youtu.be/Kd61yh-YwkY?... - a beautiful short piece about the experimental alcoves I have been working on for the last few years. It seems Kermadec petrels love them as much as I do!

Learn about the Kermadec petrel

YouTube video by NSW Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water

youtu.be

Little Penguin in one of the first active nests of the New South Wales 2026 season. First time breeding in a deep crevice at a new secluded cove on the south coast. We are all hoping the H5N1 cases remain isolated too but, worse case, this burrowing species mat be spared #SuperSeabirdSunday

Somewhat lost and forlorn, this Little Shearwater passes time in a near empty colony while the rest of their kind are off on their honeymoons. There is always next year. Phillip Island off Norfolk. #SuperSeabirdSunday

Combining a stunning Phillip Island sunset this week, in remarkably still conditions, with Kermadec petrels prospecting over their colony. Peaceful and memorable. #SuperSeabirdSunday

This was a 1st for me. A pair of light morph Kermadec petrels. They only makeup 8% of birds on the Phillip Is. Norfolk colony-most are dark morph (see previous post). The calling male has only been back on land 3 months- having delivered a 34 month fledging track for my PhD. #SuperSeabirdSunday

Phillip Island, off Norfolk, has five petrel species with the summer-hatched gadfly petrels nearing fledging. 20,000 paired Black-winged petrel and threatened Kermadec and White-necked petrels with less than 100 known nests each on island. #SuperSeabirdSunday

Currently playing out on the slopes of Lord Howe Is. Made famous by Attenborough’s filming of ‘birds falling from the sky’. Providence petrels in courtship clashes. #SuperSeabirdSunday.

Black-winged Petrel on egg is my Easter #SuperSeabirdSunday offering. This fellow, normally a burrowing species, has taken a liking to our camo covered surface alcoves on Phillip Island off Norfolk.

A rare ‘ginger’ wedge-tailed shearwater nestling for #SuperSeabirdSunday. Discovered during the 66th productivity survey for shearwaters on Buranguba (Montague Island) off NSW. Seas blown up by 70 knot winds the next day will see us twiddling our thumbs for a few more days before homeward bound.

Wind blown Kermadec petrel chick for #SuperSeabirdSunday -same location as last years’ with returned 2021 fledgling-606- doing it 2-years in a row. That’s a great start for her breeding career as I’ve got another monitored bird that’s still going strong at 33 years.

So how do they get all that salt off their feathers? If you’re a seabird, you enjoy a shower. 2,000 Sooty Terns take to the air from their colony during a brief, intense rainstorm over Phillip Island, Norfolk.

Pan-tropical Wedge-tailed Shearwaters are making the most of a warming climate as they establish in higher latitude sites in Eastern Australia. Penny Beaver’s MSc paper uncovers the flexibility of the species by examining two islands in subtropical and temperate sites. dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3...

Black-winged petrels chase everything else in their chaotic airspace over colonies. Like true gadflies (insects), this juvenile Kermadec petrel - itself casing its original fledging site to alight for the first time in 2-3 years - is tail-buzzed right across the my study area. #SuperSeabirdSunday

Only, Wium, if you try pulling them from their burrows! This fellow visited and stayed under the bunks for a couple of days. Perfect guest -except for the sharing and scratching!

Good to know- it’d be great to have a Hut logbook for all the incidentals- might make a great note in a journal, sometime.

Luke Halpin@seabirdresearch.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Not a first for Phillip Island on the ground. I have several observations from Phillip Island in January 2020 including this one observed January 12, 2020.

I’m fascinated by Black-winged petrels. On Phillip Is, off Norfolk, they over-fly all day with concentrations near sunset. 1,000s of birds into the distance, calling and chasing. In 1967, the 1st nests were discovered. 60 years of unimpeded population growth. Over 20,000 pairs. Just inspiring.

This parent and hatchling Red-tailed tropicbird for my #SuperSeabirdSunday offering. With as many as 10 nesting within metres of the Park’s Hut on Phillip Island, off Norfolk last week- it was always advisable to have the phone handy

White-bellied Storm-petrel- seen occasionally in the air above Phillip Is Norfolk but its breeding location remains unknown-Friday nights recovery within a petrel colony was a first. Known breeding 900 km Sth or 1400 km Est. What an exquisite fellow! #SuperSeabirdSunday

Some of NSW coastal islands have their seabirds poorly documented, despite their close proximity. This must be the smallest vessel I’ve used to access an island in 30 years of survey. Learning more of White-faced Storm-petrel.

Last weeks’ breeding noddy-terns of Phillip Island, Norfolk: Sooty; Common; Grey; Black. Approach/handled under permits. #SuperSeabirdSunday#Seabirds

A good news #Seabirds story for your feed. Got to love Phillip Island off Norfolk- South Pacific. It keeps turning up surprises!

After documenting an expanding Flesh-footed Shearwater population on Phillip off Norfolk last month, it was delightful to walk through the 10,000 burrow-strong Clear Place colony on Lord Howe last week. #SuperSeabirdSunday

Surveying Lord Howe geckos between the two mountains here, showcased this year’s production of Providence Petrel fledglings- some still needing a good preen. #SuperSeabirdSunday#Seabirds

A good news story after almost 10 years of working towards a local population recovery: www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11... #Seabirds

A late offering for #SuperSeabirdSunday a male Kermadec Petrel has his partner drop back into the nest site. First meet-up after 5 months apart at sea.

Providence Petrel defending its burrow to all comers at the world’s 2nd only breeding island, Red Knoll, Phillip Island Norfolk. #SuperSeabirdSunday#Seabirds🪶

Placid Little Shearwater on the forest floor of Phillip Island, Norfolk. #SuperSeabirdSunday#Seabirds🪶

Something to get you thinking… worldseabirdunion.org/world-seabir... #Seabirds

Yellow-legged gulls, looking statuesque (with other statues) on a Roman era bridge over the Tiber, Rome. #SuperSeabirdSunday will be whatever I come across in Europe for the next two months. Got to love #Seabirds🪶

No chocolate eggs but a pair of freshly hatched Little Penguin chicks from late last season. #SuperSeabirdSunday🪶