Eaglehawk Neck Pelagic 1-2 February

January was not an easy month for me. I had an ER room visit and hospital stay as well as the return of bouts of migraines with vertigo. But I have some hope now. I have begun a quest toward finding some answers regarding my ‘gut’ issues. My attending surgeon in hospital has followed up my obstruction with an MRI and is referring me to a gastroenterologist. I will be having a procedure in the coming weeks. I hope to finally have some answers and treatment plans.

Last Thursday I did a post about my beautiful new PRBY apparel Painted Bunting t-shirt and although I did not go into it, but I was feeling unwell that day. 

         

New PRBY shirt. I love their shirts!

It turned out to “just” be a bad migraine, and with rest and medication, it passed. Sometimes they last for 3 days or more, but this one did not. I was able to get on a plane on Friday and fly down to Tasmania for the weekend. I am indeed grateful. As I am editing this entry, I feel somewhat unwell again. Not awful, just not well. But as I said, I do have hope. I really do. Now, on with the blog… 

Just before Christmas, Rohan Clarke had posted the dates of his quarterly Eaglehawk Neck double-header pelagics. I was interested in the February 1-2 trip, hoping for Gould’s and possibly Mottled Petrels. I did get a spot, along with James, Alan Stringer and Robert Shore (Robert later had to cancel). I very much love Eaglehawk Neck and I have done several pelagics from there. They are the essence of “…a perpetual series of occasions for hope.” You never know what might turn up. It was there in January 2018 that the Juan Fernandez Petrel flew into my heart and onto my list. Many thousands of miles from its normal range, somehow it had ended up off Eaglehawk Neck. You never know what you may see out there deep sea birding.

A bird I will never forget, the famous Juan Fernandez Petrel, January 2018 off Eaglehawk Neck
     

Saturday began as a lovely morning. However the winds steadily increased and the seas built accordingly. It got downright chilly and we were getting knocked about a bit. I was wearing my trusty patch and it did its job. I did not get seasick, but I felt like crap (that is how the patches work for me). I can deal with that.
                 

We reached the deep water beyond the shelf and began to berley (chum). There were a lot of birds around. The highlights were a Cook’s Petrel, a truly gorgeous dark morph Soft-plumaged Petrel and yes, a Gould’s. Tick! It was a fast flying bird, but I saw it well. Thank you Rohan for spotting it, and Paul Brooks for bodily pointing me at it when it came in and looped across the stern. Then it flew down the port side of the boat and was gone. No time for photos, just time for a lifer-look. Yes, there were lots of birds around us. We had Wilson’s, Grey-backed and White-faced Storm Petrels dancing together on the water behind the boat. We had lots of Albatrosses, Wandering, Southern and Northern Royal, Black-browed, Campbell’s, Buller’s and of course scores of Shy. It was indeed rough, definitely one of the roughest pelagics I’ve done. The ride back in was “interesting,” but fine. John’s boat, the Paulette is a very stable, safe boat and I have complete confidence in his abilities as captain. The next day, Sunday was rough as well, but not as “lumpy” and with fewer birds. Our hopes for a Mottled did not come to fruition, but I had gotten my Gould’s on Saturday and I was very happy about that.
              

Internet Photo of a Gould's Petrel, as far as I know, no one got a shot of ours, but this is what they look like...      

Buller's Albatross being particularly cooperative for photos. They are gorgeous.

It was wonderful seeing some of my dear friends. These are people I value and feel a connection with, but that I usually only see occasionally on birding trips. I had not seen Paul Brooks since the Juan Fernandez trip. Yes, these are some of the best… my dear friend Karen Dick, and Els, and Janine, and Rich, and Andy, and Nick, and of course Rohan. They are my friends, some closer than others and some that I see more often than others, but all part of that special tribe that ‘gets it.’ Those who understand heading out to sea in sometimes-uncomfortable conditions, but with hearts alive with hope. Keeping in contact with these scattered kindred spirits is the best part of social media. I can at least follow along with them through Facebook, even when I do not see them in person for months or even years at a time.

Back on shore, many of the group went up the hill behind the boat ramp to the food truck. Sadly, our traditional after pelagic meeting spot, a café called, Havin’-a-Bite has gone out of business. It was a wonderful place for visiting and sharing some chips. The food truck has excellent chips and also very good prawns and scallops. I ate my early dinner there (as I do) both days. We sat on picnic tables with a gorgeous view of the rocky shore.
         

Monday morning James, Alan and I had a leisurely drive to the Hobart Airport. The trip home was gratefully uneventful (as one hopes for air travel to be) and James and I collected my old Prius from Long Term Parking about 3:15. By 4:30 I was grabbing a short nap at the house in Lara.    

James and I often have Banana Bread as a snack at airports. This was not the best we've had. It was rather lame to be honest.

On Tuesday, I had a quiet ‘Lifer Day’ in celebration of the Gould’s Petrel and I began writing this blog entry. In the arvo I drank a couple of good non-alcoholic beers and ate too many pistachios. And at 5:30, Lynn and I went to Bistro St. Jean in Geelong for a delicious Lifer dinner. It was the best Barramundi I have ever eaten. It was literally grilled to perfection. It was a fitting treat for my 752nd Australian Life Bird.
         

And a little sweet-treat, my favourite ice cream on a stick

I hope to hang onto some of the positive and optimistic feelings that I was having following the trip. These really are not my default settings, but I am working on it. I will always be working on it. I am in process and I will remain in process as long as I remain.

I write therefore I am. I share therefore it’s real. I love because Love Wins.