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Highlights: 17 pelagic
species, two Spectacled Petrels
and a close basking sunfish
The morning of the 3rd March dawned over Hout Bay
harbour with almost windless conditions. A small cold
front was approaching with a light north westerly
wind starting, expected to strengthen during the course
of the day. Eight birders eagerly joined a Cape Town
Pelagics boat with Dalton
Gibbs on board as pelagic guide. There weren’t
too many birds in the harbour, but we met up with
Cape and Hartlaub’s
Gulls, Cape Cormorants and
African Black Oystercatcher on the
break water. We passed under the towering Chapman’s
Peak on calm water as we headed for the Kommetjie
lighthouse; here we turned on a course for the deep
with the water temperature at 13.7 deg C.
Soon we started picking up White-chinned
Petrels and Cory’s Shearwater
as we headed out to sea, passing a current line in
the ocean some 10 N miles offshore. Here the water
temperature increased to 18 deg C in a short distance,
rising eventually to 21.4 C. A few Cape Gannet
and Shy Albatross were about as we
headed out and located a trawler on the horizon. On
the way to her we had a Sub-Antarctic Skua
join us, with a few Wilson’s Storm Petrels
and Sooty Shearwaters making quick
fly-bys.
Spectacled Petrel on this trip with Cape Town Pelagics
© Dalton Gibbs
The trawler was the “Sandile”,
with another two trawlers on the horizon. She had
not yet picked up her nets, so there weren’t
too many birds behind her. However we still found
a few Black-browed Albatross, Great Shearwater
and soon an Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross.
The Wilson’s Storm-Petrels
soon had European Storm-Petrels mixed
in amongst them until there were several dozen around
at a time. Sabine's Gulls turned
up in increasing numbers until there plenty around
us. Another pelagic boat that was also out on the
water called our attention to a large sunfish
that was swimming close by and we were able to come
within a few metres of this giant fish as it lolled
on the surface.
We decided to move across to a second
trawler nearby; this was the Andromeda, who had a
few birds of the same assortment behind her. We were
having a great day for trawlers, and a third trawler,
the “Levantine” was nearby and we moved
to her. No sooner had we arrived and she raised her
nets, attracting large numbers of birds. Cape Fur
Seals climbed onto the fishing net as it rose behind
the trawler and Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross
came into view, along with Long-tailed Jaeger
joining the feeding mass of birds. The trawler soon
started processing its catch and a thousand or so
birds of the various species spread out along the
trail of discarded fish parts.
Spectacled Petrel on this trip with Cape Town Pelagics
© Dalton Gibbs
We enjoyed some food and whilst
looking through the masses of birds that passed us,
Eldert Groenewoud, one of the guests on board called
out a Spectacled Petrel. This bird
flew past, giving us a brief view of its head markings.
We set off after it, but were unable to track it down
amongst the trail of birds behind us. We were contemplating
this amazing sighting when Eldert again picked up
a bird that drifted right past our boat. This was
another Spectacled Petrel, but with
reduced head markings which did not complete the classic
circles one usually sees on these birds. We managed
very good views of this bird that was more intent
on eating its fish than bothering about us. We were
just about to leave when a Northern Giant
Petrel made a brief fly past our boat, giving
us good views.
After these amazing birds, the ride
back was a bit of an anti climax, with only a group
of Parasitic Jaeger and a single
Pomarine Jaeger to add to our day
list. A single African Penguin popped
up next to boat just before the harbour, completing
our run of birds for the day before we arrived back
in the harbour.
Bird species seen and approximate numbers:
Swift tern – coastal
Sandwich Tern – coastal
Hartlaub’s Gull – coastal
Cape Gull - coastal
Cape Cormorant – coastal
White-breasted cormorant – coastal
African Penguin – coastal
Cape Gannet – coastal & pelagic –
50
Sub-Antarctic Skua – 10
Long-tailed Jaeger – 20
Pomarine Jaeger – 1
Parasitic Jaeger – 3
White-chinned Petrel – 600
Northern Giant Petrel – 1
Spectacled Petrel – 2
Cory’s Shearwater – 150
Great Shearwater – 70
Sooty Shearwater – 30
Shy Albatross – 500
Black-browed Albatross – 400
Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross – 8
Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross – 4
Wilson’s Storm Petrel – 200
European Storm Petrel – 500
Sabine's Gull – 200
Mammals:
Cape Fur Seal
A message from Cape Town Pelagics:
A huge thank you to our experienced skippers who are
able to safely lead us to the best birding areas and
skillfully manoeuvre the boat into just the best position
while all on board are busy concentrating on the birds!
Coordinating a pelagic trip over a year in advance
with guests from all across South Africa and different
countries around the world requires an organised office
team. We thank them for their special eye for detail
- and for the sometimes last-minute rearrangements
and frustration if the weather delays the trip to
another day! Our biggest thank-you is to our Cape
Town Pelagics guides who take time out of their work,
often involving seabirds and conservation, and time
away from their families, to provide our guests with
a world-class birding experience. Cape Town Pelagics
donates all it profits to seabirds, and so all the
participants who join the trip make a contribution
towards bird research and conservation - a big thank
you from all of us.
Trip Report by Cape Town Pelagics
guide Dalton
Gibbs.
To book, simply email
or phone us, or submit a
booking enquiry online.
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