Black-bellied Storm Petrel

John Martin found the Severn Beach Black-bellied Storm Petrel a mega bird just off my local patch. I was one of the lucky ones that managed to get there on time to see the bird.

It's a great blocker and one that I would like to add to my BUBO BOU list as I have done with Eastern-crowned Warbler, with the obvious proviso that if it is not accepted then it is removed. Waiting for the BBRC and BOURC to adjudicate on this record could take years. I would like to see this species add as soon as possible. Any species not yet officially accepted such as:

Alder Flycatcher, Empidonax Alnorum
Lesser Canada Goose, Branta canadensis hutchinsii
Baikal Teal, Anas Formosa, (due to go official 01/01/2010)
Eastern Crowned Warbler Phylloscopus coronatus
Black-bellied Storm Petrel, Fregetta tropica

Could be marked up as such.

Come on lads get it on..

Richard

Hi Richard

Firstly, congratulations - following the recent Tufted Puffin in Kent who could have predicted another remarkable seabird sighting like this?

Anyway, apologies for the delay - in part because we were waiting for sufficient information regarding whether it was most likely a Black-bellied Storm Petrel or would be better recorded as "Fregetta sp". It seems most likely the former, although whether it will be sufficient for BOURC acceptance we will have to wait and see. For the time being we have added Black-bellied Storm Petrel to the following authorities as a provisional species:

• British Ornithologists' Union (BOU) British List
• Birdwatch Magazine Britain List
• Britain and Ireland List
• UK400 Club Britain and Ireland List
• AERC Western Palearctic List
• Dutch Birding Western Palearctic List
• UK400 Western Palearctic List

That should keep you busy if you keep all these lists. A small price to pay...!