Leach’s Petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoa (Vieillot, 1818)

Very rare, wind-blown, passage migrant. May occur between September & January.

  1. One, not aged, 1933 (D. Carr).*
  2. Two, not aged, Oct. &/or Nov. 1952 (per W.R. Taylor The Great “Wreck” of Leach’s Petrels).
  3. One, not aged, 3rd Sep. 1983 (K.E. Vinicombe).
  4. One being eaten, not aged, 4th Dec. 2006 (N.R. Milbourne).

There was mention of two at Blagdon Lake in the great ‘wreck’ of 1952 without any details of who the observer was so it would be nice to find out who saw the first Leach’s at the lake. Can anyone help?

Keith Vinicombe saw one on the same date that he found the first Storm Petrel at the lake after a big blow in 1983 and the most recent record was of a bird that had apparently just been caught by a gull, at dawn, but was unfortunately about to be devoured on Home Bay Point, again, after overnight gales.

 

Bibliography (sources of information):

  1. British Ornithologists’ Union (BOU) website
  2. British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) website
  3. Davis, A.H. Birds at Blagdon Lake 1963-1983. Bristol Ornith. 18: 102-116. Bristol Ornithological Club.
  4. Davis, H.H. Ornithological Notes Bristol District, 1952. Bristol Naturlaists’ Society.
  5. Rose, Dr H.E. (ed.). Avon Bird Report, 2006. Avon Ornithological Group.
  6. Taylor, S.M. Avon Bird Report, 1983. Avon Ornithological Society.
  7. Taylor, W.R. Report on Somerset Birds, 1952. Somersetshire Archaeol. & Nat. Hist. Soc.

Last update: 8th December 2024