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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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