MASCARENE PETREL - Réunion Expedition - PHOTOS WANTED

[Tony Pym]

Last December 2012, Hadoram Shirihai, Maria San Roman and myself were
at sea, 'mass chumming' for petrels off Réunion Island, Indian Ocean.
Our goal was to study the elusive Mascarene Petrel Pseudobulweria
aterrima. This was one of the EXTREME GADFLY EXPEDITIONS, under the
auspices of THE TUBENOSE PROJECT, the purpose being research for the
forthcoming 'Shirihai, H. & Bretagnolle, V. (Illus. by T. Worfolk & J.
Wilczur) In prep. ALBATROSSES, PETRELS AND SHEARWATERS OF THE WORLD: A
HANDBOOK TO THEIR TAXONOMY, IDENTIFICATION, ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION.
Christopher Helm, London'.

The critically endangered Mascarene Petrel was seen, and
photographically documented, very well. It is different to
expectation, the text and plates in books and field guides being
misleading and wrong. The identification is difficult, made
problematic by nominate Great-winged Petrel which also occurs off the
island and in the considered range of Mascarene Petrel.

We cannot find any earlier photographs of the species taken at sea.
Those thought to be Mascarene Petrel usually being Pterodroma
[macroptera] macroptera. We would welcome ANY PHOTOS taken of
Mascarene Petrel at sea, or observer field descriptions, to possibly
accompany a paper now underway for submission for publication in the
Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club (Bull. B.O.C.).

We are trying to establish if any further photographs of this taxon at
sea actually exist. If you have photos, or know someone who does,
please contact tony...@hotmail.com as soon as possible, latest end-
June.

Many thanks
Tony Pym
on behalf of EXTREME GADFLY PETREL EXPEDITIONS