As I sail from Broome next Tuesday on my 12th Ashmore pelagic, Simon's
message has my mouth watering again in anticipation.
The number of Matsudaira's Storm-Petrels seen on the previous 11 trips has
varied enormously. The species has been seen on every trip with the fewest
being 2 each on sequential voyages in 2001 but over 50 in six other years so
it may be a bit unwise to draw too much from just one trip. Nevertheless, I
think you are right that the highest numbers of Matsudaira's Storm-Petrels
in those waters, that is the confluence of the Indian Ocean and Timor Sea,
at least at this time of the year, occur east of Ashmore. We certainly saw a
lot there in 1996. With such a frequency and abundance of observations it is
disappointing to note that the species is designated a vagrant to Australia
in Christidis & Boles (2008) and still given that status in some field
guides.
When you say 'currently known only from the two Iwo Islands south of Japan',
I assume you mean as a breeding species. But even that wouldn't be correct
as they also breed on the Ogasawara Islands.
Mike Carter
30 Canadian Bay Road
Mount Eliza VIC 3930
Tel (03) 9787 7136
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