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Prion off Caloundra SEQ

To: "birding-aus" <>
Subject: Prion off Caloundra SEQ
From: "Gavin Goodyear" <>
Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2002 18:59:15 +1000
G'day all
 
Just to note a sighting I had of a Prion off Caloundra Headland on 14/7/02. About 0715 I noticed a bird about 400m out off the headland which I believed was a Prion but the light was poor from cloud cover and I couldn't notice any markings on it at all and it was lost to sight within 10-20sec of my seeing it. At 0900 the sun was out for a short time and I could see a white underbody of a sea bird. On looking through the scope it was recognisable as a Prion cruising low to the water. The M marking across the wings and the back was very clearly visible and the black area on the tail appeared extensive and reaching the undertail coverts. AT this stage it was only about 100-150m out. I got a very brief glimpse of the undertail and didn't notice a black stripe (although it was only a glimpse). When I made the first observation of the Prion I was wondering if it was the Antarctic Prion reported by Trevor Ford and Duncan Walbridge a few k's further south at Woorim. I have had no prior experience with any of the Prions and next to none with other seabirds but looking at HANZAB and a couple of other guides due to the amount of black on the uppertail it might have been a Fairy Prion. Also the side profile of the head appeared to be in the same proportion as that shown in HANZAB.
 
Again I have had no experience with this group so I am still uncertain enough and probably will remain so to record it as this species.
 
Also present for a short time in close were two lots of two Fluttering Shearwaters.
 
Cheers
 
Gavin
Petrie.Qld
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