IT WAS on a recent return fishing trip from Broughton Island that I first saw a tiny bird flitting and bouncing above the surface of the waves.
It appeared to me that the bird was in some distress as we were about three kilometres offshore.
It seemed that at any time the bird would fall into the sea, but no, it continued to seemingly walk across the water.
So fascinated was I that I made every effort to identify this little black and white sea bird no bigger than a swallow. Searching through the bird books I came to the conclusion that it was a Fairy Prion – but I wasn’t sure.
Through my weekly segment on ABC Radio, “The Big Fish”, I asked the listeners to assist me in positively identifying the little bird that I had never seen before.
I described it in as much detail as I could, hoping that someone somewhere could give me a positive identification and contact me through my email address.
No response was forthcoming, until at the end of a fortnight I did receive a reply from Gisborne, New Zealand.
A keen recreational fisherman called Ben Galbraith, a regular listener to the ABC program, sent me an email with a description and a photograph of the bird.
I sent the photo to a friend, who also saw the bird, and we agreed that the problem had been solved.
The mystery bird was a White-faced storm petrel (Takahikare in Maori) also known as Jesus Christ birds for their ability to seemingly walk on the surface of the ocean.
Also known as a Frigate Petrel, the bird has a broad breeding range including islands in the South Atlantic Ocean to Australia and New Zealand.
I replied to Ben and was interested to learn that he launches off the beach in a 12 foot tinny named “Tinfoil”.
The fish that he catches are extraordinary – snapper, kingfish and occasionally, tuna.
As a result of our contact, I have learnt more about Gisborne. The town with a population of 38,200 on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island is known for its wineries and excellent surf beaches.
It has the Tairawhiti Museum which exhibits indigenous and colonial history, which is exactly what we need in Port Stephens.
Gisborne is also the first city in the world to see the sunrise.
As a result of that little bird and the communication that followed Ben has been interviewed on ABC Radio and will remain a regular contributor.
This story all started with a fishing trip to Broughton Island.
As I have said on many occasions: “There is far more to fishing that catching fish”.
By John ‘Stinker’ CLARKE
