http://s273.photobucket.com/user/eve_jean_talbot/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image.jpg.html Hi – I walked the length of Fingal Beach near Tweed Heads this afternoon. I was checking the beach for a Little Tern colony (there are signs in the surf club car park about them possibly being around). I didn’t find any little terns but I did find this bird sitting on the sand about 2km from the surf club. It was definitely alive. It looked to me like a Black Petrel (see attached an iPhone photo). I thought the heavy rain through the night and morning might have affected it, Nick Talbot
Birding-Aus mailing list
Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org
To change settings or unsubscribe visit:
http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
Thanks Rohan, I’m staying nearby so I can go back and check it again in the morning, Nick
Birding-Aus mailing list
Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org
To change settings or unsubscribe visit:
http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
Hi Nick, Nice find! Definitely a Black Petrel. It’s a dark Procellaria petrel with a black tipped bill which narrows it to either Black or Westland – even in this iPhone image you can see that the very tip of the hook (the maxillary unguis) droops below an imaginary straight line running along the lower edge of the lower mandible and this rules out Westland Petrel. It is very unlikely to survive on the beach. A wildlife career might collect if you can provide them an exact location. If it doesn’t make it, it would probably make a valuable addition to the either the Australian Museum or the National Wildlife Collection. Cheers, Rohan — Rohan Clarke http://www.wildlifeimages.com.au Latest updates http://www.pbase.com/wildlifeimages/root&view=recent
Birding-Aus mailing list
Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org
To change settings or unsubscribe visit:
http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org