| Case Summary for:
Submission No 371: Great Shearwater Puffinus gravis; off Port
Fairy, VIC. 7th April 2002. Unpublished. Submitted by: Rohan Clarke &
Mike Carter. Verdict: Accepted This submission concerns a Shearwater seen on the 7th April 2002 during an organised pelagic excursion from Port Fairy in western Victoria (38º 47.55'S 141º 48.50'E). Twelve observers saw the bird as it approached the vessel from the port side. Due to the short observation period no photographs were taken, nevertheless views were considered sufficient to warrant a positive identification. To quote direct from the submission: "Dorsally the dark cap, white collar, pale scalloping on the scapulars, narrow white band at the base of the tail, and dark tail, were all seen well. On the ventral surface the diagnostic underwing pattern and grey belly smudge were noted. There are several other large shearwaters with pale ventral surfaces (Buller's Shearwater, Streaked Shearwater, Cory's Shearwater and Pink-footed Shearwater) but none has a similar combination of characters (Lindsey 1986; Harrison 1987; Marchant & Higgins 1990; Enticott & Tipling 1997)". Despite the brevity of the sighting committee members had no difficultly accepting this record, doing so unanimously, taking note of the observers experience and the ease with which this species can be identified when seen well enough. This is the third confirmed record for Australia. The first being a bird
(or perhaps two birds) sighted three times over a four-day period by separate
observers 100Nm apart off south-east South Australia in January 1989.
(BARC Case No. 165) and the second was a bird sighted from Portland, Vic
11 April 1999 (BARC Case No. 267). Provenance is likely to be by eastward
wind-drift from South Atlantic colonies.
· Patterson, R.M. 1996: RAOU Records Appraisal Committee: Opinions
and Case Summaries 1992-1995: RAOU Report No. 101. Case Number
165, p23. Tony Palliser
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