Leach's Petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoa
Little Marlow Gravel Pit - 6th December 2006
Photos copyright
Andy Allen
This individual was one of many Leach's Storm Petrels to end up well inland after a series of strong gales in early December 2006. This was one of only two recorded in Buckinghamshire (see also below).
The photographs were taken by Andy Allen, a non-birder, who realised that he had photographs of an unusual species after reading the national press. It was photographed early afternoon. The bird seems to have been blown to the far NE corner of the lake by the prevailing wind and was apparently trying to feed in the waves. The feathers are rather tatty, no doubt due to the storm force winds. As with many storm blown Petrels, is it likely that the bird perished due to exhaustion and lack of food.
Startopsend Reservoir - 6th December 2006
Photos copyright Dave Bilcock
This individual was one of many Leach's
Storm Petrels to end up well inland after a series of strong gales in early
December 2006. This
was one of only two recorded in Buckinghamshire and was also seen in Hertfordshire
as this site is
bisected by the county boundary.
Calvert - 10th September 2001
Digital images courtesy of
Mike Campbell
These record shots are of a single Leach's Petrel that was found by Tim Watts on Calvert Sailing Lake. This followed a few days of strong NW winds which numbers of these species close in along the NW coast. The bird was always a long way off but these shots do pick out some of the identification features of this species. The picture of the bird in a rather "slumped" posture does in fact show the white rump with a dark line down the centre. The bird stayed until dusk at least and allowed many local birders to add it to their county list and even life lists.
This is the first Buckinghamshire record since 1989 when two separate sightings are listed.
Digital images courtesy of Mike Campbell