Possible Bulwer's Petrel [NOW CONFIRMED]

Sightings anywhere within a 250 km radius of Toowoomba, but excluding the local survey area (see above), for the period 1 Dec 2012 - 29 Feb 2013.
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Mick Atzeni
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Joined: Sun Dec 11, 2005 9:08 pm

Possible Bulwer's Petrel [NOW CONFIRMED]

Post by Mick Atzeni »

A small dark petrel was brought in on Tuesday to Murphys Creek wildlife carer Trish LeeHong ( .://..wildliferescueeducation.org/ ). It was found at the Oakey Army Aviation Centre west of Toowoomba .://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oakey_Army_Aviation_Centre .

It has since died and been examined. Although hard to believe, it appears to be a Bulwer's Petrel, a very rare vagrant. We are now waiting to see whether the experts agree.

All very exciting! Watch this space...

Regards
Mick
Last edited by Mick Atzeni on Thu Feb 14, 2013 4:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Michael Atzeni
7 Woden St, Murphys Creek 4352
Mob: 0499 395 485
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Mick Atzeni
Posts: 1843
Joined: Sun Dec 11, 2005 9:08 pm

Bulwer's Petrel

Post by Mick Atzeni »

Hi all

The bird was examined on Friday and has been confirmed as a Bulwer's Petrel. I'm told it's only the second specimen record for Australia. I did some research of my own and presume the first record is published in this paper which I'm trying to get a copy of if anyone can help me out:

SCHULZ,M. (1992) A BEACH-WASHED SPECIMEN OF BULWER'S PETREL Bulweria bulwerii IN VICTORIA. AUST. BIRD WATCHER, 14(6):204-205.


Here are some other links I found useful, particularly the first one:

.://..seychellesbirdrecordscommitt ... errett.pdf
.://..birdlife.org/datazone/specie ... hp?id=3920
.://bie.ala.org.au/species/Bulweria+bulwerii
.://boca.org.au/photogallery/picture ... ers-petrel
.://..pbase.com/wildlifeimages/bulwers_petrel

Will include a report along with photos in the newsletter. Will also post something on our facebook page.

Cheers
Mick
Michael Atzeni
7 Woden St, Murphys Creek 4352
Mob: 0499 395 485
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Mick Atzeni
Posts: 1843
Joined: Sun Dec 11, 2005 9:08 pm

ABC news release re Bulwer's Petrel

Post by Mick Atzeni »

Made the national news!

.://..abc.net.au/news/2013-02-14/r ... ld/4518246

Cheers
Mick
Michael Atzeni
7 Woden St, Murphys Creek 4352
Mob: 0499 395 485
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smyliekylie
Posts: 50
Joined: Thu Aug 25, 2011 7:06 pm

Pictures now on Facebook

Post by smyliekylie »

Hi all,
Just letting you know that there are pictures available on TBO Facebook page, if you have a Facebook account, search for Toowoomba Bird Observers.
Cheers,
Kylie :-)
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Mick Atzeni
Posts: 1843
Joined: Sun Dec 11, 2005 9:08 pm

Photos

Post by Mick Atzeni »

Thanks Kylie, and Judi Gray for putting them up for me.

The link is: https://..facebook.com/pages/Toowoomb ... 2075881350

Folks, please do us a favour and Like Us :-)


Cheers
Mick
Michael Atzeni
7 Woden St, Murphys Creek 4352
Mob: 0499 395 485
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Mick Atzeni
Posts: 1843
Joined: Sun Dec 11, 2005 9:08 pm

Another Bulwer's Petrel news story

Post by Mick Atzeni »

Michael Atzeni
7 Woden St, Murphys Creek 4352
Mob: 0499 395 485
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Mick Atzeni
Posts: 1843
Joined: Sun Dec 11, 2005 9:08 pm

Australian specimens of Bulwer's Petrel

Post by Mick Atzeni »

Adrian Boyle pointed out on our FaceBook page that there are at least three specimen records in Australia, including one of his own from Broome. I contacted Ron Johnstone from the WA museum for the full details and received the following reply which Ron has kindly allowed me to share with our readers:
From: "Ron Johnstone" <Ron.Johnstone@museum.wa.gov.au>
To: "Michael Atzeni" <matzeni@westnet.com.au>
Sent: Tuesday, 19 February, 2013 9:52:40 AM GMT +10:00 Brisbane
Subject: RE: Bulwer's Petrel specimens

Dear Michael,

Thanks for your note and the record of Bulwer’s Petrel at Oakey. I will add it to my Qld data bank.

Adrian is correct and we have a specimen collected at Gantheaume Point near Broome on 8 October 2000.It is an immature female Western Australian Museum number A28037.

We also have another specimen from North West Cape Western Australia number A38439 collected on 4 June 2012.

In my handbook of WA birds volume 1 we mention that this species is a visitor ( October-November) to seas well offshore. It is now moderately common north of 22 S but rare further south . It is recorded in vicinity of Ashmore reef, Scott Reef and Adele Island.

During a cyclone here last year we had Streaked Shearwaters driven right across the State to the Southern Ocean.

We have a huge paper dealing with birds of the Pilbara region, including seas and offshore islands their distribution, status and historical changes, that should be published this year.

For your interest I hold the Glen Storr Queensland Data Bank .

Regards

Ron

Ron Johnstone
Curator, Ornithology
Terrestrial Vertebrates

Western Australian Museum
Collections and Research Centre
49 Kew Street, Welshpool, Western Australia 6106
Locked Bag 49, Welshpool DC, Western Australia 6986
Telephone +61 8 9212 3739
Fax +61 8 9212 3882
Cheers
Mick
Michael Atzeni
7 Woden St, Murphys Creek 4352
Mob: 0499 395 485
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