Western Pacific Odyssey 2012 Update 4
John Brodie-Good
The story continues, another surprise, a close and well photographed Christmas Shearwater!
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> 15 April Day 1 to Chuuk
> Streaked Shearwater 4
> Wedge-tailed Shearwater A
> Short-tailed Shearwater 1
> Wilson’s Storm-petrel 1
> White-tailed Tropicbird 1
> Brown Booby 2
> Red-footed Booby 2
> Brown Noddy A
> Black Noddy A
> White Tern 5
> Sooty Tern B
> Long-tailed Skua 5
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> 16 April Day 2 to Chuuk
> Wedge-tailed Shearwater A
> Short-tailed Shearwater 1
> White-tailed Tropicbird 3
> Brown Noddy 2
> White Tern 1
> Sooty Tern 9
> Pomarine Skua 1
> Long-tailed Skua 5
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> 17 April – arrival at Chuuk
> Arrived at Chuuk mid-afternoon and local walk allowed most participants to
> see the vast majority of the regional endemics including some nice looks at
> Caroline Islands Ground-dove, Caroline Islands Swiftlet, Micronesian
> Myzomela and Oceanic Flycatcher.
> Bulwer’s Petrel 4
> Wedge-tailed Shearwater 2
> Short-tailed Shearwater 3
> Chuuk “Atoll” (Tropical) Shearwater 2 - comparatively poor showing by
> recent WPO standards. These birds do show some distinct differences to some
> of the other populations of Atoll/Tropical Shearwaters with, for example,
> more dark coming from the back of the head onto the neck/upper breast.
> White-tailed Tropicbird 6
> Great Frigatebird 1
> Masked Booby 4
> Brown Noddy A
> Black Noddy B
> White Tern A
> Sooty Tern 2
> Black-naped Tern A
> Common Tern 1 (seemingly quite an unusual bird at Chuuk)
> Great-crested Tern 1
> Pomarine Skua 2
> Arctic Skua 1
> Long-tailed Skua 4
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> 18 April – Chuuk island (departing mid pm)
> Most of day was spent ashore with approximately one third of the group
> joining an extension to Tol South where everyone enjoyed great looks at both
> Faichuuk White-eye and Chuuk Monarch, both of which are considered highly
> threatened by Birdlife International.
> Bulwer’s Petrel 1
> Short-tailed Shearwater 3
> Chuuk “Atoll” (Tropical) Shearwater 5
> White-tailed Tropicbird 1
> Brown Booby 2
> Black Noddy B
> Brown Noddy B
> White Tern B
> Black-naped Tern B
> Common Tern 1 (same individual as previous day)
> Great Crested Tern 2
> Long-tailed Skua 3
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> 19 April – At sea Day 1 to Bonin Islands
> Bulwer’s Petrel 2
> Wedge-tailed Shearwater 3
> Short-tailed Shearwater 6
> White-tailed Tropicbird 1
> Red-footed Booby 2
> Brown Booby 1
> Brown Noddy 2
> Black Noddy 5
> White Tern A
> Sooty Tern B
> Arctic Skua 1
> Long-tailed Skua 1
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> 20 April – At sea Day 2 to Bonin Islands
> Short-tailed Shearwater 7
> Matsudaira’s Storm-petrel 4
> White Tern A
> Sooty Tern B
> White-tailed Tropicbird 3
> Red-footed Booby 2
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> 21 April – At sea Day 3 to Bonin Islands
> Bonin Petrel low A
> Bulwer’s Petrel low A
> Christmas Shearwater 2+ seen with one well photographed.
> Wedge-tailed Shearwater A
> Short-tailed Shearwater 2 – still no big groups.
> Wilson’s Storm-petrel 1
> Matsudaira’s Storm-petrel A
> White-tailed Tropicbird 2
> Masked Booby 1
> Red-footed Booby 4
> Brown Noddy A
> Sooty Tern B
> White Tern A
> Grey-back Tern 6 two singles plus a group of four birds whilst cruising
> north passed some of the uninhabited North Mariana Islands. Photographed.
> The most northerly record on the WPO although this species is known to breed
> in some numbers on some of these islands.
> Pomarine Skua low A
> Arctic Skua 6
> Long-tailed Skua 6
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Sightings as per Chris Collins et al
John Brodie-Good