong National Park, where we saw a lyrebird crossing the road, and many hundreds of Pied Currawongs and Grey Shrike-thrush which were mostly around the regenerating gum trees from last year’s bushfires.Anyway, we made Eden by about 3:30pm, and it would be one of the most beautiful towns I have seen, with its views of twofold bay and the rugged sandstone escarpments, all covered by natural bushland.  Eden used to be a whaling town, and then a tuna fishery before purse-seining caused the crash of the industry.  Now, it is still a fishing town, but follows a more diverse range of species.  The other major industry is tourism. While there, had crippling views of White-bellied Sea-Eagle and found Spotted Pardalote nest hollows.Early Sunday morning, we gathered at the wharf with 10 other birders from as far away as Canberra and Brisbane, and boarded the 12m Connemara.  The weather was absolutely perfect – almost no cloud, and still air with only a light ½-1m swell and a temperature of around 12 degrees C.The first birds we saw were Pacific and Silver Gulls, Pelicans and Little Black Cormorants as we left the breakwater.  As we went out through the entrance to Twofold Bay, we picked up Gannets and Crested Tern, and shortly after my first lifer for the day, Great Skua.It wasn’t until we were several kilometres offshore that I saw my first albatross, soaring just over the wave tops about 5-600m from the boat.  It turned out to be a Shy Albatross, the first of several hundred we saw that day (lifer #2).  Throughout the 7-hour trip we had Shy Albatross tailing the boat, flying within metres of the fly-bridge, and giving unparalleled views.At about 20km offshore, we stopped and started chumming for birds.  Soon we had stacks of Shy Albatross, joined by a lone Yellow-nosed Albatross (lifer #3) and by Great Skua, Crested Terns and White-fronted Terns (lifer #4).  A different subspecies of the Shy Albatross, Salvin’s Albatross (thought by some scientists to be a separate species) was also present.  At one stage there were about 50 or so albatross behind the boat, squabbling and fighting, some within half a metre or so of the stern.We got underway again, and I saw a bird that looked a lot like a Shy Albatross, but with an all-dark underwing – Black-browed Albatross (lifer #5).  Then, we came across our first raft of Fluttering Shearwater (lifer #6), maybe about 40 or 50 birds riding out the swell.  About this time, a Cape Petrel (lifer #7) shadowed the boat for a while.Finally after about 3 1/2  hours, we were 30km from shore, and over the continental shelf drop-off.  The wind had picked up, and we had increasing swell, but we stopped and chummed again, and within about 5 minutes were joined by the usual Shy Albatross, a handful of Yellow-nosed Albatross (sub-adults and adults) and two subspecies of Black-browed Albatross.  After maybe 10 minutes of watching these, we noticed, only about 30-40metres away, an immature Wandering Albatross (lifer #8) sitting on the water surrounded by slightly smaller Shys.  It didn’t come any closer, but as we were admiring the first of several Great-winged Petrels (lifer #9), and attempting to sort them from the very similar Providence Petrel (lifer #10) that was also around the boat, we were joined by an adult Wandering Albatross that eventually (about 20 minutes later), came alongside the boat.  Towards the end of our chumming, we were briefly joined by a Wedge-tailed Shearwater (lifer #11) which are just making their way back into Australian waters.For the remaining trip, we saw nothing new, although some on the boat caught sight of a Wilson’s Storm Petrel (I was gazing at the Cape Petrel at the time, so missed it entirely).  Plenty of views of (in total) 3 Wandering Albatross, hundreds of Shy Albatross, maybe a dozen or so Black-browed and Yellow-nosed Albatross, several Cape Petrels and many rafts of Fluttering Shearwater.  We caught sight of two Giant Petrels in the distance, but couldn’t make out which species they were.Finally, after reaching land just before 4pm, Dad and I set off on the 7 hour return trip to Melbourne, after one of the best days birding I have had in a very long time.  No sea-sickness, 11 lifers, and fantastic scenery.  Not bad for a weekend.</blockquote>

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