Arctic Warbler new for mainland Aust.?

["Peter S Lansley" <>]

Greetings birding-aussers.

At Birds Australia Broome Bird Observatory, this morning (23/1/98) local
time, a Phylloscopus warbler was captured. While the details have yet to
arrive at national office, it is likely an Arctic, P. borealis. If
confirmed as such, it would be the first that I am aware of turning up on
mainland Australia.

Two previous accepted records are : dead specimen, Scott Reef, Nov. 1979;
and live bird which later died, oil rig off Dampier, WA, circa 1985. Add to
that George Swann's findin Dec. 1997 of one (or more?) bird(s) at Lacepede
Is and rumours of other(s) at Ashmore Reef, and we potentially have a
sought-after bird (apologies John Bransbury!) in the NW, Nov. to Feb. 

Perhaps the WA birding-aussers have more info??

Cheers. Peter Lansley, Melbourne.