I knew that I should have checked HANZAB a bit closer. Also, I must do a
bird list before we return to port. Mea culpa ...
1. The Fairy prion reported from last Sunday's pelagic should have been a
SLENDER-BILLED PRION (very small chance of it being Antarctic Prion). This
is after consulting HANZAB; plus John Darnell studying specimens at the WA
Museum; plus more details from observers especially about the amount of
black on the tail, colour of head and face, although the plumage was worn.
This also fits in with the more likely distribution. In either case, this
was the first prion that I have seen.
2. Three people had good looks at one of the two giant-petrels on the water
at the same time as the prion. They independently considered the bill of
this bird to be reddish. i.e. a Northern Giant-Petrel. I clearly saw the
other bird as it flew close by the boat, and the greenish bill was clear.
The other people lso feel that I underestimated the number of Soft-plumaged
Petrels.
So the revised bird list was :
Southern Giant-Petrel (2)
Northern Giant-Petrel (1)
Cape Petrel (8+)
Kerguelen Petrel (2)
Great-winged Petrel (9+)
Soft-plumaged Petrel (80 - 100)
Slender-billed Prion (1)
Little Shearwater (1)
Yellow-nosed Albatross (race bassi) (61+)
Wilson's Storm-Petrel (5)
Australasian Gannet (10)
Pied Cormorant (2)
Great Skua (3)
Silver Gull (5)
Crested Tern (8)
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