Yesterday I survived my first pelagic birding trip. We departed from Hillarys Boat Harbour at just gone 0700 and returned just after 1500. As this was my first pelagic, pretty much any sea bird that turned up was going to be a first for me. Here is my list (all are firsts for me):

• Australasian Gannet (Morus serrator);
• Hutton’s Shearwater (Puffinus huttoni);
• Soft-plumaged Petrel (Pterodroma mollis);
• Yellow-nosed Albatross (Diomedea chlorohynchos);
• Brown Skua (Catharacta skua);
• Black-browed Albatross (Diomedea melanophris);
• Cape Petrel (Daption capense);
• Great Winged Petrel (Pterodroma macroptera);
• Southern Giant Petrel (Macronectes giganteus).

Overall the trip was good. The birds showed up as planned and I didn’t get sick. The sea wasn’t too rough and the weather held out (despite threatening to rain for most of the day). Experienced sea birders were quite happy to identify and discuss birds to complete novices like myself. I will post some photographs once I have had a chance to sort through them.

Thanks to Frank O’Connor and the rest of the people who helped organise the day!