One accepted sighting gets it on the official Christidis & Boles Australian
list. So Dion Hobcroft's record from Byron Bay, NSW, 8 November 1994 (see
Patterson, R.J., 1996, RAC Opinions & Case Summaries 1992-1995, RAOU report
101) provides the credentials for its inclusion on our list. Note that this
was after publication of HANZAB vol 2 (1993) which dealt with the plovers.
It remains the only accepted record until now. In my opinion, the
photographic evidence and its presentation for the Penrhyn bird is utterly
convincing. Which is very annoying as I dipped - again! It now transpires
that Graham Buchan found it on Friday 15 September, but then failed to find
it in searches on two of the next three days, found it again in the same
place on Tuesday 26 and obtained a series of photographs that reveal the
very subtle diagnostic features. No waders whatsoever were seen at the site
on Wednesday 27 and although several of us searched yesterday, Thursday 28,
in good conditions, we failed to find it. So it is a very hit-and-miss
affair. Yer pays yer money and takes yer chance!
The CSIRO list attempted to more finely categorize Australian Species but
made a disgusting hash of it. Don't just take my word for that, (yet to be
published): read the damning reviews by Penny Olsen in Wingspan and Stephen
Garnett in Emu. They (the CSIRO) even listed White-necked Petrel as a
vagrant! It occurs so regularly that it is does not even require a BARC
submission from anywhere and BREEDS regularly on Norfolk Island and possibly
on Lord Howe Island (per Richard Baxter).
Not sure of all criteria required for inclusion on the Supplementary List
but if there was ever a case for such a list it would be American Golden
Plover prior to 1995. A bird banded in Alaska was killed in NSW prior to
separation of Lesser Golden Plover into Pacific and American was later
published as American without justifying the identification. Both species
breed there.
Mike Carter
30 Canadian Bay Road
Mt Eliza VIC 3930
Ph: (03) 9787 7136
Email:
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