Durban pelagic trips

From time to time, I run pelagic trips out of Durban harbour. Details of the dates can be found on www.niall.co.za – click on the BirdLife SA logo on the right.

Cost: R1750 per person (This could need revision once we find out how COVID restrictions may affect numbers of guests on the boat)

Duration: We depart at first light and return approximately 8 hours later

When to go: I often get asked this question – there is no easy answer, basically you need to decide what species you’d like to see, or whether you just want the experience of being out there. Summer months are generally quieter number wise, mainly due to the majority of the pelagic species going to their breeding islands in summer, and moving north as the icy grip of winter takes hold on these southern islands. An exception to this is Great-winged Petrel, our population breed on Marion Island (roll on Flock 2022!!), and spend their summer mainly up the east coast, making Durban pelagics in spring through to autumn the best place to see these dynamic little Pterodroma (also known as gadlfy) petrels.

We head south east of Durban, getting to a channel of deeper water, where upwelling of the current brings nutrients closer to the surface, hence a higher number of pelagic birds foraging. We supplement this with buckets of frozen chum that we put into the water when we reach this area. The pungent smell carries on the wind and the birds follow the smell into our chum slick, which develops around the boat. Pelagic birds as a group are called tubenoses – with good reason, as their large nostrils are adapted to finding their food by sense of smell.

Species expected off Durban:

Common species include:

Cape Gannet (especially winter)

Albatrosses:

Black-browed Albatross (usually a few encountered on winter trips, mostly immature birds)

Shy Albatross (usually a few encountered on winter trips, mostly immature birds)

Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross – one of the most common species along with White-chinned Petrel, numbers increase in winter, with more adults encountered then as well

Petrels & shearwaters:

Southern & Northern Giant Petrel – both have been encountered, they are still uncommon off the east coast, our eyes are always peeled for these large hump-backed petrels

Antarctic Prion – can be common in winter, our winter trips normally produce some of these attractive little birds

Great-winged Petrel – as mentioned this is a fairly common species in summer

Soft-plumaged Petrel – these petrels are normally encountered in late autumn and spring, they prefer deeper water

Barau’s Petrel – one of the specials of Durban pelagics, a strikingly plumaged petrel which only breeds on Reunion Island – they do a pre and post breeding visit to our waters, a large elliptical loop, just reaching the deeper waters offshore. Best months to have a chance at this rare bird are October and November.

Grey Petrel – a rarity in Southern African waters, we have started to have them appearing more regularly on early summer pelagics

White-chinned Petrel – along with Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross this is one of the most common species encountered. A large brown petrel with a pale creamy bill, fairly easily identified

Sooty Shearwater – a small shearwater with silvery underwings – they often come careening into the chum slick, making sure to keep clear of the larger albatrosses and petrels

Flesh-footed Shearwater – another special of the east coast, being far more regular off Durban than in the colder Cape waters. Their numbers are highest in winter, some years appearing in hundreds, others limited to a few birds. The do however seem to occur in most months

Storm Petrels:

Wilson’s Storm-Petrel – the most common of the species encountered, mainly in winter, but coincide with European Storm Petrel in autumn and spring

European Storm Petrel – visit from the northern hemisphere in our spring through to autumn (when most common)

Terns:

Common Tern – common in summer months, but present year round

Arctic Tern – small numbers are encountered, also more reliable in summer but possible year round

Skuas and jaegers:

Brown (Subantarctic) Skua – fairly common in winter

Parasitic Jaeger – regular in summer

Rarities:

Of course being “out there” is the best way to pick up rarities. The following are species that have been recorded off Durban:

Red-footed Booby – summer records

Brown Booby – old summer records

Wandering Albatross – lately we’ve had two records in spring

Grey-headed Albatross – old records when the whaling station was operational

Sooty Albatross – one of our most exciting records, a young bird in June

Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross – we have started to pick up adults more recently, sporadic records

Cape (Pintado) Petrel – an uncommon winter visitor, occasionally venturing into the chum slick

Slender-billed Prion – good views are needed of prions to ID them, we’ve had a few of these in amongst groups of Antarctic Prions

Tahiti Petrel – another very exciting record, a first confirmed record for Southern Africa, seen in November 2018

Cory’s Shearwater – uncommon in summer

Great Shearwater – uncommon in summer

Tropical Shearwater – visiting from islands off northern Mozambique, we’ve encountered this a few times in early summer

White-faced Storm Petrel – a striking little storm petrel, records are from May and June

Black-bellied Storm Petrel – a fairly regular passage migrant, mostly seen in Spring

Leach’s Storm Petrel – older records exist of this uncommon northern hemisphere species

Sabine’s Gull – we’ve had summer records of this striking gull

Sooty Tern – some years produce good numbers, more common in summer but possible year round

South Polar Skua – older winter records exist

Long-tailed Jaeger – we have had summer records, some as late as May, in full breeding plumage

Pomarine Jaeger – older summer records exist

A link to the full list of species encountered to date is here: http://www.niall.co.za/pelagic/Species-occurrence.pdf

A gallery of photos taken on Durban pelagics is at http://bustardsbirding.co.za/durban-pelagic-birds/

Contact me (Niall Perrins) on niall@bustardsbirding.co.za for further information.