T~oS !Oi- ISSN 0007-0335 British Birds Established 1907, incorporating The Zoologist, established 1843 Published by BB 2000 Limited, trading as ‘British Birds’ Registered Office: c/o Chappell Cole & Co, Heritage House, 34B North Cray Road, Bexley, Kent DA5 3LZ www.britishbirds.co.uk Editorial Roger Riddington Spindrift, Eastshore, Virkie, Shetland ZE3 9JS Tel: 01 950 460080 editor@britishbirds.co.uk ‘News & comment’ material to Adrian Pitches adrianpitches@blueyonder.co.uk Subscriptions & administration Hazel Jenner 4 Harlequin Gardens, St Leonards on Sea, East Sussex TN37 7PF Tel & fax: 01424 755155 subscriptions@britishbirds.co.uk Design & production Mark Corliss m.corliss@netmatters.co.uk Advertising Mathew Hance, Digital Spring Ltd, Adam House, 7-10 Adam Street, The Strand, London WC2N 6AA Tel: 020 7520 9326 BBAdsales@digital-spring.co.uk Guidelines for contributors See www.britishbirds.co.uk British Birds Editorial staff Roger Riddington (Editor), Caroline Dudley, Peter Kennerley Editorial Board Dawn Balmer, Ian Carter, Richard Chandler, Martin Collinson, Mark Holling, Chris Kehoe, Robin Prytherch, Nigel Redman, Roger Riddington, Brian Small, Steve Votier Rarities Committee Adam Rowlands (Chairman), Chris Batty, Chris Bradshaw, Paul French, Martin Garner, Nic Hallam, James Lidster, Richard Millington, Mike Pennington, Richard Schofield, Steve Votier Secretary Nigel Hudson, Carn Ithen, Trench Lane, Old Town, St Mary’s, Scilly TR2 1 OPA; secretary@bbrc.org.uk Notes Panel Angela Turner (Chair), Will Cresswell, Ian Dawson, Jim Flegg, Ian Newton, Malcolm Ogilvie Annual subscription rates Individual subscriptions: UK - £53.00 Overseas (airmail) - £60.00 Libraries and agencies - £99.00 Back issues available from www.britishbirds.co.uk or the subscriptions office. 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Its' "Made in Germany" quality and design and a transmission in excess of 90% makes for an uncompromising entry into the premium class of Carl Zeiss. Available in 8/10x42 and 8/10x32 www.zeiss.com/sportsoptics ZEISS We make it visible. British Birds Volume 106 • Number 9 • September 2013 490 BB eye Ian Carter 492 News and comment Adrian Pitches 496 Rare breeding birds in the United Kingdom in 2011 Mark Holling and the Rare Breeding Birds Panel 555 Notes 556 Letters 557 Reviews 560 Recent reports This issue contains the report on rare breeding birds for 2011, the 38th such report to be published in BB. Thanks to funding from JNCC, and the IT skills of Ian Andrews and Stephen Hunter of the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club, the RBBP has been able to produce a new piece of software which allows users to interrogate this extensive archive by selecting a species and, optionally, a range of years. The original text from the BB papers, updated with any additional records or corrections, is then available immediately for easy reading and analysis. This facility will prove invaluable for anyone researching the status of the UK’s rare breeding birds. The whole RBBP report archive, from the first report covering 1973 {Brit. Birds 68: 5-23) up to the report for 2010 (published last year, Brit. Birds 105: 352-416), is included, and subsequent years will be added annually. BB is delighted to be able to make a small contribution to bird conservation by allowing the published reports to be made available in this way, and this is another part of the process of digitising our content. To access these online reports, go to www.rbbp.org.ul-c/rbbp-online-reports Writing this on the way home from the Birdfair, I had better make special mention of a terrific performance by BB’s Adrian Pitches in winning the Bird Brain of Britain contest this year, with his specialist subject of birds new to Britain. As well as the glory, he grabbed £1,000 for the coffers of the Oriental Bird Club. (Hats off too to Jonathan Meyrav, who by common consent got some stinking questions, came last, and yet still earned £250 for OSME.) We mention the Birdfair a lot in BB , not least in Adrian’s news column. Some of you might think that we overdo it - after all, the Birdfair is a key part of the commercial strategy of many companies and organisations, large and small, BB included. Yet as large as the event now is, it is hard not to marvel at the general good humour, the massive volunteer effort and the way the whole thing is geared to generating some serious cash for conservation. Roger Riddington & FSC www.fsc.org MIX Paper from responsible sources FSC6 C022506 British Birds aims to: *** provide an up-to-date magazine for everyone interested in the birds of the Western Palearctic; ♦> publish a range of material on behaviour, conservation, distribution, ecology, identification, movements, status and taxonomy as well as the latest ornithological news and book reviews; ♦> maintain its position as the journal of record; and ♦> interpret scientific research on birds in an easily accessible way. © British Birds 2013 88 eye The culture of killing The recent media coverage about the licensed control of Common Buzzards Buteo buteo got me thinking about the way that we appear to value different species (or groups of species) in different ways and the extent to which tradition and culture influence our thinking, albeit often on a subconscious level. For a significant number of people, the killing of any bird for sport or to protect crops, livestock or gamebirds is simply wrong on moral grounds. While that is not a view I share, I admit to being rather envious of its simplicity. It is a straightforward and clear- cut position to adopt. And it neatly avoids the complicating influences of culture, tradi- tion and even personal prejudice when it comes to forming a view of what is, and what is not, acceptable. For conservation-minded people not opposed to all killing on moral grounds, attention usually focuses on whether lethal control (or shooting for sport) will have an impact on the population of the species in question, be that at a national, local or site level. Many species are killed in Britain every year, sometimes in large numbers, with apparently minimal, if any, detectable impact on their overall populations. Think of the Wood Pigeons Columba palumbus killed by farmers to protect crops, Magpies Pica pica and Carrion Crows Corvus corone to protect gamebirds and ground-nesting waders, Herring Gulls Larus argentatus to protect breeding terns, and the huge numbers of waders, ducks and geese killed by wildfowlers each winter. True, there is sometimes debate about the numbers of birds that can be killed ‘sustainably’ and special attention is given to this in relation to SSSIs and Special Protec- tion Areas (SPAs), but, by and large, we are reassured that the impact on populations will not be significant and the killing of these species tends to receive little media attention. Traditional practices can, of course, be very different in other countries and (with echoes of the recent horsemeat scandal) I think that many people in Britain are instinc- tively horrified by the idea of hunters killing 490 large numbers of Blackbirds Turdus merula, Song Thrushes T. philomelos or Skylarks Alauda arvensis , for example - something that is commonplace and perfectly legal in some EU countries. On reflection, it is rather hard to find any sound justification for such strong feelings and certainly difficult to make a case that the shooting of Mallards Anas platyrhynchos and Teals A. crecca for the table is acceptable (or at least tolerable) whilst the killing of Skylarks for the same reason is most certainly not. Our strong feelings seem to become instilled in us almost by osmosis, simply by living in a country where there is no recent tradition of hunting these birds. Such is the strength of these cultural differ- ences that they are written into some aspects of our wildlife legislation. The list of species that may be legitimately hunted under the EU Birds Directive, for example, varies between countries, with the selection of species based primarily on traditional prac- tices rather than conservation status. Talk of instinctive horror brings us back to the Common Buzzard, and I would imagine that phrase sums up the feelings of many BB readers when first hearing about the recent examples of licensed control of this species in England {Brit. Birds 106: 365). This strong reaction is presumably not based on concerns for the Common Buzzard popu- lation. This has increased rapidly in recent decades, to an estimated 56,000-77,000 pairs in Britain (see Brit. Birds 106: 64-100), and the issuing of small numbers of licences is unlikely to prevent a continued and very welcome increase. Rather, our strong feelings appear to be an instinctive reaction to the control of a species that has no recent history of legal control in Britain. And, as it is a bird of prey at the top of the food chain, we perhaps accord it an elevated status. For reasons that are not clearly defined, it is evi- dently deemed to be more worthy of com- plete protection than say a humble gull or a species of wildfowl. It was interesting that one commentator opposed to licensed control was quoted as saying that this was © British Birds 106 • September 20! 3 • 490-491 BB eye 306. Common Buzzard Buteo buteo, Warwickshire, January 2013. ‘England’s eagle’, the presumption being that the larger and more impressive the species, the more outrageous the idea of controlling it. A ‘buzzard’ was probably enough to win over many people to the argument but an ‘eagle’ would force home the point even more strongly. The same commentator also made the point that control of this species was wrong because ‘most people would prefer to see Buzzards soaring in the sky’. Whilst that is hard to disagree with, surely much the same point can be made about all the other species that are controlled routinely. For example, I find that a sighting of a Fox Vulpes vulpes adds greatly to any day’s birding; yet I also accept that they can be controlled legitimately for a number of different reasons, including the protection of gamebirds and livestock. While it is, of course, perfectly legitimate to object to the killing of individuals of any species, I do think there is a need to be clear about the reasons behind such opposition. The Common Buzzard is a popular and impressive bird that has enjoyed full protec- tion under the legislation for many years. Much as with the Skylark, Blackbird and Song Thrush, we have got used to the fact that Common Buzzards are not hunted in Britain or controlled to protect gamebirds, or any other species, and we resent the apparent sudden change in status implied by the issuing of licences. This does, however, raise some tricky questions about the way that we apparently value some species rather more highly than others. Is a Common Buzzard really worth more to us than a Great Black- backed Gull Larus marinus , a Brent Goose Branta bernicla or a Great Cormorant Pha- lacrocorax carbo , all of which have smaller populations in Britain, but are killed regu- larly under licence with limited public outcry? Are we saying that a large, impressive bird of prey should be treated differently from these species, primarily because it is more popular? And, if so, how do we expect this to be reflected in our wildlife legislation and by those charged with its interpretation? Acknowledgments With many thanks to Andy Brown, Allan Drewitt and Matt Heydon for their insights and for helpful comments on an earlier draft. The views expressed remain entirely my own. Ian Carter What do you think? Join the debate at www.britishbirds.co.uk/category/editorials British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 490-491 491 Mike Lane News and comment Compiled by Adrian Pitches Opinions expressed in this feature are not necessarily those of British Birds / Birds magazine R.I.P. The rebranding/repositioning of the RSPB, or rather the rspb, continues with the renaming of the Society’s membership magazine. The autumn Birds magazine was the last - the forthcoming winter edition will bear the new name Nature's Home. This reflects the new mission statement ‘Giving nature a home’ unveiled in July. Birds magazine first landed on members’ door- mats in January 1966. It was a successor to Bird Notes, first published in 1947, which itself suc- ceeded Bird Notes & News, the first membership magazine, dating back to 1903 (the year before the Society received its Royal charter from King Edward VII). Now, 110 years after that first publication, any reference to ‘bird’ or ‘birds’ will be dropped from the magazine’s title. This reflects the new direction of the RSPB/rspb as it attempts to reach a wider audi- ence. However, mindful that a hard core of birders may be alarmed by a broader, natural-world focus, ‘RSPB Birders’ are reaching out to this constituency. If you attended last month’s Birdfair, you may have picked up the definitive new checklist of British birds produced by RSPB Birders in associa- tion with British Birds and WildWings*. You may also have attended the inaugural RSPB Birders- sponsored lecture, by Martin Garner and Tormod Amundsen, which was given after the presentation of the BB Bird Photograph of the Year prizes by Simon King. The lecture was followed by free whisky cocktails - clearly the best way to get all birders onside with the new-look rspb! You can follow RSPB Birders on Twitter: @RSPBbirders * That checklist is bang up to date, including the recent acceptance of White-winged Scoter Melanitta deglandi, which takes the total number of species on the British List to 597. Birdfair 2013 It was good to see so many BB subscribers visiting the journal’s stand at the Birdfair. The Bird Photo- graph of the Year entries always draw an apprecia- tive crowd and once again we invited people to vote on their top three. The result was a victory for Austin Thomas’s photo of a Little Owl Athene noctua, which came sixth in the original shortlist (see pp. 434-447 in the August issue). N&c must apologise to the Birdfair organisers: last month’s column erroneously reported that the Birdfair had raised £2m for bird conservation since 1989. A massive sum - but that was out- dated information; the fair had actually raised a staggering £3m by 2012. When this year’s total is officially signed off, the sum raised by the first 25 fairs will be closer to £4m. Scotland’s seabirds struggle The coldest spring in more than 50 years took its toll on Scotland’s seabirds as adult birds arrived late for the breeding season and in poor condition. Harsh weather conditions earlier in the year added to the considerable long-term challenges seabirds face including lack of food owing to the impact of climate change on the marine food chain, and poor management of human activities in the marine environment. Colony counts on RSPB Scotland reserves from Orkney and Shetland to the firth of Clyde reveal a similar picture with species like the Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla. Guillemot Uria aalge and Razorbill Alca torda showing some of the steepest declines in number of birds present. Seabird counts on some sites around Orkney indicate an 87% reduction in the number of Kitti- wakes compared with counts conducted on the same sites as part of the Seabird 2000 census. Razorbills are down 57% and Guillemots 46% during the same period. Meanwhile, seabird counts on Ailsa Craig in the firth of Clyde confirm it was a poor season for Guillemot, Razorbill and Kittiwake; the last species has now declined there by 70% since 2000. Doug Gilbert, Head of Reserves Ecology for RSPB Scotland, said: ‘The numbers so far are really scary. Orkney has again been hit badly, as it was last year. Although this may just be a temporary effect because of the bad spring weather, the underlying trend for many years now has been downward. 492 © British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 492-495 News and comment But Puffins rally on the Fame Islands National Trust wardens on the Fame Islands, off Northumberland, carried out their five-yearly census of the entire Puffin Fratercula arctica popu- lation this spring. The last comprehensive survey, in 2008, revealed a steep drop in Puffin numbers. Following steady growth from the 1960s onwards, the Fames’ population peaked at 55,674 nesting pairs in 2003 but the next census showed a decline of around a third, to 36,835 pairs. The three- month census this spring recorded a total of 39,962 occupied Puffin burrows, an 8% increase on the 2008 figure - but 15,712 fewer pairs than ten years ago. Head Ranger David Steel said: ‘The results of the Puffin census come as a real relief following some difficult years for them - with the flooding of burrows last year and a very challenging winter. We had feared that the numbers of Puffins would be down again, as has happened on other colonies, including those on Shetland.’ Extreme weather has had a major impact on Puffins in the North Sea in the last couple of years. The 2012 breeding season was hit hard with the second wettest summer on record causing the flooding of many burrows. And earlier this year, just 307. Puffin Fratercula arctica. as Puffins were returning to the colonies in March, storms resulted in the deaths of thousands of seabirds along the coasts of northeast England and Scotland. Over 3,500 dead birds were collected and ringing recoveries suggested that many of those involved were breeding adults from local colonies. 2013 could be worst year yet for Turtle Doves Conservationists fear that 2013 could be the worst year ever for the Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur - England’s most threatened farmland bird. Records of sightings are down significantly this year (Bird- Track has revealed that just 2% of recorders’ lists featured Turtle Dove sightings in May compared with 3.5% last year) and last summer’s extremely wet weather may be the cause. Turtle Doves have declined by 80% since 1995. But reports in 2013 show that this summer’s popu- lation is likely to be lower than ever, raising the possibility that it could be lost as a British breeding bird in the not-too-distant future. The birds face a number of threats including changes in farming practices both in the UK and in Africa where they spend the winter, and they are also reg- ularly shot by hunters in Europe and North Africa. However, there is some hope on the horizon as scientists currently conducting research in East Anglia have seen positive breeding successes this year with more chicks surviving and leaving the nest than last year. The RSPB’s Jenny Dunn said: ‘Last summer was the wettest in living memory, and it is no surprise that this has had an impact on Turtle Doves. The cold and damp summer of 2012 is likely to have hampered the birds’ efforts to feed their chicks as well as keeping them warm and as a result many will have died before they were able to take their first flight. The weather has been much better for nesting birds so far this summer and we are hoping for a better breeding season than last year.’ The RSPB, Natural England, Pensthorpe Con- servation Trust and Conservation Grade have launched Operation Turtle Dove (www.operation turtledove.org) to research the causes of the decline and put in place emergency measures to help them. This includes helping farmers to sow seed-rich plots on Turtle Dove breeding grounds in the UK and studying the birds’ migration routes to sub-Saharan Africa so that conservation work may be targeted on their wintering grounds. New county bird recorders Argyll Jim Dickson, 11 Pipers Road, Cairnbaan, Lochgilphead, Argyll PA31 8UF, tel. 01546 603967, e-mail meg@jdickson5.plus.com (for national and local rarities); and Malcolm Chattwood, 1 The Stances, Kilmichael Glassary, Lochgilphead, Argyll PA31 8QA, tel. 01546 603389, e-mail abcrecorder@outlook.com (for all other records). British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 492-495 493 Roger Riddington News and comment Brothers fined for guiding Italian Two brothers convicted of killing wild birds on an RSPB reserve in Orkney have been fined a total of £1,000. Riccardo Volpi, 27, and Daniel Volpi, 25, were found guilty of offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 at Kirkwall Sheriff Court. The brothers, from St Andrews, act as guides for Italians who go to Orkney on shooting holidays prosecutors said. Members of the public called police after spotting the pair with a group of Italian tourists shooting and killing Common Snipe Galli- hunters on RSPB reserve nago gallinago and Red Grouse Lagopus lagopus on Birsay Moors RSPB reserve in November 2012. Craig Harris, Procurator Fiscal for wildlife and the environment, said: ‘These individuals deliber- ately took a group of tourists onto the RSPB reserve. There was clear signage in the area and they should have been well aware of its status and that they didn’t have permission to shoot there. We take people breaking our wildlife laws very seri- ously. This conviction highlights that message.’ Eagles ‘at risk’ from Hebridean windfarm extension RSPB Scotland has confirmed that it will object to a proposal for a significant extension to the south and west of the consented Muaitheabhal windfarm on the Eisgein Estate on Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides. The Eisgein Estate supports one of the highest densities of breeding Golden Eagles Aquila chrysaetos in Europe: some 12-13 pairs. Current research suggests that the consented 39-turbine application has the potential to kill eight Golden and three White-tailed Eagles Haliaeetus albicilla , as well as cause the likely displacement or loss of two Golden Eagle territories. Alarmingly, the newly proposed 12-turbine extension is estimated to have the potential to kill a further 12 eagles. In addition to collisions, research suggests that nest- sites could be abandoned as the majority of pro- posed turbine placements are in close proximity to Golden Eagle eyries. Eisgein has proved to be the most attractive area for the colonising White-tailed Eagle popula- tion in the Outer Hebrides. Experts fear that the estate could become a sink for the species, with turbine casualties quickly being replaced by more naive individuals who succumb to the same fate. This process would limit future colonisation and result in a continual drain on the population. The RSPB’s Robin Reid said: ‘This proposal shows a complete and utter disregard for the envir- onment. Building wind turbines so close to breeding eagles could cause significant long-term damage to the local and national populations of these iconic species. We hope the Scottish Govern- ment will continue to give Scotland’s eagles a home by rejecting this unacceptable application. There are more appropriate places for such devel- opments in the Outer Hebrides where the environ- mental impact would be much lower.’ Meanwhile, a new study published in the USA suggests that bird deaths caused by collisions with wind turbines may have been underestimated by up to a third. The research published in Wildlife Study Bulletin (Vol. 37, pp. 19-33) estimates that around 573,000 birds were killed by wind turbines in 2012 (including 83,000 birds of prey), an increase of 30% on a previous estimate by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in 2009. The author also estimates that nearly 900,000 bats are killed every year too. HBW lives on The monumental Handbook of the Birds of the World has completed its 17-volume run with the publication of a hefty epilogue containing all the new species described during the course of the 20- year project. The Catalan publishers Lynx Edicions are now indefinitely prolonging the lifetime of HBW with an online offering, HBW Alive. This digital version will contain all 17 volumes in addi- tion to video and sound files and will be updated constantly. Subscribers will also be able to cus- tomise the content to produce their own field- guide plates and checklists. Sounds familiar? Have you collected another long-running publication over many years, only for the publisher to bring out a cheap condensed version once the final volume is published? For HBW Alive read BWP Concise. Coincidentally, as the HBW juggernaut started its journey in 1992, the final volume of BWP was published. Hot on its heels came the two-volume cut-price version. For those of us who’ve patiently accumulated the com- plete 17-volume set in ‘dead tree’ format at a cost of around €2,800 Euros (c. £2,545), the offer to take out an annual subscription to the digital version of HBW for just €30 (c. £27) may not be quite what we wanted to hear. . . 494 British Birds 1 06 • September 2013 * 492-495 News and comment Iraq designates first national park / / 308. A Marsh Arab with his boat in the Central Marshes, April 2006. The Iraqi Council of Ministers has approved the designation of the Central Marshes of Iraq as the country’s first National Park. The Mesopotamian Marshlands of southern Iraq were once the third-largest wetland in the world, originally extending over an area of up to 15,000 km2. They were a vital resource for regional fisheries, reeds, and other natural materials, the home of the indigenous Ma’dan Marsh Arabs and a globally important area for large numbers of migrant and wintering birds. The sheer size of the new NP makes it important as a resting and feeding site for millions of migratory birds. Endemic breeding birds include the Basra Reed Warbler Acrocephalus griseldis and Iraq Babbler Turdoides altirostris and the Iraqi subspecies of the Little Grebe Tachy- baptus ruficollis iraquensis and African Darter Anhinga rufa chantrei. In the 1990s, Saddam Hussein conducted a campaign to drain the marshlands completely, reducing their area by nearly 93%. The UN Envir- onment Programme called this action the worst environmental disaster of the last century. But after 2003, local people and the government took action to restore the waters. Now the southern marshlands, although greatly changed, have returned, as have the birds, fish, Water Buffalo Bubalus bubalis and the Ma’dan. Azzam Alwash, chief executive of the BirdLife partner Nature Iraq (www.natureiraq.org), said: ‘With this action, Iraq has acted to preserve the cradle of civilization. It is now the duty of the world to help Iraq maintain these wetlands for future gen- erations by helping Iraq, Turkey, Syria and Iran to reach an equitable agreement on the sharing of the waters in the basin of the Tigris and Euphrates.’ Much work remains to be done to make the park a reality on the ground. But the park, if prop- erly implemented and managed, can provide both a refuge for Iraq’s marshland biodiversity and a sustainable boost to the local economy through park-related tourism. The proceeds from OSME’s summer raffle will go to supporting Nature Iraq research into the breeding ecology of the Basra Reed Warbler, which will hopefully contribute to future management plans for the National Park. Black-throated Diver shot RSPB Scotland is appealing for information after a Black-throated Diver Gavia arctica, one of the UK’s rarest breeding birds (see p. 512), was found dead on the shore of Loch Gowan, in Wester Ross, Highland. The bird, which is believed to have been from a breeding pair, was discovered by local biol- ogist Jim Raffell and was reported to the RSPB. A post-mortem examination, carried out by Scottish Agricultural College vets, revealed that the bird had been shot. Police enquiries have been unable to identify a suspect. This is an appalling and inex- cusable crime. Anyone with information relating to this incident is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, or RSPB Scotland on 0131 317 4100. In praise of... bird observatories The network of bird observatories around the coastline of Britain and Ireland come into their own at migra- tion seasons. For the birder prepared to ditch the pager and spend a week or two in one place - frequently a small island with limited access - there is no better experience than the total immersion in observatory life where visitors and staff alike are totally focused on birds 24 hours a day. September can be the best month in the observatory calendar once monitoring of breeding birds has tailed off and scarce migrants start falling from the skies. And if you hold your nerve and put in the hours, there can be very special rewards - just ask the handful of birders who enjoyed the one-day Magnolia Warbler Setophaga magnolia on Fair Isle last September! For extended versions of many of the stories featured here, and much more, visit our website www.britishbirds.co.uk British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 492-495 495 Mudhafar Salim/Nature Iraq Alan Harris Rare breeding birds in the United Kingdom in 2011 Mark Holling and the Rare Breeding Birds Panel Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes Review of the year 20 1 S This report, covering the 2011 breeding season, is the 38th report of the Rare Breeding Birds Panel (RBBP) and includes details of 88 species or distinctive races that bred (or showed signs of breeding) in the UK in 2011. A further eight potential breeding species are listed in Appendix 1. The overall list of species considered by the RBBP was the same as in 2010 (when a total of 99 species, including five in the appendix, were reported). As in 2010, numbers of some resident or partially migratory species in 2011 were affected to some degree by the severe weather in the preceding winter (December 2010 was the coldest December for over 100 years according to the Met Office). However, Feb- ruary 2011 was the mildest since 2002 and the spring was warmer than average, espe- cially April. For many parts of the UK, May was dry, with below-average rainfall, but Cumbria and much of Scotland were wetter. The remainder of the summer was cool - and wet in eastern Scotland and northeast England, in contrast to the English Midlands, which were largely dry. It may have been the meteorological condi- tions in southern Europe that led to the largest number of Common Quails Coturnix coturnix yet recorded in any year (1,992 singing males) and we explore this influx further in this report. That total was undoubtedly boosted by the impact of fieldwork for the final season of the BTO/BirdWatch Ireland/SOC Bird Atlas 2007-1 1 project, which also had an effect on the recording rate of some other species (see below). The impact of recent cold winters led to reduced numbers of several species including Bearded Tit Panurus biarmicus , Cetti’s Warbler Cettia cetti and Dartford Warbler Sylvia undata , and may have held back the growth of the Little Egret Egretta garzetta population witnessed in the last ten years. In 2006 we added three species to the RBBP list: Shoveler Anas clypeata, Water Rail Rallus aquaticus and Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes. In this report we look in a little more detail at what we have learnt about these three species from the six years of data collected. For Shoveler, it seemed likely that there were fewer than 2,000 pairs breeding in the UK, and our reports support that. The Water Rail, a cryptic inhabitant of marshy areas that are difficult to survey, had 496 © British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 2011 a low UK population estimate but this figure was believed to be low mainly because of a lack of information. The data now suggest that there may be over 2,000 breeding pairs of Water Rail, so this species is more abundant than published estimates indicate. Finally, the Hawfinch, a species where there were suggestions of a decline and shrinkage in range, has turned out to be considerably rarer than imagined, although this is another species that is also difficult to locate in the breeding season. What was probably the first-ever successful breeding by a wild pair of Whooper Swans Cygnus cygnus in England was recorded in 201 1. An injured female remained at Welney, Norfolk, in the spring; her mate stayed with her and they successfully hatched two young. Meanwhile in Shetland, where about half of the breeding pairs of the UK’s Whooper Swans breed, a record nine pairs laid eggs. For the first time in five years, there was a drop in the number of reported Common Pochards Aythya ferina , affecting all parts of the UK. Reduced monitoring of some species undermines our attempts to present reliable annual counts, and this is noticeable for three waterbirds: Common Scoter Melanitta nigra , Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula and Black- throated Diver Gavia arctica. These nest almost exclusively on mainland waterbodies in northern and western Scotland and there are opportunities for resident and visiting birders alike to help by ensuring that their observations are reported to local recorders. Eurasian Bitterns Botaurus stellaris con- tinue to increase in numbers and range, and Little Bitterns Ixobrychus minutus bred again in the extensive Avalon Marshes in Somerset. This area is becoming renowned for its marshland bird community, and the Great White Egret Ardea alba was almost added to the list of breeding birds in 2011 (but in the end we had to wait until 2012 for proof of breeding). Somerset was the county which saw the first breeding by Cattle Egrets Bubulcus ibis in 2008, but there has been no confirmed breeding since then and there were no records in 2011 even to warrant an entry in this report. Eurasian Spoonbills Platalea leucorodia had a second successful season in 309. Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris, adult with young, Stodmarsh, Kent, September 201 I.The standard count unit for Bitterns is the booming male, and the number of these exceeded 100 in 201 I .This family of young Bitterns at Stodmarsh provided the first confirmation of breeding at this site for over 40 years. Norfolk with an increase to nine pairs. There was less favourable news on the two regularly breeding rare grebes: both Slavonian Podiceps auritus and Black-necked Grebes P. nigricollis showed further signs of decline. We report the highest-ever totals for five species of raptor: Red Kite Milvus milvus , White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus alb i cilia , Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis , Osprey Pandion haliaetus and Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus. Signs are not so good for Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus , however, especially in England, which now supports fewer than ten pairs. In 2011, Avocets Recurvirostra avosetta bred at over 100 sites, the first time that mile- stone has been passed. A national survey of Dotterels Charadrius morinellus updated the population estimate to 423 breeding males, a significant decline since the last survey, in 1999. Although there was only limited searching for them, no breeding Purple Sandpipers Calidris maritima were found in 201 1. In contrast, we include the highest-ever totals of both Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus (up to six pairs breeding) and Wood Sandpiper T. glareola (up to 29 pairs breeding). The unusually high number of Greenshanks T. nebularia reported (for the second year in a row) was a consequence of the additional survey effort for Bird Atlas 2007-11. The Greenshank is another species where focused data collection and reporting in highland Scotland could benefit our knowledge of its status. British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 497 Dave Rogers Holling et al. Little Terns Sternula albifrons had a pro- ductive year, especially in Norfolk, thanks to site protection and a new offshore colony. At the other end of the country, Arctic Skuas Stercorarius parasiticus had another poor year in Shetland and a pair of Little Gulls Hydro- coloeus minutus looked as if they might breed at a Caithness loch - sadly, nothing came of the attempt after display and nest-building had been observed over a four-week period. Two passerines that have always been rare in the RBBP era (since 1972), but which were more numerous in earlier reporting years, are Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus (with a peak of 41 pairs reported in 1988) and Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio (64 pairs in 1977). These two species had differing fortunes in 2011. The Golden Oriole has now not bred for two years and there was little evidence of a breeding attempt in 2011, whereas Red- backed Shrikes again nested in Devon and there was a total of up to four pairs in England. One pair of Fieldfares Turdus pilaris bred in Highland and there were two singing male White-spotted Bluethroats Luscinia svecica cyanecula. The survey of Snow Buntings Plec- trophenax nivalis found almost 80 pairs, much along the lines of recent estimates. A single Lapland Bunting Calcarius lapponicus in potential breeding habitat was the first to be reported to the RBBP since 1997. Data sources Records are collated from all counties of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and the Isle of Man, but not from the Channel Islands. Because several other UK- wide reporting schemes, such as the BTO/ JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) and the Birds of Conservation Concern (e.g. Eaton et al. 2009), include the Channel Islands, we also hope to include data from those islands with effect from the 2012 season. Over 5,800 unique records of rare breeding birds in 2011 were submitted to the RBBP from a range of sources, mainly from the county recorder network, but other sources include: the returns from Schedule 1 licence holders, the Nest Record Scheme, Raptor Study Group data, national surveys, counts from RSPB reserves, and other single- species studies (see Acknowledgments for 498 details). The number of contributing recording areas was rather fewer than in 2010: 62 full returns supplemented by extracts from five bird reports (66 and six respectively, in 2010). The differences that this may make to year-to-year comparisons are noted below. Most recording areas sup- plied grid-reference data and also made use of the new RBBP recording spreadsheet for county recorders, available from our website. The use of this spreadsheet simplifies the process of checking of original submissions and also loading records into our database. The inclusion of accurate grid references in all data supplied to the RBBP is essential for the validation of records and for the detec- tion of duplicates, ensuring that the figures in this report are as accurate as possible. Some otherwise good records cannot be used if the location cannot be verified. Participation in record submission from across the country was poorer in 2011 than in recent years, and a considerable number of counties submitted data well past the RBBP deadline for receipt. Late submission in this way hampers our goal of reporting back as soon as possible to the conservation bodies and birdwatching community. There seems to have been a high turnover of county recorders in the last 12 months and this often leads to a delay in ‘catching up’ and of course new relationships with the RBBP have to be built up. Areas from which we received data in 2010 but not 201 1 (by mid July 2013) were as follows. In England, there were no full sub- missions from Berkshire, Essex, Oxfordshire, the Isles of Scilly and Warwickshire, and in Scotland from Ayrshire, Clyde Islands and the Outer Hebrides. Similarly, there was no return from the Isle of Man. Two counties, West Midlands in England and Caithness in Scotland, did not submit data in either year. A special effort was made to acquire data for these counties from other sources, most importantly from Bird Atlas 2007-11. On the plus side, Herefordshire (absent in 2010) sub- mitted data in 2011, and for the first time some data were received from all Welsh counties, albeit only in the form of a bird report for Carmarthenshire and Gwent. It is particularly welcome to be able to add Montgomeryshire to the list of contributing counties, as there has been no submission for British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 2011 this county for many years. Readers should take into account any gaps in the coverage when reviewing the data pre- sented in this report. As usual, however, at least some data were available for all counties and regions and so the numbers of pairs of each species in this report are broadly com- parable with those in recent RBBP reports. Raptor monitoring in many parts of the UK is achieved largely by the work of the various Raptor Study Groups (RSGs). In Scotland, these groups provided area totals, via the Scottish Raptor Monitoring Scheme, and in some cases these data cannot always be matched with the bird recording areas used in this report, so the Scottish Raptor Study Group areas are used instead. In much of northern England, mainly upland raptors are monitored by an array of groups operating under the Northern England Raptor Forum (NERF). Schedule 1 raptor data from Wales were collated for the RBBP under contract from the Countryside Council for Wales/ Natural Resources Wales by RSPB Wales. No data on birds of prey were available from the Northern Ireland Raptor Study Group. To help us to continue to maintain the definitive archive of rare breeding bird records, we always welcome any late submis- sions and updates to our published records. Such records are added to our confidential archives to ensure that annual statistics and the inventory of breeding sites are updated. Any additions, amendments and corrections to our published reports covering 2005 to 2011 are made available on the RBBP website (www.rbbp.org.uk/rbbp-reports). Research workers using published RBBP reports should always consult the website for any potential changes to the reported numbers of species. Bird Atlas 2007-1 I Fieldwork concluded in the summer of 2011, and the increased efforts associated with this project had further beneficial consequences for the RBBP. By cross-referencing atlas records with submissions from recorders, we were able to identify a further 900 or so unique records, which were added to our archive for 2011 and contribute to this report. The contribution of Bird Atlas 2007-11 to the RBBP files for 2011 was there- fore at least 13% of the overall total number of records (c. 6,800). These extra data covered 53 species, with those classed by RBBP as ‘less scarce’ (i.e. over 1,000 breeding pairs) contributing the most records. Species such as Common Quail, Water Rail, Green- shank and Long-eared Owl Asio otus were particularly prevalent; these are species which, because of their remote habitats or skulking or nocturnal habits, are poorly recorded without more systematic effort. Atlas data were also helpful in supplementing records for those counties lacking a return from the county recorder (see above). It remains to be seen how submission levels will change now that atlas fieldwork has ceased but it seems likely that there will be a decrease in more remote areas. The BTO has encouraged atlas workers to con- tinue to log their records using BirdTrack (www.birdtrack.net) and the RBBP recom- mends that observers use BirdTrack to store their records securely in the knowledge that they are then available to the relevant county recorders, who can extract and submit them to the RBBP following local interpretation. We are proud that the RBBP has been able to work so closely with BTO, BirdWatch Ireland and SOC on the Bird Atlas 2007-11 project and feel confident that the eventual publication will include an accurate picture of the status of rare breeding birds in Britain and Ireland in the four breeding seasons in 2008-11. The atlas (Balmer et al in press) will be published this autumn and its conclusions will be a valuable reference source for future RBBP reports. Some provisional results have greatly helped our interpretation of the status of species described in this report. Record submission: guidelines and standards Records should be submitted by the end of each calendar year for the previous year’s breeding season, i.e. data for 2012 should be submitted by 31st December 2013. Guide- lines on data submission are available on the RBBP website. The website also includes the evaluation criteria for records contained in these reports. The recommendations and guidelines -introduced in 2009 (see www:rbbp.org.uk/rbbp-recording-standards) have continued to help improve the quality British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 499 Mark Hamblin Holling et al. of information submitted, including the pro- vision of grid references and the reporting of negative records (distinguishing sites sur- veyed with no birds found from sites not visited). We are preparing species-specific recording guidelines and these are published on the RBBP website as they become available (www.rbbp.org.uk/rbbp-species- recording). Anyone with particular experi- ence in monitoring a species on the RBBP list is invited to offer their expertise in compiling these guidelines. Conservation and other uses of RBBP data It is RBBP policy to make data available for relevant conservation uses, with appropriate controls. Site-specific information is used by JNCC and the country conservation agencies, and national datasets by the RSPB, for survey and conservation planning. Over the last 12 months, RBBP data have been used to support a large number of projects, with a total of 17 requests handled, a sample of which are noted here. The involvement of RBBP and its data with Bird Atlas 2007-1 1 has already been discussed. A project to review the use of protected areas such as nature reserves by wetland bird species colonising the UK (e.g. Little Egret and Cetti’s Warbler) used RBBP data (Hiley et al. 2013). It concluded that the protected areas played a significant role in aiding the estab- lishment of a population, which was then able to spread out to other areas. The review of the breeding birds of Inner London (Woodward & Arnold 2012) used RBBP data on Black Redstarts Phoenicurus ochruros. Conservation and survey planning work by the RSPB has been aided by information from the RBBP archives on Spotted Crake Porzana porzana , Corn Crake Crex crex, Savi’s Locustella luscinioides and Marsh Warblers Acrocephalus palustris , and European Serin Serinus serinus. The RSPB has also been able to make use of data on species such as Montagu’s Harrier Circus pygargus, Osprey and Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus in devel- oping windfarm sensitivity maps. Further work on the impact of climate change on Cetti’s and Dartford Warblers, and on the use of Special Protection Areas in the Pennines by Merlins Falco columbarius and Peregrine Falcons is also underway using data from the RBBP archives. Panel data were widely used in the update of national population estimates by the Avian Population Estimates Panel (Musgrove et al. 2013). These estimates and site-related data have continued to support a review of the 310. Female Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus, North-east Scotland, June 2011. Numbers of Hen Harriers continue to fall in the moorlands of England, southern and eastern Scotland. 500 British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 2011 UK’s Special Protection Area network co- ordinated by JNCC, as well as the first of a future series of six-yearly reviews of national species status required for the EU Birds Directive. This latter project is the UK contri- bution to a major new assessment of the status of all European bird species due for publication in early 2015. It will also derive a first Red List of European bird species. We hope to feature aspects of the SPA Review - which reports on changes at key sites between the 1990s and 2000s - in a future Panel report. The population totals published in the BB reports are also widely used by conservation staff at the RSPB, BTO and the four country- side agencies. A number of data requests received by the Panel Secretary relate to information already published in RBBP reports, all but the most recent of which are available to read on the RBBP website (www.rbbp.org.uk/rbbp-reports). We have recently implemented a new online facility to access these reports directly, firstly by species and then by year, which opens up this resource to a wider audience. We are confi- dent that this will provide a rich seam for the mining of information by interested birders, who we hope will be inspired to compile species reviews for potential future publica- tion as stand-alone papers or within the annual RBBP reports. This new archive is accessible at www.rbbp.org.uk/rbbp-online- reports. Anyone interested in performing status reviews on RBBP species is invited to prepare a brief proposal and submit it to the Panel Secretary. In all cases where RBBP data are used or referred to, we ask that the contribution of the Panel is acknowledged and that we receive copies of any new datasets compiled and any papers produced. Our data access policy is available on our website at www.rbbp.org.uk/rbbp-access-policy. The Panel The current membership of the Panel (Sep- tember 2013) is Mark Eaton (Chairman), Ian Francis, Simon Gillings, Andrew King, David Norman, David Stroud and Mark Holling (Secretary). Members serve in a personal capacity, but some also reflect the interests and requirements of the funding partners, JNCC (on behalf of the country conservation agencies) and RSPB, as well as the BTO. Panel membership aims to achieve broadly repre- sentative geographic coverage and to include members who have active involvement in monitoring schemes and specialist research groups, or who participate in various external groups, to facilitate liaison between the Panel and researchers, nest recorders, ringers, surveyors and conservation practi- tioners. Terminology Recording areas The recording areas used in this report are the same as in previous reports (see Holling et al. 2007 and www.rbbp.org.uk); these match the bird recording areas used by recorders across the UK, with Gower and East Glamorgan presented sepa- rately contra Ballance & Smith (2008). We attempt to collate all breeding records by recording area (usually ‘county’) wherever possible and urge con- tributors to submit records in the same manner, via recorders. In some cases, records are presented under different area groupings, for instance by Raptor Study Group (RSG) area, although it is our intention to summarise data by recording area wherever possible. Thus, the Central Scotland RSG covers an area roughly equivalent to the Upper Forth recording area, but does include parts of neighbouring recording areas, including Clyde; the South Strathclyde RSG area includes both Ayrshire and Clyde and some of the Clyde Islands; and the Tayside RSG area equates approximately to the recording areas of Angus & Dundee together with Perth & Kinross. However, North-east Scotland RSG includes both that recording area and the eastern part of the Moray & Nairn recording area, and Highland RSG includes not only the Highland recording area but also the western part of Moray & Nairn. Scottish Raptor Study Group area boundaries are shown on their website at www.scottishraptorgroups.org/areas. Records from the Greater London recording area, which covers all areas within a 20-mile radius of St Paul’s Cathedral, are reported as follows, in order to reduce the possibility of duplication with surrounding county recording areas. Under the Greater London heading we list records from the Inner London area and the old county of Mid- dlesex only. Records away from this area and within the counties surrounding London - Hert- fordshire, Essex, Kent and Surrey - are listed under those county headings. British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 501 Holling et al. Species banners For all regular breeding species (those which have bred at least once in the UK and have been recorded at least as present in eight out of the last ten years), we give four pieces of information: 1. An indication of population status in one of four categories: • Very rare (<30 breeding pairs (bp) per annum); • Rare (30-300 breeding pairs per annum); • Scarce (301-1,000 breeding pairs per annum); • Less scarce (>1,000 breeding pairs per annum). 2. A population estimate, based where possible on the mean maximum population size from the last five years and shown as ‘5-yr mean’ (in this report the five years are 2007-11). In some cases, we show the totals estimated in national surveys, or, particularly for species with poor coverage, the best available national population estimate. 3. The degree of coverage, defined as follows: • near-complete (RBBP reports present more or less accurate annual totals); • high (a good estimate of the number of pairs breeding annually, though a small but unknown proportion has not been recorded/reported); • moderate (a less accurate estimate of the number of pairs breeding annually, which is nonetheless a significant proportion of the total population); • low (the quality of the data received is so poor that population estimates are of little value for conservation or status reviews; however, maintaining an archive of known sites is useful, and this information can be used in the design of future targeted surveys). 4. The population status as determined by Birds of Conservation Concern 3 (BoCC3) (Eaton et al. 2009). The BoCC3 status can be Red, Amber or Green. The majority of Red- and Amber-listed species on the RBBP list are categorised as such because of some criteria related to their breeding status, whether it be population size (rarity or recent/his- torical decline), breeding range (localisation or decline) or international importance of the UK breeding population. Some Amber-listed species are also noted as being Species of European Con- servation Concern (SPEC). The only species in this report which is Amber-listed for criteria that are not breeding-related is the Eurasian Wigeon Anas 502 penelope, which owes its status to the localised distribution and international importance of its wintering population. Occasional and potential breeding species are labelled as such, with additional information where applicable. Species which have not previ- ously bred in the UK, but which are known to have done so in the years between that covered by this report and the publication date, are labelled as ‘new colonist’. Definitions of breeding evidence The definitions of ‘Confirmed breeding’, ‘Probable breeding’ and ‘Possible breeding’ follow those rec- ommended by the European Bird Census Council (Hagemeijer 8c Blair 1997). Within tables, the abbreviation ‘Confirmed breeding pairs’ means ‘Number of pairs confirmed breeding’. Where tables show the number of occupied territories, these are the sum of confirmed and probable breeding pairs, as territorial birds are classed as being probably breeding, unless a nest has (at least) progressed to the stage where eggs have been laid, in which case the pair is classified as a con- firmed breeding pair. It is important to note that confirmed breeding is not the same as successful breeding; nests that fail with eggs or with young still fall into the confirmed category. A successful breeding pair is one that fledges at least one young bird from a nesting attempt. In species accounts, the following terminology is used: x pairs bred {- confirmed breeding), y probable breeding pairs and z possible breeding pairs. Readers should note that in all cases the iden- tity of the birds has been confirmed; it is only breeding status that is possible/probable/con- firmed. Probable breeding is as defined by EBCC (e.g. a pair holding territory), and does not mean that a breeding attempt probably (i.e. was likely to have) occurred. The Panel does not routinely include breeding records of hybrids (where one of the parents is a species on the RBBP list) in its reports, e.g. hybrids between Black Duck Anas rubripes and Mallard A. platyrhynchos, but where young are hatched they will be noted in an Appendix. Definition of numbers used Within each species account, numbers given in the format T-4 pairs’ indicate (in this case) one con- firmed breeding pair and a possible maximum total of four breeding pairs. In the tables, ‘n/a’ indi- cates that no data were received from that county, but the species normally breeds there. For some species, estimated totals (in round brackets) are also included, where these have been provided by county recorders according to the criteria given on the RBBP website. British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 2011 Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus Very rare: 5-yr mean 1 9 bp Coverage: near-complete 19 sites: 17-23 pairs. The bulk of the population was, as usual, in north and west Scotland, with a small increase there, notably in Shetland where there was a total of ten pairs, nine of which bred - a new record. The three breeding pairs in Northern Ireland also set a new record. The tenacity of the pair bond was illustrated by the pair in Norfolk, nesting well out of range because the injured female could not migrate in the spring. This is the first breeding by a pair of wild Whooper Swans in England documented by the RBBP. Brown & Grice (2005) noted a pair that bred in Norfolk in 1928, but there is some doubt about their provenance. In addition, two naturalised pairs of breeding Whooper Swans nested in Bedfordshire. England, E Norfolk One site: one pair bred. A female injured on an overhead power line remained at Welney with her mate and the pair nested, hatching at least two young. Wales Meirionnydd One site: one possible breeding pair. Scotland, N & W Argyll One site: two pairs bred. Caithness One site: one pair bred. Highland Two sites: one pair bred and one probable breeding pair. Outer Hebrides Limited data. One site: one pair present at a traditional site, but did not breed. Shetland Ten sites: nine pairs bred, five pairs hatched young and ten young fledged from the three successful pairs; also one probable breeding pair. Northern Ireland Co. Derry One site: two pairs bred, fledging six and one young respectively; two other possible breeding pairs. Co. Fermanagh One site: one pair bred, seen with one young. Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope Rare: 5-yr mean 1 59 bp Coverage: low 118 sites: 72-218 pairs. The accepted population estimate for Eurasian Wigeon is still that from the 1968-72 Breeding Atlas (Sharrock 1976): 300-500 pairs, based on the number of pairs per occupied square at that time (Musgrove et al. 2013). Since Wigeon was added to the RBBP list in 1996, this is the first time that we have reported over 200 pairs but the remote nature of many breeding sites means that coverage each year is variable. Birdwatchers should be aware of pairs remaining on waterbodies suitable for breeding, especially in upland areas, and be suspicious if a male is alone from mid May onwards - he may be ‘guarding’ a female on a nest close by, and a repeat visit to look for a brood of ducklings should be made if at all possible. As in previous reports, records of summering birds and pairs that showed no evidence of breeding are noted but not included in the totals. Such pairs remain together throughout the summer, often at lowland sites that may occasionally be used for breeding, but seem often not to be. England, SW Somerset Two sites: six possible breeding pairs. Wiltshire One site: one possible breeding pair. Summering birds were also reported from Cornwall. England, SE Kent Two sites: three pairs bred. Summering birds were also reported from Bedfordshire and Sussex (35 birds). England, E Cambridgeshire Three sites: one pair bred and 12 possible breeding pairs. Norfolk Three sites: eight possible breeding pairs. Northamptonshire Two sites: two possible breeding pairs. England, C Nottinghamshire Three sites: one pair bred and eight possible breeding pairs. England, N Cumbria One site: one possible breeding pair. Co. Durham Six sites: five pairs bred (five broods totalling 34 young), one probable breeding pair and one possible breeding pair. Northumberland Four sites: six pairs bred British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 503 Richard Bedford Holling et al. and one probable breeding pair. Yorkshire Four sites: one pair bred and seven possible breeding pairs. Also summering birds in Lancashire & N Merseyside. Scotland, S Borders Two sites: two possible breeding pairs. Clyde One site: one probable breeding pair. Dumfries & Galloway Two sites: three probable breeding pairs. Scotland, Mid Angus & Dundee Three sites: three pairs bred. Fife Two sites: two possible breeding pairs. North-east Scotland Three sites: four pairs bred. Perth & Kinross Six sites: two pairs bred, 14 probable breeding pairs and one possible breeding pair. Upper Forth One site: one possible breeding pair. Scotland, N & W Argyll Five sites: one pair bred and seven possible breeding pairs. Caithness Seven extensive sites: two pairs bred and ten probable breeding pairs. Flighland 26 sites: 19 pairs bred, 32 probable breeding pairs and one possible breeding pair. Orkney 18 sites: 12 pairs bred, 20 probable breeding pairs and one possible breeding pair. Outer Hebrides Four sites: three pairs bred, two probable breeding pairs and one possible breeding pair. Shetland Seven sites: nine pairs bred. Pintail Anas acuta Rare: 5-yr mean 33 bp Coverage: high 17 sites: 8-25 pairs. After three years with over 30 pairs reported, breeding Pintails seem to have been less numerous in 2011, when Orkney was even more dominant in the listings, with 56% of all pairs. England, SE Bedfordshire One site: one possible breeding pair. England, E Cambridgeshire One site: one pair bred. Norfolk One site: one pair bred. The brood of three seen in May represented the first successful breeding in the county for 1 1 years. Suffolk One site: one probable breeding pair. 311. Male Pintail Anas acuta, Minsmere, Suffolk, April 2011. Pintail is our rarest regularly breeding duck with over half of all breeding pairs in Orkney. 504 British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 2011 Scotland, S Dumfries 8c Galloway One site: one probable breeding pair. Scotland, N & W Argyll One site: two pairs bred (two broods totalling nine fledged young) and three probable breeding pairs. Highland One site: one pair bred. Orkney Ten sites: three pairs bred, one probable breeding pair and ten possible breeding pairs. Garganey Anas querquedula Rare: 5-yr mean 95 bp Coverage: high 51 sites: 18-92 pairs. The total number of pairs each year is remarkably consistent, ranging from 87 to 103 in the last five years. The location of breeding sites varies from year to year, and although East Anglia dominates, in 2011 confirmed breeding occurred from Somerset to Orkney. England, SW Avon One site: one probable breeding pair. Gloucestershire One site: one probable breeding pair. Hampshire One site: one possible breeding pair. Somerset Two sites: two pairs bred and five possible breeding pairs. England, SE Hertfordshire One site: one possible breeding pair. Kent Five sites: five pairs bred and two probable breeding pairs. Oxfordshire One site: four possible breeding pairs. Sussex Two sites: two probable breeding pairs. England, E Cambridgeshire Three sites: 13 possible breeding pairs. Lincolnshire Two sites: three probable breeding pairs. Norfolk Six sites: four pairs bred, one probable breeding pair and four possible breeding pairs. Northamptonshire One site: one possible breeding pair. Suffolk Three sites: one pair bred and three probable breeding pairs. England, C Derbyshire One site: one possible breeding pair. Nottinghamshire At least one site: eight possible breeding pairs. Shropshire One site: one probable breeding pair. England, N Cheshire 8c Wirral One site: one probable breeding pair. Cleveland One site: one pair bred, female seen with three young. Lancashire 8c N Merseyside One site: one pair bred, one young fledged. Northumberland One site: one possible breeding pair. Yorkshire Five sites: two pairs bred (two broods totalling at least five young recorded), two probable breeding pairs and three possible breeding pairs. Wales Anglesey One site: four possible breeding pairs. Pembrokeshire One site: one possible breeding pair. Scotland, S Clyde One site: one probable breeding pair. Dumfries 8c Galloway Two sites: one pair bred and one possible breeding pair. Scotland, Mid North-east Scotland One site: three possible breeding pairs. Scotland, N 8c W Argyll One site: one possible breeding pair. Orkney One site: one pair bred. A female with a fledged juvenile was seen on 10th and 28th July. Northern Ireland Co. Antrim One site: two probable breeding pairs. Co. Derry One site: two possible breeding pairs. Amber Shoveler Anas clypeata Less scarce: 5-yr mean 1 ,0 1 4 bp Coverage: high 295-924 pairs. The Shoveler is associated with small, shallow, permanent waterbodies at low- altitude sites. Since it was added to the RBBP list in 2006, it has been apparent that the addition was justified since the highest total number of pairs reported has never been more than 1,1 57, with a maximum of 401 confirmed breeding pairs in 2006. RBBP reports for the period 2006-10 were used to update the UK breeding population estimate to 310-1,020 pairs (Musgrove et al. 2013). The bulk of the population breeds in eastern England - Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Yorkshire consistently hold over 100 pairs each - associated largely with damp, low-lying pastures such as British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 505 Dan Powell Holling et al. those found in the East Anglian Fens and the carrs and ings of south and east Yorkshire, particularly the Lower Derwent Valley where 145 pairs bred in 1993 (Brown & Grice 2005). The Washes of the Nene and the Ouse in Cambridgeshire and Norfolk are two other important sites for breeding, the latter being the UK’s only Special Protection Area for this species. However, these sites are prone to late spring flooding, which can destroy any breeding attempts, as in 2007 and 2008 (Holling et al 2010a,b). There are also notable concentrations in Essex, Kent and Lancashire & N Merseyside. Rather fewer nest in Wales (32-39 pairs in 2006-10, though in 2011 there were only 24), where most records come from Anglesey (79% of all Welsh records during 2006-11). Outlying populations of note occur in Scotland in the Argyll islands, Orkney and the Outer Hebrides, but as a breeding species in Scotland, the Shoveler seems to be rather rare. Forrester et al. (2007) stated that there may be 100-150 pairs in central and southern Scotland, but totals submitted to the RBBP in the last six years range from 22 to 55, which suggests one or more of the following: that the species has declined, that there is significant under-recording, or that the Forrester et al. estimate was optimistic. The wetlands of the north Solway (Dumfries & Galloway) probably hold the largest numbers in southern Scotland. In Northern Ireland, most Shovelers breed around Lough Neagh, but numbers reported to the Panel are low, with a maximum of five in 2008. In the breeding season, the Shoveler is a species that birdwatchers should always be aware of: pairs in suitable breeding habitat (and of course broods of ducklings) should always be reported to county recorders or logged on BirdTrack (see also comments under Wigeon). Although pairs remain together throughout the summer without breeding at some sites, careful observation of the behaviour of others will allow breeding attempts to be identified. Shoveler Confirmed breeding pairs Total pairs Isle of Wight Somerset 0 0 1 20 England, SW 5 32 Wiltshire 0 2 Avon 0 1 England, SE 24 126 Dorset 0 2 Berkshire 0 1 Gloucestershire 4 5 Essex 2 47 Hampshire 1 1 Greater London 0 3 506 British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 2011 Shoveler cont. Confirmed Total breeding pairs pairs Hertfordshire 3 10 Kent 19 54 Oxfordshire 0 9 Surrey 0 2 England, E 151 403 Cambridgeshire 2 151 Lincolnshire 15 20 Norfolk 66 163 Northamptonshire 2 3 Suffolk 66 66 England, C 8 13 Derbyshire 1 1 Leicestershire & Rutland 1 1 Nottinghamshire 5 7 Shropshire 0 3 Staffordshire 1 1 England, N 53 198 Cheshire & Wirral 1 23 Cleveland 2 5 Cumbria 0 3 Co. Durham 1 1 Greater Manchester 2 7 Lancashire & N Merseyside 2 35 Northumberland 1 1 Yorkshire 44 123 Wales 4 25 Anglesey 1 18 Ceredigion 1 2 East Glamorgan 0 1 Gwent 0 2 Meirionnydd 1 1 Pembrokeshire 1 1 Scotland, S 1 14 Borders 0 2 Clyde 0 1 Dumfries & Galloway 1 11 Scotland, Mid 11 23 Fife 1 2 North-east Scotland 0 3 Perth & Kinross 10 16 Upper Forth 0 2 Scotland, N & W 37 88 Argyll 2 22 Highland 0 3 Orkney 32 46 Outer Hebrides 1 15 Shetland 2 2 Northern Ireland 1 2 Co. Antrim 1 2 TOTALS 295 924 Common Pochard Aythya ferina Scarce: 5-yr mean 64 1 bp Coverage: high 348-592 pairs. For the first time in five years the total number of pairs of Common Pochards has fallen, having reached a peak of 700 in 2010. Time will tell whether this is a temporary setback but the reduction in numbers in 201 1 was evident across all regions. Common Pochard Confirmed breeding pairs Total pairs England, E Cambridgeshire Lincolnshire 70 16 10 108 20 11 England, SW 5 70 Norfolk 40 71 Devon 0 1 Northamptonshire 0 2 Dorset 1 16 Suffolk 4 4 Gloucestershire 0 3 England, C 15 20 Hampshire 3 3 Nottinghamshire 13 16 Somerset 1 46 Shropshire 0 2 Wiltshire 0 1 Worcestershire 2 2 England, SE 125 215 England, N 87 123 Bedfordshire 0 8 Cheshire & Wirral 13 16 Berkshire 1 3 Cleveland 2 15 Essex 15 50 Co. Durham 1 1 Greater London 8 9 Greater Manchester 1 4 Hertfordshire 22 45 Lancashire & N Merseyside 2 15 Kent 71 83 Northumberland 5 5 Oxfordshire 0 2 Yorkshire 63 67 Surrey 1 8 Wales 32 35 Sussex 7 7 Anglesey 26 26 British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 507 Holling et al. Common Pochard Confirmed Total Perth & Kinross 0 4 cont. Scotland, N & W 1 4 breeding pairs pairs Orkney 1 4 Carmarthenshire 4 4 Northern Ireland 12 12 Gwent 2 5 Co. Armagh 11 11 Scotland, Mid 1 5 Co. Tyrone 1 1 Fife 1 1 TOTALS 348 592 Common Scoter Melanitta nigra Rare: 52 bp (Eaton et al. 2008) Coverage: moderate 14-26 pairs. The number of confirmed breeding pairs in 2011 was only about a quarter of the 2007 survey total; that (low) level of reporting is typical for this species in non-survey years. Scotland, Mid Perth & Kinross One site: two possible breeding pairs. Scotland, N & W Six extensive sites. In the Flow Country (Caithness/Highland), 11 pairs bred, fledging a minimum of six young. Elsewhere in Highland records were received from five sites: ( 1 ) one pair bred, being seen with a brood of five newly hatched chicks on 12th July, plus four probable breeding pairs; (2) (3) one pair bred; (4) five displaying pairs in May; (5) one probable breeding pair. Red Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula Rare: 5-yr mean 1 74 bp Coverage: low A minimum of 86 breeding females. This total is about 100 fewer than that normally reported because data on the main population in Highland were incomplete. Pairs lingered into the summer in Co. Antrim, Fife and Perth & Kinross but there was no further evidence of breeding in those counties. England, N Northumberland One site: one pair bred. A brood of four ducklings in May was reduced to three in June. Scotland, Mid North-east Scotland Deeside: 41 nests in nestboxes and one in a natural hole contained clutches of between six and 17 eggs. At least 25 young were hatched from 16 nests. Scotland, N & W Highland Badenoch & Strathspey: information was received on 43 breeding pairs but the data are incomplete. Common Quail Coturnix coturnix Scarce: 5-yr mean 853 singing males Coverage: high 10-1,992 singing males or pairs. It was widely recognised that 2011 was a ‘Quail year’, but few would have expected the total to exceed the previous record of 1,655 singing males in 1989. The distribution in 2011 had more in common with the 2009 influx, however, with the majority in northern Britain (Holling et al 201 1). In 201 1, 58% of all records were in northern England, mid and south Scotland (fig. 1.). Four counties (Angus & Dundee, Borders, Fife and Yorkshire) recorded over 100 singing males each, while some central and southern areas also fared well, notably Shropshire, with 85, and Wiltshire, with 80. The totals in some counties may have been boosted by a few observers who made special efforts to search for singing Quails, while 25% of all submissions came directly from Bird Atlas 2007-11. Many records were single-date reports only but this is typical, since many birds are found casually or by dedicated observers searching new areas. The first dates for records fell mainly between late May and early July. There were ten instances of confirmed breeding, in six counties: Borders (one pair), 508 British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 Dan Powell Rare breeding birds in the UK in 2011 Lincolnshire (one), Lothian (one), Staffordshire (three), Wiltshire (three) and Yorkshire (one). Norman Elkins made the following com- ments on the meteorological circumstances associated with the influx. April 201 I was the warmest on record in the UK, with anticyclonic conditions across the whole of western Europe. These persisted throughout May over France and Spain and into ^'8* i* The distribution of Common Quails June, although weaker. In northern Spain, after a C°turna c°tuT rePorted “ th* RBBP in„ 20 1 1 ' winter with rainfall slightly above average and a wet March, April was much hotter than normal; May and June continued to be extremely hot but dry, with less than half the normal rainfall. In France, April and May were also exceptionally warm and also extremely dry, but June was much wetter than normal. (Note that the greatest breeding density of Common Quails in Europe is in the northern half of Spain and southern France, where the birds are migratory, arriving in early April - some Quails overwinter in southern Iberia.) Common Quail Total pairs or singing males England, SW 233 Avon 6 Cornwall 2 Devon 9 Dorset 18 Gloucestershire 32 Hampshire 61 Isle of Wight 2 Somerset 23 Wiltshire 80 England, SE 118 Bedfordshire 14 Berkshire 13 Buckinghamshire 2 Essex 4 Hertfordshire 14 Kent 12 Oxfordshire 2 Surrey 3 Sussex 54 England, E 193 Cambridgeshire 27 Lincolnshire 65 Norfolk 76 Northamptonshire 6 Suffolk 19 England, C 207 Derbyshire 57 British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 509 Holling et a/. Common Quail cont. Total pairs or Montgomeryshire 9 Pembrokeshire 8 singing males Radnorshire 11 Herefordshire 6 Scotland, S 309 Leicestershire 8c Rutland 20 Ayrshire 2 Nottinghamshire 4 Borders 198 Shropshire 85 Clyde 5 Staffordshire 25 Dumfries 8c Galloway 16 Warwickshire 3 Lothian 88 Worcestershire 7 Scotland, Mid 321 England, N 520 Angus 8c Dundee 121 Cheshire 8c Wirral 23 Fife 140 Cleveland 17 Moray 8c Nairn 10 Cumbria 12 North-east Scotland 35 Co. Durham 34 Perth 8c Kinross 13 Greater Manchester 9 Upper Forth 2 Lancashire 8c N Merseyside 31 Scotland, N 8c W 37 Northumberland 64 Argyll 2 Yorkshire 330 Caithness 12 Wales 52 Fair Isle 1 Anglesey 6 Highland 7 Breconshire 2 Orkney 9 Caernarfonshire 4 Outer Hebrides 1 Carmarthenshire 2 Shetland 5 Ceredigion 6 Northern Ireland 2 Denbigh 8c Flint 1 Co. Antrim 1 East Glamorgan 1 Co. Derry 1 Gower 2 TOTAL 1,992 Rainfall has an indirect effect on the Quail’s breeding season through the effect on cereal ripening and birds move on more rapidly in dry, anticyclonic years. Southerly winds may help but do not seem to be a pre-requisite, since winds in anticyclones are usually light.The first arrivals in the UK were in May but most birds arrived in June and it appears that the exceptional heat and drought in Spain and France in late spring may have triggered this bout of overshooting.The climatic patterns showed some similarity to those in the earlier invasion years of 1970, 1989, 1 997 and 2009. Intriguingly, 1 970, 1 989, 2009 and 20 1 I were all also Breeding Atlas years, so it is likely that the numbers recorded were enhanced by the increased fieldwork. Fig. 2. The maximum total number of Common Quails Coturnix coturnix reported by the RBBP, 1986-201 I.The scale of the numbers in 201 I is clear when compared with other good Quail years such as 1997, 2005 and 2009. 510 British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 2011 Capercaillie Tetrao urogallus Rare: 5-yr mean 2 1 3 lekking males Coverage: moderate 110 leks were monitored, the highest number since RBBP reporting began; of these, 72 were active and a total of 223 displaying males were counted. The estimated number of individual birds derived from a transect survey in the 2009/10 winter was 1,285 (see Ewing et al. 2012). Scotland, S Clyde One lek monitored but no activity recorded. Scotland, Mid Moray & Nairn Ten active leks: 20 males. North-east Scotland 12 active leks: 24 males. Perth 8c Kinross Five active leks: six males. Scotland, N 8c W Highland 45 active leks: 173 males. In the Abernethy Forest RSPB recording area, 34 hens with 12 chicks were counted. Red Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata Less scarce: 1,255 bp (Dillon et al. 2009) Coverage: low Details were received for 398 nesting pairs, twice as many as in 2010, but less than a third of the estimated 1,255 pairs breeding in Scotland (Dillon et al. 2009). Since we are unable to provide accurate figures for most recording areas, we present only those records away from the core area of north and west Scotland, adding some details from intensively monitored areas in the Northern Isles. At least 96 pairs were confirmed breeding in Orkney, with the majority of monitored sites on Floy. In Shetland, selected areas covering at least five islands were sampled and a total of 129 breeding pairs located. In the core study area monitored by the Shetland Ringing Group, the total number of pairs with chicks was higher than the 2007-10 average, but still lower than that for 2002-06. Fewer broods of two chicks were recorded than in any other year since the study began in 1979. It is speculated that the scarcity of two-chick broods is due to a shortage of the preferred chick prey, Fesser Sandeels Ammodytes marinus (Heubeck & Parnaby 2012). 312. Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata with chicks, Shetland, June 201 I.The best coverage of Red- throated Divers is achieved in survey years, the last being in 2007 when the total was estimated to be over 1,200 pairs. Annual monitoring of productivity and counts of pairs in study sites continues in other years in Orkney and Shetland. British Birds 106 • September 2013 * 496-554 511 Brydon Thomason Holling et al. Scotland, S Clyde Three sites: one pair bred and two probable breeding pairs. Clyde Islands On Arran and Bute, at least four pairs bred and seven probable breeding pairs. Scotland, Mid Moray & Nairn One possible breeding pair. North-east Scotland One probable breeding pair and one possible breeding pair. Black-throated Diver Gavia arctica Rare: 2 1 7 bp (Dillon et al. 2009) Coverage: moderate 34-67 pairs. The reduction in structured monitoring again had an effect on overall numbers reported, with the lowest total since RBBP reporting began in 1996 (apart from 2001, when fieldwork was limited by foot-and-mouth restrictions). For example, in 2009, 60 pairs were reported in Highland alone. Ail birdwatchers are encouraged to report all sightings of pairs of this species on potential nesting lochs. Scotland, S Clyde Islands No details of breeding or numbers available, but pairs known to be present. Dumfries & Galloway Two pairs bred, at one the nest was washed out and at the other the outcome was unknown. Scotland, Mid Two pairs bred, one failed at the egg stage and the other hatched one chick. In addition there were three probable breeding pairs and one possible breeding pair. Scotland, N & W Argyll Six pairs bred and three probable breeding pairs. Caithness Four pairs bred and one probable breeding pair. Highland Details were received on 41 pairs of which 19 pairs bred, 21 were probable breeding pairs and there was one possible breeding pair. Outer Hebrides Details were received on just four pairs of which one pair bred and three were probable breeding pairs. Amber Macaronesian Shearwater Puffmus baroli Potential breeder 0-1 pairs. This was the second or perhaps third year that Lundy played host to a visiting Mac- aronesian Shearwater, although the bird arrived and departed much earlier than in 2010 (Hudson et al. 2012). England, SW Devon A male was again heard on Lundy, calling from a burrow from 21st April to at least 5th May. Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris Rare: 5-yr mean 97 booming males Coverage: near-complete 66 sites: 104-127 booming males with at least 61 breeding attempts at 26 sites. These figures are based on the RSPB monitoring methods; the minimum figure is the closest to the number of occupied territories. The minimum number of booming males is based on residenq^ at a site for at least a week (although this may include some wintering birds early in the season), while the maximum figure includes males booming for a shorter period only or where it was not possible to confirm that different males were involved. Continuing the trends of recent years, the number of booming male Bitterns increased (from 87 in 2010 to 104 this year), as did the number of confirmed nests and the number of sites occupied. The most eyecatching statistics came from the Avalon Marshes, in Somerset, where numbers rose from a minimum of 14 to 25 booming males in a year. Another notable feature of 2011 was the first nesting in over 40 years at Stodmarsh, in Kent (see plate 309, p. 497). England, SW Somerset Ten sites: 25-28 booming males; 19 confirmed nests. Wiltshire One site: one booming male. England, SE Kent Four sites: 3-4 booming males; four confirmed nests. Sussex One site: one booming male. Red 512 British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 2011 England, E Cambridgeshire Nine sites: 7-10 booming males; four confirmed nests. Lincolnshire Three sites: four booming males. Norfolk North Norfolk coast Four sites: 3-4 booming males; two confirmed nests. Norfolk Broads 14 sites: 20-25 booming males; nine confirmed nests. Suffolk Suffolk coast Seven sites: 25-29 booming males; 14 confirmed nests. Fens Two sites: 8-10 booming males; seven confirmed nests. England, C Nottinghamshire One site: one booming male. Staffordshire One site: 0-1 booming male. England, N Greater Manchester One site: 0-1 booming male. Lancashire & N Merseyside One site: one booming male. Yorkshire Six sites: 5-6 booming males; two confirmed nests. Scotland, Mid Perth & Kinross One site: 0-1 booming male. Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus Occasional breeder; previously recorded in 1 984 and 20 1 0 One site: one pair. Following the second record of confirmed breeding by Little Bitterns in the UK in 2010, birds bred at the same site in 201 1. England, SW Somerset One site: one pair bred at Ham Wall RSPB reserve. The male was in song from 10th May to 11th August, with a female seen on just one date, 30th June. What may well have been feeding flights were seen in mid June but activity then diminished so it was not certain whether a nesting attempt had occurred. However, feeding flights were again seen from 13th July to 11th August, suggesting that a second attempt had been made and that there were young in the nest. No juveniles were seen, however. Little Egret Egretta garzetta Scarce: 5-yr mean 799 bp Coverage: moderate 95 sites: 778-783 pairs. The number of colonies (95) is a new record - just ten years ago only 18 colonies were reported to the RBBP. The total number of pairs seems to have levelled off, perhaps because of a reduction in reporting effort (especially of accurate counts of nests in colonies), Little Egret England, E 24 185 Cambridgeshire 2 11 No. sites Confirmed Lincolnshire 8 46 and probable Norfolk 8 90 breeding pairs Northamptonshire 1 2 England, SW 29 228 Suffolk 5 36 Cornwall 6 23 England, C 1 2 Devon 7 57 Leicestershire & Rutland 1 2 Dorset 5 43 England, N 2 21 Gloucestershire 1 14 Cheshire & Wirral 1 20 Hampshire* 4 50 Yorkshire 1 1 Somerset 4 28 Wales 10 81 Wiltshire 2 13 Anglesey 2 3 England, SE 28 265 Caernarfonshire 2 53 Berkshire 1 1 Carmarthenshire 1 4 Buckinghamshire 2 6 Ceredigion 1 6 Essex 4 38 Gower 2 13 Hertfordshire 3 3 Gwent** 1 1 + Kent 7 174 Pembrokeshire 1 1 Oxfordshire 1 8 Northern Ireland 1 1 Surrey 1 2 Co. Down 1 1 Sussex 9 33 TOTALS 95 783 * Two other colonies in Hampshire not counted. ** Colony at site but no count British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 513 Andrew Bloomfield Holling et a/. although there may also have been a genuine stall following a run of colder winters. Although the Little Egret is a conspicuous species, obtaining nest counts is not always straightforward, especially in large colonies. It is essential that colony counts are submitted with an accurate six- figure grid reference to allow neighbouring colonies to be separated when analysing results. Further signs of range expansion in 201 1 were the first breeding in Hertfordshire (three pairs) and Leicestershire & Rutland (two pairs). Great White Egret Ardea alba New colonist One site: 0-1 pairs. Insufficient evidence was available in 2011 to confirm breeding of Great White Egrets in Somerset. The purpose of this report is to summarise breeding activity in 2011, but with hindsight we can see that the evidence in 2010 and 2011 was a prelude to the first confirmed breeding of Great White Egrets in Britain in 2012 (Anderson et al. 2013). Holt (2013) provided a review of the changing status of the species in Britain, records of which have increased significantly in the last 20 years. England, SW Somerset One extensive site: regular sightings of 1-2 at three different areas in the Avalon Marshes from April to August with up to six birds in the general area. All of the birds were in areas that were difficult to gain access to and hence observe. Regular flights in June suggested that a pair may have been making feeding flights, which might indicate young in a nest, but overall there was insufficient evidence for confirmed breeding. Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia Very rare: 5-yr mean 4 bp Coverage: near-complete One site: 8-9 pairs. After the successful establishment of a colony at Holkham in 2010, the number of nesting pairs increased by two and a further 14 young birds fledged in 2011. Some of the adults bore colour rings, which showed that they had been fledged in various sites in Europe, including Germany, the Netherlands and Spain. There have been breeding attempts by Spoonbills in Britain in seven out of the last ten years, and with breeding reoccurring in 2012, for the first time the Spoonbill is promoted to the status of a regular breeder in the RBBP list. England, E Norfolk One site: eight pairs bred, fledging 14 young, with one other pair present. 3 1 3. Eurasian Spoonbills Platalea leucorodia , Holkham, Norfolk, May 2011. Successful breeding was reported for the second consecutive year at Holkham. 514 British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 2011 Slavonian Grebe Podiceps auritus Very rare: 5-yr mean 28 bp Coverage: near-complete 1 1 sites: 29 pairs bred but only three sites produced young, the lowest number of productive sites since monitoring began. Since 2008, there have been fewer than 30 breeding pairs reported and, given the high levels of monitoring of this species by RSPB Scotland, the Slavonian Grebe is now classed as ‘Very rare’ by the RBBP. Scotland, Mid and N & W Highland/Moray & Nairn 11 sites: 29 pairs reared 14 young. Loch Ruthven was again the major site with 13 breeding pairs and 1 1 young fledged. Orkney As in 2010, a single bird was present in June and July. Amber Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis Rare: 5-yr mean 48 bp Coverage: neai^complete 14 sites: 23-46 pairs. Fourteen sites is the lowest number of locations for breeding Black-necked Grebes since 1982, when there were only 11-21 breeding pairs at 12 sites. The number of young fledged also slumped from 64 in 2010 and 52 in 2009 to a maximum of 30. What was once the major site, Woolston Eyes in Cheshire & Wirral, and which consistently had 14-15 pairs in 2005-2008, had only four confirmed breeding pairs (producing just three young) in 2011. No pairs were reported in Scotland and the last confirmed breeding there was in Borders in 2004. Nonetheless, the largest colony in 201 1, in Kent, produced ten young and 2011 was ‘the best year ever for Black-necked Grebe’ at that site. It would be interesting to have more information on the sites currently and recently occupied to help us to understand what might be driving the apparent change in fortunes of this species in the UK. Is it habitat change, through loss of emergent vegetation or loss of open water; or is it perhaps related to changes in the numbers of breeding Black-headed Gulls Chroicocephalus ridi- bundus , which Black-necked Grebes often nest in association with, since they offer some degree of nest protection? England, SE Hertfordshire Two sites: (1) one pair bred, fledging one young, and eight possible breeding pairs; (2) one pair bred but failed. Kent One site: eight pairs bred, fledging ten young. England, E Cambridgeshire One site: one probable breeding pair. Display, nest-building and copulation were all seen, but no further evidence. Lincolnshire One site: one probable breeding pair and one possible breeding pair. England, C Nottinghamshire One site: one pair bred; three young fledged. This was the first breeding at this site. England, N Cheshire & Wirral One site: four pairs bred and fledged three young, four possible breeding pairs. Greater Manchester Two sites: (1) three pairs bred and fledged three young; (2) two pairs bred and one possible breeding pair. Two broods totalling four young were counted in July. Northumberland Two sites: ( 1 ) two pairs bred, fledging five young; (2) two probable breeding pairs, on site to July but no sign of nesting. York- shire Three sites: (1) one pair bred, a brood of one counted; (2) three possible breeding pairs; (3) two pos- sible breeding pairs. Honey-buzzard Pernis apivorus Rare: 5-yr mean 42 bp Coverage: high Amber 26-44 pairs; up to 40 young fledged. The number of pairs of breeding Honey-buzzards reported to the Panel remains steady, a little over 40 pairs, but probably does not describe the full picture. A paper currently being prepared will review the breeding behaviour of British Honey-buzzards and reassess the distribution and size of the British population. Meanwhile, the lack of site infor- mation supplied to the Panel has hindered the ability to bring potential prosecutions of egg- collectors and has restricted the ability to safeguard breeding sites. With a 40-year history and no British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 515 Alan Harris Holling et al. instance of inappropriate use or loss of data, the RBBP has a sound record of keeping data safe, and we encourage the provision of full details for our confidential archive. For the first time in our reports, data for England and Scotland are presented by county, matching the approach taken by county bird reports. In an effort to encourage better reporting, we hope also that this will help to improve awareness among observers. England, SW Dorset Two pairs bred, broods of two and one recorded in nests, and a further location with a single bird present. Hampshire Six pairs bred, fledging a total of seven young from six successful nests, and two prob- able breeding pairs. At least one other location, occupied by a single bird. Wiltshire Two pairs bred, two broods each of two young recorded, and two probable breeding pairs. England, SE Kent One probable breeding pair. A nest was built but no eggs were laid. Surrey One pair bred and raised a brood of two. Sussex Five pairs bred, fledging nine young, one probable breeding pair (on territory but did not breed), and three possible breeding pairs (pairs present but not monitored, so may have bred). England, E Norfolk One probable breeding pair and two locations occupied by single birds. England, C Nottinghamshire Two probable breeding pairs. England, N Cumbria One pair bred, fledging one young, and one probable breeding pair. Yorkshire Two pairs bred, with two broods of two recorded, two probable breeding pairs and three possible breeding pairs. Wales Three pairs bred in south Wales, fledging five young. Up to seven other birds present elsewhere, but it was not possible to follow up these sites to check for further evidence. Scotland Dumfries & Galloway Three pairs bred, fledging four young. Moray & Nairn One pair bred, fledging one young. In addition, no information was received from a third county where it is believed birds were at least present during the breeding season. Red Kite Milvus milvus Less scarce: 5-yr mean 1,191 bp Coverage: moderate A minimum of 1,234 pairs. The table mainly shows the number of pairs where nests are found and monitored; in Wales and the Chilterns (*) these figures are known to be gross underesti- mates. Nevertheless, this is still the highest total ever recorded by the RBBP. 516 British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 2011 Red Kite Co. Durham 21 Confirmed and probable Yorkshire 96 breeding pairs Wales 520* England, SW 47 Breconshire 58 Dorset 1 Caernarfonshire 1 Gloucestershire 2 Carmarthenshire 76 Hampshire 31 Ceredigion 161 Wiltshire 13 East Glamorgan 6 England, SE 163* Gower 13 Bedfordshire 4 Gwent 6 Berkshire 31 Meirionnydd 4 Buckinghamshire 52* Montgomeryshire 51 Hertfordshire 31 Pembrokeshire 31 Oxfordshire 42* Radnorshire 113 Sussex 3 Scotland, S 65 England, E 145 Dumfries & Galloway 65 Cambridgeshire 10 Scotland, Mid 79 Lincolnshire 14 Angus & Dundee 1 Norfolk 5 North-east Scotland 17 Northamptonshire 116 Perth & Kinross 38 England, C 31 Upper Forth 23 Herefordshire 6 Scotland, N & W 56 Leicestershire & Rutland 4 Highland 56 Shropshire 21 Northern Ireland 9 England, N 119 Co. Down 9 Cumbria 2 TOTAL 1,234 White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla Rare: 5-yr mean 48 bp Coverage: neai^complete 50-57 pairs fledged 43 young. There was a 10% increase in the number of occupied territories between 2010 and 2011, with 28 of the 50 nesting pairs successfully fledging young. 314. White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla, Skye, June 201 I.The number of breeding pairs in Scotland has risen consistently since 1 994; with the completion of a reintroduction project in eastern Scotland, it is anticipated that the first breeding there will occur soon, bolstering the population further. Red British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 517 Mark Caunt Holling et al. In the six years leading up to autumn 2012, 85 young White-tailed Eagles had been released in eastern Scotland in an attempt to establish a separate population from that in the west. All being well, pair bonds will be being formed and the first signs of nesting may be anticipated soon. Scotland, N & W Argyll 16 pairs bred, with a further three territorial pairs. Highland (including Skye, Small Isles and mainland) 20 pairs bred plus a further three territorial pairs. Outer Hebrides 14 pairs bred plus one other territorial pair. Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus Scarce: 5-yr mean 38 1 bp Coverage: moderate 278-354 breeding females/pairs. Marsh Harriers are now quite widespread in many parts of eastern England and Kent, where they are to some extent under-recorded. Counts are more accu- rate in areas where the species is more unusual, such as southwest, central and northern England, Wales and Scotland. If the population in the core area was similar to that recorded in the 2005 survey - 395 confirmed and probable breeding pairs in Cambridgeshire, Essex, Kent, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk (Holling et al 2008) - then in 2011 the UK population would have been in the region of 450 pairs. Marsh Harriers have now been present for the last three years in Co. Down and in Pem- brokeshire, suggesting that these range expansions are permanent, while the higher numbers in Scotland (up to 12 pairs compared to six in both 2009 and 2010) are also encouraging. England, SW Dorset Two females (paired to one male) bred and one probable breeding pair. Somerset Two females bred with one male. England, SE Essex Probably under-recorded: 12 pairs bred and three probable breeding pairs. Kent Certainly under- recorded; the county estimate is 100 pairs, but evidence of only 14 breeding pairs received. Sussex Two pairs bred and one probable breeding pair. England, E Cambridgeshire 23 pairs bred and seven probable breeding pairs. Lincolnshire 27 pairs bred and 29 prob- able breeding pairs, but limited coverage around the Wash. Norfolk 87 pairs bred, eight probable breeding pairs and three possible breeding pairs. Suffolk 72 pairs bred, three probable breeding pairs and four possible breeding pairs. England, C Nottinghamshire One possible breeding pair. England, N Cheshire & Wirral One pair bred, fledging two young. Greater Manchester A single female was recorded nest-building and stayed on site until August, but no male was seen. Lancashire 8c N Merseyside Four pairs bred, one probable breeding pair and one possible breeding pair. Northumberland One pair bred, fledging two young. Yorkshire 24 pairs bred, five probable breeding pairs and one possible breeding pair. Wales Pembrokeshire One probable breeding pair. Scotland, S Lothian One possible breeding pair. Scotland, Mid Angus 8c Dundee One pair bred. Fife One pair bred fledging two young. Moray 8c Nairn One probable breeding pair. North-east Scotland One probable breeding pair. Perth 8c Kinross Four pairs bred, three suc- cessful pairs fledging eight young. Scotland, N 8c W Argyll One possible breeding pair. Highland One probable breeding pair. Orkney A single female at a former breeding site was seen collecting nest material in June but no male appeared. Northern Ireland Co. Down One pair bred, fledging three young. 518 British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 2011 Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus Scarce: 662 bp (Hayhow et al. in press) Coverage: moderate We received information on 332 monitored pairs, of which 238 were confirmed breeding. From available data on the successful pairs, a minimum of 342 young were fledged (17 in England, 34 in Wales and 291 in Scotland). Red Hen Harrier South Strathclyde RSG 12 14 Confirmed Territories Scotland, Mid 34 40 breeding pairs occupied 1 Moray & Nairn 4 4 by pairs North-east Scotland 1 1 England, C 1 1 Perth & Kinross 26 31 England, N 8 8 Upper Forth 3 4 Wales 26 38 Scotland, N & W 144 214 Breconshire 0 1 Argyll 24 39 Caernarfonshire 0 6 Caithness 12 13 Denbigh & Flint 7 7 Highland 29 32 Meirionnydd 6 6 Orkney 71 120 Montgomeryshire 9 10 Outer Hebrides 8 10 Radnorshire 4 8 Northern Ireland 2 3 Scotland, S 22 27 Co. Antrim 2 3 Borders 2 3 Isle of Man 1 1 Dumfries & Galloway 8 10 TOTALS 238 332 Montagu’s Harrier Circus pygargus Very rare: 5-yr mean i 5 bp Coverage: neai^complete 12 sites: 12-15 pairs fledged a minimum of 18 young. With data from one area incomplete, it may be that there were more than 15 breeding pairs of Montagu’s Harrier in England in 2011. The number of young fledged in the last five years has fluctuated between 14 and 25 (mean 19.8). England, S Six sites: seven ‘pairs’ bred, of which at least six females fledged 12 young, but data from one area are incom- plete. Also, two further probable breeding pairs. England, E Lincolnshire Two sites: two pairs bred, one was successful fledging three young. Norfolk Three sites: three pairs bred, two of which were successful, fledging three young. England, N Yorkshire One site: one possible breeding pair. A pair returned to the 2010 nest-site in early May, but the male was not seen again after just two days. Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis Scarce: 5-yr mean 445 bp Coverage: high Green 359-491 pairs. Fig. 3 shows that 2011 marked the highest numbers of Northern Goshawks reported to the Panel since monitoring started, in 1973, although the high proportion of con- firmed breeding pairs (and their close relationship with the total number of pairs) demonstrates that much of our data come from the nest monitoring activity of raptor workers. An unknown number of other pairs go either undetected or unreported and until that number can be quanti- fied some uncertainty over the size of the Goshawk population will remain. Nonetheless, there is currently no better estimate (Musgrove et al. 2013). Birdwatchers are encouraged to report all sightings of Goshawks, especially in the late winter and spring, to allow county recorders to form better estimates of the numbers of breeding pairs in their recording areas. British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 519 Holling et al. Fig. 3. The number of Northern Goshawks Accipiter gentilis reported by the RBBR 1973-201 I. Variations from the overall trend are probably due to annual variations in reporting. Northern Goshawk Confirmed breeding pairs Total pairs England, SW 71 80 Cornwall 1 1 Devon 12 12 Gloucestershire 20 28 Hampshire 30 30 Somerset 1 2 Wiltshire -J J England, SE 2 5 Kent 0 i Surrey 0 i Sussex 2 3 England, E 9 12 Lincolnshire 0 1 Norfolk y 8 Suffolk y 3 England, C 39 67 Derbyshire 9 21 Herefordshire 5 20 Nottinghamshire 7 / Shropshire 13 13 Staffordshire 0 1 Warwickshire y 2 Worcestershire 3 3 England, N 58 90 Cleveland 0 2 Cumbria y 6 Co. Durham 0 5 Lancashire & N Merseyside 0 4 Northumberland 33 47 Yorkshire 20 26 Wales 69 111 Breconshire 15 Caernarfonshire 0 1 Carmarthenshire 4 Ceredigion 3 6 Denbigh & Flint 6 6 East Glamorgan / / Gwent 25 Meirionnydd 3 6 Montgomeryshire / 14 Pembrokeshire 3 3 Radnorshire 6 22 Scotland, S 51 58 Borders 31 34 Clyde Islands 0 1 Dumfries & Galloway 16 19 Lothian ' 2 South Strathclyde RSG 2 7 Scotland, Mid 53 60 Central Scotland RSG 1 North-east Scotland 48 50 Tayside RSG 4 8 Scotland, N & W 1 2 Highland 1 Northern Ireland 6 6 Co. Antrim 5 J Co. Down i 1 TOTALS 359 491 Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos Scarce: 442 bp (Eaton et al. 2007) Coverage: moderate 165—280 pairs. Results of monitoring by Scottish Raptor Study Groups (Etheridge et al 2013) and the Northern England Raptor Forum (Smith et al 2012) are presented below In Scotland, a total of 345 home ranges were checked, of which 280 were occupied by pairs and 26 by single birds only. This com- pares with the population of 442 pairs estimated after the 2003 national survey (Eaton et al 2007). Of the 165 nests monitored in Scotland, a total of 108 young were fledged from 91 nests. Satellite tracking of young Golden Eagles shows that some range widely before they settle into a territory (see for example www.raptortrack.org i, which increases their vulnerability to poisoned baits used illegally by some upland estates. It is thought that the reduced survival of immature Golden Eagles due to such persecu- tion is a significant factor constraining the distribution and numbers in the UK (Whitfield et al 2008). Amber 520 British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 2011 3 I 5. Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos with European Hare Lepus europaeus, Argyll, February 2011. Subject to funding, a repeat national survey of Golden Eagles will take place in 2015. Golden Eagle Singles 1 Probable breeding pairs 2 Confirmed breeding pairs Total pairs Min. no. young fledged England, N 1 0 0 0 0 Scotland, S 2 1 1 2 0 Angus & Dundee 1 2 4 6 7 Central Scotland RSG 0 3 2 5 1 North-east Scotland 0 7 9 16 9 Perth & Kinross 3 5 11 16 10 Argyll 2 29 25 54 17 Highland 18 55 80 135 48 Outer Hebrides (Lewis & Harris) 0 7 25 32 11 Outer Hebrides (Uists) 0 6 8 14 5 TOTALS 27 115 165 280 108 1 Total includes home ranges occupied by single birds or showing signs of occupation but no pair seen. 2 May include some pairs that laid eggs but failed early, and pairs on territory that were not fully monitored, so evidence of egg-laying was not available. Osprey Pandion haliaetus Rare: 5-yr mean 1 96 bp Coverage: moderate 189-225 pairs. There was another small increase in numbers across all areas, and consolidation within those parts more recently colonised, notably in northern England and west Wales. Although all pairs are reported from many areas, this is not the case everywhere and the total number may be as high as 250. We strongly encourage observers to submit full data on any nesting attempt, including grid references, to enable us to calculate a more accurate annual population figure. British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 521 Robert Snell Holling et al. England, E Northamptonshire One pair bred, and fledged two young. England, C Leicestershire & Rutland Four pairs bred. England, N Cumbria Five pairs bred. Northumberland Two pairs bred, fledging three young between them; two further pairs present on territory. Wales Meirionnydd One pair bred fledging three young; one pair at a second site may also have laid but the birds were thought to be inexperienced. Montgomeryshire One pair bred and fledged three young; the first breeding for this county. Scotland, S Borders Eight pairs bred, fledging at least 20 young, and one other territorial pair. Clyde/ Ayrshire Nine pairs bred and of these, five successful pairs fledged eight young; four other territorial pairs present. Clyde Islands One pair bred, the first for the islands. Two young fledged. Dumfries & Galloway Four successful pairs bred, fledging eight young, and three other territorial pairs. Lothian One prospecting pair. Scotland, Mid Angus & Dundee Seven pairs bred, five were successful, fledging at least eight young. One other pair present. Moray & Nairn 14 pairs bred fledging a minimum of 25 young; two late arriving pairs did not nest. North-east Scotland 1 8 pairs bred, eight were successful and fledged at least 1 5 young, and five other territorial pairs. Perth & Kinross 40 pairs bred, 17 were successful fledging a minimum of 34 young; four other territorial pairs. Upper Forth 12 pairs bred, seven were successful fledging a minimum of 15 young; two other territorial pairs. Scotland, N & W Argyll 14 pairs bred, six successful pairs fledged at least 13 young; five other pairs present. Caithness/High- land 48 pairs bred, 33 successful pairs fledged at least 64 young; five other territorial pairs. Merlin Falco columbarius Less scarce: 1,160 bp (Ewing et al. 2011) Coverage: moderate Amber 253-352 pairs monitored. The variation in numbers reported each year largely reflects variation in monitoring effort by dedicated volunteers. This total represents less than a third of that estimated in the last full survey (Ewing et al. 2011). Etheridge et al (2013) suggested a reduced occupancy of known home ranges in 2010-1 1, though no reduction in the productivity of breeding pairs. Merlin Radnorshire 2 6 Confirmed Territories Scotland, S 34 45 breeding pairs occupied Borders 10 17 by pairs Dumfries & Galloway 9 12 England, C 4 16 Lothian 5 5 Derbyshire 3 14 South Strathclyde RSG 10 11 Shropshire 1 1 Scotland, Mid 61 82 Staffordshire 0 1 Angus & Dundee 13 14 England, N 93 124 Moray St Nairn 9 15 Cumbria 8 13 North-east Scotland 28 29 Co. Durham 27 30 Perth & Kinross 11 22 Greater Manchester 0 1 Upper Forth 0 2 Lancashire & N Merseyside 7 17 Scotland, N & W 50 65 Northumberland 19 26 Argyll 2 4 Yorkshire 32 37 Caithness 1 1 Wales 7 16 Highland 15 23 Breconshire 1 3 Orkney 5 8 Caernarfonshire 0 1 Outer Hebrides 5 7 Ceredigion 1 1 Shetland 22 22 Denbigh & Flint 0 1 Northern Ireland 4 4 Meirionnydd 1 2 Co. Antrim 4 4 Montgomeryshire 2 2 TOTALS 253 352 522 British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 2011 Hobby Falco subbuteo Less scarce: 5-yr mean 1 ,038 bp Coverage: moderate Green 324-879 pairs. The figures in the table show the total number of pairs reported based on a combi- nation of returns by licensed nest recorders and casual observations. In most counties south of a line between Morecambe Bay and the Humber, the totals are an unknown proportion of the county population. However, where Hobbies are still relatively scarce - in parts of Wales, northern England and Scotland - they are probably close to accurate counts of breeding pairs. Some realistic estimates of county totals provided in 2011 were: Cheshire & Wirral 60 pairs, Derbyshire 60-80 pairs, Kent 300 pairs and Lincolnshire 100-150 pairs. 3 1 6. Hobby Falco subbuteo chick, Cambridgeshire, 2011. Much of the data on breeding raptors that are available to the RBBP come from licensed observers who monitor nests and ring the young.These and other records of confirmed breeding provide a minimum number of breeding pairs, but other birders can add to this by careful observation of pairs in breeding habitat without the need for any disturbance of birds at the nest. Hobby Confirmed Total Derbyshire Herefordshire 31 3 35 12 breeding pairs pairs Leicestershire & Rutland 0 17 England, SW 68 226 Nottinghamshire 10 21 Avon 1 18 Shropshire 5 27 Cornwall 1 6 Staffordshire 2 17 Devon 15 20 Warwickshire 1 1 Dorset 5 30 Worcestershire 4 18 Gloucestershire 6 18 England, N 46 153 Hampshire 16 35 Cheshire & Wirral 19 43 Isle of Wight 1 2 Co. Durham 1 2 Somerset 5 25 Greater Manchester 2 8 Wiltshire 18 72 Lancashire & N Merseyside 2 48 England, SE 75 168 Northumberland 1 1 Bedfordshire 1 4 Yorkshire 21 51 Berkshire 8 8 Wales 19 46 Buckinghamshire 4 19 Breconshire 4 16 Essex 4 13 Carmarthenshire 3 3 Greater London 3 3 Ceredigion 0 1 Hertfordshire 7 20 Denbigh & Flint 0 0 Kent 22 37 East Glamorgan 2 2 Oxfordshire 16 16 Gower 0 0 Surrey 4 12 Gwent 3 5 Sussex 6 36 Meirionnydd 2 3 England, E 60 136 Montgomeryshire 1 6 Cambridgeshire 8 13 Radnorshire 4 10 Lincolnshire 11 11 Scotland, Mid 0 1 Norfolk 11 20 Moray & Nairn 0 1 Northamptonshire 12 12 Scotland, N & W 0 1 Suffolk 18 80 Highland 0 1 England, C 56 148 TOTALS 324 879 British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 523 Simon Stirrup Holling et al. Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus Less scarce: 1 ,530 pairs (Banks et al. 20 1 0) Coverage: moderate 905-1,126 pairs. In recent years the annual total of Peregrine Falcons in this report has been 400-500 pairs less than the actual population - in many areas not all pairs are monitored each year, although complete data are received for most lowland counties. However, the figure of 1,126 territorial pairs is the highest RBBP total since the species was added to our list in 1996. The fourth national survey is planned for 2014, and RBBP data will help to direct fieldworkers and maximise the effort available. Any data on nesting Peregrines that has not yet been submitted to the RBBP would be gratefully received and will contribute to that census. Green Peregrine Falcon Cumbria 56 56 Confirmed Territories Co. Durham 5 7 breeding pairs occupied Greater Manchester 6 8 by pairs Lancashire & N Merseyside 50 75 England, SW 123 150 Northumb erland 16 23 Avon 12 12 Yorkshire 45 45 Cornwall 29 39 Wales 129 176 Devon 18 19 Anglesey 9 9 Dorset 30 30 Breconshire 11 13 Gloucestershire 12 15 Caernarfonshire 3 7 Hampshire 11 11 Carmarthenshire 7 12 Isle of Wight 6 Ceredigion 2 3 Isles of Scilly 1 1 Denbigh &: Flint 13 13 Somerset 5 14 East Glamorgan 22 36 Wiltshire 3 3 Gower 3 4 England, SE 56 71 Gwent 5 7 Bedfordshire 2 7 Meirionnydd / . Berkshire 1 1 Montgomeryshire 9 9 Buckinghamshire 2 Pembrokeshire 32 43 Essex 4 / Radnorshire 6 13 Greater London 13 16 Scotland, S 127 152 Kent 8 9 Borders 40 51 Surrey 5 6 Dumfries & Galloway RSG 52 60 Sussex 21 28 Lothian & Borders RSG 13 13 England, E 21 24 South Strathclyde RSG 22 28 Cambridgeshire 1 4 Scotland, Mid 85 119 Lincolnshire 15 15 Angus tk Dundee 13 19 Norfolk 7 2 Central Scotland RSG 21 26 Northamptonshire 1 1 Isle of May 1 1 Suffolk 2 North-east Scotland 18 33 England, C 70 86 Perth & Kinross and Life 32 40 Derbyshire 24 24 Scotland, N & W 39 52 Herefordshire 0 12 Argyll 13 21 Leicestershire & Rutland 9 10 Fair Isle 0 1 Nottinghamshire 6 8 Highland RSG 12 13 Shropshire 19 19 Orkney 6 / Staffordshire 8 8 Outer Hebrides 6 8 Wbst Midlands 1 1 Shetland 2 Worcestershire 3 4 Northern Ireland 64 64 England, N 187 228 Isle of Alan 4 4 Cheshire & Wirral 6 9 TOTALS 905 1,126 Cleveland 3 5 524 British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 201 I Water Rail Rallus aquaticus Less scarce: 5-yr mean 1 ,078 bp Coverage: moderate 384 sites: a minimum of 1,205 territories; 159 pairs confirmed breeding. Six years of data on Water Rails have now been compiled by the RBBR By adding Water Rail to the RBBP list (in 2006), we hoped firstly to be able to gain a better understanding of the population size, and sec- ondly to compile an inventory of sites occupied. The mean number of territories reported annu- ally has generally been over 1,000 but it is widely accepted that even this is a gross underestimate of the population, so there may be some way to go to fulfil the first objective. With over 900 sites, the inventory is now a useful resource, however. Green Judith Smith, a former Panel member, has studied Water Rails in wetlands in her native Greater Manchester: The forthcoming Bird Atlas 2007-1 1 will show virtually no change in range (a contraction of just 1%) since the 1968-72 Breeding Atlas. Between the latter and the 1988-91 Breeding Atlas (Gibbons et al. 1993) there was an apparent contraction of 34.5%, but this was subsequently offset by a 51% expansion between 1988-91 and 2007-1 I (D. Balmer pers. comm.). Two factors may account for that apparent increase: the resources employed over the last 20 years or so to restore reedbeds throughout the UK for Bitterns, which will also have benefited Water Rails; and work by some committed individuals, especially in Scotland, to monitor Water Rails in suit- able habitat, using voice playback. It may also be that Water Rails were under-recorded in 1988-91 compared with 2007-1 I, when there was a greater focus on collecting all records from 1 0-km squares. Where detailed local studies have been carried out (e.g. Jenkins et al. 1995, Ellison 2003), the numbers detected have invariably been far higher - sometimes twice as high - as previous esti- mates. A complete survey of Poole Harbour (Dorset) using the standard playback methodology call in 2004 (Chown 2004) and repeated in 2013 (Hopper 2013) revealed a stable population with single calling birds or pairs at 289 different locations across this large site. This compares to a maximum of 150 territories in Dorset recorded by the RBBP in 2006-201 I. The methodology of censusing is well known (Gilbert et al. 1998; Smith 2012; Murray 2013) and, while rewarding, it is also time-consuming and ideally should be undertaken in a fairly short period of time (end of March to mid April) - this may explain why the majority of sites in the inventory where censusing has been carried out in all six years (2006-1 I) are under RSPB management (49 out of 64). Volunteer patch-workers may move on to other survey work, having devoted a few years to Water Rails. Thus, 64 sites were surveyed for three years out of six, 46 sites for four years and 34 for five years. A revision of the RBBP database for these years revealed some inevitable duplication, where recorders used different names or grid references, but a bonus was the number of extra sites British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 525 Rosemary Powell Holling et al. found in fieldwork for the Atlas - over 100 in 2011 alone. The total number of sites where Water Rails were recorded in 2006-1 I is now 904, but there are undoubtedly many more wet- lands that are known to contain rails and are missing from the inventory, and even more that have never been checked, especially in Northern Ireland. Systematic counts are not available for most sites, so for many the number of territories is arbitrarily set at one per site. Even taking this into account, totalling the maximum number of singing males/pairs/territories recorded at each site for which Water Rails were present during the breeding season in 2006-1 I gives around 2,500 pairs. This is much higher than the 1988-91 Breeding Atlas estimate (450-900 pairs in Britain), and twice as high as the five-year mean reported to the RBBP.The latter figure was used in Musgrove et al. (2013) and is a significant underestimate (Murray 20 1 3). This discrepancy is presumably caused by many sites not being surveyed every year and an inconsistent approach to recording. Water Rail Sites Territories England, SW 35 163 Avon 2 2 Cornwall 1 1 Devon 5 9 Dorset 3 102 Gloucestershire n/a n/a Hampshire 13 21 Isle of Wight 4 4 Isles of Scilly n/a n/a Somerset 3 20 Wiltshire 4 4 England, SE 35 123 Bedfordshire 5 5 Berkshire 2 2 Buckinghamshire 1 1 Essex 7 17 Hertfordshire 3 6 Kent 6 56 Oxfordshire n/a n/a Surrey 6 9 Sussex 5 27 England, E 52 316 Cambridgeshire 11 28 Lincolnshire / 10 Norfolk 11 12 Northamptonshire n/a n/a Suffolk 23 266 England, C 24 54 Derbyshire 2 3 Leicestershire 8c Rutland 3 J Nottinghamshire 5 16 Shropshire 2 2 Staffordshire 4 17 Warwickshire 1 1 West Midlands 2 2 Worcestershire 5 8 England, N 85 314 Cheshire 8c Wirral 11 16 Cleveland 3 12 Cumbria 5 5 Co. Durham 6 / Greater Manchester 17 28 Lancashire 8c N Merseyside 7 158 Northumberland 13 13 Yorkshire 23 75 Wales 29 40 Anglesey 3 10 Breconshire 1 1 Caernarfonshire 2 2 Carmarthenshire 3 3 Ceredigion 3 4 Denbigh 8c Flint n/a n/a East Glamorgan 2 2 Gower 4 4 Gwent 2 3 Meirionnydd 1 1 Montgomeryshire n/a n/a Pembrokeshire 2 4 Radnorshire 6 6 Scotland, S 45 76 Ayrshire 3 3 Borders 24 50 Clyde 6 8 Clyde Islands 1 1 Dumfries 8c Galloway 9 11 Lothian 2 3 Scotland, Mid 25 46 Angus 8c Dundee 3 17 Fife 3 3 Moray 8c Nairn j North-east Scotland 4 6 Perth 8c Kinross 6 9 Upper Forth 2 4 Scotland, N 8c W 35 54 Argyll 13 27 Caithness 3 3 Highland 8 9 Orkney 6 9 Outer Hebrides 3 4 Shetland 2 2 Northern Ireland 19 19 TOTALS 384 1,205 526 British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 2011 While territorial presence is relatively easy to establish with playback, it is much more difficult to confirm that breeding occurred, so the great majority of Atlas/RBBP records are assigned to possible breeding level. The Water Rail was Green-listed in BoCC3 (Eaton et al. 2009), having been revised from Amber on the previous list. With the caveat of the possible deleterious effects of climate change, the outlook for this species seems bright, but it might be a disincentive to ‘railers’ if it was to be removed from the RBBP list.There is clearly more work to be done, both in the field and at the computer, to further unravel the data available. Spotted Crake Porzana porzana Rare: 5-yr mean 25 singing males Coverage: moderate 13 sites: 0-17 pairs/singing males. All counts refer to singing males; at five sites there were signs of territories being maintained but no further breeding evidence, typical of this cryptic species. The maximum total of 17 was the lowest since 2004, but Stroud et al (2012) showed that many records of this species do not reach the Panel’s archives through the normal county recorder route: the average difference over the ten years 2000-09 was almost nine territories. England, SW Somerset Two sites: (1) two heard on 22nd May; (2) one heard on 18th May. England, E Cambridgeshire Two sites: (1) Nene Washes: one heard during 4th-19th May; (2) Ouse Washes: one heard on the late date of 31st August. England, C Staffordshire One site: one heard on 10th April. England, N Yorkshire Two sites: (1) extensive site with three singing males; (2) one heard. Wales Anglesey One site: two heard. One was recorded on 3rd- 10th May, and another on 6th- 13th May. Scotland, S Dumfries & Galloway One site: one heard. Scotland, N & W Argyll Two sites: (1) one heard on 25th April; (2) one heard on 24th June. Highland One site: one heard in early June and again on 30th June. Orkney One site: one heard on 12th and 18th June and 1st August. Amber Corn Crake Crex crex Less scarce: 5-yr mean 1 ,238 bp Coverage: neai^complete 1,282 singing males. All counts refer to singing males. The maximum total is again an increase on the 2009 national survey, indicating further consolidation or expansion of the population, although there was a decline in the number of calling males at the reintroduction site at the Nene Washes. Some birds reported away from the core population in the Hebrides may relate to passage birds, as they are usually heard only briefly with no repeat records in subsequent years, but such records represent less than 1% of the total. England, SW Cornwall One site: one on 31st May. England, E Cambridgeshire One extensive site (Nene Washes): 14. Lincolnshire One site: one in May and June. England, N Yorkshire One extensive site: one recorded on at least two days in June. Wales Anglesey One site: one on 1 3th — 2 1st May. Scotland, S Dumfries & Galloway One site: one on 3rd August. Red British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 527 Holling et al. Scotland, Mid North-east Scotland One site: one on 1 2th— 1 6th June; perhaps the same bird at a second site on 25th and 28th June. Perth & Kinross Two sites: (1) one on 20th-22nd June; (2) one on 12th July. Scotland, N 8c W Argyll Total 689: Coll 121, Colonsay 39, Garvallachs 2, Iona 24, Islay 85, McCormaig Islands 3, Mull 7, Oronsay 19, Tiree 385, Treshnish Isles 4. Caithness Total 1. Highland Total 36: Canna 5, Mainland 13, Skye 18. Orkney Total 28. Outer Hebrides Total 493: Barra 69, Benbecula 14, Berneray 6, Bern- eray (south of Barra) 2, Harris 12, Lewis 180, Mingulay 2, North Uist 113, Sandray 1, South Uist 84, Vatersay 10. Shetland Total 3. Northern Ireland Co. Antrim Three sites: (1) one on 1st May; (2) one on 16th June; (3) one on 5th July. Co. Armagh One site: one on 18th July. Co. Derry Two sites: (1) one on 13th May; (2) one 30th June. Co. Down Two sites: (1) one on 5th July; (2) one 18th July. Co. Tyrone Two sites: (1) one male 11th May; (2) one 4th-6th June. 3 1 7. Corn Crake Crex crex, Iona, Argyll, May 20 1 I .The number of Corn Crakes reported to the RBBP continues to rise steadily, although over 97% of all birds are still reported from northern and western Scotland. Common Crane Grus grus Very rare: 5-yr mean 1 6 bp Coverage: neai^complete Nine sites: 1 1-19 pairs. The productivity of Britain’s breeding Cranes remains low, with only six young fledged in 2011. Nests are vulnerable to flooding and predation by ground predators, and nesting pairs to disturbance. However, pairs are appearing at new sites and there are indications of an increase in the Yorkshire population, so the long-term prospects look good. England, SE Kent One site: one pair present from May to July. England, E Cambridgeshire One site: one pair bred and fledged one young. Norfolk One extensive site (Norfolk Broads): six pairs bred, with three successful pairs fledging four young, three probable breeding pairs and one possible breeding pair. Suffolk One site (Lakenheath): two pairs bred; one pair fledged one young. England, N Yorkshire Two extensive sites: ( 1 ) two pairs bred. At one site two young were hatched but were lost to preda- tors, and at the other the eggs were predated; (2) two displaying pairs, both began nest-building but aban- doned the attempts, possibly due to rising water levels and/or disturbance. UK, elsewhere Three counties: (1) one pair, present in April, was seen mating; (2) three birds summered in suitable habitat; (3) a single bird on several dates from mid March to early May. 528 British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 Gary Jenkins Rare breeding birds in the UK in 2011 Great Bustard Otis tarda Reintroduced population first bred in 2008 One extensive site: two pairs bred. The reintroduction scheme has seen breeding in each year from 2008 and a total of six young fledged so far. Both young hatched in 201 1 were predated and the number of breeding females has been static at between two and four in the last three years. England, SW Wiltshire One site: two females nested in a winter wheat crop and both successfully hatched eggs. The chicks were predated, probably by Foxes Vulpes vulpes , one at 14 days the other at 28 days. Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta Less scarce: 5-yr mean 1 ,584 bp Coverage: near-complete At least 104 sites: 1,762 pairs. For the first time, the number of sites with breeding Avocets has exceeded 100, and fig. 4 shows the steady rise in the number of sites and counties with breeding Avocets since 1992, with the growth accelerating since the late 1990s. Back in 1992, when there were fewer than 500 breeding pairs, breeding occurred in just five counties - Essex, Kent, Norfolk, Suffolk and Yorkshire - and all sites were in coastal locations. Now, 20 years on, Avocets breed in 19 counties. Breeding attempts away from the coast began in 1996 - at Welney, Norfolk, and Rutland Water, Leicestershire & Rutland. In 2011 there were the first breeding records in both Greater Manchester and Northumberland, with young fledged at both sites. In Leicestershire & Rutland, the first nesting since the failed attempt in 1996 again resulted in failure when the chicks were predated. Fig. 4. Changes in the number of sites and counties with confirmed breeding Avocets Recurvirostra avosetta, 1992-201 I. Avocet No. sites Confirmed England, C 4 19 breeding Leicestershire & Rutland 1 5 pairs Nottinghamshire 2 6 England, SW 3 26 Worcestershire 1 8 Hampshire 3 26 England, N 22 206 England, SE 27 493 Cheshire & Wirral 2 6 Essex 14 136 Cleveland 1 18 Kent 9 303 Co. Durham 1 2 Sussex 4 54 Greater Manchester 1 1 England, E 47 1,001 Lancashire & N Merseyside 6 81 Cambridgeshire 4 29 Northumberland 1 2 Lincolnshire 18 286 Yorkshire 10 96 Norfolk 15 497 Wales 1 17 Suffolk 10 189 Gwent 1 17 TOTALS 104 1,762 British Birds 106 • September 2013 * 496-554 529 M/'ke Lane Holling et a/. Stone-curlew Burhinus oedicnemus Scarce: 5-yr mean 37 1 bp Coverage: neai^complete Seven counties: 422 confirmed breeding pairs fledged 250 young. The year 2011 saw the highest number of confirmed breeding pairs, exceeding 400 for the first time, with increases in Hampshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Wiltshire. Stone-curlew Confirmed Young Oxfordshire 3 4 breeding pairs fledged Sussex 2 3 England, SW 133 88 England, E 276 146 Hampshire 36 22 Cambridgeshire 0 0 Wiltshire 97 66 Norfolk 144 74 England, SE 13 16 Suffolk 132 72 Berkshire 8 9 TOTALS 422 250 Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius Scarce: 5-yr mean 695 bp Coverage: moderate 741 pairs. Perhaps reflecting its status as a species still colonising the north of Britain, the only regions to report an increase were northern England and Scot- land. Bird Atlas 2007-11 will show how the distribu- tion has spread north in the last 20 years. In the 1988-91 Breeding Atlas , there was only one confirmed breeding record in Scot- land, in Fife, but in 2011 there were 12 breeding pairs, with a further nine 318. A pair of Little Ringed Plovers Charadrius dubius, West Midlands, probable breeding pairs, May 201 I. Widespread across England and parts of Wales, Little distributed across nine Ringed Plovers are still expanding into southern and eastern Scotland. Scottish counties. Green Little Ringed Plover Hertfordshire 5 Confirmed and probable Kent 6 breeding pairs Oxfordshire 4 England, SW 49 Surrey 14 Dorset 2 Sussex 13 Gloucestershire 8 England, E 88 Hampshire 22 Cambridgeshire 17 Somerset 5 Lincolnshire 34 Wiltshire 12 Norfolk 19 England, SE 85 Northamptonshire 11 Bedfordshire 4 Suffolk 7 Berkshire 13 England, C 165 Buckinghamshire 12 Derbyshire 41 Essex 9 Herefordshire 7 Greater London 5 Leicestershire & Rutland 24 530 British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 2011 Little Ringed Plover cont. Carmarthenshire 61 Confirmed and probable Ceredigion 1 breeding pairs Denbigh 8c Flint 2 Nottinghamshire 10 East Glamorgan 4 Shropshire 16 Gower 4 Staffordshire 52 Gwent 3 Warwickshire 2 Meirionnydd 2 West Midlands 4 Montgomeryshire 4 Worcestershire 9 Radnorshire 4 England, N 243 Scotland, S 12 Cheshire 8c Wirral 12 Borders 4 Cleveland 6 Clyde 3 Cumbria 14 Dumfries 8c Galloway 2 Co. Durham 8 Lothian 3 Greater Manchester 20 Scotland, Mid 9 Lancashire 8c N Merseyside o o * Angus 8c Dundee 2 Northumberland 8 Fife 2 Yorkshire 75 Moray 8c Nairn 1 Wales 90 North-east Scotland 3 Breconshire 3 Upper Forth 1 Caernarfonshire 2 TOTAL 741 * Fieldwork for a local atlas of 100 pairs. in Lancashire 8c N Merseyside during 2008-1 1 indicated a county population Dotterel Charadrius morinellus Scarce: 423 breeding males (20 1 I survey) Coverage: high The 2011 RSPB/SNH national survey combined with other data found an estimated 423 breeding males in Scotland and one in England. Breeding was confirmed in Cumbria, Highland, Moray 8c Nairn and North-east Scotland. Daniel Hayhow, RSPB Conservation Scientist, outlines the results of the survey: The second national survey for Dotterels was conducted by the RSPB and SNH in 201 I.The first survey, in 1999, found 510-750 pairs (Whitfield 2002). The 201 I survey covered all SPAs and/or SSSIs with Dotterel as a designating feature, together with a stratified random sample of other sites with suitable breeding habitat. Overall, some 342 km2 of land across 206 sites was surveyed, approximately 51% of the potential breeding area. There were no records of breeding Dotterels in England, Wales or southern Scotland during the survey, although we are aware of a breeding record in northern England detected outwith the survey visits in 201 I. Dotterel Charadrius morinellus (and Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos). Like many waders on the nest, a sitting Dotterel is marvellously camouflaged in its typical montane nesting habitat. British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 531 Alan Harris Holling et al. The survey estimated the population to be 423 breeding males (95% CL 279-644), a signifi- cant decline of 43% since 1999. A majority (61%) of the population was found in the East Highlands, as in 1999, and 90% of males were in the three regions that held the core of the population in 1999 (East, Central and North Highlands). The rate of site occupancy has declined from 33% to 17% in 201 I, further evidence of a retraction to core areas. The table presents national and regional breakdowns using the 201 I RSPB/SNH national survey data. l999a 2011 Estimate Confidence limits Estimate Confidence limits % change UK 747 592-1,357 423 279-644 -43.3* England & Wales 0 0 South Scotland 2 0-16 0 East Highlands 380 294-698 257 170-396 -32.4* Tayside Highlands 29 0-92 0 Central Highlands 205 80-446 73 39-139 -64.2 ns Southwest Highlands 8 0-42 5 0-24 -39.2 ns West Highlands 28 12-66 39 0-122 39.16 ns North Highlands 95 73-234 49 21-135 -48.2 ns * = Statistically significant, P<0.05; ns = not statistically significant. a To allow comparable estimates, a new methodology was used to analyse both the 1999 and 2011 datasets (producing national and regional estimates not significantly different from estimates reported by Whitfield 2002). The 2011 method uses a standard approach whereby counts from randomly selected sites are extrapolated across unsurveyed areas and the total summed with counts from census sites. This is done region by region and the national estimate is the sum of these regional estimates. Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus Scarce: 300+ bp (Jackson 2009) Coverage: low 81-140 apparently occupied territories (AOTs). Red Scotland, N 8c W Caithness One extensive site: one pair bred. Orkney One site: three pairs bred. Outer Hebrides No informa- tion received. Shetland Data from three islands (Fetlar, Mainland and Unst) totalled 135 AOTs including 77 nests. Also recorded as present on Yell, but no counts submitted. Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa Red Rare: 5-yr mean 63 bp Coverage: near-complete Ten sites: 53-56 pairs. The main site, on the Nene Washes, failed to produce any young because of the very dry conditions, and overall these were the lowest numbers reported for eight years. L. I . limosa 49-52 pairs England, SW One site: one pair bred, outcome unknown. England, SE Kent Two sites: ( 1 ) one pair bred; (2) one probable breeding pair. England, E Cambridgeshire One site (Nene Washes): 43 pairs bred but no young fledged. Norfolk One site (Welney): four pairs bred, at least six young fledged. England, N Lancashire & N Merseyside One site: possible breeding. Yorkshire One site: one probable breeding pair. L. I. islandica 4 pairs Scotland, N & W Orkney One site: two pairs bred and at least one young fledged. Shetland Two sites: two pairs bred. 532 British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 2011 Ruff Calidris pugnax Very rare: 5-yr mean 1 2 females Coverage: high Six sites: at least ten females. The sites occupied in 201 1 consistently report Ruff in spring. Leks of Ruff are conspicuous but once females have mated they become less noticeable and breeding is consequently difficult to prove. The last reported confirmed breeding occurred in Lancashire & N Merseyside in 2006. England, E Cambridgeshire One site: nine males were displaying to at least two females at the Ouse Washes on 16th April. England, N Lancashire 8t N Merseyside Three sites: (1) 12 males lekking into May; (2) six birds lekking into May; (3) 12 birds lekking on 29th April. Although there may be some duplication of birds at these three sites, and there was no specific count of any females, the records do suggest at least possible breeding in the Ribble Marshes. Yorkshire One site: up to 19 males and seven females present at leks from late March into May. Three or four males remained into June. Scotland, N & W Argyll One site: one male was recorded lekking to a female on 26th April and the male was seen again on 17th May. Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus Very rare: 5-yr mean 26 bp Coverage: near^complete 17 sites: 26-39 breeding males. Intensive monitoring by RSPB staff of potential breeding lochans in the Scottish islands was rewarded by the highest totals since 2005 and a wider spread of sites away from the main site on Fetlar, Shetland. Scotland, N & W Argyll Two sites: one male bred (seen with two small chicks in July) and two probable breeding males. Outer Hebrides Four sites: three breeding males, one probable and six possible breeding males. Shetland 1 1 sites: 22 males bred, two probable and two possible breeding males. Red 319. Red-necked Phalaropes Phalaropus lobatus, Shetland, June 201 I.The number of breeding males, at up to 39 in 201 !, was the highest total reported since 2005. British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 533 Brydon Thomason Holling et al. Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus Very rare: 5-yr mean 3 bp Coverage: high Two sites: 5-6 pairs. These are the highest figures yet reported to the Panel. No young were recorded, but this may reflect efforts to keep disturbance to a minimum when checking sites. However, there are indications that some birdwatchers are seeking out this species in the breeding season; given the sensitive nature of the woodland habitat we urge that monitoring is undertaken only by those issued with a Schedule 1 licence. Scotland, N & W Highland Two extensive sites: five pairs bred plus one singing male. Greenshank Tringa nebularia Less scarce: 1 ,080 bp (Hancock et al. 1 997) Coverage: low Data were received for a minimum of 147 pairs (with at least 76 pairs confirmed breeding). Records came from five recording areas: Argyll (4), Caithness (37), Highland (97), Outer Hebrides (7) and Shetland (2). Over 75% of the records submitted were attributed to atlas field- work. The Greenshank was added to the RBBP list in 1996 after the national survey (Hancock et al 1997) reported 780-1,420 pairs, but we do not receive sufficient data each year to determine population trends. Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola Very rare: 5-yr mean 25 bp Coverage: moderate Ten sites: 4-29 pairs. The maximum number of pairs reached another new peak, and reflects the increase in breeding numbers in the last decade (fig. 5.). Scotland, N & W Caithness One extensive site: three pairs bred. Highland Nine sites: one pair bred, 24 probable and one possible breeding pair. Fig. 5. Five-year means of the total number of breeding pairs of Wood Sandpipers Tringa glareola in the UK, 1977-201 I. Green Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus Scarce: 2, 1 36 bp (Mitchell et al. 2004) Coverage: moderate 202 AOTs. Results from well-monitored colonies on Fair Isle, Foula (Shetland), Handa (High- land) and St Kilda (Outer Hebrides) continue the story of declining numbers and low produc- tivity described in the previous report. The total number reported in 2010 was boosted by a county-wide survey in Orkney. Scotland, N & W Argyll Probable breeding was reported from Lungay, Treshnish Islands, and birds were present, but not recorded breeding, on Coll. Caithness At least one pair bred and three other AOTs noted. Fair Isle Only 29 pairs bred, but no chicks fledged. Highland On Handa there were 11 AOTs and one pair bred on the main- land. Orkney Casual counts and regular seabird monitoring provided evidence of at least 89 AOTs, about 25% of the all-county survey in 2010. Outer Hebrides Limited data provided evidence of one pair breeding on Lewis and just three on St Kilda, two of which bred, fledging two young. Shetland Limited data included evidence of 53 confirmed breeding pairs and a further ten AOTs. At 41 territories surveyed on Foula, 32 pairs laid eggs and 1 1 chicks were found, but none fledged. Red 534 British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 2011 Long-tailed Skua Stercorarius longicaudus Occasional breeder One site: one bird. Scotland, N & W Shetland One site: for the third year running, one adult held territory on East Burra, present from 12th May to 3rd July. Little Tern Sternula albifrons Less scarce: 5-yr mean 1 ,482 bp Coverage: moderate Minimum of 1,601 pairs at 56 colonies. With a minimum of 886 young fledged from colonies in the UK, 2011 was a more productive year than 2010 and several other recent years. Sites in Norfolk fared particularly well thanks to both fencing (to limit predation) and wardening at mainland sites but also because of a new colony established on an offshore sandbank where 100 pairs fledged 80 young. Little Tern No. sites Confirmed pairs Min. young fledged England, SW 4 82 13 Dorset 1 18 12 Hampshire 3 64 1 England, SE 8 87 24 Essex 3 51 18 Kent 2 16 0 Sussex 3 20 6 England, E 17 912 470 Lincolnshire 2 19 2 Norfolk 9 786 459 Suffolk 6 107 9 England, N 6 222 239 Cleveland 1 84 147 Cumbria 1 62 35 Northumberland 2 46 36 Yorkshire 2 30 21 Wales 1 126 65 Denbigh & Flint 1 126 65 Scotland, S 1 1 0 Lothian 1 1 0 Scotland, Mid 4 36 34 Moray & Nairn 3 5 0 North-east Scotland 1 31 34 Scotland, N & W 14 119 32 Argyll 8 66 32 Highland 3 40 n/a Orkney 1 6 n/a Outer Hebrides 2 7 n/a Isle of Man 1 16 9 TOTALS 56 1,601 886 Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii Rare: 5-yr mean 84 bp Coverage: neai^complete Six sites: 80-8 1 pairs and two mixed pairs. England, N Lancashire & N Merseyside One site: a female paired with a Common Tern S. hirundo laid eggs but the whole colony was predated. Northumberland One site (Coquet Island): 78 pairs raised at least 97 large young from 108 hatched. Red British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 535 Holling et al. Wales Anglesey One site: a Roseate paired with a Common Tern laid two eggs and fledged two young. Scotland, Mid Fife One site: one pair bred, and one chick was recorded in the nest. North-east Scotland One site: one possible breeding pair, present in a tern colony from 18th June to 30th July. Northern Ireland Co. Antrim One site: one pair bred, probably fledging at least one young. Little Gull Hydrocoloeus minutus Occasional breeder One site: 0-1 pairs. Little Gulls occasionally stay on at potential breeding sites, the most recent instances being in 2009, when pairs held territory at sites in Norfolk and Yorkshire. The last confirmed breeding attempt was in Norfolk in 2007. Scotland, N 8c W Caithness One site: one possible breeding pair present from 13th May to 7th June. The birds were first- summers but were watched nest-building and displaying. Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus Scarce: 5-yr mean 705 bp Coverage: moderate 33 sites: 755-805 pairs. The total number of pairs recorded in 2011 was considerably less than in 2010, but much of this apparent decrease is due to the absence of data from the large colonies on the Medway, in Kent. In addition, some larger colonies were not counted accurately in 2011. Taking these factors into account, it is likely that the population was stable or increased slightly in 2011. There was no indication of any further spread or increase away from the core areas along the south coast between Dorset and the Thames Estuary. England, SW Dorset One site: breeding birds not counted but estimated to be at least 80 pairs. Hampshire Four sites: (1) 498 breeding pairs at Langstone Harbour but no young fledged owing to high spring tides and Fox predation; (2) 19 pairs bred and fledged nine young; (3) two pairs bred and fledged two young - this being the first inland breeding in the county; (4) one pair bred. England, SE Essex Four sites: (1) three pairs bred; (2) (3) one pair bred at each; (4) two probable breeding pairs. Kent One site: one pair bred. However, counts of the large colonies on the Medway Islands were lost after the death of a regular observer; these totalled 283 pairs in 2010. Sussex Three sites: (1) approximately 100 pairs bred (vegetation obscured many nests making accurate counting difficult); (2) 26 probable breeding pairs appeared to have deserted the colony after nest-building; (3) one pair bred, fledging two young. England, E Norfolk Three sites: (1)11 pairs fledged 11 young; (2) ten pairs fledged 27 young; (3) nine possible breeding pairs. Suffolk One site: (1) four pairs bred, but no young fledged. England, C Staffordshire Two sites: ( 1 ) two pairs bred; (2) one pair bred. England, N Cheshire & Wirral One site: two pairs bred. Greater Manchester One site: one probable breeding pair was seen nest-building in March. Lancashire & N Merseyside Three sites: (1) an estimated nine pairs bred, fledging at least six young; (2) two pairs fledged five young with four probable breeding pairs also present; (3) site not monitored but likely to have held at least five probable breeding pairs. Yorkshire Three sites: (1) one pair bred, fledging one young; (2) one pair bred but failed; (3) one possible breeding pair. Wales Anglesey One site: one pair bred but no young fledged. Montgomeryshire One site: one possible breeding pair. Scotland, N 8c W Orkney One site: a Mediterranean Gull was paired with a Black-headed Gull from late May until the end of June but deserted the site when the colony failed. 536 British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 2011 Northern Ireland Co. Antrim One site: two pairs bred, fledging one young. Co. Down Two sites: two pairs bred. In addition there were single summering or displaying birds at Black-headed Gull colonies in Borders, Cumbria, Fife, Isle of Wight and Leicestershire & Rutland. Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis Very rare: 5-yr mean 4 bp Coverage: near^complete Amber Three sites: One pair plus 1-2 mixed pairs. England, SW Dorset One site: one pair bred, hatching two chicks but fledging only one. Hampshire One site: a Yellow- legged Gull paired with a Herring Gull L. argentatus fledged three hybrid young for the fourth year in a row. England, E Cambridgeshire One site: as in 2010, copulation between a Yellow-legged and a Lesser Black-backed Gull L. fuscus was seen but there was no further evidence of breeding. Long-eared Owl Asio otis Scarce/Less scarce: 1 ,800-6,000 bp* Coverage: unknown * (Musgrove etal. 2013) 240-326 pairs. The reports listed here are broadly similar, and with an almost identical distribu- tion, to those included in the 2010 report. There are a few long-term projects studying Long- eared Owls, such as those in Co. Durham, Greater Manchester and Northumberland, and most reports come from chance findings and limited local searches. Four years of Atlas fieldwork have Long-eared Owl Confirmed Total Lancashire & N Merseyside 16 17 Northumberland 10 12 breeding pairs pairs Yorkshire 46 65 England, SW 9 17 Wales 16 19 Avon 1 1 Breconshire 1 3 Cornwall 0 2 Caernarfonshire 1 1 Devon 0 1 Ceredigion 2 2 Hampshire 2 2 Gwent 8 8 Isle of Wight 3 5 Meirionnydd 1 1 Somerset 1 2 Montgomeryshire 0 1 Wiltshire 2 4 Radnorshire 3 3 England, SE 3 15 Scotland, S 23 38 Berkshire 1 1 Ayrshire 3 3 Essex 1 1 Borders 4 9 Kent 1 10 Clyde 8 13 Oxfordshire 0 1 Clyde Islands 0 1 Sussex 0 2 Dumfries & Galloway 4 5 England, E 12 18 Lothian 4 7 Cambridgeshire 7 12 Scotland, Mid 12 19 Lincolnshire 2 2 Angus & Dundee 5 5 Norfolk 2 2 Fife 1 3 Suffolk 1 2 Moray & Nairn 1 3 England, C 19 20 North-east Scotland 1 4 Derbyshire 6 6 Perth & Kinross 4 4 Nottinghamshire 12 12 Scotland, N & W 16 19 Staffordshire 1 2 Argyll 3 4 England, N 106 137 Caithness 1 1 Cheshire & Wirral 1 1 Highland 11 13 Cleveland 1 2 Orkney 1 1 Cumbria 5 6 Northern Ireland 23 23 Co. Durham 13 18 Isle of Man 1 1 Greater Manchester 14 16 TOTALS 240 326 Green British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 537 Holling et al. also provided a snapshot of the distribution across Britain & Ireland, which shows that the species, although never abundant, is generally widespread with breeding records in most coun- ties, mainly in eastern Britain and in Ireland. It is noticeably scarce in Wales and in England south and west of a line from the Mersey to the Thames. An indication of the effects of under- recording when data are viewed only on an annual basis comes from Lancashire & N Merseyside, where atlas work over four years (2007-11) suggests a county population of 60 breeding pairs, compared with the 17 reported in 201 1. The recently revised UK estimate of 1,800-6,000 pairs (Musgrove et al. 2013), based on a scaling of the ratio of 10-km squares with breeding evidence between the 1968-72 and 2007-1 1 atlases, is thought to be unreliable, so any new data on breeding numbers could help to refine this. There must be many remote areas of rough grazing with scattered conifer plantations along the fringes of uplands in the north and west of Britain where Long-eared Owls may nest, unseen and unheard by birdwatchers. Similarly, in the lowlands there are potentially suitable damp mosses and dry heaths, overgrown railway sidings and dune slacks. We repeat our request for all records of Long-eared Owls in potential breeding habitat to be submitted to county recorders to help build our knowledge of this cryptic and elusive species. Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus Scarce/Less scarce: 620-2, 1 80 bp* Coverage: unknown * (Musgrove et al. 2013) 127-292 pairs. In the second year of reporting, the total number of Short-eared Owls was very similar to that in 2010, with a broadly comparable distribution and again 67-68% of records being from Scotland. Almost twice as many pairs on Orkney were recorded in 2011, however, probably reflecting the high numbers of Orkney Voles Microtus arvalis orcadensis present throughout the year. The lower number in the Outer Hebrides is an artefact of reduced reporting. However, there is little indication of breeding in coastal dunes and marshes as was still evident in the 1988-91 Breeding Atlas. Short-eared Owl Confirmed breeding pairs Total pairs England, SE 1 1 Kent 1 1 England, E 1 2 Lincolnshire 1 2 England, C 4 15 Derbyshire 4 12 Staffordshire 0 3 England, N 36 70 Cheshire 8t Wirral 0 2 Cumbria 5 11 Co. Durham 2 5 Greater Manchester 1 2 Lancashire & N Merseyside 6 11 Northumberland 3 7 Yorkshire 19 32 Wales 5 6 Meirionnydd 1 1 Pembrokeshire 1 1 Radnorshire 3 4 Scotland, S 17 35 Ayrshire 1 1 Borders 3 8 Clyde 1 3 Clyde Islands 2 12 Dumfries & Galloway 10 11 Scotland, Mid 28 47 Angus & Dundee 1 4 Moray & Nairn 0 4 North-east Scotland 2 2 Perth & Kinross 21 29 Upper Forth 4 8 Scotland, N & W 33 114 Argyll 5 6 Caithness 4 6 Highland 3 3 Orkney 11 83 Outer Hebrides 10 16 Northern Ireland 2 2 Co. Antrim 2 2 TOTALS 127 292 538 British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 2011 Wryneck Jynx torquilla Very rare: 5-yr mean 3 bp Coverage: moderate Five sites: 0-5 pairs. Five reports in June is an encouraging total but again there was no further evidence of breeding at any of these sites. The last confirmed breeding was ten years ago, in 2002 (see review in Holling et al. 2012). Scotland, Mid Upper Forth One site: one singing male on 6th June only. Scotland, N & W Highland Four sites: four single birds, at least two of which were reported singing, between 5th and 16th June. Red Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos minor Less scarce: 1 ,000-2,000 bp (Musgrove et al. 20 1 3) Coverage: low Red 56-611 pairs. The addition of Lesser Spotted Woodpecker to the Panel list seems to have captivated the public interest and there was some useful media coverage in 2011. Perhaps because of height- ened awareness, there was an increase in the number of reported pairs, from 486 to 611. More intensive fieldwork in areas such as the New Forest, Herefordshire and Kent has provided further evidence of presence. We encourage woodland surveys for this species in southern and central England and in Wales. However, at some breeding sites there have been concerns about excessive dis- turbance of Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers by birdwatchers and photographers, so observers should exercise caution in monitoring nests. Where birds are present in suitable habitat in the spring, from March to June, they can at least be assigned to the pos- sible breeding category. Prob- able breeding usually depends on evidence of territories through recording one or more drumming males at least a week apart, or by finding birds excavating nest cavities. More information on the criteria for assessing breeding evidence for this species can be found at www.rbbp.org.uk/downloads/sp_guideIines_lesser_spotted_woodpecker.pdf. 320. Male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos minor, Hertfordshire, May 201 I. In 201 I data were collected by the RBBP for only the second year, and the totals demonstrate how scarce and localised this elusive species has now become. British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 539 Stuart Clewlow Holling et al . Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Confirmed breeding pairs Total pairs England, C Derbyshire Herefordshire Leicestershire & Rutland 13 5 3 1 80 10 30 4 England, SW 6 172 Nottinghamshire 1 2 Avon 0 7 Shropshire 1 15 Cornwall 0 3 Staffordshire 1 3 Devon 2 22 Warwickshire 0 1 Dorset 0 9 West Midlands 1 1 Gloucestershire 2 13 Worcestershire 0 14 Hampshire 2 90 England, N 1 63 Somerset 0 15 Cheshire & Wirral 1 26 Wiltshire 0 13 Co. Durham 0 6 England, SE 24 223 Greater Manchester 0 4 Bedfordshire 0 7 Lancashire & N Merseyside 0 3 Berkshire 0 3 Yorkshire 0 24 Buckinghamshire 0 9 Wales 10 38 Essex 0 5 Caernarfonshire 0 1 Greater London 1 6 Carmarthenshire 2 3 Hertfordshire 2 10 Ceredigion 3 3 Kent 13 152 Denbigh & Flint 0 3 Surrey 4 20 East Glamorgan 0 5 Sussex 4 11 Gower 0 1 England, E 2 35 Gwent 1 9 Cambridgeshire 1 5 Meirionnydd 2 4 Lincolnshire 0 7 Montgomeryshire 0 2 Norfolk 0 15 Pembrokeshire 0 2 Northamptonshire 1 2 Radnorshire 2 5 Suffolk 0 6 TOTALS 56 611 Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus Very rare: 5-yr mean 4 bp Coverage: near-complete Two sites: 0-3 pairs. Lakenheath is now the only regular site for Golden Orioles but birds have not stayed to breed since 2009. The loss of this species as a British breeding bird looks sadly inevitable. England, E Norfolk One site: one male singing for one to two weeks in June, and a female or juvenile recorded on 2nd July, but no further evidence of any breeding attempt. Suffolk One site (Lakenheath): up to two males and a probable female present. On 23rd-24th May two males were singing but for the rest of that month and into June there was just a single male, seen nest-building in early June, about three weeks later than normal. A female was reported but was not confirmed. Red Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio Red Very rare: 5-yr mean 4 bp Coverage: moderate Three sites: 2-4 pairs. Two pairs again bred in Devon and were both successful despite the atten- tion of egg-collectors. It is encouraging to hear of a third pair in the county although there was no repeat breeding in Scotland, following the success in Highland in 2010. England, SW Devon Two sites: ( 1 ) Two pairs bred. Thanks to a round-the-clock protection scheme, both pairs fledged young. One pair failed on the first attempt, but then raised a second brood of four. The other pair raised one brood of three. (2) One probable breeding pair. A singing male was joined by a female. Although there may have been a nesting attempt, the site suffered from disturbance and was subsequently abandoned. England, elsewhere One site: one male seen on four dates in June. 540 British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 2011 Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax Scarce: 5-yr mean 4 1 5 bp Coverage: high 250-308 pairs. These figures are just a sample of the total population, last fully censused in 2002 (Johnstone et al. 2007), and include only monitored pairs, but we understand that there was full coverage in Cornwall, north Wales, Pembrokeshire, Colonsay and Oronsay, and Northern Ireland. The 2002 survey estimated 429-497 breeding pairs, so the five-year mean reported by the RBBP is reasonably close to this figure. Red-biiled Chough Confirmed Total Gower 3 4 breeding pairs pairs Meirionnydd 15 21 England, SW 5 5 Pembrokeshire 58 65 Cornwall 5 5 Scotland 23 24 Wales 204 261 Argyll: Colonsay & Oronsay 13 13 Anglesey 32 41 Argyll: Islay 10 11 Caernarfonshire 77 101 Northern Ireland 1 1 Ceredigion 18 26 Co. Antrim 1 1 Denbigh & Flint 1 2 Isle of Man 17 17 East Glamorgan 0 1 TOTALS 250 308 Firecrest Regulus ignicapilla Scarce: 5-yr mean 636 bp Coverage: moderate 758 territories or singing males. In the Firecrest s strongholds in south and southeast England, from Hampshire to Norfolk, birds may be widespread in suitable woodlands but tend to be both overlooked and under-reported. The total of 27 in Kent is based on a survey of just a small part of east Kent and the observer estimates that the county may hold 100-200 territories, with similar or greater numbers in neighbouring Sussex. There are also reliable numbers from the New Forest and Thetford Forest. More annual counts from pre-defmed areas, or indeed county- wide surveys, would help us to understand the population size better and to track any changes between years. However, even in areas where Firecrests are relatively numerous, it is important that birdwatchers report all singing males and pairs in suitable breeding habitat so that county minima can be calculated, thus increasing the robustness of the annual RBBP totals. Firecrest Singing males/ territories England, SW 469 Dorset 3 Gloucestershire 12 Hampshire 415 Isle of Wight 2 Somerset 4 Wiltshire 33 England, SE 154 Bedfordshire 4 Berkshire 15 Buckinghamshire 70 Essex 2 Hertfordshire 7 Kent 27 Surrey 11 Sussex 18 England, E 129 Cambridgeshire 3 Norfolk 93 Suffolk 33 England, C 2 Herefordshire 1 Warwickshire 1 Wales 4 Gwent 1 Montgomeryshire 2 Radnorshire 1 TOTAL 758 British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 541 Holling et al. Willow Tit Poecile montana Less scarce: 3,400 bp (in 2009)* Coverage: moderate * (Musgrove et al. 2013) 208-667 pairs. The addition of Willow Tit to the Panel’s list has generated a good number of returns, with some counties, mainly in northern England and the English midlands, and Dumfries 8c Galloway in Scotland, reporting the largest numbers, although many of these coun- ties also say that coverage is incomplete. Other areas are finding that there are only a few records of the species reported each year, or none at all. In 2012, only just over 1% of sampled squares for the BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) recorded Willow Tit (Risely et al 2013), and with the long-term trend (1995-2011) at -82%, it may not be long before trends cannot be calcu- lated for this species. It is not yet known how representative of the total population the sample of 600+ pairs reported are, but after a few years the RBBP should hopefully be able to provide information to supplement the annual BBS trends - in that context it would be useful to know which counties provide complete or near-complete coverage. To help your records contribute to this initiative, please visit the RBBP website: www.rbbp.org.uk/downloads/sp_guidelines_willow_tit.pdf. Red Willow Tit Confirmed breeding pairs Total pairs Warwickshire West Midlands 2 1 5 2 England, SW 15 63 Worcestershire 0 1 Avon 0 2 England, N 125 303 Cornwall 1 6 Cheshire & Wirral 10 31 Devon 2 23 Cumbria 1 3 Gloucestershire 4 13 Co. Durham 29 48 Hampshire 4 9 Greater Manchester 13 57 Wiltshire 4 10 Lancashire & N Merseyside 9 24 England, SE 5 6 Northumberland 7 32 Berkshire 3 3 Yorkshire 56 108 Buckinghamshire 0 1 Wales 13 69 Oxfordshire 2 2 Breconshire 1 10 England, E 7 57 Carmarthenshire 0 16 Lincolnshire 7 41 Ceredigion 3 5 Norfolk 0 2 Denbigh & Flint 1 2 Northamptonshire 0 11 East Glamorgan 0 8 Suffolk 0 3 Gwent 0 3 England, C 25 145 Meirionnydd 1 1 Derbyshire 12 25 Montgomeryshire 0 4 Herefordshire 0 20 Pembrokeshire 2 10 Leicestershire & Rutland 2 26 Radnorshire 5 10 Nottinghamshire 2 14 Scotland, S 18 24 Shropshire 1 12 Dumfries & Galloway 18 24 Staffordshire 5 40 TOTALS 208 667 Bearded Tit Panurus biarmicus Scarce: 5-yr mean 577 bp Coverage: moderate At least 59 sites: a minimum of 360 pairs. The number of sites reporting Bearded Tits in 201 1 was comparable with recent years (the median value of the last ten years is 54 sites, ranging from 40 to 71 in 2002 when there was a national survey). However, the total number of probable and con- firmed breeding pairs in 2011 plummeted to half of the 2010 total. The percentage changes in numbers of pairs since 2010 are shown in the table, with the largest declines apparently in eastern and northern England. Some major UK sites such as Minsmere in Suffolk were not counted in 2011, but others received equivalent coverage in both years - the large Tay Estuary reedbed site in 542 British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496—554 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 2011 Bearded Tit Minimum Confirmed Sussex 3 17 no. sites and probable England, E 26 205 (-53.2%) breeding pairs (change in number Cambridgeshire 5 10 of pairs between Lincolnshire 2 3 2010 and 2011) Norfolk 11 84 England, SW 9 27 (-6.9%) Suffolk 8 108 Devon 1 1 England, N 4 40 (-76.0%) Dorset 4 9 Lancs & N Merseyside 1 12 Hampshire 2 8 Yorkshire 3 28 Somerset 2 9 Wales 1 5 (-16.7%) England, SE 18 83 (+6.4%) Gwent 1 5 Bedfordshire 1 1 Scotland, Mid 1 n/a Essex 5 15 Perth & Kinross 1 n/a Kent 9 50 TOTALS 59 360 (-49.9%) Perth & Kinross (where 70 pairs were reported in 2004, with an estimate of 250 for that extensive site at that time) was not counted in either year. The decline may have been in response to the extreme cold in December 2010, which affected freshwater sites badly and potentially reduced the breeding population prior to the 2011 season. Woodlark Lullula arborea Less scarce: 3,064 bp (Conway et al. 2009) Coverage: moderate 836 territories. Despite successive cold winters in the main range of the Woodlark, and in contrast to species such as the Dartford Warbler, the number reported in 2011 is much the same as in 2010, remaining at just under a third of the estimated UK total of around 3,100 pairs. Woodlark Singing males/ territories England, SW 287 Devon 3 Dorset 32 Gloucestershire 1 Hampshire 246 Wiltshire 5 England, SE 219 Bedfordshire 1 Berkshire 3 Buckinghamshire 1 Surrey 148 Sussex 66 England, E 266 Lincolnshire 11 Norfolk 125 Suffolk 130 England, C 30 Nottinghamshire 14 Staffordshire 16 England, N 32 Yorkshire 32 Wales 2 Gwent 2 TOTAL 836 CettPs Warbler Cettia cetti Less scarce: 5-yr mean 2,003 bp Coverage: high Green 1,484 singing males or territories. The number of Cetti’s Warblers reported in 2011 was 22% lower than in 2010, although the 2011 total should probably be higher since Kent provided a county estimate of 500, based on extrapolation of recent fieldwork. Indeed, all figures in the table are based on reported totals or site estimates, so it is likely that populations are actually higher. In some areas, where the Cetti’s Warbler has become a common and expected species in lowland wetlands, birders are becoming less thorough about reporting, which reduces the ability to track population changes between years more accurately. It is clear that numbers have fallen in the last two breeding seasons, undoubtedly a result of the prolonged cold periods in spring 2009, winter 2009/10 and in early winter 2010/11. However, British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 543 Holling et al. Cetti’s Warbler Singing males/ Norfolk 174 territories Northamptonshire 35 England, SW 597 Suffolk 214 Avon 32 England, C 31 Cornwall 15 Derbyshire 10 Devon 52 Leicestershire & Rutland 5 Dorset 46 Nottinghamshire 3 Gloucestershire 21 Staffordshire 8 Hampshire 250 Warwickshire West Midlands 3 1 Isle of Wight Somerset 22 120 Worcestershire 1 Wiltshire 39 England, N Cheshire & Wirral 18 6 England, SE 257 Cleveland 1 Bedfordshire 9 Lancashire & N Merseyside 8 Berkshire 29 Yorkshire 3 Buckinghamshire 8 Wales 94 Essex 51 Anglesey 5 Greater London 7 Breconshire 4 Hertfordshire 22 Caernarfonshire 8 Kent 75 Carmarthenshire 17 Oxfordshire 1 Ceredigion 2 Surrey 5 East Glamorgan 3 Sussex 50 Gower 20 England, E 487 Gwent 29 Cambridgeshire 62 Pembrokeshire 6 Lincolnshire 2 TOTAL 1,484 with more than 1,500 territories remaining in 2011, this species has a much more favourable status than after the cold winters of the mid 1980s, not least because it is now much more wide- spread across England and Wales. In fact, the small populations in northern England and north Wales actually increased between 2010 and 2011. Western Bonelli’s Warbler Phylloscopus bonelli Potential breeder One site: one singing male. This species has not previously appeared in these reports, and although the occurrence could be considered rather late in the season, the bird held territory for almost a month in scrub birch Betula and willow Salix. The nearest regular breeding population is in northern France, where the species nests in open woodland, both deciduous and coniferous, and eggs are normally laid in late April ( BWP ). England, C Derbyshire One site: a male singing from 2nd to 28th July. Dartford Warbler Sylvia undata Less scarce: 3,2 1 4 bp (Wotton et al. 2009) Coverage: moderate 530 territories. The estimated total of 3,214 pairs in the UK in 2006 were all in the southern half of Britain (Wotton et al. 2009). Reports to the RBBP comprise usually 50-75% of the national total but the information sources are generally consistent - and thus provide an accurate estimate of trends. Fig. 6 shows a peak in 2006, with numbers steady at around 2,100 in 2007 and 2008, but a decline in each year since. Regional differences, shown in the table, reveal across-the-board decreases, with an overall decline of -74.9%. This resident, insectivorous species has clearly been affected by the run of cold winters since 544 British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 2011 321. Dartford Warbler Sylvia undata, north Wales, April 201 I.The run of cold winters has reduced the population of Dartford Warblers to less than half of what it was in the national survey year of 2006. Fig. 6. Numbers of Dartford Warbler Sylvia undata territories reported to the RBBP, 2002-1 I. 2008, including the very cold spell late in 2010, which further reduced the population, especially in southern England. Yet 2011 still saw the first breeding records for two recording areas in the north of Wales: Caernar- fonshire and Denbigh & Flint, while the isolated Staffordshire population held steady at three pairs. Dartford Warbler Total territories (with England, E 100 (-8.3%) regional change from Norfolk 3 2008 to 2011) Suffolk 97 England, SW 359 (-71.5%) England, C 3 (-75%) Cornwall 12 Staffordshire 3 Devon 25 Dorset 188 England, N 0 (-100%) Hampshire 120 Yorkshire 0 Isle of Wight 8 Wales 25 (-68.4%) Somerset 6 Caernarfonshire 3 England, SE 43 (-93.4%) Denbigh & Flint 1 Berkshire 6 East Glamorgan 3 Kent 0 Gower 9 Surrey 25 Pembrokeshire 9 Sussex 12 TOTAL 530 (-74.9%) British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 545 Gary Thoburn Holling et al. Subalpine Warbler Sylvia cantillans Potential breeder One site: 0-1 pairs. In 2009 we reported a territorial male Subalpine Warbler in Shetland and in 2010 a pair on Bardsey, Caernarfonshire, present for up to eight days. The 2011 bird on Fair Isle follows a similar pattern: holding territory for more than a few days late in the spring. These birds are a long way from their usual haunts: dense, dry, Mediterranean scrub. Scotland, N & W Fair Isle One site: one singing male of the eastern race S. c. albistriata. Present from 29th April to 4th June, associating at times with a Lesser Whitethroat S. curruca. SavPs Warbler Locustella luscinioides Very rare: 5-yr mean 4 bp Coverage: near-complete Three/four sites: 0-3 pairs. A typical showing, although the Panel is aware of other records which have not yet been submitted to BBRC. England, SW Devon/Dorset One/two sites: one singing male at Slapton Ley, Devon, was present for seven days from 24th April and then what is assumed to have been the same bird was relocated at Lodmoor in Dorset, where it sang from 1 1th May to 1st June. England, SE Sussex One site: one singing male from 27th May to 24th June. England, E Norfolk One site: one singing male from 18th to 28th July. Marsh Warbler Acrocephalus palustris Very rare: 5-yr mean 9 bp Coverage: high Six/seven sites: 0-7 pairs. There are frequent late-spring records of presumed migrant birds singing for one or two days at coastal sites, but this report lists only those birds that lingered for at least a week. Observers should take great care not to disturb vegetation close to any Marsh Warblers found, as recent experience demonstrates that these secretive birds could set up terri- tory and breed in almost any small patch of low dense vegetation; all recent breeding records have been on or close to the east coast of Britain. There was no confirmed breeding reported in 2011. England, SE Kent One site: one singing male. Sussex Two sites: (1) two singing males during 1 1th— 28th June; (2) one singing male, from 27th May to 24th June, at a site frequented for the fourth year in a row. England, E Norfolk One site: one singing male from 30th May to at least 25th June. England, N Northumberland One/two sites: there were two records of singing males, one on lst-2nd June and another on 10th and 13th July at a site less than 10 km away. Although both were apparently present for less than a week, one singing male has been included given that breeding probably took place at one of these sites in 2010. Scotland, N 8c W Shetland One site: one singing male from 1 1th June to 5th July. Red Red Fair Isle Wren Troglodytes troglodytes fridariensis Very rare: 5-yr mean 30 bp Coverage: neai^complete A total of 37 territories was logged in an all-island survey. Red 546 British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 2011 St Kilda Wren Troglodytes troglodytes hirtensis Rare: 1 36 bp ( 1 993 partial survey) Coverage: low Red | No data were collected in 2011. Fieldfare Turdus pilaris Very rare: 5-yr mean 2 bp Coverage: moderate RecJ One site: one pair bred. There is no real consistency of site usage over the years, other than a general tendency for pairs to settle in areas at higher altitude. Scotland, N & W Highland One site: one pair bred. In late April a male was seen taking food to a nest, but there were no records after 1st May, so the breeding attempt may have failed. This is an unusually early date for breeding Fieldfares. Redwing Turdus iliacus Very rare: 5-yr mean 1 6 bp Coverage: low Nine sites: 4-11 pairs. Perhaps surprisingly, records from Atlas fieldwork provided only a few records of breeding Redwings, and so the figures here do not appear to do justice to the numbers in Highland. In 2008, the first full year of fieldwork for Bird Atlas 2007-11, details of no fewer than 27 pairs were submitted. Observers living in or visiting Highland region are encouraged to report all Redwings in suitable breeding habitat from May to early August. Scotland, N & W Highland Five sites: ( 1 )— (4) two pairs bred, one probable and one possible breeding pair, all in June; (5) two singing males on 4th May. Orkney One site: one pair bred, fledging two young. Outer Hebrides One site: one singing male summered but did not breed. Shetland Two sites: at site (1), where breeding has occurred in the last three years, one pair bred, again fledging young, and there was a second singing male; (2) one male in May and early June at a site where breeding has occurred in the recent past. Bluethroat Luscinia svecica Occasional breeder, last bred in 1 995 (Red-spotted) and 1 996 (White-spotted) Two sites: two singing males. For three consecutive years we have reported singing White-spotted Bluethroats L. s. cyanecula and in 2011 there were two males, both in fenland habitats, in areas where we might expect this race to occur given that it breeds as close to East Anglia as the Netherlands. England, E Cambridgeshire One site: one singing male White-spotted was reported on both 1st and 10th June. Norfolk One site: one singing White-spotted male at Welney, presumably the same bird present in 2010, returned on 24th March and remained on territory until at least 4th June. Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros Rare: 5-yr mean 47 bp Coverage: high 42 sites: 17-44 pairs. In 2011 there was good coverage of potential sites for Black Redstarts in the centre of London and this was rewarded by the location of 21 potential breeding pairs. Not all Black Redstarts nest in town centres, though; some are associated with coastal habitats or man- made sites such as quarries where access may be limited. The occurrence of adults or fully fledged juveniles in midsummer at sites where there is no previous evidence of Black Redstarts nesting may suggest that breeding has gone undetected and we encourage observers to be alert to such possibilities. There have been such instances in Scotland in recent years, for example in Highland and the Outer Hebrides in 2010 and in Lothian in 2011, yet breeding is almost unknown in Amber Red British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 547 Holling et al. Scotland - there are just two confirmed breeding records, from North-east Scotland in 1976 (Francis & Cook 2011) and from the Isle of May in 1994 (Forrester et al. 2007). England, SE Greater London 21 sites: four pairs bred plus three probable and five possible breeding pairs and nine singing males. Kent Three sites: three pairs bred and one probable breeding pair. Surrey One site: one singing male, a first-summer bird, held territory for six weeks. Sussex Three sites: one probable and one pos- sible breeding pair and one singing male. England, E Cambridgeshire Two sites: one pair bred and one singing male. Norfolk One site: two pairs bred. Suffolk Five sites: four pairs bred and one singing male. England, C Derbyshire One site: one singing male at a likely breeding site, but recorded on one date only. England, N Co. Durham Two sites: two females recorded in suitable breeding habitat constitutes possible breeding. Greater Manchester One site: one pair bred. Lancashire & N Merseyside One site: one pair bred. Wales Breconshire One site: one pair bred at the site used in 2010. Two broods were again raised, three young fledging in mid July and two in mid August. Blue-headed Wagtail Motacilla fJava flava Occasional breeder One site: 0-1 mixed pairs. England, SW Gloucestershire One site: one male paired with a female M. f flavissima, but no evidence of any further attempts at breeding. White Wagtail Motacilla alba alba Very rare: 5-yr mean I bp Coverage: high Four sites: one pair and three mixed pairs. England, SE Sussex One site: one pair bred, assumed to be a mixed pair. On 1st June, an unsexed M. a. alba flew to a nest- site carrying food, but its mate was not seen. England, E Norfolk One site: one mixed pair bred. A female paired with a Pied Wagtail M. a. yarrellii fledged three young. Wales East Glamorgan One site: one mixed pair bred. One M. a. alba was seen feeding several recently fledged young birds in June. Scotland, N & W Shetland One site: one pair bred, seen with recently fledged juveniles on 20th June. Green B rambling Fringilla montifringilla Occasional breeder One site: 0-1 pairs. Scotland, N & W Highland One site: a pair in suitable habitat on 22nd May was not reported subsequently. Common Redpoll Carduelis flammea Very rare: 5-yr mean 4 bp Coverage: low Nine sites: 5-9 pairs. Both Common and Lesser Redpolls C. cabaret breed in north and west Scot- Green 548 British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 2011 land with apparent overlap in range on the Hebrides, the Northern Isles, in Caithness and in Sutherland (Highland). Since the species were split and flammea added to the RBBP list, we have documented confirmed breeding in five out of eight years, but proof of breeding is difficult to obtain, especially as the first step is to establish species identity. In 2011, Argyll had its first breeding records, both on Tiree. Scotland, N & W Argyll Two sites, both on Tiree: two pairs bred. One pair fledged three young while the other fledged 4-5 young. These are the first records of successful breeding in Argyll. Caithness One site: at least one pair bred. Juveniles were photographed on 8th and 10th July and a mixed flock of redpolls nearby in July also con- tained juvenile flammea. Orkney Four sites: two pairs bred, confirmed by the observation of family parties, and two possible breeding pairs based on observations of displaying males. Shetland Two sites: (1) one prob- able breeding pair (song flight seen in late June, a pair in early July and a flock of six in late August at the same site may have been a family party); (2) a male in song flight on 7th June. Parrot Crossbill Loxia pytyopsittacus Rare: 50 bp (Summers & Buckland 20 1 0) Coverage: low Two sites: two pairs. As with the previous species, there are identification issues with confusion species (Common L. curvirostra and Scottish Crossbills L. scotica) which may breed in the same forests as Parrot Crossbills, and this problem affects the number of records submitted to the Panel. Scotland, Mid North-east Scotland One site: one pair bred. Scotland, N & W Highland One site: one pair bred. An adult with three fledged juveniles was seen on 6th August. Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus Occasional breeder Two sites: 0-2 pairs. A typical record from Scotland but a more unusual one from Wales. Wales Anglesey One site: one singing male from 29th May to 8th June. This is the fourth consecutive year that a male has been recorded in north Anglesey but the first to stay for a significant period. Scotland, N & W Highland One site: one singing male was present from 23rd June to 4th July. Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes Less scarce: 5-yr mean: 85 bp* Coverage: low *2011 estimate was 500-1,000 bp (Clements 2013). 47-139 pairs. This is the highest number of potential pairs yet reported to the Panel, perhaps reflecting the wider recognition that the Hawfinch is indeed a rare species and the importance of recording birds and locations in the breeding season. Fig. 7, from the forthcoming Bird Atlas 2007-11 , shows quite clearly that there are just five main concentrations of breeding Hawfinches in Britain: (1) south Cumbria and north Lancashire, (2) the Meirionnydd area of west Wales, (3) the Wye Valley and the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire and Gwent, (4) the New Forest (Hamp- shire) and (5) Kent; with only a few outlying occupied 10-km squares elsewhere. This map repre- sents four years of survey work, compared with the single year reported here, but there is nevertheless a close match. Hawfinch was added to the RBBP list in 2006 and with six years of data now collected we can pull out some statistics from the database. Data have been received from a total of at least 148 sites in 23 counties, but at present there are few comprehensive site counts, so only an approximate minimum number of pairs can be calculated. Summing the maximum counts at all sites registered Red British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 549 Chris Knights Holling et al. 322. Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes, Breckland, Norfolk, May 201 I.A review of the records received by the RBBP since 2006, when Hawfinch was added to the list of species considered, shows that, even though this is a scarce and localised species, it is significantly under-recorded. 550 Fig. 7. The provisional distribution map from Bird Atlas 2007-1 1 shows how restricted the Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes has become, with just five main centres of population (see text). Red dots show records with breeding evidence; other records (‘present’) represent migrant birds or those seen away from potential breeding habitat. gives a total of only 259 pairs, far fewer than the 3,000-6,500+ estimated in the 1988-91 Breeding Atlas. The total derived from RBBP data can be broken down as follows: England 207 pairs, Wales 50 pairs and Scotland two pairs. Clements (2013) also reviewed the status of the Hawfinch in the UK, based on conclusions from a Hawfinch Workshop held in November 2011. Local experts provided estimates for six areas of the country and, coupled with an estimate for other areas, a total population of 800-900 breeding pairs was produced, although, more cautiously, the range could be 500-1,000 pairs. There is significant under-reporting of Hawfinches to the Panel. To help improve the accuracy of our data and to refine these figures further, we ask that birdwatchers report all sightings of Hawfinches during the breeding season (mid April to July), pro- viding information on the number of birds, a six-figure grid reference and details of the breeding evidence witnessed, using standard atlas breeding definitions. Guidelines on recording Hawfinches can be found at: www.rbbp.org.uk/downloads/sp_guide lines_hawfinch.pdf County recorders should also refer to these guidelines when reviewing the number of pairs at each site in their recording area. As well as details of the annual data collated, an estimate of the county breeding popula- tion would be useful. England, SW Gloucestershire Forest of Dean: five pairs bred, nine probable and 1 1 possible breeding pairs; else- where: one singing male. Hampshire New Forest: 13 pairs bred and ten possible breeding pairs. Wiltshire Two pairs bred and one possible breeding pair. England, SE Hertfordshire Two possible breeding pairs. Kent In one North Downs area, 15 pairs were located and of these nine fledged young. Elsewhere in the county, there were an estimated minimum 35 other pairs. Surrey One possible breeding pair. British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 2011 Sussex One possible breeding pair. England, E Norfolk In Thetford Forest, the presence of up to eight birds in April and again from October suggests that at least one pair bred locally. England, C Derbyshire One possible breeding pair. Nottinghamshire One pair bred and four probable breeding pairs. England, N Cumbria One pair bred, one probable and two possible breeding pairs, but poor coverage in the county. Lancashire & N Merseyside One probable and one possible breeding pair, but also poor coverage. Wales Ceredigion At least one possible breeding pair. East Glamorgan At least one possible breeding pair but no records from main area. Gwent Two pairs bred and two possible breeding pairs. Meirionnydd Five pairs bred in the Mawddach valley and confirmed breeding records from seven further atlas tetrads in the Dolgellau area. Radnorshire At least two pairs fledged young. Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis Rare: 79 bp (20 1 I survey) Coverage: low Amber A national survey of Snow Buntings was conducted in 201 1; Daniel Hayhow, RSPB Conservation Scientist, outlines the results of the survey: The first national survey for the Snow Bunting was carried out as part of the 201 I RSPB/SNH Montane Bird Survey. Preliminary analyses suggest that in 201 I a minimum 35 territorial pairs were present (using standard BTO breeding evidence codes). Including sightings of all males (single birds in habitat and singing males) in this estimate gives a minimum of 79 possible territories. However, it should be noted that work to correct for birds undetected during survey visits may result in the final estimates being revised upwards. The survey involved visits to sites where Snow Buntings had been recorded during the breeding season at any time since the 1970s, but it is very likely that a small number of birds are present but remain undetected at other locations. While a number of the sites in the core range of the central Cairngorms have been studied intensively in recent decades, elsewhere in Scotland Snow Bunting records have typically been ad hoc in nature, resulting in low confidence in previous estimates of the population. In 201 I a total of 58 sites was surveyed. A site was defined as a discrete hill, which may encompass one or more suitable areas of Snow Bunting habitat, for example corries and boulder fields. The percentage of occupied sites was 40%. Within the central Cairngorms area, all of the sites were occupied and this area produced around 80% of the records. Previous estimates, including Musgrove et al. (2013), suggest a national total of 50-100 pairs. This survey suggests that these estimates are not unreasonable. British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 551 Alan Harris Holling et al. Lapland Bunting Calcarius lapponicus Occasional breeder A summer-plumaged male was in the former breeding area in the Cairngorm Massif (Moray & Nairn/NE Scotland) on 30th July. This is the first time that the Lapland Bunting has appeared in these reports since 1997, when one or two males were also seen in the high tops in midsummer. Cirl Bunting Emberiza cirlus Scarce: 862 bp (Stanbury et al. 20 1 0) Coverage: low 104 territories. The increase in the number of nests or territories recorded in 2011 reflects observer coverage rather than any change in the numbers of Cirl Buntings, given that the most recent survey, in 2009, estimated 862 territories in Cornwall and Devon. England, SW Cornwall 30 territories. Devon 74 territories recorded in four areas of south Devon. Red Appendix I. Other species considered by the Panel also recorded in 201 I. The following occasional or potential breeding species were recorded during the breeding season in 201 1, but showed no further signs of breeding than are documented here. Black Duck Anas rubripes In Lothian, a female, thought to be a second-generation hybrid, was seen with a brood of 12 hybrid ducklings in May. A presumed Mallard A. platyrhynchos x Black Duck hybrid had been recorded at this site in autumn 2009. Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca A drake in breeding plumage was present in Somerset in June; nearby in Avon there were also records of one male, perhaps the same one, reported from three sites up to early May and from late July. This is the area where breeding may have occurred in 2004 (Holling etaL 2010; Davis &\ micombe 2011). Greater Scaup Aythya marila The only record was of a male in eclipse at a loch in Caithness in August. Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax Two juveniles seen at Stodmarsh, Kent, in July may have fledged locally, but there were no sight- ings of adults to substantiate that claim. Purple Heron Ardea purpurea Two birds arrived at last year’s breeding site in Kent on 29th April, but they departed after 6th May. Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena A single male was again present at a site in Yorkshire, from 8th April to 4th July. This was its eighth consecutive year of summer residence here. Great Snipe Gallinago media One of the surprises of the year was the discovery of a displaying male Great Snipe at Cley, Norfolk, on 1 1th— 1 6th May. Typically found on autumn passage, this cryptic species is far less often located in spring and it is unlikely that this male attracted a mate: the nearest breeding populations are in Norway and eastern Poland. Iberian Chiffchaff Phylloscopus ibericus There were three records of singing male Iberian Chiffchaffs in 2011, in Cornwall, Lancashire & N Merseyside and Norfolk, but none stayed longer than five days. 552 British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 2011 Acknowledgments The Rare Breeding Birds Panel would like to thank the many contributors who have supplied the data upon which this report is based. In particular; we wish to recognise the willing co-operation and assistance of county and regional recorders throughout the UK (named on our website) - county data form the backbone of this report and without the effort of these volunteers it would be much poorer in its coverage. Many recorders also reviewed an early draft of this report, helping to ensure the accuracy of the data presented, and this additional help is very much appreciated. Birdwatchers who submit sightings of rare breeding birds directly to these recorders, or who log their records on BirdTrack, must also be recognised for they provide many of the original observations. Input from the many specialist study groups, conservation organisations and numerous individuals means that the report can be even more comprehensive. Valuable supplementary data were submitted from a number of national monitoring schemes, both by professional organisations and by dedicated amateurs (referenced in the species accounts where appropriate). Particular assistance from the Scottish Raptor Monitoring Group, the Scottish Raptor Study Groups, the Shropshire and Wiltshire Raptor Groups, the North of England Raptor Forum, and the JNCC/RSPB/ SOTEAG Seabird Monitoring Programme is recognised and appreciated. The BTO has been especially helpful in allowing access to various datasets, including the BTO/WWT/RSPB/JNCC Wetland Bird Survey, Bird Atlas 2007-1 / , the Nest Record Scheme and the Heronries census. The RSPB also gave freely of its expertise in data management and species monitoring. The Secretary would like to thank the following individuals, who have been particularly helpful during the compilation of this report: Dawn Balmer; Carl Barimore, Brian Etheridge, Will George, John Marchant, Andy Musgrove, David Raw and Chris Wernham. Many other individuals have also been involved over the past yean too many to name, yet all deserve our gratitude. Information for many species was supplied via the Schedule I licensing system by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), Natural England (NE), Countryside Council for Wales (CCW)/Natural Resources Wales (NRW), Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH),the BTO and the RSPB. We are especially grateful to the licensing officers responsible for Schedule I licences who supplied data for 201 I : Jez Blackburn (BTO), Nigel Shelton (NE), Carys Roberts (NRW) and Ben Ross and Liz Scott (SNH); and to Adrienne Stratford (RSPB Wales), who collated Schedule I species data from Wales on behalf of NRW and the Panel. Thanks are also due to those who provided additional text: Norman Elkins (Common Quail), Daniel Hayhow (Dotterel and Snow Bunting) and Judith Smith (Water Rail). The Secretary would also like to express his gratitude for the support and encouragement given by all current and past members of the Panel, to Jill Andrews for data entry from many paper forms and to both Daniel and Aisling Holling for assistance with some Excel datasets. Ian Andrews and Stephen Hunter built the new website facility to access our library of reports, and provided advice and technical support in other ways. References Anderson, K., Clarke, S., & Lucken, R. 20 1 3. Nesting behaviour of the first breeding Great White Egrets in Britain. Brit. Birds 1 06: 258-263. Ballance, D. K„ & Smith, A. J. 2008. Recording areas of Great Britain. Brit Birds 101: 364-375. Balmer; D., Gillings, S., Caffrey, B„ Swann, B., Downie, I., & Fuller; R. (eds.) In press. Bird Atlas 2007-1 I . BTO.Thetford. Banks, A. N„ Crick, H. Q. R, Coombes, R., Benn, S„ Ratcliffe, D. A., & Humphreys, E. M. 20l0.The breeding status of Peregrine Falcons Falco peregrinus in the UK and Isle of Man in 2002. Bird Study 57: 421-436. Brown, A., & Grice, R 2005. Birds in England. Poyser; London. Chown, D. 2004. Breeding Season Survey of Water Rails in Poole Harbour Reedbeds, 2004. A report to Poole Harbour Study Group. www.birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk/sites/default/filesVWater%20Rail%20Survey%202004_l .pdf Clements, R. 201 3. A UK population estimate for the Hawfinch. Brit. Birds 106: 43-44. Conway, G.,Wotton, S., Henderson, l„ Eaton, M„ Drewitt, A., & Spencer; J. 2009. The status of breeding Woodlarks Lullula arborea in Britain in 2006. Bird Study 56: 3 1 0-325. Davis, A. H., &Vinicombe, K. E. 201 I .The probable breeding of Ferruginous Ducks in Avon. Brit. Birds 104: 77-83. Dillon, I. A., Smith, T D., Williams, S. J., Haysom, S., & Eaton, M. A. 2009. Status of Red-throated Divers in Britain in 2006. Bird Study 56: 147-157. Eaton, M. A., Dillon, I. A., Stirling-Aird, R K„ & Whitfield, D. R 2007.The status of the Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos in Britain in 2003. Bird Study 54: 2 1 2-220. — , Balmer; D., Burton, N., Grice, RV., Musgrove, A. J., Hearn, R„ Hilton, G„ Leech, D., Noble, D. G„ Ratcliffe, N., Rehfisch, M. M., Whitehead, S., & Wotton, S. 2008. The State of the UK's Birds 2007. RSPB, BTO.WWTJ CCW, EHS, NE and SNH, Sandy. — , Brown, A. F., Noble, D. G., Musgrove, A. J., Hearn, R. D, Aebischen N. J., Gibbons, D. W., Evans, A., & Gregory, R. D. 2009. Birds of Conservation Concern 3: the population status of birds in the United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man. Brit. Birds 1 02: 296-34 1 . Ellison, M. 2003. Kent Water Rail Rallus aquaticus survey, 2003 and 2005. Kent Bird Report 52: I 67-173. Etheridge, B„ Riley, H.T, Wernham, C.V., Holling, M„ & Stevenson, A. 2013. Scottish Raptor Monitoring Scheme Report 2011. Scottish Raptor Study Groups, Inverness. Ewing, S. A., Eaton, M. A„ Poole, T F„ Davies, S„ & Haysom, S. 20 1 2. The size of the Scottish population of Capercaillie Tetrao urogallus : results of the fourth national survey. Bird Study 59: 1 26-1 38. — , Rebecca, G. W„ Heavisides, A., Court, I. R., Lindley, R, Ruddock, M„ Cohen, S., & Eaton, M. A. 20 1 I . Breeding status of Merlins Falco columbarius in the UK in 2008. Bird Study 58: 379-389, Forrester, R.W., Andrews, I. J., Mclnerny, C.J., Murray, R. D„ McGowan, R.Y, Zonfrillo, B., Betts, M. W„ Jardine, D. C., & British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 553 Holling et al. Grundy, D. S. 2007. The Birds of Scotland. SOC, Aberlady. Francis, l„ & Cook, M. (eds.) 2011. The Breeding Birds of North-East Scotland. SOC, Aberdeen. Gibbons, D.W., Reid, J. B„ & Chapman, R. A. (eds.) 1993. The New Atlas of Breeding Birds in Britain and Ireland: 1 988- 1991. Poyser; London. Gilbert, G„ Gibbons, D.W., & Evans, J. 1998. Bird Monitoring Methods. RSPB, Sandy Hagemeijer W. J. M„ & Blair; M.J. (eds.) 1997. The EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds. Poyser, London. Hancock, M. H., Gibbons, D.W., &Thompson, R S. 1 997. The status of the breeding Greenshank Tnnga nebularia in the United Kingdom in 1995. Bird Study 44: 290-302. Hayhow, D. B„ Eaton, M. A., Bladwell, S„ Etheridge, B., Ewing, S. E„ Ruddock, M„ Saunders, R., Sharpe, C., Sim, I. M.W. & Stevenson, A. In press.The status of the Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus, in the UK and Isle of Man in 2010. Bird Study. Heubeck M., & Parnaby, D. 20 1 2. Shetland's breeding seabirds in 20 1 I . Shetland Bird Report 201 I : I 14-125. Hiley, J. R„ Bradbury R. B„ Holling, M„ & Thomas, C. D. 20 1 3. Protected Areas act as establishment centres for species colonising the United Kingdom. Proc. Roy. Soc. B 280:20 1 2233 1 0 http://dx.doi.org/ 1 0. 1 098/rspb.20 1 2.23 1 0. Holling, M., & the Rare Breeding Birds Panel. 2007. Rare breeding birds in the United Kingdom in 2003 and 2004. Brit. Birds 100:321-367. — & — . 2008. Rare breeding birds in the United Kingdom in 2005. Brit Birds 101: 276-3 1 6. — & — . 2010a. Rare breeding birds in the United Kingdom in 2007. Brit. Birds 103: 2-52. — & — . 2010b. Rare breeding birds in the United Kingdom in 2008. Brit. Birds 103: 482-538. — & — .201 I . Rare breeding birds in the United Kingdom in 2009. Brit. Birds 104: 476-537. — & — .2012. Rare breeding birds in the United Kingdom in 20 1 0. Brit. Birds 1 05: 352-4 1 6. Holt, C. 201 3. The changing status of the Great White Egret in Britain. Brit Birds 106: 246-257. Hopper; N. 201 3. Breeding Season Survey of Water Rails in Poole Harbour: spring 201 3. A report to Poole Harbour Study Group. www.birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk/sites/default/files//Water%20Rail%20Survey%2020 1 3%20new.pdf Hudson, N„ & the Rarities Committee. 20 1 2. Report on rare birds in Great Britain in 20 1 I . Brit Birds 1 05: 556-625. Jackson, D. 2009. Interim Report on 2009 Breeding Whimbrel Surveys. Unpublished report to Natural Research. Jenkins, R. K. B„ Buckton, S.T, & Ormerod, S. J. 1995. Local movements and population density of Water Rails Rallus aquaticus in a small inland reedbed. Bird Study 42: 82-87. Johnstone, I., Thorpe, R., Moore, A., & Finney, S. 2007. Breeding status of Choughs Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax in the UK and Isle of Man in 2002. Bird Study 54: 23-34. Mitchell, P I., Newton, S. F„ Ratcliffe, N„ & Dunn,T. E. 2004. Seabird Populations of Britain and Ireland. Poyser; London. Murray R. 20 1 3. Water Rails in Britain. Brit. Birds 1 06: 229-23 1 . Musgrove, A. J„ Aebischer; N. J„ Eaton, M. A„ Hearn, R. D„ Newson, S. E„ Noble, D. G„ Parsons, M„ Risely, K„ & Stroud, D. A. 2013. Population estimates of birds in Great Britain and the United Kingdom. Brit Birds 106: 64-100. Risely K„ Massimino, D„ Newson, S. E„ Eaton, M. A., Musgrove, A. J., Noble, D. G., Procter; D„ & Baillie, S. R. 2013. The Breeding Bird Survey 2012. BTO Research Report 645,Thetford. Sharrock, J.T. R. (ed.) 1 976. The Atlas of Breeding Birds in Britain and Ireland. Poyser; Calton. Smith, J. 2012. Exposing the squealers. WeBS News 28: 1 3. — & NERF. 2012. Northern England Raptor Forum Annual Review 2011. NERF, Hebden Bridge. Stanbury, A., Davies, M„ Grice, R, Gregory, R„ & Wotton, S. 20 1 0.The status of the Cirl Bunting in the UK in 2009. Brit. Birds 1 03: 702-7 1 I . Stroud, D. A., Francis, I., & Stroud, R. 2012. Spotted Crakes breeding in Britain and Ireland: a history and evaluation of current status. Brit. Birds 1 05: 1 97-220. Summers, R. W„ & Buckland, S.T 20 1 0. A first survey of the global population size and distribution of the Scottish Crossbill Loxia scotica. Bird Conservation International doi: 1 0. 1 0 1 7/S0959270909990323 Whitfield, D. P 2002. Status of breeding Dotterel Charadrius morinellus in Britain in 1 999. Bird Study 49: 237-249. — , Fielding, A. H„ McLeod, D. R. A., & Haworth, P F. 2008. A Conservation Framework for Golden Eagles: implications for their conservation and management in Scotland. Scottish Natural Heritage Report 1 93, Inverness. Woodward, I., & Arnold, R. 201 2,The changing status of the breeding birds of the Inner London area. Brit Birds 105: 433-457. Wotton, S., Conway G., Eaton, M., Henderson, l„ & Grice, R 2009. The status of the Dartford Warbler in the UK and the Channel Islands in 2006. Brit. Birds 1 02: 230-246. Mark Holling, The Old Orchard, Grange Road, North Berwick, East Lothian EH39 4QT; e-mail secretary@rbbp.org.uk The Rare Breeding Birds Panel is supported by JNCC, RSPB and the BTO Secretary Mark Holling, The Old Orchard, Grange Road, North Berwick, East Lothian EH39 4QT; e-mail secretary@rbbp.org.uk Find out more about the Panel at www.rbbp.org.uk Joint Nature JNCC giving RBBP nature a home Rare Breeding Birds Panel •r BTO Looking out for birds 554 British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 496-554 Notes Cormorant back-scratching In Solva Harbour, a Great Cormorant Pha- lacrocorax carbo can often be seen following the fish in with the tide, but I was surprised to see one apparently scratching its back under a long mooring rope in late January 2013. The rope lay on or above the water for perhaps 20 m and the bird rubbed its back under it, back and forth along its length six times, while flapping its wings. So, even birds enjoy a good back scratch! David Smith, 16 Anchor Down, Solva, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire SA62 6TQ Passerines foraging under snow Between 14th and 26th January 2013, a uniform depth (some 12-15 cm) of snow lay in the area around Needwood Forest, Staffordshire, which lies at c. 100 m above sea level. The first signs that birds were under stress came on 18th January and from 20th I began to check sites that, earlier in the winter or in previous winters, had sustained good numbers of passerines. At one of these sites, I found 34 birds of five species foraging within and underneath a snow carpet lying over 1,300 m2 of partly harvested oilseed rape. During 23rd-26th, the core shelter/food bank at this site was formed by two adjacent triangles of crop that had probably defied reaping and been abandoned. Within these triangles were two sectors of about 250 and 400 m2 where the rows of stalks and empty seed sprays remained either upright or fallen and somehow woven together. Here, the snow carpet frequently showed overhangs (for example along tractor wheel ruts) but also, more remarkably, complete tunnels and even domed areas where the fallen plants were mostly interwoven. Close inspection of the last indicated no overnight frost and even constant puddles of water. Clear indications of persistent foraging - e.g. footprints, scrapes, soft (pecked at) patches and drop- pings - showed that the birds were feeding in at least six such areas. Of the five species feeding under the snow, the commonest were Wren Troglodytes troglodytes and Dunnock Prunella modularis , with up to seven and 20 birds respectively. These numbers formed the biggest single- point gatherings of these species in my patch in 28 consecutive winters. Both species deliv- ered another surprise, that of fleeing from me under the snow carpet. Most birds resurfaced within 5 m of entry points but on 26th a Wren travelled under a series of domes and adjacent covered rut for 25 m! The other species involved were Robin Erithacus rubecula, Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs and Brambling F. montifringilla. After a rapid thaw from 09.30 hrs on 26th, not one Wren and no more than seven Dunnocks remained on 27th and 28th. On 27th February, the same food store was free of snow and there were no birds using it. On 23rd March, after an ENE bliz- zard had created a second snow carpet and 2-m-high drifts, the smaller and more sheltered of the triangles described above presented similar tunnels and domes. On 24th, these were reoccupied by two Wrens and five Dunnocks but on 25th, with the tops of the shelters blown off, only one of each species remained. At another site on 22nd January, I looked in an area of cereal stubble for similar behav- iour from c. 150 passerines of five species. There, however, the short stubble had not provided any overhang or dome effect and vigorous digging, down to depths of 15-20 cm, was the birds’ only ploy. D. I. M. Wallace, Mount Pleasant Farm, Main Road, Anslow, Burton-on-Trent, East Staffordshire DEI 3 9QE Editorial comment An observation of a snow-tunnelling Robin was published in BB in 2009 {Brit. Birds 102: 468-469). © British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 555-556 555 Notes Finches feeding on Horse Chestnut Leaf Miner moths On 7th October 2012, a bright and sunny morning, my partner and I visited Richmond Park, Surrey. We stopped at Bishop’s Pond, when I spotted a small flock of finches fly around several times before alighting in a nearby Horse Chestnut Aesculus hippocas- tanum. As is typical of many Horse Chestnuts in the south of Britain, the leaves were covered with extensive brown blotches caused by the larvae of the Horse Chestnut Leaf Miner moth Cameraria ohridella. This moth is a relatively recent arrival in the UK, first recorded at nearby Wimbledon in 2002, and it has since spread extensively. The species over- winters as pupae in the fallen leaves. When I approached the tree I could see that the finches were mainly Siskins Carduelis spinus. These were feeding actively, pecking avidly at the brown lesions caused by the moth larvae. Other than the 20+ Siskins, there was a single juvenile Goldfinch Cardu- elis carduelis and a Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus also pecking at areas in the brown lesions (Conker Tree Science www.conkertreescience.org.uk has already reported such attacks by Blue Tits). I observed this group for up to ten minutes. The birds' behaviour showed that they were clearly ingesting something, and the logical conclusion seems to be that all these birds were feeding on the larvae or pupae of the Horse Chestnut Leaf Miner. These would presumably have made a good protein snack for these birds but I am not aware of other observations of finches util- ising this food source. Neil Anderson, 52 Beechwood Avenue, Greenford, Middlesex UB6 9UB; e-mail neil@anders42.freeserve.co.uk Letters The Seabird Group While Martin Heubeck is excellent on the recent history of British seabird surveillance, his recent paper (Brit. Birds 106: 306-324) included rather less detail about the early history of the Seabird Group and North Sea petroleum development. I first suggested the formation of a seabird group in 1961, but it made little progress until the idea was taken up by the Observatories Conference and then supported by the three national societies (BOU, BTO and RSPB) in 1965, just in time for the IOC at Oxford to spread the idea throughout the world in 1966. While Stanley Cramp was supportive from the start and took over the chairmanship when George Dunnet spent a sabbatical year in New Zealand, he played little active part until the disaster of James Fisher’s death in the closing stages of ‘Operation Seafarer’. George Dunnet of Aberdeen University sponsored the Seabird Group from the start, and then played a key role in the satisfactory development of the Scottish petroleum industry, establishing good relations with the oil companies, especially BP, who had three ornithologists, Stan Howe, David Merrie and Gordon Simpson. This led among other things to the Shetland Oil Terminal Advisory Group (SOTEAG). The Seabird Group had good relations with the RSPB when they were run by Stanley Cramp and Peter Conder, but like most good things this came to an end. A change of management, both there and at BP, was followed by the development of more aggressive attitudes; a claim that undue numbers of birds were being killed at the North Sea oil installations (published in Birds and the New Scientist in 1979) was soon dis- proved with industry assistance by the devel- opment of the enduring North Sea Bird Club. W R. P. Bourne, Ardgath, Station Road, Dufftown AB55 4AX; e-mail wrpbourne82@yahoo.co.uk 556 © British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 555-556 Reviews BIRDS & PEOPLE MARK COCKER Birds and People By Mark Cocker and David Tipling Jonathan Cape, 2013 Hbk, 592pp; c. 390 colour photos ISBN 978-0-2240-8174-0 Subbuteo code M21783 £40.00 BB Bookshop price £35.00 Not content with his examination of birds and man in Britain ( Birds Britannica 2005, see review in Brit. Birds 98: 611-612), Mark Cocker raised his sights and reached out to the whole planet. He has now delivered this even more ambitious survey of the cultural interface of bird families and the primate that presses most upon them. Egged on by John Fanshawe of BirdLife International, assisted over 1 7 years by Jonathan Elphick, and drawing on the photographic art of David Tipling, Mark has dis- tilled his teams wide canvas into an astonishingly diverse compendium. To season its text, he has included the affectionate remarks or factual com- ments of more than 650 other people from 81 countries. Open the book anywhere and its treasure glints; start to read and it is impossible not to turn the page. The yield of knowledge and entertain- ment is huge and comes at a price equivalent to only 2.5% of that for a pair of fancy binoculars! Despite its size, this book is not an ency- clopaedia. Mark and David admit that the com- pound subject could justify 20 similarly sized volumes. They claim no more than ‘a personal view by two people’ of 144 extant and two extinct bird families, expressed in over 400,000 words and about 390 photographs. The sequence of families follows that in Birds of the World: recommended English names (Gill & Wright 2006) but do not expect to connect with every species. The historical imbalance in the human reactions to, or uses of, birds is apparent in the predominance of gamebird lore, which occupies 38 pages and is drawn from 248 ref- erences. The next-longest discussions are of birds of prey (28 from 73), pigeons, wildfowl and owls (11 to 23 from 47 to 73). Surprisingly no passerine family occupies more than the six pages from 53 references that feature crows and jays. Fifty-nine families with no found cultural impact are omitted. Most families are treated in continuous essays with featured species named in red. Most facts and histories are set across full columns but the extracts from correspondence are usually indented. For the families worthy of continental or worldwide remarks, the essays become virtual chapters subdi- vided by themes of human geography and reac- tions varying from totemic to gustatory. Just two examples of major research are the various forms of Red Junglefowl Gallus gallus (one alias being Kentucky Fried Chicken), available daily to the planet’s seven billion people, and the Ivory-billed Woodpecker Campephilus principalis, again tailed as a modern Phoenix. Just as telling are what seem initially to be minor personal memoirs. Thus the Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus has, in mass- hopping mode, served a Welsh widow as a spring of new laughter and continuing solace. Her salute is preceded by a full epitaph to the all-time champion ship-assisted stray, the Snowy Sheathbill Chionis alba that came back on a Falklands auxiliary to Ply- mouth (see pp. 196-197). Given the abilities of the newest digital cameras, the field for perceptive excellence in bird photography has been levelled but David Tipling’s images of birds, bird-bearing artefacts and human interactions complement the texts accurately and often dramatically. My award for the best ‘bird in habitat’ goes to the male ‘Somali’ Ostrich Struthio camelus molybdophanes (a dead ringer for my only one, north of Mount Kenya 60 years ago) but I found the pictorial and costume illustrations more revealing of the book’s core purpose. In one tomb painting, you can see that the artist knew more of the plumages of Masked Shrike Lanius nubicus than those of more distant ducks. So there is no anticlimax to the stunning cover shot of four mounted Kazakh eagle men. When, in my enjoyment of the book, I started to think of people before birds, I did experience some disappointment, hooking for my mentors and reprises of their infectious interpretations I found no mention of Roger Tory Peterson, Peter Scott and Bill Bourne to name just three exem- plars. I also wanted more of the avian casts of Norse, Celtic and native American legends. Then SUBBUTEO The BB Bookshop, brought to you by Subbuteo Natural History Books www.wildlifebooks.com/bb, and see our list after Recent reports © British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 557-559 557 Reviews the penny dropped: Birds and People was giving me a new deeper thirst for the amazing culture that welds us and birds together. And, anyway, I already had Birds Britannica on a near shelf. More exploration and re-exploration lies ahead, aided not least by the book’s well-constructed reference lists and indexes. To all the book’s makers, I express my admira- tion for their work and my delight in their product. It is a truly wonderful bargain. D. 7. M. Wallace Avian Architecture: how birds design, engineer and build By Peter Goodfellow Ivy Press, 2011 Hbk, 160pp; many colour and black-and-white illustrations ISBN 978-1-908005-84-7. Subbuteo code M21062 £19.95 BB Bookshop price £17.95 One of the extra- ordinary features of avian evolution is the considerable range of nest types that have evolved. As egg layers, birds need nests in which to incubate their eggs and, in many species, in which to care for their young. Some closely related species, such as Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita and Wood Warbler P. sibilatrix , build similar struc- tures, in this case domed and constructed close to the ground. In other species, convergent evolution has resulted in similar nest strategies being used by unrelated species. An example of this is the use of mud as a protective element to partially close a nest hole in a tree, such as by the Eurasian Nuthatch Sitta europaea and hornbills (Bucerotidae). Hornbills, however, take this strategy to extremes, with the female Great Horn- bill Buceros bicornis being sealed into the nest hole for the entire nesting cycle, during which she not only incubates and then cares for the young, but also has a complete moult while she is incarcer- ated. All the while the female, and latterly the whole family, are completely dependent on the male for food. Another extreme example of nesting behaviour is that of the Australian Brush-turkey Alectura lathami and the rather similar Malleefowl Leipoa ocellata, both of which build a large mound nest incorporating vegetation that heats up as it rots. Into this mound the eggs are laid, leaving the adults to control the temperature in the mound during incubation by the judicious addition or removal of vegetation. This nesting behaviour has been quite well documented, but I was unaware that the young brush-turkeys hatch fully feathered - not just down-covered, as are wildfowl and waders - and are completely independent of their parents and able to fly within hours. Moreover, as with crocodiles (Crocodylinae), the mound tem- perature determines the sex ratio of the young, which is equal with incubation temperature at about 34°C, but unequal above or below that tem- perature. All this, and much, much more is described in this book, which classifies the many and varied nest types used by birds, from the simple scrape nests used by many waders, seabirds and wildfowl, to more sophisticated hole and tunnel structures (used by, for example, kingfishers (Alcedinidae), bee-eaters (Meropidae) and woodpeckers (Picidae)), platforms (many raptors (Accipitridae) and storks (Ciconiidae)), cup nests (many passer- ines), domed nests, and so on. Niggles are few, and largely inconsequential: the spelling of Tiber’; dimensions sometimes being given as Imperial units then followed by metric, and sometimes vice versa; the use of scientific names in parentheses as well as in italics; and the ‘Velcro’ analogy applied to the spider-web and moss construction of the Long-tailed Tit’s Aegit- halos caudatus nest, which is hardly the same as when Velcro is used as a fabric fastener! In some instances I would have liked a little more explana- tion. As a wader enthusiast I have always been intrigued by the Crab-plover’s Dromas ardeola communal, underground hole-nesting behaviour, which is mentioned here but not described. And as a geotechnical engineer I have long been itching to know more about the use of ‘mud’ as a nesting material, which I suspect can be classified more precisely than just ‘mud’, and indeed probably needs fairly precise properties to enable it to be used by birds. One clue to this is the fact that a number of swallows and martins (Hirundinidae) SUBBUTEO NATURAL HISTORY BOOKS The BB Bookshop, brought to you by Subbuteo Natural History Books www.wildlifebooks.com/bb, and see our list after Recent reports 558 British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 557-559 Reviews and even the Magpie-lark Grallina cyanoleuca all use a vibrating technique when they place the mud. This implies that the clay mineral content of the mud is in fact quite low. Other questions are: do these species incorporate their saliva as a hard- ening agent - as used in an extreme form by the swiftlets Aerodramus of southeast Asia (these nests then forming the main ingredient for ‘birds-nest soup’); and can the strengthening effect of fibres and other fragments added to the mud (as is done by the Magpie-lark, for example) be quantified? Although this book is largely concerned with nests and nest-building, it also includes discussion of the bower construction by the bowerbirds (Ptilonorhynchidae), the acorn stores of Acorn Woodpeckers Melanerpes formicivorus, and the methods used by sapsuckers Sphyrapicus to harvest sap and insects. This book is attractively designed and well illustrated with photographs and line-drawings. About 14 different nest types and their construc- tion are described, with ‘blueprints’ giving anno- tated line-drawings of the different types, and ‘case studies’ describing a variety of the nests of a number of species. Though I claim no particular expertise in the subject of birds’ nests, the book appears to be comprehensive. It is fascinating to browse, and while not everyone will want to read it from cover to cover it is a thoroughly useful addi- tion to any ornithological library. Richard Chandler Shifting Sands: Blakeney Point and the environmental imagination By Andy Stoddart Privately published, 2013 Pbk, 169pp; 17 black-and-white photographs ISBN 978-1-4840-4301-1 Price £11.00, available from info@northnorfolkbirds.co.uk Andy Stoddart has written an unusual and thoughtful book about an uncom- monly interesting place. The shifting sands of the title are as much about our shifting perceptions of nature and its refuges, and what to do about them, as about the play of wind and water on sand and shingle. This is not just a survey of the natural history of this iconic tongue of land, it is much more than that. Blakeney Point has intrigued, inspired and employed people in many ways. This book docu- ments how the shore gunners of the late nine- teenth century, targeting rare birds in the Suaeda bushes, were succeeded by the botanist Prof. F. W. Oliver. The latter established his outdoor labora- tory to study the vegetation in this shifting marine environment and came to focus on ecology, an emerging discipline at the time, which helped eventually to inspire the concept of nature conser- vation. Oliver’s way of looking at plants as a commu- nity led him to think of nature as a resource, using a growing understanding of plant communities for our benefit through management and develop- ment. One idea of his was to plant Spartina, not specifically to reclaim the muddy expanses of Blakeney harbour, but for cattle feed and paper manufacture, although he was certainly not the first person to advocate planting pines to stabilise the sand dunes. The concept of conservation, and the creation of nature reserves, came directly from the per- ceived need to maintain such wild environments for the purposes of research, and the discussion of this development leads later in the book to reflec- tions as to how and why we can best relate to a natural world, when we seem to be distancing our- selves ever further from it. There is plenty of factual writing about the birds and seals, the geology and the wealth of sci- entific research the Point has generated. Yet beneath it all lies the mystery and the charm of this ever-changing landscape. Since this book came into my hands I have learnt of the damaging influx of sand into Blakeney harbour, which has destroyed vast numbers of mussels - an important element of the local economy - so the ecology of this area has much to teach us yet. This well- researched book is a pleasure to read, and will be enjoyed by anyone who has tramped along that unforgiving beach to the Point. Martin Woodcock SHIFTING SANDS BLAKENEY POINT AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMAGINATION ANDY STODDART SUBBUTEO NATURAL HISTORY BOOKS The BB Bookshop, brought to you by Subbuteo Natural History Books www.wildlifebooks.com/bb, and see our list after Recent reports British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 557-559 559 Will Miles Recent reports Compiled by Barry Nightingale and Harry Hussey This summary of unchecked reports covers the period from early July to early August 2013. Headlines Two Swinhoe’s Storm-petrels, both trapped on Fair Isle, a Bulwer’s Petrel in Ireland, and a Lesser Sand Plover which moved from Lossiemouth in northern Scotland to Pilmore/Ring in southern Ireland (the first sand plover for Ireland) were the stars of an eventful period. Other sought-after seabirds included several Fea’s/Zino’s Petrels, a Macaronesian Shearwater off Devon and an excellent passage of Cory’s Shearwaters off southern Ireland. There was also an exceptional influx of Two-barred Crossbills, beginning somewhat unexpectedly along the English east coast but soon followed by much larger numbers in the Northern Isles, while the lingering Bridled Tern continued to roam the coasts of northeast England and eastern Scotland. A European Roller in Norfolk and a Rock Thrush in North-east Scotland also drew appreciative crowds. Black Duck Anas rubripes Ballylongford (Co. Kerry), 23rd July to 7th August. Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Ouse Washes (Cambridgeshire), 3rd-7th August. Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca Burwell Fen (Cambridgeshire), 22nd July. King Eider Somateria spectabilis Ythan Estuary (North- east Scotland), long-stayer to 10th July. Surf Scoter Melanitta perspicillata Long-stayers Rhunahaorine (Argyll), one to 16th July, Murcar/Blackdog (North-east Scotland), up to four to 21st July, one on 3rd August; Inch Bay (Co. Kerry), 30th July; Lunan Bay (Angus & Dundee), 7th August. 323. Swinhoe’s Storm-petrel Oceanodroma monorhis, Fair Isle, August 20 1 3. 560 Fea’s/Zino’s Petrel Pterodroma feae/madeira New- biggin, Beadnell, and Fame Islands (all Northum- berland), 22nd July; three, Galley Head (Co. Cork), 31st July; Porthgwarra (Cornwall), 1st and 4th August. Bulwer’s Petrel Bulweria bulwerii Galley Head, 1st August. Cory’s Shearwater Calonectris borealis Mizen Head (Co. Cork), 2,500, 31st July; Galley Head, 250, 31st July. Great Shearwater Puffinus gravis Mizen Head, 120, 31st July; Galley Head, 53, 31st July. Macaronesian Shearwater Puffinus baroli Start Point (Devon), 4th August. Wilson’s Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus Fal- mouth (Cornwall), 10 km offshore, 22nd July; Mizen Head, 31st July; from pelagic off Scilly, 1st August; from pelagic off Dingle (Co. Kerry), 7th August. Swinhoe’s Storm-petrel Oceanodroma monorhis Fair Isle, trapped and ringed 27th July, another trapped and ringed 7th August (and retrapped 8th August). Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus Ham Wall, breeding pair joined by two more males from 5th July, up to four birds, including a juvenile, remained to 3rd August. Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax Old Moor (Yorkshire), long-stayer inter- mittently to 8th August; Thornton Resr (Leicester- shire & Rutland), 27th July to 8th August. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Elmley Marshes/Oare Marshes (Kent), long-stayer to 8th August; Randalstown (Co. Antrim), 27th July. Little Egret Egretta garzetta Burton Mere Wetlands (Cheshire & Wirral), roost count 380, 29th July. Purple Heron Ardea purpurea Pagham Harbour (Sussex), 4th August. Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus Marloes Mere (Pembrokeshire), long-stayer to 7th August. Black Kite Milvus migrans In Cornwall, one seen at various sites on 9th July, then Sancreed 9th-13th July, Drift 13th July, Porthgwarra 2nd August, Bodmin Moor 3rd August, Carabis Bay 4th August. Elsewhere, St Mary’s (Scilly), 10th July; Fame © British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 560-562 Recent reports 324. Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia, Rudyard Lake, Staffordshire, July 20 1 3. Islands then Bamburgh (Northumberland), 30th July; Margate (Kent), 5th August. Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus Stiff- key (Norfolk), 19th July; Scarborough (Yorkshire), 4th August. Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva Rye Harbour (Sussex), 1st July; Rutland Water (Leicestershire & Rutland), 1 5 th — 18 th July; Burwell Fen (Cambridgeshire), 24th July. Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius mon- golus Lossiemouth (Moray & Nairn), 16th July, presumed same Pilmore/Ring (Co. Cork), 27th-28th July. Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus Spurn (Yorkshire), 668 on 28th July, a record site day-count. Baird’s Sandpiper Calidris bairdii Frampton Marsh (Lincolnshire), 24th-26th July. White-rumped Sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis Lodmoor (Dorset), 17th-20th July; Blennerville (Co. Kerry), 21st-22nd July; The Cull (Co. Wexford), 4th August; Tacumshin (Co. Wexford), 6th August. Buff-breasted Sandpiper Calidris subru- ficollis Berneray (Outer Hebrides), 29th-30th July; Elmley Marshes, 4th August; Tacumshin, two, 4th-5th August; Ythan Estuary, 7th August. Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus Tacumshin, 2nd August. Terek Sand- piper Xenus cinereus Tacumshin, 9th July. Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius Foxton Bends (North- umberland), 27th- 30th July. Lesser Yel- lowlegs Tringa flavipes National Wetlands Centre, Carmarthen- shire, long-stayer to 7th August; Rosslare (Co. Wexford), 16th July; Loch Ryan (Dumfries & Galloway), 28th July. Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolo- paceus National Wetlands Centre, Carmarthen- shire, 28th July to 1st August; Pennington/ Keyhaven Marshes (Hampshire), 1 st— 8th August. Bridled Tern Onychoprion anaethetus Long-stayer, Coquet Island (Northumberland), 9th July, same Flamborough Head (Yorkshire), 10th July, Fame Islands, 13th-24th July, Isle of May (Fife), 26th July, Ythan Estuary 8th August. Gull-billed Tern Geloche- lidon nilotica Long-stayer, Tacumshin, to 17th July; Scatness/Virkie (Shetland), 27th-31st July; Lady’s Island Lake (Co. Wexford), 4th August, presumed 325. Adult Bonaparte’s Gull Chroicocephalus Philadelphia, Heysham, Lancashire & N Merseyside, July 2013. British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 560-562 561 Gary Jenkins Richard Stonier Steve Young! Birdwatch Gary Bell Recent reports 326. Juvenile Two-barred Crossbill Loxia leucoptera, Sumburgh Head, Shetland, July 2013. Snowy Owl Bubo scandiacus Arranmore, (Co. Donegal), long-stayer (from 29th May) to 18th July; undisclosed site (Co. Mayo), 18th July. Alpine Swift Apus melba Gibraltar Point (Lincolnshire), 3rd August; Spurn, 5th August. European Bee-eater Merops apiaster Aston Pigott (Shrop- shire), 20th July; Whitburn (Co. Durham), two, 6th August. European Roller Coracias garrulus Hornsey (Norfolk), 5th-9th August. Iberian Chiffchaff Phylloscopus ibericus Tyrwaun (Car- marthenshire), mid April to 11th July. Subalpine Warbler Sylvia cantillans Fair Isle, 19th July to 8th August. same Tacumshin, 7th August. Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia Hopton-on-Sea, 10th July, same Walcott (both Norfolk), 1 1th July; Acre Nook Sand Quarry (Cheshire 8c Wirral), 24th-29th July, same Rudyard Lake (Staffordshire), 26th-29th July; St Margaret’s at Cliffe (Kent), 5th August. Common Tern Sterna hirundo Spurn, 4,239 on 5th August. Bonaparte’s Gull Chroicocephalus Philadelphia Oare Marshes, long-stayer to 6th August; Ardmore (Co. Waterford), 9th July; Heysham (Lancashire 8c N Merseyside), 13th July to 3rd August; Sennen Cove (Cornwall), 17th July; Rye Harbour, 20th July. Little Gull Hydrocoloeus minutus Hornsea Mere (York- shire), 2,300 on 25th July, 2,480 on 3rd August. Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus Sopley (Hampshire), at least 470, 1 1th July; Breydon Water (Norfolk), 310, 27th July. Rose-coloured Starling Pastor roseus Skye (High- land), 16th and 31st July. Rock Thrush Monticola saxatilis Scotston (North- east Scotland), 18th-22nd July. Two-barred Crossbill Loxia leucoptera In Norfolk, Salthouse, 20th and 24th July, Cley, 20th, Holme, two on 20th, Lynford, three on 21st, four on 22nd, at least two to 29th, one to 30th, Kelling, 22nd-27th, Holkham, 24th-25th, Salthouse Heath, 27th July. In Shetland, sightings on mainland at Wester Quarff 23rd July, Tresta, three on 27th July, two to 6th August, Sumburgh Head, two on 28th, singles 29th and 31st July, Garths Ness 28th July, Voe, five on 30th, seven on 31st July, four to 1st August, Sandwick 30th July; on Unst, two, 26th, singles there 27th, 30th July and 1st August, two on 6th August, Fetlar, three on 27th July, Noss, 27th July, Foula, three on 29th July. Fair Isle, eight on 26th July, seven on 1 st— 4th August. Elsewhere, Havergate Island (Suffolk), two, 20th July; Spurn, 20th July; Rimac (Lincolnshire), 24th July; Stromness (Orkney), two, 29th-30th July, one to 3rd August; Browsholme Hall (Lan- cashire 8c N Merseyside), 3rd-4th August; Roseisle Forest (Moray 8c Nairn), 6th August. 327. Juvenile Two-barred Crossbill Loxia leucoptera, Browsholme Hall, Lancashire & N Merseyside, August 2013. 562 British Birds 106 • September 2013 • 560-562 British Birds Bookshop Brought to you by NATURAL HISTORY BOOKS The only place to find all your specialist ornithological, natural history and travel books This month’s selection of books... Great Savings! AA21318 hbk £14.99 M21724 hbk £1699 £14.99 M21339 pbk &&0O £16.00 M21790 hbk £939 £8.99 AA21347 hbk £24XT0 £21.50 CJHECfQJST of the BIRDS cf NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA ** ******»» ^ t- m&i < fesBwefe. Juxta. Kjo&zs*. <&* fi*5S**. fessw and Robin RestaS AA16946 pbk £1439 £4.95 M21368 hbk metfO £112.50 M15234 hbk £2©1T0 £15.00 To receive the discounted prices, please quote S1590 when ordering Keep in touch For advice and ordering queries call +44 (0)1743 709420, e-mail info@wildlifebooks.com or visit www.wildlifebooks.com/bb. 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