I’m intending joining Hadoram Shirihai and Dick Watling who have organised a boat charter of one week (up to a maximum 9 days) to try to find and photograph the Fiji Petrel (Pseudobulweria macgillivrayi).

The journey will be from Fiji, a suitable boat has been arranged, and two ton of chum(!) will be aboard. It will sail 17 July 2008.

Most will know the story behind this enigmatic and near-mythical species. Unrecorded from the type specimen taken in 1855 until 1984 when Dick had the extraordinary experience, when spotlighting, of a bird crash-landing into his head! Breeding is suspected on the small island of Gau but detailed searching there has not found any birds. Some 10 though, mainly juveniles, have since crashed onto roofs and grounded in a local village there. One of these last year, 2007, having died, is now preserved as a study skin (the 1855 skin is at the BMNH and this second in Fiji). The biology of the species is completely unknown.

The voyage has three main goals:

1. To learn the at-sea identification of the Fiji Petrel, observe behaviour if possible, and hopefully get an understanding of the likely numbers in the area.

2. To try to obtain photos of Fiji Petrel at sea, for use in both scientific and conservation/education publications to protect native Fijian birds.

3. To survey other species of petrels in this area, of which limited information is currently available.

This is an invitation to keen seabird observers and photographers. Hadoram and Dick have space for only two or three more participants who are willing to share (equally) the costs of the boat. It will cost about US$5000 each (the final price depending on numbers sharing the costs).

For further information please contact Hadoram at albatross_shiri...@hotmail.com

[As most already will know Dick is also the author of the 'A Guide to the Birds of Fiji and Western Polynesia', and Hadoram was responsible for the recent rediscovery of Beck's Petrel and is the principal author of the forthcoming ‘Albatrosses, Petrels and Shearwaters of the world: a handbook to their taxonomy, identification, ecology and conservation’]

PS The recent charter to photograph Zino’s Petrel at sea (Seabird-News 13/4/08) was successful – more on this another time.

Regards
Tony

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