Hi Nikolas, Andrew & all No Nik, you weren't the smart arse on this one - maybe
it was me. I was very quick to say the Speckled Warbler wasn't one, but that
it was a young Rufous Whistler. I was also quickly agreeing with you & Mike
Carter that the Great Shearwater that Andrew saw & thought was a Great
Shearwater, was indeed a young Aust Gannet. I left the tern ID alone - but yes
I do agree, 1st yr Common Tern... So maybe it is me that should apologise for
being so fast to question these sightings... rightly or wrongly... But I feel
the bigger evil is when one takes a veiled swipe, & that wasn't me or yourself,
Nik, so that person is the one who should apologise, not you or me... Cheers
for now, Martin Cachard Cairns 0428 782 808
> Date: Mon, 19 Mar 2012 02:15:31 -0700
> From:
> To: ;
> CC: ;
> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Birdline Western Australia Weekly Update GREAT
> SHEARWATER CLEARLY NOT
>
> Hi Andrew and Philip,
>
> Andrew, first I would like to apologize to you that I opened this can of
> worms with my first e-mail questioning your sighting. Since you mentioned
> that you were familiar with Manx Shearwater, I am sure that you were familiar
> with Northern Gannets, too. On the other hand your description fits best an
> immature gannet - on this side of the world most likely an Australasian
> Gannet. In this case (until proven otherwise) it was important to have the
> note removed from Eremaea to not confuse future searches for Great
> Shearwater. I definitely don't want to scare you off. Please continue to
> report your sightings, Andrew.
>
>
> Philip, I strongly disagree with your small leaps. They happen all too often
> and are wrong. I have been member of a number of rare bird committees on
> various continents. I often noticed that submitters don't consider the
> unusual. E.g. to me a report of a Bridled Tern clearly ruling out a Sooty
> Tern, doesn't mean that the bird was a Bridled Tern unless you also rule out
> a Spectacled/Grey-backed Tern (even though it is not [yet] on the Australian
> list). Another story is that of an adult male Lark Bunting reported to us
> when I was part of the New Jersey Rare Birds Committee. Lark Bunting is the
> only black finch-like bird in North American field guides but still highly
> unlikely in New Jersey. The photos proved it to be one of the African widow
> finches - obviously an escapee. Therefore in order to prove the small leap
> you have to make a big leap.
>
>
> Often, once you are on the wrong track, you may get lost. So I guess, if you
> misidentify a gannet for a shearwater and you still notice its huge size, why
> not think of a Great [sic!] Shearwater or another large shearwater species?
> Therefore, I totally understand this thought - even without wishful thinking
> involved. Funny things do happen: I know someone whose name begins with "N"
> and ends with "ikolas" (no, it wasn't David James!) who screamed "Streaked
> Shearwater". This bird turned out to be the most gigantic shearwater I've
> ever seen with a wing span of 3.5 metres! It turned out to be a Wandering
> Albatross! Sh.. happens.
>
>
> And yes, most - if not all - shearwaters dive, but to my knowledge and
> experience not in the way Andrew described it.
>
> Finally, yes (1) the mystery tern was a Common Tern moulting from first
> winter to first summer plumage (note the seasons refer to the northern
> hemisphere) and (2) the mystery little speckled bird was a juv Rufous
> Whistler. I just didn't want to be the smart arse again - but I guess I am ;-)
>
> Cheers,
>
> Nikolas
>
>
> ----------------
> Nikolas Haass
>
> Sydney, NSW
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Philip Veerman <>
> To: 'Jeff Davies' <>
> Cc: ;
> Sent: Monday, March 19, 2012 7:37 PM
> Subject: [Birding-Aus] Birdline Western Australia Weekly Update GREAT
> SHEARWATER CLEARLY NOT
>
> Hi Jeff,
>
> Thanks for your comment. Sorry if you or others think so, I wasn't intending
> "way overkill". I am curious at the general phenomenon (not just this case)
> of people making big leaps of identification, rather than small leaps and
> wondering why this sort of thing happens somewhat often. A very long time
> ago (20 to 30 years) when I was seasick on a pelagic trip, I looked up at
> something, probably not very clearly, and thought I had seen a distant
> Wandering Albatross, because it was mainly white above, but that thought
> only lasted a few minutes. No doubt it was an adult Gannet. So why did I
> want it to be a Wandering Albatross, simply because I wanted it! But that is
> a species you could reasonably expect to have encountered at that place and
> date.
>
> It is interesting why would an identification go to that particular species
> (Great Shearwater) which is unlikely just on status. I understand a new
> birder to our shores learning the ropes thinking what a great bird. But
> curious as to the thought process. Could it be because it has been mentioned
> recently? As in my question is about the role of wishful thinking in bird
> identification over the whole range of people and experiences. I don't see
> this as rubbing it in.
>
> And yes you are right that Great Shearwater is not ONLY "on the other side
> of the world" (but usually is).
>
> Lastly the question remains: Do any shearwaters feed by diving behaviour as
> described?
>
> Philip
>
> -----Original Message-----From: Jeff Davies
> Sent: Monday, 19 March 2012 2:35 PM
> To: 'Philip Veerman'; Cc:
> Subject: RE: [Birding-Aus] Birdline Western Australia Weekly Update GREAT
> SHEARWATER CLEARLY NOT
>
>
> This is way overkill Philip,
>
> it was an honest mistake by Andrew McKey a new birder to our shores learning
> the ropes, who was brave enough to put up a report for scrutiny.
> Should have been picked up by the forum administrators before going to air,
> but has now been corrected by a couple of observant forum readers as a
> perfect description for a young Gannet. Reports of late demonstrate clearly
> that Great Shearwater is not only "on the other side of the world" and this
> probably resonated with Andrew.
>
> So why rub it in, cheers Jeff.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----From:
> On Behalf Of Philip Veerman
> Sent: Monday, 19 March 2012 2:08 PM To: Cc:
> Subject: [Birding-Aus] Birdline Western Australia
> Weekly Update GREAT SHEARWATER CLEARLY NOT
>
> Sure we can make mistakes on confusing difficult species but I am amused by
> this one, not at the making a mistake. I can understand someone saying I
> don't know what it is but why come up with an idea of Great Shearwater? I
> don't find it in my Aussie field guides, so why would that be in the mix of
> ideas? Indeed Peter Harrison's Seabirds book shows Great Shearwater on the
> opposite side of the world. Looking at the pictures of Great Shearwater in
> that book does not raise images to me of similarity to a gannet. Gannet do
> occur in UK. I think Michael Palin said he didn't like a British bird book
> because it had the Gannet in it.
>
> Lastly, now I am curious. Do any shearwaters feed by diving behaviour as
> described? I have not seen it.
>
> Philip
>
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