Southern Oceans Seabird Study Group (SOSSG) naturalist Lindsay Smith will speak about his experiences conducting offshore surveys on the ocean’s bird life.

This organisation has continued a montioring project with started in 1956, when the first wandering albatrosses were caught and banded at the edge of the Australian Continental Shelf.

Each month, these surveys are conducted from bases along the eastern seaboard, including at Kiama.

Branch member Col Kohlhagen said it was imperative ocean bird numbers were closely monitored, which made groups such as the SOSSG so important.

“Ocean-going birds are encountering more and more threats from foreign items, such as plastic bags, in which they can become entangled,” he said.

“The possibility that climate may impact ocean currents and the pelagic [ocean] food chain [are also threats]”

On a typical day, given the right weather and season conditions, some species that are seen include; grey-faced petrel, white-chinned black petrel, Gould’s petrel, wedge-tailed shearwater, buller’s shearwater, flesh-footed, short-tailed and Hutton’s shearwaters, and a wide variety of albatrosses.

Mr Smith will use several videos to highlight his stories and to domeonstare the methods used to capture, weigh, measure, band and then release the birds at sea. All this is done on a moving boat the size of a fishing trawler.

To book a spot, and for details on the time and place, email blsh_program@birdlife.org.au. 

Birdlife Southern Highlands, a branch of Birdlife Australia, has about 90 members who are very active in the promotion of education and conservation of our bird species. The branch conducts two field trips per month, and will sometimes travel to another region for a few days. Most trips are half days in nearby locations, and the group might walk for a couple of kilometres. BirdLife Australia is a not-for-profit registered charity which supports birds and their habitat. Find out more at birdlife.org.au/locations/birdlife-southern-highlands.