Species: Leach’s Storm-Petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoa

Date of Sighting: 10-30-2012
County : Berks
Location : Leesport, Lake Ontelaunee dam
GPS Coordinates: 40.449364 -75.91907
Observer(s): Mike Slater, Steve Fordyce, Harold Lebo, Ken Hass and others Date of Submission:
Submitted by: Ken Lebo

Written Description: YES Photo: YES Specimen: NO Recording: NO

Documentation
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First Round Votes

2/19/2013 Ben Coulter Class IV-A – record is probably correct, but not beyond reasonable doubt.
In my opinion, description does not rule out confusion species adequately. Tail/folded wing proportions alone are not diagnostic, and could be affected by posture, molt, missing feathers, etc. No description of extent of white patch along sides of rump, and unfortunately, no clearer photos, which apparently do exist, according to the written account.

4/7/2013 Cameron Rutt Class I Diagnostic Photograph
This marginal photo, without much additional text to support the identification, would have benefited from a more thorough discussion of the field marks detected by the observers. I would have particularly been interested in the presence/extent of the white in the lateral undertail coverts, which appears negligible in the picture. Additionally, the bird’s long tail (the length matching the tip of the primaries) and rather long, slender bill also support the identification of Leach’s Storm-Petrel.

3/30/2013 Mike Fialkovich Class III – Sight record documented by one observer.

6/3/2013 Drew Weber Class III – Sight record documented by one observer. I think the photo is useful, but it is the description and photo in combination that give me enough confidence to accept

6/8/2013 Dave DeReamus Class III – Sight record documented by one observer. Although the photo was a help, the written report was more convincing.

6/11/2013 Devich Farbotnik Class I Other
This is another one where the photo was supported by the written description.

8/5/2013 16:43 Mike Lanzone Class I Diagnostic Photograph

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