At 20:08 15/12/98 +1000, Ian Clayton wrote:
> A Buller's Shearwater Puffinus bulleri was seen today at Cape Bowling
>Green just south of Townsville, by members of The Townsville Region Bird
>Observers Club on a regular wader count. Just a couple of questions?
>How uncommon is this bird in Nth. Qld.? Are there any other records for
>Nth. Qld? I for one have not seen or heard of any sightings of this bird
>in Nth. Qld.
Ian, this is a pretty interesting sighting. I have not encountered records
from the Great Barrier Reef or the Coral Sea. There are plenty of records
for SEQ from Stradbroke and pelagic trips. HANZAB lists only SEQ records.
Storr (Revised list of Qld birds) states north to 27 degrees. No listing in
the RAOU Atlas nor in the Atlas of Qld frogs, reptiles, birds and mammals.
It was not recorded by Corben & Stokes (1985; Corella 9: 25-29) in their
Coral Sea/GBR survey in May. I have not seen during cruises in May, June
and Sept.
However, Buller's wouldn't be expected outside the period Oct to March as
they visit Aust. during summer, while nesting in NZ. They winter in the N
Pacific. I don't know of any cruise reports that cover the area in summer.
They could well be regular but unreported up this way.
David James
PO BOX 5225
Townsville Mail Centre 4810
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