Sargasso Shearwater
Puffinus lherminieri Lesson, R, 1839
Photo © By dominic sherony - Audubon's Shearwater, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4251231
STATUS
North Atlantic and Caribbean. Polytypic.
OVERVIEW
In a review of all seabirds by W. R. P. Bourne (Ibis 109: 141-167) the BOU (1971) under 'Introduction' p. xiv, state that this record was omitted completely without explanation. However, eleven years later it was formally deleted of the British List (Ibis 120: 411) by the BOURC (1978).
NOT PROVEN
0). 1936 Sussex Bexhill-on-Sea, found moribund, 7th January.
(J. M. Harrison, British Birds 30: 48-49; BOURC (1937), Ibis 79: 397-398; H. F. Witherby, British Birds 31: 8-9; Walpole-Bond, 1938; des Forges & Harber, 1963).
[E. M. Nicholson, I. J. Ferguson-Lees & J. A. Nelder, British Birds 62: 376; BOURC (1978), Ibis 120: 411].
History James M. Harrison (1936) in British Birds, Vol. XXX. pp. 48-49, says: 'On January 7th, 1936, an example of this race of the Little Shearwater (Puffinus assimilis I'herminieri Lesson) was found on the beach at Bexhill-on-Sea. The bird was taken to Mr. G. Bristow of St. Leonards for preservation and subsequently came into my possession.
In view of the fact that it is new to the British List and that it had not been seen in the flesh by any competent authority, I went to considerable pains to find out the exact circumstances of its discovery. I ascertained from Mr. Bristow that it had been found by a Mr. W. E. Dance of Pebsham, near Bexhill, upon whom I accordingly called the following day. I was quite unknown to and unexpected by Mr. Dance. When shown the specimen, without any leading questions having been put, and with in addition all the data labels covered over, he gave me a full statement of its finding, a statement subsequently attested by Mr. Dance before a Commissioner for Oaths. The narrative as told me gave me no cause whatsoever to doubt its truth.
This briefly was that on January 7th he saw on the beach at Galley Hill, Bexhill, a small sea-bird surrounded and being molested by Gulls, and putting up a vigorous fight. On reaching it Mr. Dance picked it up to examine it, and then put it down on the shingle again to see if it would fly, it merely spread its wings and then collapsed on the beach. He thereupon decided to take the bird home, and it died about half an hour after being found. It was taken to Mr. Bristow that same evening for preservation. A comparison of this specimen with material in the British Museum leaves no doubt that the bird is the West Indies form (Puffinus assimilis l'herminieri Lesson).
The present specimen was unsexed and is of a brownish slate colour on the upper parts, the lores and just above the eyes are mottled with whitish, while it is white immediately above the gape. The under tail-coverts are mostly white, the outer ones, however, are brownish on the outer webs. The inner webs of the primaries are dusky. When compared with the Madeiran and the Cape Verde birds its browner upper parts are at once apparent, while on measurements also it is outside both these races. The only previous record for this Shearwater is Gould's specimen now in the National Collection, which was said to have been obtained in Devon, a record discredited as no confirmatory evidence was obtainable, while Gould himself did not allude to the supposed occurrence in his Birds of Great Britain (see H. F. Witherby, Brit. Birds (Mag.), Vol. IX. p. 203).
The present specimen therefore constitutes a first record. The soft parts according to the finder were as follows: Iris: yellowish brown. Bill: sides at gape dull orange yellow, shading to brown towards the middle and tip; culmen proper rather brighter orange-yellow, nail bright polished brown, nares bluish. Tarsi: outer side dull (flat) brown, inner sides bright yellowish-brown. Webs: bright yellowish-brown. The description of the soft parts is supported by the appearances of these in the dried skin, which suggests browns and yellows and in my opinion excludes blackish or blue tones entirely except on the nares where some traces of a darker pigment can be discerned.
The measurements of the specimen are as follows: - Wing, 201 mm.; exposed culmen, 30; depth of closed bill at base, 9.5; least depth of bill, 6.5; width of bill at base, 10.5; tarsus, 39; middle toe and claw, 44.'
Admitted nationally in the Eleventh List Report as the first for Britain (BOURC (1937) Ibis 79: 397-398) but they add: 'The Committee has examined the bird and confirmed the identification, and after considering the detailed evidence supplied by Dr. Harrison as to its authenticity has decided to accept the evidence as sufficient, though had the bird been examined in the flesh by a competent ornithologist the record would have been more satisfactory.'
Admitted by H. F. Witherby (1937) in British Birds, Vol. XXXI. pp. 8-9, as an addition to the British List, but with a note of caution, says: '...the fact remains that the bird was not seen in the flesh by an ornithologist, which is a pity.'
Admitted nationally (Witherby, Jourdain, Ticehurst & Tucker 1940-52) and accepted locally (Walpole-Bond 1938; des Forges & Harber 1963).
E. M. Nicholson, I. J. Ferguson-Lees & J. A. Nelder (1969) in British Birds, Vol. LXII. p. 376, say: '...the original finder, Mr. W. E. Dance was asked by Dr. Harrison who campaigned to get the record accepted, to swear an affidavit. E. M. Nicholson and I. J. Ferguson-Lees interviewed Mr. Dance and he regretted signing this to confirm that the bird he had seen alive on the beach was the same as the skin shown him four months later by Dr. Harrison. Although he acted in good faith, Dr. Harrison made an error of judgement in placing Mr. Dance in this situation.'
This record and species, previously accepted, were omitted from the BOU (1971), though without explanation. We have reconsidered the evidence, in particular its indirect association with the "Hastings Rarities" and a later statement made by the original finder (see British Birds 62: 376), and we recommend formal deletion (BOURC (1978) Ibis 120: 411).
Comment Hastings rarity. Not acceptable.
