ZTS "72 - BOUND 2 4 APR 1987 I Binding Volumes for binding should be sent not to the publishers but direct to the binders, Chapman Brooks Bookbinders Ltd. The charge is £ 1 2.65 per volume, which includes the cost of packing and return postage (UK only). The binding will be in the same style as in previous years, with the volume number blocked in Arabic numerals; earlier volumes can also be bound at this rate. Please complete the form on the back cover and send it with all the parts and the correct money to: Chapman Brooks Bookbinders Ltd Alexander Works Fordmill Road Catford, London SE6 3JH Please complete the binding form on the back cover and note that orders for binding are not to be sent to the publishers British Birds Editorial Board Stanley Cramp P J Grant M A Ogilvie ] I R Sharrock Photographic Consultants RJ Chandler and Don Smith V olume 79 1 986 British Birds Ltd Rarities Committee P.J. Grant (Chairman), D. j. Britton, A. R. Dean, R. H. Dennis, T. P. Inskipp, P. G. Lansdown, S. C. Madge, J. H. Marchant, I. S. Robertson & K. E. Vinicombe; Peter Colston (Museum Consultant & Archivist); Michael J. Rogers (Honorary Secretary) Behaviour Notes Panel Dr C. J. Bibby, Dr J. J. M. Flegg, Dr C. H. Fry (to 31st August), Derek Goodwin, Dr I. Newton (from 1st September), Dr M. A. Ogilvie, Dr J. T. R. Sharrock & Dr K. E. L. Simmons Identification Notes Panel A. R. Dean, P.J. Grant, S. C. Madge, Dr M. A. Ogilvie & DrJ. T. R. Sharrock Index to volume 79 Compiled by Mrs N. D. Blamire Entries are in single list with reference to: ( 1) every significant mention of each species, not only in titles, but also within the text of papers, notes and letters, including all those appearing in such lists as the 'Report on rare birds in Great Britain in 1985’, but excluding those in ‘Recent reports’, ‘News and comment', requests and reviews; (2) scientific nomenclature under generic names only and following The 'British Birds’ List of Birds oj the Western Palearctic ( 1984); (4) authors ol all papers, notes, reviews and letters, and photographers; papers are referred to by their titles, other contributions as ‘note on’, ‘review of, etc.; (4) a few subject headings, i.e. ‘Announcements’, ‘Breeding’, ‘Display’, ‘Editorials’. ‘Field characters , ‘food , ‘Migration’, ‘News and comment’, ‘Obituaries’, 'Rarities Committee’, Recorders’, ‘Recent reports’, 'Requests’, ‘Roosting’ and ‘Voice’; (5) 'Reviews’ and ‘short reviews’, which are listed together under this heading in alpha- betical order of authors reviewed. Accentor, Alpine, European news, 289 Accipiter gentilis , see Goshawk nisus, see Sparrowhawk Acklam, Geoffrey, European news, 284-92 Acrocephalus agricola , see W arbler, Paddyfield arundinaceus , see Warbler, Great Reed durnetorum, see Warbler, Blyth’s Reed — — paludicola, see Warbler, Aquatic palustris, see Warbler, Marsh scirpacens , see Warbler, Reed Actitis hypoleucos, see Sandpiper, Common Adams, Jonathan, see Greenwood, Paul Aegithalos caudatus , see Tit, Long-tailed Aegolius Junereus, see Owl, Tengmalm’s Alauda arvensis, see Skylark — gulgula , see Skylark, Oriental Albatross, Black-browed, summering in Shetland, 1983, 59; European news, 285; photograph, 416, plate 215; summering in Shetland 1984, 475; accepted record 1985. 529 Alca torda , see Razorbill Alecloris chukar, see Chukar rufa, see Partridge, Red-legged Alexander, S. M. D., photographs of King Eider, 463, plates 253-5 Allard, P. R., note on Greater Sand Plover in Norfolk, 503-4 Alle alle , see Auk, Little Allsopp, Keith, see Dawson, Ian Alstrom, Per, European news, 284-92 Anas acuta, see Pintail americana, see Wigeon, American crecca, see l eal discors , see Teal, Blue-winged Jormosa , see Teal, Baikal penelope, see Wigeon platyrhynchos, see Mallard querquedula , see Garganey rubripes , see Duck, American Black Andersen, H. Harrestrup, and Jacobsen, Peder E., letter on bird-photography in Tunisia, 436 Andersen, Lars Ntfrgaard, and Dissing, Henrik, European news, 284-92 Andrews, Ian J., see Gordon, Peter R. Andrews, S. M., note on Hermit Thrush in Scilly, 297-8 Anhinga me/anogaster, see Darter Announcements: front cover designs for sale, custom-printed, personal British Birds indexes 1946-85, Identification Notes Panel, Bird Photograph of the Year, Best recent black-and-white bird-photographs. Bird Illustrator of the Year, The Richard Richardson Award, Colombia, and India & Pakistan books. Special Offer Subscription Scheme, 44-9; as guaranteed. Young Ornithologists of the Year 1985, Birds of the West Indies , 94-5; Christmas Whisky Puzzle: the solution, reduced subscription rates for OBC and OSME members. THE 684 Index to volume 79 book of the world’s waders, The Birds of Yorkshire, Palmer & Boswall discs and cassettes, 139-41; Shorebirds: an identification guide to the waders oj the world, The Birds oj Africa, new books available through British BirdShop, ‘BB’ binders, free car stickers, date change: SWLA, BIY & RRA exhibition, 213-4; ‘British Birds’ in Thailand 1986, ‘British Birds’ in Thailand 1987?, Bird Guide of Thailand , new books in British BirdShop, 258-60, plate 144; overseas bird tours survey, sponsorship for ‘Bird Illustrator of the Year’, new books in British BirdShop, 306-7; new books in British BirdShop, the joint BB-BTO Con- ference, custom-printed, personal ‘BB’ indexes 1946-85, ‘BB’ trip to Thailand in 1987, 354-5; ‘BB’-Sunbird exploratory trip to Cyprus, ICBP, 407-8; binding your BB, bird sound recordings, new books in British BirdShop, 452; BTO bargain, new Behaviour Notes Panel member, new books in British BirdShop, 509; The Joint ‘BB’-BTO Conference, Post-Conference Cyprus trip, greatly reduced joint sub- scription to American Birds and British Birds, your January issue, sponsorship of BPY, 596-8; reduced price ABA membership for BB subscribers, thank you to our sponsors, ‘The field identification ofWest Palearctic wheatears’, binding your BB, County Recorders’ meeting, bird art display at Joint BB-BTO Conference, Bird Photo- graph of the Year, Best recent black-and- white bird photographs, BB button- badges, BB car-stickers, new books in British BirdShop, 662-4 Anser caerulescens , see Goose, Snow erythropus, see Goose, Lesser White- fronted Anthropoides virgo, see Crane, Demoiselle Anthus campestris, see Pipit, Tawny cervinus, see Pipit, Red-throated gustavi, see Pipit, Pechora hodgsom, see Pipit, Olive-backed novaeseelandiae , see Pipit, Richard’s pratensis, see Pipit, Meadow spinoletla, see Pipit, Rock Appleby, Ron H., mystery photograph 120: White-billed Diver, 654-6 , , Madge, S. C., and Mullarney, Killian, identification of divers in im- mature and winter plumages, 365-91, plates 180-206 Apus affinis, see Swift, Little apus, see Swift melba, see Swift, Alpine pallidus, see Swift, Pallid Aquila clanga, see Eagle, Spotted Aquila heliaca, see Eagle, Imperial pomarina , see Eagle, Lesser Spotted rapax, see Eagle, Tawny Archer, Paul, review of Harrison: Seabirds, revised edition, 268 Ardea cinerea, see Heron, Grey purpurea, see Heron, Purple Ardeola ralloides, see Heron, Squacco Arenaria interpres, see Turnstone Arlott, Norman, product report, 496 Ashford, R. W., see Green, E. E. Asio flammeus, see Owl, Short-eared Atkin, Keith, photographs of Little Stint, 611-2, plates 308-9 Auk, Little, European news, 288 Avocet, British breeding records 1983, 69; reactions to heavy rain, 328; British breeding records 1984,484 Aythya collaris, see Duck, Ring-necked ferina, see Pochard juligula, see Duck, Tufted marila, see Scaup nyroca, see Duck, Ferruginous valisineria , see Canvasback Bakewell, J. D., colour photograph of Goldcrest, 272, plate 152; photograph of Great Northern Diver, 380, plate 196 Barnes, A. P., colour photograph of Tree- creepers, 274, plate 155 Barnes, John, note on Raven rolling on ground to avoid Peregrine, 252; note on Wigeon falling pfey to grey seal, 338 Barrett, John and Catrina, note on oppor- tunistic use by birds of ephemeral food source in hard weather, 297 Bartlett, Elspeth, note on Yellowhammer bathing in sea water, 507 Bartramia longicauda, see Sandpiper, Upland Bates, B. S., note on White-tailed Plover in Tyne and Wear, 293-4 Baudoin, G., photographs of Manx Shear- waters P.p. mauretanicus , 353, plates 172-4 Baumanis, Janis, European news, 284-92 Becker, C. Dustin, see Robinson, Martin Bee-eater, photograph, 14, plate 27; European news, 289; accepted records 1985, 560 ben Shafrut, O., photograph of Oriental Skylark, 195, plate 106 Benn, Stuart, photograph, 514, plate 266 Bibby, Colin J., review of Newton: The Sparrowhawk, 511-2 , , and Nattrass, M., breeding status of the Merlin in Britain, 1 70-85, plates 89-92 Bird Illustrator of the Year 1986, 319-25; award presentation, 515, plate 227 Index to volume 79 685 Bird Photograph of the Year 1986, 271-6, plates 151-5; award presentation, 459, plate 251 Birdwise ’85 mystery photograph, 150, plate 86 Bittern, British breeding records 1983, 59; British breeding records 1983-4, 475 , Little, British breeding record 1984, 476; accepted record 1984, 529-30 Black, Jeffrey M., note on Mute Swans foot- slapping as a territorial advertisement display, 500-1 Blackbird, abnormal duration of parental care by male, 249; feeding on dredgings during hard weather, 297; using same songpost as Song Thrush, 298-9, plate 159; scavenging nestling House Sparrow, 592- 3; presenting elvers to young, 593 Blackcap, two males feeding young at one nest, 136-7; European news, 290; song challenge to singing migrant Icterine Warbler, 405 Bloch, Dorete, European news, 284-92 Bluetail, Red-flanked, European news, 290 Bluethroat, British breeding record 1983, 74; European news, 289 Boardman, P. R., photograph of Black Tern, 605, plate 300 Bobolink, accepted record 1985, 566, 584, plate 286 Bombycilla garrulus, see Waxwing Bonasa bonasia, see Grouse, Hazel Bond, Anthony J., photograph of Brent Geese, 446, plate 244; of Redwing, 646, plate 332; of Fieldfare, 647, plate 334 Books for Christmas, 521-5 Borrow, Nik, 2nd place, Bird Illustrator of the Year 1986, 319-25; award presenta- tion, 515, plate 227 Botaurus stellaris, see Bittern Bottomley, J. B. and S., photograph ofGreen Sandpiper, 203, plate 109; of Great Northern Divers, 375-7, plates 191, 193 Bowden, C. G. R., see Green, R. E. Box, Terry', note on behaviour of juvenile Baillon’s Crake, 675-7, plates 352-4 Brace, Robin C., see Donoghue, Alison M. Brambling, British breeding records 1983, 79; British breeding records 1984, 494; declining winter numbers in Derbyshire, 508; photograph, 646, plate 331 Branta bemicla, see Goose, Brent canadensis , see Goose, Canada leucopsis, see Goose, Barnacle ruficollis, see Goose, Red-breasted Breeding: Snowy Owl, 228-42, plates 127-37. Nests: Buzzard, 18-24, plate 34; Wood Warbler, 137 Bristow, Phillip, and Odin, Nigel, note on juvenile-plumaged Great Crested Grebe in spring, 205 ‘British Birds’ Best Bird Book of the Year, 469 Brooks, G. H., note on long stay of Short- eared Owls at offshore oilrig, 404 Brown, Alexander J., note on hour-long song flight by Skylark, 136 Brown, Alan, see Gordon, Peter R. Brown, B. J., White-crowned Black Wheatear: new to Britain and Ireland, 221-7, plates 121-6 Brown, R. G., photograph of Semipalmated Sandpiper, 620, plate 322 Bryer-Ash, David, note on Little Swift in Dorset, 506 Bubulcus ibis , see Egret, Cattle Bucanetes githagineus, see Finch, Trumpeter Bucephala clangula, see Goldeneye BufHehead, European news, 286 Buisson, Dennis, photograph of British Birds trip to Thailand, 259, plate 144: mystery personality 1, 309, plate 161 Bullfinch, European news, 292; photograph, 645, plate 329 Bundy, Graham, note on immature White- cheeked Tern helping to defend chick, 295- 6 , , and Sharrock, J. T. R., Photo- Spot 19: Hooded Wheatear, 120-3, plates 70-2 Bunting, Black-headed, European news, 292; accepted records 1985, 583 , Girl, British breeding records 1983, 80- 1; British breeding records 1984, 495 , House, European news, 292 , Indigo, accepted Irish record 1985, 585 , Little, European news, 292; accepted records 1983-5, 582-3, plates 294-5 , Ortolan, photograph, 416, plate 216 , Painted, accepted record 1979, 585 , Pine, European news, 292; accepted records 1985, 565, 581, plate 283 , Reed, mystery photograph, 427, 497, plates 232, 263 , Rock, European news, 292 , Rustic, accepted records 1985, 581-2, plate 293 , Snow, British breeding records 1983, 80; British breeding records 1984, 495; declining winter numbers in Derbyshire, 508 , Yellow-breasted, European news, 292; accepted records 1985, 583 Burhinus oedicnemus, see Stone-curlew Burns. David W., photograph of Black-billed Cuckoo, 558, plate 276; of Yellow-billed Cuckoo, 565, plate 281 686 hidex to volume 79 Burns, Peter F., note on identification problems with immature Citrine Wagtails, 464-8, plates 256-61 Bustard, Little, European news, 287 Buteo buteo , see Buzzard lagopus, see Buzzard, Rough-legged rufinus , see Buzzard, Long-legged Buzzard, notes on breeding biology, 18-28, plate 34; attempting to raid Magpie’s nest. 40-1; talon-grappling and falling to ground. 429; following combine-harvester, 429; following working plough, 429 , Honey, British breeding records 1983, 63; British breeding records 1984, 479 , Long-legged, European news, 286 , Rough-legged, European news, 286 Cade, M., see Walbridge, G. Cairns, Tom, photograph of Susan Joy, 96, plate 60 Calandrella brachydactyla, see Lark, Short-toed Calidris acuminata , see Sandpiper, Sharp- tailed alba , see Sanderling alpina, see Dunlin bairdii, see Sandpiper, Baird’s canutus , see Knot Juscicollis, see Sandpiper, White- rumped maritima, see Sandpiper, Purple mauri , see Sandpiper, Western melanotos , see Sandpiper, Pectoral minuta , see Stint, Little minutilla. see Sandpiper, Least pusilla, see Sandpiper, Semipalmated ruficollis, see Stint, Red-necked temminckii , see Stint, Temminck’s tenuirostris, see Knot, Great Calonectris diomedea, see Shearwater, Cory’s Cantelo, John, letter on help for the Snowy Owls, 253 C.anvasback, feeding in association with mole, 502 Capercaillie, European news, 287 Caprimulgus europaeus , see Nightjar Carduelis cannabina, see Linnet carduelis , see Goldfinch chloris, see Greenfinch flammea , see Redpoll flamrostns , see Tw ite hornemanni, see Redpoll, Arctic spinus, see Siskin Carlson, Kevin, photograph of Little Ringed Plovers, 441, plate 235; of Red-rumped Swallow, 448, plate 247; of Sardinian Warbler, 448, plate 248 Carpodacus erythrinus, see Rosefinch, Scarlet Casselton, P. J., note on Black-necked Grebes jump-diving, 337 Cathartes aura , see Vulture, I urkey Catharus guttatus, see Thrush, Hermit minimus, see Thrush, Gray-cheeked Catlev, G. P., photograph of White-billed Diver, 384, plate 201; review of Mather: The Birds oj Yorkshire, 510-1; note on Grasshopper Warbler behaviour when singing, 659 Cepphus grylle, see Guillemot, Black Certhia Jamiliaris, see Treecreeper Ceryle alcyon, see Kingfisher, Belted Cettia cetti, see Warbler, Cetti’s Chaffinch, feeding on dredgings during hard weather, 297; food-robbery by, 594-6 Chandler, R. J., photograph of Snipe, 83, plate 49; mystery photograph 112: Wood Sandpiper, 202-5, plates 108-11; photo- graph of Green Sandpiper, 203, plate 1 10; of Redshank, 203, plate 111; product reports, 245, 335-6; photograph of Red- throated Diver, 267, plate 150; of Reed Bunting, 427, 497, plates 232, 263; review of Gooders: Field Guide to the Birds of Britain and Ireland 453-4; review of Hayman, M archant and Prater: Shorebirds, 454-5; photograph of ‘Bird Illustrator of the Year’ award presentation, 515, plate 227; of Little Stint, 610, plate 307; of Western Sandpiper, 619, plate 320; of Brambling, 646, plate 331; of Keith Shackleton, 668. plate 344 , , et al., Bird Photographer of the Year 1986, 271-6; best recent black-and- white bird photographs, 440-9, plates 234-48 , , see Sharrock, J. T. R. Charadrius dubius, see Plover, Little Ringed hiaticula, see Plover, Ringed leschenaultii , see Plover, Greater Sand morinellus , see Dotterel vociferus, see Killdeer Cheke, Robert A., note on huddling by juvenile Treecreepers, 250-1 Chersophilus duponti, see Lark, Dupont’s Chettusia gregaria, see Plover, Sociable leucura, see Plover, White-tailed Chiffchaffi singing Willow Warbler song, 342; possible hybrid X Willow Warbler singing Willow Warbler song, 341-2; field- characters of races, 437-9 Chittenden. Robin, note on Northern Parula in Stilly, 432-3 Chlidonias hybridus, see Tern, Whiskered leucopterus, see Tern, White-winged Black niger, see Tern, Black Chough, feeding on top of vegetation, 251-2 Index to volume 79 687 Christie, David A., note on separation of distant Black-throated and Great Northern Divers, 40; short reviews, 315-6; review of Il’icev and Flint: Handbuch der Vogel der Sowjetunion , vol. 1 , 269-70 Christmas books, 521-5 Chukar, dangers of introduction into Britain, 656-7 Ciconia ciconia, see Stork, White nigra, see Stork, Black Ciochia, Victor, European news, 284-92 Circus aeruginosus, see Harrier, Marsh cyaneus, see Harrier, Hen pygargus, see Harrier, Montagu’s Cisticola juncidis , see Warbler, Fan-tailed Clangula hyemalis , see Duck, Long-tailed Clarkson, J. R., photograph of Nutcracker, 93, plate 59; note on Blackbird and Song Thrush using same song post, 298-9, plate 159 Cleeves, Tim, obituary of Laurel Anne Tucker (1951-1986), 652-3 Coan, D. R., letter on help for the Snowy Owls, 253 Cobban, Sheila D., Diary dates, 305-6, 66 1 -2 Coccyzus americanus, see Cuckoo, Yellow- billed erythrophthalmus , see Cuckoo, Black- billed Coles, R. K., photograph of Red-throated Diver, 370, plate 183; of Black-throated Diver, 373-4, plates 188-9; of Great Northern Diver, 376, plate 192 Columba oenas, see Dove, Stock palumbus, see Woodpigeon Coombes, Dick, photograph of Ashley Wootton, 149, plate 85; of Rose-coloured Starling, 673, plate 345 Coot, reactions to heavy rain, 327 , Crested, European news, 287 Coracias garrulus , see Roller Cormorant, European news, 285; roosting on electricity pylons, 337-8 Corncrake, PhotoSpot, 84-7. plates 51-3 Corrections, 680- 1 Corvus corax , see Raven corone, see Crow, Carrion dauuricus , seejackdaw, Daurian frugilegus, see Rook monedula, seejackdaw C.ottridge, D. M., photograph of Little Whimbrel, 549, plate 272; of Northern Parula, 564, plates 279-80; of Sardinian Warbler, 565, plate 282; ofYellow-rumped Warbler, 566, plate 285; of Olivaceous Warbler, 572, plate 288; of Rose-breasted Grosbeak, 584, plate 296 Coutts, Dennis, photograph of Snowy Owl, 240, plate 136; letter on help for the Snowy Owls, 254 Crake, Baillon’s, behaviour, 675-7, plates 352-4 , Little, accepted record 1985, 542 , Spotted, British breeding records 1983, 68-9; British breeding records 1984, 483-4 Cramp, Stanley, review of Sheail: Pesticides and Nature Conservation , 104; obituary of Professor William Homan Thorpe, MA ScD FRS (1902-1986), 499-500 Crane, European news, 287; accepted records 1977-85, 542-3 , Demoiselle, European news, 287 , Sandhill, in Faroe Islands, October 1980, 543 Crease, A. J., note on Red Kite fishing like Osprey, 592 Crex crex, see Corncrake Crossbill, British breeding records 1983, 80; European news, 291 , Parrot, British breeding records 1984, 495; accepted records 1975-85, 579-80 , Two-barred, European news, 291; accepted record 1985, 579; photograph 673; plate 348 Croucher, Tony, photograph of Greenish W arbler, 12, plate 24; of Sora, 15, plates 30-1; of Nutcracker, 93, plate 57; of Cattle Egret, 219, plate 120 Crow, Carrion, nestlings as prey of Buzzard, 26-7; mobbing Buzzard at Magpie’s nest, 40-1; declining winter numbers of C. c. comix in Derbyshire, 508; bathing in deep water, 593-4; recovering bread from beneath snow, 659-60 Crowther, David, European news, 284-92 Cuckoo, Black-billed, accepted record 1985. 558, plate 276 , Yellow-billed, photograph, 11, plate 23; accepted records 1985, 558-9, 565, plate 281 Cudworth, J., and Massingham, C.. note on Hen Harrier and Merlin hunting together. 430 Curlew, reactions to heavy rain and hail, 326, 329 , Slender-billed, European news, 287 Cygnus columbianus , see Swan, Bewick's cygnusi see Swan, Whooper olor, see Swan, Mute Da Prato, S. R. D. and E. S., note on appearance and song of possible Chiffchaff X Willow Warbler hybrid, 341-2 Darter, European news, 285 Date, Graham F., photograph of Merlin. 1 76, plate 90 Index to volume 79 688 Davis, John. 3rd place. Bird Illustrator ol the Year 1986, 319-25, award presentation, 515, plate 227 Davis, Thomas H., photograph of Semi- palmated Sandpiper, 620, plate 32 1 Dawson, Ian, review ol Brooke: South Ajrican Red Data Book — Birds , 101; of Collar and Stuart: Threatened Birds of AJnca and Related Islands , 101 , , and Allsopp, Keith, recent reports, see Recent reports Dean, A. R., review of Hornbuckle and Herringshaw: Birds of the Sheffield Area , 269; mystery photograph 117: Lesser Grey Shrike, 426-8; letter on which greenish warblers show wing-bars?, 438-9 Dean, Tim, note on abnormal claw lengths of Meadow Pipit, 659 Deane, C. Douglas, photographs of White- billed Diver, 266, plates i 47-8 Delacour, Jean, obituary, 143, plate 82 Delichon urbica, see Martin, House de Liedekerke, Rene, European news, 284-92 Del-Nevo, Adrian, note on grey seal apparently taking Razorbill, 338-9 Dendrocopos major , see Woodpecker, Great Spotted medius, see Woodpecker, Middle Spotted minor , see Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Dendroica coronata , see Warbler, Yellow- rum ped striata, see Warbler, Blackpoll Dennis, M. C., photograph of Franklin’s Gull, 552, plate 274 Diary dates, 305-6, 661-2 Dickson, lames, photographs of Sanderiing, 614-5, plates 312-5 Diomedea melanophris, see Albatross, Black- browed Display: Black-shouldered Kite, 348 Dissing, Henrik, see Andersen, Lars N^r- gaard Diver, Black-throated, photographs, 98, plates 61-2; identification in immature and winter plumages, 40, 366, 371-5, 387-9, plates 185-90; request, 664 , Great Northern, photographs, 153, plates 87-8; identification in immature and winter plumages, 40, 366, 375-80, 386-90, plates 191-6 , Red-throated, photograph, 267, plate 150; European news, 285; identification in immature and winter plumages, 365-71, 386-90, plates 180-4, 204 , White-billed, European news, 285; photographs, 266, plates 147-9; identifica- tion in immature and winter plumages, 366, 380-90, plates 197-203, 205-6; accepted records 1985, 528; mystery photograph, 590, 654, plates 298, 342 Doherty, Paul, colour photographs of Oriental Skylark and Skylark, 188-92, plates 93-4, 99; PhotoSpot 21: Desert Finch, 678-80, plates 356-8 Dolichonyx oryzivorus, see Bobolink Dolphin, Alan K., note on apparent feeding association between Manx Shearwaters and Sandwich Terns, 397 Donoghue, Alison M., Quicke, Donald L. J., and Brace. Robin C., note on Turnstones apparently preying on sea anemones, 91 Dotterel, British breeding records 1983, 70; European news, 287; photographs, 417, plates 221-2; British breeding records 1984,485 Dove, Rufous Turtle, European news, 289 , Stock, bathing in deep water, 593-4 , Turtle, bathing in deep water, 593-4 Dowitcher, European news, 287; accepted records 1985, 548 , Long-billed, photographs, 4, plates 5- 6; accepted records 1984-5, 548 , Short-billed, accepted Irish record 1985,548 Dryocopus martins, see Woodpecker, Black Dubois, Philippe J., European news, 284-92; letter on Mediterranean races of Manx Shearwater in British waters, 353-4, plates 172-4 Duck, Black, British breeding records 1983, 60; British breeding record 1984, 476; accepted records 1985, 536 , Ferruginous, hybrid X Pochard, numbers in Midlands, 87 , Long-tailed, European news, 286 , Ring-necked, accepted records 1980-5, 536-8, plate 269; field-characters, 591 , Ruddy, hybrid X White-headed Duck, numbers in Midlands, 88; reactions to heavy rain, 328 , Tufted, hybrid X Pochard, numbers in Midlands, 87-8; hybrid X Scaup, numbers in Midlands, 87-8; feeding in association with mole, 502; photograph, 648, plate 336 , White-headed, European news, 286 Ducks, numbers ofhybrids in Midlands, 87-9 Dunlin, reactions to heavy hail, 329 Dunn, Jon, photograph of Red-necked Stint, 616, plate 316 Dunn, P. J., photograph of Ring-billed Gull, 313, plate 163 Dunnock, attracted by ‘pishing’, 138 Dye, Keith R., letter on help for the Snowy- Owls, 254 Index to volume 79 689 Dymond, Nick, letter on help for the Snowy Owls, 254-5; note on Lapwing chick en- tangled in breast feathers of adult, 401-2; review of Gladwin and Sage: The Birds of Hertfordshire , 409- 1 0; short review, 5 1 3 Eagle, Imperial, European news, 287 , Lesser Spotted, European news, 287 , Short-toed, European news, 286 , Spotted, mystery photograph, 284, 329, plates 158, 166 , Tawny, European news, 287 , White-tailed, European news, 286; request, 308; British breeding records 1984, 479-80; accepted records 1982-5, 539-40. plates 270-1 Ebbutt, Denis, note on parent Great Crested Grebe killing own small chick, 337 Edwards, Stephen B., note on male Red- breasted Merganser displaying to Goos- anders, 89 Egret, Cattle, photograph, 219, plate 120; European news, 285; racial identification: letters, 507-8; accepted records 1985, 530 , Great White, European news, 285; accepted records 1985, 531 , Little, accepted records 1984-5, 530-1 Egretta alba , see Egret, Great White garzetta , see Egret, Little gularis, see Heron, Western Reef Eider, attacked by grey seal, 338 , King, European news, 286; photo- graphs, 416, 463, plates 217. 253-5; accepted records 1983-5, 538 , Steller’s, European news, 286 Elanus caeruleus, see Kite, Black-shouldered Elkins, Norman, east is east, and west is west . . . (letter), 302-4; letter on vagrants and Saharan dust, 304-5; short review, 316 Elliott, G. D., review of Newton and Chancellor: Conservation Studies on Raptors. 102-3 Ellis, Ted, obituary, 516 Elmelid, Jan, photograph of Red-throated Diver, 388, plate 204 Emberiza aureola , see Bunting, \ ellow- breasted ■ da, see Bunting, Rock : drlus, see Bunting, Girl dtrinella, see Yellowhammer hortulana, see Bunting, Ortolan leucocephalos, see Bunting, Pine melanocephala , see Bunting, Black- headed pusilla, see Bunting, Little rustica , see Bunting, Rustic Emberiza schoeniclus, see Bunting, Reed striolata , see Bunting, House Eremophila alpestris, see Lark, Shore Erithacus rubecula, see Robin European news, 284-92 Everett, M. J., letter on help for the Snowy- Owls, 257-8 , , see Prvtherch. Robin Falco cotumbarius, see Merlin eleonorae, see Falcon, Eleonora’s naumanni, see Kestrel, Lesser peregrinus , see Peregrine rusticolus, see Gyrfalcon subbuteo, see Hobby linnunculus, see Kestrel vespertinus, see Falcon, Red-footed Falcon, Eleonora’s, in North Humberside October/November 1981, 206-7, plates 1 13-4; European news, 287 , Red-footed, accepted records 1982-5, 541, 563, plate 277 Ficedula albicollis, see Flycatcher, Collared parva, see Flycatcher, Red-breasted semitorquata, see Flycatcher, Semi- collared Field-characters: Red-throated Diver, 365-71, 386-90, plates 180-4, 204; Black- throated Diver, 40, 366, 371-5, 387-9. plates 185-90; Great Northern Diver, 40, 365, 375-80, 386-90, plates 191-6: White- billed Diver, 380-90, plates 197-203, 205-6; Manx Shearwater, 351-4, plates 172-4; Bewick's Swan, 206; Ring-necked Duck. 591; Stone-curlew, 419-22. plates 224-5; Great Knot, 125-8, plates 73-81; Knot, 125-8, plates 73-4, 76, 79; Sanderling, 613- 6, plates 312-6; Semipalmated Sandpiper. 617-21, plates 3 1 7-22; Western Sandpiper, 617-21. plates 3 1 7-22; Little Stint. 609-13, plates 306-9, 311; Red-necked Stint. 606- 16, plates 306-10, 316; Spotted Sandpiper. 657-8; Laughing Gull, 343-8, plates 170-1; White-winged Lark, 332-5, plates 168-9; W oodlark, 186-90; Skvlark. 186-97, plates 95, 98-9, 101, 105; Oriental Skylark. 186- 97, plates 93-107; Citrine Wagtail, 464-8. plates 256-61; ChiffchafT. 437-9; Daurian Jackdaw, 252 Fieldfare, British breeding records 1983, 74; feeding on dredgings during hard weather, 297: British breeding records 1983-4, 489; photograph, 647, plate 334 Finch, Desert, PhotoSpot, 678-80. plates 356-8 , Trumpeter, in West Sussex. May 1984, 299-300; accepted records 1984-5, 580 690 Index to volume 79 Finches, attracted by ‘pishing’, 138-9 Firecrest, British breeding records 1983, 78; British breeding records 1983-4, 492-3 Fisher, David, review of Simpson and Day: The Birds of Australia, 220; note on iris colour of Daurian Jackdaw, 252; short review, 512 Flamingo, Greater, European news, 286 Flegg, Jim, review of Buckley et at,: Neo- tropical Ornithology, 268 Fletcher, Jonathan, Young Ornithologist of the Year 1985,95, 148, plate 84 Flycatcher, Collared, accepted records 1985, 575 , Red-breasted, photograph, 417, plate 220 , Semi-collared, European news, 290 , Spotted, sunning, 506 Flycatchers, attracted by ‘pishing’, 138 Food: Squacco Heron, 590; Red Kite, 592; Buzzard, 24-7, 40-1, plate 34; Kestrel, 43 1 - 2; Water Rail, 397-400; Turnstone, 91, 402-3; Sandwich Tern, 43; Blackbird, 592- 3 Forrest, Gordon, note on apparently melan- istic Green Woodpecker, 340 Francolin, Double-spurred, European news, 287 Francolinus bicalcaratus , see Francolin, Double-spurred Fratercula arctica, see Puffin Fray, Robert, Young Ornithologist of the Year 1985,95, 148, plate 84 Fregata magnificens, see Frigatebird, Magnificent Frigatebird, Magnificent, reactions to heavy rain, 328 Fringilla coelebs, see Chaffinch montifringilla, see Brambling Frost, Mike, photograph of White-crowned Black Wheatear, 223, plate 126 Frost, R. A., note on Phylloscopus warbler with songs of Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler, 340-1; letter on decline of certain winter visitors, 508-9 Fryer, Geoffrey, notes on the breeding biology of the Buzzard, 18-28, plate 34; note on Buzzard and crows at Magpie’s nest, 40-1 Fulica air a, see Coot cristata , see Coot, Crested Gale, S. W., note on croaking call of Nightingale, 404-5 Gallinago gallinago, see Snipe media, see Snipe, Great stenura, see Snipe, Pintail Gallinula chloropus, see Moorhen Gannet, European news, 285; possible effects of cleaning-up gannetries, 436-7; photo- graph, 444, plate 239 Gantlett, S. J. M., short review, 512; review of Beehler, Pratt and Zimmerman: Birds of New Guinea, 599-600 Garganey, British breeding records 1983, 61- 2; British breeding records 1983-4, 477-8 Gasson, Peter, photographs of Long-tailed Skua, 3, plates 3-4; ofNutcracker, 93, plate 58 Gauci, Charles, see Sultana, Joe Garrulus glandarius, see Jay Gavia adamsii, see Diver, V\ hite-billed arctica, see Diver, Black-throated immer, see Diver, Great Northern stellata , see Diver, Red-throated Geister, Iztok, European news, 284-92 Gelochelidon nilotica, see Tern, Gull-billed Geothlypis trichas, see Yellowthroat, Common Gibson, Chris, note on Turnstones feeding on cliff ledge, 402 Gilbert, D. C., note on effect of migrant Icterine Warbler on local breeding warblers, 405-6 Gill, Robert E., Jr., what won’t Turnstones eat? (note), 402-3 Gillham, E. H., note on extent oflight area on flanks of male Ring-necked Duck, 591 Gillmor, Robert, review of Jackman: The Countryside in Winter , 318; review of Jackson: Bird Etchings, 318; short review's, 316,513 , , Shackleton, Keith, and Sharrock, J. T. R., ‘Bird Illustrator of the Year’ and ‘The Richard Richardson Award’, 319-25 Glareola nordmanni , see Pratincole, Black- winged Godwit, Bar-tailed, reactions to heavy rain, 328 , Black-tailed, British breeding records 1983, 71-2; British breeding records 1984, 486 Goldcrest, attracted by ‘pishing’, 138; colour photograph, 272, plate 152 Goldeneye, British breeding records 1983, 62-3; British breeding records 1984, 478-9 Goldfinch, photograph, 643, plate 324 Golovanova, E. N., photograph of White- winged Lark, 333, plate 168 Gomersall, C. H., photograph of Young Ornithologists of the Year 1985, 148, plate 48 Goodwin, Derek, letter on help for the Snowy Owls, 255; points of view 16: the introduc- tion of the Chukar, 656-7 Index to volume 79 691 Goosander, pinioned birds catching and drowning House Martins, 591 Goose, Barnacle, reactions to heavy rain, 328 , Brent, European news, 286; photo- graphs, 446, 644, plates 244, 328; accepted records of .fi. b. nigricans 1983-5, 532-4 , Canada, European news, 286; photo- graph, 447, plate 246 , Lesser White-fronted, accepted records 1984-5,532-3 , Red-breasted, accepted records 1985, 534 , Snow, photograph, 217, plate 1 16 Gordon, P. R., note on Squacco Heron eating passerines, 590 , , et at., note on Arctic Tern with head-pattern resembling that of Forster’s Tern, 304-6 Gore, Michael, photograph of Woodlark, 111, plate 65 Goshawk, British breeding records 1979-83, 65-6; prolonged aerial encounters with Hen Harriers, 89-91; British breeding records 1983-4,480-1 Grant, P. J., mystery photograph 109: Meadow Pipit, 34-9, plates 37-45; mystery- photograph 111: Little Gull, 1 19-20, plate 68; review of Dolby: Log jor Birdwatching , 151; mystery photograph 1 14: River Warb- ler, 283-4, plates 156-7; letter on size- illusion, 348-9; Rarities Committee news and announcements, 450-1, plate 249; short review, 316-7; four problem stints, 609-2 1 , plates 306-23 Gravett, T., note on Northern Parula in Scilly, 434 Gray, Tony, photograph of Black-throated Diver, 372, plate 186 Grebe, Black-necked, British breeding records 1983, 58-9; jump-diving, 337; British breeding records 1984, 474-5 , Great Crested, juvenile-plumaged bird in April, 205; attacking Little Grebe, 293; parent killing own small chick, 337 , Little, attacked by Great Crested Grebe, 293; reactions to heavy rain, 327 , Pied-billed, accepted record 1985, 528 , Red-necked, British breeding records 1983, 58; photograph, 313, plate 164; British breeding records 1984, 474 , Slavonian, British breeding records 1983,58 Green, Dennis, photographs of Merlin, 180- 3, plates 91-2; of Bittern, 650, plate 340 Green, E. E., letter on ‘British Birds' and conservation, 252-3 , , Ashford, R. W., and Hartridge, D. H., note on Canvasbacks and Tufted Duck feeding in association with mole, 502; on Sparrow'hawk killing Lapwing in water, 502 Green, R. E., and Bowden, C. G. R., field characters for ageing and sexing Stone- curlews, 419-22, plates 224-5 Green, Rhys, colour photograph of Stone- curlew 42 1 , plate 225 Greenfinch, killed by Water Rail, 399; robbed of food by Chaffinch, 594-6; photograph, 643, plate 324 Greenshank, photograph. 445, plate 242 Greenwood, Julian, note on Sandwich Terns feeding over fresh water, 43 Greenwood, Paul, and Adams, Jonathan, letter on field guides, sex and the size of birds, 2 1 1 Grenfell, Harold E., photograph of Grey- Heron, 443, plate 238; of Common Gull, 444, plate 240; of Greenshank. 445, plate 242; of Robin, 647, plate 333 Grosbeak, Rose-breasted, photograph, 10, plate 19; European news, 292; accepted records 1985, 583-4, plate 296 Grouse, Hazel, PhotoSpot, 246-7, plates 141- 3 Grus canadensis , see Crane, Sandhill grus, see Crane Guillemot, photograph, 314, plate 165; diving depths, 596 , Black, diving depths, 596 , Briinnich’s, accepted record 1985, 558 Gull, Audouin’s, European news. 288 , Black-headed, pink coloration in Norway due to food, 211-2; feeding on dredgings during hard weather, 297; reactions to heavy rain, 326-8; photo- graph, 649, plate 337; in summer plumage in January, 658-9 , Bonaparte’s, photograph. 361, plate 177; accepted Irish record 1985, 552 , Common, feeding on dredgings during hard weather, 297; reactions to heavy rain, 327; photograph. 444, plate 240 , Franklin’s, alternative solution of mystery photograph 92, 343-8, plates 1 70- 1; European news, 288; accepted record 1985, 552, plate 274 , Glaucous, wingbeat rate, 42; European news, 288 , Great Black-headed, European news, 288 , Herring, cachinnans nesting on buildings, 350 , Iceland, wingbeat rate. 42; accepted records of/., g. kumtieni 1985, 555-6 , Ivory, photographs, 219, plates 117-8; European news, 288 692 Index to volume 79 Gull, Laughing, photograph, 219, plate 1 19; European news, 288; discussion of mystery photograph 92, 343-8, plates 170-1; accepted records 1983-5, 552 , Lesser Black-backed, European news, 288; reactions to heavy rain, 326 , Little, summering in England 1982-3, 73; mystery photograph, 83, 1 19, plates 50, 68; reactions to heavy rain, 327 , Mediterranean, British breeding records 1983, 72-3; European news, 288; British breeding records 1984, 487 , Ring-billed, displaying in West Glamorgan, 42; European news, 288; photographs, 312-3, plates 162-3; accepted records 1983-5, 552-5, plate 275 , Ross’s, European news, 288; accepted records 1984-5, 556 — — , Sabine’s, photograph, 461, plate 252 Gustin, Marco, European news, 284-92 Gyps Julvus, see Vulture, Griffon Gyrfalcon, photographs, 358-9, 362, plates 175-6, 178; accepted records 1982-5, 541 Haapala, Jukka, photograph of White-billed Diver, 390, plate 206 Haematopus ostralegus, see Oystercatcher Haliaeetus albicilla, see Eagle, White-tailed Hamblin, Mark, photograph of Sand Martins, 446, plate 243 Hampden Smith, Mark, note on Buzzard following and alighting on working plough, 429 Hanby, A. M., note on Bewick’s Swan with yellow legs, 206 Hancock, James, mystery photograph 113: Western Reef Heron, 243-4, plates 138-9; letter on ‘racial identification of Cattle Egret’, 507 Handrinos, George L, European news, 284- 92 Haraszthy, Laszlo, European news, 284-92 Harding, B. D., note on Short-eared Owl mortality on roads, 403-4; on Song Thrush chipping ice, 405 Harding, M. A., photographs of White- crowned Black Wheatear, 223, plates 122, 125 Hario, Martti, European news, 284-92 Harper, David, note on two male Blackcaps at one nest, 136-7; on abnormal duration of parental care by male Blackbird, 249; on bigamy by Treecreepers, 250-1 Harrier, Hen, prolonged aerial encounters with Goshawk, 89-91; hunting with Merlin, 430; hunting with Peregrine, 430 , Marsh, British breeding records 1983, 64-5; British breeding records 1984, 480 Harrier, Montagu’s, British breeding records 1983, 65; British breeding records 1984, 480 Harris, Alan, photographs of Little Bunting, 583, plates 294-5 Harrison, Pamela, photograph of Little Stint, 610, plate 306; of Western Sand- piper, 62 1 , plate 323 Hartridge, D. H., see Green, E. E. Harvey, W. G., and Porter, R. F., mystery photograph 1 16: Blyth’s Reed Warbler, 392-6, plates 207-10 ' Hastings, Rupert B., photograph of Pomarine Skua, 2, plate 1 Henty, C. J., development of snail-smashing by Song Thrushes, 277-81 Heron, Grey, European news, 285-6; photo- graph, 443, plate 238 , Night, photographs, 16, plates 32-3; European news, 285; accepted records 1985, 530 , Purple, European news, 286 — — , Squacco, accepted record 1985, 530; eating passerines, 590 , W'estern Reef, mystery photograph, 204, 243-4, plates 112, 138-9; European news, 285 Hewitt, John, photographs of Northern Parula, 9, plates 16-7; of Rose-breasted Grosbeak, 10, plate 19; of Yellow-rumped Warbler, 11, plates 21-2; of Yellow-billed Cuckoo, 1 1, plate 23; of Booted Warbler, 13, plate 26; of Night Heron, 16, plate 32; of Nutcracker, 92, plate 55; of White- crowned Black Wheatear, 223, plates 123- 4; of Red-necked Grebe, 313, plate 164; of Subalpine Warbler, 415, plate 214; ofRed- breasted Flycatcher, 417, plate 220; of Pine Bunting, 565, plate 283; of Red-necked Phalaropes, 674, plates 350-1 Heywood, A., note on Buzzards talon- grappling and tumbling to ground, 429 Higginbottom, John, letter on size-illusion, 349 Higgott, J. B., photograph of Two-barred Crossbill, 673, plate 348 Hill, Alistair, European news, 284-92 Hill, B. ]., photograph of Western Reef Heron, 204, 243, plates 1 12, 138 Himantopus himantopus, see Stilt, Black-winged Hinley, Timothy, winner of The Richard Richardson Award 1986, 319-25; award presentation, 515, plate 227 Hippolais caligata , see Warbler, Booted icterina, see Warbler, Icterine pallida , see Warbler, Olivaceous Hirundapus caudacutus , see Swift, Needle-tailed Hirundo daurica , see Swallow, Red-rumped rustica, see Swallow Index to volume 79 693 Hobby, British breeding records 1983, 66-8; British breeding records 1983-4, 481-3 Hodgson, Chris, note on Blackbird scaveng- ing nestling House Sparrow, 592-3 Hofmann, Norbert, photographs of River Warbler, 245, 283-4, plates 140, 156-7 Holleyman, R. A., note on action taken by Little Ringed Plovers in securing most suitable site in which to rear young, 400-1 Holman, D. J., short review, 316 Holmes, Brian, photographs of Laughing Gull, 343-4, plates 170-1 Hooper, M. D., letter on pesticides and pollution, 350- 1 Hoopoe, British breeding record 1983, 73; European news, 289; British breeding records 1984,487-8 Hosking, Eric, photograph of W ood Sand- piper, 120, 202, plates 69, 108 , , and David, photographs of Snowy Owls, 235-41, plates 132-5, 137 , , see Chandler, R. J., et at. Howells, R. ]., note on Ring-billed Gulls displaying in West Glamorgan, 42 Hughes, S. W. M., note on Cormorants roosting on electricity pylons, 337-8; on Jay taking peanuts from hanging mesh bag, 342 Hume, R. A., reactions ofbirds to heavy rain, 326-9 Hutchings, S. C., photographs of Gray- cheeked Thrush, 8, plates 12-3; of Northern Parula, 9, plate 18; of Least Sandpiper, 264, plates 145-6; of Chimney Swift, 425, plates 226-30 Hutchinson, G. D., short review, 316 Hydrobates pelagicus, see Petrel, Storm Hypocolius ampelinus, see Hypocolius, Grey Hvpocolius, Grey, breeding range, 212 Ibis, Glossy, European news, 286; accepted records 1984-5, 532 If the caption fits, 677-8, plate 355 Ixobrychus minutus , see Bittern, Little Jackdaw, mobbing Buzzard at Magpie's nest, 40-1; European news, 291; bathing in deep water, 593-4 , Daurian, iris colour, 252 Jacobsen, Peder E., see Andersen, H. Harrestrup James, P.. note on Trumpeter Finch in West Sussex, 299-300 James, P. CL, Little Shearwaters in Britain and Ireland, 28-33, plates 35-6 Jay, taking peanuts from hanging mesh bag, 342 Jepson, Paul, letter on aerial display of Black-shouldered Kite, 348 Johnson, Ian, comments on group charac- teristics (letter), 660 Johnston, I., letter on help for the Snowy Owls, 255 Joy, Susan, photograph, 96, plate 60 Jury, J. A., note on Razorbill swimming at depth of 140m, 339 j lynx torquilla, see Wryneck Kennedy, Paul, note on Pallid Swift occupy- ing House Martin’s nest, 339-40 Kestrel, exploiting hunting activity of weasels, 431; hunting with Merlin, 431; reacting to butterfly, 431; regularly catching bats. 431-2 , Lesser, accepted record 1979, 540-1 Kilgour, A. John, see Gordon, Peter R. Killdeer, accepted records 1983-5, 544 King, Bernard, note on ground-feeding behaviour of migrating Swallows, 340; on food-seeking Buzzard following combine- harvester, 429 Kingfisher, Belted, reactions to heavy rain. 328; accepted Irish record 1985, 560 Kite. Black, accepted records 1978-85, 539 , Black-shouldered, aerial display, 348 , Red, British breeding records 1983. 63; British breeding records 1984. 479; fishing like Osprey, 592 Kittiwake, European news, 288 Klein, Jean-Louis, photographs of Hazel Grouse, 246-7, plates 141-3 Knights, Chris and Jo, colour photograph of Stone-curlews, 420. plate 224 Knot, separation from Great Knot, 125-8. plates 73-4, 76, 79; reactions to heavy rain. 328 , Great, identification, habits and status. 123-35. plates 73-81 Kolodziejski, S., and Skinner. P. C. J„ note on Common Yellowthroat in Sciily. 434-5, plate 233 Lanius collurio, see Shrike. Red-backed excubitor, see Shrike, Great Grey isabellinus. see Shrike. Isabelline minor, see Shrike. Lesser Grey nubicus, see Shrike. Masked senator, see Shrike. \\ oodchat Lansdown. Peter, mystery photograph 119: Booted Warbler. 589; review of Harbard: Evenings at the Coot and Corncrake. 665 Lapwing, feeding on dredgings during hard weather, 297; chick entangled in breast 694 Index to volume 79 feathers of adult, 401-2; killed in water by Sparrowhawk, 502 Lark, Calandra, European news, 289; accepted record 1985, 560 , Dupont’s, European news, 289 , Shore, photographs, 15, plates 28-9; European news, 289 , Short-toed, accepted records 1982-5, 561-2 , White-winged, field identification, 332-5, plates 168-9; accepted record 1981, 561 Larus argentatus, see Gull, Herring atricilla , see Gull, Laughing audouinii, see Gull, Audouin’s cams, see Gull, Common delawarensis, see Gull, Ring-billed Juscus , see Gull, Lesser Black-backed glaucoides, see Gull, Iceland hyperboreus , see Gull, Glaucous ichthyaetus, see Gull, Great Black- headed melanocephalus, see Gull, Mediterranean minutus, see Gull, Little Philadelphia , see Gull, Bonaparte’s pipixcan, see Gull, Franklin’s ridibundus , see Gull, Black-headed sabini, see Gull, Sabine’s Lefranc, N., PhotoSpot 20: Hazel Grouse, 246-7, plates 141-3 Leigh, Edward, photograph of W. H. Thorpe, 499, plate 265 Lilleleht, Vilju, European news, 284-92 Limicola falcinellus, see Sandpiper, Broad- billed Limnodromus griseus, see Dowitcher, Short- billed scolopaceus , see Dowitcher, Long-billed Limosa lapponica, see Godwit, Bar-tailed limosa , see Godwit, Black-tailed Linnet, photographs, 643, plates 324-5 Little, B., see Newton, I. Locustella certhiola, see Warbler, Pallas’s Grasshopper fluviatilis , see Warbler, River lanceolata, see W'arbler, Lanceolated luscinioides, see Warbler, Savi’s naevia , see Warbler, Grasshopper Longfield, Cynthia, letter on help for the Snowy Owls, 255 Lord, R. M., thanks to the Sora watchers (letter), 94 Loseby, Tim, photographs of White-tailed Eagle, 540, plates 270-1; of Semipal- mated Sandpiper, 6 1 7-8, plates 3 1 7-9 Lowe, Frank, obituary, 143 Loxia curvirostra , see Crossbill leucoptera, see Crossbill, Two-barred Loxia, pytyopsittacus , see Crossbill, Parrot Lullula arborea, see Woodlark Luscinia calliope , see Rubythroat, Siberian luscinia , see Nightingale, Thrush megarhynchos, see Nightingale svecica, see Bluethroat Lymnocryples minimus , see Snipe, Jack McCartney, Paul, letter on Mediterranean races of Manx Shearwater in British waters, 351-2 McGeehan, Anthony, photograph of Gyr- falcon, 359, plate 176 Mackrill, Ed, note on Scops Owl sunbathing, 296-7 Maclean, Gavin, photograph of Rose- coloured Starling, 577, plate 289 McLee, A. G., note on Kestrel exploiting hunting activity of weasels, 43 1 ; on Kestrel exploiting hunting strategy of Merlin, 43 1 McNeil, D. A. C., note on Spotted Flycatcher sunning, 506 Madden, Brian, photograph of Ring-necked Duck, 536-7, plate 269 Madge, S. C., mystery photograph 110; Pintail Snipe, 82-4; review of Simms: British Warblers, 270 , , see Appleby, R. H. Magpie, Buzzard attempting to raid nest, 40- 1 ; European news, 29 1 ; bathing in deep water, 593-4 Maisel, Gerald, photograph of Little Stint, 613, plate 31 1 Malins, J., photograph of Rose-coloured Starling, 673, plate 346 Mallard, hybrid X Australasian Black Duck, numbers in Midlands, 88; hybrid X Pintail, numbers in Midlands, 88-9 Marchant, John H., identification, habits and status of Great Knot, 123-35, plates 73-81 ; short review, 512 Markham, John, photograph of Woodlark, 106, plate 64 Marr, Tony, short review, 315 Marshman, J., photograph of Water Rail, 147, plate 83 Martin, Brown-throated Sand, European news, 289 , House, nest taken over by Pallid Swift, 339-40; caught and drowned by Goos- anders, 591 , Sand, photograph, 446, plate 243 Massingham, C., see Cudworth, J. Mather, John R., review of Inskipp and Inskipp: A Guide to the Birds oj Nepal, 102; personal account of, 1 17-9, plate 67; note on Eleonora’s Falcon in North Humber- side, 206-7, plates 1 13-4 Index to volume 79 695 Maxwell, J. C., note on ducks ‘spinning’, 591 Meek, E., see Newton, I. Melanitta jusca , see Scoter, Velvet nigra, see Scoter, Common perspicillata, see Scoter, Surf Melanocorypha calandra, see Lark, Calandra leucoptera, see Lark, White-winged Merganser, Red-breasted, male displaying to Goosanders, 89 Mergus albellus, see Smew merganser, see Goosander serrator, see Merganser, Red-breasted Merlin, breeding numbers in Northumber- land 1974-83, 155-70; breeding status in Britain 1983-84, 170-85, plates 89-92; hunting with Hen Harrier, 430; Kestrel hunting with, 43 1 Merops apiaster , see Bee-eater Messenbird, G., photograph of Nutcracker, 92, plate 56 Meyer, M., photograph of Oriental Skylark, 194, plate 103 Micropalama himantopus, see Sandpiper, Stilt Migration: British rarities in a foreign perspective, 300-2; mechanism of autumn arrival of Nearctic and eastern Palearctic vagrants, 302-4; vagrants and Saharan dust, 304-5 Miller, J., photograph of Ring-billed Gull, 554, plate 275 Mills, Richard T., photographs of American Redstart, 6, plates 8-9; of Philadelphia Vireo, 7, plates 10-1; of Corncrake, 84-6, plates 51-3; ofWhooper Swans, 442, plate 236; of Gannet, 444, plate 239; of Snipes, 645, plate 330; of Starlings, 648, plate 335 Milner, Charles A., letter on help for the Snowy Owls, 255 Mitvus migrans , see Kite, Black milvus , see Kite, Red Mniotilta varia, see Warbler, Black-and-white Moffett, A. T., Bird Photograph of the Year 1986, 271, plate 151; award presentation, 459, plate 251; colour photograph of Red- legged Partridge, 273, plate 154 Monthly marathon: 1, plate 179; 2, plate 223; 3, plate 262; 4, plate 268; 5, plate 305; 6. plate 359 Monticola saxatilis , see Thrush, Rock solitarius, see Thrush, Blue Rock Moon, Andrew V., photograph of Pomarine Skua, 2, plate 2; of Shore Lark, 15, plates 28-9; of Guillemots, 314, plate 165; of Lesser Grey Shrike, 396, 426, plates 211, 23 1 ; of Sora, 563, plate 278 Moorhen, reactions to heavy rain. 328 Moreton, B. D.. note on Kestrel reacting to butterfly, 43 1 Morgan, Peter G., note on Cory’s Shear- waters associating with dolphins, 87; short review, 3 1 7 Morgan, Robert, note on Eider attacked by grey seal, 338 Motacilla alba, see Wagtail, Pied citreola, see Wagtail, Citrine flava, see Wagtail, Yellow Mulder, Jan, photograph of Red-throated Divers, 369, plate 182; of White-billed Diver, 382, plate 199 Mullarney, Killian, see Appleby, R. H. Munsterman, P., photograph of Little Gulls, 83, 119, plates 50, 68; of Red-throated Diver, 369, plate 181; of Pomarine Skua, 445, plate 241; of Brent Geese, 644, plate 328; of Sandw ich Terns, 678, plate 355 Muscicapa striata, see Flycatcher, Spotted Mylne, Chris, photograph of Snowy Owl nesting habitat, 230, plate 127 Mystery personalities: 1, plate 161 Mystery photographs: 110, plate 45; 111, plate 50; 1 12, plate 69; 1 13. plate 112; 114, plate 140; 115, plate 158; 116, plate 167; 1 17, plate 211; 118, plate 232; 1 19. plate 264; 120, plate 298; 121, plate 343 Mystery photographs, answers to: 109, 34-9; 110, 82-4; 111, 119-20: 112. 202-5: 113. 243-4; 1 14, 283-4; 1 15, 329-31; 1 16. 392-6; 1 I 7,426-8; 1 18,497-8; 1 19,589; 120,654-6 Nattrass, M., see Bibby, C. J. Neal, Geoff, photographs of Blyth's Reed Warbler, 331, 392-4. plates 167. 207-9 News and comment, 49-52, plates 46-7; 95-6, plate 60; 141-51, plates 82-6; 214-5; 261-2: 308-10, plates 160-1; 356-7; 411-2; 455-60. plates 250-1: 514-7, plates 266-7; 600-2; 666-9, plate 344 Newton, L, Meek. E., and Little. B.. popu- lation and breeding of Northumbrian Merlins. 155-70 Nicholls, Howard, photograph of Great Northern Diver. 378. plate 195 Nicholson, E. \L, obituarv of Jean Delacour. 143 Nightingale, European news, 289; croaking call, 404-5 . Thrush, accepted records 1983-5, 569 Nightingale. Tom. note on Little Stints feeding by hovering, 136 Nightjar, apparentlv attacked by W oodcock. 41 Nucifraga caryocatactes , see Nutcracker Numenius arquata, see Curlew minutus, see Whimbrel, Little phaeopus, see Whimbrel tenuirostris, see Curlew, Slender-billed 696 Index to volume 79 Nutcracker, in Suffolk, November 1985: letter, 92-4, plates 54-9; European news, 291; accepted records 1985, 577 Nuthatch, attracted by ‘pishing’, 138; European news, 291 Nyctea scandiaca , see Owl, Snowy Nycticorax nycticorax , see Heron, Night Obituaries: Jean Delacour (1890-1985), 143, plate 82; Frank Lowe (1904-1985), 143; Professor W. H. Thorpe (1902-1986), 499- 500, plate 265; Ted Ellis, 516; Laurel Fucker (1951-1986), 652-3, plate 341 Oceanites oceanicus, see Petrel, Wilson’s Oddie, W. E., review of Bernstein: The Joy of Birding, 101; of Lentz and Young: Bird- watching, 102; presenting Country Life Birdwatch trophy, 456, plate 250 Odell, Dave, thanks for the Nutcracker arrangements (letter), 92-4, plates 54-9 Odin, N., photographs of Red-eyed Vireo, 578, plates 290-2 , , see Bristow, Phillip Oenanthe deserti, see Wheatear, Desert hispanica , see Wheatear, Black-eared leucopyga, see Wheatear, White-crowned Black monacha, see Wheatear, Hooded pleschanka , see Wheatear, Pied Ogilvie, M. A., review of Bardarson: Birds of Iceland, 599; review of Lovegrove and Snow: Collin'! Field Notebook of British Birds, 600 Olsen, Klaus Mailing, mystery photograph, 115: Spotted Eagle, 329-31, plates 158, 166 Olsson, Urban, colour photographs of Great Knot, 130, plates 78-9 O’Mahony, Barry, photograph of Wilson’s Phalarope, 551, plate 273 Orchel, Jack, photograph of Whooper Swans, 649, plate 338 Oriole, Golden, British breeding records 1983, 79; British breeding records 1984, 493 Oriolus oriolus, see Oriole, Golden Osprey, British breeding records 1983, 66; reactions to heavy rain, 327; British breeding records 1984, 481; catching two fish in one dive, 502-3 Otus scops, see Owl, Scops Ovenbird, accepted record 1985, 581 Owl, Barn, European news, 289 , Great Grey, European news, 289 , Scops, sunbathing, 296-7 , Short-eared, European news, 289; high mortality on Norfolk road, 403-4; long stay at offshore oilrig, 404 Owl, Snowy, summering in Scotland 1983, 73; breeding biology and behaviour on Shetland 1967-75, 228-42, plates 127-37; letters on suggested introduction of males to Shetland, 253-8; summering in Shet- land, 487 , Tengmalm’s, accepted record 1981, 559 Oxyura jamaicensis , see Duck, Ruddy leucocephala, see Duck, White-headed Oystercatcher, reactions to heavy rain and hail, 328-9 Pagophila eburnea, see Gull, Ivory Palmer, Gary, note on Great Grey Phalarope in West Midlands, 208-9, plate 1 15 Pandion haliaetus, see Osprey Panurus biarmicus, see Tit, Bearded Parakeet, Ring-necked, European news, 289 Partridge, Grey, colour photograph, 271, plate 151 , Red-legged, colour photograph, 273, plate 154; at risk from introduction of Chukar, 656-7 Parula americana , see Parula, Northern Parula, Northern, photographs, 9, plates 15- 8; in Scilly, October 1983, 432-4; accepted records 1985, 580 Parus ater , see Tit, Coal caeruleus, see Tit, Blue cinctus, see Tit, Siberian cristatus, see Tit, Crested cyanus, see Tit, Azure major, see Tit, Great montanus, see Tit, Willow Passer domesticus, see Sparrow, House montanus, see Sparrow, Tree Passerina ciris , see Bunting, Painted cyanea, see Bunting, Indigo Pauli, David E., note on W'rens fighting in flight, 136 Pelecanus crispus, see Pelican, Dalmatian onocrotalus, see Pelican, White Pelican, Dalmatian, European news, 285 , White, European news, 285; accepted record 1975, 585 Perdix perdix, see Partridge, Grey Peregrine, hunting with Hen Harrier, 430 Pemis apivorus, see Buzzard, Honey Perrins, C. M., photographs of Little Shear- water, 3 1 , plates 35-6 Personalities: 33, John R. Mather, 117-9, plate 67 Petrel, Capped, accepted record 1984, 529 , Storm, European news, 285; photo- graphs, 607, plates 303-4 Index to volume 79 697 Petrel, Wilson’s, European news, 285; accepted Irish record 1985, 529; photo- graph, 606, plate 302 Phalacrocorax aristotelis, see Shag carbo, see Cormorant Phalarope, Great Grey, in West Midlands, October 1983, 208-9, plate 1 15 , Grey, European news, 288 , Red-necked, British breeding records 1983, 72; British breeding records 1984, 487; photographs, 674, plates 350-1 , Wilson’s, accepted records 1980-5, 551-2, plate 273 Phalaropus fulicarius, see Phalarope, Grey lobatus , see Phalarope, Red-necked tricolor, see Phalarope, Wilson’s Pheucticus ludovicianus, see Grosbeak, Rose- breasted Philomachus pugnax, see Ruff Phoenicopterus ruber , see Flamingo, Greater Phoenicurus phoenicurus , see Redstart PhotoSpot: 18, Corncrake, 84-7, plates 51-3; 19, Hooded Wheatear, 120-3, plates 70-2; 20, Hazel Grouse, 246-7, plates 141-3; 21, Desert Finch, 678-80, plates 356-8 Phylloscopus bonelli, see Warbler, Bonelli’s borealis, see W arbler, Arctic collybila, see ChifTchafF Juscatus, see Warbler, Dusky inornatus, see Warbler, Yellow-browed nitidus, see Warbler, Green proregulus, see Warbler, Pallas’s schwarzi, see Warbler, Radde’s sibilatrix, see Warbler, Wood Irochiloides , see Warbler, Greenish trochilus, see Warbler, Willow Pica pica, see Magpie Picus viridis , see Woodpecker, Green Pierce, D., photographs of Skylark. 189-95, plates 95, 98, 101, 105 Pintail, British breeding records 1983, 60; British breeding records 1983-4, 476-7 Pipit, Meadow, nestlings as prey of Buzzard, 25-6, plate 34; mystery photographs, 34-9. plates 37-41, 44; feeding on dredgings during hard weather, 297; abnormal claw lengths, 659 , Olive-backed, accepted records 1985, 567 , Pechora, European news, 289; accepted record 1985, 567, plate 287 ; Red-throated, photographs, 37-8, plates 42-3; accepted records 1984-5, 567-8 , Richard’s, accepted records 1977-81, 562 , Rock, declining winter numbers in Derbyshire, 508 , Tawny, accepted records 1980-1, 567 Platalea leucorodia, see Spoonbill Plectrophenax nivalis, see Bunting, Snow Plegadis Jalcinellus, see Ibis, Glossy Plover, Golden, photograph, 649, plate 337 , Greater Sand, in Norfolk, April 1981, 503-4; accepted record 1985, 544 , Grey, reactions to heavy rain and hail, .328-9 , Lesser Golden, accepted records 1984- 5, 544 , Little Ringed, fighting to secure best site for rearing young, 400-1; photograph, 440, plate 235 , Ringed, reactions to heavy hail, 329 , Sociable, European news, 287; accepted record 1985, 545 , White-tailed, European news, 287; in Tyne & Wear, May 1984, 293-4; in Shrop- shire, May 1984, 294-5 Pluvialis apricaria, see Plover. Golden dominica , see Plover, Lesser Golden squatarola , see Plover, Grey Pochard, hybrid X Scaup, numbers in Midlands, 87; hybrid X Ferruginous Duck, numbers in Midlands, 88; hybrid X Tufted Duck, numbers in Midlands, 88-9; photograph, 648, plate 336 Podiceps auritus, see Grebe, Slavonian cristatus , see Grebe, Great Crested grisegena, see Grebe, Red-necked nigricollis, see Grebe, Black-necked Podilymbus podiceps, see Grebe, Pied-billed Points of view: 15,248-9; 16,656-7 Polysticta stelleri, see Eider, Steller’s Pop, Rene, photographs of White-billed Divers, 385, 390, 590. 654. plates 203, 205. 298, 342 Porter. Richard, review of Gleeves: ,4 Bird in the Hand, 600 , , see Harvey, W. G. Porzana Carolina, see Sora parva, see Crake, Little porzana , see Crake. Spotted pusilla, see Crake, Baillon’s Pratincole, accepted record 1985, 543 . Black-winged. European news. 287; accepted records 1974-85, 543 Prentice, C.. photograph of Black-throated Diver, 372, plate i 85 Product reports: ‘Elephant's 1 runk — Stan- dard (model 1 12) camera case. 245; Zeiss West Germany 7 X 42B GAT* binoculars. 282; ‘Benbo Nik. 1' tripod. 335-6; Green- kat ‘Eyas’ 7 X 40 ZCF binoculars. 396-7; Mirador 7 X 42 binoculars. 428; Mirador SSF60 25 X 60mm telescope, 496 Prunella collaris. see Accentor, Alpine I modularis, see Dunnock 698 Index to volume 79 Prytherch, Robin, letter on nests of Sparrowhawk and Kestrel, 44 , , and Everett, Mike, news and comment, see News and comment Pterodroma hasitata , see Petrel, Capped Puffin, diving depths, 596 Puffinus assimilis, see Shearwater, Little gravis, see Shearwater, Great griseus, see Shearwater, Sooty puffinus, see Shearwater, Manx Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax, see Chough Pyrrhula pyrrhula, see Bullfinch Quicke, Donald L. J., see Donoghue, Alison M. Rabl, J(j>rgen, letter on British rarities in a foreign perspective, 300-2 Radford, A. P., note on nest-building by male Wood Warbler, 137 Raes, Marc, photograph of Whitethroat, 150, plate 86 Rail, YVater, colour photograph, 272, plate 153; feeding on passerines in garden, 397- 400; photograph, 650, plate 339 Rallus aquaticus, see Rail, Water Rare Breeding Birds Panel, rare breeding birds in the United Kingdom in 1983, 53- 81; rare breeding birds in the United Kingdom in 1984, 470-95 Rarities Committee, news and announce- ments, 450-1, plate 249; report on rare birds in Great Britain in 1985, 526-88, plates 269-96 Rasanen, Tapani, photograph of Blyth’s Reed Warbler, 395, plate 210 Raven, rolling on ground to avoid Peregrine, 252; European news, 291 Razorbill, taken by grey seal, 338-9; diving depths, 339, 596 Recent reports, 1-17; 97-100, plates 61-3; 152-4, plates 87-8; 215-20, plates 116-20; 263-8, plates 145-50; 311-5, plates 162-5; 358-62, plates 175-8; 412-8; 461-4, plates 252-5; 517-9; 603-7, plates 299-304; 670-4, plates 345-51 Recurvirostra avosetta, see Avocet Redpoll, European news, 291 , Arctic, European news, 291; accepted records 1985, 579 Redshank, photograph, 203, plate 111; feeding on dredgings during hard weathe-, 297; reactions to heavy hail, 329 Redstart, nestling as prey of Buzzard, 24 , American, photographs, 6, plates 8-9; accepted record 1983, 581 Redwing, British breeding records 1983, 74- 5; European news, 290; feeding on dredg- ings during hard weather, 297; British breeding records 1984, 489-90; photo- graph, 646, plate 332 Rees, G. H., letter on Mediterranean races of Manx Shearwater in British waters, 351 Regulus ignicapillus, see Firecrest regulus, see Goldcrest Remiz pendulinus, see Tit, Penduline Request: please help us to help you, 49; atlas of bird distribution in Sri Lanka, 141; Hampshire tetrad atlas breeding survey, skua photographs, coastal and inland Pomarine Skuas in autumn/winter 1985, 260-1; colour-ringed White-tailed Eagles, transparencies request, tree-roosting by- Swifts, 308; bad photographs, 355; Swifts and Pallid Swifts in November 1984, 408; resubscription urgency, ‘BWP’ vol. 6, birds of Kashmir, birds in Oman, 598; records of breeding Black-throated Divers, marsh tern photographs, 664 Reviews: Ali: The Fall oj a Sparrow , 408-9 Bardarson: Birds of Iceland , 599 Barnard and Thompson: Gull and Plovers, 100-1 Beehler, Pratt and Zimmerman: Birds oj New Guinea , 599-600 Bernstein: The Joy oj Bir ding, 101 Brooke: South Ajrican Red Data — Birds, 101 Buckley et al.\ Neotropical Ornithology , 268 Cleeves: A Bird in the Hand, 600 Collar and Stuart: Threatened Birds oj AJrica and Related Islands, 101 Cusa: Tunniclijfe’s Birdlije, 452-3 Dalton: The Secret Lije oj an Oakwood, 664-5 Dolby: Logjor Birdwatching, 151 Dubois and Yesou: Inventaire des Especes d’Oiseaux Occasionnelles en France, 409 Flegg and Hosking: Which Bird?, 509-10 Gladwin and Sage: The Birds oj Hertford- shire, 409-10 Gooders: The New Whereto Watch Birds, 362- 3 Gooders: Field Guide to the Birds oj Britain and Ireland, 453-4 Harbard: Evenings at the Coot and Corncrake. 665 Harrison: Seabirds, revised edition, 68 Hayman, Marchant and Prater: Shorebirds. 454-5 Hornbuckle and Herringshaw: Birds of the Sheffield Area, 269 Hume and Sullivan: A Year oj Bird Lije, 151 Hutchinson: Watching Birds in Ireland , 665 Il’icev and Flint: Handbuch der Vogel der Sowjetunion, v ol. 1,269-70 Index to volume 79 Inskipp and Inskipp: A Guide to the Birds of Nepal, 102 Jackman: The Countryside in Winter , 317-8 Jackson: Bird Etchings , 318 Johnsgard: The Pheasants oj the World , 510 Lentz and Young: Birdwatching , 102 Lovegrove and Snow: Collins Field Notebook of British Birds, 600 Mather: The Birds oj Yorkshire, 510-1 Newton: The Sparrowhawk, 511-2 Newton and Chancellor: Conservation Studies on Raptors, 102-3 Orians: Blackbirds oj the Americas, 318 Roberts: The Birds oj Bardsey, 103-4 Shackleton: Wildlife and Wilderness, 666 Sheail: Pesticides and Nature Conservation, 104 Simms: British Warblers, 270 Simpson and Day: The Birds oj Australia, 220 Skutch: Life oj the Woodpecker , 3 1 8 Taylor, Fuller and Lack: Bird Census and Atlas Studies, 104 Thom: Birds in Scotland, 410-1 Reynolds, J. F,, photographs of Red-throated Pipit, 37-8, plates 42-3 Rhodospiza obsoleta, see Finch, Desert Rhodostethia rosea, see Gull, Ross’s Richard Richardson Award 1986, 319-25; award presentation, 515, plate 227 Richards, Charles E., letter on caution needed in Morocco, 436 Rinnhofer, Gunter, photograph of Free Sparrows, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Linnets and Twites, 643, plate 324; of Twites and Linnet, 643, plates 325-6; ol Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, 644, plate 327; of Bullfinch, 645, plate 329 Ripana paludicola , see Martin, Brown- throated Sand riparia , see Martin, Sand Risdon, Graeme, photograph of Sabine's Gull, 461, plate 252 Rissa tridactyla , see Kittiwake Roberts, J. Lawton, photograph of Merlin, 175, plate 89; note on Hen Harrier and Peregrine hunting ‘in tandem , 430 Roberts, Tom, letter on breeding areas of Grey Hypocolius, 212 Robertson, lain S., identification of White- winged Lark, 332-5. plates 168-9; review of Thom: Birds in Scotland , 410-1; mystery- photograph 1 18: Reed Bunting, 49/ -8 Robin, attracted by ‘pishing’, 138; feeding on dredgings during hard weather, 297, photograph, 647, plate 333 , American, European news, 290 Robin, Klaus, photographs of Meadow Pipit, 34-5, plates 37-40 699 Robinson, Martin, letter on help for the Snowy Owls, 256 , , and Becker C. Dustin, Snowy Owls on Fetlar, 228-42, plates 127-37 Rogers, M. J., letter on ‘pishing’, 139; on ‘British status and identification of Greenish Warbler’, 213; report on rare birds in Great Britain in 1985, 526-88, plates 269-96 Roller, accepted record 1985, 560 Rook, nestlings as prey of Buzzard, 27; mobbing Buzzard at Magpie’s nest, 40-1; bathing in deep water, 593-4 Rooke, Steve, photograph of Great Shear- water, 606, plate 301; of W ilson’s Petrel. 606, plate 302 Roosting: Cormorant, 337-8 Rose, Chris, Bird Illustrator of the Year 1986, 319-25; award presentation, 515, plate 227; review of Cusa: Tunniclijje's Birdlije, 452-3 Rosefinch, Scarlet, British breeding record 1983, 80; European news, 291-2; British breeding records 1983-4, 495 Round, Philip D., review of Ali: The Fall oj a Sparrow , 408-9 Rubvthroat, Siberian, European news. 289 Ruff, British breeding records 1983, 71; British breeding records 1983-4, 485-6 Rumsey, Stephen, photograph of Dennis Buisson, 309, plate 161 Salter, F. C., note on egret in mid Atlantic, 500 Sanderling, possible confusion with Red- necked Stint, 6 1 3-6, plates 3 1 2-6 Sandpiper, Baird's, accepted records 1983-4, 546 , Broad-billed. British breeding record 1983, 71; accepted records 1984-5, 546-7 , Buff-breasted, European news, 287; accepted record 1981, 547 , Common, European news, 288 . Green, photographs, 203, plates 109-10 . Least, photographs, 264. plates 145-6; reactions to heavy rain, 326 . Marsh. European news, 287; accepted records 1984-5, 549-50 , Pectoral, European news, 287 , Purple, British breeding record 1983. 71; British breeding records 1984, 485 , Semipalmated, reactions to heavy rain. 326; accepted records 1982-4, 545; identification problems. 617-21, plates 317-22 , Sharp-tailed, accepted records 1985, 546 Index to volume 79 700 Sandpiper, Solitary, accepted record 1985, 550 , Spotted, accepted records 1978-84, 550- 1 ; gait and leg length, 657-8 , Stilt, accepted records 1985, 547 , Terek, European news, 287; accepted record 1983, 550 , Upland, European news, 287 , Western, identification problems, 617- 21, plates 317-22 , VVhite-rumped, European news, 287; accepted records 1980-5, 545-6 , Wood, British breeding records 1983, 72; mystery photograph, 120, 202, plates 69, 108; British breeding records 1984,487 Sankey, Jack, note on White-tailed Plover in Shropshire, 294-5 Saxicola torquala , see Stonechat Scaup, hybrid X Pochard, numbers in Midlands, 87 Scharringa, Kees, European news, 284-92 Schouten, Hans, photograph of White-billed Diver, 383, plate 200 Schwarz, Martin, photograph of Black- throated Diver, 373, plate 187 Scolopax ruslicola, see Woodcock Scoter, Common, British breeding records 1983, 62; British breeding records 1984, 478 , Surf, accepted records 1984-5, 538-9 , Velvet, European news, 286 Scott, Bob, short review, 317 Seiurus aurocapillus , see Ovenbird Serin, British breeding records 1983, 80; British breeding records 1983-4, 494 Serinus serinus , see Serin Setophaga ruticilla , see Redstart, American Seventy-five years ago, 17; 81; 154; 185; 227; 300; 336; 407; 422; 498; 588; 677 Shackleton, Keith, see Gillmor, Robert Shag, European news, 285 Sharrock, Erika, photograph of Rarities Committee, 451, plate 249; short review, 513 Sharrock, J. T. R., PhotoSpot 18: Corncrake, 84-7; review of Roberts: The Birds of Bardsey, 103-4; review of Hume and Sullivan: A Year of Bird Life, 151;coats and jackets for birdwatchers, 198-202; escapes? (letter), 210; points of view 15: hunting, shooting and wildlife, 248-9; product reports, 282, 396-7, 428; short reviews, 315-7, 512-3; review of Gooders: The New Where to Watch Birds, 362-3; review of Dubois and Yesou: Inventaire des Especes d’Oiseaux Occasionnelles en France, 409; note on Reed Warbler singing in oil-seed rape field, 432; review of Flegg and Hosking: Which Bird?, 509-10; of Johnsgard: The Pheasants of the World, 510; review of Dalton: The Secret Life of an Oakwood , 664-5; review of Hutchinson: Watching Birds in Ireland, 665-6; review of Shackleton: Wildlife and Wilderness, 666 , , and Chandler, R. J., birds in winter, 642-52, plates 324-40 , , and Lorna, overseas bird tours survey, 622-41 , , see Bundy, Graham , , see Chandler, R. J., et al. , , see Gillmor, Robert Shearwater, Cory’s, European news, 285 , Great, photograph, 606, plate 301 , Little, summering on Skomer 1981-2, 28-33, 59, plates 35-6; accepted records 1985, 529 , Manx, letters on occurrence of Medi- terranean races in British waters, 351-4, plates 1 72-4; apparent feeding association with Sandwich Terns, 397 , Sooty, European news, 285 Shelduck, European news, 286; reactions to heavy rain and hail, 328-9 Shiota, T., photograph of Red-necked Stint, 612, plate 310 Shirihai, Hadoram, identification ofOriental Skylark, 186-97, plates 93-107 Short reviews: Allaby, 315; Beehler and Finch, 512; Belfast RSPB Members’ Group, 315; Bub, 3 1 5; Birds of the Norfolk Broads, 316; Cemmick and Veitch, 315; Chinery and Teagle, 315; Dubois and Maheo, 512; Gill, 512; Goater, 513; Greenoak, 316; Gregory, 513; Hammond, 316; Harris, 513; Hayman and Everett, 513; Jenkins, 513; Knowelden, 513; Laughlin and Kibbe, 316; Madge, 513; Patzold, 513; Phillips, Butler and Sharp, 316; RSPB, 513; Radicke, 316; Rayner, 316; Roberson, 316-7; Rosie and Barnes, 317; Russell, 317; Scheufler and Stiefel. 317; Zink, 317 Shoveler, ‘spinning’, 591 Shrike, Great Grey, declining winter numbers in Derbyshire, 508 , Isabelline, accepted records 1985, 575- 6 , Lesser Grey, mystery photograph, 396, 426, plates 21 L 231 . Masked, European news, 291 , Red-backed, British breeding records 1983, 79; British breeding records 1984, 493-4 , Woodchat, accepted records 1984-5, 576-7; photograph, 673, plate 347 Sibley, Charles G., photograph of Jean Delacour, 143, plate 82 Index to volume 79 701 Simmons, K. E. L., review of Barnard and 1 hompson: Gulls and Plovers , 100- 1 ; note on food-robbery as alternative feeding strategy of Chaffinch, 595-6 Siskin, European news, 291 Sitta europaea, see Nuthatch Sitters, H. P., Woodlarks in Britain, 1968-83, 105-16, plates 64-6; short review, 513 Skinner, P. C. J., see Kolodziejski, P. G. J. Skua, Arctic, request, 260 , Long-tailed, photographs, 3, plates 3- 4; request, 260 , Pomarine, photographs, 2, plates 1-2; requests, 260-1; European news, 288; photograph, 445, plate 24 1 Skylark, hour-long song flight, 136; separa- tion from Oriental Skylark, 186-97, plates 95, 98-9, 101, 105; using human beings as refuge, 592 , Oriental, identification of, 186-97, plates 93-107 Smaldon, Roger, note on gait and leg length of Spotted Sandpiper, 657-8 Smallshire, David, note on the frequency of hybrid ducks in the Midlands, 87-9 Smew, photograph, 648, plate 336 Smiddy, Patrick, note on Choughs feeding on top of vegetation, 25 1 -2 Smith, Don, photograph of Alan Moffett, 459, plate 25 1 , , see Chandler, R. J., el al. Smith, P. William, letter on ‘pishing’ technique, 138-9 Smith, Richard G., photograph of Bona- parte’s Gull, 361, plate 1 77 Smith, Robert T., photograph of Meadow Pipit, 39, plate 44 Snipe, photographs, 83, 645, plates 49, 330 , Great, European news, 287; accepted records 1983-5,547 , Jack, summering in Britain 1984, 486; declining winter numbers in Derbyshire, 508 , Pintail, mystery photograph, 39, 82, plate 45, 48 Snow', David, review' of Orians: Blackbirds of the Americas , 318; review of Skutch: Life of the Woodpecker, 3 1 8 Somateria mollissima , see Eider spectabilis, see Eider, King Sora, photographs, 15, plates 30-1; in West Sussex, October 1985: letter, 94; accepted record 1985, 542, 563, plate 278 Sparrow, House, reactions to heavy rain, 327; killed by Water Rail. 399; caught and drowned by Goosander. 591; robbed of food by Chaffinch, 596 Sparrow, free, European news, 291; photo- graph, 643, plate 324 , White-throated, accepted Irish record 1984, 581 Sparrowhawk, nest description corrected, 44; European news, 286; killing Lapwing in water, 502 Spatula clypeata, see Shoveler Spence, B. R., photograph ofRustic Bunting, 582, plate 293 Spencer, K. G., obituary of Frank Lowe, 143 Spencer, Robert, rare breeding birds in the United Kingdom in 1983, 53-81; rare breeding birds in the United Kingdom in 1984.470-95 Spoonbill, European news, 286; photo- graphs, 4 1 3. plates 2 1 2-3 Stainton, J. M., noteon birds bathing in deep water, 593-4 Starling, European news, 291; feeding on dredgings during hard weather, 297; reactions to heavy rain, 327; bathing in deep water, 593-4; photograph. 648, plate 335 , Rose-coloured, accepted records 1983- 5, 577, plate 289; photographs, 673, plates 345-6 Stastny, Karel, European news, 284-92 Stawarczyk, Tadeusz, European news, 284- 92 Stercorarius longicaudus, see Skua, Long-tailed parasiticus, see Skua, Arctic pomarinus, see Skua, Pomarine Sterna albifrons, see Tern. Little anaethetus, see Tern. Bridled bengalensis, see Tern, Lesser Crested caspia, see Tern, Caspian jorsteri, see Tern. Forster’s hirundo, see Tern, Common paradisaea, see Tern, Arctic repressa, see Tern, White-cheeked sandvicensis , see Tern, Sandwich Stet, Rene, photograph of Tufted Ducks. Smews and Pochard. 648. plate 336 Stevenson. Jim, note on pinioned Goos- anders catching and drowning House Martins, 591 Stilt. Black-winged. British breeding record 1983, 69; accepted records 1984-5. 543 Stint, Little, feeding by hovering, 136; European news, 287; firm identification of doubtful records. 609-13, plates 306-9. 31 1 . Red-necked, earlier records recon- sidered. 609-16. plates 306-10, 316 , Temminck’s, British breeding records 1983, 70-1; British breeding record 1984, 485 702 Index to volume 79 Stints, re-examination of problem records, 609-2 1 , plates 306-23 Stonechat, European news, 290; accepted records of S. t. maura/ stejnegen 1985, 569 Stone-curlew , British breeding records 1983, 70; field characters for ageing and sexing, 419-22, plates 224-5; British breeding records 1983-4, 484-5 Stork, Black, photograph, 5, plate 7; accepted records 1984-5, 532 , White, European news, 286 Strkersen (Dystein, letter on pink Black- headed Gulls, 21 1-2 Streptopelia orientalis , see Dove, Rufous Turtle Strickland, Bob, photograph of Gyrfalcon, 358, plate 1 75 Strix nebulosa , see Owl, Great Grey Sturms roseus, see Starling, Rose-coloured vulgaris , see Starling Sula bassana, see Gannet Sultana, Joe, and Gauci, Charles, European news, 284-92 Sutton, Graham, photographs of Long-billed Dowitcher, 4, plates 5-6 Swallow, reactions to heavy rain, 327; ground-feeding behaviour of migrants, 340 , Red-rumped, European news, 289; photograph, 448, plate 247; accepted records 1984-5, 562 Swan, Bewick’s, with yellow legs, 206; reactions to heavy rain, 328; accepted Irish records of C. c. columbianus 1985, 532 , Mute, foot-slapping display, 500-1 , Whooper, British breeding records 1983, 60; British breeding records 1984, 476; photograph, 649, plate 338 Swift, requests, 308, 408; reactions to heavy rain, 327 , Alpine, European news, 289; accepted records 1976-85, 559 , Little, European news, 289; in Dorset, November 1983, 506; accepted record 1985, 559-60 , Needle-tailed, accepted record 1985, 559 , Pallid, in Dorset, November 1984, 209; vagrancy and Saharan dust, 304-5; taking over House Martin’s nest, 339-40; request, 408; accepted records 1984, 559 Sykes, 4 helma K., note on Chaffinch stealing from Greenfinch, 594-5 Sylvia atricapilla, see Blackcap cantillans , see Warbler, Subalpine communis , see Whitethroat deserticola, see Warbler, Tristram’s melanocephala , see Warbler, Sardinian nisoria, see Warbler, Barred rueppelli, see Warbler, Riippell’s Sylvia sarda , see \\ arbler, Marmora s undata , see Warbler, Dartford Tachybaptus ruficollis, see Grebe, Little Tadorna tadoma, see Shelduck Tanager, Scarlet, accepted Irish record 1985, 581 Tarsiger cyanurus, see Bluetail, Red-flanked Tasker, Mark, photograph of Stuart Benn, 514, plate 266; letter on depths to which auks dive, 596 Taylor, Don, receiving Country Life Bird- watch trophy, 456, plate 250 Taylor, Kenneth, short review, 513 Taylor, M. E., note on Skylark using human beings as refuge, 592 Teal, reactions to heavy rain, 327; accepted records of A. c. carolinensis 1984-5, 535-6 , Baikal, European news, 286 , Blue-winged, European news, 286; accepted records 1982-5, 536 Teixeira, Antonio, European news, 284-92 Tern, Arctic, immature with head pattern like Forster’s Tern, 504-6 , Black, British breeding record 1983, 73; photograph, 605, plate 300; request, 664 , Bridled, accepted record 1984, 557 , Caspian, accepted records 1984-5, 556 , Common, reactions to heavy rain and hail, 327, 329 , Forster’s, accepted records 1985, 557 , Gull-billed, accepted records 1984-5, 556 , Lesser Crested, European news, 288; accepted records 1982-5, 556-7 , Little, reactions to heavy rain, 327 , Sandwich, feeding over fresh water, 43; reactions to heavy rain and hail, 327, 329; apparent feeding association with Manx Shearwaters, 397; If the caption fits, 677-8, plate 355 , Whiskered, accepted records 1985, 557; request, 664 , White-cheeked, immature helping to defend chick, 295-6 , White-winged Black, accepted records 1983-5, 557-8; photograph, 604, plate 299; request, 664 Tetrao urogallus , see Capercaillie Tetrax tetrax, see Bustard, Little Thevenot, Michel, European news, 284-92 Thomas, Lars, and Andresen, Karsten, note on wingbcat rates ofGlaucous and Iceland Gulls, 42 Thompson, R. H., photograph of White- billed Diver, 266, plate 149 Index to volume 79 703 1 horpe, William Homan, obituary, 499-500, plate 265 1 brush. Blue Rock, accepted record 1985, 585 , Grav-cheeked, photographs, 8, plates 12-3; accepted records 1985, 570 , Hermit, in Scillv, October 1984, 297-8 , Rock, accepted record 1985, 570 , Siberian, accepted Irish record 1985, 570 , Song, development of snail-smashing by young birds, 277-81; using same song post as Blackbird, 298-9, plate 159; chipping ice, 405 , White’s, European news, 290; accepted record 1985, 570 Thrushes, nestlings as prey of Buzzard, 25 Tichodroma muraria, see Wallcreeper Tidman, Roger, photograph of Common Yellow throat, 435, plate 233 Tipling, David, photograph of Northern Parula, 9, plate 15; of Black-billed Cuckoo twitch, 10, plate 20; of Nutcracker, 92, plate 54; of Black-browed Albatross, 416, plate 215; of Ortolan Bunting, 416, plate 216; of King Eider, 416, plate 217; of White-winged Black Tern, 604, plate 299 Tit, Azure, European news, 291 , Bearded, European news, 290 , Blue, European news, 291 ; reactions to heavy rain, 327 , Coal, European news, 291 , Crested, European news, 291 , Great, European news, 291 , Long-tailed, European news, 290-1 , Penduline, European news, 291; accepted records 1982-3, 575 , Siberian, European news, 291 , Willow, European news, 291 Tits, attracted by ‘pishing’, 138-9 Tombeur. Franklin L. L., see de Liedekerke, Rene Tout, P., note on Kestrel regularly catching bats, 431-2 Treecreeper. attaching faecal sacs to pole. 43; attracted by ‘pishing’, 138; bigamy by, 250; huddling by juveniles, 250-1: colour photograph, 274, plate 155 Tringa jlavipes , see Yellowlegs, Lesser glareola, see Sandpiper. Wood maailaria. see Sandpiper. Spotted melanoleuca. see Yellowlegs. Greater nebiilaria. see Greenshank ochropus, see Sandpiper, Green solitaria, see Sandpiper. Solitary stagnatilis, see Sandpiper. Marsh totanus , see Redshank Troglodytes troglodytes , see Wren Tryngites subrujicollis , see Sandpiper, Bull- breasted Tucker, Laurel A., letter on ‘racial identi- fication of Cattle Egret', 507-8; obituary, 652-3. plate 341 " , Tulloch, Bobbv, photographs of Snowy Owl. 231-4, plates 128, 131 Turdus iliacus, see Redwing merula, see Blackbird migratorius, see Robin, American philomelos, see Thrush, Song pilaris, see Fieldfare Turnbull, Steve, note on Osprey catching two fish in one dive, 502-3 Turner, Daniel M., photograph of Ring- billed Gull, 312, plate 162 Turnstone, apparently preying on sea anemones, 91; feeding on cliff ledge, 402; feeding on wide variety of foods, 402-3 Twite, photographs, 643, plates 324-6 Tyto alba , see Owl, Barn Upupa epops , see Hoopoe Uria aalge , see Guillemot lomvia. see Guillemot, Briinnich’s van den Berg, Arnoud B., photograph of Meadow Pipit. 36, plate 41; of Black- throated Divers. 375, plate 190: of Great Northern Diver, 377. plate 194; of White- billed Diver. 381. plate 198: of Booted Warbler, 498. 588. plates 264. 297 Vanellus vanellus, see Lapwing van IJzendoorn, Edward, photograph of White-billed Diver. 381. plate 197 van Rossum, R.. photograph ofRed-throated Diver, 371. plate 184 Yilkaitis, Harry, letter on help for the Snowy Owls, 256 Vines, P., photograph of White-billed Diver, 384. plate 202 \ inicombe. K. E., photograph of Laurel Anne Tucker. 653, plate 341 Vireo olivaceus. see Yireo. Red-eyed Philadelphia^ , see Yireo. Philadelphia Yireo. Philadelphia, photographs. 7, plates 10-1; accepted Irish record 1985. 579 . Red-eyed. European news. 291: photo- graph. 8. plate 14; accepted records 1985, 578. plates 290-2 Voice: Skylark, 136: Nightingale. 404-5; Chiffchaff, 340-2: Willow Warbler. 340-2 Vulture, Griffon, European news, 286 , Turkey, reactions to heavy rain. 328 704 Index to volume 79 Wagtail, Citrine, European news, 289; identification problems with immatures, 464-8, plates 256-61; accepted records 1985.568 , Pied, feeding on dredgings during hard weather, 297; reactions to heavy rain, 327 , Yellow, accepted record of M.f. jeldegg 1984.568 Waite, R. K., note on Carrion Crow re- covering bread from beneath snow, 659-60 Walbridge, G., and Cade, M., note on Pallid Swifts in Dorset, 209 Walker, David, photograph of Yellow- rumped Warbler, 566, plate 284 Wallace, D. I. M., letter on which greenish warblers show wing-bars, 437-8 Wallcreeper, accepted record 1985, 575 Wallis, Athol J., personalities 33: John R. Mather, 1 1 7-9, plate 67 Walsh, James, Young Ornithologist of the Year 1985, 95, 148, plate 84 Wanless, Sarah, letter on cleaning-up gannetries, 436-7 Warbler, Aquatic, accepted record 1 98 1 , 57 1 , Arctic, accepted records 1983-5, 573-4 , Barred, European news, 290 , Black-and-white, accepted records 1985,580 , Blackpoll, accepted records 1984-5, 580 , Blyth’s Reed, European news, 290; mystery photograph, 331, 392-6, plates 167,207-10 , Bonelli’s, accepted records 1983-4, 575 , Booted, photographs, 13, plates 25-6; European news, 290; mystery photograph, 498, 588, plates 264, 297; accepted records 1982-4, 572 , Cetti’s, British breeding records 1983, 75-6; British breeding records 1983-4, 490 , Dartford, British breeding records 1983, 77; photographs, 417, plates 218-9; British breeding records 1984, 492 , Dusky, European news, 290; accepted records 1985, 575 , Fan-tailed, accepted Irish record 1985, 571 , Grasshopper, singing behaviour, 659 , Great Reed, accepted records 1984-5, 571 , Green, identification problems, 439 , Greenish, photograph, 12, plate 24; three reassessed records accepted, 213; European news, 290; summering in Britain 1983, 493; accepted records 1984- 5, 573 i Icterine, British breeding records 1983, 77; effect ol singing migrant on local breeding warblers, 405-6 Warbler, Lanceolated, European news, 290; accepted record 1985, 571 , Marmora’s, accepted record 1982, 572 , Marsh, British breeding records 1983, 76-7; British breeding records 1983-4, 49 1 - 2 , Olivaceous, accepted record 1985, 571- 2, plate 288 , Paddyfield, European news, 290; accepted record 1984, 571 , Pallas’s, European news, 290; accepted records 1985, 574 , Pallas’s Grasshopper, accepted record 1985,571 , Radde’s, accepted records 1985, 575 , Reed, singing in oil-seed rape field, 432 , River, mystery photograph, 245, 283-4, plates 140, 156-7; summering in Britain 1984, 490-1 , Ruppell’s, European news, 290 , Sardinian, photograph, 448, plate 248; accepted record 1985, 565, 573, plate 282 , Savi’s, British breeding records 1983, 76; European news, 290; British breeding records 1984, 491 , Subalpine, vagrancy and Saharan dust, 304-5; photograph, 415, plate 214; accepted records 1983-5, 572-3 , Tristram’s, European news, 290 , Willow, reactions to heavy rain, 327; singing Chiffchaff song, 340-1; possible hybrid X Chiffchaff singing Chiffchaff song, 341-2; field-characters of P. t. yakutensis, 438 , Wood, nest-building by male, 137 , Yellow-browed, European news, 290 , Yellow-rumped, photographs, 11, plates 21-2; accepted records 1985, 580 Washington, D., note on Treecreeper attaching faecal sacs to pole, 43 Watson, Derick, note on prolonged aerial encounters between Hen Harriers and Goshawk, 89-91 Waxwing, photograph, 99, plate 63; Euro- pean news, 289; declining winter numbers in Derbyshire, 508 Webb, Anthony, note on Woodcock appar- ently attacking Nightjar, 41 Weibull, Peder, photograph of Pintail Snipe, 39, 82, plate 45, 48 Weston, M. R., photograph of Red-throated Diver, 368, plate 180 Wheatear, Black-eared, accepted record 1985,570 , Desert, vagrancy and Saharan dust, 304-5 , Hooded, PhotoSpot, 120-3, plates 70-2 , Pied, accepted records 1983-5, 570 Index to volume 79 YVheatear, White-crowned Black, in Suffolk, June 1982, 221-7, plates 121-6; accepted record 1982, 570 Wheeler, P., photograph of Red-eyed Vireo, 8, plate 14; of Booted Warbler, 13, plate 25; of Bee-eater, 14, plate 27; of Night Heron, 16, plate 33; of Gyrfalcon, 362, plate 178; of Storm Petrel, 607, plates 303- 4 \\ himbrel, British breeding record 1984, 486 , Little, accepted record 1985, 548-9, plate 272 White, T. C., letter on identification of bird sounds, 406-7 Whitethroat, mystery photograph, 150, plate 86; song challenge to singing migrant Icterine Warbler, 406 Wigeon, taken by grey seal, 338 , American, accepted records 1981-5, 534-5 Wilds, Claudia, letter on ‘Mystery photo- graphs 92’: Franklin’s Gull or Laughing Gull?, 343-8, plates 170-1 Wilkes, Mike, colour photograph of Water Rail, 272, plate 153; photograph of Red- wing, 441, plate 234; of Mute Swans, 442, plate 237; ofCanada Goose, 447, plate 246; of Water Rail, 650, plate 339 Wilkinson, David M., letter on help for the Snowy Owls, 256-7 Wilkinson, John P., note on Blackbird presenting elvers to young, 593 Willcox, Neil, new Warden of Lundy, 309, plate 160 Williams, L. P., Chimney Swift: new to the Western Palearctic, 423-6, plates 226-30 W illiams, R. B., note on Black-headed Gull in summer plumage in January, 658-9 Williams, R. David R., note on Great Crested Grebe attacking Little Grebe, 293 Williams, Robin, photograph of Golden Plovers and Black-headed Gulls, 649, plate 337 Wilson, Christopher, note on Chiffchaff with songs of ChifTchafT and Willow Warbler, 342 Withers, Martin B., photograph of Choughs, 447, plate 245 Wood, R. H., note on Water Rail feeding on passerines in garden, 397-400 Woodcock, apparently attacking Nightjar, 41 Woodlark, breeding numbers in Britain, 1968-83, 105-16, plates 64-6; separation from Oriental Skylark, 186-90; British breeding records 1984, 488-9 Woodpecker, Black, European news, 289 , Great Spotted, attracted by ‘pishing’, 138; European news, 289 705 Woodpecker, Green, apparently melanistic bird, 340 , Lesser Spotted, photograph, 644, plate 327 , Middle Spotted, European news, 289 Woodpigeon, squabs as prey of Buzzard, 27; European news, 288; bathing in deep water, 593-4 Wootton, Ashley, winner of British Birds mystery photographs competition, 149, plate 85 Wren, fighting in flight, 136; attracted by ‘pishing’, 138 Wright, Barry, photograph of Red-footed Falcon, 563, plate 277; of Bobolink, 566, plate 286 Wryneck, British breeding records 1983, 73- 4; British breeding records 1983-4, 488; photograph, 674, plate 349 Xenus cinereus, see Sandpiper, Terek Yellowhammer, bathing in sea water, 507 Yellowlegs, Greater, accepted records 1985, 550 , Lesser, European news, 287; accepted record 1985, 550 Yellowthroat, Common, in Scilly, October 1984, 434-5, plate 233 Yesou, Pierre, letter on Herring Gulls of cachinnans group nesting on buildings, 350; on Mediterranean races of Manx Shear- water in British waters, 354 Young Ornithologist of the Year 1985, 94-5, 148, plate 84 Young, Steve, photograph of Black Stork, 5, plate 7; of Black-throated Diver, 98, plates 61-2; of Waxwing, 99, plate 63; of Great Northern Diver, 153, plates 87-8; of Snow Goose, 217, plate 116; of Ivory' Gull, 219, plates 117-8; of Laughing Gull, 219, plate 119; of Spoonbill, 413, plates 212-3; of Dartford Warbler, 417, plates 218-9; of Dotterels, 417, plates 221-2; of Wryneck, 674, plate 349 Youngman, R. E., review of Taylor, Fuller and Lack: Bird Census and Atlas Studies, 104 Zonfrillo, B., photograph of Woodchat Shrike, 673, plate 347 Zonotrichia albicollis, see Sparrow, White- throated Zoothera dauma , see Thrush, White’s , sibirica, see Thrush, Siberian 706 List of line-drawings PAGES 1 Pallas’s Warblers (Nik Borrow) 5 Short-billed Dowitcher ( David Daly) 10 Blackpoll Warbler ( David Daly) 12 Richard’s Pipit (S. C. Harrap) 14 Woodchat Shrike (A. M. Stoddart) 1 7 Northern Parula ( Colin Bradshaw)\ Hawfinch (D. A. Thelwell) 18 Buzzards {D. A. Thelwell) 28 Little Shearwater ( Norman Arlott) 53 Goshawk (Darren Rees) 62 Goldeneyes (K. Dawson) 64 Marsh Harriers (/. P. P. Wilcgur) 67 Hobbies ( Ernie Leahy) 68 Spotted Crake (D. A. Thelwell) 69 Avocet with young ( Helen Young) 78 Firecrest (D. Numey) 81 Cirl Bunting (D. Numey) 90 Hen Harriers and Goshawk ( Derick Watson) 97 Serin (D. Numey)-, Little Auks (Rod Powley) 99 Snow Bunting ( Martin Hallam) 105 Woodlark (George B. Brown) 123 Great Knot and Knot (Peter Hayman) 152 Red-breasted Goose (R. Woodley) 153 Black-and-white Warbler (Jim Clift) 154 Smews (R. A. Hume) 155 Merlin (Ian Lewington) 1 70 Merlin (Ian Lewington) 186 Oriental Skylark (Killian Mullamey) 215 Red-breasted Goose and Brent Geese (Bryan Bland) 216 Ivory Gull (Simon Smethurst)-, Forster’s Tern; Laughing Gull ( Julian R. Hough) 2 1 7 Long-billed Dowitcher (R. Woodley) 218 Waxwings (Simon Smethurst) 22 1 White-crowned Black Wheatear ( B.J . Brown) 228 Snowy Owl (Martin Hallam) 263 Waxwings (Bryan Bland) 267 Snow Bunting (Alan Harris); Dipper (D. Numey) ‘211 Song Thrush (Martin W. Woodcock) 311 Serin (Ernest I^ahy); Bonaparte’s Gull (Julian R. Hough) 315 Waxwing (R. Woodley) 319 Richard Richardson (Bryan Bland) 320-25 Bird Illustrator of the Year 1986: Kingfisher (Chris Rose); Northern Parula; Black-and- white Warbler and Long-tailed Tit (Nik Borrow); Coots; Barn Owl (John Davis); Little Tern (T. Hinley); Black-winged Stilts (Chris Rose); Cranes (Nik Borrow); Little Stint (T. Hinley) 326 Ferns (R. A. Hume) 332 White-winged Lark (Iain S. Robertson) 359 Black Redstart (Chris Rose) 360 Kentish Plover (Martin Hallam) 365 Black-throated Diver (Killian Mullamey) 4 1 2 Woodchat Shrike ( Simon Smethurst) 414 Honey Buzzard (Arun Bose) 419 Stone-curlews (Bryan Bland) 423 Chimney Swifts (Peter Harrison) 461 Bee-eater (D. Numey) 462 Black-winged Stilt (J. B. Higgott) 464 Broad-billed Sandpiper (Julian R. Hough) 470 Marsh Harriers (Bryan Bland) 476 Little Bittern (Ernie Leahy) 478 Goldeneye (D. A. Thelwell) 484 Avocets (Norman Arlott) 488 Woodlark (Brett Westwood) 517 Little Egret (T. R. Perkins) 518 Black-winged Stilt (Andrew Mackay) 519 Red-footed Falcon (Barry Stewart) 603 Wryneck (Bryan Bland) 604 Semipalmated Sandpiper (Arun Bose) 605 Semipalmated Sandpiper (Julian R. Hough) 609 Semipalmated Sandpiper (D. I. M. Wallace) 670 Red-breasted Flycatcher (M. Parker); Yellow-browed Warbler (D. Numey) 671 Siskins (Bryan Bland); Ortolan Bunting (D. Numey) 672 Brent Geese (D. A. Thelwell) 675 Baillon’s Crake ( Terry Box) winner, bird ielustrator of the year 1986 (see pages 319-325): Great Spotted Woodpecker ( Chris Rose) BOOKS — Handle with Care Xante . . 1 ddress II undelivered, please return to Chapman Brooks Bookbinders Ltd, Alexander Works, Fordmill Road, Catford, London SE6 3JH To Chapman Brooks Bookbinders Ltd, Alexander Works, Fordmill Road, Catford, London SE6 3JH I enclose chec|ue/P.O. for (or binding (The rate Jor binding is £ 12.65 per volume) Please Jill in your name and address in both spaces on this page 1 f you require an acknowledgement, please enclose an SAE and also fill in your name and address in the space below; the lower halfof this sheet will then be sent back to you as a receipt; the upper is the label lor the return of your bound volume Xante Address Please complete the binding form overleaf Receipt for British Birds binding From Chapman Brooks Bookbinders Ltd, Alexander W orks, Fordmill Road, Catford, London SE6 3JH l Ye acknowledge with thanks receipt of your issues oj 'British Birds for binding, and your cheque/ P.O. for £ Date CHAPMAN BROOKS BOOKBINDERS LTD Printed in England by Newnorth-Burt Limited, Kempston. Bedford Volume 79 Number 1 January 1986 Migrants and vagrants in October 1985 Breeding biology of the Buzzard Little Shearwaters in Britain and Ireland Mystery photographs • Notes • Letter News and comment British Birds Managing Editor Dr J. T. R. Sharrock Personal Assistant Sheila D. Cobban Assistant Editor David Christie Editorial Board Stanley Cramp, P. J. Grant, Dr M. A. Ogilvie & DrJ. T. R. Sharrock Photographic Consultants Dr R. J. Chandler 8c Don Smith Rarities Committee P. J. Grant (Chairman), D. J. Britton, A. R. Dean, R. H. Dennis, T. P. Inskipp, P. G. Lansdown, S. C. Madge, I. S. Robertson 8c K. E. Vinicombe; J. H. Marchant (co-opted); Peter Colston (Museum Consultant & Archivist); Michael J. Rogers (Honorary Secretary). Notes Panels behaviour Dr C. J. Bibby, Dr J. J. M. Flegg, Dr C. H. Fry, Derek Goodwin, Dr M. A. Ogilvie, Dr J. T. R. Sharrock 8c Dr K. E. L. Simmons; IDENTIFICATION A. R. Dean, P. J. Grant, S. C. Madge, Dr M. A. Ogilvie 8c Dr J. T. R. 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EN5 5SX 01-449 1445 LARGE SELECTION OF SECOND-HAND INSTRUMENTS PART EXCHANGE WELCOME MAIL/PHONE ORDER SERVICE Choose and select from our comprehensive range of equipment BINOCULARS ZEISS WEST Dialyt 8 x 20 B Dialyt 10 x 25 B Dialvt 8 x 20 BGA Dialyt 8 x 30 BGAT Dialyt 10 x 40 BT Dialyt 10x40 BGAT close focus Dialyt 7 x 42 BGAT Dialyt 8x56 BGAT 15x60 PorroT Rainguard Eyecups (set) Lanyard Tripod Adaptor LEITZ £ 155.00 169.00 195 00 299 00 Phone for price 410.00 675.00 3.40 6.00 400 16.60 OPTICRON £ Elite 9x 35 B 157 00 HR 8 x 30 B 79.95 HR 8x 40 B 85 00 HR 10 x 40 B 89 95 HABICHT Diana 10 x 40 B 239 00 WSLM 10x40 269 00 SWIFT NEW Audubon 8.5 x 44 135.00 Swift Osprey 7.5 x 42 98.95 SPWA 10x42 116.00 SPWA 8 x 36 98 95 HARTMANN 8x30 Compact 197.00 10x40 Compact 234 00 8x40 Compact 234.00 Trinovid 8 x 20 BC Trinovid 8x20 BCA Trinovid 10 x 25 BC 175.00 189.00 189.00 TELESCOPES KowaTSN-1 210.00 Trinovid 10x25 BCA 199.00 Kowa TSN-2 198 00 Trinovid 7x35 BA 289 00 25 x 39.00 Trinovid 7x42 BA 350.00 40 x 39 00 Trinovid 8x40 BA 340.00 20 x-60 x zoom 92.00 Trinovid 10 x 40 B 325 00 20x WA 62 00 Trinovid 10x40 BA 350 00 Photo Adaptor 62.50 Trinovid 10 x 40 BA Cases 17.50 short focus 360.00 KowaTS-1 125.00 Case for Miniature 9.95 KowaTS-2 110.00 Soft case for 10x40 25.95 Eye pieces from 26.00 Hardcase for 10x40 32.50 Optolyth 22 x 60 158.00 Eyecups (set) 10.00 Optolyth 30x75 255.00 Rainguards 6.00 Optolyth 30 x 80 288.00 Lanyards 7.50 Optolyth 80mm CARL ZEISS JENA Interchangable 253.00 Deltrintem 8 x 30 54 95 CONGRATULATIONS TO Dekarem 10x50 88 95 GORDON PILLING NIKON WINNER OF OUR 8 x 30 ZCF 10x35 ZCF 169.00 189.00 SCOPE DRAW 12x40 ZCF 199.00 Telescope and OPTOLYTH Alpin 8x30 BGA Alpin 8 x 40 BGA Alpin 10x40 BGA Alpin 7x42 BGA Alpin 10x50 BGA 131.00 143.00 145.00 148.00 161.00 Tripod Outfits If you purchase a Telescope & Tripod at the same time. 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Phone for a Quote. £ 2895 51 95 51 95 47.95 39.95 84 95 595 17.00 17.50 2.50 1.00 18.95 TRIPODS AND ACCESSORIES Slik Gazelle Siik Master D2 Slik 88 Slik 35 DN Slik 35SN SL67 Slik Tripod Strap Car Window Mount Universal Mount Lanyards from Rainguardsfrom Shoulder Pod Special Purchase of Leitz Demonstration Instruments Full 30 Year Guarantee Trinovid 8 x 20 BC 129.00 T rinovid 8 x 20 BCA 139.00 Trinovid 10 x 25 BC 139.00 Trinovid 10x25 BCA 149.00 Trinovid 8 x 40 B 239.00 Trinovid 8x40 BA 269.00 Trinovid 10x40 B 259.00 Trinovid 10x40 BA 269.00 Few Only Second-Hand Bargains Zeiss West 10 x 25 B 79.00 Nikon 12x40 99.00 Leitz 8 x 40 B 239.00 Hensoldt 8 x 56 199 00 Optolyth Alpin 10x40 79.00 Optolyth Alpin 7 x 42 79.00 Hartmann 10 x 40 79.00 Barr & Stroud 7 x 42 79.00 Swift Audubon 8.5 x 44 49.00 All equipment sent on 14 days approval upon receipt of full remittance Prices correct 4 12 85 Please add £2 00 if ordenng by mail E&OE “IN FOCUS” JUNIOR 8x30 BINOCULAR Ideal binocular lor youngsters or someone |usl starling birdwatching This European-made instrument is ruggedly built with good optical performance Supplied with soft case and lanyard ONLY £18.95 BINOCULARS AND TELESCOPES REPAIRED ON THE PREMISES (D615) i TaiktoA.R.Hawkins about Binoculars! SAVE ££££s— BE WISE— BUY FROM BRITAIN’S BINOCULAR/TELESCOPE SPECIALISTS— ORDER BY POST OR PHONE IN COMPLETE CONFIDENCE ZEISS WEST THE WORLD’S FINEST! YOU’VE JUST GOT TO OWN ONE! ZEISS WEST ORDER TODAY IN YOUR HAND TOMORROW PHONE OR POST YOUR ORDER FOR SAME DAY DISPATCH 10 x 40 B Dialyl \ 10 x 40 BGA Short Focus ) g g 10 x 40 BGA Standard I “j E 7 x 42 BGA Oialyt \ g £ 8 x 56 BGA Oialyt I * 10 x 25 B Mini Oialyt I ig 1 5 x 60 GAT Porro I x S2 7 x 50 BGA Porro / ° 8 x 20 B Mini Oialyt.. £149.95 8 x 20 BGA Mini Dialyt new model looks like a small 10x40 BGA £195.00 All Zeiss supplied with cases and in slock now No wailing — A. R. Hawkins gels Zeiss into your hands last! STOP PRESS • New model Zeiss West 10 x 40 B7T Short Focus now available • HERTEL& REUSS West German Quality Binoculars, Lightweight, Pin Sharp Optics 8 x 32 GF (weight 1 6 ozs) £112.95 8 x 40 B (weight 21 ozs) £128.00 8x45 (weight 27 ozs) £189.00 1 0 x 40 B (weight 21 ozs) £130.00 HABICHT A firm lavourite from Austria, superbly made, outstanding colour and contrast also waterproof! 7 x 42 B/WMP £229.28 10 x 40B/WMP £256.59 10x40W/SlM £299.95 OPTOLYTH ALPIN Superb Lightweight Models from W. Germany at sensible prices. 8 x 30 BGA Alpin £131 8 x 40 EGA Alpin £143 1 0 x 40 BGA £145 10x50 BGA Alpin £161 12x50 BGA Alpin £764 7 x 42 BGA Alpin £148 SWIFT Audubon — New Model HR5 8.5 x 44 — only 28 ozs, supplied with free rubber rainguard to British Bird Readers £139.70p. Swill Osprey 7,5 x 42 £99.50 TELESCOPES Spacemaster 1 5-45 x 60 £1 69.95 Spacemaster 20-60 x 60 £169.95 Spacemasler 22 x W/A 60 £155.95 Spacemaster extra eyepieces 15 x, 20 x, 22 x W/A, 25 x, 40 x, 60x. .. £32.00 S/Master Photo Adaptor £32.00 T Mounts £5.95 Hertel&Reuss 30 x 80 BGA £258.00 Oplolyth 30 x 75 with case. Optolyth 30 x 80 Optolyth 80 mm body Optolyth 20 x eyepiece £47. 30 x eye- piece £39. 40 x eyepiece £42. Leather case £35. All lor Optolyth 80 mm telescope. Optolyth 22-60 x 70 B/L Discoverer 15-60x60 Hawk 20-60 x 60 with case Mirador 1 5-60 x 60 Mrrador 30 x 75 BGA Mirador 32 x 80 BGA, Kowa TSN2 Habichl 23 x 70 BGA Habicht 30 x 75 BGA Opticron 20-60 x 60 HR .... £255.00 £288.00 £253.00 £265.00 £179.95 £159.95 £169.95 £159.95 £239.95 £209 95 £168.95 £239.95 £150.00 r PHONE US FOR Best Makes. Largest Stocks. Fastest Service. By return Despatch and Free Advice. SLICK 02 TRIPOD THE linest tripod lor your telescope! Extends to a lull 5lt 9in. weighs only 41b 12ozl Our Special Price £54.95 Post and Insurance £2.75. ORDER NOW tor By Return Dispatch. Binoculars and Telescopes £2.50p post and Insurance send cheque or Visa/Access accepted by phone! Stamps (50p). For illustrated Discount Price List and Coloured Brochures on over 200 Models. CALLERS WELCOME! Our Showrooms are only 7 minutes Irom Ml Exit 15 or 16 and 2 min walk from railway stn. Early closing Thursday 1 pm. Prices ccrrect 7th December, 1985 subject to change availability. LARGEST STOCKS OF BINOCULARS AND TELESCOPES UNDER ONE ROOF! N’PTON LTD 9 MAREFAIR NORTHAMPTON NN1 1SR TELEPHONE 0604/39674 (D61 7) SUNBIRD 1986 Special Tours In 1986 SUNBIRD will again be offering a series of special birdwatching tours, which will combine SUNBIRD’s careful organisation and expert professional leadership with surprisingly low prices. This year’s destinations include Spain, Majorca, Austria, Poland, Greece, Israel, The Gambia, Morocco and California and all the tours will be led by either Bryan Bland, David Fisher, Peter Grant or Tom Gullick. If you would like to come birding with us write now for a copy of our brochure. SUNBIRD, PO Box 76, Sandy, Bedfordshire SGI 9 IDF Telephone: 0767 82969 (D54‘2) s- BRANT A TRAVEL- Q DFDS SEAWAYS Birding holidays in Denmark and Sweden -led by the leaders in the field. An experienced leader adds so much more to a birding holiday. So whether you choose to holiday at home or abroad, you'll find the local experts lead with Branta. We offer a unique combination of short breaks and longer holidays in the UK and on the Continent together with our popular Seawatches. In Britain you’ll be led by the likes of Bob Scott and Trevor Gunton. Abroad, we choose experienced, local leaders -such as Jens Ole Byskov or Wim van der Schot - who know the terrain and know current bird movements. Or if there is a special accent to the birdwatching - raptors, seabirds or migration - we choose an expert in that area. February 14 (3 nights) February 21 (2 nights) February 28 (3 nights) April 4 (4 nights) April 11 (4 nights) April 25 (2 nights) June 20 (2 nights) Wintering geese, ducks and waders in Holland with Wim van der Schot Marshes of East Kent with Bob Scott Cranes, White-tailed Eagles and wildfowl in N. France with Laurence Rose Spring migrants in W. Cornwall with Roy Phillips Spring birds in Denmark with Jens Ole Byskov Kent marshes and coast with Bob Scott Birds of Yorkshire Dales and coast with Trevor Gunton P.S. Don't forget our ‘Watch the Birdie Competition'. See November issue for details. Please send me details of Branta's ‘led by the leaders' holidays. BRANTA h TRAVEL Name LIMITED I Address Branta Travel Ltd., 20-24 Uxbridge Street, London W8 8TA (D6i 9) iii BOOKS ON BIRDS Catalogue on request WHELDON & WESLEY LIMITED LYTTON LODGE CODICOTE Nr. HITCHIN HERTS. SG4 8TE Tel. Stevenage (0438) 820370 (D602) FOCALPOINT Binoculars & Telescopes for the Discerning Birdwatcher The outstanding NIKON telescopes now again from stock! Compare with the Bausch & Lomb Criterion, Kowa TSN system, Optolyths, Habicht, Discoverer and Spacemaster etc. Full range of binoculars at all price levels, 31 p stamp for full details. 1 4 Cogshall Lane, Comberbach, Northwich, Cheshire CW9 6BS. Tel: 0606 891 098 (D609) ORNITHOLIDAYS 1986 MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATION OF BRITISH TRAVEL AGENTS Holidays Organised by Birdwatchers for Birdwatchers Twenty-one years’ service to birdwatchers & naturalists Programme will include: Kenya The Seychelles Tanzania Zimbabwe Zambia Okavango Delta Rwanda Morocco Madagascar Northern India & the Himalayas Kashmir Nepal Assam & Sikkim Thailand Jordan New Zealand Arctic Norway South West Spain Spanish Pyrenees Andorra Majorca The Camargue Southern France Lake Neusiedl The High Alps North East Greece Turkey Bulgaria Czechoslovakia Yugoslavia LAWRENCE G. HOLLOWAY ORNITHOLIDAYS DEPT. 2, 1 -3 VICTORIA DRIVE, BOGNOR REGIS, SUSSEX, ENGLAND, P021 2PW ATOL LICENCE No. 743 Tel: 0243 821230 IV teremii 1 A member of the F ield & Trek Group! ' ft a Compare our prices . . . but don’t stop there !! BINOCULARS HERON 8x40 BWCF £43.00 CARL ZEISS 10x40 B DIALYT (Hard Case) £358.80 CARL ZEISS 10x40 BGA (Soft Case) £364.35 LEITZ 10x40B (Hard Case) £376.00 OPTOLYTH 8x40GA (Soft Case) £143.00 OPTOLYTH 10x40GA (Soft Case) £145.00 HABICHT DIANA 10x40 £25602^^xCe c Please add £2.00 — X - — p&p on all orders / MIRADOR 8x42 (New) £90.50 SWIFT TRILYTE 10x40 Roof Prism £106.95 SWIFT AUDOBON 8 5 x 44 £145.30 SWIFT RED SPOT 8 x 40 MKII £86.10 ZEISS JENOPTEM 8x30 £48.75 ZEISS JENOPTEM 10x50 £80.40 ^*»-TELESCOPES BUSHNELL DISCOVERER 15-60x60 no case £194.95 MIRADOR 15 - 60 x 60 wilhcase (Similar to Discoverer) £1 79.95 OPTOLYTH 30 x 80 £273.00 OPTOLYTH 30x75 £239.00 BUSHNELL SPACEMASTER with ZOOM no case £179.00 Case for Spacemaster £12.90 Papua New Guinea Imagine . . . the darkness within a tropical rain forest. Suddenly a crimson bird with blue legs appears. Rolling its head backwards and sideways it opens its bill to reveal a brilliant green. The fans of white feathers on either side of its breast are tipped with luminous green and as it raises its tail two elegant filaments sway above its head. This is the display of the King Bird of Paradise as seen by our group in Papua New Guinea in 1985. You could experience this during our August trip, led once again by Tony Pym. The trip has been extended to 25 days and includes time at the annual Sing Sing in Goroka. Please contact us for further information on this and our new ornithological tours in Northern China and Iceland. A.B.T.A. No. 60340 Twickers World 22CHURCH STREET, TWICKENHAM 01-892 7606/8164 24 HR BROCHURE: 01-892 7851 ABTA/IATA/PATA V CALEDONIAN WILDLIFE Wildlife, Birdwatching & Adventure Holidays - 3 programmes: ( ^ ★Scottish Highlands & Islands: Inverness, Ross & Cromarty, Caithness; Orkney, Shetland, The Fair Isle, Islay & Jura, Mull, Outer Hebrides, and Eigg, Rum & Muck. ★ General Overseas Programme: Iceland, Poland, France (La Brenne), Sweden, Spitzbergen, Tanzania (Northern & Southern Circuits), Okavango, and Aldabra. Also Christmas: Seychelles. ★ Far East Programme includes 2 and 3-week Nepal group trips, also individual birdwatching treks. For details, send stamp(s): Caledonian Wildlife, 30 Culduthel Road, Inverness IV2 4AP, or ring: 0463 233130 (One stamp for any two programmes, two stamps for all three) 1987 Programme includes Alaska, India & Nepal, Peru and Zimbabwe. (D601) Holidays Designed Around Birds Our small and friendly groups are expertly guided by experienced ornithologists with a wide knowledge of Natural History. Beginners and experts alike are warmly welcomed and as much attention as possible to individual needs and interests is given. The 1986 programme will include: Northern France Borneo Southern Morocco Spanish Pyrenees Tunisia Turkey Far North Queensland The Canaries Southern Spain North East Greece Botswana The Gambia Cox & Kings Special Interest Holidays 46 Marshall Street, London W1 V 2PA. Tel: 01 -439 3380. Foundad 1758 ABTA/ATOL COX Si KINGS OG^TtM^tMSSY fMK5]fUTDl/g\yc VI MARK BEAMAN STEVE MADGE NIGEL REDMAN IAIN ROBERTSON Birdquest offers birdwatchers of all levels of experience professionally arranged and guided holidays based on a unique combination of ornithological and travel expertise. Join one of our friendly groups and see for yourself the qualities that lead so many people to travel with us time and time again. 1986 Birdquests: THAILAND; Jan 18-Feb 8, £1,680. SOUTHERN INDIA; Jan 20-Feb 9, £1 ,870. NEPAL & SIKKIM; Feb 1 5-Mar 8, £2,1 80. KENYA; Feb 1 5-Mar 9, £1 ,880. CAPE VERDE ISLANDS; Mar 7-23, £1 ,480. MALAYSIA; Mar 1 6-Apr 4, £1 ,850. ISRAEL; Mar 24-Apr 8, £1 ,160. MOROCCO; Apr 1 8-May 4, £940. CHINA: THE MOUNT OF SICHUAN; Apr 26-May 18, £2,170. TURKEY; May 8-25, £1,130. LAPLAND; May 31-Jun 22, £1,920. SIBERIA, CENTRAL ASIA & THE CAUCASUS; Jun 1-22, £1,630. PERU; Aug 2-23, £2,440. NEW GUINEA; Aug 2-24, £3,160. KENYA; Aug 9-31, £1,880. RWANDA; Sep 7-23, £1,850. SOUTHERN AFRICA: NATAL, THE CAPE & NAMIBIA; Oct 4-25, £2,080. For our brochure please contact: BIRDQUEST Ltd., 8 Albert Road East, Hale, Altrincham, Cheshire WA15 9AL. Telephone: 061-928 5945. Agent for C.S.R. Travel (Manchester) Ltd., ATOL 1 190B, ABTA, IATA. (D545) CYGNUS WILDLIFE HOLIDAYS THAILAND 4 Feb-20 Feb £1 290 Dave Holman will be once again leading our annual tour of Northern Thailand’s Marshes, forested hills and Reserves. These are the winter haunt of such prized vagrants to Britain as Dusky and Radde's Warblers, Eye-browed Thrush, Siberian Rubythroat, Lanceolated and Pallas’ Grasshopper Warblers plus many other highly desired species. Thailand is increasingly popular with European birders and it is easy to understand the attraction with so many fascinating species to observe amid a varied range of habitats and scenery. NORTHERN INDIA 1 0 Feb-28 Feb £1 1 90 Consistently our most popular tour, Northern India offers the opportunity to see over 300 species of birds combined with man-made attractions such as the unforgettable Taj Mahal and Fatehpur Sikri. The tour is based for almost a week at Bharatpur Sanctuary, surely one of the most impressive birdwatching sites in Asia, then moves for a stay of 5 nights at Corbett National Park where it is often possible to see Tigers as well as a good selection of sub-himalayan birds. The final stage of the tour takes us to Nainital in the Kumaon Hills where many of the birds encountered are characteristic of the Himalayas. KENYA 25 Feb-13 Mar £1 585 Earlier this year our tour group saw an impressive 44 species of mammal (including the ‘big 3 cats’) as well as over 400 species of birds during a highly enjoyable circuit of Kenya's premier wildlife areas. We look forward to repeating this success in 1986. All the above prices guaranteed against currency or fuel surcharges. Other 1986 Cygnus tours include Texas, Turkey, Israel, Jordan, Soviet Asia and Siberia, Camargue, Pyrenees, Switzerland, Arizona and Gambia. For full details contact: Paul Dukes Cygnus Wildlife Holidays, 96 Fore Street, Kingsbridge S. Devon TQ71PY. Tel: (0548) 61 78 (D607) VI 1 1 0x40 B /GAT* Dialyt Ask for the birdwatchers’ popular choice . . . 9901 f Now also available without \ rubber armour if preferred. The name makes the difference The difference made the name First Choice “ The popularity of the Zeiss West German Dialyt 10x40B has dramatically increased amongst the top birders in the past two years ...” (British Birds Vol. 78 No. 4 April 1985) A truly short-focusing binocular, with a minimum focusing distance of only 5 metres and special ‘B’ eyepieces permitting unrestricted viewing with or without spectacles. The multi-layer anti-reflection T* coating gives excellent image contrast and superior light transmission at dawn and dusk. Add to these features the easy-grip rubber armour (complete with rainguard), light-weight, sturdiness and dependability, and you have a binocular unsurpassed in quality and performance. For further information please contact. Carl Zeiss (Oberkochen)Ltd ZEISS PO Box 78 Woodfield Road Welwyn Garden City Herts. AL7 1LU Telephone (0707)331144 West Germany VI 11 British Birds VOLUME 79 NUMBER 1 JANUARY 1986 October 1985 was the best-ever month for observations of rare birds in Britain and Ireland. In recognition of this, we have placed our regular feature ‘Recent reports’ at the front of this issue instead of in its traditional position towards the back. Ian Dawson and Keith Allsopp The dates in this report refer to October unless otherwise stated. The month began with unsettled westerly weather as a series of depressions moved across the Atlantic and into Europe. After 12th, an anticyclone developed, deflecting the depressions to the north and bringing some fine settled weather. The centre of pressure moved towards the north of England after 2 1st, and strong easterly winds developed for a few days, until a further move by the anticyclone to the west brought in rather colder northerly air. [Bnl. Birds 79: 1-1 7. January 1986) 1 2 Recent reports These are largely unchecked reports, not authenticated records Seabirds There were still small numbers of Sooty Shearwaters Puffinus griseus in the North Sea through the month, and a late Cory’s Shear- water Calonectris diomedea off North Ronald- say (Orkney) on 17th. Unusual inland were a juvenile Gannet Sula bassana at Thrybergh Reservoir (South Yorkshire) on 5th, a Great Skua Stercorarius skua at the same locality on 2nd, and juvenile Pomarine Skuas S. pomannus at Staines Reservoir (Surrey) on 5th and 6th (plates 1 & 2), and Thrybergh again on 13th. The second half of the month saw this species moving down the Scottish and English east coasts in numbers unprece- dented in recent years, with 50 in Orkney, 1 & 2. Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus , Surrey, October 1985 (above, Rupert B. Hastings', below, Andrew V. Moon) 3 Recent reports 200 in Lothian, including 54 past Barns Ness on 31st, 67 past Whitburn (Tyne & Wear) and 60 past Cley (Norfolk) on 29th, and 61 off St Mary’s Island (Tyne & Wear) in Wi hours on 31st. A handful of Long-tailed Skuas .S’. longicaudus included a late report ofa juvenile at Staines on 7th September (plates 3 & 4), and an adult and immature together on 16th at Dowsing Light Vessel in the North Sea. This light also attracted two immature Sabine’s Gulls Lams sabini on 15th, while others were seen at Hengistbury Head (Dorset) on 3rd and Torcross (Devon) on 13th. The first two Iceland Gulls L. glaucoides appeared during the month in Orkney, and 1 70 Little Gulls /,. minutus passed Filey Brigg (North Yorkshire) on 19th. Ring-billed Gulls L. delawarensis continue to turn up at Blackpill (West Glamorgan), with two there on 5th, and others were identified at Gibraltar Point (Lincolnshire) on 28th September, and at Slapton Ley (Devon), an adult, on 22nd and 23rd. Perhaps surprisingly, in view of the American landbirds to make the Atlantic crossing, the only other American seabird to reach our shores was a Forster’s Tern Sterna Jorsteri at Musselburgh (Lothian) from 6th to 19th, and again at Granton (Lothian) on 19th and 31st. A late report from Scotland concerned a Caspian Tern .S’. caspia heading north at Anstruther (Fife) on 8th September, and the only other unusual tern was a juvenile White-winged Black Chlidonias leucopterus at Craigavon (Co. Armagh) on 16th. Small numbers of Little Auks Alle alle were regular on the British east coast late in the month, though there were two early ones off Cape Clear Island (Co. Cork) on 10th. Wildfowl Seven small Canada Geese Branta canadensis appeared in north Donegal around 14th and had moved to Lough Foyle (Co. Londonderry) on 21st. Other presumed transatlantic arrivals were a female/immature American Wigeon Anas arnericana on St Agnes (Scilly), a Ring- necked Duck Aylhya collaris on Tresco (Scilly) from about 14th, and a Surf Scoter Melanitta perspicillata, also immature, at Cape Clear Island on 9th. A Garganey Anas quer- quedula on Tresco around 16th was almost as unusual. A duck and two drake Red- crested Pochards Netta mfina were at Grafham Water (Cambridgeshire) and moved to Little Paxton (Cambridgeshire) late in the month, while a single drake appeared at Wraysbury (Berkshire) on 26th. 3 & 4. Long-tailed Skua Stercorarius longicaudus, Surrey. September 1985 ( Peter Gasson) 5 & 6. Juvenile Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus, Cornwall, October 1985 ( Graham Sutton) 5 Recent reports A mass of 16,000 Pink-footed Geese A riser braclyrhynchus at Loch of Strathbeg (Gram- pian) newly arrived from Iceland on 30th September must have been a fine sight and sound, whilst, in the extreme southeast. Sandwich (Kent) had an ‘unprecedented series of records’ so early of Whooper Swans Cygnus cygnus, albeit a total of eight birds on five dates. Wading birds A bittern flushed by a farmer near T acumshin (Co. Wexford) may yet prove to be American Bittern Botaurus lentiginosus, while from the other direction (?) came an immature Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax which arrived on St Mary’s (Scilly) on I 1th and was still present on 20th (plates 32 & 33), and an adult seen flying over the same island on 13th. A Great White Egret Egretla alba graced Minsmere (Suffolk) for the second successive autumn, from 5th to 20th, while Walney Island (Cumbria) played host to an adult and a juvenile Black Stork Ciconia nigra on 25th, the adult departing the same day to the west, but the juvenile remaining into November (plate 7): this latter was the Carlisle bird of September which had been taken into care and subsequently released on 24th — quite unbelievable that it should find the company of one of its kind, if only for a day. Most spectacular sight of the month must have been the 71 Cranes Grus grns over Dungeness (Kent) around 26th; another was at Caerlaverock (Dumfries & Galloway) on at least 1 1 th. The high numbers of Curlew Sandpipers Calidris Jerruginea this autumn continued into October, with 110 at Tacumshin on 5th especially notable for Ireland. Late Dotterels Charadrius morinellus occurred at Sandwich, Cape Clear Island and Scilly, as did a Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus at Cley from 5th to 19th, and Temminck’s Stints Calidris temminckii at Nottingham on 2nd and Lepton Warren (Hereford & Worcester) on 23rd, while at the month end a Sociable Plover Chettusia gregaria was in the Sompting area (West Sussex). From the west came Lesser Golden Plovers Pluvialis domimca to Sennen (Cornwall), St Mary’s from 7th to about 16th, and Winkleigh (Devon) on 13th. Two Buff-breasted Sandpipers Tryngites sabrujicollis , a Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris pusilla and a Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus remained into early October at Tacumshin, this last being joined 7. Black Stork Ciconia nigra, Cumbria, October 1985 (Steve Young ) on 1st and 2nd by one of the autumn’s prize birds, a juvenile Short-billed Dowitcher L. griseus. Tacumshin flooded on 7th, losing most of its attraction for waders, but still pulled in a Lesser Yellowlegs Tringaflanpes on 27th, surprisingly scarce this autumn. Further Long-billed Dowitchers were at Heybridge (Essex) early in the month, Slim- bridge (Gloucestershire) from 5th to 9th, Davidstow (Cornwall) on 21st (plates 5 & 6) and at Alton Water (Suffolk) from 20th into November, while one at Minsmere on 30th may have been this last individual. A spotted 8 & 9. American Redstart Setophaga ruticilla, Co. Cork, October 1985 ( Richard T. Mills ) adult Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularia was one of several attractions on Tresco, and a juvenile was at Holme (Norfolk) on 7th. Single Wilson’s Phalaropes Phalaropus tricolor stayed for a few days mid month at Chew (Avon) and Landulph Marsh (Corn- wall) from 4th to 6th, and Ireland’s only White-rumped Sandpiper C. Juscicollis of the year was on Lough Foyle on 21st. A late Corncrake Crex crex was watched on North Ronaldsay on 13th, being chased out to sea by a Raven Corvus corax , and several more were seen by the birders thronging Scilly. It is astonishing the distance that crakes and rails can fly when needs must: there have been several recent Soras Porzana Carolina , but none can have been as obliging or smart as the bright-yellow-billed and black-masked individual at Pagham Lagoon (West Sussex) from about 25th into Novem- ber (plates 30 & 31). Recent reports 7 Recent reports 10 & 11. Philadelphia Vireo Vireo philadelphicus, Co. Cork, October 1985 ( Richard T. Mills ) The Scilly season . . . from points west ‘This October is bound to be a duff one on Scilly’: such is the feeling every autumn, and yet each October seems to surpass the one before. This month was the best-ever single month for American landbirds in Britain and Ireland, both in quantity and quality, yet the prize gems missed Scilly. The most numer- ous species was Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus with one on St Agnes from 3rd, at least two on St Mary’s, one staying until 20th (plate 14), two at Porthgwarra (Cornwall) on 5th, with one still on 6th, one on Lundy (Devon) on 5th, one or two at St Just (Cornwall), one on Cape Clear Island from 30th September to 7th, a different individual there on 20th, and one at Wick (Highland) from 13th to at least 17th. Another, reported from Galley Head (Co. Cork) on 6th, was reidentified on 13th as Britain and Ireland’s first Philadelphia Vireo V. philadelphicus. staying until 16th (plates 10 & 11). The in- credulous birders who realised its true identity found a first-year male American Redstart Setophaga ruticilla only a few metres away, this remaining until 15th (plates 8 & 9). Meanwhile, the Northern Parula Parula americana found at Hengistbury Head on 30th September stayed until 12th. a superb long- stayer arrived on St Mary’s on 3rd (plates 15-18), moving to St Agnes from 18th, and a female reached Penlee Point near Rame Head (Cornwall) from 17th to 19th. This locality had already provided another poten- tial addition to the British and Irish list on 13th, an adult male Wilson's Warbler Wilsonia pusilla, most frustratingly almost the only dav-tripper from North America. Amazingly, a third species of American warbler may have turned up near Rame, for there were rumours that a Common Yel- Iowthroat Geolhlvpis trichas was heard and 12 & 13. G ray-cheeked Thrush Catharus minimus, Cornwall, October 1985 ( S . C. Hutchings) 14. Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus, Scilly, October 1985 (P. Wheeler ) 15-18. Northern Parula Parula americana , Scillyv October 1985 ( top. David Tipling\ above left and right, John Hewitt ; below, S. C. Hutchings) glimpsed on 26th. The long expected Yellow-rum ped Warbler Dendroica coronata at last reappeared on Scilly, a most obliging bird on St Mary’s from 7th to late in the month (plates 21 & 22), with a second there briefly on 10th, and another on Cape Clear Island from 5th to 7th. Blackpoll Warblers D. striata were surprisingly absent from Scilly, the only reports being from Whalsay (Shetland) at the start of the month, and at Hook Head (Co. Wexford) from 5th to 10th. Meanwhile, back to Scilly for a Bobolink Dolichonyx oryzivorus from about 9th to at least 21st, and a dazzling immature male Rose- breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus at the same time (plate 19); a female, dropped by a Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus near Tacumshin, recovered well after veterinary Recent reports attention, only to drop dead four days later; a third was ringed on Lundy on 27th. Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea is currently in category D of the British and Irish list, but its claims to be upgraded to full category A status must be strong following the capture in a mist-net on 11th of an immature on Cape Clear Island, previously glimpsed on 9th and subsequently on 20th, skulking impossibly in dense bracken. A Common Nighthawk Chordeiles minor was picked up exhausted on the Wirral (Merseyside) on 11th, and after recuperation was flown to Belize in South America. Back on Scilly, there was a surfeit of cuckoos: an extremely active Yellow-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus americanus was found on St 20. Part of ‘the Black-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus erythrophthalmus twitch’, Scilly, October 1985 ( David Tipling) 19. Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludo- vicianus, Scilly, October 1985 (John Hewitt) 11 Recent reports 21 & 22. Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata, St illy, October 1985 (John Hewitt) Mary’s on 12th (plate 23), to be followed a few hours later by a moribund Black-billed Cuckoo C. erythrophthalmus which was much- watched (plate 20), but is presumed to have died overnight. The Yellow-billed Cuckoo, however, or another, was seen on Tresco on 13th, St Mary’s again through to at least 21st, St Agnes on 19th and St Martin’s on 20th: it seems likely that at least two and possibly three or even four birds were involved. Further Yellow-billed Cuckoos occurred on The Lizard (Cornwall), and at Weybridge (Surrey), knocked out at a window about 17th and released a couple of days later. A Gray-cheeked Thrush Catharus minimus was trapped on Lundy on 1 1th, and there was another at Havle (Corn- wall) at the end of the month (plates 12 & 13). Sadly, an Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapillus was picked up freshly dead at Plymouth (Devon) on 22nd, the second fresh corpse out of three records. Finally, back to Ireland, where an immature/female Scarlet Tanager Piranga olivacea was at Firkeel (Co. Cork) from 12th to 14th. to be followed by a male in the same bush on 18th: yet another amazing coincidence in an amazing autumn. . . . and from points east and south Yellow-browed Warblers Phylloscopus inomatus flooded in in three figures, including ten in Orkney, 20 in Lincolnshire, 1 1 through Sandwich, seven on the Sussex coast, 25 on Cape Clear Island, a single-day maximum of 22 on Scilly on 13th. and. inland. Leicester- shire’s first in a Melton Mowbray garden on 31st. In the light of these numbers. Pallas’s 23. Yellow-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus americanus, Scilly, October 1985 ( John Hewitt) 12 Recent reports 24. Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides, Dorset, October 1985 ( Tony Croucher ) Warblers P. proregulus were few, with about half a dozen on the English east coast from 20th, five or six in Scilly, and, perhaps sur- prisingly, three in Ireland: on Cape Clear Island on 21st, on Sherkin Island (Co. Cork) from 23rd to 27 th, and on Hook Head on 24th and 25th; the only previous Irish record was on Cape Clear Island way back in 1968. There was an early Radde’s Warbler P. schwarzi at Helvick Head (Co. Waterford) on 15th, a most obliging individual on Tresco from 18th to 20th, another on Cugh (Scilly) about 23rd, one at Wells (Norfolk) from 21st to 24th, and a fifth at Sennen on 27th. In contrast, there were just two Dusky Warblers P./uscatus, on St Mary’s on 19th and at St Just on 27th. Arctic Warblers P. borealis were on Lundy on 23rd September, at Hengistbury Head from 30th September to 1st, at St Just to 3rd, and on Toe Head (Co. Cork) from 21st to 24th, while Greenish Warblers P. trochiloides were on Cape Clear Island on 29th and 30th September, and at Hengistbury from 1st to 3rd (plate 24), and another unringed one there on 8th. Good numbers ol Richard’s Pipits Anthus novaeseelandiae included five at Porthgwarra on 27th, on which date there were also single Tawny Pipit A. campestris , Red-throated Pipit A. cervinus and Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola there. An Olive-backed Pipit A. hodgsoni occurred on Tresco in the third week, and another Citrine Wagtail was at Musselburgh from 10th to 12th. Stonechats Saxicola lorquata of one of the Siberian races maurat slejnegeri were at Nanquidno (Cornwall) to at least 3rd, on St Mary’s from 13th, at Filey from 18th to 21st, and at Spurn on 22nd, while Lesser White- throats Sylvia curruca of the Siberian race blythi were trapped at Sandwich on 21st and 23rd, and at Spurn on 24th. The real Siberian stars, however, were an adult male Brown Shrike L anius cristatus at Sumburgh (Shet- land) from 30th September to 2nd (yet another first), a White’s Thrush Zoothera dauma on Shetland on 10th, an Eye-browed Thrush Turdus obscurus at Hook Head on 16th, and an immature/female Siberian Thrush Z. sibirica on Gape Clear Island on 18th. Recent reports 13 25 & 26. Booted Warbler Hippolais caligata. St illy, October 1985 (above, P. Wheeler, right, John Hewitt) A Booted Warbler Hippolais caligata appeared on St Mary’s from 15th to 19th (plates 25 & 26) followed by another Olivaceous Warbler //. pallida there around 23rd for a few days, as last year. After a blank year on Scillv in 1984, juvenile Rose- coloured Starlings Stumus roseus turned up on Bryher around 9th and two on St Mary's on 13th, but none stayed. Both Rustic Emberiza nistica and Little Buntings E. pusilla were on Fair Isle (Shetland) on 9th, followed by at least four Rustic and three Little on Scilly, with further Little Buntings at Hengistbury Head on 14th and in Mourier Valley, Jersey (Channel Islands) on 27th. A Parrot Crossbill Loxia pytyopsittacus was picked up dead at Holm (Orkney) on 27th. It has been a long wait since the big Nut- cracker Nucifraga caryocatactes invasion of 1968, but, after large numbers passing through southern Scandinavia and reaching Belgium and the Netherlands, one was sur- prised at Northward Hill (Kent) on 25th, to be followed at the start of November by a ridiculously tame and obliging individual near \\ estleton (Suffolk), destined not only to be a television star, but also perhaps the most photographed bird ever? At least four Short-toed Larks Calandrella brachydactyla were on Scilly through the month, with another at Portland (Dorset) from 7th, astonishingly, the first record for that locality, which has been thoroughly combed during every migration season for 14 Recent reports 27. Bee-eater Merops apiaster , Scilly, October 1985 (P. Wheeler) over 30 years. The juvenile Bee-eater Merops apiaster which arrived on Bryher in Sep- tember remained through October, latterly on Tresco (plate 27), while others were on Cape Clear Island on 29th and 30th Septem- ber, and at St Ives (Cornwall) on 5th. Icterine Warblers Hippolais icterina were very scarce, as were Melodious H. polyglolta, though there were four on Cape Clear Island between 8th and 13th. The ‘resident’ Isle of May (Fife) Subalpine Warbler Sylvia can- tillans remained to at least 5th, and a male appeared at Old Head of Kinsale (Co. Cork) on 13th. A superb male Sardinian Warbler S. melanocephala was on St Mary’s for a couple of days around 23rd. A juvenile Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator was on Tresco from 9th to at least 21st, a male Black-headed Bunting Emberiza melanocephala near Padstow (Cornwall) from 7th to 11th, and Serins Serinus serinus at Prawle (Devon) on 13th and Hook Head on 15th. Scarce migrants and winter visitors Scarlet Rosefinches Carpodacus erythrinus occurred early in the month at St Ives, on Lundy, and on South Ronaldsay (Orkney), as well as several in Scilly, while there were late Bluethroats Luscinia svecica on Gugh on 12th, at Clevedon (Avon) on 19th and Sand- wich on 21st. Small numbers of Wrynecks Jynx torquilla included two inland in Bedfordshire, at Sandy on 1 1 th and Mepper- shall on 15th. Papa Westray (Orkney) had a late Barred Warbler Sylvia nisoria on 20th. A good number of Red-breasted Flycatchers Ficedula parva included five in Ireland. A Shore Lark Eremophila alpestris at Barn Elms Reservoir (Greater London) stayed from 29th September to 8th (plates 28 & 29), and a Dartford Warbler S. undata at Portland on 4th was also unusual. Orkney had its first Treecreepers C.erthia Jamiliaris for four years, on North Ronaldsay from 4th to 9th and on Birsay on 6th, a vagrant Blue Tit Parus caeruleus on South Ronaldsay on 21st and 22nd, and its first Coal Tits P. ater since 1949, with one on North Ronaldsay Recent reports 15 ¥ % 4 P f 28 & 29. Shore Lark Ermpphila alpestris, Greater London. Sc ptember/October 1985 ( Andrew V. Moon) 30 & 31. Sora Porzana Carolina , West Sussex, October 1 985 ( Tony Croucher) m * 16 Recent reports 32 & 33. Immature Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax, Scilly, October 1985 (above, John Hewitt ; right, P. Wheeler) from 5th to 7th and two at Holm from 7th to 8th. Interestingly, Walney noted an ‘abnormal influx mid October’ of this last species. A Crested Tit P. cristatus at St Ouen, Jersey, on 2 1 st was a first for the island. Forty Bearded Tits Panurus biamiicus at Hengist- bury from 1 7th to 19th was the largest group reported of good numbers of this eruptive species. A Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes on Cape Clear Island on 20th was only the second record there, and others were unusual visitors to Lundy on 19th and to St Mary’s from 19th to at least 21st. A large northward movement of finches took place at Sandwich on 18th, with 830 Redpolls Carduelisfiammea , 870 Chaffinches Fringilla coelebs, 400 Linnets C. cannabina, 3,700 Goldfinches C. carduelis (an Observatory record), and 420 Siskins C. spinus , together with over 1,000 Swallows Hirundo rustica and 415 Pied Wagtails Motacilla alba , part of an ‘un- precedented passage’ of the last species there. Large numbers of Siskins were reported gen- erally, and ‘hundreds’ of Crossbills Loxia curvirostra were in Greystoke Forest and the Eden Valley (Cumbria). ‘Exceptional num- bers’ of Bramblings F. montifringilla passed over Thrybergh, and 1,300 flew south through Snettisham (Norfolk) on 12th; a party of nine could even be seen from the editorial office at Blunham (Bedfordshire) on 24th. Farther north, a flock of 45 Linnets on 9th was a Fair Isle record. Redwings Turdus iliacus arrived in force in mid month, with 3,000 at the light on 17th at Dowsing Light Vessel, and over 1 ,000 at Sandwich on 19th. 17 Recent reports Birds of prey There were late Red-footed Falcons Falco vesper tinus at Bolberry Down (Devon) on 21st and 22nd, and Abberton Reservoir (Essex) on 31st, a Hobby F. subbuteo on Walney to 27th, and a juvenile Montagu’s Harrier Circus pygargus at Horsey (Norfolk) on 22nd. Five migrant Sparrowhawks were seen at Dowsing Light between 13th and 20th, and Rough-legged Buzzards Buteo lagopus w ere in the Salthouse/Kelling (Norfolk) area from 23rd into November, at Filey on 27th, and two at Spurn on 26th and another on 28th. A Rhum wing-tagged White-tailed Eagle Haliaeelus albicilla at Insh in the Spey Valley (Highland) from 12th was nevertheless a magnificent sight, while a probable genuine immigrant on 27th was tracked from Filey south through Lincolnshire over Grain- thorpe, Saltfleetby and Gibraltar Point and into The Wash — and now awaits discovery somewhere in southern England? Latest news The suggestion at the end of the last para- graph was perceptive. In early December, not one but two White-tailed Eagles wefe discovered on the East Anglian coast, at Benacre (Suffolk) and on Scolt Head Island (Norfolk). Two October/November stars were still around: the Nutcracker at Westleton (Suffolk) and the Sora at Pagham (West Sussex). Newly discovered rarities included a Sociable Plover Chettusia gregaria at Blennerville (Go. Kerry) and a Black-and- white Warbler Mniotilta varia at Potter Heigham (Norfolk). A few Rough-legged Buzzards Buteo lagopus and large flocks of Snow Plectrophenax nivalis and Lapland Buntings Calcanus lapponicus were to be found on the British east coast. ^ptitntp-fihc pears ago... ‘THE I R ISH JAY. Garrulus glandarius hibemicus subsp. now by h. f. witherby and e. hartert. In the Birds of Ireland (1900) Mr. R. J. Ussher remarks (p. 88): — “Mr. E. Williams, who has preserved a great many examples, thinks that the Irish Jay is of a warmer colour than the English bird.’’ . . . That the Irish Jav is very different from the British Jay (G. g. rujitergum) is evident at a glance, while an examination of a series of specimens shows that the differences are constant, and any of the specimens we have examined can easily be picked out from a large series of British Jays.’ (Brit. Birds 4: 234, January 191 1) Notes on the breeding biology of the Buzzard Geoffrey Fryer During the 1970s and up to 1985, I made casual observations on the breeding behaviour of the Buzzard Buteo buteo. Most of these were in the southern part of the Lake District, Cumbria, but others made elsewhere during the same period are also referred to here. Although various aspects of the breeding behaviour of the Buzzard are well documented (e.g. Melde 1971; Picozzi & Weir 1974; Tubbs 1974; Cramp & Simmons 1980), my observations revealed several apparently little-known or undescribed facets. Nest-site marking by crag nesters The habit of ‘decorating’ the nest with fresh sprays of green leaves is well known, but some generalised statements are not always factually correct and its significance is still subject to debate. The repairing and maintaining of old nests in seasons when they are not in use is also well known. What seems not to be recorded is that actual sites, at least crag sites, may be marked by depositing green material there, even though no nest is constructed. In 1971, a pair of Buzzards nested on a crag in a Lakeland valley and raised one chick. This site was not used from 1972 to 1975, but, apart from noting the fact, I paid no attention to the nest ledge save recording that, on 26th April 1974, the nest was ‘a wreck and not repaired at all’. On 2 1st April 1976, however, several shoots of holly Ilex aquijolium had been placed on the site. No attempt had been made to rebuild the nest, of which no more than a few old sticks persisted on the ledge. On 1 5th May, I found that, while one or two sticks had apparently been brought, no attempt had been made at nest rebuilding, yet several sprays of rowan Sorbus aucuparia had been placed on the site. On 22nd April 1977, no nest building had taken place, but two fresh green sprays of holly and one faded spray that had clearly been there longer were present; on 2 1 st May, no additional material was present. On 23rd April 1 978, on which date occupancy of another site within this territory was confirmed, two or three stalks of heather Calluna vulgaris had been brought and a few green holly shoots placed on the site. By 13th May, at least one further holly spray had been added, this despite a nest elsewhere in the territory having been occupied continuously since the first shoots were noted. This hints at the male being the bringer of the greenery, the female being usually otherwise engaged at this stage of breeding. Males certainly bring green sprays to occupied nests, although MacNally (1962) saw only the female do so during the post-hatching phase at a Scottish nest. On 18th April 1979, a first, very rough attempt at remaking this nest had begun, and fresh 18 [Brit. Birds 79: 18-28, January 1986] 19 Breeding biology of the Buzzard holly shoots (not an integral part of the structure) were again present. On 6th May, the nest was complete and contained what proved to be the lull clutch of two eggs. 1'he same ledge was thus re-used after seven years of disuse, though not complete abandonment. The position of the nest was virtually identical on each occasion. These observations show, incidentally, how quickly Buzzards can make a nest: not always is it completed ‘long before they lay their eggs’ (Bannerman 1956). 1 he marking of incomplete or vestigial nests with greenery and the phenomenon of nests being completed but not used had already been observed at alternative sites in this same valley. A well-fashioned nest found in 1970 was visited by a Buzzard which, however, used an alternative site. On 15th May 1971, the unused 1970 nest, although incomplete, was marked by three sprays of rowan which had obviously not long been in position. It was not used in 1972 and 1973 (no details kept of its condition). In 1974, it received some attention, but was not lined; on 29th March, however, several holly sprays were present, the nearest source being about 500 m distant, and on 26th April sprays of fresh rowan had been added. On 25th April 1 975, sprays ol holly were present, and on 20th May the nest had been made up and the female was brooding two eggs; one young was eventually reared. On 28th March 1976, two fern fronds (species not ascertained) lay on the unrepaired remains of this nest. On 21st April, these had withered, but no further green material had been added, nor was any found in 1977-85, and, following desultory repairs in 1977, the site appears to have been abandoned. On 30th April 1 983, a visit to a crag to which one of a pair of circling Buzzards had been seen to plunge directly and steeply some two weeks previously revealed a newly constructed, but incomplete, unlined, nest. Lying on it was a tuft of great wood-rush Lugula sylvatica, partly green, partly brown; two heather tufts, one greener than the other; and a green spike of whorled leaves, seen only through binoculars, possibly of fir dubmoss lycopodium selago. Very little of the heather in the vicinity was green at this time in a late season, and the tufts present must have been assiduously sought. On 25th May 1977, sprays of rowan were also found at a derelict nest visited by a Buzzard elsewhere in this valley, but such behaviour was not confined to one area. In an entirely different part of the Lake District, a nest used in 1973 (not examined in 1974) showed no sign of being remade on 26th April 1975, but a few fronds of polypody Polypodium vulgare had been placed at its centre. Particularly gratifying was a visit made on 29th April 1977, specifically to check this behaviour, to a crag site in a different Lakeland Valley where Buzzards reared two young in 1974, but which was known to have been unoccupied in 1975 and 1976. There, although some attention had possibly been paid to the sticks still present, no real attempt at nest making had been made, but three fresh sprays ofholly had been placed on the ledge; these, but no additional green material, were still present on 20th May. A nest in a yet different valley produced one young from a single egg in 1982; in 1983, it retained much of its shape but was unrepaired, though a freshly severed spray ofjuniper Juniperus communis had been placed at its centre by 4th May, on which date the pair was occupying an adjacent, newly built, nest containing two eggs. By 29th April 1984, the same nest, still in good shape but unrepaired, had been marked by three separate sprays ofjuniper and a dead fern frond, and on 10th May 1985 — by which date a few heather stalks had been added to the rim — the unlined nest cup again had a spray ofjuniper in its centre. Juniper grows nearby. In another valley, a nest which in 1981 failed at the egg stage was not used in 1982. but on 8th May four faded holly sprays and a wilted, but clearly more recently placed rowan branch with a stem at least 8 mm in diameter was present on the unrepaired nest, and several tufts of mat-grass Nardus stricta (see below) were also present. As this nest never became badly trampled, the latter could conceivably have persisted from the previous year, or could have been added with the green material. In a different valley, a nest discovered on 1st June 1985. to which some attention had probably been paid in that year, had a fresh frond of rowan at its centre and a similar, withered, frond at its rim. The placing of green material at nest sites or incomplete nests was established on a total of at least 22 separate occasions, involving nine sites and several seasons. The number of visits on which this was brought must have been greater: for example, the four holly sprays at one site presumably involved four separate visits (not necessarily on the same day). That fresh greenery, sometimes unaccompanied by faded material, was seen on dates 20 Breeding biology of the Buzzard ranging from 28th March to 1st June also hints at the possibility ol renewal. Conclusive proof of the placing of greenery leading ultimately to nest making and egg laying, sometimes in subsequent years, was obtained at some sites. Equally conclusive proof of green material being placed on a previously used site that could not be used that year was also obtained, such material certainly being deposited at one site after nesting had begun elsewhere in the territory. Nevertheless, site-marking is by no means invariably practised. The first-mentioned site remained unused from 1980 to 1 985, but no marking was observed. That the birds were aware of the site can hardly be doubted: a Buzzard was seen perched close to it early in the 1981 breeding season, leading me to suspect either nesting or at least marking, though neither occurred and no physical attention was paid to the site. I have seen a fern frond on an unrepaired tree nest used in the previous season — a parallel to the marking of crag sites — but in trees such marking is possible only when a remnant of an old nest survives. I can find no reference to the use of green material on what are sometimes nestless crag sites, but Blezard (1933) noted that ‘the earliest sign of activity sometimes is a leafy spray placed on an old nest’. Function of marking Both Tubbs (1974) and Newton (1979) tentatively suggested that greenery may advertise territorial ownership, a conclusion also drawn by Blezard ( 1933) regarding leafy sprays on old nests and one which I had reached as a result of my own observations. Indeed, ‘decoration’ of sites on crags provides stronger support for this idea than does the marking of an actual nest. Greenery on a nest could conceivably serve other purposes, but it is difficult to envisage another function for sprays placed on a crag ledge. It is suggested that its employment is analogous to that of pheromones as territorial markers by mammals, in keeping with the dominance of the visual sense in birds and the olfactory in mammals. Indeed, the evidence is perhaps better than that for scent-marking in mammals, the significance of which is often ambiguous. The take-over of nests of other species and their decoration by Buzzards that do not lay in them is also in harmony with this theory. I have seen the crag nest of a Raven Corvus corax so bedecked with greenery; and, once, the nest of a Carrion Crow C. corone in an ash tree Fraxinus excelsior, in the territory of a pair of Buzzards which nested successfully on an adjacent crag, was completely lined with green sprays of ash, but was not otherwise used. It is difficult to accept that the ultimate function of green material is to provide a soft bed of leaves on which the eggs are laid (e.g. Brown 1976), and BWP (Cramp & Simmons 1980) is misleading when it refers to the nestcup as being ‘lined with green foliage prior to or during laying’ as if this were invariably the case. Some nests are so lined, and indeed Picozzi & Weir ( 1974) used the lining of the nestcup with green material as one of the criteria for attempted nesting, but crag nests in the Lake District are generally not so lined. In fact, I have recorded only four cases of green material in the lining and never has the entire lining been so comprised. A 21 Breeding biology of the Buzzard nest on a crag in the vicinity of which larches Larix were numerous was partially lined with larch shoots. Another was lined exclusively with great wood-rush, mostly brown leaves but including one large partly green tuft, presumably pulled from the base of a growing plant, incorporated near the edge of the cup; the solitary egg lay entirely on brown leaves. In another, a spray of Scots pine Pinus sylvestris was included among otherwise dead material, and a further case involved the incorporation of a few' soft, newly opened leaves of sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus . The experience of Blezard (1933) was evidently similar: he referred to ‘grass, dead bracken and wood-rush being used to line nests in the Lakeland Fells. It may be significant that my observations refer essentially to crag nests and those of Picozzi & Weir ( 1974), with one exception, to tree nests, but I doubt this, as even tree nests are not always so lined in the Lake District. Thus, in contrast to the crag nest that contained some larch shoots, a nest with two eggs built in a larch tree, and easily observable from the top of the crag on which the nest tree and other larches grew, included no larch shoots, nor any other green material, in the nestcup. While my data for tree nests are scanty in this respect, this is not the only case in which the eggs rested in a cup without any trace of greenery. This is sometimes also so in Denmark (see photograph in Wenzel 1959). Furthermore, the case of the usurped Carrion Crow nest, the only instance of green lining recorded, suggests that this need not necessarily be an indication of attempted nesting. In Lake District crag nests, green material, which frequently includes tough, sharp-spined holly leaves quite unsuitable for providing a soft receptacle for the eggs, is generally placed at the margin of the nest in the early phases of nesting, not woven into its structure as Tubbs (1974) reported for the New Forest and as I have seen in Lakeland tree nests. It is much more usual to find green material, sometimes in copious amounts, laid across the nest when young are present, a situation quite contrary to the impression given in Cramp & Simmons (1980) that material may be added ‘during incubation and even fledging periods’. Generalisation is clearly dangerous. Other evidence of site ownership That Buzzards sometimes take a proprietary interest in old nest sites is indicated both by their visiting such sites in years when they are not used, which I have observed on several occasions, and by behaviour of a different kind. On one occasion, before egg laying could be expected, as I scrambled to an ancient and clearly long-disused site on a small low' crag, on which no greenery was found, an airborne Buzzard began to call persistently. In some circumstances this could have indicated an undetected nest nearby, but in this case this was certainly not so, and I had a very strong impression that the bird ‘resented’ intrusion onto its ‘property’, although that property was untenanted and had been for some time. Several years later, in 1983, Buzzards again used this small crag, three eggs being found in a nest on another ledge. I have also seen Buzzards either perched near or ‘playing’ in the vicinity of old nest sites on crags where the nest was unrepaired in that breeding season. In one such case, in a valley different from any mentioned 22 Breeding biology oj the Buzzard above, this was followed by the discovery later in the season ot a nest containing two eggs about 200 m away. Nests and sites While most crag nests conform broadly to descriptions in the literature, their structure is not rigidly stereotyped, nor is it necessarily determined by the accessibility of materials. A Buzzard nest is by no means always the ‘substantial structure’ described by Cramp & Simmons (1980). A southern Scottish nest with two small young was on a grassy ledge on which the eggs must have been laid directly, such hollowing as was apparent being no more than would result from brooding activities and the consequent killing of the grass. Two or three stalks of heather were present, but no nest at all had been constructed. Although the area was largely treeless, heather stalks were readily available, so the lack of sticks was not dictated by circum- stances. The ‘Additions & Corrections’ to The Handbook (Witherby et al. 1944) mention the nest as ‘occasionally very slight’, while Blezard (1933, 1946a) reported flimsy nests consisting of ‘a few scraps of plant stalks surrounding a hollow in turf and referred to a ground nest that was ‘simply a scrape lined with tufts of grass’ (Blezard 1946b). A nest that I found on a broad grassy ledge in the Howgill Fells consisted essentially of a lined hollow, with no more than a few token sticks around it, that in no way resembled a true stick nest. Similar nests, but with rather more sticks, have been seen in the Lake District. Where the nestcup occupies a natural hollow (or one resulting from long usage?) on the ledge, the sticks may be no more than a perhaps functionless adornment of a rim of earthy or rooted plant material. When the nestcup abuts the crag face, sticks may be used only on the outer side, where they form a more or less semicircular rim. They may be scanty, or sufficiently numerous to make a veritable barricade. Other nests have a large, almost perfectly circular, peripheral array of sticks. The central cup, when present, is variable in diameter: in one nest, built of large sticks, it barely encircled the three eggs; in others, it is larger. Nest-lining material Notwithstanding the emphatic denial of Walpole-Bond (1914), sheep’s wool may be incorporated into the lining, although this is not common. It may also sometimes be found at the edge of the central cup, and I have seen a little added with green material in a nest that held well-feathered young. Philipson ( 1 948) also noted the occasional presence of ‘a little wool’ in the nest lining in Lakeland nests, and wool has been found in the lining of Pennine nests (Blezard 1933; Brown 1974). On several occasions, a newly built nest has contained the basal parts of one or more dead tufts of mat-grass. Some nests are partially lined with such tufts, which may conceivably act as markers as well as lining material. I ufts commonly lie about on hillsides, and must be easily acquired. I have also seen tufts of mat-grass at the edge of a crag nest containing young in Scotland, as well as in northern England. 23 Breeding biology oj the Buzzard Altitude Lake District nests with two eggs at about 1,900 feet (579 m) and at just over 2,000 feet (610 m), respectively, and one with three eggs, all of which hatched, at about 2, 100 feet (640 m), all in the same territory, appear to be above the usual limits there. Blezard et al. ( 1943) stated that crag-nesting in the area occurs hip to 1500 feet [460 m] and occasionally up to 1750 [530 m]’, but Brown ( 1974) reported breeding at up to 2,000 feet. The next highest site that I have found was at about 1,800 feet (550 m), but the nest held no eggs or young; another site, used twice, was at over 1,700 feet (520 m). Farther north, Weir & Picozzi ( 1983) recorded 380 m ( 1,250 feet) as the upper limit of altitude for the nest of a Buzzard in Speyside. Altitudes of Lake District nests, plus one from the adjacent Howgill Fells, that 1 have seen and for which data are recorded are shown in table 1 . The highest tree nest was in a downy birch Betula pubescens in a sheltered ravine. Table 1. Altitudes of nest sites of Buzzards Buteo buteo in the Lake District, Cumbria (plus one Howgill Fells crag site), 1970s-1985 Heights of trees ignored Crag nests Tree nests No. nests Range ft m Mean ft in No. (%) at 1,000 ft (305 m) or above 38 (8 not in use) 550-2,100 168-640 1,267 386 54 ( 13 not in use) 460-1,500 140-457 685 209 29 (76%) 3 (6%) Tree species used Tree nesters are reputed to show a preference for conifers (e.g. Brown 1976; Cramp & Simmons 1980), but availability (Melde 1971) and individual idiosyncracies are clearly involved. In one territory, I have seen three different occupied nests in a rather small group of larches, but an oak Quercus at the edge of this group has also been used. An unoccupied nest was in a solitary' sycamore in the middle of a small plantation of apparently suitable larches. Trees seen to be used in the Lake District, so far as they were recorded, are indicated in table 2. Table 2. Trees used for nesting by Buzzards Buteo buteo in the Lake District, Cumbria, for which records were kept, 1970s-1985 The oaks were almost certainly all sessile oak Q.petraea, and the larches probably all L. europaea Tree species No. nests Oak Quercus 19 Larch Larix 9 Scots pine Pinus sylvestris 8 Downy birch Betula pubescens 3 Ash Fraxinus excelsior 3 Beech Fagus sylvatica 2 Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus 2 Fir Abies 2 Alder Alnus glutinosa 1 24 Breeding biology of the Buzzard Crags versus trees My observations do not support the suggestion of I ubbs (1974) that trees appear to be favoured as nest sites where they are available, nor his inference from BTO nest record cards that sites other than those in woodland tend to be used of necessity rather than from preference. Brown ( 1976) made even more categorical assertions of the same kind. The lowest- lying Lake District sites, in Borrowdale at about 550 feet (168 m) and in Dunnerdale at 600 feet ( 183 m), offered abundant alternatives in trees, and a nest in Longsleddale at 620 feet (189 m) was on a small rocky outcrop surrounded by suitable trees. Three other crag sites, all below 1,000 feet (305 m), had tree nests nearby. At two of these, adjacent tree and crag nests were certainly used in consecutive years; in one case, the same female, recognised by her aggressive behaviour, was almost certainly involved (Fryer 1974). Periodicity of occupation Lakeland crag nests seem generally to be vacated after a year’s use, although, as some sites were checked only intermittently or never revisited, examples of use in the following year may have been missed. While information is sporadic, I have details of 23 crag sites used in one year but not the next, but none of use in two successive years. A tree nest in an oak, however, was used for at least nine and probably ten consecutive years since first found, and could have been in use before this. Particularly noteworthy is that the sixth year of occupancy ( 1980) followed failure from an unknown cause in 1979, while fidelity to this site was demonstrated even more strongly by the return of the pair to the same nest in 1983, following human interference and desertion in 1982. Holdsworth (1971) noted that re-use was more likely after success than after failure. A pair was present for the tenth consecutive year early in the 1984 season, one of the birds being seen at the decorated nest, but laying was not proved and the nest was later deserted for reasons unknown; in 1985, the nest was repaired and decorated, but only a single bird was ever seen there. Whether this persistent occupancy always involved one or more of the previous year’s users is not known. By contrast, the nearest neighbours of this pair used six different tree nests in eight years, and only once used the same nest in two consecutive years. Perhaps as a result of tree-felling, this pair was not located in the ninth year of observations, but it nested again in the same wood in 1984, after an absence of four years. Passerine nestlings as prey Although Cramp & Simmons (1980) mentioned ‘nestlings and just-fledged young’, without clear distinction, as prey of the Buzzard, there seem to be very few published references to nestlings and even less information on the age of such prey. Tubbs (1974) recorded just one nestling Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus among the large number of items brought to 81 Buzzard nests over a nine-year period in the New Forest, Hampshire, where avian prey is unusually important. Being of a hole-nesting species, however, and presumably sufficiently well feathered to permit recognition. Breeding biology oj the Buzzard 25 this bird seems unlikely to have been taken Irom a nest. Newly fledged small passerines are certainly captured, and it is not always possible to ascertain whether young birds brought to a Buzzard nest were removed from their own nest or taken alter fledging. Although MacNally (1970) referred to the taking of nestlings, this seems to have been inferred from a curious case where the nest, but no young, of a Chaffinch Fnngilla coelebs was found at a Buzzard nest, and he listed no nestling among ov er 200 prey items recorded at nests, though these included several fledglings. A related case of apparent nest plundering, for which the evidence is also somewhat circum- stantial, refers to the apparent taking of embryonated eggs of a Blackbird Turdus merula (Streeck 1969). I here is, however, one positive report of the taking of naked nestlings. Among prey found at Buzzard nests, Wendland ( 1933) reported three unfledged thrushes, possibly Mistle Thrushes T. viscivorus, about 8-10 days old, and also two headless, naked young birds. On five occasions in four different years, naked or near-naked nestlings were seen at the nests of Lakeland Buzzards; some, probably all, were Meadow Pipits Anthus pratensis, and all were intact. On each occasion, the recipient Buzzards were downy young. In one case, a nest containing one chick aged less than two days old and a hatching egg had been provisioned with two naked Meadow Pipit nestlings; one such nestling was seen at the same nest when the young were about seven and five days old. At another nest containing one young Buzzard about four days old, three naked nestlings were present (presumably the product of one nest). Two nearly naked Meadow Pipit nestlings were present at a nest containing a Buzzard chick about five days old and an unhatched egg (plate 34); just over four hours later these had gone, presumably having been fed to the chick, and had been replaced by the fragmentary remains of a pigeon Columba, probably a scavenged kill of a Peregrine Falco peregrinus. At another nest, a Buzzard no more than 14-15 days old was seen to swallow such a nestling unaided: it seized the nestling and several times flung back its head, the prey’s legs flopping back at each fling. According to Tubbs (1974), young Buzzards can swallow small rodents whole at the age ofone month, but thev can perform even this feat much earlier than this (see Wenzel 1959). The ingestion of a small passerine nestling must present fewer problems. It may be coincidental that such prey were recorded only at nests containing small young. Ifbrought later (and Meadow Pipits are usually at least double-brooded), such items may be quickly swallowed and therefore missed by the casual observer. On the other hand, there may be a corre- lation between the collection of very soft morsels and the needs and abilities of small young. Indeed, such items would make but a small contribution to the needs of large young. A somewhat older nestling (a Meadow Pipit?) whose wing quills were just developing was also seen at a nest containing two young Buzzards about four and two days old and a hatching egg. Remains of feathered Meadow' Pipits, in one case possibly obtained from a nest, were also seen among the prey. L’ttendorfer (1952) noted that many of the avian prey at Buzzard nests are young birds. This is not surprising, as the Buzzard’s breeding season coincides with the time when young, inex- perienced birds are particularly abundant. 34. Crag nest of Buzzard Buteo buteo with near-naked nestlings of Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis (arrowed) at margin, and Buzzard chick about five days old and infertile egg; much use of tufts of mat-grass Nardus slricta at margin of nest cup (see text), Cumbria, May 1985 ( G . Fryer) Breeding biology oj the Buzzard That young are sometimes seized from the nests of larger birds is shown by several incidents. E. Taylforth (in litt.) saw a Buzzard fly to the tree nest of a Carrion Crow and ‘hook out’ a young bird, which fell to the ground. I he parent crows, with others attracted by their calls, drove off the attacker. When examined, the victim was found to be dead and to have ‘a hole in its neck’, presumably made by the claw of the Buzzard. I observ ed what was conceivably a similar sortie by a Buzzard which dived into the wooded side of a valley; where it disappeared, a cacophony of frenzied BINOCULARS and TELESCOPES from KAY OPTICAL SERVICING Service to the Naturalist for over 24 years Get 1 986 off to a flying start — WIN A LEITZ 7 x 42 BA (green) TRINOVID binocular, complete By spending £1 50 or more and presenting this (or a copy of this) promotional advertisement with your order, you will be entered in our April DRAW for the above superb binocular — worth at least £350! This offer is exclusively made to readers of “British Birds” and will be open from 1 st January to 31 st March 1 986. The fortunate, sole winner will be announced in May’s “BB”. BINOCULARS £ ZEISS (West) 8 x 20 B Dialyt 150 1 0 x 25 B Dialyt 165 8 x 20 BGA Dialyt 190 8 x 30 BGA Dialyt 297 10 x 40 BGA Dialyt (,9901 ) 353 7x42 BGA Dialyt 353 ROLLEI • 7 x 42 fixed-focus, watertight, rubber-armoured, nitrogen-filled * £360. 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A NEW DIMENSION IN BIRDWAXCHING FUN IFind out how clever, birds 1 really are, with TPUZZLEFEEDERS the thinking f birds nut dispensers Watch birds do a variety of tasks to _ secure the release of a peanut Fascinating to watch, lots of fun for all the family. PUZZLE FEEDER £1 99 plus 50p P & P 3 different puzzle feeders£5 99 post free MULTI-PUZZLE FEEDER (Bird table with 4 different puzzle . feeders) £16 99 plus £1 SOP. & P. or sent packed flat for self assembly £9.99 plus £1.2SP.&P. Please send me. . . .PUZZLErEEDERS MULTI PUZZLE FEEDER Enclose cheque/PO Payable 10 TRADEYARD LTD Signature Name Address Postcode . Iroderard l_ Depl BB. FREEPOST (NO STAMP REQUIRED) HICHLEY, BRIDGNORTH WV 16 4BR (D61 8) SEE OCEANIC BIRDS IN THEIR TRUE HABITAT Come north with us and land on St. Kilda, North Rona, Fair Isle and many other remote Scottish Isles. For the 50th Jubilee of the Scottish Ornithologists Club, the M.V. PLANCIUS has been chartered to take keen birders to these thrilling islands where thousands of sea birds breed, not to mention skuas, phalarope, twite, etc. Cruise A. 1 4 May to 23 May. Leith to Greenock. Cruise B. 24 May to 2 June. Greenock to Aberdeen. Leaders John Arnott and Bobby Tulloch. Write: Erskine Expeditions, 14 Inverleith Place, Edinburgh. (D600) xii 27 Breeding biology of the Buzzard alarm calls of Carrion Crows immediately arose. Coombs (1978) recorded that in 1955, when Buzzards were experiencing a severe food shortage following the effects of myxomatosis on the population of rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus, 'well-grown nestling rooks \Corvus frugilegus ] were repeatedly taken from the nest and tree branches at a rookery ... in Cornwall’. A case ol a Buzzard at the nest of a Magpie Pica pica is reported elsewhere (Fryer 1986). Remains of feathered young crows were seen several times at Buzzard nests. Some could conceivably have been taken before fledging, but there is no proof of this, and I have on several occasions known Carrion Crows to nest, apparently unmolested, sometimes in open sites, in the territory of a pair of Buzzards. Richmond (1959) also mentioned Wood- pigeon Columba palumbus squabs brought to the nest. Acknowledgments I am grateful to Dr D. A. Ratcliffe and D. A. Christie for helpful comments on the original typescript, and to the former for drawing my attention to an early paper by E. Blezard. Summary During the 1970s and up to 1985, casual observations were made on breeding Buzzards Buteo buteo in the Lake District, Cumbria. Details are given of the habit of ‘decorating’ nestless crag sites, as well as nests, with fresh greenery. The function of this behaviour, which seems to be to show territorial ownership, is discussed, and other evidence of ownership is outlined. Buzzard nests on crags vary considerably in structure, and may be no more than a lined hollow with a few token sticks added. The highest nest was at 2, 100 feet (640 m). Tree nesters used a variety of broadleaved and coniferous tree species. Crag sites appear usually to be vacated after one year's use, whereas one tree site was occupied for nine or ten consecutive years. Among avian prey brought to the nest, naked or near-naked nestlings were found on five occasions. Nestlings of birds the size of Carrion Crows Cori'us corone are sometimes taken. References Bannerman, D. A. 1956. The Birds of the British Isles. Vol. 5. Edinburgh. Blezard, K. 1933. On the Buzzard. Trans. Carlisle Nat. Hist. Soc. 5: 61-66. 1946a. The Lakeland Pennines and their birds. Trans. Carlisle Nat. Hist. Soc. 7: 100-1 15. 1946b. The birds of Lakeland. A supplement. Trans. Carlisle Nat. Hist. Soc. 7: 131-149. , Garnett, M., Graham. R., & Johnson. T. L. 1943. The birds of Lakeland. Trans. Carlisle Nat. Hist. Soc. 6: 21-163. Brown, L. 1976. British Birds oj Prey. London. Brown, R. H. 1974. Lakeland Birdlije 1920-1970. Carlisle. Coombs, C.J. F. 1978. The Crows: a study of the concids of Europe. London. Cramp, S., & Simmons, K.. E. L. (eds.) 1980. The Birds of the Western Palearctic. \ ol. 2. Oxford. F ryer, G. 1974. Aggressive behaviour by Buzzards at nest. Brit. Birds 67: 238-239. 1986. Buzzard and crows at Magpie nest. Brit. Birds 79: 40-41. Holdsworth, M. 1971. Breeding biology of Buzzards at Sedbergh during 1937-67. Brit. Birds 64:412-420. MacNally, L. 1962. Food at a Buzzard's nest. Scot. Birds 2: 96-98. 1970. Highland Deer Forest. London. Melde, M. 1971. Der Mdusebussard Buteo buteo L. Wittenberg Lutherstadt. Newton, I. 1979. Population Ecology of Raptors. Berkhamsted. Phii.ipson, \V. R. 1948. Birds of a Valley. London. Picozzi, N., & Weir. D. 1974. Breeding biology of the Buzzard in Speyside. Bnt. Birds 67: 199-210. Richmond, W. K.. 1959. British Birds of Prey. London. Streeck. S. 1969. Mausebussard plundert Amselnest. Falke 16: 31. Tubbs, C. R. 1974. The Buzzard. Newton Abbot. 28 Breeding biology of the Buzzard Uttendorfer, O. 1952. Neue Ergebmsse iiber die Emahrung der Greifvbgel und Eulen. Stuttgart. Walpole-Bond, J. 1914. Field Studies oj some Rarer British Birds. London. Weir, D., & Picozzi, N. 1983. Dispersion of Buzzards in Speyside. Brit. Birds 76: 66-78. Wendland, V. 1933. Vermehrung, allgemeine Brutbiologie und Ernahrung des Mausebussards (Buteob. buteo). Beitr. Fortpfl. Vogel 9: 157-1B7. Wenzel, F. 1959. The Buzzard. London. Witherby, H. F., Jourdain, F.C. R„ Ticehurst, N. F„ & Tucker, B. W. 1944. The Handbook oj British Birds. Vol. 5. London. Dr Geoffrey Fryer, Elleray Cottage, Windermere, Cumbria LA23 1 AW Little Shearwaters in Britain and Ireland P. C. James The Little Shearwater Pujfinus assimilis occurs as a breeding species in the southern section of the eastern North Atlantic (Cramp & Simmons 1977). Although it is supposed to lack a definite migration, it has become increasingly clear that the species is a regular visitor to British and Irish waters (Sharrock & Sharrock 1976; Wallace & Bourne 1981). This was dramatically emphasised in 1982, when a Little Shearwater was captured ashore at the large colony of Manx Shearwaters P. pujfinus on Skomer Island, Dyfed, Wales (James & Alexander 1984). The following is an account of this exciting event, with some comment on its possible signifi- cance. [Brit. Birds 79: 28-33. January 19861 29 Little Shearwaters in Britain and Ireland I he night of 26th June began like any other that summer. At the time, I was a graduate student of the Edward Grey Institute, studying the vocal behaviour of nocturnal Procellariiformes (James 1984), and was working in a colony of Storm Petrels Hydrobales pelagicus. Just after midnight, I heard the call of a bird with which I was unfamiliar. My first impression was that it was an Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus , until I realised that it was coming from beneath the boulder slope a few metres away. Moving some rocks, I was able to see part of a shearwater. Satisfied for the moment that the bird was an aberrant Manx Shearwater, I returned to my work. T hree nights later, the site was revisited, and again the calling was heard, quite distinct from that of the surrounding Manx Shearwaters. Fortu- nately, the bird was sitting at an entrance to the boulder pile, and was easily captured. Only then did I realise the full significance of the discovery. My first impression was that this was indeed a Little Shearwater, being about half the size of a Manx, with pale blue legs and feet. The bird was hastily photographed and returned to the boulder entrance, for fear ofdisturbing it further. Eater that same night, the bird was heard calling in flight over the boulder slope. I ts silhouette was clearly visible against the sky, and allowed its fluttering flight to be seen, an action quite different from that of the accompanying Manx Shearwaters. While the bird was in flight, the rocks were searched for others, but none was found. A small quantity of vegeta- tion had, however, been laid at the end of a burrow. The bird revisited the site over the next several nights, first calling in flight before landing and returning to the burrow, where it continued to call. It would periodically leave the burrow, and again call in flight, a behaviour now known to function as a sexual advertisement by Manx Shearwaters (James 1985). On the night of 1st July, I managed to obtain a tape recording of the bird in its burrow (fig. 1 ). Subsequent playback of this recording to the bird, either in flight or in the burrow', elicited a strong vocal response. That same night, similar habitat on the remainder of the island was thoroughly searched, and the recording played aloud, but no other Little Shearwaters were found. After much deliberation, it was decided that the bird should be Fig. 1 . Sonagram of call of Little Shearw ater Pujfinus assimilis. Dyfed, July 1981 30 Little Shearwaters in Britain and Ireland recaptured, and a thorough held description taken. I his was done on 7th July, when it was again photographed (plates 35 & 36) and also ringed. Another inspection of the burrow revealed that additional vegetation had been brought in. The held description follows: .. general shape Very similar to Manx Shearwater, but approximately half the size. Wings proportionately shorter than Manx. Head proportionately larger, with steeper forehead. Eyes appeared larger in proportion compared with Manx. plumage Head : Crown and nape black with greyish sheen. Supercilium white. Lores dark. Chin, ear-coverts and throat white. Sides of neck mottled grey and white. Back and rump'. Black. Breast, belly and flanks: White. Tail: Uppertail-coverts black. Undertail- coverts white, longest feathers having small areas of light grey. Tail feathers black above, pale grey below. Tail slightly wedge-shaped. Wings: Upperwing black. Underwing: pri- maries and secondaries grey; all coverts including axillaries white; leading edge mottled grey. Moult: None noted. bare parts Legs and feet: Upper leg surface pale blue on leading edge. Pale blue toes. Black outer edge of leg and toes. Inner edge of toes and leg pale blue. Under leg black with flesh-coloured patch on mid-tarsal joint. Upper webs paler blue with pink veining. Under webs black with flesh-coloured patches. Bill: Upper mandible black. Lower mandible black with blue-grey at side of base. Shape similar to Manx but more deli- cate. Eye: Black. measurements Tarsus: 36.5 mm (from mid- tarsal joint to distal end of tarso-metatarsus). Bill length: 25.2 mm (from dorsal edge of feathering to hook). Bill depth: 6.0 mm (at gonys). Total head length-. 64.0 mm (including bill). Wing: 175 mm (flattened chord). Tail: 67 mm (from base of central feathers to their tips). The bird’s white underwing and undertail-coverts identified its race as baroli , the Madeiran race of Little Shearwater (Cramp & Simmons 1977). All specimen records of the Little Shearwater in the United Kingdom have been of this race (Sharrock & Sharrock 1976). The bird remained at the island, visiting on most dark nights through to 10th July, but it did not reappear during the August new moon. Because the individual was clearly prospecting, and not storm-driven, it was decided not to release immediately the news of its discovery. Much to my astonishment, a Little Shearwater appeared on Skomer the following year. Its call was first noted on 2 1st June, this time from a location about 5 m from the previous one. The call was identical to that of the 1981 bird, and the bird’s ring number confirmed that the same individual had indeed returned. Again, it visited the colony on most nights during the new moon period up to 25th July, and did not reappear in August. It was not seen or heard in 1983, despite a complete search of the island. A second individual, identified as such by its voice, was, however, once heard calling in flight in another location on 3rd May*. Two years following the first Skomer capture, I had the good fortune to visit Great Salvage Island, some 200 km to the south of Madeira, and a breeding station of the Madeiran Little Shearwater. It felt somewhat odd to be at the possible birthplace of the Skomer bird. My research there showed that, like the Manx Shearwater (Brooke 1978) and Cory’s Shearwater Calonectris diomedea (Ristow & Wink 1980), the Little Shearwater is sexually dimorphic in voice (James & Robertson 1985). The males have a clearer, higher-pitched call than the females, which possess a lower-pitched, more raspy call. It was thus established that the bird prospecting on Skomer was This ‘call-only’ record has not been accepted by the Rarities Committee. Eds Little Shearwaters in Britain and Ireland 31 a male, and that the second individual, heard in flight on 3rd May 1983, was a female. Since the Skomer observations have become more widely known, some people have wondered whether the old Skokholm Island records of ‘runt' Manx Shearwaters (Perrins et al. 1965) were in fact Little Shearwaters. While this is possible, I personally doubt it. The ‘runts’ on the island were Little Shearwaters in Britain and Ireland 32 found as a result of intensive ringing studies. I he smaller size, combined with the blue legs and feet of a Little Shearwater, would probably not have escaped the attention of an experienced ringer. The occurrence of at least one prospecting Little Shearwater on Skomer raises the possibility that the species may be colonising islands farther north than its usual breeding range. \\ hile the likelihood ol this happening is remote, it should not be entirely dismissed. For example, in 1977, a colony of Manx Shearwaters was found breeding for the first time in North America (Lien & Grimmer 1978). For several years prior to this discovery, they had been seen and heard in increasing numbers on and around the island in question. One captured ashore had even been ringed as a chick on Skokholm six years previously. This new Canadian colony is still apparently thriving (Storey & Lien 1985). I he example illustrates that shearwaters are capable of long-distance colonisation, and this should be borne in mind when considering the likelihood of Little Shearwaters doing so. Examination of accepted Little Shearwater records published in British Birds over the last 25 years does not seem to indicate that the species is increasing around our coasts. It would be wrong, however, to place too much confidence on these as a true index of abundance owing to the unknown amount of effort put in by seawatchers over the years. The majority of Little Shearwater records occur in autumn, although there has been a recent trend for more summer records, possibly supporting the colonisation theory. Little Shearwater records also seem to go in cycles. For example, there were two records for the period 1958-60, then a gap of three years, followed by 26 records for the period 1964-68. This was again followed by a gap, this time of four years. Then, 23 records occurred in the period 1973-78, again followed by a lull. Whether these appearances reflect changing oceanographic features or variations in seawatching effort is unclear, although it is not likely to be entirely due to the latter. With the increased interest in seawatching, a challenge has been issued for more reliable small shearwater identification. This problem has been recently tackled in an excellent discussion by Curtis, Lassey & Wallace (1985). I can add no improvement to this treatise on birds-at-sea identification, but perhaps can offer some thoughts to the many people, especially ringers, who visit offshore islands around Britain and Ireland each year. The first point regards the habitat that the Skomer bird was found in. As at its breeding grounds farther south (Cramp & Simmons 1977; own observations), the bird chose rock piles as opposed to the usual turf habitat of Manx Shearwaters. I n this respect, it is similar to our Storm Petrel, and, as previously mentioned, the Little Shearwater was located in the middle of a colony of these birds. Ringers of Storm Petrels should, therefore, take particular note. I he second point concerns the timing of the Skomer bird’s appearances. I he Little Shearwater’s breeding season in the south extends from February to May (Jouanin 1964). The Skomer visits coincided with the post-breeding arrival of Little Shearwaters at their breeding colonies. T he 33 Little Shearwaters in Britain and Ireland age composition ol these birds has yet to be determined, but, based on captures of ringed birds on Great Salvage in 1983, they do include birds of breeding age (own observations). Breeding, if it is to occur on our coasts, could therefore take place earlier in the year, and, similarly, so could Little Shearwater visitation to potential nesting areas. The last point regards the call of the Little Shearwater. It is very distinctive, being quicker and higher-pitched than that of the Manx Shearwater. \ isitors to islands with rock habitat should therefore listen carefully to the surrounding cacophony of Manx Shearwaters. They could be surprised by what they find. Acknowledgments I should like to thank the Nature Conservancy Council and the West Wales Naturalists’ Trust for permission to conduct research on Skomer, and the Portuguese National Parks for permission to visit the Salvages. Travel assistance to the Salvages was provided bv the Portuguese Navy, the Royal Society, Wolfson College, and the Zoology Department at Oxford. References Brooke, M. df. L. 1978. Sexual differences in the voice and individual vocal recognition in the Manx Shearwater ( Puffinus puffinus) . Anim. Behai'. 2ti: 622-629. C ramp, S., & Simmons, K. E. L. (eds.) 1977. The Birds of the Western Palearctic. vol. 1. Oxford. Curtis, Y\ . F., Lassey, P. A., & \\ ai.lace, D. I. M. 1985. Identifying the smaller shearwaters. Brit. Birds 78: 123-138. James, P. C. 1984. The vocal and homing behaviour of the Manx Shearwater Pujfinus pujfinus with additional studies on other Procellariiformes. D.Phil. thesis. University of Oxford. 1985. The vocal behaviour of the Manx Shearwater Puffinus pujfinus. Z. Tierpsychol. 67: 269-283. & Alexander, M. 1984. Madeiran Little Shearwater Puffinus assimilis baroli prospecting on Skomer Island, U.K. Ardea 72: 236-237. & Robertson, H. A. 1985. Sexual dimorphism in the voice of the Little Shearwater Pujfinus assimilis. this 127: 388-390. Jouanin, C. 1964. Le comportement en juillet des Petits Puffins, Pujfinus assimilis baroli (Bonaparte), de Tile Selvagem Grande. Bol. Mus. Mun. Funchal 17: 142-157. Lien, J., & Grimmer, L. 1978. Manx Shearwater nesting in Newfoundland. Osprey 9: 50-54. Perrins, C. M., Diamond, A. W., Straw, P.J..& Britten, C. K. 1965. Sight identifications of shearwaters. Brit. Birds 68: 521-522. Ristow, D., & Wink, M. 1980. Sexual dimorphism in Cory's Shearwater. Il-Merill 21: 9-12. Sharrock. J. T. R., & Sharrock. E. M. 1976. Rare Birds in Britain and Ireland. Berkhamsted. Storey, A. E., & Lien, J. 1985. Development of the first North American colony of Manx Shearwaters. Auk 102: 395-401. W allace, D. 1. M.. & Bourne, W. R. P. 1981. Seabird movements along the east coast of Britain. Brit. Birds 74: 417-426. P. C. James, Edward Grey Institute, Zoology Department, South Parks Road , Oxford 0X1 3PS (Present address: Department of Veterinary Anatomy, University of Saskatchewan , Saskatoon , Sask., S7N0W0, Canada) Mystery photographs "I AA Last month’s four pipit photographs .(repeated here as plates A Vr ±7 37-40) were taken by Dr Klaus Robin in Switzerland, where the bird was present for several days in December/January 1982/83. They are selected from a series of 12 black-and-white prints sent to the Rarities Committee by Dr Roland Luder for an opinion on the identity of the bird. 34 [Brit, Birds 79: 34-39, January 1986] Mystery photographs 35 37-40. Mystery photographs 109 (Klaus Robin) Brief accompanying notes referred to a cream-coloured breast, rather yellowish-brown upperparts, flesh-coloured legs, and a call resembling that of Dunnock Prunella modularis or Reed Bunting Emberiza schoemclus. The choice was between Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis and Red-throated Pipit A. cervinus in one of its non red-throated plumages. There was strong initial opinion that it was a Red-throated Pipit (9:1 in favour on the first circula- tion). The eventual clear majority view, however, was for Meadow Pipit: including the opinions of three international experts also consulted, the final votes were ten for Meadow, one for Red-throated (an unrepentant J I RS), and two undecided. It must be said at the outset that the severity of the problem set here is rather artificial. In the real field situation, Red-throated Pipit is almost always first identified by its flight call, which when heard fully is to some ears among the most distinctive of all bird noises: a very high-pitched, penetrating ‘psssss’, which starts emphatically and trails off to an almost inaudible finish, lasting a full half-second. Some observers apparently have trouble in distinguishing the call from that of Olive-backed Pipit A. hodgsoni or Tree Pipit A. trivialis (Brit. Birds 73: 233; 74: 228-229), but at least it’s quite unlike the short, squeaky notes of Meadow Pipit. The Dunnock- or Reed Bunting-like call described for this bird does not help: which of the varied calls of these species did it resemble? With a stretched imagination, this imprecise description could fit either Red-throated or Meadow. In the field, differences in colour tones would also be helpful. Red- throated always lacks Meadow’s usually obvious vellowish-olive tones on the upperparts and ear-coverts, and is instead generally greyish, greyish- brown or obviously brownish-toned in these areas, much depending on the light. The ‘rather yellowish-brown' upperparts noted for the mystery' bird 36 Mystery photographs 41. Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis, Netherlands, April 1983 (Amoud B. van den Berg) therefore seems to be a clear point in favour of Meadow. Also, the colour of the pale markings on the upperparts and wings, and — especially — the base-colour on the flanks and breast of Red-throated is usually obviously creamier or whiter than that of Meadow, which is usually pale buffy-yellow in these areas. The infrequent ‘grey-and-white morph’ Meadow Pipits (which may be familiar to observers who search pipit flocks in autumn: on Scilly, for example, something like one in 200 is of this type) can look like Red-throateds in these respects, however, with the result that it would take the sharpest of observers confidently to claim a Red-throated without hearing the call or seeing the diagnostic finely streaked rump (plain on Meadow). The mystery bird unhelpfully managed to keep its rump hidden in the whole 12-print series, but the ‘cream-coloured breast’ seems to be a contradictory point in favour of Red-throated. As an aside, it would be interesting to know what these ‘grey-and-white morph’ Meadow Pipits are. Perhaps the coloration is age-related, or that of a particular geographic population, or (in my view most likely) just the extreme of a cline of colour variation. In addition, Red-throated tends to look slightly heavier and shorter-tailed (especially in flight), like Tree Pipit, and Meadow has a very short projection of primaries beyond the tertials, which is tiny or lacking on Red-throated (plate 39 seems to show a Meadow-like wing-structure, but it is debatable). So, for silent, ‘rumpless’ birds (or black-and-white photographs) the best Mystery photographs 37 clinchers probably lie in the following differences in plumage patterns and tones: head Differences are sometimes slight, but Red-throated tends to show a more darkly streaked crown, longer and more defined supercilium, more uniformly dark ear-coverts, bolder and ‘cleaner’ pale submoustachial stripe, and malar stripe ending in a larger dark patch at sides of lower throat. upperparts Red-throated shows pale stripes or ‘tramlines’ at the sides of the mantle, but, because they are whiter and are outlined with blackish stripes, they are more contrasting and obvious than the similar marks shown by many Meadow Pipits. The centres of the wing-coverts and tertials are darker, giving slightly greater contrast with the whiter fringes than is the case with Meadow. 42. Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervintis, Kenya, February 1973 (J. F. Reynolds) 38 Mystery photographs underparts The breast-streaking on Red-throated is more strongly con- trasting, better-defined, slightly bolder and — most important — more con- tinuous than on Meadow, giving a more striped, less streaked appearance. On Red-throated, the breast-streaking usually extends down the full length of the flanks at the same strength (usually showing as two bold, black stripes), whereas on Meadow the flank-streaking is thinner and more broken than the streaking on its breast. The mystery bird’s head pattern is better for Meadow, with subdued supercilium which also gives greater contrast to a pale eye-ring, and rather pale-centred ear-coverts. Allowing for photographic effects which can exaggerate contrasts, the mantle, wing-covert and tertial patterns of the mystery bird also seem well within the range of Meadow. Allowing for the flufled-out breast-feathers in some photographs (e.g. plate 39), which exaggerates the thickness of the streaks, the breast does not seem suffi- ciently boldly striped for a Red-throated; indeed, plate 40 (in which the breast-feathers are sleeked down) shows an unremarkable, Meadow-like pattern. On the flanks, the streaking is clearly thinner and more broken than on the breast, and does not show as two bold stripes (although caution is clearly necessary over how the feathers lie and how much of the flanks are concealed under the wing), and this is perhaps the strongest single pro- Meadow feature in the photographs. The Rarities Committee thanks Dr Luder for posing this hopefully instructive problem, and Per Alstrom, Jon Dunn and Killian Mullarney for their valued comments. PJG 43. Red-throated Pipit Anlhus cervinus, Kenya, February 1973 (J. F. Reynolds) Mystery photographs 39 44. Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis , Dumfriesshire, summer 1975 ( Robert T. Smith) 45. Mystery' photograph 1 10. Identify the species. Answer next month t ~ . 7 if , k life *JBwr &' Notes Separation of distant Black-throated and Great Northern Divers For the last 15 and more years, I have spent some considerable time watching divers Gavia in winter. While some Black-throated G. arctica and Great Northern Divers G. immer can occasionally be difficult to distinguish at long range, 1 have frequently found that, apart from the former’s white flank patch (only recently properly documented, Brit. Birds 7 1 : 225-226), the bill can be a more useful feature at a distance than is generally realised. When the flank patch is not readily visible, for example in rough seas (although it is then usually obvious when the bird dives), the bill of Black-throated, when seen in reasonable light with the light source shining directly on it, and particularly in a diagonal view from the front, often appears as a gleaming, narrow, protracted ivory-white or blue-white line. This effect results presumably not only from the bill colour (light grey with darker culmen and tip on adult, bluish-white on juveniles), but also from its shape, coupled with the fact that the border between the dark forehead and crown and the pale sides to the face tends to be sharper and more regular in outline than on Great Northern. The latter would presumably not show this narrow-line effect because of its different bill and head shape and different head-plumage pattern. All the distant divers showing this gleaming narrow-line effect have been confirmed as Black- throats when they have approached more closely, whereas I have never seen a Great Northern Diver display this same feature. Some distant Great Northerns may appear to have a pale blob in the bill area, but never a narrow line. Although most photographs do not show this narrow-line effect (they are usually, of course, of divers at close range), comparison of plates 18 and 19 in the February 1981 issue of British Birds shows well how it could be brought about in the case of one species and not the other. David A. Christie 4 Steventon Road , Harefield, Southampton S025HA A paper on diver identification by Ron Appleby and Steve Madge, with illustrations by Killian Mullarney, will be published shortly. Eds Buzzard and crows at Magpie nest On 3rd June 1984, not far from Windermere, Cumbria, I was attracted by a concourse of crows, mostly Rooks Corvus jrugilegus and Jackdaws C. monedula , but also a few' Carrion Crows C. corone , which were noisily flying around, and stooping within, a small area. The centre of their interest was a small, dense plantation of young Sitka spruce Picea sitchensis , over one point of which they were concentrated and to which they frequently dived or descended. No estimate of the number of birds involved was made, but it was certainly several dozen, and others, mostly Jackdaws, were flying around or standing on the 40 Notes 41 adjacent rough field at the periphery of the area of activity. As I approached, partly obscured by a stone wall, I heard above me the calls of (predominantly) the Rooks, the frenzied calls of a Magpie (or Magpies) Pica pica and the screaming ol young Magpies. I entered the plantation, causing only slight disturbance of the black crows, and was completely hidden after entry. The tree whence came the Magpie calls was not far from the edge of the plantation, and 1 began to climb it. So dense was the foliage that I could not see the nest that was obviously above; nor could I be seen, and the loud calls masked any sound I made. Perhaps 4 m or a little more from the ground, and not far from the top of the tree, 1 saw a damaged Magpie nest. As my head was just below it, a young Magpie left and disappeared into the adjacent trees; then, from just above me and pre- viously hidden by the nest (on which it had probably been standing) a Buzzard Buteo buteo also Hew from it and disappeared over the trees. I quickly descended and, a few minutes later, as I emerged from the planta- tion, the Buzzard reappeared, pursued by a dozen or more crows, seemingly all Rooks; it was still being harried as it departed across the field. The incident is noteworthy in several respects. It adds to the scanty direct evidence of Buzzards raiding the nests of crows (remains of crows are not infrequent at Buzzard nests, but whether taken from nests or as fledged birds is seldom ascertainable); it shows that some individuals will enter dense vegetation in order to do so, and that they may even dismember Magpie nests to obtain the young. It is of interest that mobbing should simultaneously involve no fewer than three crow species, none conspecific with that whose nest was being attacked, and whose calls indicated active defence (though this could not be seen). Relations between some of the crows are not always ‘amicable’. The number of individuals involved is also striking. What the outcome of the incident would have been had 1 not intruded can only be conjectured, but as the nest was partly dismembered there is little doubt that the Buzzard could have seized a young Magpie, and perhaps did so. In retrospect, I should have tried to ascend farther and look into the damaged nest. G. Fryer Elleray Cottage, Windermere, Cumbria LA231AIY Woodcock apparently attacking Nightjar On 29th June 1982, at Headley Heath, Surrey, from less than 10m in light that was fading, but still adequate for accurate observation, I was watching a male Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus , one of several present, quartering its breeding territory in low hawking flight. A Woodcock Scolopax rusticola had been coding in the area for 30 minutes. Suddenly, what was presumably the same Woodcock stooped vertically at the Nightjar, from a height of 10- 12m, missing it by about 15cm. The latter's response was a slight deviation in its level flight. The Woodcock chased it for a few metres, and both birds then flew off in opposite directions until out of sight. Although the Nightjars and the Woodcock had been calling regularly before the incident, no calls were heard during it. Anthony VV ebb I Woolacombe Road , Blackheath , London SE38QJ Notes 42 Ring-billed Gulls displaying in West Glamorgan I he note by R. H. Davies, P. G. Akers and I. F. Tew (Brit. Birds 77: 208) on Ring-billed Gulls Larus delawarensis displaying in West Glamorgan on 27th April 1983 suggested that this was the first occasion of such display at Blackpill, Swansea Bay. This, however, is not the case, for I observed two adults in summer plumage displaying at the same locality, in excellent light conditions, at 19.30 GMT on 17th April 1983. One approached the other in ‘submissive posture’ without receiving in return any sign of aggressive behaviour. The two birds frequently uttered loud ‘kee-eew’ calls, with their heads raised almost vertically. They alternated the submissive posture and, when approached closely by nearby Common Gulls L. canus, uttered a ‘mewing’ threat call. Two adults were again observed at 08.30 gmt, on 1st May, in overcast conditions, in the Clyne River and later on the sand-bar at Blackpill. They kept close together and circled each other continuously, alternately bowing their heads. I was present on 27th April and observed the display described by RFID, PGA and I FT. The three occurrences probably refer to the same pair of birds. R. J. Howells Ynys Enlli, 14 Dolgoy Close, West Cross, Swansea, West Glamorgan SA3 5LT Wingbeat rates of Glaucous and Iceland Gulls Although Iceland Gulls Larus glaucoides seem to have a quicker wing action than Glaucous Gulls L. hyperboreus when the two are seen together, this is in fact an illusion created by their agility and light build. During a one-month stay in Greenland in 1984, when we saw well over 2,000 Glaucous and over 500 Iceland, we measured the wingbeat speed of each, one of us using a stopwatch and the other a pair of binoculars. Each time that a gull flew directly away from us, we counted the number of beats per 15 seconds (if it altered its flight, the count was rejected). A total of 32 Glaucous was thus timed (12 in head wind, 12 in tail wind, eight in calm) and 20 Iceland (six, seven, seven). The mean numbers ofwingbeats per 15 seconds were as follows: Headwind Tailwind No wind Glaucous Gull 48.3 45.6 43.7 Iceland Gull 49.6 45.8 50.0 As can be seen, the two species cannot be separated on wing action unless the weather is very calm. We also examined about 50 specimens of each species at the Zoological Museum, Copenhagen. On Glaucous Gull, the length of the wing (carpal to tip of primaries) was about 75% of total body length; on Iceland, it was 80-85%. We consider this wing:body ratio (when it can be judged) and head size to be the best characters for distinguishing lone individuals. Lars Thomas and Karsten Andresen Zoological Museum dep. 1, U nicer sitelsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen 0, Denmark Notes 43 Sandwich Terns feeding over fresh water Cramp et at. (1974) reviewed the literature concerning the food and feeding habits of Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis and concluded that it was a strictly marine feeder. On two separate occasions in May 1972, I observed Sandwich Terns feeding on Lower Lough Erne, Co. Fermanagh, some 25 km from the nearest sea. Normally they fly Irom the lough, where they breed, to feed in Donegal Bay (Kennedy et at. 1954). I he food taken by the terns was in both cases the aerial stage of the mayfly Ephemera danica , a large mayfly about 25 mm long and an attractive food to a variety of birds. Both terns caught mayflies that were in active flight over the water, rather than newly emerged ones on the surface. Julian Greenwood Science Department, Stranmillis College, Belfast BT9 5DY REFERENCES (.ramp, S., Bourne, Y\ . R. P., & Saunders, D. 1974. The Seabirds oj Britain and Ireland. London. Kennedy, P. G.. Ruttledge, R. F., & Scroope, C. F. 1954. The Birds of Ireland. London. Dr E. K. Dunn has commented as follows: ‘This is a most interesting observation. So far as I know, there are no published records of Sandwich Terns taking insects in Britain or Ireland, but it has been reported from America (see BU’P 4: 54). I should think that this is fairly exceptional behaviour, but it has an obvious corollary in the opportunistic exploitation of swarms of flying ants by birds which do not normally so indulge.’ F.ds Treecreeper attaching faecal sacs to pole On 8th June 1983. a colleague, P. J. C. Cheale, told me about the behaviour of a Treecreeper Certhia familiaris which he and his son had observed about one week previously. While cycling along a country lane near Redhill, Surrey, they saw a Treecreeper flying with something in its bill; it flew from low in a hedgerow, across the lane to a wooden pole carrying electricity supply cables on the opposite side, placed the object against the surface of the wood and flew off, leaving a small white lump attached to the pole. Closer inspection revealed that the object was a faecal sac. This behaviour was repeated several times before the observers departed. On 9th June. I visited the site. 1 1 was easily found, as the white spots showed up clearly against the dark pole from a considerable distance. In all, I counted 84 attached sacs; none was below a height of 3 m. and their density increased towards the top of the pole. They were distributed more or less evenly around the pole, except for a bare strip of about one-third of its width running up the eastern side. I saw no Treecreepers during my visit, and no other poles in the lane showed such deposits. It would be interesting to know if this behaviour is normal for Treecreepers, either on trees or elsewhere. D. Washington 15 Bond Gardens. W'allington. Surrey SM67LU We shall welcome details of any similar observations. Eds Letter Nests of Sparrowhawk and Kestrel I looked at the ‘Best recent black- and-white bird-photographs’ (Brit. Birds 77: 250-258) with much admira- tion, but feel bound to comment on the statement relating to plates 97-99 — showing Kestrel Falco tinnunculus and Sparrowhawk Accipiter msus, respec- tively, at their nests containing young — that ‘Both birds are doubtless occupying abandoned nests of Carrion Crows \Corvus corone]' . Kestrels do not build a nest, and an old nest of a Carrion Crow is a frequent site (BWP 2: 298), so no quibble so far. Sparrowhawks, on the other hand, build a new nest each year ( BWP 2: 166), only occasionally on the foundation of the old nest of another species (in other words, they lay their eggs only in a nest that they have built). This detail highlights a striking behavioural difference between Accipitridae and Falconidae (BWP 2: 281). Robin Prytherch 23 Caledonia Place, Clifton, Bristol BS84DL We do apologise for this error, which was also drawn to our attention by M. J. Gowlard and G. des Forges. Eds Announcements Front cover designs for sale T he original unframed drawings of the pictures on the front cover of BB are for sale each month in a postal auction. The pictures are usually IV2 or two times the published size. These sales help not only the artists, but also BB, since the artists donate 20% to the journal. It is also a way for BB readers to acquire — for themselves or as a present for a friend — top-class bird art at very reasonable prices. During the past year, successful postal bids have ranged from £20 to £126; the average has been £56. Why not send in your bid each month? If you are successful (if your bid is the highest, and it exceeds the artist’s reserve price), you will be asked to pay the sum you bid, plus £ 1 .50 for postage and packing. Send your name, address and telephone number and your bid (no money at this stage), to arrive before the last day of the month, to Cover Bid, Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK44 3NJ. Custom-printed, personal ‘British Birds’ indexes 1946-85 The cumulative index of all papers, notes, letters and photographs appearing in British Birds since 1946 (Brit. Birds 77: 29; 78: 55-56) has been revised to include 1985, and this up-to date version is now available to subscribers. The index is held on a micro-computer and, because of the flexibility which this offers, it is possible to provide indexes relating to individual species or groups of species as well as for a wide range of different subjects. The latter consist of: identification, habitat, distribution and status, mortality, migration, food and feeding, behaviour, voice, breeding biology, physiol- ogy, classification, and photographs. Thus, listings can be produced of, for example, all behaviour notes, or of all entries on seabirds, or on the 44 Announcements 45 distribution and migration of the Kestrel, or any other combination of species and subjects, and for any or all years from 1946 to 1985. I he index has been compiled from the comprehensive indexes published with each volume. It has been restricted to birds (i.e. not authors’ names, book reviews, etc.), and nor does it include entries from regularly recurring features, such as the annual reports on rarities, ringing, and rare breeding birds, nor ‘European news’ or ‘Recent reports’, as these can be located readily in each volume. It does, however, include all photographs from these features. It also includes all entries for species mentioned in, for example, papers on the birds of a particular area. Where an entry relates to more than one of the subjects given above (e.g. on the identification of a species illustrated with photographs), it will appear in an index of identifi- cation entries, as well as in one of all photographs, though only the once if both subjects are combined. It is necessary to make a small charge for the indexes to cover such costs as paper, computer entry, and operation. Indexes will be provided on fan-fold computer paper with approximately 45 entries per page, and be charged at the rate of 3p per page, plus postage. It is estimated that the entire cumulative index since 1946 runs to some 19,000 entries, so taking up about 450 pages. Indexes arc normally supplied in alphabetical order of English names. Indexes in systematic order (again using English names) can be supplied, but, because of the extra work involved in their produc- tion, at 4p (instead of the usual 3p) per page. Subscribers who would like an index (or indexes) are invited to write, setting out their requirements. These should include the run of years required, the species or groups of species, and the subjects. Please do not send any money with your order: you will be invoiced. If wanted, an indication of the size of the index asked for can be supplied before it is printed. Orders or enquiries should be sent not to the editorial office, but to Dr Malcolm Ogilvie, Wildfowl Trust, Slimbridge, Gloucester GL2 7BT. Identification Notes Panel We are pleased to announce that A. R. Dean has accepted our invitation to join the Identification Notes Panel. I Bird Photograph of the Year This annual com- Sponsored by petition will again be run by British Birds and spon- sored by Matthew Gloag & Son Ltd, proprietors of ‘The Famous Grouse’ Scotch whisky. The rules are as follows: lUp to three colour transparencies, each taken during 1985, may be submitted by each photographer. They will be judged not only on technical excellence, but also on originality and scientific interest. iand aesthetic appeal and artistic composition. Preference will be given to photographs taken in Britain and Ireland, but those of species on the British and Irish list taken elsewhere are also eligible. Photographs must not have been submitted for publication elsewhere (though, of course, the copyright remains with the photographer and use subsequent to publication in British Birds is unrestricted). The photographs by winner and runners-up may be used at the discretion of the judges in promoting British Birds or the competition. A brief account (not more than 200 words) should 46 Announcements be enclosed with each, giving the circumstances in which obtained, the method used, technical details (focal length of lens and make of camera and film), locality, date and photographer s name and address. Transparencies will be returned only if accompanied by a suitable SAE. Entries are accepted only on the above conditions. The judging panel will consist of Dr R. J. -Chandler, Eric Hosking, Dr J. T. R. Sharrock and Don Smith. Past winners of this competition have been Michael C. Wilkes (1977), Peter Lowes (1978), Dr Edmund C. Fellowes (1979), Don Smith (1980), Richard T. Mills (1981), Dennis Coutts (1982), David M. Cottridge ( 1983), John Lawton Roberts (1984) and C. R. Knights (1985). The 1986 award (cheque for £100 and engraved Red Grouse trophy) will be presented to the winning photographer at a Press Reception in London. The runners-up will be welcome to attend the award presentation. The closing date for entries is 3 1st January' 1986. Transparencies should be clearly marked ‘Bird Photograph of the Year’ and sent to the editorial office at Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK44 3NJ. Best recent black-and-white bird-photographs The closing date for submission of prints for the twenty-seventh annual selection is 3 1st January 1986. Photographers may submit as many black-and-white prints as they wish. The following details should be written on the back of each print: photographer’s name and address, species, county (or country, if taken abroad), month, year, and technical details, such as make and size of camera, make and focal length of lens, type of him material, exposure and approximate distance from the subject. Prints will be retained in the editorial office as part of the reference collection and for possible use in the journal unless a request for return is noted on the back of each print and a suitable stamped addressed envelope is supplied. Entries should be addressed to ‘Best recent work’, Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK44 3NJ. Bird Illustrator of the Year Amateur and professional artists are invited to submit four line-drawings suitable for reproduction in British Birds (pen-and-ink or scraperboard, but not pencil or wash). The subjects should be birds recorded in the West Palearctic (Europe, North Africa and the Middle East). Exact size is important: drawings should be the following sizes (width X depth in cm): (a) 18.6 X 20.8, (b) 16.35 X 6.9 and (c) 7.95 X 6.0, for publication at two-thirds of those dimensions (the largest drawings (a) may, if preferred, be submitted at 24.8 X 27.7, for publication at half-size). Each set of four drawings must include at least one each of a, b and c. Entries will be judged as sets. Drawings based on published photo- graphs or drawings are ineligible. The announcements of the previous winners {Brit. Birds 72: 403-409; 73: 380-384; 74: 275-278; 75: 304-308; 76: 288-291; 77: 283-288; 78: 317-322) included suggestions intended to help future entrants. Entries need not be mounted, but should have a generous ‘handling margin’ around each drawing. Announcements 47 I he judging panel will consist of Robert Gillmor, Keith Shackleton and Dr J. T. R. Sharrock. I he winner will receive £100 and an inscribed salver, and the two runners- up will receive £40 and £25. All three artists will also be invited to attend the award presentation at a Press Reception at The Mall Galleries in London, where a selection of the drawings will be on display. Artists whose work is displayed will also be welcome to attend the reception, which in previous years has provided a very happy occasion for meeting many of our top bird artists. I he winners’ entries will also be displayed in the annual exhibition of the Society of Wildlife Artists at The Mall Galleries. Previous winners have been Crispin Fisher (1979), Norman Arlott (1980 and 1981), Alan Harris (1982), Martin Woodcock (1983), Bruce Pearson (1984) and Ian Lewington ( 1985). The winners of ‘Bird Illustrator of the Year’ and ‘The Richard Richardson Award’ will also have the opportunity to have their work displayed in a special two-man exhibition at the Stevenage Leisure Centre for a period in the autumn or winter. Entries will remain the copyright of the artists, but are accepted on the understanding that they may be reproduced free in, or on the cover of, or for the promotion of British Birds. If accompanied by a suitable stamped addressed envelope, all drawings will be returned to the artists, but any selected for possible use by British Birds may be retained for up to 12 months after the award presentation. Each drawing must be marked clearly on the back with the artist’s name and address (and date of birth if aged under 21 . see ‘The Richard Richardson Award’, below), the identity of the species, and anv other relevant information about the illustration. Ihe closing date will be 14th March 1986; the set of four drawings should be sent to ‘Bird Illustrator of the Year’, Fountains, Park Lane. Blunham. Bedford MK44 3NJ. The Richard Richardson Award To encourage young, up-and-coming bird artists, a special award (a cheque and a book to the total value of £60) will be presented for the best work submitted for the 'Bird Illustrator of the Year’ competition (see above) by an artist aged under 21 years on 14th March 1 986. The winner’s entries will be displayed in the annual exhibition of the Society of Wildlife Artists at The xMall Galleries. This award is in memory of the famous Norfolk ornithologist and bird-artist, the late R. A. Richardson. The rules for entry are exactly the same as for 'Bird Illustrator of the Year’ and entries by persons under 21 will automatically be consid- ered for both awards. • ‘Colombia’, and ‘India & Pakistan’ books The publishers have informed , us that A Guide to the Birds of Colombia by Hilty, Brown & Tudor, expected in autumn 1985, will not be published until March 1986; and that the compact edition of' Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan by Ali & Ripley (currently out of print) is expected to be available again in June 1986. 48 Announcements Special Offer Subscription Scheme Members* of the following bird clubs and societies are currently eligible for reduced subscription rates to British Birds'. American Birding Association Inc. Amersham & District Orn. Soc. Army Birdwatching Society Banbury Ornithological Society Bardsey Bird Observatory Bedfordshire Natural History Society Bristol Ornithological Club British Ornithologists’ Union British Trust for Ornithology Buckinghamshire Bird Club Cambrian Ornithological Society Cambridge Bird Club Cape Clear Bird Observatory Chester & District Orn. Soc. Christchurch Harbour Orn. Group Cornwall Bird-Watching & Preservation Soc. Cumbria Association of Nat. Hist. Socs. Derbyshire Ornithological Society Devon Bird Watching & Preservation Soc. Dorset Nat. Hist. & Arch. Soc. Dungeness Bird Observatory Essex Birdwatching & Preservation Soc. Finland, Association of Ornithological Socs. Gloucestershire Naturalists’ Society Gwent Ornithological Society Hampshire Ornithological Society Herefordshire Ornithological Club Hertfordshire Natural History Society Huntingdonshire Fauna & Flora Soc. Irish Wildbird Conservancy Isle of Wight Nat. Hist. & Arch. Soc. Israeli Nature Reserves Authority Kent Ornithological Society Lancaster & District Bird Watching Soc. Leeds Birdwatchers’ Club Leicestershire & Rutland Orn. Soc. Lincolnshire Bird Club Lincolnshire Naturalists’ Union London Natural History Society *Libraries, reading circles, universi Manchester Ornithological Society Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists’ Trust Norfolk Ornithologists’ Association Northamptonshire Bird Club Northern Ireland Ornithologists’ Club Northumberland & Tyneside Bird Club Oxford Ornithological Society Perthshire Soc. of Nat. Sci. Portland Bird Observatory Reading Ornithological Club Rotherham & District Orn. Soc. Royal Air Force Orn. Soc. Royal Australian Ornithologists’ Union Royal Naval Birdwatching Society Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory Scottish Ornithologists’ Club Sheffield Bird Study Group Shetland Bird Club Shropshire Ornithological Society Societe Jersiaise Somerset Ornithological Society Stichting Dutch Birding Association Suffolk Ornithological Group Surbiton & District Birdwatching Society Surrey Bird Club Sussex Ornithological Society Sveriges Ornitologiska Forening Teesmouth Bird Club Trent Valley Bird Watchers Wakefield Nat. Soc. West Midland Bird Club West Wales Trust for Nature Conservation Wildfowl Trust Wiltshire Ornithological Society York Naturalists’ Union York Ornithological Club Young Ornithologists’ Club (aged 11-18) All holders of a current UK ringing permit s and other institutions are not eligible. We do encourage birdwatchers to join their local society or club and to support and participate in the surveys and other fieldwork organised by national as well as local bird organisations. We regret that members of the following organisations are no longer eligible for a reduced subscription rate to British Birds, the clubs or societies having either (1) voluntarily withdrawn from our scheme, or (2) failed to reply to our letters and not distributed our subscription leaflets to their members. Readers of American Birds Bristol Naturalists’ Society Cardiff Naturalists’ Society Dansk Orn. Forening East Lancs Orn. Club Filey Brigg Orn. Group Harrogate & District Naturalists’ Soc. Leigh Ornithological Society Swinton & District Nat. Soc. Announcements 49 We limit the number of participants in our Special Offer Subscription Scheme, but applications from clubs or societies to join (or rejoin) should be made to Erika Sharrock, Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK44 3NJ. Request Please help us to help you (1) The income from books ordered through British BirdShop’ adds extra pages and extra photographs to every issue of British Birds. Please have a look at our list each month, and order your books by using the cut-out form. By doing so, every BB subscriber will get better value for money. (2) Extra subscriptions also enable us to provide a better journal, to every one’s benefit. If you know' of someone whom you think may be a potential subscriber (perhaps they already read BB by borrowing your copy!), please let us know their name and address so that we can send them a free sample copy and subscription form. (3) If you have a subscription/distribution/delivery query', please write (to Mrs Erika Sharrock, Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK44 3NJ). Please do not telephone, as this interrupts and takes time away from Erika’s working day. Our aim is to give you the best possible, scientifically accurate yet readable magazine, and to produce it and despatch it promptly and efficiently every month. Your help is much appreciated. News and comment Robin Prytherch and Mike Everett Opinions expressed in this feature are not necessarily those of ‘British Birds' Bobby Tulloch After nearly 22 years’ serv ice, Bobby Tulloch has retired from the staff of the RSPB. Many will remember him as ‘the man who found the Snowy Owls’ nest’ — but that was just one event in a score of years in which Bobby has given sterling service to ornithology and bird conservation in his native Shetland. Many more will recall his bird knowledge, his incredible fund of stories, his musicianship, his marvellous photographs and his brilliant lectures — none of which is lost to us, since this is not an obituary notice and we feel sure that he will be just as much a part of the Shetland scene as ever. Our best wishes go to this well- rounded character in his retirement. Elm Audubon The most expensive bird book in the world, .John James Audubon's Birds of America, a copy of which was purchased by New York City in 1850 for $1,000, was sold in October for £1,227,764 (The Times, 21st October 1985). The purchase in 1850 of this particular copy was made partly to help the old artist, then blind (and in the last year of his life), but also to pay tribute to his genius. This time, the 435 large plates were sold separately , the birds of prey and seabirds going for exceptionally high prices, but the most expensive plate, at £24,529, was of the now extinct Carolina Parakeet. Bam Owls for London? We read with some misgivings the report that five young Barn Owls Tyto alba have been released in London in a joint Greater London Council/ Wildlife Hospital Trust project (The Guardian , 5th June 1985). Barn Owls have not been breeding regularly in the London area for over ten years, but what chance do those young birds have of improving that? Do we know why they disappeared in the first place? The present situation concerning Barn Owls nationwide is very complex; it cannot be less so in London. Let us hope that some of those chicks survive to breed, but will we, and they, have gained unless we know why? 50 News and comment Vultures have friends in Spain The estab- lishment ol the 41,120-ha Sierra de Grazalema Nature Park in the northwest of Cadiz and Malaga Provinces, Spain, in- cludes a large population of Griffon Vultures Gyps Julvus. The Park also has many Spanish ibex Capra pyrenaica and a 300-ha tract of the rare Spanish fir Abies pinsapo. The population of Black Vultures Aegypius monachus in Andalusia is also being helped. ‘Andalus’, a nature conservancy association, has suc- ceeded in stopping the planting of gums Eucalyptus that was threatening critical habitat. Andalus has also decided to purchase the Finca Estate, which is at the heart of the vultures’ breeding area (Oryx 19 (4): 239). Egg thieves pay the price Two Germans who were found in possession of eight Gyr- falcon Falco rusticolus eggs received suspended prison sentences and fines totalling £1 1,000 plus £990 costs in Iceland. The German husband and wife team had equipment for keeping the eggs warm, climbing gear and maps of Iceland marked with many Gyr- falcon nest sites ( Birds 10 (6): 11). We support Richard Porter, head of the RSPB Species Protection Department, in his plea that similar high fines will be made in future prosecutions throughout the Western World, where trade in birds of prey and their eggs is apparently on the increase. The news on this front is not usually so good, as the following indicates . . . Belgium gives falconers the ‘O.K.’ Ear- lier this year, a Ministerial Order issued in the Walloon region of Belgium made it legal for falconers to take young birds of prey from their nests ( Oryx 19 (4): 239). This astonishing move can only be considered as a retrograde step, especially when responsible falconers and conservationists are working towards captive breeding as a source of supply. It also runs counter to all inter- national regulations protecting birds of prey. ‘Scottish Forestry and Birds’ This was the theme of the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club’s 38th annual conference, held at North Berwick during lst-3rd November 1985. It is likely to be remembered, by those who attended, for many years to come. It should not detract from the excellent presentations made by Dr Derek Langslow (NCC), Roder- ick Leslie (Forestry Commission) and David Minns (RSPB) to say that Ronald Rose (Economic Forestry Group) stole the session, the day, and the conference. Blunt, candid, indeed downright rude at times, he made it abundantly clear that he detests ‘blanket forestry’ as much as does any ornithologist, yet has no time for effete naturalists either. He, and his organisation, are in forestry to make money. Unhesitatingly, however, he made it plain that good management, aimed at extra profit for the forest owner, is also very beneficial to wildlife. No blanket conifer forest for him: open areas (for deer to graze and be culled, rather than become a pest; for owls to nest and feed, on the voles and mice that would destroy young trees) and deciduous patches and strips (to encourage the insectivorous birds that keep insect pests under control). I have simplified his story, of course, but it was a revelation to hear a very hard-headed businessman stress again and again (and show with slides of his own superb forests) that what benefits wildlife species- diversity is profitable to the timber producer. Let’s hope that his message — presented humorously as well as forcibly — reaches the ears of those who enter forestry solely to make money and who do not share his love of and care for the countryside and its wildlife. The Sunday scientific session, with Dr Jeff Watson on Golden Eagles, Martin Cook on his tit studies, and Dr Stephanie Tyler on Welsh Dippers and acid water, showed im- portant current research in progress; it was appreciated by an unusually large audience, including those who had survived the activi- ties surrounding a memorable four-piece band the previous night (those there will know what I mean). The usual BB mystery photographs com- petition was held at the SOC’s invitation, and attracted a lot of attention and exactly 50 entries. All five photographs were correctly identified by only three participants: Keith Brockie, Tom Dougall (who won the cham- pagne in the draw) and Bernard Zonfrillo. Another discovery was made at this con- ference. Everyone’s name badge carried a Crested Tit logo (the symbol of the SOC), but some logos were large and some were small. It was only after a few drinks in the bar that it was realised that the big tits were the SOC Council Members. We’ll know next time! And there will be a next time. In its superb setting on the Firth of Forth, with the Bass Rock and the Isle of May in view from most windows, and Purple Sandpipers and Eiders News and comment 51 a golf-drive away from the hotel, with the traditional Scottish friendliness, with unobtrusive yet immaculate organisation by John Davies and his team, and with a relaxed but valuable programme of lectures, the SOC confer ence is always a memorable experience. (_ JTRS ) KODAK CONSERVATION AWARDS I’he winners of the top 1985 award were pupils from the Healey County Primary School in Rochdale, Lancashire, who constructed a pond to replace one being filled in by construction work. Well done to them! It was clearly good fun, too (plate 46). Congratulations also, not only to the WWF for running this competition, in which over 50,000 young people have taken part, planting 75,000 trees and creating new wildlife habitats in the process, but also to Kodak for sponsoring the scheme for three years. The Awards were presented on 29th October at the Barbican Centre, London, with a total of £10,000 being awarded to 50 projects chosen from the hundreds under- taken, individual prizes ranging from £100 up to the top prize of £1,000. The awards were presented by Sir David Attenborough, Sir Peter Scott, Anneka Rice and Lenny Henry. Anyone (especially schoolteachers and youth leaders) requiring information on the 1986 competition should write to Patricia Spanner, World Wildlife Fund, Panda House, 11-13 Ockford Road, Godaiming, Surrey GU7 iqu. Mystery photographs winner The friendly co-operation between the BTO and BB has resulted in our mystery photographs display board appearing at several confer- ences lately. The competition at the joint BTO/Leicestershire & Rutland Ornitho- logical Society conference at Leicester Polytechnic on 26th October 1985 was run for BB by Keith Allsopp. The winner of the traditional bottle of champagne, with the only all-correct entry-, was David Hodson. 46. Kodak Conservation Awards: local fireman gives assistance to pupil of Healey County Primary School during filling of newly constructed pond, the prize-winning project 52 News and comment The good old days Ray O’Reilly has sent us this photograph (plate 47), showing, he suggests, our successful advertising cam- paign of the 1920s. reprinted. Anyone can obtain a free copy by- sending their name and address and a first class stamp to Dept, 127, RSPB, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SGI9 2DL. ‘The Twitcher’ One viewpoint, published in the Yorkshire Post of 9th September 1985, has been sent to us by M. J. Warrington: A BLUE tit isn’t worth a look. The same goes Jor a crow or rook. Grey Wagtails don ’t appeal to me. The only birds I want to see Are those I haven ’t seen bejore. All other species are a bore. It didn ’t grieve me when l missed That osprey. For it ’s on my list. Behaviour, beauty, diet, song. Not one oj these can make me long To stay and watch, l get my kick From simply adding one more tick. Godfrey Priestley (By courtesy of the Yorkshire Post) Magnusson for the birds The new Presi- dent of the RSPB is Magnus Magnusson, well-known author and quizmaster for BBC tv’s Mastermind. As a schoolboy, Magnus Magnusson won an RSPB medal for an essay on the mating habits of Blackbirds, and, more recently among his honours, the appropriately named Icelandic ‘Order of the Falcons’. ‘Code of Conduct for Birdwatchers’ This leaflet, produced after consultation between the BTO, the BOU, the RSPB, the SOC, the Wildfowl Trust and BB, has just been All-Ireland Conference This year’s All- Ireland Conference on Bird Conservation will be held at the Sligo Park Hotel in Sligo during 28th February to 2nd March. Details from IWC, Southview, Church Road, Grey- stones, Co. Wicklow, Ireland. Smile please A trio of amusing items to finish off with. First, from Stephen Moss, who sent in a cutting from the Staines and Ashford Leader for 12th September 1985, which reported ‘A rare sighting of arctic skewers on Staines Reservoir . . . ’ He was not able to confirm the identification, but had his suspicions that they were misidentified deep- frozen kebabs! Secondly, Derek Goodwin’s cutting, from The Daily Express of 17th September 1985, concerned headmaster Ray Honey-ford’s first day back at school. It contained this sentence: ‘Some parents took children home when they saw the crow at the gates but more than half the 550 pupils went in.’ Derek’s only comment: ‘Anti-corvid prejudice!’ Finally, we spotted an astonishing entry in Hobby 85 (the Wiltshire Bird Report for 1984): ‘Cory’s Shearwater Calonectris diomedea One found wandering amongst chickens in a large garden at Woodfalls 3 Sept. Subse- quently released at Mudcford in Dorset where it flew strongly out to sea.’ > Birdwatcher’s Logbook I his unique publication contains a list ol 762 British, European and North African species with their scientific names, plus sections for garden birds and dates of migrants. 36 pages of monthly columns plus columns for holidays, annual and life lists and 159 pages for daily records. 208 pages in attractively bound cover 22 X 14cms. Price £5.50 including postage and packing from: Coxton Publications, 23 West Hill Road, Foxton, Cambridge CB2 6SZ Also a few copies of the first (hard back) edition still available at only £2.50. (D538) FIRECREST TELESCOPES AND BINOCULARS Choose from 20 scopes and over 40 binoculars From Alpin, Bushnell, Helios, Kowa, Mirador, Opticron, Optolyth, Panorama, Swift, Televari, Zeiss Jena Fast mail order service. Easy access to M6 & M62. Callers welcome. 14 day approval. For details ring Pam or Cliff Gibson on (0925) 81 7874 or write to: FIRECREST 8 Chapelcross Road, Fearnhead, Warrington, Cheshire WA2 0PP. (D465) STORM PETREL LEACH’S PETREL GANNET CORMORANT £ 111 > Q Q LU h < 0 cc 1 h Q liJ IT £ 111 > £ Li x h or. o h < uj x o “ICELAND IS A COUNTRY WHERE THE BIRDS OF THE OLD WORLD MEET THE BIRDS OF THE NEW”. r J 7 “Iceland is in a unique position. Because of its location it attracts birds from Europe, America and the Arctic. Indeed, over 300 species of bird have been seen in this one small country. Of these, 73 species nest regularly; 10 have been seen breeding occasionally; 11 are common passage migrants or winter visitors; and the remainder are regular drift migrants or accidental arrivals. During the breeding season, you will see tremendous numbers of gannets and puffins along the coast and. inland, colonies of arctic skua several thousands strong. For any birdwatcher. Iceland is an exceptional place. Vast areas are virtually uninhabited and the country is almost pollution free. The summer temperature in Reykjavik often reaches 70°F and winter is warmer than either New York or Vienna. Obviously, because it is my homeland. I am prejudiced. But I believe it to be one of the most fascinating countries for the ornithologist to visit Complete the coupon below and I will send you a free booklet entitled “Birdlife in Iceland”, along with details of how to get there and where to stay. V'Tb. President, RSPB. FOR THE LOVE OF NATURE ICELANDAIR To: Magnus Magnusson, Iceland Tourist Information Bureau. 73 Grosvenor Street London W1X 9DD Iceland sounds fascinating. Please send me your FREE booklet "Birdlife in Iceland", together with a full colour brochure telling me more about your homeland. CD CD NAME. ADDRESS. ICELAND WREN REDWING SNOW BUNTING Z H > XI 0 n 1 > x o U1 n > c XI m o m x Xlll WHEATEAR V / Turkey Greece • Austria* Sri Lanka ‘Thailand Birdwatehing &Wildlif? Holidays lor the discerning naturalist PROGRAMME FOR 1986 VENEZUELA 21 days Feb/Mar £1,750 EASTERN AUSTRIA 12 days May £430 TURKEY AND GREECE CENTRAL & SOUTHERN TURKEY 16 days April/May £695 EASTERN TURKEY (2 trips) 16 days May/June £750 TURKEY SPECIAL INTEREST TRIP £POA N/VV TURKEY - GREECE 1 2 davs Aug/Sept £POA CENTRAL TURKEY & BOSPHORUS MIGRATION 1 1 and 18 days Sept £POA Privately organised parties catered for and special trips arranged for any interest. Trips led by Chris Slade or Steve VVhitehouse. Write lor details. CHRIS L. SLADE 8 The Grange, Elmdon Park, Solihull, West Midlands B92 9EL. Tel: 021-742 5420/021-705 5535. In conjunction with Regent Holiday U.K. Ltd. (D612) Classified Advertisements All advertisements must be PREPAID and sent to British Birds Advertising Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK44 3NJ. Telephone 0621 815085 Rates (including 15% VAT) £2.00 a line — average of 6 words £8.00 a centimetre — min. 2 centimetres Box Number counts as 2 words is £1 .00 extra per insertion Replies should be sent to the above address Series Discounts 3 insertions for the price of 2 6 insertions for the price of 4 Copy Date 5th of the month preceeding Please post early to avoid disappointment. SPANISH PYRENEES BIRDWATCHING AT EASTER Sc WHITSUN 27 March-3 April 21-30 May Lunch with the vultures — here in the Aragon region of the Pyrenees, known as the stronghold for birds of prey in Europe, you will not be disappointed. In this area of dramatic pinnacles and gorges, 1 7 species of Raptor are commonly found, including Lammergeier and Golden Eagle. Experienced leader, spectacular scenery and first-class viewing conditions. Comfortable accommodation with good food and plenty of wine. For full details, contact us at: 46 Marshall Street London W1 V 2PA Tel: 01-439 3380 ABTA ATOL COX El KINGS ■■■■■■■■■ SPECIAL INTEREST HOLIDAYS (1)610) Sponsors of ‘Bird Photograph of the Year’ British Birds is most grateful to The Famous Grouse’ Scotch whisky and Zeiss West Germany for their support. Sponsors of the Rarities Committee ZEISS West Germany XIV HO LI DA Y A CCOMMODA TION CLEY — 6 miles. Flint cottage sleeps 2. Cot available. SAE: Mrs Hampshire, Riverbank, Hunworth, Melton Constable, Norfolk. Tel: Holt 3891. (BB537) ISLES OF SCILLY — Seaview Moorings, St. Mary’s. Home cooking and personal service from resident proprietors, Tony attd Linda. Over- looking harbour, close to quay and town — licensed — in-room tea and collee making facili- ties— pets welcome. SAE for details or telephone Tony or Linda Dingley on 0720 22327. (BB437) ISLE OF ISLAY. A place for all seasons. Kilchoman House Cottages. Purpose built high standard double glazed cottages. Sleeps 4-6- CH and open fires. Idyllic situ. Close beach, loch, fishing, walking etc. Choughs reside. Golden Eagles often seen. Dozens of other species abound. Loch Gruinart reserve 10 mins. Brochure. Lesley Taylor. Kilchoman House, by Bruichladdich. Isle of Islay, Argyll. Tel: 049 685 382. (BB510) COUNTRY COTTAGES between Alnwick & Belford sleep up to 6. Fully equipped, self- catering, available throughout the year. Well placed for Holy Island & Fame Islands, Cheviot Hills and many places of natural beauty. S.a.e.: Mrs P. Foster, Coxons, Craster, South Farm, Alnwick, Northumberland. Tel: 0665 76640. (BB389) PERTHSHIRE, Sutherland, North Wales and other areas. Self-catering holiday accommoda- tion. For brochure write to: Finlayson Hughes, 82 Atholl Road, Pitlochry, Perthshire. Tel: 0796 2512. (BB470) DERBYSHIRE/PEAK DISTRICT. Self- catering properties. Personally inspected. Rural Vacations Ltd, Pipworth Lane, Eckington, Sheffield S3 1 9EY. Tel: 0246 432202. (BB360) CLEY. Attractive house in village, four bed- rooms, large garden, garage, c.h. Available all year. Details from Mrs E. Album, 47 Lyndale Avenue, London NW2. I el: 01-431 2942. (BB58) SOUTHWOLD (Nr Minsmere). Comfortable flat, sleeps 4. All year. Tel: Oxford 250033. (BB438) HUNSTANTON. Small private hotel owned by itinerant birdwatcher. Ideal centre for Norfolk coast reserves. BB & Evening Meal (optional). Packed Lunches. Licensed bar. Weekend spring and autumn bargain breaks for groups and societies. Shelbrooke Hotel, Cliff Terrace, Hunstanton PE36 6DY. Tel: 049 53 2289. (BB376) NORTH NORFOLK, Holme-next-Sea. Jacobean cottage. Sleeps 6. Storage heaters. Yards from Norfolk Naturalists Trust, and beach. Tel: 01-359 2471. (BB477) ISLES OF SCILLY, Mincarlo Guest House, St Mary’s. Superbly situated in own grounds overlooking the harbour. Terms from £8.50 (plus VAT) for B&B £12.75 (plus VAT) BB & EM. Tel: 0720 22513. (BB140) GALLOWAY for coast, Lochs and Hills. Private Hotel ideally situated for birdwatching and holidays. Small parties welcome. Comfortable accommodation and excellent food. Open all year. Tel: 0556 2173. Merrick Hotel, Castle Douglas, Kirkcudbrightshire. (BBI13) WELLS, NORFOLK B&B., (Les Routiers recommended). H. & C., Tea and Coffee facilities in all rooms. Anne Taylor, The Cobblers (0328 710155). (BB111) ISLE OF MULL. Enjoy friendly atmosphere of small comfortable guest house run by keen ornithologists. Lin and Pete Miller, Baliscate, Tobermory. Tel: 0688 2352. (BB354) ISLE OF MULL. A small guest house and farm in lovely countryside a mile from Dervaig village. 2 miles from coast. The best of home cooking in the Highland tradition. Write tojenny Matthew, Ardrioch, Dervaig, Isle of Mull, or tel: 068 84 264. (BB483) CLEY. 3 Quality cottages (sleep 4, 6 and 8). Quiet. Comfortable. Excellent value. Brochure: (0353) 740770. (BB405) LYNTON, N. Devon. David Blakemore and Robert Scuttcr assure you of a warm welcome at Woodlands Hotel. Good food and relaxation. Licensed. Within Exmoor National Park; many splendid walks and many species of both wood- land and sea birds. Sorry, no children or pets. Tel: 0598 52324. (BB475) YORKSHIRE DALES. Situated in the Dales village of Ketllewell, this friendly 6 bedroom country guest house extends a warm welcome to those in search of comfortable accommodation, personal service and good food. Bargain winter weekend breaks. Also warm and cosy holiday cottage. Mr and Mrs A R. Butterfield, Dale House, Kettlewell, N. Yorks. Tel: 075 676 836. (BB501 ) NORTH NORFOLK. Friendly village pub. an oystercatcher’s cry from Holme and Titchwell reserves. Traditional hospitality, weekend bar- gain breaks speciality; B&B, packed lunches, dinner, Cheques Inn, Thornham 229. (BB440) NEAR MINSMERE, delightful converted barn. Sleeps 6/7. Fully equipped and linen provided: Turner, Vine Cottage, The Street. Middleton, Saxmundham: Tel: Westleton 208 after 6pm. (BB254) NORTHUMBERLAND. Self-catering holiday cottages within easy reach of Fame Islands/ Cheviots etc. Brochure on request. Northumbria Coast and Country' Cottages, Riverbank Road, Alnmouth, Northumberland. Tel: (0665) 830783 (24 hrs). (BB498) ORKNEY. Our Island Hotel, ideal for ornitholo- gists, habitat, moorland, shore, cliffs, lochs, attracts 70 breeding species. Excellent migration, good walking. Brochure: Taversoe Hotel, Rousay, Orkney. Tel: 085 682 325. (BB 191 ) xv Dunwich/Minsmere. Modern individual self-contained flat overlooking sea, ch, ctv, fine views and settings. Westleton/Minsmere. Comfortable two bedroomed bungalow ch, ctv. Write to: Greyfriars, Dunwich, Suffolk I P 1 7 3DW or phone Westleton 327. (BB442) NR. PORTHGWARRA, Cornwall. Cottage Tea Room, Polgigga. Open all year. B&B. Breakfasts. Meals all day. Sennen (0736) 87 637. (BB482) FARM COTTAGES between Lindisfarne Re- serve and The Fames. Comfortable and well equipped. Sorry no pets. Brochure: Mr J. McNish, Outchester Farm, Belford, North- umberland. Tel: 066 83 336. (BB45) NATIONAL TRUST VILLAGE on Exmoor Self-catering holiday homes. Centrally heated, near Porlock. Sea, moors, woods and marshes all within walking distance. Stamp for brochure. Sheila Wright, The Pack Horse, Allerford. Nr. Minehead. Tel: (0643) 862475. (BB509) ISLES OF SCILLY. Derek and Mary Scofield welcome you to their comfortable family guest house, situated on the shore with unrivalled views. We offer a happy atmosphere, home cooking and a select wine list. Ideal for spring and autumn birdwatching. Send stamp for brochure to Beachfield House, St. Mary’s. Book Now for October. Tel: 0720 22463. (BB92) KITE COUNTRY twixt Tregaron and Lampeter. RSPB members offer warm welcome in comfort- able secluded house of character. Excellent food, lovely views, reasonable terms. Tel: 057 045 227. (BB521) RYDAL. Two cottages, sleep 4 and 6, weekly lets. Fisher Hoggarth, 52 Kirkland, Kendal. Tel: 0539 22592, office hours. (BB476) GALLOWAY. Hills, lochs, forests and sea. Speciality, birds of prey and waterfowl. High quality houses, cottages, flats. Details send 28p stamp to: G. M. Thomson & Co, 27 King Street, Castle Douglas. (BB441) ISLE OF ISLAY, Lochside Hotel. Situated on the edge of Loch Indaal. Birdwatching all the year round. Superb 2 star accommodation with full central heating. All rooms have private bathroom or shower with wash hand basin, colour TV, wireless, telephone and tea/coffee making facilities. Full licensed. Brochure and tariff from Norman or Elaine Osborne, Lochside Hotel, Bowmore, Isle of Islay, Argyll PA43 7LB. Tel: Bowmore (049681) 244/265. (BB261) YORKSHIRE DALES — Coverdale. Personal attention, comfort and good food. B&B £7.50, EM optional. Sharpies, Well House, Horsehouse, Leyburn. Tel: Wensleydale 40612. (BB472) SOUTHWOLD. ‘Avondale’, North Parade, overlooking sea. B&b/em, CH, dglazed, licensed. Open all year. Ideal Minsmere, Havergate, Walberswick. Good food, friendly atmosphere. Tel: 0502 722538. (BB179) YOU WILL FIND A WARM WELCOME and every comfort in this attractively situated and secluded country hotel. Excellent birdwatching amidst moorland, forest and river. Home cooking, home produce. Full central heating, h&c and elect rie-blankets in all bedrooms. Terms £84 db&b for week. Brochure from Old Manse Hotel, Duthill, Carrbridge, Inverness-shire PH23 3ND. Tel: (047 984). (BB230) CLEY, Bed and Breakfast in comfortable home, all the year round, Birkhead, The Old House, Cley. Tel: 0263 740996. (BB424) A FLIGHT OF FANCY? No, only the solitude and birdlife of a holiday in South-West Scotland. Brochure with all accommodation, prices and ideas from: Dumfries and Galloway Tourist Board (B), Douglas House, Newton Stewart DG8 6DQ. Tel: 0671 3401. (BB519) 15th CENTURY COACHING INN midway Ross/Hereford amidst gentle wooded hills, 2 fields from River Wye. A comfortable and informal place, with proper emphasis on real food real ales, civilised prices. Log fire, 12 ch bedrooms, fourposter. Egon Ronay, Relais Routier, AA & RAC**. Green Man Inn, Fownhope, Hereford. Tel: Fownhope (043 277) 243. *AA & RAG**. (BB367) ISLE OF ISLAY, HEBRIDES. Five superbly equipped cottages, open throughout year. Perfect situation with views, minutes to charming village. Short drive to R.S.P.B. reserve at Gruinart. Brochure: Mrs Sarah Roy, Lorgba Holiday Cottages, Port Charlotte, Isle of Islay, Argyll. Tel: 049 685/208. (BB430) LAKE DISTRICT, between Kendal/Winder- mere, 17th century manor house in own grounds. All bedrooms colour TV, tea-making facilities and h&c. Dinner, bed, breakfast £18 per person. Aitken, High Hundhowe, Burneside, Kendal LAS 9AB. Tel: 0539 22707. (BB419) BARDSEA. Morecambe shore. All electric cottage sleeps 4. Easy reach Walney, Leighton Moss. Tel: (0229)53159). (BB364) MINSMERE 12 miles B.&B. or B.B.&E. meals. Excellent farmhouse cooking with friendly atmosphere. Daily or weekly rates. Phone Ubbcston (098683) 235 for reservations. (BB428) ISLE OF MULL, Staffa Cottages. Small, com- fortable guest house with friendly atmosphere. On upper slopes of Tobermory Bay with views out to the Sound of Mull and Morvern. All rooms h&c, radiators and electric blankets. Staffa Cottages Guest House, Tobermory PA75 6PL. Tel: 0688 2464. (BB356) NORTH NORFOLK, HOLT. Cosy cottage in quiet square. Modernised and refurnished. Coastline, sanctuaries, walking distance. Shops, pubs, two minutes. Birdwatching, painting or unwinding. Sleeps 2/4. From £80 p.w. Mrs Balch. Tel: 0442 53437. (BB398) WELLS, B&B, comfortable accommodation, full c.h. Warm welcome. Shayes, Lodore, Warham Road. Tel: 0328 710470. (BB382) xvi MID WALES. Golf Hotel, Borth, Dyled. Small family hotel, licensed, good food, ideal centre for Y nys-hir reserve, kite and chough country. Tele- phone: (097081) 362. (BB471) WARM WELCOME, B&B/EM optional. Close to marshes. Heritage Coastal Walks. Central for Cley and Titchwell reserves. Mrs Court, Eastdene, Northfield Lane, Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk. Tel: (0328) 710381. (BB251) CLOSE TO HILBRE ISLAND Bird Sanctuary, \\ irral V\ay nature walk, etc. A warm welcome awaits you at The Park Hotel, West Kirby (licensed). Groups welcomed. Tel: 051-625 9319. (BB45I) PENNAL. Between Machynlleth/Aberdovey. Secluded cottage in peaceful valley. B&B & em. Mrs Valentine, Cwm Dwr, Pennal, Machynlleth, Powys. Tel: Pcnnal 610. (BB334) NORTH NORFOLK COAST, fishermen’s cottages. Open all year. Oak beams. Colour TV and open fires Oct/March, Ray Hewitt, Brig Square Holiday Cottages, Freeman Street, Wells next the Sea Tel: 0328 710440. (BB366) WIVETON. Blakeney and Cley one mile. 16th century cottage, sheltered, beautiful. Sleeps 5-6. Woodhouse, The Old Farmhouse, Lancing College, W'est Sussex. (BB385) TITCHWELL, Manor Hotel, overlooking reserve. Centrally heated, licensed, informal. Noted for food and comfort. Tel: Brancaster (0485)210221. (BB410) NORTH SUTHERLAND, (Nr Beilyhill). Comfortable self-catering cottage and caravan to let. C. MacLeod, The Bungalow, Strathnaver. Tel: 06416 210. (BB485) LODGE HOUSE in charming village. Sleeps 5. Birdwatching Minsmere. Dogs welcomed. Write: Easton Hall, Woodbridge, Suffolk. Tel: 0728 746232. " (BB484) EXMOOR for country and animal lovers. Farmhouse accommodation, bed and breakfast and evening meal, or self-catering cottage. Details from: French, Brcndon Barton, Lynton, Devon. Tel: 059 87 201. (BB474) NORTH NORFOLK’S HERITAGE COAST. Flint cottage in small, peaceful village. Close sea, broads and marshland birdwatching areas. Sleeps 6 + cot. Full C.H., Colour T.V., Parking. Available all year. Brochure from Sanderlings, Pineapple House, St Martins Lane, Norwich NR3 3AG. (BB372) LOCH ERIBOLL. Peace, space, birds, wildlife, comfort and good food. You'll find all these at Port-na-Con House, by Altnaharra, Lairg, Sutherland. Tel: Durness 367. (BB478) ISLE OF COLL, ARGYLL. Ideal for walkers, naturalists, bird watchers. Secluded beaches. Otters, seals. Book our special bird watching week 26th April to 3rd May w ith Roger Boughton, MBOU, resident ornithologist as party leader. Tighnamara licensed Guest House, Isle of Coll, Argyll. Tel: 08793 354. (BB520) Churehwood' 1 South Devon Self-Catering Holiday Cabins* o?£S in £”9Hsh Boat Jo Ui •op 1st i Set in coastal preservation area of outstanding natural beauty ■ Adjoining N T land and near'seWal N T houses ■ Easy reach Historic Plymouth * Good walking, riding, sailing, fishing and diving ■ Bird-watching and wildlife ■ Minimum commercialisation ■ Personal attention ■ Corporate members of R S.P B Colour brochure from (0752) 862382 (24hr). Churehwood, f Wembury Bay, l Plymouth, ^^>evon PL9 0DZ.' BED AND BREAKFAST. M rs D. Crowden, Rosevilla, Middleton, Saxmundham, Suffolk. Tel: Westleton 489 between 6-7 pm. (BB50) COTTAGE AND BUNGALOW sleeping 4-6. Warm and comfortable. Also 2 ground floor private apartments at Inverdruie House. Price per week £80-£220. Details: Inverdruie & Glasnacardoch Properties, Aviemore PH22 1QR. Tel: 0479 810357. (BB526) HOLIDAY ON SHAPINSAY in the unspoilt Orkney Islands. Walking, bird w'atching, seal colonies. Farmhouse B&B and evening meal. Home cooking, local produce. Tel: Mrs J. Wallace. 085 67 1 256. ( BB524) NR. NTH NFK RESERVES. Guest House run by birder for birders. Haydn House, Avenue Road, Hunstanton. Tel: 331 15. (BB308) WINDMILL and two cottages. 5 miles Blakeney. Sleep 8, 6 and 4, available all year. Sae: 195 E^ast F’.nd Road, London N2. Tel: 01-883 8137. (BB461 ) ROYAL FOREST OF DEAN, Coleford, Lambsquay Hotel AA*H&B. All facilities. Delicious food and wine. Peaceful surroundings. Dogs welcome. S/c flat available — special breaks. Tel: 0594 33127 for brochure. ( BB344) BARGAIN BREAKS Small, recommended licensed hotel facing open countryside, on sands close to Beach and National Trust cliff walks. All bedrooms with bath/wc, colour TV' and teamaker en suite. Four-poster beds. Heated Indoor swimming pool. Good food from extensive menu. Any 3 nights — £72.00. Any 5 nights — £115. Any 7 nights — £154 includes dinner, breakfast and VAT. Glencoe House Hotel Gwithian Village (St Ives Bay) Cornwall TR27 5BX. Tel: (0736) 752216 (BB429) xvi t NORMANDY HOTEL, St Mary’s. Licensed. Central heating, heated pool, sea views, amid main birdwatching area and beaches. Radio, intercom, baby-listening, mini-bus. Special terms for large parties. Apply sae brochure: J. G. Thomas 0720 22773. (BB527) OLD HUNSTANTON. The White Cottage guest house, beautifully situated. Overlooking Wash. Ideal birdwatching. B&B/EM. Special rates OAPs. Mrs U. Burton, 19 Wodehouse Road, Old Hunstanton, Norfolk. Tel: 048 53 2380. (BB528) CETTI’S WARBLER, Ring-bills at Radipole Nature Reserve; migrations at Portland Bill. B&B or self-catering accommodation in superb surroundings at edge of Fleet Nature Reserve, Weymouth, Dorset. Home cooking. Warm wel- come. Mrs Mowlam. 6 Fleet Lane, Chickerell, Weymouth, Dorset DT3 4DF. (0305) 772268. (BB529) DUNWICH. Holiday cottage, sea XU mile, overlooking marshes, sleeps 6 plus 2 children. Ideally situated for Minsmere and surrounding countryside. Fully furnished and equipped personally supervised. £20.00 per day. Reduced rates for March-October. Dogs allowed, car parking. Details from R. Green, 53 Albany Road, West Bergholt, Colchester C06 3LB. Tel: 0206 241716. (BB531 ) VISIT BEMPTON and Flamborough Head for the best in sea bird watching, Spring and Autumn migrants. Summer breeding. Stay at the Flane- burg Hotel, Flamborough. BB/EM from £29. Two days. Full details, contact us on (0262) 850284. (BB533) SELF-CATERING 6 berth caravan to let with electric lights. Calor gas and flush toilet. On a farm beside Pembrokeshire coastal path. Skomer Island, boat only, 5 minutes walk. Tel: Dale 424. (BB536) MOST ATTRACTIVE choice of self-catering cottages, isolated and in beautiful surroundings overlooking the sea on a Westhighland Estate. Scotland’s natural beauty at its best. The ideal holiday for the true country lover with wild life in abundance. For full colour brochure please write to: The Booking Office, Ellary 7, Lochgilphead, Argyll. Tel: 08803 232/209 or 054685 223. (BB539) ISLE OF MULL. A stable converted into 2 warm comfortable flats. Frachadil Farm, Calgary. Tel: 068 84 265 or (0573) 24852. " (BB540) LAWNS HOTEL, Holt, North Norfolk. Roomy Georgian House on the outskirts of a picturesque Georgian town, centrally situated for the sea. Comfortable, centrally heated, home cooking, vegetarians catered for, friendly atmosphere, licensed, low cost two day bargain breaks of BB&D open all year. Tel: 026 371 3390. (BB541) SEE PUFFINS, skuas, seals and a lot more. Private boat takes you among otherwise inaccessible colonics. A nature-lover’s dream. Full board in castle, or self-catering cottages. Send for details: Balfour Castle, Shapinsay, Orkney. Tel: 085 671 282. (BB542) BETWEEN CROMER AND SHERINGHAM. 3 bedroomed cottage. Pleasant coastal village. A. Lee, “Woodlands”, Holt Road, Aylmerton NR1 1 8QA. Tel: West Runton (026 375) 480. (BB545) HEBRIDES- The Hotel, Isle of Coll, Argyll PA 78 6SZ. Tel: 087 93 334. AA* RAC. Open all year, central heating. Over 100 species to be seen including skuas, raptors, water rail etc. May we send you our brochure? (BB546) WILDLIFE HO LI DA YS HORNPIPE — visit remote breeding grounds, Hebrides, Orkney in 62 ft yacht. Max 6 guests for space and comfort. Woodstove, home cooking. Hornpipe Cruises, Kingie, Invergarry, Inverness- shire PH35 4HS. (BB473) KENYA 2-week tented Birdwatching/Wildlife Safaris dept 1st and 15th August visiting National Gameparks and Rift Valley Lakes. Inclusive £985. India 3-week Rajasthan tour. Jaipur, Udaipur, Pushkar Camel Fair, Taj Mahal. Palace accommodation, dept 1st November £1,450. Adventure Agency, The Square, Ramsbury, Wiltshire. (0672 20569). (BB504) BISHOPSTEIGNTON HOUSE Centre for Learning and Leisure WOODLAND BIRDS 2-4 MAY BIRDS AND THE ECOLOGY OF THE S.W. COASTLINE 20-26 JULY MIGRATORY BIRDS 26-28 SEPT plus many other courses. The perfect spot for studying wildlife, overlooking the beautiful Feign estuary and close to Dartmoor. Excellent cuisine, comfortable accommoda- tion. Bishopsteignton, S. Devon TQ14 9SD. Eel: (06267) 5270. (BB534) WILDLIFE IN BULGARIA- 1986 TOURS (£10 reduction if booked by 29 Dec. with deposits) Nature Lovers & Geographers — 18 May-1 June Black Sea & Rhodope Mountains regions, seven full day excursions Price: £395 Leader: Prof. E. J. Shellard Ornithologists — all tours eight full day excursions. 1 . 26 April- 10 May — Black Sea & Danube regions. Price: £399.50 Leader: Mr Laurence Rose, RSPB. 2. 11-25 May — Black Sea & Rhodopes regions. Price: £448 Leader to be appointed. 3. 20 Sept.-4 Oct. — Black Sea & Danube regions. Price: £415 Leader: Mr Graham Elliott, RSPB. ALL TOURS: National Parks & Reserves; full board, 2 weeks tourist hotels; charters from Gatwick. Details from: The British- Bulgarian Friendship Society, 69 Upper St., London N1 0NY (tel: 01-359 0507) or the Bulgarian Tourist Office (tel: 0|-4,-,i)K)88)- ( BB5 1 3) xviii BIRD WA TCHING HO LI DA YS BIRDWATCH, CORNWALL. 21 -27th March 1 08(5, £1 12 inclusive; 4- 1 0th October 1986, £1 12 inclusive. 5 days of field trips, special help for beginners. Exciting seabirds, waders, ducks and birds of prey. Local RSPB leaders. Two star hotel with Scandinavian leisure centre. For brochure and bird list phone Pauline Boss, 0736 795294, Karenza Hotel, St. Ives, Cornwall. (BB535) BODMIN MOOR NATURE OBSERVA- TORY olfers enjoyable and relaxed holidays watching birds with regular conducted field trips to delightful moorland and coastal habitats. 168 species logged in 1985. Help given to beginners. For full details and 1985 observations sae to Tony Miller, BMNO, Ninestones Farm, Liskeard PL14 6SI). Tel: 0579 20455. (BB538) WILD GOOSE CHASE, Holland 6-9 Feb— a few late bookings available • Sea Eagles and Cranes, France 20-23 Feb — our 8th and final departure# Wings Over Gibraltar, 17-24 March • Spring in Andalucia & Goto Donana, 5-12 April — few places left • East Anglia Special, 11-17 May • l levoland and Flanders, 26 May- 1 June for Black Woody, Tengalm’s Owl, plus super abundance of breeding birds • John Gooders, Lattenden’s, Ashburnham, Nr Battle, E. Sussex TN33 9PB. Tel: 0323 833245. (BB547) £86: CORNWALL FOR BIRDS. 19-26 April and 11-18 October 1986. Trevone Hotel, Newquay. Centrally heated. Delicious food. Falks, films, field outings. 2 to 4 leaders inc. Eric Grace — Jack Wright. Inclusive price for room with sh/wc and DB&B for the week: £86. Also Cornwall for Wildflowers and Gardens: £92. Hotel and sp. int. brochures. Tel: Pamela Chegwin (0637) 87309. (BB525) PEMBROKESHIRE BIRDWATCHING HOLIDAY led by Peter Conder. 4 nights, 3 day slay (10- 14th March) at the famous Warpool Court Hotel visiting the famous locations of St Davids Head, theCleddau Estuary and Strumble Head. Price: £146 per person inclusive of meals, packed lunch, field trips, films and farewell party. St Davids 0437 720300. (BB371) SPAIN — Birding 1986 Tom Gullick lives in Spain and will show you the rarest birds in the most beautiful and remote areas. Expect to see 5 eagles, 3 vultures, bustards, sand grouse, white-headed duck, galinule, eagle owl, black stork, with many ducks, waders and passerines on spring migration. 11,8 and 5-dav tours for 3-4 persons only, by Range Rover. 8 years and over 500 field days of experience in Spain. Tom Gullick, c/o Mrs. M. C. Parker, 5 Tile Barn Close, Farnborough, Hants GU15 8LS. Tel: 0252 547213. (BB343) BIRDS OF ARRAN, a Beagle Wildlife holiday. A week amongst the birds and natural history of one of Scotland’s most beautiful islands. Small groups in a quiet hotel setting. Land Rover transport. For brochure. Tel: 0642 225333. (BB460) FALKLAND ISLANDS Falkland Islands specialised wildlife. Get close to nesting black-browed albatrosses, 5 species of penguin, other rare birds. Cdr Angus Erskine leading small group 23Jan ’86 on 2 wk trip. £2,995. Many other wildlife expeditions to Arctic July /Aug ’86 from £950 either staying at lodges, in boats, or camping. Write Erskine Expeditions, 14 Inverleith Place, Edinburgh. ( BB420) OVERSEAS BIRDING ABROAD? Site guides and trip reports on: Kenya, Gambia, Thailand, India, Israel, Morocco, Canaries, Madeira. Mallorca, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa etc. l ei: 0905 54541. (BB448) OVERSEAS HOL ACC BIRDING IN COSTA RICA’S TALAMANCA RAINFOREST (300 m) AND HIGHLANDS (2,500 m) with all the comforts of private homes. Each location includes vast stretches of v irgin forest. Weekly rates: $450 US double Rainforest: Michael Snow, Apartado 73. Siquirres. Costa Rica; Highlands: Steve Friedman, Apartado 655. Cartago, Costa Rica. (BB455) PERSONAL CRETE— EASTER BIRDWATCHING, hints, sites, checklist. £2.50 inc p.&p. S. Coghlan, 25 Thorpe Lane. Huddersfield, W Yorks HD5 8TA. (BB417) THE HAWK TRUST cares about all birds of prey. Why not help us with our conservation projects? For information, contact The Member- ship Secretary (JB). The Hawk Trust. FREE- POST. Beckenham. Kent. Tel: Loughborough 215598. (BB459) APPOINTMENT ASSISTANT WARDEN, Calf of Man Bird Observatory, required for 1986 season (mid- March to mid-November). Ringing permit and some experience of mist-netting desirable. Wages £43.40 per week, gross (less national insurance contributions), and accommodation. Further details from the Manx Museum & National Trust, Douglas. Isle of Man. (BB522) \!\ BIRD REPORT BIRDS OF OXFORDSHIRE, 1984. £2.20 inc. p&p, from R. Overall, 30 Hunsdon Road, llfley, Oxford 0X4 4JE. (BB479) SCOTTISH BIRD REPORT 1984. £2.50 (inc p & p) from SOC (SBR 1984), 21 Regent Ierrace, Edinburgh EH 7 5BT. (BB453) LINCOLNSHIRE BIRD REPORT 1984. £2.50 (post paid) — includes Gibraltar Point Report, descriptions, articles, photographs. Lincolnshire Bird Club, 42 VVolsey Way, Lincoln LN2 4QH. Also available, 1979, 80, 81, 82, 75p each; 1983. £1. All post paid. (BB447) LONDON BIRD REPORT 1984 Produced by the London Natural History Society. Report £3 post paid and membership details from Mrs H. B. Housego, 1 10 Mead- vale Road, London W5 1LR. Back numbers available. (BB458) COURSES BIRDWATCHING ACTIVITY WEEKS 25-30 May 1986 — l-6June 1986 “BIRDS OF SPEYSIDE” A repeat of last year’s success with conducted visits and walks, slidetalks, film and social. Tutors: RSPB Wardens, Roy Dennis Resident Guide: Michael Phillips Course Fee: £48 For information, SAE please to: Tourist Association, Boat of Garten, Inverness-shire (BB480) BOOKS HENRY SOTHERAN LTD London j leading ornithological book stockists. IN STOCK — Carol and Tim Inskip: A Guide To The Birds of Nepal. £25.00. Ken Simpson, Nicholas Day: The Birds of Australia. £25.00. C. H. Fry: The Bee Eaters. £19.60. Dictionary of Birds. £39.00 ICBP, BTO, BQU Publications and a surprising range of smaller books & reports. Superb stock available for browsing. ~ 2, 3, 4 8c 5 Sackville St, London W 1 X 2DP. 0^ 01-734 1 150. Just oil' Piccadilly. Mon-Fri 9.00-5.30. BIRD 8c NATURAL HISTORY books bought and sold. Catalogues issued. We are very keen to buy good quality stock, so if you have surplus items please allow us to make you an offer — St Ann’s Bookshop, 2 St Ann’s Road, Great Malvern, Worcs (068 45) 62818. (BB532) BOOKS ON BIRDS. New and secondhand, catalogue 30p stamps. Surplus books urgently sought. BB bought and sold. Open Monday to Saturday. Bird Books of Sevenoaks, 67 London Rd, Sevenoaks, Kent. Tel: 0732 455899. (BB245) QUALITY BIRD BOOKS— for latest list write to A. & H. Books, 23 Andrew Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. (BB497) THE BIRD BOOKSHOP SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGISTS’ CLUB W'ide range of titles in stock Free catalogue from: 21 Regent Terrace, Edinburgh EH7 5BT. Tel: 031-556 6042 (BB239) FINE NATURAL HISTORY BOOKS bought and sold. R. Norman. Hart-on-the-Hill, Dalton Piercy, Hartlepool, Cleveland. Tel: 0429 73857. (BB303) ‘BIRD BOOKS’. Good secondhand books bought and sold. Free catalogue from, and offers to Briant Books, 94 Quarry Lane, Kelsall, Tarporley, Cheshire GW6 0NJ. Tel: 0829 51804. (BB392) ORNITHOLIDAYS GUIDES in the Let’s look at . . .’ series. Majorca, SW Spain, The Camargue, Montenegro, Ethiopia, Eastern Austria, South Morocco, North East Greece, Vancouver and The Rockies, Sri Lanka, Lapland and Arctic Norway, The Gambia, and North West Turkey, £2.80 per copy. Ornitholidays, 1-3 Victoria Drive, Bognor Regis, Sussex P021 2PW. (BB379) STAMPS WADERS ON STAMPS, 15 - £1. Send for 14 page bird stamp list. A. Grainger, 42 Lee Lane East, Horsforth, Leeds. (BB523) REPAIRS WE REPAIR BINOCULARS. And cameras And projectors. We’ve been at it for thirty years and we’re very, very good. Perfect? No. Perfectionists? Yes. Burgess Lane & Co. Ltd, Thornton Works, Thornton Avenue, London W4 1QE.0 1-994 5752. (BB223) WANTED COLLECTOR wishes to purchase Morris’s Birds, Bannerman’s Birds, and any other interesting Natural History Books or Paintings. David Brodie, Hazel Bank, 106 Castlemain Avenue, Southbourne, Bournemouth, Dorset 0202 431997. (BB530) FOR SALE HAWKINS, Winit, Tecnic, Bogtrotters, walking boots and shoes. Sprayway waterproofs, SAE for brochure. B. Timson, 1 1 1 Hinckley Road, Earl Shilton, Leicester. (BB135) SWIFT AUDUBON BINOCULARS, unused, boxed, perfect, £85. Swift Ranger, 10 X 50, mint, £60. Canon fit lens, 75-300, f 5.6, lightweight, good condition £65. Tel: 0625 520227. (BB544) FAIR ISLE’S GARDEN BIRDS. The original watercolour plates from this book by John Holloway. List (sae) from: Birders, 46 Westleigh Drive, Sonning Common, Reading. Tel: (0734) 724463. (BB465) xx HERTS OPTICAL SERVICES TELESCOPES KOWA TS1 £117.00 TS2 £98.00 20x W/A £32.00 40 x £30.50 TSN1 £200.50 TSN2 £189.75 20 x W/A £59.80 40 x W/A £38.50 OPTOLYTH 30 x 75 £229.00 30 x 80 £263.00 SPACEMASTER 20-45 x £184.00 PRISMA HIGH RESOLUTION 20x60 £131.10 MAIL ORDER BY RETURN ADD £3.00 CARRIAGE & INSURANCE REPAIRS 102a VICTORIA STREET ■ ST ALBANS phone: (0727) 59392 Telec '"NESTBOXES. Range of sturdily built nest- : "boxes from robin to kestrel at competitive prices. I’lease send sac lor details. J. ( .. Carter, '( lornant’, (Cribyn, Lampeter, Dyled. (BB48I) / ^EISS AND LEITZ used binot tilars lor sale and wanted. 21 Crescent Grove, London SVV4 7AF. (BB505) 1 31KD JOURNAL BACKNUMBERS SUP- ITLIED. (BB, Bird Study, County Reports etc) David Morgan, Whitmore, Umberleigh. Devon. (BB418) BINOCULAR AND TELESCOPES. Send lot Free colour brochure: Dept Bl. Sherwoods I'Binocular Centre, 11-13 Western Arcade, Birmingham B2 3111’. (BB151) BINOCULARS OPTOLYTH ALP IN 10x40 £122.00 8x40 £119.00 8x30 £109.00 ZEISS WEST 10 x 40 BGA £338.00 7 x 42 BGA £350.00 8x30 BGA £309.00 SWIFT AUDUBON HRS £140.99 BRESSER G.A. 8x32 £140.00 7x42 £142.00 10x42 £145.00 PRISMA 8x 30B £77.62 8x40B £83.50 10x40B £87.50 10 x SOB £90.90 HERTS (BB450) SOME BACK NUMBERS. BB. Bird Study. Ibis, also books. Genuine private sale. SAL Lor list. Palmer, 29 Hurst Road. (BB518) A Some ok the special oilers to be lound in our new colour brochure: Send today lor your copy. 100% COTTON FIELD SHIRTS Country cheeks in shades of green & brown. 3 to 4 £26.30 post free. (I of each colour). ALSO towelling Rainchokers. moleskin trousers, breeks and shirts. Wax jackets, sweaters. Ladies made to measure trousers and breeks. Countrystyle Sporting Clothes High Street, Ruabon, Wrexham, Clwydd LL14 6BO. Tel: 0978 821 237 7 th r answering service lor Across Visa { HB543 1 COUNTRYSIDE VIEWING FACILITIES Unlimited ^Parking at Shop BINOCULARS - TELESCOPES | Wide range-Top quality- Discount prices SWIFT- HABICHT-ZEISS(West)- LEITZ ALPIN- NIKON -OPTOLYTH -KOWA OMIYA-ZEISStEast)-MIRADOR HARTMA -SLIK TRIPODS eg AUDUBON HR £134-50 ZEISS 10 X 40 BT £341-00 HABICHT SL 10 X 40 £249-00 PRICES SUBJECT TO ALTERATION WITHOUT NOTICE Price lists on request Focus OPTICS Church Lane- Corley Coventry CV7 8BA Tel: 0676-40501 Open MON SAT 10. a m. - 5.p.m. MAIL ORDER WELCOME Ins P&P FREE (BB333) ^ British Birds Volume 79 Number 1 January 1986 1 Recent reports Ian Dawson and Keith Allsopp 1 7 Seventy-five years ago . . . 1 8 Notes on the breeding biology of the Buzzard Dr Geoffrey Fryer 28 Little Shearwaters in Britain and Ireland P. C. James 34 Mystery photographs 109 Meadow or Red-throated Pipit P.J. Grant Notes 40 Separation of distant Black-throated and Great Northern Divers David A. Christie 40 Buzzard and crows at Magpie nest Dr Geoffrey Fryer 4 1 Woodcock apparently attacking Nightjar Anthony Webb 42 Ring-billed Gulls displaying in West Glamorgan R. J. Howells 42 Wingbeat rates of Glaucous and Iceland Gulls Lars Thomas and Karsten Andresen 43 Sandwich Terns feeding over fresh water Julian Greenwood 43 Treecreeper attaching faecal sacs to pole I). Washington Letter 44 Nests of Sparrowhawk and Kestrel Robin Prytherch Announcements 44 Front cover designs for sale 44 Custom-printed, personal ‘British Birds’ indexes 1946-85 45 Identification Notes Panel 45 Bird Photograph of the Year 46 Best recent black-and-white bird-photographs 46 Bird Illustrator of the Year 47 The Richard Richardson Award 47 ‘Colombia’, and ‘India & Pakistan’ books 48 Special Offer Subscription Scheme Request 49 Please help us to help you 49 News and comment Robin Prytherch and Mike Everett Line-drawings: 1 Pallas’s Warblers ( Nik Borrow ); 5 Short-billed Dowitcher ( David Daly); 10 Blackpoll Warbler ( David Daly); 12 Richard’s Pipit ( S . C. Harrap); 14 Woodchat Shrike (A. M. Stoddart); 17 Northern Parula ( Colin Bradshaw) and Hawfinch (D. A. Thelwell); 18 Buzzards (D. A. Thelwell); 28 Little Shearwater ( Norman Arlott). Front cover: Golden Plovers and a Lapwing in a snow blizzard (John Davis): the original drawing of this month’s cover is for sale in a postal auction (see page 44 for procedure) yC Volume 79 Number 2 February 1986 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 1983 Mystery photographs PhotoSpot Notes • Letters News and comment • Recent reports Reviews British Birds Managing Editor Dr J. T. R. Sharrock Personal Assistant Sheila D. Cobban Assistant Editor David Christie Editorial Board Stanley Cramp, P. J. Grant, Dr M. A. Ogilvie 8c Dr J. T. R. Sharrock Photographic Consultants Dr R. J. Chandler 8c Don Smith Rarities Committee P. J. Grant (Chairman), D. J. Britton, A. R. Dean, R. H. Dennis, T. P. Inskipp, P. G. Lansdown, S. C. Madge, I. S. Robertson 8c K. E. Vinicombe; J. H. Marchant (co-opted); Peter Colston (Museum Consultant & Archivist); Michael J. Rogers (Honorary Secretary). Notes Panels behaviour Dr C. J. Bibby, Dr J. J. M. Flegg, Dr C. H. Fry, Derek Goodwin, Dr M. A. Ogilvie, Dr J. T. R. Sharrock 8c Dr K. E. L. Simmons; IDENTIFICATION A. R. Dean, P. J. Grant, S. C. Madge, Dr M. A. Ogilvie 8c Dr J. T. R. Sharrock © British Birds Ltd 1986 Copyright of photographs remains with photographers. British Birds is published monthly by British Birds Ltd. 98 High Street. Biggleswade, Bedfordshire ISSN 0007-0335 Publishing Manager, Production & Promotion Dr J. T. R. Sharrock Circulation Manager Erika Sharrock Design Deborah Cartwright Advertising Sandra Barnes Addresses Please keep correspondence on different items separate. Please address your envelope correctly. Please supply SAE, if reply required. Papers, notes, letters, drawings & photographs Jor publication DrJ. T. R. Sharrock, Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK44 3NJ Subscriptions and orders for back copies Mrs Erika Sharrock, Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK44 3NJ Advertising Mrs Sandra Barnes, BB Advertising, c/o Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK44 3NJ. Phone : Tiptree (0621) 815085 Bird news for ‘ Recent reports' Ian Dawson & Keith Allsopp, c/o RSPB, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire sci'i 2DI. Phone (outside office hours): Huntingdon (0+80) 214186 News items for ‘News and comment ’ Mike Everett & Robin Prytherch, 7 Burlington Way, Hemingford Grey, Huntingdon PE18 9BS Rarity descriptions M. J. Rogers, 4 Pentland Flats, St Mary’s, Isles ofScilly IR21 ohy Special book and sound recording ojjers for subscribers Mrs Bonny Shirley, BB Offers, Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK.44 3NJ Annual subscriptions (12 issues and index) Libraries and agencies £27.50. 1R£34.50 or $55.41. Personal subscriptions: UK, Europe and surface mail £23.00, IR£28.75 or $34.50; personal: airmail outside Europe £38.50, IR£48.25 or $56.55. Single back copies £2.50, I R£3. 25 or $4.00. Make all cheques payable to British Birds Ltd. Payment may also be made directly into UK Post Office GIRO account number 37 588 6303. British Birds publishes material dealing with original observations on the birds of the west Palearctic. Except for records o( rarities, papers and notes are normally accepted only on condition that material is not being offered in whole or in part to any other journal. Photographs and sketches are welcomed. All contributions should be submitted to the Managing Editor. Papers should be typewritten with double spacing, and wide margins, and on one side of the sheet onlv . Authors should carefully consult this issue for style of presentation, especially of references and tables. English and scientific names and sequences of birds follow The ‘British Birds' List of Birds of the Western Palearctic ( 1984): names of plants follow Dony el al. (1980, English Names of Wild Flowers); names of mammals follow Corbet & Southern (1977, The Handbook of British Mammals). Topographical (plumage and structure) terms should follow editorial recommendations (Brit. Birds 74: 239-242). Figures should be in Indian ink on good quality tracing paper, drawing paper, non-absorbent board or light blue or very pale grey graph paper; lettering should be inserted lightly in pencil; captions should be typed on a separate sheet. Authors of main papers (but not notes or letters) receive ten free copies of the journal (five each to two or more authors). Printed in England by i- Burt Limited, Kempston. Bedford in focus Open 9am-6pm Mon-Sat (24 hour answer phone) 204 High Street Barnet, Herts. EN5 5SX 01-449 1445 LARGE SELECTION OF SECOND-HAND INSTRUMENTS PART EXCHANGE WELCOME MAIL/PHONE ORDER SERVICE BINOCULARS TRIPODS AND ZEISS WEST £ OPTICRON £ ACCESSORIES £ Dialyt 8 x 20 B 155.00 Dialyt 10 x 25 B 169.00 Dialyt 8 x 20 BGA 199.00 Dialyt 8 x 30 BGA 299.00 Dialyt 10x40 BT Phone Dialyt 10x40 BGAT for Close focus price Dialyt 7 x 42 BGAT 335 00 Dialyt 8 x 56 BGAT 399.00 15x60 PorroT 675.00 Rainguard 3.40 Eyecups (set) 7.00 Lanyard 4.00 LEITZ Trinovid 8 x 20 BC 175.00 Trinovid 8 x 20 BCA 189.00 Trinovid 10x25 BC 189.00 Trinovid 10x25 BCA 199.00 Trinovid 8 x 40 BA 365.00 Trinovid 7x42 BA 375.00 Trinovid 10 x 40 B 345.00 Trinovid 10x40 BA 375.00 Trinovid 10x40 BA Close focus 385.00 Soft case for Miniature 9.95 Soft case for 10x40 25.95 Hard case for 10x40 32.95 Eye cups (set) 10.00 Rainguards 6.00 Lanyards 7.50 CARL ZEISS JENA Deltrintem 8 x 30 54.95 Binoctem 7 x 50 79.95 Dekarem 10x50 88.95 NIKON 8 x 30 ZCF 169.00 10x35 ZCF 189.00 12x40 ZCF 199.00 OPTOLYTH Alpin 8 x 30 BGA 131.00 Alpin 8 x 40 BGA 143.00 Alpin 10x40 BGA 145.00 Alpin 7x42 BGA 148.00 Alpin 10x50 BGA 161.00 HABICHT Diana 1 0 x 40 B 239.00 WSLM 10x40 269.00 Elite 9x35 157.00 HR 8 x 30 79.95 HR 8 x 42 85.00 HR 10x42 89.95 HARTMANN 8 x 40 Compact 234.00 10x40 Compact 234.00 SWIFT New Audubon 8.5 x 44 145.00 Osprey 7.5 x 42 BGA 109.00 SPWA 8 x 36 114.95 SPWA 9 x 42 119.95 SPWA 10x42 129.95 TELESCOPES Kowa TSN-1 228.00 KowaTSN-2 218.00 Eye pieces 25x & 40x 44.95 20x WA 69.00 20x-60x zoom 99.00 Photo adaptor 69.00 Case for TSN 19.95 KowaTS-1 129.00 KowaTS-2 119.00 Eye pieces from 29.00 27x WA 36.50 Nikon 20 x 60 Ed 449.00 Nikon 20 x 60 249.00 Eye pieces 30x & 40x 67.00 Photo Adaptor 157.00 Optolyth 22 x 60 158.00 Optolyth 30 x 75 255.00 Optolyth TB 80 253.00 20x 30x & 40x from 39 00 Mirador 1 5x-60 x 60 150.00 Mirador 22x60 125.00 Case 12.50 Spacemaster 20x-60 x 60 1 79.00 Spacemaster 22 x 60 1 59.00 Bausch & Lomb 4000 Mirror scope 399.00 Habicht 30 x 75 BGA 339.00 Telescope and Tripod Outfits If you purchase a Telescope & Tripod at the same time We can offer you a very special price. Phone for a Quote. Slik Gazelle 33.95 Slik Master D2 51.95 Slik 88 51.95 Slik 35 DN 47.95 Slik 23 SN 39.95 Slik SL 67 84.95 Slik Tripod Strap 5.95 Car Window Mount 17.00 Universal Mount 17.50 New Hide Mount 35.00 Lanyards from 2.50 Rainguards from 1.00 Shoulder Pod 18.95 Second-Hand & Ex-Demo Instruments Leitz 10 x 40 B 269.00 Habicht 30 x 75 BGA 249 00 Hartmann 10x40 79.00 Ross 12x50 59.00 Optolyth 22 x 60 109.00 Defabem 10x50 59 00 Nikon 7x50 139.00 Leitz 8 x 20 BC 129.00 Kowa TSN-1 (25x) 199.00 Stennier 24 x 80 169.00 B&L 7 x 24 BGA 99.00 Kowa 8 x 30 69.00 Optolyth 30 x 75 149.00 H&R 22x80 289.00 Zeiss West 10x50 349.00 Price Increases Leitz, West Zeiss and Kowa. have all increased some of their prices, we still have some instruments at old prices. Phone for details. All equipment sent on 1 4 days approval upon receipt ot full remittance Prices correct 4.12 85 Please add £2.00 if ordering Oy mail E&OE “IN FOCUS” JUNIOR 8x30 BINOCULAR Ideal binocular lor youngsters or someone ius! starling birdwatching This European-made instrument is ruggedly built with good optical performance Supplied with soft case and lanyard ONLY £18.95 BINOCULARS AND TELESCOPES REPAIRED ON THE PREMISES (D626) Turkey • Greece - Austria • Sr i Lanka -Thailand Birdwatehi &Wildli Holidays for the discerning naturalist PROGRAMME FOR 1986 EASTERN AUSTRIA 1 2 days May £430 TURKEY AND GREECE CENTRAL & SOUTHERN TURKEY 16 days April/May £695 EASTERN TURKEY (2 trips) 16 days May /June £750 TURKEY SPECIAL INTEREST TRIP Jiine £695 N/YV TURKEY-GREECE (2 trips) 15 days Aug/Sept £595 CENTRAL TURKEY & BOSPHORUS MIGRATION 18 days Sept £695 1 1 days Sept £485 Privately organised parties catered lor and special trips arranged for any interest. Trips led by Chris Slade or Steve Whitehouse. Write for details. CHRIS L. SLADE 8 The Grange, Elmdon Park, Solihull, West Midlands B92 9EL. Tel: 021-742 5420/021-705 5535. In conjunction with Regent Holiday U.K. Ltd. (D612) Please order all your BIRD BOOKS from ‘BRITISH BIRDSHOP’ Please use the form on the cut-out page in this issue. The purchase of books and recordings through ‘British BirdShop’ subsidises every subscription, and adds extra pages and extra photographs to every issue of B ritish B irds , B B - , - ( NORTHERN MAJORCA HOLIDAYS POLLENSA HOTELS ASSOCIATION The area of Pollensa has an outstanding natural beauty and interest for all country lovers, BIRDWATCHERS, NATURAL HISTORY— WILD FLOWER, WALKERS or VISITORS seeking a peaceful holiday. PUERTO POLLENSA * HOTEL ILLAd’OR*** Tel: 531100, Telex 69708 * HOTEL RAF*** Tel: 531195 ★ * HOTEL MIRAMAR*** Tel: 531400 * * HOTEL DAINA*** Tel: 531250 ** HOTEL POLLENTIA*** Tel: 531200 ** H. R. SIS PINS*** Tel: 531050 ★ * HOSTAL GALEON** Tel: 531703 HOTEL UYAL*** Tel: 531500 * ** HOTEL POLLENSA PARK*** Tel: 531350, Telex: 69656 * * * HOTEL CAROTTI* Tel: 531096 CALA SAN VICENTE * HOTEL MOLINS**** Tel: 530200, Telex: 69003 ★ HOTEL DON PEDRO*** Tel: 530050 * PENSION ORIOLA** Tel: 531998 **★ H. CALA SAN VICENTE*** Tel: 530250 ★ ★★ HOTEL NIU* Tel: 530100 HOSTAL LOS PINOS** Tel: 531210 Special terms for early and late season. Groups welcome. Car hire for £35 per week. Assistance from local experts, for more information. if required. Write to your appropriate hotel * Open all year ** Open from March to October *** Open from April to October (D587) 11 Holidays Designed Around Birds Our small and friendly groups are expertly guided by experienced ornithologists with a wide knowledge of Natural History. Beginners and experts alike are warmly welcomed and as much attention as possible to individual needs and interests is given. The 1986 programme will include: Northern France Borneo Southern Morocco Spanish Pyrenees Tunisia Turkey Far North Queensland The Canaries Southern Spain North East Greece Botswana The Gambia Cox & Kings Special Interest Holidays 46 Marshall Street, London W1 V 2PA. Tel: 01-439 3380. Founded 1758 (D61 1 ) ABTA/ATOL COX & KINGS BINOCULARS - TELESCOPES A few examples of our vast stocks BINOCULARS SWIFT AUOUBON mR5 8 5 * 44 OSPREY 75x42 DIAL YT DIAL YT DIAL YT 10 « 40 BT 10 * 40 BOAT 10 ■ 40 8GAT CLOSE FOCUS 7 « 47 BGAT LEITZ TRINOVIO 10 > HABICHT DIANA 40 BA 40 BA £134 50 £102 00 PHONE ► FOR PRICES I « 40 WM £234 00 . 42 WM GA £272 00 I « 40 WM GA £299 50 x 42 SL £249 00 l«40SL £275 00 8> 30 2CF 10 * 3S2CF 17 x 402CF OPTOLYTH ALPIN 7 k 47 BGA 8 ■ 40 BGA 10 x 40 BGA 10 x 50 BGA TELESCOPES NIKON FIE LDSCOPE E D 20 x 6 SPOTTING SCOPE 20x6 £«8 50 £189 00 £215 50 £148 00 £143 00 045 00 £161.00 £441.00 £264.50 30 x 75 BA £255 00 22 60 x 70 BA £266.00 80mm BODY £253 00 KOWA TS 1 TS 2 TS 6 TSN 1 TSN 2 EYEPIECES 60mm 60mm 60mm BUSHNELL SPACEMASTER EYEPIECES tfom £119 50 002 00 £117 50 £217 50 £201 50 £31 00 £124 50 £32 50 TRIPODS SLIK D2 SUK 86 GOODMAN VIDEO £55 00 £54 00 £43 00 UNIVERSAL CLAMP 07 50 ALSO STOCK ISTS OF ZE iSS E AST BAUSCH & LOWS MIRADOR HARTMANN BRESSER C\J CO Q opticron high resolution Our showroom stands in |tf“etmT 6 acres of private grounds EYEPIECES from £25 00 with FREE PARKING Church Lane. Corley. Coventry CV7 8BA Telephone: 0676-40501 Open Mon Sat 10am — 5pm MAIL ORDER FREE E&OE 111 TEXAS BIRDS See Texas, its Birds and Wild Life from $1 ,095 (£782) 1 4 nights ex London Our package includes: AIR FARE + CAR HIRE + HOTEL LASER INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL 2990 Richmond, Houston, Texas 77098 In Europe for brochure telephone: France 21 -32-93-64 (D624) BIRDS, MEN & BOOKS Peter Tate A Literary History of Ornithology The author of A Century of Bud Books, East Anglia and its Buds, and Swallows follows the course of ornithology and its expression through literature. The fascinating develop- ment of bird books is examined, from Medieval church records to the colourful diversity of modern field guides, handbooks and mono- graphs. Great naturalists and ornithologists were responsible for the evolution ol the modern bird book; the author examines the men behind the names, Henry Dresser, Audubon, John Gould, Lord Lilford, Gharles Darwin, Carl Von Linne, Richard Bowdler- Sharpe and Harry Witherby to name but a few. This book will become the standard work. 8 vo. 200 pages, 8 pages ol illustrations. £13.95. February 1986. Published by Henry Sotheran Ltd and available through book- shops or SIGNED COPIES from The New Books Department, Henry Sotheran Ltd, ICBP, RSPB London’s Leading Ornithological Book Stockists 2, 3, 4 & 5 Sackville Street, London W1X 2DP. Tel: 01-734 1150 or 0308 (D622) Talk to A, R. Hawkins about Binoculars! SAVE ££E£s— BE WISE— BUY FROM BRITAIN’S BINOCULAR/TELESCOPE SPECIALISTS— ORDER BY POST OR PHONE IN COMPLETE CONFIDENCE 'PHONE US F OR Best Makes. Largest Stocks. Fastest Service. By return Despatch and Free Advice. ZEISS WEST THE WORLD’S FINEST! YOU’VE JUST GOT TO OWN ONE! ZEISS WEST ORDER TODAY IN YOUR HAND TOMORROW PHONE OR POST YOUR ORDER FOR SAME DAY DISPATCH 10 x 40 B Dialyl 10 x 10 BGA Short Focus 1 0 x 10 BGA Standard 7 x 42 BGA Dialyl 8 x 56 BGA Dialyt 10 x 25 B Mini Dialyt 1 5 x 60 GAT Porro 7 x 50 BGA Porro 8 x 20 B Mini Dialyt. £149.95 8 x 20 BGA Mini Dialyt new model looks like a small 1 0 x 40 BGA £195.00 All Zeiss supplied with cases and in slock now No wailing — A. R. Hawkins gels Zeiss into your hands lastl STOP PRESS • New model Zeiss West 10 x 40 B/T Short Focus now available • OO to tn ^ — o ) HERTEL & REUSS West German Quality Binoculars. Lightweight. Pin Sharp Optics 8 x 32 GF (weight 1 6 ozs). £112.95 8 x 40 B (weight 21 ozs). £128.00 8 x 45 (weight 27 ozs) £189.00 1 0 x 40 B (weight 21 ozs) £130.00 HABICHT A firm favourite Irom Austria, superbly made, outstanding colour and contrast also waterproof! 7 x 42 B/WMP £229.28 10 x 40 B/WMP £256.59 10 x 40 W/SLM £299.95 OPTOLYTH ALPIN Superb Lightweight Models Irom W Germany at sensible prices 8 x 30 BGA Alpin £131 8 x 40 EGA Alpin £143 1 0 x 40 BGA £145 10x50 BGA Alpin £161 12x50 BGA Alpin £764 7 x 42 BGA Alpin ... £148 SWIFT Audubon — New Model HR5 8.5 1 44 — only 28 on. supplied with Iree rubber rainguard to British Bird Readers £139.70p. Swift Osprey 7 5 x 42 £99 50 TELESCOPES Spacemaster 1 5-45 x 60 £169.95 Spacemasler 20-60 x 60 £169.95 Spacemaster 22 xW/A 60 £155.95 Spacemasler extra eyepieces 1 5 x, 20 x. 22 x W/A. 25 x. 40 x, 60 x £32.00 S/Master Photo Adaptor £32.00 T. Mounts. £5.95 Hertel & Reuss 30 x 80 BGA, £258.00 Oplolyth 30 x 75 with case £255.00 Optolyth 30 x 80. £288.00 Oplolyth 80 mm body £253.00 Optolyth 20 x eyepiece £47. 30 x eye- piece £39. 40 x eyepiece £42. Leather case £35. All lor Oplolyth 80 mm lelescope. Oplolyth 22-60 x 70 £265.00 B/L Discoverer 15-60 x 60 £179.95 Hawk 20-60 x 60 with case £159.95 Mirador 15-60x60 £169.95 Mirador 30 x 75 BGA £159.95 Mirador 32 x 80 BGA £239.95 Kowa TSN2 . £209.95 Habicht 23 x 70 BGA £168.95 Habicht 30 x 75 BGA £239.95 Opticron 20-60 x 60 HR £150.00 SLICK 02 TRIPOD THE finest tripod lor your telescope! Extends to a lull 5ft 9in weighs only 41b 12ozl Our Special Price £54.95 Post and Insurance £2.75. ORDER NOW for "By Return Dispatch. Binoculars and Telescopes £2.50p post and Insurance send cheque or Visa/ Access accepted by phone! Stamps (50p). For illustrated Discount Price List and Coloured Brochures on over 200 Models. CALLERS WELCOME! 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AL7 1LU Telephone (0707)331144 West Germany (D 604) British Birds VOLUME 79 NUMBER 2 FEBRUARY 1986 , ' • • • r ,/f , J / ,,, - -■ *'nv Rare breeding birds in the i\\ United Kingdom in 1 983 - Compiled by Robert Spencer and the Rare Breeding Birds Panel The typescript of a report on rare breeding birds in 1983 was completed as long ago as December 1984. It followed the pattern of its predeces- sors (e.g. that for 1982, Brit. Birds 78: 69-92) and could have been in print a few months later. Readers may be interested to know why this did not happen, for it could have a bearing on the presentation of future reports. If the system were working to perfection, some six to nine months after the end of each breeding season, there would pass into the Panel’s safe custody full details of every rare breeding bird in the United Kingdom. Some six months later, the Panel would publish a report which would give [Bril. Birds 79: 53-81. February 1986] 53 54 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 1983 readers all the information they needed to take an intelligent interest in the progress or decline of each species, and which would accomplish this without revealing information likely to be helpful to that small — but possibly growing — corps of people who put their selfish interests before the well-being of the birds. In reality, we all have our human imperfections so that the ideal is not achieved. We are, for example, still (in October 1985) awaiting 1983 data from some counties, and know that we have not yet got them because the people concerned carry heavy loads of voluntary ornithological duties. Whenever the records come, no matter how late, they are still invaluable from an archive point of view, so we shall be grateful for them. If, however, one is trying to monitor the annual breeding performance of our rarer and more vulnerable species (as our country' is required to do as a member of the EEC), long delays are, at best, frustrating, and at worst could prevent the recognition of a critical situation until it was too late to attempt any conservation measures. The main conservation reasons for collecting information on rare breed- ing birds on a national basis are: 1. Population changes can be identified and, if necessary', amendments made to legislation (e.g. adding species to Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act or to Annex 1 of the EEC Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds). 2. Changes in status can assist conservation bodies with determining priorities (e.g. reserve acquisitions) and also enable them to give helpful advice to other organisations and indi- viduals who similarly may need to determine priorities and action. 3. Changes in status can alert ornithological, conservation and research bodies to the need for detailed surveys, and ecological studies. 4. The NCC can assess, more accurately, the implications of granting licences for photo- graphy and scientific nest visits; it can also determine the need for regional considerations in this respect. Also, if site details are given: 5. Vulnerable sites can be identified where some form of nest protection might enhance the species’ chances of success; also, advice to landowners can be given in cases where damaging practices might destroy a nest. 6. SSSI and nature reserve boundaries and habitat management instructions might, as a result of the presence of a rare breeding bird, require modification. 7. New SSSIs can be considered, so enabling statutory measures to be introduced to protect the habitat (and thus the species). Whilst, to the best of our knowledge, the work of the Panel is not thought to be controversial, some observers and some recorders certainly regard the Panel’s published reports in a critical light. Over a period of more than 12 months during 1984 and 1985, we have been seeking the frank opinions of county recorders and now have many letters to guide us. It would be fair to claim that the majority believes that the Panel should be able to draw upon the data in the files for conservation purposes (the original aim was to set up an archive) and that the Panel’s published report is about right. A small minority, however, considers that the report has been unnecessarily secretive, whilst a rather larger number of county recorders (but still a minority) fears that it has revealed too much information. So, partly because it was too incomplete and partly in the hope that we might come up with something more widely acceptable, the draft report mentioned in the 55 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 1983 opening paragraph was scrapped. We need a format which contrives to reassure those who worn about security and yet is educational in the best sense of the word. To strike the right balance between these potentially conflicting requirements may prove impossible, but we have tried, and we hope that this revised version will be judged a step in the right direction. The reactions of county recorders and of readers will help to determine whether it is a once-onlv experiment or, broadly speaking, the basis of a pattern for several years to come. In our correspondence from recorders, some of the most thoughtful criticism has been directed towards our method of avoiding naming counties by giving them alphabetical letters. This, it has been argued, is a direct challenge to try to crack the code; and it may be that there is some truth in the claim, bearing in mind that over a thousand people took up the challenge of The ‘ British Birds' Mystery Photographs Book. True or not, in this report we have abandoned the system and have introduced in its place — after sounding opinion — an hierarchical structure: county, region, country and United Kingdom. We continue to name counties where we have been authorised by the relevant recorder to do so (although, in a few cases, we have been more cautious and opted for a region). A region, in this context, is a group of neighbouring counties (generally at least seven). It would have been possible to devise our own set of groupings, but it seemed sensible to make use of a pre-existing one, and we chose that drawn up in the 1960s by the European Committee for Bird Ringing. No grouping would be entirely free from objection, but we consider the Euring one well suited to our purpose. It is as follows: Northern Ireland Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry, Tyrone England, SW Avon, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Hampshire. Isle of Wight, Isles of Scilly, Somerset, Wiltshire England, SE Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Greater London, Hertford- shire, Kent, Middlesex, Oxfordshire, Surrey, Sussex (East and West). England, E Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire, Lincolnshire and South Humberside. Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Suffolk England, Central Derbyshire, Herefordshire. Leicestershire (with Rutland). Notting- hamshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire (West Midlands, in the new county structure), Worcestershire England, N Cheshire, Cleveland. Cumbria, Durham. Greater Manchester. Isle of Man. Lancashire, Merseyside, North Humberside, Tyne & Wear, Yorkshire (North. South and West) Wales All present-day counties (i.e. includes the former Monmouth) Scotland, S The former counties of Ayrshire. Berwickshire. Dumfriesshire. Kircudbright- shire, Lanarkshire, Lothian (East. Mid and West), Peeblesshire. Renfrewshire. Roxburgh- shire, Selkirkshire, Wigtownshire Scotland, Mid Aberdeenshire. Angus. Banffshire. Clackmannanshire, Dunbartonshire. Fife. Kincardineshire, Kinross. Moray, Nairn, Perthshire. Stirlingshire Scotland, N & W Argyllshire. Bute, Caithness. Inverness-shire, Orkney. Ross & Cromarty. Shetland, Sutherland, Western Isles (Outer Hebrides) In place of ‘County B\ for example, we might now write ‘England, SE'. meaning that the bird was somewhere in a block of 12 counties. In nearly all cases, the area of land specified will be so large as to thwart even the most dedicated sleuth, but we have the further options of simply saying 56 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 1983 ‘England’, ‘Scotland’, and so on, and it is just conceivable that for even greater security we might write ‘Great Britain’ or ‘United Kingdom'. The Panel’s previous reports have all listed named counties in alpha- betical order (a system adopted for most listings). Its disadvantage in this report is that it does not facilitate an appreciation of distribution. For example, under Hobby Falco subbuteo in our 1979 report appears the county sequence ‘Avon, Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Cambridgeshire, Devon, Dorset, Durham, East Sussex, Gloucestershire . . . so that the mind might just jump about in its attempt to visualise the distribution. We have in this 1983 report listed all counties by region, and the regions in the order shown above, but alphabetically within each region, for there appears to be no logical sequence of listing within regions which can be applied to all regions. A third change is the introduction of tabular presentation for a few species, such as Cetti’s Warbler Cettia cetti and Firecrest Regulus ignicapillus . The system is experimental, but could be developed further, both in the range of data presented and by extension to other of the more widespread rare breeding birds. Readers will note that for Marsh Circus aeruginosus and Montagu’s Harriers C. pygargus there is an acknowledgment of the valuable contribu- tion made by John Day. For some years, he has been making a detailed survey of the status of these species, corresponding in the process with all the relevant recorders, and often with observers. Since his information was in some cases more detailed than that available to us, we were grateful to receive draft summaries from him. The principle involved is not new, in that Humphrey Sitters has played a major role in piecing together the account of the decline of the Girl Bunting Emberiza cirlus , whilst Peter Davis of the Kite Committee has for many years passed us a comprehensive summary of the fortunes of the Red Kite Milvus milvus. We hope it may prove possible to establish similar ties with other workers specialising in species which seem not to be adequately covered by our standard reporting procedure. This report could not have been published without the skill and dedica- tion of the original observers, some of whom spent unnumbered hours in their efforts to prove breeding, obtain evidence of breeding success, and so on. Their contribution completed, it then fell to the county recorders to assemble, transcribe, and sometimes even confirm the data before passing them on to the Panel, and in an ornithologically rich county these tasks can be very considerable. The role of the Panel in the preparation of the report is that of midwife, helping the data into the light of day. To all who have helped, the Panel members express their sincere thanks, coupled with the hopes of continued and extended support. During 1983, the membership of the Panel was unchanged from 1982, being Dr L. A. Batten, R. H. Dennis, Ian Prestt, Dr J. T. R. Sharrock and Robert Spencer, who succeeded Dr Sharrock as Secretary in the autumn of the year. This report was compiled during the summer of 1985, in which year Richard Porter succeeded Ian Prestt on the Panel and was im- mediately much involved in the collecting of material and the presentation of this report. 57 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 1983 W hilst the work of the Panel is supported, both financially and in other respects, by the NCC, the RSPB, the BTO and British Birds , the Panel is autonomous. Its members are appointed as individuals, albeit with a knowledge of, but not directly responsible to, the sponsoring bodies. The year 1983 T he year was notable for the addition of two species to our list. The first was the Little Shearwater Pujfinus assimilis present in a Welsh colony of Manx Shearwaters P. pujfinus {Brit. Birds 79: 28-33). The second was the Parrot Crossbill Loxia pytyopsittacus, with two pairs in a northern county, the year before the well-publicised breeding in East Anglia. At this stage, it would be wrong to attach much importance to either event. Sporadic breeding attempts may have novelty value, but seldom contribute meaningfully to our avifauna. Of much greater significance are those species now declining after relative abundance and those whose small beginnings are apparently prospering. Of the former, the Wry neck Jynx torquilla and the Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio offer naught for our comfort, but such declines run counter to the general trend of survival and increase. Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis, Marsh and Montagu’s Harriers, Avocet Recun’irostra avosetta, Redwing Turdus iliacus, Cetti’s Warbler (despite recent setbacks due to cold winters) and Firecrest all seem to be buoyant or, at the very least, stable. Any reader looking back to our report for 1982 will find a considerable overlap in the list of prospering species then and now. and this lends support to the belief that there is sustained, if slow, increase. There are also slight indications that, after a long period of mere toe-hold presence, both the Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus and the Serin Serinus serinus may be becoming more surely established as breeding birds. What happens to them on our shores must be seen as part of the wider pattern of expansion and colonisation which they have been showing in northwestern Europe. Systematic list We have received no relevant 1983 Great Northern Diver Gavia immer Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus Purple Heron Ardea purpurea Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus ' Scaup Aylhya marila King Eider Somateria spectabilis Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis 'Smew Mergus albellus Rough-legged Buzzard Buteo lagopus ■ Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus Sanderling Calidris alba records for the following species: Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularia Turnstone Arenaria interpres Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus Bee-eater Merops apiaster Shore Lark Eremophila alpestris Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor Lapland Bunting Calcarius lapponicus 58 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 1983 Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena Two sites, involving three individuals. England, SE One site: one from 20th February to 12th November. Scotland, S One site: two, sometimes one, in breeding plumage and displaying on several dates between 17th April and 24th June. 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Sites 0 1 2 5 2 0 1 3 3 2 2 Pairs Individuals in 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 summer 0 1 2 5 2 0 1 4 2 2 3 The pair in Scotland may have left as a result of disturbance to the habitat. Slavonian Grebe Podiceps auritus 44 sites: 41-79 pairs breeding. England, N One site: pair in breeding plumage on 23rd April. Scotland, Mid Four sites. Perthshire Four sites: (l)-(4) singles at each on dates ranging between 28th March and 31st July, but possibly two individuals at one site on 4th June. Morayshire One site: three, possibly four, pairs, reared total of three broods. Scotland, N & W 38 sites. inverness-shire 38 sites: (l)-(38) total of 38-70 pairs, rearing total of 29-32 young. 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Sites 22 25 23 23 15 18 27 36 35 25 44 Pairs proved breeding 52 58 54 70 42 37 58 53 52 51 41 Pairs possibly breeding 53 63 66 75 51 55 77 80 71 59 79 Many of the pairs in the category ‘possibly breeding’ were in fact known not to have bred. The sharp increase in the number of sites arises chiefly from extra fieldwork in areas not hitherto covered. Amongst the reasons for failure, observers listed low water levels, sharply rising water levels, and an inflatable power-boat driven over a nest. Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis 18 sites: 1 1-29 pairs breeding. England, SE Three sites, involving two counties: (1) one in breeding plumage on 31st May; one, possibly the same, from 19th to 28th July; (2) single on 30th June; (3) single on 2nd July. England, E Six sites, involving two counties: (1) two, possibly a pair, arrived on 1st August and may have come from suitable site in vicinity, present daily until 19th August, when one left, second left 4th September, but two arrived on 9th September, remaining until at least 12th September; (2) pair on 20th May, three adults from 24th May to 2nd July, displaying, none subsequently; (3) pair displaying on 1 1th May; (4) pair displaying on 17th May; (5) one on 3rd July, possibly from site 2; (6) one on 6th July, also possibly from site 2. England, Central One site: pair present in May and often going into reeds, but not seen after site flooded by torrential rain on 1st June. England, N Five sites, involving two counties: (1) nine pairs reared total of 33 young; (2) pair on 13th June in breeding plumage, nest material being offered, copulated twice; (3) one in breeding plumage from 24th April to 23rd May; (4) pair moulting from summer to winter Rare breeding birds in the UK in 1983 59 plumage from 31st July to at least 7th August; (5) pair in winter plumage on numerous occasions until 2 1st December, when only one present. Elsewhere in England One site: two pairs, rearing broods of two and one. Wales One site: adult in breeding plumage from 1 1 th April to 2nd May. Scotland, Mid One site: three pairs, 13th April. 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Sites 424276697 12 18 Pairs proved breeding 18 15 2 10 II 13 12 11 5 11 11 Pairs possibly breeding 19 18 11 11 16 15 14 21 12 21 29 With 36 young known to have been reared, and substantial increases in both the number of sites and the number of individuals inv olved, it would appear that the population is in a healthier state than it has been for many years. Black-browed Albatross Diomedea melanophris One site: one summered with Gannets Sula bassana. Scotland, N 8c W One site. Shetland One site: adult in colony from 17th March to 16th September. This is the twelfth successive year that this individual has summered in this Gannet colony. Little Shearwater Pujfinus assimilis One site: one reported. Wales One site: female identified by call in colony of Manx Shearwaters Pujfinus pujfinus on 3rd May, but this ‘call-only’ record was not accepted by the Rarities Committee. 1981 Wales One site: male, first noted on 26th June, and visited the colony on most dark nights until 10th July, captured and ringed on 29th June, retrapped on 7thju!y. 1982 Wales One site: male (ringed in 1981) present in colony of Manx Shearwaters on 21st June and most nights until 25th July. There have been fewer than 60 occurrences of this species in British and Irish waters, none previously relating to individuals attending shearwater colonies, so the records listed here represent a most interesting development. For fuller details see British Birds (79: 28-33). Bittern Botaurus stellaris 15 sites: 36 or 37 booming males. England, SE and E 13 sites, of which ten were in Norfolk: (1) individual(s) present to 21st May, but no indication of breeding; (2) one present before and after the breeding season; (3) eight booming; (4) three booming; (5) two booming; (6)-( 13) singles booming. 1 England, N Two sites. LANCASHIRE Two sites: (1) 11, possibly 12, pairs present; (2) one booming. Information from one county in ‘England. SE and E' is incomplete. 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Sites 18 17 21 19 16 15 15 Pairs proved breeding 0 2 14 Booming males 43 47 51 48 47 35 36-37 It is difficult to obtain proof of breeding for this species. 60 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 1983 Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus Four sites: three feral or partly feral pairs, a possibly wild pair and one other individual. England, N One site. Lancashire One site: wild individual paired with one originating from the Wildfowl 7 rust collection at Martin Mere and reared one young. Scotland, Mid Three sites. Dunbartonshire One site: two feral pairs, both of which eventually deserted. Perthshire Two sites: (1) pair summered; (2) one with two Mute Swans Cygnus olor on 9th June. Black Duck Anas rubripes Two sites: female mated with male Mallard Anas platyrhynchos at one, and male mated with female Mallard at second. England, SW One site. scilly One site: female mated with male Mallard and produced three young; hybrids from former years are now merged with the Mallard population. Wales One site. gwynedd One site: male present all year and hybrids seen as follows: three on 3rd February, two on 30th March, three on 20th August, eight on 23rd September and five on 7th December. Pintail Anas acuta 20 sites: 12-26 pairs breeding. England, SW One site. Dorset One site: female with three young: the first breeding record for the county. England, SE T wo sites. Essex Two sites: ( 1 ) pair on 14th July with nine young about three weeks old; (2) single on 16th July. England, E Four sites. Cambridgeshire Two sites: two or three pairs possibly bred, but extensive flooding prevented close investigation. Norfolk One site: male on 18th May. Northamptonshire One site: pair on 4th May: third successive year that pair seen at the site. England, N Six sites. Cheshire One site: 13, including four adult males, on 10th June, and two males and four females on 25th June: one pair suspected of breeding. cumbria Five sites: (1) pair, with courtship display on 14th April, female carrying nesting material on 21st April, apparently sitting on 25th April, three two-week-old ducklings in the reeds on 1st July, but not identified specifically; (2) pair with 12 eggs in early June; (3) two immatureson 17th July; (4) female on 25th July; (5) pair on 1st May. Scotland, N & W Eight sites. inverness-shire One site: pair arrived on 3rd April, female agitated and protecting young on 3rd June. western isles One site: pair possibly bred. Orkney Six sites: ( 1 ) five females showing distraction display on 19th July; (2) nest with seven eggs in early June; (3) female with eight young on 10th May; (4) pair present in May and June; (5) female with seven young on 28th June; (6) pair possibly bred. 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Sites 3 7 1 1 10 15 10 19 15 lb 18 21 Pairs proved breeding 3 10 12 6 10 7 10 9 8 7 12 Pairs possibly breeding 5 1 1 25 16 26 23 41 25 31 32 26 Though small in numbers, the breeding population of this graceful duck is widely spread. 61 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 1983 Garganey Anas querquedula 57 sites: 14-64 pairs breeding. England, SW Three sites. avon One site: male present 16th May to 15th July, but no report of female. Cornwall One site: pair reared at least two young. devon One site: pair during 1st to 8th April, male on 17th April. England, SE 12 sites. Buckinghamshire 1 wo sites: (1) male on 2nd May, male and female on 15th June; (2) single male on 3rd and 14th June, then up to three in August and five in September, with one remaining to end of year. essex Four sites: ( 1 ) male on 15th J une; (2) male on 22nd May; (3) female on 4th June; (4) one on 25th June. Hertfordshire One site: pair on 26th and 27th March, pair on 26th May, male on 3 1st Mav, pair on 10th June. Kent Five sites: ( 1) four individuals including three males on 18th June, but no other records during period 17th May to 18th July; (2) present all summer and one pair bred; (3) present all summer and three pairs bred; (4) present from May to July, one pair rearing five young; (5) five pairs present, broods of three and lour seen in late July. England, E 27 sites. Cambridgeshire Four sites: (1) maximum count of 14 males on 18th May and a brood often seen on 23rd June, others may have nested; (2) maximum of three males and one female on 1 6th May, pair present until mid July and probably bred; (3) maximum of four males and one female in May and one male on 1st June; (4) up to two pairs in April and May. last individual on 8th July. 1'here may have been some interchange between sites 3 and 4. Huntingdonshire One site: pair present from 24th March to 13th April in suitable habitat, copulation observed, but did not breed at this site. Norfolk 16 sites: ( I )-( 16) one to five pairs reported from each, and two pairs known to have bred. Northamptonshire Five sites: (1) pair present during May; (2) pair present on 22nd April, female only on 23rd and 24th April; (3) one with damaged wing from 21st August to 23rd September; (4) male on 27th April; (5) pair present from 10th to 14th May and on 27th June, male and two females on 29th June, one to three individuals present on various dates between 25th July and 17th September. Suffolk One site: one or two pairs reared at least four young. England, Central Two sites. Leicestershire One site: pair reared two out of six young, this being the first breeding record for the county since 1947. NOTTINGHAMSHIRE One site: pair from 24th to 27th April and wandering males to 21st May. then a gap until reappearance on 30th July. England, N 13 sites. Cheshire Three sites: ( 1 ) male on 9th April and pair on 1 7th April; (2) pair on 4th April; (3) pair on 29th April, male on 12th May, subsequently two males in eclipse together w ith female and four juveniles. Cumbria Three sites: (1) female on 31st August; (2) pair from 29th July to 25th September; (3) female from 29th April to 3rd August. Lancashire Five sites; (1) pair from 22nd April to 7th May, male on 12th May, pair on 25th June, male or female on several dates in July; (2) one from 8th to 31st May; (3) pair from 12th March to 10th April; (4) pair on 1st June, male on 4th June; (5) pair from 22nd April joined by- second male from 2nd May to 22nd May. last seen on 25th May. Northumberland One site: pair reared young. Yorkshire One site: pair probably bred. 1980 1981 1982 1983 Sites 34 48 66 57 Pairs proved breeding 4 8 10 14 Pairs possibly breeding 54 58 94 64 Possibly an average year for this species, but a longer series of records will 62 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 1983 be needed before the 1983 data can be seen in true perspective. The importance of the southeastern half of England is clearly demonstrated. Common Scoter Melanitta nigra Six sites: 10-85 pairs breeding. Ireland, N One site. Fermanagh One site: maximum of 51 breeding pairs with minimum productivity of 45 young from nine broods. Scotland, Mid Three sites. dunbartonshire/stirungshire One site: census on 24th May indicated four pairs and an additional male, no reports of young received. Perthshire Two sites: ( 1 ) three pairs on 6th May, two pairs on 29th May, pair plus two males and three females on 18th June, female with one young on 20th July; (2) pair on 6th May. Scotland, N 8c W Two sites. inverness-shire Two sites: ( 1) 23 males and 2 females on 18th June, other females assumed to be on nests; (2) three pairs on nearby lochans on 18th June. 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Sites 13 13 12 14 13 9 17 10 6 17 6 Pairs proved breeding 4 10 32 22 24 16 98 7 5 14 10 Pairs possibly breeding 133 142 159 159 156 141 128 113 82 112 85 Annual variation in numbers probably tends to reflect variation in the degree of cover more than population fluctuations. Goldeneye Bucephala clangula 57 sites: 47-57 pairs bred. England, SE One site. essex One site: female on 1 7th June. England, N Five sites. Cumbria Five sites: (1) two immature males on 23rd May, female on 2nd June; (2) male on 10th June; (3) female on 10th May; (4) male on 16thjuly; (5) female on 17th May. Wales One site. gwynedd One site: female present up to 6th July. Scotland, S One site. borders One site: male on 14th June. Scotland, Mid Two sites. Perthshire Two sites: (1) two males and five immature females on 17thjune; (2) six adult and two immature males, two adult and three immature females on 18th June. Rare breeding birds in the UK in 1983 63 Scotland, N & W Eggs laid in 47 nests: 209 young hatched from 24 dutches, with good survival. 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Sites 1 5 3 8 12 18 17 1 1 13 1 1 1 1 Pairs proved breeding 3 3 3 5 6 12 22 26 29 27 47 Pairs possibly breeding 3 7 6 12 14 27 43 37 54 57 56 Young hatched 22 19 10 46 1 1 40 1 10 165 286 220 209 I he nests in ‘Scotland, N & W’ have arbitrarily been regarded as one rather than 47 sites: this does not necessarily imply nests in close proximity. 1 he standard warning must be given that the reporting of summering Goldeneyes, although a common practice in English and Welsh counties, is not undertaken systematically at the numerous potential sites in Scotland. Honey Buzzard Perms apivorus I wo sites: 0-2 pairs breeding. Great Britain 1 wo sites, two pairs: ( 1 ) pair summered; (2) pair present from second week ol May to 27th July was thought not to have bred. No information is available from a third locality, where the species is known to have bred in recent years. 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Sites 1 3 2 7 8 8 3 3 8 2 2 Pairs proved breeding 0 1 0 0 2 1 1 2 2 1 0 Pairs possibly breeding 1 3 2 7 8 8 3 4 9 2 2 A poor situation for the second consecutive year and one in which the warm dry weather might have been expected to benefit the species. Red Kite Milvus milvus 46 pairs, 33 breeding. 20 successful, rearing 24 voting. Wa les 46 pairs known; 24 young reared. Of the known pairs, 33 laid eggs. There were 20 successful nests, 16 with broods of one, and four with broods of two. Thirteen other pairs were located, of which 1 1 built or partly repaired nests, but did not lay. Two pairs apparently did not build. In addition, between 16and 20 unmated individuals were identified in April, giving a total adult population of 107 or more. Of the known failures, seven clutches failed to hatch after full-term incubation (an unusually high proportion), three nests lost young to natural causes, one clutch was deserted at the egg stage, and two nests failed about hatching time. One egg from a clutch of three w as apparently taken by an egg-collector. (The Panel is indebted to Peter Davis and the Kite Committee for this precise and detailed information.) 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Total pairs 26 32 32 36 34 39 42 42 46 47 46 Breeding pairs 26 27 28 29 28 32 30 29 32 38 33 Successful pairs 10 9 15 15 12 13 14 21 18 19 20 Young reared 14 12 24 18 17 22 18 27 21 23 24 64 Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus 29 sites: 7 1 young reared. England, SE F our sites: (1) pair bred successfully, fledging one young (two eggs failed); (2) female present throughout June; (3) female on 26th June; (4) one on 3rd July. England, E 22 sites. Norfolk and Suffolk 15 sites: ( 1 )-( 1 5) 26 females and 19 males (one trigamous and five bigamous) reared 67 young, reported brood sizes being three of one, three of two, four of three, six of four, and one of five. elsewhere Seven sites: (1) pair reared three young; (2) pair attempted breeding; (3)-(7) breeding season records, some suggesting continued presence, but no evidence of breeding. England, N One site: immature female on 11th April, immature male on 5th June and 1 1 th- 12th June. Wales Two sites: ( 1) two present regularly during March to May, male nearby on 17th and 26th July, breeding thought not impossible, but no evidence to suggest it; (2) single immature male at suitable breeding site on 1st April. The national totals of 28 nests and 71 young were the highest this century. Mean fledged brood size was 2.5, slightly better than the 2.38 in the period 1971-82. Three nests failed, two due to disturbance by human beings, the other to unknown causes. Twenty-five nests were in reedbeds, and three in arable crops. The latter three were all successful, offering hope that further expansion will not be halted by lack of large reedbeds. (The Panel gratefully acknowledges the important contribution of John Day in the preparation of this species report.) 65 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 1983 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Breeding males 1 2 5 4 5 11 13 14 11 16 17 19 21 Breeding females 1 3 6 5 7 11 15 14 16 20 20 24 28 Fledged young Mean fledged 2 8 17 7 18 27 44 36 38 44 48 59 71 young per nest 2.0 2.7 2.8 1.4 2.6 2.4 2.9 2.6 2.4 2.2 2.0 2.5 2.5 Montagu’s Harrier Circus pygargus England, SW, SE and E E ight sites: 6-10 pairs breeding. Six pairs attempted to breed, but three nests failed. Two failures occurred at the egg stage and the third when four young died in the nest. A combination of heavy rain, flattened crops and possibly predation seem to have caused the failures. The three other nests were successful, and broods of two, three and four were reared. At the second of these nests, the female disappeared, leaving four small young; three of them were successfully reared, with human help, from prey brought in by the male. (The Panel is grateful to John Day, who compiled these data.) Other records received suggest that a maximum of a further four pairs possibly bred. 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Sites 5 3 3 4 2 7 4 8 8 7 8 Pairs proved breeding 2 0 0 3 1 2 2 2 2 3 6 Pairs possibly breeding 5 3 3 5 2 7 4 8 9 8 10 Young reared (minimum) 0 0 0 6 0 3 7 4 4 4 9 The most successful breeding year since records were first compiled nationally by the Panel. Goshawk Accipiter gentilis 52 sites: 30-52 pairs breeding. England, SW 12 sites: ( 1 )-(6) total of six nests, from which a total of 14 young fledged; ( 7)-( 1 1 ) display observed; ( 12) single, judged to be female. England, Central Five sites: ( 1) pair breeding; (2)(3) single pairs in established sites: (4) pair displaying; (5) male on 23rd April in vicinity of former breeding site. England, N 23 sites: ( 1 )-( 1 7) single pairs known to have attempted breeding, but nine or ten of these were robbed, three or four deserted, and the female was shot at one; ( 18) ( 19) single pairs, but no report of nests being built; (20)-(23) singles in four localities, on 25th May, 8th June. 3rd July, and 28th-3 1st August. 1 Wales Seven sites: ( 1)(2) single pairs bred, fledging at least two young between them; (3) nest with eggshells beneath, located in winter; (4) pair heard in summer and nest found in following winter; (5) pair during breeding season; (6) (7) one or two individuals present in March and April. ' Scotland, S Three sites: ( 1 ) pair, seen together or singly, on five dates between 9th April and 22nd May, and soaring together on 26th November; (2) male soaring on 28th April; (3) pair soaring on 16th October. 'Scotland, N & W Two sites: ( 1 ) pair with two eggs, failed due to tree felling; (2) pair reared two young from three eggs. 1 1979 Wales One site: two fledged young seen, nest subsequently found. 1980 Wales One site: pair seen in spring and summer. 1981 Wales One site: pair seen in spring and summer. In all, the 30 pairs reported as attempting breeding in 1983 are known to have reared 24 young. 66 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 1983 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Counties 6 10 14 10 15 18 21 21 27 16 15 Sites 12 20 32 28 33 37 37 42 50 39 52 Pairs proved breeding 6 9 5 12 15 14.. 23 17 15 23 30 Pairs possibly breeding 12 21 34 28 37 40 44 49 52 41 52 The figures in the table suggest a gradual build-up in numbers, but this is partly attributable to increased fieldwork. With eggs or young taken from one-third of the nests, it is clear that human predation is the chiel factor limiting the increase and expansion of the population of this fine raptor. Osprey Pandion haliaetus 30 sites: 24 pairs reared 45 young. Three nests robbed by egg-collectors. Scotland, Mid One site. Perthshire Loch of Lowes: nest deserted for reasons unknown, and two chicks found dead in nest. A new pair subsequently took over the nest. Scotland, N 8c YV One site. inverness-shire Loch Garten: pair fledged two young from three eggs. Elsewhere in Scotland 28 pairs: 22 pairs laid eggs and there were 19 successful broods. Of the 20 broods fledging in Scotland, there were four of one, eight of two, and eight of three young. (All data compiled by Roy Dennis on behalfof the RSPB.) 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Pairs 16 14 14 14 20 22 25 25 25 30 30 Successful pairs 10 10 7 10 7 1 1 16 19 20 21 24 Young reared 21 20 16 20 13 19 30 41 42 45 45 Hobby Falco subbuteo 246 sites: 78-255 pairs, rearing at least 104 young. England, SW 34-91 pairs, rearing at least 38 young. avon Five sites: (1) many sightings, including one juvenile on 5th and 17th September; (2)-(5) singles on one or more dates. Devon One site: pair fledged two young. Information concerning remaining pairs withheld. Dorset 1 7 sites: ( 1 )-( 1 7) single pairs, of which 1 5 reared 24 young; one nest robbed, possibly two. Hampshire 42 sites: (l)-(l 1) single pairs proved to have bred, the only reported brood sizes being one of two and one of three; (12)-(32) total of 21 single pairs probably breeding; (33)-(42) presence in breeding season. somerset Seven sites: (1) pair bred, but outcome unknown; (2) pair seen on many dates; (3)-(7) records of one, occasionally two, on one or more dates, three of which might possibly indicate attempted breeding. Wiltshire Sixteen sites: ( 1 ) pair reared two young; (2) adult and two juveniles seen; (3) pair at nest; (4) pairwith onejuvenile; (5) (6) single pairs; (7)(8) regular sightings, but known site at 8 apparently not occupied; (9)-(16) single adults seen in suitable habitat during the breeding season, but no indication that pair present. England, SE .37-78 pairs, rearing at least 53 young. Bedfordshire One site: pair reared one young. Berkshire Five sites: ( 1 )-(3) singles on two to five occasions; (4) (5) single individuals carrying prey, on 12th and 29th July respectively. Buckinghamshire 17 sites: (l)-(8) eight single pairs bred successfully, broods of one, two and three being ringed and fledged young seen at five other nests; (9)-( 1 7) breeding regarded as probable; (18)-(26) casual sightings, sometimes on more than one date, during the breeding season. 67 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 1983 Essex I wo sites: ( 1 ) (2) single pairs, each rearing two young. Hertfordshire 14 sites: (1) pair with two well-grown young; (2) pair with fledged young; (3) adult carrying food in late August; (4)-(8) singles seen on several dates or two birds together, but no evidence ol breeding; (9)-( 14) singles seen only once, on dates in June and July. Kent I hree sites: ( 1 ) pair from May to August and said to have bred; (2) pair in May and June; (3) one individual from April tojuly. surrey 20 sites: ( 1 ) nest with four young, of which at least two fledged; (2) nest with four eggs Irom which at least two young fledged; (3) nest with three young, all of which fledged; (4) nest from which three young fledged; (5) (6) nests with three young each, of which some fledged; (7) nest with three eggs from which two young fledged; (8)-(l 1) nests with two young each, of which some fledged; ( 1 2) ( 1 3) nests with three eggs, each fledging one young; (14) nest from which at least one young fledged; (15) nest with one egg, producing fledged young; (16) (17) individuals seen and heard calling on more than one occasion in circumstances which implied breeding; ( 1 8) ( 1 9) individuals on more than one occasion in traditional breeding areas; (20) individual in possible breeding area. Sussex Seven sites: ( 1 )-(7) seven single pairs reared total of 11-13 young. England, E 4-66 pairs, rearing at least nine young. Cambridgeshire 19 sites: (1) single adults seen on several dates in spring and summer and one juvenile on 8th August: several potential breeding sites in the vicinity; (2)-( 19) recorded at 68 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 1983 about 1 8 sites (although late August and September records, including a pair with three young on 15th September, assumed to relate to passage). Huntingdonshire One site: single(s) seen on eight dates between 2 1 st April and 28th August. lincolnshire/south humberside Two sites: (1) single(s) seen fairly regularly from 17th June to 29th July and again from 16th to 21st September; (2) adult and juvenile hunting together on 7 th September. Northamptonshire 27 sites: ( 1 ) pair fledged three young; (2) pair fledged at least two young; (3) pair fledged three young; (4) pair fledged one young; (5)-(7) immatures seen in September; (8)-( 1 1 ) pairs present; ( 1 2)-(27) singles during summer. England, Central 3-19 pairs, rearing at least four young. Derbyshire One site: pair from 30th April to September. Herefordshire One site: single in August. Leicestershire Three sites: ( 1 ) (2) single pairs each reared two young; (3) pair with nest and young. Nottinghamshire Seven sites: ( 1 )-(3) regular presence, usually of one individual, but pairs twice; (4)-(7) singles in mid summer. (In addition, singles reported on 23 occasions from July onwards, at 1 1 different localities.) Staffordshire Three localities: 36 casual sightings, but mostly clustered in three main areas; thought likely that one or two pairs breeding. Warwickshire One site: pair reared two young at regular site. Worcestershire One site: ( 1 ) pair presumably bred as four present in vicinity of traditional nest site in late August; (2)-(4) several (counted as three) casual sightings elsewhere, and presence of second pair thought likely. Wales One site: no evidence of breeding. gwent One site: pair seen regularly over period of two months. 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Pairs proved breeding 24 47 38 59 51 70 80 64 51 97 78 Pairs possibly breeding 65 96 133 143 1 19 156 132 155 160 202 255 Young reared (minimum) 24 51 42 69 78 96 72 86 89 63 104 The increases apparently result from much assiduous fieldwork rather than a population increase. Even so, several recorders expressed the opinion that the numbers they were reporting were probably too low. Spotted Crake Porzana porzana Six sites: 1-12 pairs breeding. England, SE Two sites: ( 1 ) up to three calling from 25th April to 8th May; (2) three pairs, one of which reared at least three young. 69 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 1983 England, E Four sites: ( I ) individual (s) heard from 1 2th to 22nd April and on 22nd June and 6th August (the paucity of calls was assumed by the recorders to suggest that breeding was unlikely); (2) one or two calling nightly from 15th April to 6th May and occasionally to end of May, one calling 14th June; (3) two calling on 10th and 1 1th June; (4) one calling from 16th to 23rd April. 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Counties 04013621313 Sites 0 4024643426 Singing males 0 502768493 12 A slight improvement on the position in 1982, but the table reveals that the numbers reported tend to fluctuate from year to year. Black- winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus One site: 1 pair breeding. England, E One site. Cambridgeshire One site: one pair laid four eggs on a flooded arable field. The field dried out rapidly, despite attempts to pump water onto it, and the eggs were taken by a predator on the night of 14th June, probably by a fox Vulpes vulpes. This was the first attempted breeding in Britain since 1945. Avocet Recun’irostra avosetta Nine sites: 238 pairs reared 192-197 young. England, SE and E Nine sites. As usual, key ones were Havergate Island, where about 126 pairs built 215 nests and eventually fledged 57 young from 34 broods, and Minsmere, where 69 or more pairs fledged 1 1 1 young from 50 broods. 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Sites 4 4 6 Breeding pairs (minima) 149 125 158 Young reared (minima) 115 64 142 5 6 3 3 5 5 9 9 151 146 145 147 168 201 190 238 68 14 92 99 101 155 150 192 The most successful year to date, continuing the long-term upward trend. At the same time, the pro- ductivity figures from the somewhat controlled habitat on Havergate serve to emphasise the uncertainties of breeding. / \ , 70 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 1983 Stone-curlew Burhinus oedicnemus 36 sites: 20-67 pairs breeding. England, SW 15 sites: ( 1 )-( 1 5) total of 12-28 pairs breeding, but only seven young known. Detailed reports from one county highlight the difficulties of successful breeding, as follows. Twelve sites: ( 1 ) one individual for four days in early April, not seen on subsequent visits; (2) five pairs present during the season: only pair watched closely hatched two chicks which were lost; second clutch successfully incubated, but these chicks also thought to have been lost; for four other pairs, only one chick seen; (3) pair in April; (4) three pairs during breeding season; two of them hatched young, which disappeared; (5) two pairs present in late April; (6) pair located on 25th April, but field cultivated two days later; (7) two pairs; (8) single individual seen frequently; (9) singles seen on 23rd April and 24th July; (10) eggs being incubated on 23rd May, but no Stone-curlews seen in area on 30th May; (11) single feeding on several dates between 15th June and 27th July; two calling nearby at night thought to include this one; (12) pair reared three young. England, SE Six sites: total of 4-6 breeding pairs, but only two young known. England, E 15 sites: ( 1 )-( 1 5) total of 4-33 pairs breeding, but no reports of breeding success. 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Pairs proved breeding 26 28 47 16 4 20 34 8 10 8 20 Pairs possibly breeding 90 67 72 109 27 34 81 45 53 67 67 The Stone-curlew is not an easy species to monitor, especially for breeding success, and the Panel is very appreciative of the detailed information submitted. The record is, however, believed to be incomplete, and observers with additional information are urged to submit it in the interests of compiling a reliable national status report of this threatened species. Dotterel Charadrius morinellus Incomplete data. England Two sites: ( 1 ) male with two chicks about ten days old on 7th July, and another male with three well-grown chicks on 7th July; (2) male on 17th July. Scotland Report received from one region only, but this mentioned three pairs with young, a male with three eggs, and 31 young or juveniles in the company of 22 adults. The above information is rather fuller than that which the Panel was able to publish in the 1982 report, and we are grateful for the co-operation received. It is, however, obvious that many more data need to be brought together before there can be a realistic assessment of the breeding population of this species. Temminck’s Stint Calidris temminckii One site: 0-2 pairs breeding. Scotland, N One site: up to four adults on dates between 17th May and 26th June, with display indicative of possible breeding. 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Sites 1 2 1 2 3 3 4 5 1 3 1 Pairs proved breeding 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 1 0 1 0 Pairs possibly breeding 2 3 2 4 5 6 6 6 1 3 2 71 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 1983 I here is no reason to suppose that there has been any significant change in status in recent years. Purple Sandpiper Calidris maritime One site: 0-1 pair breeding. Scotland, Mid and N One site: one adult on various dates between 13th May and 17th June; no evidence suggestive of breeding. I he site was the one where breeding occurred in 1978, 1979, 1980 and 1982, but not, apparently, in 1981. Thus, the absence of evidence of a pair may not be very significant. Broad-billed Sandpiper Limicola Jalcinellus One site: 0-1 pair breeding. Scotland ( )ne site: pair from 8th to 14th J une. Frequent song-flighting bv the male, and on one occasion one settled into a depression in short turf, making shuffling movements as though creating a scrape. Only one from 15th to 20th June and from 29th J une to 4th Julv. Not thought to have bred. Even on its north Scandinavian breeding grounds, the Broad-billed Sandpiper is nowhere common, and there were only 58 records of the sj>ecies in Britain and Ireland in the 26 years since the establishment of the British Birds Rarities Committee. Ruff Philornachus pugnax Six sites: two to seven females breeding. England, SE One site: single on 18th June and male on 1st July. England, E Two sites: ( 1 ) male and female on 12th and 15th June, then up to ten males lekking strongly before two females, then no females observed from 28th June to 26th July : nesting could have taken place, but there was no evidence of it; (2) single male on three dates in May and June. England, N Three sites: ( 1 ) five males at lek, two females bred, probably a third and possibly a fourth; (2) three males lekking on 15th May and six on 5th July; (3) nine males and one female on 8th May, up to three males later in May and in June, and up to 20 females later in May. 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Sites 2 2 5 6 6 4 12 10 10 13 6 Nests Max. no. females 0 2 2 4 0 0 3 3 0 1 2 possibly nesting 8 12 27 17 16 4 22 13 13 23 32 With numbers so given to fluctuations, there is still no real evidence of any long-term trend. Black-tailed God wit Limosa limosa Ten sites: 32-44 pairs breeding. England, SW One site: 1-2 pairs breeding. somerset One site: two pairs, one known to have hatched chicks, which believed to have died during thunder-storm. England, SE Two sites: 1-6 pairs breeding. ESSEX One site: three in suitable habitat on 16th June. rent One site: three pairs present of which one seen with young, second may have bred and third apparently non-breeding. England, E Five sites: 27-33 pairs breeding. CAMBRIDGESHIRE Three sites: (1)11 pairs, but fhxxflng forced them to nest on arable land: 72 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 1983 apparently only one pair successful, rearing four young; (2) 14 pairs, nine known to have reared young; (3) pair and third individual in early May, only one by 22nd. Norfolk One site: six pairs summered, two on ‘washland which lost nests to floods, and four on arable land, for which outcome unknown. Suffolk One site: pair reared two young. England, N One site: two pairs heard calling to chicks. Scotland, N 8c W One site. Shetland One site: pair reared at least one chick. 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Sites 9 12 10 13 11 13 13 11 5 13 10 Pairs proved breeding 55 51 63 72 37 50 39 52 22 38 32 Pairs possibly breeding 61 58 71 87 70 68 64 77 26 69 44 A poor season for this species, although not so bad as 1981. Severe flooding in East Anglia evidently affected breeding numbers and success. Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola Three sites: 1-5 pairs breeding. Scotland, N Three sites. inverness-shire Two sites: (1) displaying from 8th May, three pairs found, at least one of which bred successfully; (2) song on 1 7th May, two individuals in early June, one staying until 6th July, ‘dropped’ egg found on 2nd July, but no young seen. ross-shire One site: two individuals, one of them displaying, on 6th June at site occupied in previous years. 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Sites 534534734143 Pairs proved breeding 501212427131 Pairs possibly breeding ’ 835635 10 4 12 165 The breeding population of this migrant wader remains very small and there is no means of knowing to what extent it is self sustaining. Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus Four sites: 18-26 pairs breeding. Scotland, N & W Four sites in three counties: ( 1 )-(4) thought that total of not fewer than 18 males attempted incubation and that at least 15 broods hatched. These figures are more complete than the ones we have been able to publish in recent years. Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus Six sites: 2-8 pairs breeding. England, SW and SE Six sites: ( 1 )-(6) two pairs certainly attempted breeding and another two probably did, but only one young known to have been reared. The fact that some of the pairs were adult X adult and others adult X second-summer reduced the likelihood ofduplication in counting mobile pairs. Rare breeding birds in the UK in 1983 73 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Sites 0 0 0 1 2 1 3 5 4 2 6 Pairs proved breeding 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 1 3 2 2 Max. no. of pairs/singles 0 0 0 1 2 1 3 5 6 3 8 The best year yet for the species, but it is still dogged by poor breeding success. Little Gull Larus minutus One site: summering only. England One site: one to four individuals on various dates between 24th April and 14th June at same site as in 1982. 1982 England One site: three individuals summered at site thought to be suitable for breeding. Black Tern Chlidonias niger One site: adult with juveniles. England, E One site: adult on 26th July with three very young juveniles. As there was much calling between the adult and juveniles, the party keeping in fairly close contact, it was judged probable that they were of fairly local origin. This is the first record reported to the Panel since 1978. Snowy Owl Nyctea scandiaca Three sites: no males, but female laid infertile egg. Scotland, N 8c W Three sites: ( 1 ) on Fetlar, one of three females which overwintered became difficult to find in late May, then scrape with one egg on 5th June, egg broken on 6th; (2) (3) one or two females in breeding season, thought to be wanderers from Fetlar. Hoopoe Upupa epops One site: 1 pair breeding. England, SW One site: pair entering suitable nest-hole for seven weeks during summer, but no evidence of successful breeding. Possible breeding attempts occur in Britain less than annually. WryneckjbTw torquilla. Five sites: 0-6 pairs breeding. England, SE One site. Buckinghamshire One site: single on 9th June, about P/2 km away from 29th to 31st August (and said to have been seen also in early August). England, N Two sites. Cumbria One site: male on 2nd June. Yorkshire, west One site: single mist-netted on 10th May had good incubation patch with numerous blood vessels and swollen cloacal region. Scotland, N & W Two sites. Inverness-shire One site: pair in tree with male singing and presumed female associating, second male singing nearby, but no second female seen. SUTHERLAND One site: single singing repeatedly in early mornings of 1 9th. 20th and 24th June. 74 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 1983 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Sites 3 6 10 7 17 22 7 1 1 2 9 5 Pairs proved breeding 2 1 3 1 7 4 1 1 0 0 0 Pairs possibly breeding 3 6 10 7 19 23 9 14 2 10 6 There has been little in recent years to suggest that any significant recolonisation is taking place. Most of the reports probably relate to displaced or delayed migrants. Bluethroat Luscinia svecica One site: 0-1 pair breeding. England, SW One site: female on 19th-20th May and 1st June, in not unsuitable habitat, but no evidence of breeding. Fieldfare Turdus pilaris Nine sites: 3-1 1 pairs breeding. England, N One site. Yorkshire, west One site: adult and two juveniles feeding with small flock of Mistle Thrushes Turdus viscivorus on 12th August, adult and at least two juveniles on 14th August, two juveniles feeding with Mistle Thrushes on 20th August. Scotland, S T wo sites. east lothian Two sites: ( 1 ) agitated adult on 22nd April; (2) moulting adult in Mistle Thrush flock on 27th July about 4V2 km from site 1 . Scotland, Mid Three sites. Perthshire Three sites: (1) single on 2nd June; (2) flock ofl5on 12th August; (3) flock of five on 26th August. Scotland, N & W Four sites. Sutherland (1) single singing on 29th May; (2) pair carrying food on 2nd June. Shetland (1) pair reared two young; (2) two individuals holding territory. 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Sites 3 8 10 1 1 6 3 6 5 6 7 9 Pairs proved breeding 2 3 2 3 4 1 1 1 0 2 3 Pairs possibly breeding 3 7 10 12 6 4 6 5 6 7 11 The association with Mistle Thrushes, reported from two counties, is interesting and may be worth following up in future seasons. Redwing Turdus iliacus 65 sites: 1 7-68 pairs breeding. England, N Three sites. Cheshire One site: two calling in wood on 3rd May. cumbria One site: one freshly dead on 19th July. Lancashire One site: male in song on 3rd May. Scotland, N 8c W 62 sites. ross-shire/inverness-shire 47 sites: ( I )-(47) single pairs or singing males, three pairs known to have bred successfully. Shetland One site: pair nested and three eggs laid, but deserted. Sutherland 14 sites: ( 1 ) at least three pairs with fledged young on 1st May, then successive broods until 7th July; (2) three on 22nd April, all at some stage singing and engaging in 75 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 1983 territorial conflict; (3) single singing on 2‘2nd April; (4) pair, first seen on 24th April, carrying lood on 29th May; (3) (6) pair at each site, first seen on 29th April and carrying food on 16th June; (7) two pairs carrying food from 26th May to 11 th June; (8) pair with young in nest and others just fledged; (9) pair carrying food on 10th May; (10) pair carry ing food on 1 1th June; ( 1 1 ) at least two singing from 13th May to 4th June; (12) pair carrying food on 26th May; (13) single(s) singing on 7th and 16th June; (14) pair carry ing food on 24th June. 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Sites 12 28 25 10 10 12 6 18 6 42 65 Pairs proved breeding 12 5 4 13 33 2 3 2 7 4 30 17 Pairs possibly breeding 42 13 28 53 15 16 17 9 32 11 62 68 Another good year, but it is clear that the figures, especially for pairs proved breeding, are greatly influenced by the amount of fieldwork devoted to searching for the species. Cetti’s Warbler Cettia cetti 72 sites: 90-266 pairs breeding. England, SW 43 sites: 72-151 pairs breeding. Breeding Breeding Breeding County Sites proved probable possible Cornwall 9 2 3 12 Devon 9 30 35 45 Dorset 9 35 35 62 Hampshire 13 5 5 28 Isle of Wight 1 0 1 1 Somerset 2 0 3 3 England, SE Seven sites: 6-52 pairs breeding. Breeding Breeding Breeding County Sites proved probable possible Berkshire 1 0 0 1 Essex 1 1 1 1 Kent 4 4 49 49 Middlesex 1 1 1 1 England, E 22 sites: 12-63 pairs breeding. Breeding Breeding Breeding County Sites proved probable possible Cambridgeshire 3 1 1 5 Norfolk 18 0 0 47 Suffolk 1 11 11 11 Note that in the above tables (as always in our reports) the figures for ‘probable breeding’ include those pairs proved to breed, and the figures for ‘possible breeding’ include both the proved and the probable. Breeding is often difficult to prove and, particularly bearing in mind that the species is frequently polygamous, the figure for the number of possible breeders is perhaps the best indication of population size. Breeding success is difficult to estimate, but figures are available for two 76 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 1983 study areas in Dorset. At one, a population comprising 12 males and 23 females fledged seven young trom first broods and 35 trom second broods. In the second study, seven males and nine females fledged at least 20 young. The concept of ‘sites’ is not always easy to apply, particularly when there is extended linear distribution along a river valley. Whilst the stronghold of the species in the early years of colonisation was undoubtedly Kent, it seems clear that it is now in the southwest of England and, save in East Anglia, there is little evidence of a northerly extension ol range. 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Counties 2 3 3 8 10 14 14 1 1 16 12 12 Pairs proved breeding 1 5 8 8 13 30 46 19 56 29 90 Pairs possibly breeding 14 16 75 80 153 174 163 198 162 202 226 Savi’s Warbler Locus tella luscinioides 1 1 sites: 1-16 pairs breeding. England, SW T wo sites: (1) single male(s) singing on 29th April and 4th May; (2) singing male from 1 1 th June to at least 3rd J uly . England, SE F our sites: (1) one singing from 16th to 23rd May; (2) three territories, one of a pair which reared young, one of a probable pair, and one possibly occupied only by a male; (3) singing male from May to July; (4) singing male. England, E Five sites: (1) singing male from 28th April to 23rd May; (2) three singing males; (3) two singing males; (4) (5) single singing males. 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Sites 4 5 3 8 13 15 15 14 8 1 1 11 Pairs proved breeding 0 1 1 0 3 4 6 2 5 0 1 Pairs possibly breeding 13 8 3 9 26 28 30 29 15 18 16 A number of the singing males were considered to have been lone individuals. Marsh Warbler Acrocephalus palustris 24 sites: 2-53 pairs breeding. England, SW Four sites: one pair proved breeding. Dorset One site: one singing on 8th June. Hampshire One site: one singing on 21st May. isle of wight One site: one singing strongly on 3rd July and on several subsequent dates until 20th July. Wiltshire One site: adult seen with newly fledged young, but dale not reported to recorder. England, SE One site. essex One site: one singing from 3rd to 12th June. England, E Three sites: one pair proved breeding. Cambridgeshire One site: one singing on 7th June. Rare breeding birds in the UK in 1983 77 Huntingdonshire One site: pair present from 20ih May, with nest building from 15th June and two young fledged on 22nd July; a second singing from 18th May to 15th June. lincolnshire/south Humberside One site: one singing from 4th to 10th June. England, Central 16 sites. Worcestershire 16 sites: ( 1 )-( 1 6) total of 13 pairs regarded as probabk breeding, plus 31 singing males. 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Sites 96356 15 15 8388 Pairs proved breeding 50002412022 Pairs possibly breeding 15 7 5 5 11 15 23 12 3 9 9 As in the report for 1982, the above table omits all records from the Worcestershire stronghold of the species, but they are included in the brief summary of status at the head of the section. Icterine Warbler Hippolais icterina Two sites. England, SE I wo sites: possibly 19 individuals. rent Two sites: ( 1 ) male in sub-song on 6th May and at least ten individuals, several of them immature, between 9th August and 26th September; (2) one singing on 18th June and later about seven individuals, mostly immatures, some occurring as early as 4th August. Spring reports of Icterine Warblers are not uncommon in Scotland (there were five in 1983), and all probably relate to overshooting migrants. The Kent records are published here because there has been a large increase in the number of spring and autumn records of the species in the county, and they come from near to the established breeding range of the species. Dartford Warbler Sylvia undata 25 sites: 14-148 pairs or singing males. England, SW 2 1 sites. Cornwall Eight sites: ( 1 )-( 5) total of at least three and possibly five pairs, at least seven juveniles; (6)-(8) apparently single males. Devon One site: pair reared three young. DORSET Four sites: ( I )-(4) remarkable increase to total of 60 or more pairs compared with 28 in 1982. In one study area with ten or 11 pairs, productivity averaged rather more than one brood per pair. Dispersing singles noted in various localities outside breeding season. Hampshire Five sites: ( l)-(5) estimated total of 43 pairs. isle of wight Three sites: (1) two, probably both males: (21(3) singles. England, SE F our sites. SURREY ( 1 )-(4) total of at least 32 pairs or singing males. At three other sites w hich have held up to tw'O pairs in recent \ ears there were no indications of breeding, and a further two similar sites were not checked. There are too many areas of uncertainty, as for example in the New Forest, for the national total to be more than an estimated minimum number of males, but it would appear that the losses caused by severe weather in winter 1981/82 were largely made good in some areas. A singing male at St Abbs, Borders, on 18th May was the first record for Scotland. 78 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 1983 Firecrest Regulus ignicapillus 66 sites: 5-161 pairs breeding. England, SW 24 sites: 1-44 pairs breeding. County Sites Breeding proved Breeding probable Breeding possible Dorset 2 0 0 2 Gloucestershire 2 0 0 13 Hampshire 19 0 28 28 Wiltshire 1 1 1 1 The Dorset birds were considered to be transients; the remainder were probably potential breeding birds. The Wiltshire pair was feeding four young on first breeding record for the county. England, SE 36 sites: 3-1 10 pairs breeding. Breeding 18th July, this constituting the Breeding Breeding County Sites proved probable possible Berkshire 12 0 0 16 Buckinghamshire 5 1 16 20 Essex 1 0 0 1 Kent 5 0 54 56 Surrey 12 2 12 16 Sussex 1 0 0 1 England, E One site. Northamptonshire One site: pair, only on 29th May. England, N Three sites. Cheshire Three sites: ( 1 )-(3) singles singing, two of which were thought to be transients. Wales Two sites: 1-3 pairs breeding. gwent One site: male displaying to Goldcrest R. regulus on 13th June at site where breeding has occurred in previous years. powys One site: two pairs, of which one fledged four young and second probably bred. 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Sites 5 13 32 15 12 7 25 30 35 21 66 Pairs proved breeding 2 1 4 4 2 1 9 7 15 4 5 Pairs possibly breeding 18 37 123 28 31 11 73 78 102 44 161 The table shows that the species tends to show large year-to-year changes, so the high levels of 1983 will perhaps not be sustained. There does seem to have been a shift in the centre of gravity of the population from the Southwest (the original area of colonisation) to the Southeast. 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(BB547) Please use the British BirdShop order form. xii 79 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 1983 Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus 1 1 sites: 1-11 pairs breeding. England, SE Seven sites: (1) male on 5th June; (2) singing male from 19th to 23rd June; (3) singing male on 4th J une; (4) pair on 31st May; (5) singing male on 5th June; (6) singing male on 21st May; (7) singing male on 30th May. England, E Four sites: (1) pair bred; (2) male singing on 31st July near suitable nesting habitat; (3) male on 2nd June; (4) pair possibly bred. 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Sites 2 3 4 11 16 14 17 17 13 12 11 Pairs proved breeding Pairs possibly 12 2 7 6 7 3 2 4 3 1 breeding 8 4 7 23 21 28 30 28 26 21 1 1 It should be noted that information has not been received from one normally im portant county, so it is probable that the position was actually much the same as in 1982. Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio Six sites: 5-6 pairs breeding. England, SW One site: female on 8th June. England, E Five sites: ( 1 )-(5) single pairs bred, inc hiding one known to have reared three young. 198 1 Wales One site: pair laid six eggs, and young fledged successfully. 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Counties 8 8 7 5 13 1 1 10 5 6 2 2 Pairs proved breeding Pairs possibly 30 30 51 3 48 13 14 23 11 5 5 breeding 48 52 56 25 64 37 52 31 40 8 6 If all records have been submitted (and there is reason to doubt this), the Red-backed Shrike is rapidly approaching extinction as a breeding species in Britain. Brambling Fringilla montifringilla Four sites: 1-4 pairs breeding. England, N One site. Derbyshire One site: male singing from 18th to at least 30th June, seen to chase male Chaffinch F. coelebs and visited branches where there was nest belonging to female Chaffinch. Scotland, N & W Three sites: (1) pair bred, two young on 19th July: (2) on 23rd June, male ‘wheezing’ frequently, fed chicks in nest which was also attended by male and female Chaffinches, young in nest thought to be pure-bred Chaffinches, although birchwood site was more characteristic of Bramblings; (3) male singing in open birch wood on 17th June. 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Sites 1 0 0 0 2 2 3 3 1 10 4 Pairs proved breeding 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 1 Pairs possiblv breeding 1 0 0 0 3 2 4 4 1 10 4 80 Rare breeding birds in the UK in 1983 Serin Serinus serinus Six sites: 2-6 pairs breeding. England, SW Four sites. Devon Three sites: (1) male singing on five dates between 28th March and 12th May, with display in mid April; (2) immature on 28th September; (3) present from 8th April to 23rd August, with maximum of three singing males and two females, two pairs bred and reared at least six young from three broods. Dorset One site: juvenile trapped on 13th July. England, SE One site. rent One site: male on 24th April, two males on 25th April, joined by female on 26th, two females on 27th, pair on 6th May, female on 8th May, and male on 3rd June. England, E One site. Norfolk One site: singing male on 3rd June. 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Sites 0 0 0 20401356 Pairs proved breeding 00000100212 Pairs possibly breeding ' 00020401676 The population appears to be increasing, if very slowly, and the presence of juveniles in two localities leaves open the possibility that pairs may be breeding undetected. Parrot Crossbill Loxia pytyopsittacus One site: 2 pairs breeding. England, N One site: two pairs attempted breeding. Male singing on 27th February near where a female was seen building nest on 1 3th March; not seen at site thereafter, although pair fed nearby on 2nd April. Male of second pair also singing on 27th February at site where his female was found building on 2nd April, nest completed by 9th April and female seen sitting on 23rd April, with male in territory; on 5th May, nest found destroyed, apparently by predator. The Parrot Crossbill is a scarce vagrant to Britain and this constitutes the first known breeding attempt. The birds involved were part of an influx which occurred in the middle of October 1982 (Brit. Birds 78: 482-505). Scarlet Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus One site: 0-1 pair breeding. Scotland, N & W One site: red-headed male sang intermittently for half an hour on 2nd June, in habitat with birch scrub, field and gardens. Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis Incomplete data. Scotland Presumably the normal population was present, but the only report received bv the Panel was of a singing male on a boulder field in Perthshire on 16th July. Cirl Bunting Emberiza cirlus 143 sites: 37-145 pairs breeding. England, SW 142 sites. Cornwall Six sites: (l)-(4) single males; (5) pair, but no evidence of breeding; (6) a female with young. Rare breeding birds in the UK in 1983 81 Devon 130 sites: ( 1 )-( 1 30) total ol 35 pairs proved breeding and a further 99 pairs possibly bred. No apparent change in numbers since the thorough survey in 1982. HAMPSHIRE One site: male from 27th March to 8th May. somerset Five sites: (1) pair carrying food in July; (2) two pairs; (3) pair; (4) two singing males; (5) singing male. England, SE One site. Buckinghamshire One site: singing male on 16th April. The figures are slightly down on those lor 1982, but this may be because there was a special survey in that year rather than any real decline in n umbers. Rare Breeding Birds Panel, Iredale Place Cottage, Loweswater, Cockermouth, ^rDfiitp-fiur prats; ago... ‘AMERICAN WATER-PIPIT AT ST. KILDA. Mr. W. Eagle Clarke announces (Ann. S.N.H., 191 1 . p. 52) that during his visit to St. Kilda in the autumn of 1910 (September 1st to October 8th) he “met with quite unlooked-for success.” Fifty-four species on passage came under his notice, and of these thirty-five were new to the av ifauna of the island. Among them was an example of the American Water-Pipit (Anthus spinoletta rubescens), which Mr. Clarke pronounces to be new to the British list.’ (Bril. Birds 4: 285, February 1911) Mystery photographs "l "i /\ No prizes for identifying last month’s mystery bird as a species of X X vr snipe: the dumpy shape, long bill and clearly striped head and upperparts made this easy. Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus is immediately ruled out because the bill is far too large and the flanks are barred (not streaked), which narrows the field to the four species of Gallinago on the West Palearctic list. Basically, it looks like a Snipe G. gallinago; it does, however, seem a little on the plump and stocky side, and the bill appears to be not quite so long as we would expect from Snipe. Perhaps it is a Great Snipe G. media ? Closer examination, however, reveals the flank-barring breaking up into spots towards the belly and on the breast, unlike the strong chevrons of Great, or, indeed, of Snipe. Also, the basal one-third of the bill is rather too slim and the whole bill too long for Great Snipe, while the extent of unmarked whitish on the belly seems intermediate between those two species. The bird is in fact a Pintail Snipe G. stenura, and this excellent photograph was taken in Sri Lanka in January 1977 by Peder Weibull. Pin-pointing this species’ identity on the ground is almost impossible; we can, however, look closely at the markings of the wings for clues. The wing-coverts are rather pale and appear very barred, buff-and-brown, whereas on Snipe these coverts are more scalloped with bull. Although the ‘shoulders' of the mystery snipe are partially hidden by fluffed out breast feathers, there is no hint of the dark area formed by the very dark lesser coverts of Snipe; this region is lighter and with feathers weakly tipped with buff on Pintail Snipe. Looking at the rear end of the bird, we can see a markedly short tail (it is relatively shorter on Pintail Snipe than on Snipe or Swinhoe’s Snipe G. megala), and the tertials which cloak the folded primar- ies show narrow dark bars (these bars would typically be wider on Snipe). To clinch the identity as Pintail Snipe we would need to flush the bird and 82 Mystery photographs 83 49. Snipe Gallinago gallinago, Gwynedd, August 1976 (R.J. Chandler) look at both the under- and upperwing patterns. Pintail would show densely and uniformly barred underwing-coverts and axillaries, making the whole underwing look dark, whereas Snipe would typically show an unmarked whitish area in the centre of the underwing-coverts (although they are uniformly dark-barred on a small minority of the nominate race 50. Mystery photograph 111. Identity the species, the age of each individual, and the approximate time of year. Answers next month 84 Mystery photographs and all of the Nearctic race delicata). The upperwing of Pintail Snipe lacks the conspicuous white trailing edge to the secondaries of Snipe (which, however, may not be obvious on exceptionally worn birds). The upperwing appears more uniformly brown on Pintail Snipe, with paler brown flight feathers offering less contrast than is the case with the very dark brown flight feathers of Snipe; the very mealy wing-coverts do, however, often show as a paler panel in the centre of the wing. Pintail Snipe is typically a little smaller than Snipe, although usually matches Snipe in weight, contributing to a rather plumper appearance. Many of these characteristics were covered in my 1977 paper (Brit. Birds 70: 146-152). More recently, Taylor ( Dutch Birding 6: 77-90) has suggested that Pintail Snipe, because of its short tail, shows the toes projecting fairly considerably beyond the tail in flight, a feature which would distinguish this species from all other members of the genus on the West Palearctic list, including the otherwise very similar Swinhoe’s Snipe which shows only the very tip of the toes when directly overhead. Unfortunately, however, it is seldom that a flushed snipe obliges by flying overhead. Pintail Snipe often calls when flushed, uttering a somewhat weaker and less harsh version of the Snipe’s call; typically, Swinhoe’s is silent or utters only an occasional short nasal grunt. S. C. Madge PhotoSpot 18 Corncrake PhotoSpot 85 51 & 52. Corncrake Crex crex, Co. Cork. May 1977 (left) and July 1980 (above) ( Richard T. Mills ) When I first visited western Ireland, Corncrakes Crex crex were still common, and there were still many rural areas where the inhabitants complained of being kept awake at night by the incessant, loud, monoto- nous craking from more than one pair. Twenty years ago, a census on Cape Clear Island, Co. Cork, revealed some 20 pairs, but none is to be found there now. This is just one example of this species’ widespread decline, documented by Dr James Cadbury in his assessment of the 1978-79 census ( Bird Study 27: 203-218). Nor is the species’ disappearance confined to Britain and Ireland, or even to western Europe, as shown by a survey of experts’ opinions in 30 European countries (Brit. Birds 76: 1 18-123). No longer can the human reaper spot and spare a nest; no longer is the 86 PhotoSpot hay crop cut after the young have left the nest, and at a speed which allows downy juveniles to escape. Mechanisation; the early and repeated cutting of grass for silage, rather than for hay; the reduced variety of plant food and insect food in today’s weed-free non-seeding grass crop; cooler, wetter summers; and the ever-increasing hazard of aerial wires on migration routes. These have all been blamed for, and doubtless have all contributed to, the decline of the Corncrake. The loss is regretted even by those w ho can still recall being kept awake in their crofts by that rasping ‘crex crex’. In 1985, the RSPB and the NGC started a joint project to investigate the 53. Corncrake Crex crex, Co. Cork, July 1979 ( Richard T. Mills) PhotoSpot 87 conservation requirements of Corncrakes in one of their last remaining strongholds in the Western Isles. Radio-tracking was used successfully to investigate the foraging range and movements of males and the use they make of different habitats. The Corncrakes travelled widely during the day, but returned to a favoured singing location at night. Information was also gathered on the extent of damage to nests and loss of young during hay- mowing. As expected, this was greater in the more improved agricultural areas. JTRS Notes Cory’s Shearwaters associating with dolphins On 4th August 1983, on a shark-fishing trip 16 km off Portimao, Algarve, Portugal, the trail from the Tubby dubby’ made up from sardines Clupea pilchardus lured a surprising number of seabirds. As a group of at least 70 dolphins (Delphinidae) approached the boat, a group of about 15 Cory’s Shearwaters Calonectris diomedea immediately flew to them. They glided and Happily hovered over the school. As individual dolphins rose out of and re-entered the water in characteristic fashion, the shearwaters would immediately descend and settle very briefly for three to ten seconds on the water, often with spread wings, at the point of the dolphin’s re-entry; they would then rise to 1-1. 5 m above the surface, briefly hover, and repeat the procedure continuously as the dolphins continued to emerge. It appeared that they were trying to feed on something which they ‘knew’ the dolphins were leaving behind on the surface. Peter G. Morgan Stanstead Lodge, Stanstead Abbotts, Hertfordshire SG128LD Dr K. E. L. Simmons has commented as follows: ‘Such behaviour is typical of the species, the birds in this case probably feeding on the cetaceans’ faeces. Interested readers should refer to a review of the subject of seabirds associating with cetaceans by Dr P. G. H. Evans (1982, Mammal Study 12: 187-206).’ Eds The frequency of hybrid ducks in the Midlands Mystery photograph 97 (Brit. Birds 78: 40-41) drew attention nicely to the confusion which often surrounds Aythya hybrids. The frequency with which these and other hybrid ducks may be encountered is illustrated by the following. Between 1974 and 1984, I saw ten hybrids resembling scaups A. marila/A. ajfinis in Staffordshire and single ones in Leicestershire, Warwickshire and Worces- tershire, compared with a minimum of 45 genuine Scaups A. marila: a ratio of 1 :3V2. These hybrids comprised six Tufted Duck A.fuligula X Pochard A. ferina, of which five were identifiable as drakes; six Tufted Duck X Scaup (two drakes); and a single female of Pochard X Scaup. Identification was 88 Notes based on critical assessment of size, eye colour, mantle pattern, and the shape and colour of head and bill. All birds associated with Pochards and/or Tufted Ducks. Many ducks pair at wintering sites, where sex ratios are rarely equal. For example, at Belvide Reservoir, Staffordshire, between February and May, 59-64% of Tufted Ducks and 57-77% of Pochards were drakes. Although there is a surplus of unpaired drakes, however, there needs to be a surplus of females in one or other species for hybrids to become likely, as Gillham et at. ( 1966) discussed; with a roughly equal excess of males in both species, the chances of hybridisation are greatly reduced. In 1974 and 1975, single female Scaups were apparently paired with drake Tufted Ducks at Belvide in late April and early May. In May 1984, at Rutland Water, Leicester- shire, I watched a drake Scaup, with two drake Tufted Ducks, displaying intently to a female Tufted. The Scaup may well have joined in in the absence of one of its own kind to display to, but in no way could this be interpreted as ‘giving him a chance’ with that female: she will choose one of her own species ahead of the Scaup every time. It is the lone females, without males of the same species, that are most likely to pair up wrongly. (Hybrids raised in captivity probably account for at least a proportion of those seen in the wild in Britain.) In order to illustrate the frequency with which various hybrids may be found while examining flocks for oddities, data for Belvide are presented (table 1) for all hybrids recorded, together with the parent species. Abundance indices have been obtained simply by totalling the maxima counted in each half-month during 1974-83. Table 1. Numbers of apparently pure-bred and hybrid ducks at Belvide Reservoir, Staffordshire, during 1974-83 (see text) Abundance Species or hybrid index Mallard Anas platyrhynchos 1 27,2 1 6 Pintail Ana.? acuta 238 Australasian Black Duck Anas superciliosa (feral) 16 Mallard X Pintail 4 Mallard X Australasian Black Duck 16 Pochard A ythya Jenna 15,389 Ferruginous Duck Aylhya nyroca 2 Tufted Duck Aythyajuligula 48,231 Scaup Aythya marila 72 Pochard X Ferruginous Duck 7 Pochard X Tufted Duck 5 Tufted Duck X Scaup 7 Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis 19,778 Ruddy Duck X White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala 1 Excluded from the above table are two sightings of a peculiar female or immature duck which exhibited characteristics of Pintail, Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina and Pochard. In addition, a Red-crested Pochard X Pochard hybrid also occurred at Belvide in 1984. It is interesting that the incidence of hybrids in Aythya species (0.02%) is twice as high as that in dabbling ducks. Tufted Duck, Pochard and Scaup are, however, far more Notes 89 sympatric throughout the year than any equivalent dabbling ducks; also, the identification of some potential dabbling duck hybrids (e.g. Mallard Anas platyrhynchos X Gadwall A. strepera or Pintail A. acuta X Gadwall — especially females) would be extremely difficult. Surprisingly, there was no evidence that scaup-like hybrids stayed at Belvide any longer than Scaups. The percentages of identifiable drakes at Belvide are similar for personal records of Scaup (60%) and scaup-like hybrids (57%). It is, however, possible that some female or immature Scaups, and especially hybrids, may have escaped detection. As pointed out by K.. Osborne (Brit. Birds 78: 40-4 1 ) , hybrids of the same two species differ markedly depending on which is the male parent and which the female. Thus female Pochard X male 1 ufted Duck looks like Lesser Scaup Aylhya ajfinis and is rather obvious; when the sexes are reversed, the result is a bird looking very like a Tufted and easily overlooked. Personal experience in the Midlands, therefore, suggests that over 20% of ‘Scaups’ are in fact hybrids. This emphasises the need for close scrutiny by both observers and county recorders. David Smallshire 42 Bridge Street , Shepshed . Loughborough. Leicestershire LE129AD REFERENCE Gillham, E., Harrison, J. M., & Harrison, J. G. 1966. A study of certain Aythya hybrids. Wildfowl Trust Ann. Rep. 17: 49-65. Male Red-breasted Merganser displaying to Goosanders On 26th March 1983, at Chew Valley Lake, Avon, I watched a male Red-breasted Merganser Mergus senator swimming and diving with a party of nine Goosanders M. merganser (four males and five females/immatures). After I had been watching for about four minutes, three of the male Goosanders adopted in quick succession the ‘Salute’ courtship display, stretching their necks until the bills pointed straight up (see BM P). A few seconds later, the Red-breasted Merganser saluted while facing the party, with neck stretched in diagonal posture; it repeated this on three further occasions in the following two minutes, before swimming away for about 70m and flying off. No other form of display was noted. There were no other Red-breasted Mergansers nearby. Stephen B. Edwards Hageldene . Medboume Lane. Liddington, Swindon. Wiltshire Although displaying to the ‘wrong' species is commonly observ ed among ducks in captivity, Dr K. E. L. Simmons has commented that this is an ‘interesting case of socially facilitated display by one species to another when both the displays and the females are similar’. Eds Prolonged aerial encounters between Hen Harriers and Goshawk I was most interested to read David S. Marshall’s note on prolonged aerial encounters between two Hen Harriers Circus cyaneus and a Goshawk Accipiter gentilis (Brit. Birds 76: 448-449). I have an entry in my field notebook for the same date, 17th February 1980, also on a Yorkshire moor, and presumably the same site. Between 15.30 and 16.30gmt, I watched a i Goshawk making continuous attacks on no fewer than four ‘ringtail’ 90 17. fefa- 1 9*°' £ SW~ 5u~ , Ur*+*^ ‘~U^ri‘^1 ixJ -we*— *4- 4*~ (4*-^^ , °f ’ frrsh,*-* < qr^a-^ , 7, cu.«~ ru- f*- u- ^ ut^fk/Li. i/a^«* a*i*J-l<~i- ■ /. h^vrv^J*^ 4 7 . Ibis, also books, genuine private sale, SAE for list. Palmer, 29 Hurst Road. Kennington. Ashford, Kent TN24 9PS. (BB518) 1 . \ British Birds is the leading Bird Monthly in Britain with an estimated readership of over 40,000 genuine enthusiasts every month. Let us show you that British Birds can really produce results for you. Phone Sandra on 0621 815085 for details and rates. 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( BB568) ‘The “British Birds” List of Birds of the Western Palearctic’ This completely revised, authoritative list of West Palearctic birds is still available for sale through British BirdShop. It is in a British Birds- style format, with 15 columns for use during held trips and so on. The standard price is £1.85, but anyone using the British BirdShop order form to purchase another book (or bird-sound re- cordings) at the same time can obtain a copy of this list for the reduced price of £1.00. £1.85 post free (BB416) The ‘British Birds List of Birds of the Western Palearctii xx University Microfilms International reproduces this publication in microform: micro- fiche and 16mm or 35mm film. For information about this publication or any of the more than 13.000 titles we offer, complete and mail the coupon to: University Microfilms International. 300 N. Zeeb Road. Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Call us toll-free for an immediate response: 800-521-3044. Or call collect in Michigan. Alaska and Hawaii: 313-761-4700. University Microfilms International This. publication is available in microform. (D525) British Birds Volume 79 Number 2 February 1986 53 Rare breeding birds in the United Kingdom in 1983 Robert Spencer and the Rare Breeding Birds Panel 81 Seventy-five years ago . . . 82 Mystery photographs 110 Pintail Snipe S. C. Madge 84 PhotoSpot 18 Corncrake Dr J. T. R. Sharrock Notes 87 Cory’s Shearwaters associating with dolphins Peter G. Morgan 87 The frequency of hybrid ducks in the Midlands David Smallshire 89 Male Red-breasted Merganser displaying to Goosanders Stephen B. Edwards 89 Prolonged aerial encounters between Hen Harriers and Goshawk Derick Watson 9 1 T urnstones apparently preying on sea anemones Miss Alison M. Donoghue, Dr Donald L.J. Quiche and Dr Robin C. Brace Letters 92 Thanks for the Nutcracker arrangements Dave Odell 94 Thanks to the Sora watchers R. M. Lord Announcements 94 Young Ornithologists of the Year, 1985 95 ‘Birds of the West Indies’ 95 News and comment Robin Prytherch and Alike Everett 97 Recent reports Keith Allsopp and lan Dawson Reviews 100 Gulls and Plovers : the ecology and behaviour of mixed-species feeding groups by C. J. Barnard and D. B. A. Thompson Dr K. E. L. Simmons 1 0 1 The Joy of Birding: a guide to better birdwatching by Chuck Bernstein W. E. Oddie 1 0 1 South African Red Data Book — birds by R. K. Brooke Ian Dawson 101 Threatened Birds of Africa and Related Islands: the ICBP/IUCN Red Data Book , Part I by N. J. Collar and S. N. Stuart Ian Dawson 102 A Guide to the Birds of Nepal by Carol and Tim Inskipp John R. Mather 102 Birdwatching: a guide for beginners by John Easton Lentz and Judith Young IV. E. Oddie 102 Conservation Studies on Raptors edited by I. Newton and R. D. Chancellor G. D. Elliott 103 The Birds of Bardsey by Peter Roberts Dr J. T. R. Sharrock 1 04 Pesticides and Nature Conservation: the British experience 1950-75 by John Sheail Stanley Cramp 1 04 Bird Census and Atlas Studies: proceedings of the VIII International Conference on Bird Census and Atlas work edited by K. Taylor, R. J. Fuller and P. C. Lack R. E. Youngman Line-drawings: 53 Goshawk ( Darren Rees); 62 Goldeneyes ( K . Dawson); 64 Marsh Harriers (J. P. P. Wilcgur); 67 Hobbies ( Ernie Leahy); 68 Spotted Grake (Z). A. Thelwell); 69 Avocet with young ( Helen Young); 78 Firecrest (D. Numey); 81 Girl Bunting (D. Numey); 90 Hen Harriers and Goshawk ( Derick Watson); 97 Serin (D. Numey) and Little Auks (Rod Powley); 99 Snow Bunting (Martin Hallam) Front cover: Male Bullfinch (Andrew Shaw): the cover design is not for sale Volume 79 Number 3 March 1986 Woodlarks in Britain Personalities: John R. Mather Identification and status of Great Knot Mystery photographs • PhotoSpot Notes • Letters News and comment • Reviews • Recent reports British Birds Managing Editor Dr J. T. R. Sharrock Personal Assistant Sheila D. Cobban Assistant Editor David Christie Editorial Board Stanley Cramp, P. J. Grant, Dr M. A. Ogilvie 8c Dr J. T. R. Sharrock Photographic Consultants Dr R. J. Chandler 8c Don Smith Rarities Committee P. J. Grant (Chairman). D. J. Britton, A. R. Dean, R. H. Dennis, T. P. Inskipp, P. G. Lansdown, S. C. Madge, I. S. Robertson 8c K. E. Vinicombe; J. H. Marchant (co-opted); Peter Colston (Museum Consultant & Archivist); Michael J. Rogers (Honorary Secretary). Motes Panels behaviour Dr C. J. Bibby, Dr J. J. M. Flegg, Dr C. H. Fry, Derek Goodwin, Dr M. A. Ogilvie, Dr J. T. R. Sharrock 8c Dr K. E. L. Simmons; IDENTIFICATION A. R. Dean, P. J. Grant, S. C. Madge, Dr M. A. Ogilvie 8c Dr J. T. R. Sharrock © British Birds Ltd 1986 Copyright of photographs remains with photographers, British Birds is published monthly bv British Birds I.td. 93 High Street. Biggleswade, Bedfordshire ISSN 0007-0335 Publishing Manager. Production & Promotion Dr J. T. R. Sharrock Circulation Manager Erika Sharrock Design Deborah Cartwright Advertising Sandra Barnes Addresses Please keep correspondence on different items separate. Please address your envelope correctly . Please supply SAL, if reply required. Papers, notes, letters, drawings & photographs for publication Dr J. T. R. Sharrock. Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK44 3NJ Subscriptions and orders for back copies Mrs Erika Sharrock, Fountains, Park Lane. Blunham, Bedford MK.44 3NJ Advertising Mrs Sandra Barnes, BB Advertising, c/o Fountains, Park Lane. Blunham. Bedford N1K443NJ. Phone'. Tiptree (0621) 815085 Bird news jor ‘ Recent reports' Ian Dawson & Keith Allsopp. c/o RSPB, The Lodge, Sandy . Bedfordshire S(;i9 21)1. 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E&OE BINOCULARS AND TELESCOPES REPAIRED ON THE PREMISES (D637) VIEWING FROM OUR SHOWROOM Use them in the country test them in the country Wide range - Topquality- Discount prices -> BINOCULARS - TELESCOPES A few examples of our vast stocks BINOCULARS SWIFT AUDUBON HR5 8 S « 44 Cl 34 50 OSPREY 75«42 £ 102 00 DIAL YT DIAL YT DIAL YT 10 » 40 0T 10 x 40 BGAT 10 ■ 40 BGAT CLOSE FOCUS 7 . 42 BGAT LEITZ TRINOVID 10 x 40 8 A PHONE -FOR PRICES HABICHT DIANA 10 * 40 WM £234 00 7x42 WM GA £272 00 10 x 40 WM G A £299.50 7 x 42 SL £249.00 10 x 40 SL £275.00 NIKON 8 x 30 ZCF £168 50 10 x 35 ZCF £189 00 1 2 x 40 2CF £215.50 OPTOLYTH ALPIN 7 x 42 BGA £148 00 8 x 40 BGA £143.00 10x40 BGA £145.00 10x50 BGA £16100 TELESCOPES NIKON FIELDSCOPE E D 20 x 60 £441.00 SPOTTING SCOPE 20 x 60 £264.50 OPTOLYTH 30 x 75 BA £255.00 22 60 x 70 BA £265.00 80mm BODY £253.00 KOWA TS 1 60mm £119 50 TS 2 60mm £102 00 TS 6 60mm £117 50 TSN 1 77mm £21750 TSN 2 77mm £20150 EYEPIECES from £31.00 BUSHNELL SPACEMASTER £124 50 EYEPIECES from £32.50 OPTICRON HIGH RESOLUTION STRAIGHT 60mm BODY £100 .00 OFFSET 60mm BODY £110,00 EYEPIECES from £25.00 * ^Church Lane. 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Twickers World 22 CHURCH STREET, TWICKENHAM 01-892 7606/8164 24 HR BROCHURE: 01-892 7851 ABTA/IATA/PATA (D627) BINOCULARS and TELESCOPES from KAY OPTICAL SERVICING Service to the Naturalist for over 24 years Get 1 986 off to a flying start — WIN A LEITZ 7 x 42 BA (green) TRINOVID binocular, complete By spending £1 50 or more and presenting this (or a copy of this) promotional advertisement with your order, you will be entered in our April DRAW for the above superb binocular — worth at least £350! This offer is exclusively made to readers of “British Birds” and will be open from 1 st January to 31 st March 1 986. The fortunate, sole winner will be announced in May’s “BB”. BINOCULARS £ ZEISS (West) 10 x 25 B Dialyt 165 8x20 BGA Dialyt 190 8x30 BGA Dialyt 297 10x40 BGA Dialyt (9901) 353 7x42 BGA Dialyt 353 ROLLEI 7 x 42 fixed-focus, watertight, rubber-armoured, nitrogen-filled * £360. 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Estimates free. Callers welcome. HOURS: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm (1 -2 lunch) Sat 9am-1 1 .30 am. 89B London Roadf, Morden, Surrey. Phone: 01-648 8822. fThe A24. We are opposite the Midland Bank. iii (D608) BihD • I \ i H/ r \ t limes, the joys of bird* niching run lx • mi xed l\ with more I him n little frustration How often have you travelled miles. only to hud that the bird has flown? Vow. there's a new magar.ine that thxs the leg work for you. 1 magazine written exclusively for birdwatchers in Great Britain. It's called Birdwatching. Month by month, well keep you fully informed ; As soon as \ -,/a visitor sets ( foot we’ll have it in print.: spotted and A how to gel the •V' on w here to go. i which birds can be spotted and X how to get the Ix-st sightings W ith practical advice on environments and equipment, personality profiles, hints on bird behaviour and. of course, a sprries guide This month S issue is at your new sagi vis now and comes complete w ith a frtr pocket-sized log Ixxtk M just £1.00. it’s one new arrival that you can't afford to miss (0632) IV tanMi A member ot the F ield & Trek Group) ' BINOCULARS HERON 8x40 BWCF £43.00 CARL ZEISS 10x40 B DIAL YT (Hard Case) £358.80 CARL ZEISS 10x40 BGA (Soft Case) Close Focus £364.35 LEITZ 10x40B (Hard Case) £376.00 OPTOLYTH 8x40GA (Soft Case) £143.00 OPTOLYTH 10x40GA (Soft Case) £145 00 HABICHT DIANA 10x40 £256.00 II Compare our prices . . . but don’t stop there !! f — Please add £2.00 p&p on all orders / MIRADOR 10x40 (New) £76.50 SWIFT TRILYTE 10x40 Root Prism £106.95 SWIFT AUDOBON 8 5x44 £145.30 SWIFT RED SPOT 8x40 MKII £85.45 OPTICRON 8x42 Classic £90 00 OPTICRON 10x50 Classic £105 00 TELESCOPES KOWA TS N2 with ZOOM £305.70 We pride ourselves on supplying the best optical equipment matched by the best possible service Advice is available by phone post or to callers Why not visit our Brentwood showroom^ OPTOLYTH 80mm Body Only (New) £253.00 Eye pieces 20x £4700 30x £39.00 40x £42.00 Leather case £35.00 OPTOLYTH 30x75 £255.00 BUSHNELL SPACEMASTER with ZOOM no case £195.00 Case lor Spacemaster £12 90 ORNITHOLIDAYS 1986 Holidays Organised by Birdwatchers for Birdwatchers Twenty-one years’ service to birdwatchers & naturalists Programme will include: Kenya The Seychelles Tanzania Zimbabwe Zambia Okavango Delta Rwanda Morocco Madagascar Northern India & the Himalayas Kashmir Nepal Assam & Sikkim Thailand Jordan New Zealand Arctic Norway South West Spain Spanish Pyrenees Andorra Majorca The Camargue Southern France Lake Neusiedl The High Alps North East Greece Turkey Bulgaria Czechoslovakia Yugoslavia LAWRENCE G. HOLLOWAY ORNITHOLIDAYS DEPT. 2, 1 -3 VICTORIA DRIVE, BOGNOR REGIS, SUSSEX, ENGLAND P021 2PW ATOL LICENCE No. 743 Tel: 0243 821 230 (D605) V FIRECREST TELESCOPES AND BINOCULARS SPRING SALE Large reductions on many items Sample prices Spacemaster zoom £170 Mirador 15-60 x 60 £160 C.Z. Notarem 10 x 40 £124 Swift Audubon HR2 £120 Swift Saratoga 8 x 40 £84.50 Prices held while existing stocks last Fast mail order service Easy access to M6 and M62 Callers welcome 14 day approval For details ring Pam or Cliff Gibson on (0925) 81 7874 or write to FIRECREST 8 Chapelcross Road, Feamhead Warrington, Cheshire WA2 0PP (D620) BIRDS, MEN & BOOKS .. Peter Tate A Literary History of Ornithology The author of A Century oj Bird Books, East Anglia and its Birds, and Swallows follows the course of ornithology and its expression through literature. The fascinating develop- ment of bird books is examined, from Medieval church records to the colourful diversity of modern field guides, handbooks and mono- graphs. Great naturalists and ornithologists were responsible for the evolution ol the modern bird book; the author examines the men behind the names, Henry Dresser, Audubon, John Gould, Lord Lilford, Charles Darwin, Carl Von Linne, Richard Bowdler- Sharpe and Harry Witherby to name but a few. This book will become the standard work. 8 vo. 200 pages, 8 pages of illustrations. £13.95. February 1986. Published by Henry Sotheran Ltd and available through book- shops or SIGNED COPIES from The New Books Department, Henry Sotheran Ltd, ICBP, RSPB London’s Leading Ornithological Book Stockists 2, 3, 4 & 5 Sackville Street, London W1X2DP. Tel: 01-734 1150 or 0308 (D622) NORTHERN MAJORCA HOLIDAYS POLLENSA HOTELS ASSOCIATION The area of Pollensa has an outstanding natural beauty and interest for all country lovers, BIRDWATCHERS, NATURAL HISTORY— WILD FLOWER, WALKERS or VISITORS seeking a peaceful holiday. PUERTO POLLENSA ★ * ** ★ * *★ *★ ★ ★ ★ *★* HOTEL ILLA d’OR*** HOTEL RAF*** HOTEL MIRAMAR*** HOTEL DAINA*** HOTEL POLLENTIA*** H. R. SIS PINS*** . HOSTAL GALEON** HOTEL UYAL*** HOTEL POLLENSA PARK** HOTEL CAROTTI* Tel: 531100, Telex 69708 Tel: 531195 Tel: 531400 Tel: 531250 Tel: 531200 Tel: 531050 Tel: 531703 Tel: 531500 Tel: 531 350, Telex: 69656 Tel: 531096 ★ ★★ CALA SAN VICENTE HOTEL MOLINS**** HOTEL DON PEDRO*** PENSION ORIOLA** H. CALA SAN VICENTE*** HOTEL NIU* HOSTAL LOS PINOS** Tel: 530200, Telex: 69003 Tel: 530050 Tel: 531998 Tel: 530250 Tel: 530100 Tel: 531210 Special terms for early and late season. Groups welcome. Car hire for £35 per week. Assistance from local experts, if required. Write to your appropriate hotel for more information. * Open all year ** Open from March to October *** Open from April to October (D587) VI FOCAILIPOINIT Binoculars & Telescopes for the Discerning Birdwatcher Kowa 77mm TSN & 60mm TS System, every item from stock. Compare with the Nikon’s, the new Optolyth, Criterion, Spacemaster, Discoverer, Tamron, Opticron’s & others. Equally full range of binocu- lars at all price levels. Full details sent on receipt of a 31 p stamp (written by birdwatchers). 1984 Cheshire Bird Report £2.20 plus 30p postage. Tony & Enid Murphy, FOCALPOINT 14 Cogshall Lane, Comberbach, Northwich, Cheshire CW9 6BS. Tel: 0606 891 098 (D636) CYGNUS WILDLIFE HOLIDAYS PLACES STILL AVAILABLE JORDAN 13-29 April £930 Leader Chris Waller. Exciting Middle East birdwatching during peak of Spring passage. 200 species likely. TURKEY 4-20 May £975 The best of European birdwatching with a tempting selection of Asian specialities. 229 species on last year's tour. SWITZERLAND (Lauterbrunnen based) 28 June-6 July £615 Alpine flowers, butterflies, birds and spectacular mountain scenery make an unforgettable holiday. For further details contact: 96 Fore Street, Kingsbridge, S. Devon TQ7 1 PY Tel: 0548 61 78 (D640) Publication 24th March 1986 Birds in Scotland by VALERIE M. THOM In the 33 years since Baxter & Rintoul’s two volumes, The Birds of Scotland, were published much has happened in ornithology generally, and the numbers and distributions of many species have changed, as has much Scottish habitat. Few can be as well qualified as Valerie Thom (editor of Scottish Birds and past- President of the Scottish Ornithologists's Club) to write this replacement of the earlier work and to review the many changes that have taken place and to report on birds in Scotland today. She follows this with the main feature of the book, the species accounts of Scotland's breeding, resident, wintering and passage birds for the period 1950-83, with summaries of earlier data and records of rarities and vagrants 1983-85. The accounts are complemented by 173 species maps, plus many diagrams and tables, and 129 species drawings. There are 32 photographs of changing Scottish landscape and habitat. 390 pages, 26.5x19 cm, £24.00 net T & A D POYSER (D630) 1 1 ()( )/)[’/ GEORGE LODGE - ARTIST NATURALIST Edited by John Savory A comprehensive tribute to one of the greatest wildlife artists of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Based on a considerable amount of original and unpublished material, this book is beautifully illustrated, a splendid and evocative study of tne man and his work. &25.00 0-7099-3366-5 176 pages 48 colour plates Numerous black and white photographs and drawings - Just Published LIFE OF THE WOODPECKER Alexander F. Skutch In this profusely illustrated volume, Dr Alexander Skutch gives us an intimate glimpse of this fascinating bird family. The text is enhanced by 60 full colour illustrations. Based on the author’s 40 years of field study it encompasses most of the current knowledge about woodpeckers. £45.00 0-7099-4436-5 160 pages Just Published 60 colour illustrations SEABIRDS: AN IDENTIFICATION GUIDE- REVISED EDITION Peter Harrison A substantially revised edition of this birder’s bible, with four completely repainted plates and a wealth of new textual information. .£>19.95 0-7099-3787-3 448 pages 88 colour plates 324 distribution maps Line drawings All books available through British BirdShop Croom^PHclm (D629) VI 1 1 British Birds VOLUME 79 NUMBER 3 MARCH 1986 Woodlarks in Britain, 1968-83 H. P. Sitters The breeding population of the Woodlark Lullula arborea in Britain has fluctuated widely, both in numbers and distribution, over the past 100 years. The reasons have not always been clear. In the past, the Woodlark has been regarded as a sedentary species, with only a limited dispersal in winter, but there is now' evidence to indicate that it may be a partial migrant. This paper summarises the information that is currently available on the status, distribution and movements of the British Woodlark population to the end of 1983. The principal sources of data are the county bird reports and the BTO/IWC Winter Atlas project. Breeding status The population appears to have been most widely distributed in the early part of the nineteenth century, when it was said to be breeding in several counties in northwest England and Ireland. It disappeared from these in the mid nineteenth century and reached a low point in the 1880s. Numbers began to increase in the 1920s, reaching a peak in the early 1950s. There followed a dramatic decline to the extent that by the mid 1960s Parslow ( 1967) considered that there might be fewer than 100 pairs. This may have \Bm. Buds 79: 1 05- 1 16. March 1986) 105 106 Woodlarks in Britain been pessimistic, but there is no doubt that the population was then very much reduced. During fieldwork for The Atlas oj Breeding Birds in Britain and Ireland from 1968 to 1972, Woodlarks were found in 195 10-km squares (Sharrock 1976), probably reflecting a slight recovery'. The county reports show that since 1972 there has been a further contrac- tion in range (e.g. it is now almost totally absent from Wales, Somerset, Sussex and Kent), but there have been some significant increases, particu- larly on the Hampshire/Surrey border and in the Breckland forests. The following is a summary of the county report data for the period 1968-83 (arranged from southwest to northeast): Cornwall Woodlarks were found in 23 10- krn squares during the Breeding Atlas field- work, but most of these records related to 1968 and 1969. From 1970 to 1975, there were very few breeding-season records, but in 1976 there was a maximum of five males. Since then, there have been two to four males or pairs each year, with breeding confirmed in 1983, for the first time since 1968. The latest records are in the extreme southeast of the county, close to the River Tamar. They are probably associated with a similar population nearby in southwest Devon. Devon The reduced population in Cornwall alter 1968-69 was not reflected in Devon. During the Breeding Atlas fieldwork, Wood- larks were found in 40 10-km squares. A county enquiry in 1971 produced 27 breed- ing-season records, thought to represent about 20 pairs. There were 16 records in 1972, but a more intensive survey in 1973 produced 29 records, and the total popula- tion was considered to be about 35-40 pairs (Sitters 1974). There is no evidence of any change in numbers from 1973 to 1981, with 20-30 breeding-season records in most years. 1 here were, however, only four records in 1982, following the severe 1981/82 winter. In 1983, there were 21 records, suggesting a recovery. During the fieldwork for the Devon Atlas Project from 1977 to 1983, Woodlarks 64. Woodlark Lullula arborea feeding young, Suffolk, June 1959 {John Markham) Woodlarks in Britain 107 were found in 96 tetrads (2x2 km squares). Many of these records related to Woodlarks present in only one or two breeding seasons, and I consider that at no time did the popula- tion exceed 30-40 pairs. Dorset From only two pairs in 1967, there was an increase in 1968 with presence in 1 1 10-km squares. In 1972, there wereat least 12 singing males on five different heaths, plus scattered sightings elsewhere. After that time, numbers remained fairly constant, with five to ten breeding-season records in most years, and 12 pairs in 1981. Only four pairs could be found in 1982, following the severe 1981/82 winter. In 1983, there were at least seven pairs, at five heathland sites. somerset In 1969, there were four singing males, but since then the only records have been a single singing male in 1970, a pair in 1973, and single singing males in 1977 and 1981. AVON Two singing males in 1970 and one in 1972; only migrants since. Gloucestershire A singing male once in 1968; none since. Wiltshire Single breeding-season records in 1971, 1975, 1976 and 1978, but actual breed- ing considered unlikely in all cases. Herefordshire Single singing males in 1968 and 1969, probably two pairs in 1970, a nest in 1971, three nests in 1977, one record in 1978, none since. Shropshire A singing male on one date in June 1972 is the only record. west midlands Not likely to have bred from 1968 to 1983. Four records of one to three individuals in the springs of 1969, 1976 and 1977, one in July/August 1972 and a singing male in July 1979. Derbyshire Not likely to have bred during 1968 to 1983, but single breeding-season records in 1972 and 1976. powys Present at four localities in 1968, with confirmed breeding at one, one pair bred in 1969, singing males at four localities in 1970, one in 197 1 , singles in 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977 and 1980, none since. gwent A party of 1 1 in June 1968, none in 1969 or 1970, one pair possibly bred in 1971, none in 1972 or 1973, one confirmed breeding record in 1974, single singing males on single dates in 1975, 1976 and 1977, none since. Glamorgan A singing male in 1968, none since. dyfed Present at four localities in 1968 and at three in 1969, one pair bred in 1972, sing- ing males at three localities in 1973, present at two localities in 1974, two singing males in 1975 and 1980, two records in 1981. new forest (Hampshire) This is clearly a key locality, but coverage has been patchy. At least eight pairs in 1968, 13 in 1969, 30 in 1971, 14 in 1977,34 in 1978, 46 in 1981, 15 in 1982 and 38 in 1983. All of these figures, however, are considered to be underesti- mates. From 1981 to 1983, a breeding-season survey was conducted by the Hampshire Ornithological Society and the organisers estimated that the 46 pairs located in 1981 represented only one-third of the total population (i.e. 130-140 pairs). It is clear that the population was substantially reduced in 1982, when only 15 males/pairs were found. Coverage was, however, again poor, and there may have been 65. Coverage was better in 1983, when 38 pairs/males were located and the population was estimated at 55. southwest Hampshire A total of 1 1 pairs was located in tree and shrub nurseries in 1981. Three were found in 1982 and six in 1983. hampshire/surrey border The Woodlark population at the heathland and tree nurser- ies in northeast Hampshire, west Surrey and a small area of southeast Berkshire has been well documented, and Clark (1984) was able to show- how the population changed during 1971-83 (table 1). Information for 1968-70 is sketchy, but there were at least 21 males/ pairs in 1968. 14 in 1969 and 9 in 1970. Sussex Five or six males/pairs during 1968- 71, then no breeding-season records until 1977. when Woodlarks were present at three sites. In 1978 and 1979, there was one record each year. In 1980, four singing males were located; there were two in 1981, but none in 1982. In 1983, there was a pair at the beginning of the season, but it could not be found later. 1 08 Woodlarks in Britain Table 1. Pairs of Woodlarks Lullula arborea in Hampshire/Surrey border area during 1971-83 (from Clark 1984) Year Reported Estimated 1971 19 25 1972 22 30 1973 21 35 1974 29 40 1975 41 55 1976 44 65 1977 50 80 kent One breeding pair and two other pairs or males in 1968, one breeding pair in 1969, single breeding-season records in 1970 and 1971, none since. Hertfordshire The only breeding-season record since 1964 was of one near Hertford on 7th April 1974. Bedfordshire A singing male in 1969, single pairs reported breeding in 1970 and 1971, none since. Nottinghamshire Three breeding-season records in 1968, none in 1969 or 1970, one or two present in 1971, none in 1972 or 1973, at least one pair in 1974, none in 1975, one or two in 1976, a pair bred in 1977, a territory in 1978, a male in 1979, no records in 1980 or 1981, a singing male in May 1982, but not found later. Year Reported Estimated 1978 78 110 1979 80 125 1980 127 140 1981 131 163 1982 49 61 1983 not known 53 Yorkshire A singing male on 25th May 1983 is the only record. essex Not likely to have bred from 1968 to 1983, but single records in April 1968 and 1969, and two (one in song) in March 1981. Buckinghamshire No records since 1968, except a pair feeding young on 18th July 1971. breckland (norfolk/suffolk border) Numbers were generally low in the late 1 960s, although ten singing males were found in 1969. In recent years, this area has been thoroughly surveyed by R. A. Hoblyn, who has supplied the figures shown in table 2. SUFFOLK COASTAL HEATHS AND FORESTRY Four pairs in 1968, six to eight in 1969, 12 pairs in 1970, numbers low from 1971 to 1974 with four to six pairs each year, 12 pairs in 1975, ten pairs in 1978 and 1980, 17 pairs in 1981, 12 pairs in 1982 and 1983. Table 2. Pairs of Woodlarks Lullula arborea in Breckland during 1971-84 (from data supplied by R. A. Hoblyn) The thorough survey started in 1975, so 1971-74 figures may be underestimates Year Young plantations Natural heath/breck Marginal land Total 1971 2 1 5 8 1972 3 0 5 8 1973 5 0 5 10 1974 7 0 7 14 1975 17 2 7 26 1976 14 1 1 4 29 1977 36 6 3 45 1978 30 6 0 36 1979 30 6 0 36 1980 34 6 0 40 1981 35 4 0 39 1982 33 1 0 34 1 98.3 45 2 0 47 1984 44 0 1 45 Woodlarks in Britain 109 Fig. 1. Breeding distribution of Woodlarks Lullula arborea in Britain in 1983 (hatched) compared with 1968-72 (after Sharrock 1976) It will be seen from this summary that the fortunes of the British Woodlark population have varied considerably during the period under review. In general, there has been a contraction of range, with the species ceasing to breed in several areas which once held substantial populations (fig. 1). There have, however, also been some significant increases, particularly in the Hampshire/Surrey border area and in the Breckland forests. In those areas, the species has benefited from circumstances which have given rise to large areas of suitable habitat. On the Hampshire/Surrey border, there were major heath fires in 1974 and 1976 which resulted in apparently optimum conditions. The species has also made extensive use of commercial tree nurseries, which should mean that suitable habitat is available more permanently than on the heathland where much of the burnt vegetation has regenerated. The sudden decline from 1981 to 1982 has been blamed on both the severe intervening winter and regeneration of heathland vegetation. In the Breckland area, Woodlarks have almost disappeared from natural heath/breck and the increase which has taken place has been entirely in areas of recently cleared and re-stocked forest. Such areas are apparently ^suitable for six or seven years after planting, until the trees reach about 2m in height, provided that ground vegetation remains sparse and there are 'Sufficient gaps in the crop (R. A. Hoblyn in litt.). Sharrock (1976) estimated the British Woodlark population during 1968-72 at 200-450 pairs. After that time, numbers would have dropped to. 110 Woodlarks in Britain perhaps, 160-180 pairs in 1975. This was followed by an increase to 400-430 pairs in 1981 . The severe winter of 1981/82 brought numbers down in the main Hampshire and Surrey breeding areas, and I estimate that in 1983 the British population stood at 210-230 pairs. Possible reasons for changes in the Woodlark population 1. Severe winter weather There is little doubt that this has been the reason for many incidents of sudden decreases: the cold winters of 1961/62 and 1962/63 had a particu- larly marked effect and, as mentioned above, the 1981/82 winter also reduced the population in Hampshire and Surrey. There were, however, some severe winters during the 1940s, at a time when the population as a whole was increasing, so it is unlikely that the occasional severe winter has been responsible for the general decline in the population which has taken place since the early 1950s. 2. Climatic change Southern England is on the northwestern edge of the Woodlark’s breeding distribution and on the northern edge of its winter distribution, so it is not unlikely that climate is a limiting factor. There was a northward shift of wind and pressure belts lasting from the 1890s to the 1930s, with associated warm air. Since then, these have drifted southwards, and in the 1940s there was a reduction in mean winter temperature, and in the early 1950s spring and summer temperatures were also affected (Lamb 1975). During the 1970s, spring temperatures remained low, but spring and summer rainfall decreased. More recently, there has been an increase in variability, resulting in more extremes (Lamb 1982). It will be seen that the increase in the Woodlark population from the 1920s to the 1950s, and its subsequent decline, generally fits the climatic changes which have taken place. Spring temperatures may be particularly important. The Woodlark is an early nester and there is evidence that, in some years, many first broods are destroyed by unseasonable weather (Harrison & Lorster 1959), but this is not borne out by observations over many years in Breckland (R. A. Hoblyn in litt.). In the light of the recent dramatic increases in areas where suitable habitat has suddenly become available, however, I consider it quite possible that climatic change is only a minor factor. 3. Availability of suitable habitat Prime Woodlark breeding habitat is open country with bare soil or short grass (for feeding), scattered trees (for song posts) and some areas or tufts of taller ground-cover, such as grass or heather (for nesting and roosting) (Harrison & Lorster 1959). If these are the species’ only requirements, it is difficult to understand why it is not much more common. In recent years, Woodlarks have been found on heathland (especially when ground-cover has been cleared by fire), in cleared and recently re-stocked forestry, tree nurseries and a variety of somewhat marginal situations in largely Woodlarks in Britain 111 unimproved agricultural country. There are, however, many such areas which are apparently suitable, hut which are not occupied. This suggests that the species has other, more subtle, requirements. It has been pointed out that many territories are on sloping land, on relatively dry, well-drained soils and in warm situations, avoiding frost hollows (Harrison & Forster 1959). Such factors may be important, but, even if they are, it is difficult to understand why the species has become so scarce. Now, it is only in Devon and Cornwall that Woodlarks are still found in agricultural country. Perhaps there it has not been ‘improved’ so much as it has elsewhere, and perhaps this is a key reason for the decline. Another factor that may have aggravated the situation in the mid 1950s and, at times, since has been the loss of rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus through myxomatosis, resulting in many Woodlark habitats becoming overgrown. The Woodlark’s recent success in areas where particularly suitable habitat has suddenly become available clearly implies that availability of habitat is the key factor which will determine the future of the species in Britain. 1 1 is therefore of considerable importance to the conservation of this species that its habitat requirements be defined with as much precision as possible. With this in mind, the BTO will launch a census during the 1986 breeding season which will include the collection of habitat data. Movements and winter distribution The British Woodlark population has previously been described as resident, with no evidence of migration except of quite a local character (Witherby et a/. 1940). Now, however, there is at least circumstantial 65. Woodlark Lutlula arborea feeding young, Surrey, April 1980 (Michael Gore) 112 Woodlarks in Britain Fig. 2. Provisional map of distribution of Woodlarks Lullula arborea during three winters 1 98 1 /82- 1 983/84 for The Atlas of H altering Birds in Britain and Ireland. Small dots, 1 -2 individuals seen in a day; medium dots, 3-6 individuals; large dots, 7 or more individuals (drawn by P. Lack) evidence for regarding British breeding Woodlarks as partial migrants. First, many of the breeding areas are deserted in the late summer and are not re-occupied until early the following spring. The Breckland forests in particular are completely deserted in winter. Payn (1978) considered that Breckland Woodlarks perform only local movements and that the reason for so few winter records in the vicinity is that they are easily overlooked. The only observations giving support to this view are a flock of 20 on stubble fields in the coastal belt ofSuffolk in midjanuary 1983 and 26 at the same locality in November and December the same year. The intensive coverage for the Winter Atlas failed, however, to locate any significant number in East Anglia, which strongly suggests that the entire Breckland population (numbering, perhaps, 200 individuals in autumn) moves well away from the area (fig. 2). It is no doubt significant that Breckland is in the part of the breeding range which has the lowest January temperatures. It might also be significant that, whereas numbers were severely reduced in Hampshire and Surrey following the severe winter of 1981/82, numbers on Breckland hardly changed. Perhaps the Breckland population winters sufficiently far to the south to have escaped the rigours of that winter. Elsewhere, although the breeding sites themselves are deserted, a good proportion of the birds remain in the vicinity, often feeding in fields with Skylarks Alauda arvensis (compare figs. 1 and 2). Secondly, the Winter Atlas data (fig. 2) indicate a much reduced population in winter compared with the breeding season. Potential winter numbers during 1981-83 would be 1,000 or more individuals if the population were entirely resident, whereas the Winter Atlas data suggest Woodlarks in Britain 113 1 able 3. Recorded direction of flight of Woodlarks Lullula arborea occurring on coast of Britain, 1968-83 P irst figures are numbers of records; number of birds involved are in parentheses Period N NE E SE S S\V W NW Sept-Nov 3(4) 1(3) 4(6) 2(2) 10(12 ) 3(5) 7(8) Dec- Feb 1 (1) 2(5) 1 (3) Mar- May 3(5) 2(2) 2(2) that the winter population is no more than 150-200. Even allowing for the difficulty of finding Woodlarks outside the breeding season. I consider that these data strongly suggest that a good proportion of the breeding popula- tion are not to be found in Britain in winter. Thirdly, the county bird reports show that there is a passage of Wood- larks in both spring and autumn which is noted particularly on the coast (figs. 3 and 4). It is probable that many of these birds are of Continental origin, although the fact that the majority of the records are on the south rather than the east coast of England (fig. 4) would indicate that at least some are British. There is no direct evidence (such as ringing recoveries) of cross-Channel movement by British-breeding Woodlarks, though the re- duced winter population suggests that this does occur. There are observa- tions, however, which suggest that Woodlarks (of whatever population) do cross both the English Channel and the North Sea. These include one arriving from the south at St Catherine’s Point, Isle of Wight, on 10th April 1974, two flying out to sea from Portland Bill, Dorset, on 22nd 66. W oodlark Lullula arborea feeding young [photographer unknown ) 114 Woodlarks in Britain Fig. 3. Occurrences of Woodlarks Lullula arborea on the coast of Britain during 1968-83, shown by five-day periods October 1975, one seen to come in oil the sea at Minsmere, Suffolk, on 18th April 1970, and three flying southwest at Foreness Point, northeast Kent, on 1 1th October 1983. In the case of 41 coastal records of Woodlarks flying over, the direction of flight was also recorded (table 3). Of the 30 records relating to the autumn movement, 15 have a southerly component and only four a northerly component. The few records in winter and spring are all east, west or north, none south. During the winter, Woodlarks occasionally appear on the coast, usually during cold weather and usually in company with Skylarks (Witherby et al. 1940 and fig. 3). The origin of these birds is not known; they may be from the Continent, appearing as a result of weather movements, or British winterers moving to the coast where it may be warmer. Records of the first appearance at breeding sites are for a w ide variety of dates ranging from late January to mid March. Pavn (1978) stated that, in Suffolk, most Woodlarks are back in their breeding localities by the end of February, and are sometimes seen as early as mid January. On the Hamp- shire/Surrey border, most are on territory by early March and, in some years, males are in full song in January (Clark 1984). If it is true that all British breeding Woodlarks are on territory by mid March, then those which appear on the coast in the latter part of March and in April and May must be from the Continent. It is also likely that the more northerly records, particularly those for Fair Isle, Shetland, relate to Continental birds. The Woodlark’s breeding season is long. It is normally double-brooded, and sometimes treble-brooded. In the early autumn, family parties merge Woodlarks in Britain 115 Fig. 4. Occurrences during three three-month periods ofWoodlarks Lullula arborea on the coast of Britain during 1968-83 116 Woodlarks in Britain to form small flocks. Then, during September and October, most of the breeding areas, particularly the heathlands and the Breckland forests, are deserted. At some sites in Devon and Cornwall, however, and at some tree nursery sites in Hampshire and Surrey, Woodlarks are present throughout the year. Inland observations of Woodlarks flying over are few except in the Hampshire/Surrey border area, where there have been 36 such records during 1974-82. Dates range from 15th September to 9th November, and most were flying south or southwest (Clark 1984). Precisely how British breeding Woodlarks are distributed in winter will probably remain a matter for speculation until there are ringing recoveries. The evidence we have to date suggests that those from Breckland migrate, possibly leaving Britain in autumn and returning in spring, and that some from Hampshire/Surrey migrate but others remain within a few kilometres of the breeding sites. The paucity of migrants on the south coast of Devon (fig. 4), and the fact that there are many records for Devon of Woodlarks remaining in the same area throughout the year, suggest that the breeding population of this county may be even more sedentary. Thus, the tendency to migrate would appear to increase from west to east. This is very likely a result of lower winter temperatures in eastern England compared with the more maritime climate of the Southwest. Acknowledgments I am grateful to the BTO for permission to make use of the provisional Winter Atlas map (fig. 2) and to Dr P. Lack for preparing it for publication. I am also grateful to R. A. Hoblyn for providing details of his Breckland survey and toDrS.J. Tyler, MrsS. D. Cobban, N. Elkins, I. Dawson and A. W. G. John for assistance and advice. Summary A review ol information published in the relevant county bird reports shows that the breeding population ol W oodlarks Lullula arborea in Britain declined from 200-450 pairs in 1968-72 to 160-180 pairs in 1 975, rose to 400-430 pairs in 1981 , and then dropped again to 210-230 pairs in 1983. Reasons for these changes are discussed. Availability of suitable habitat is considered to be the key lactor. Many breeding sites are deserted in winter. A small passage is noted at various coastal sites during spring and autumn. The winter population appears to be much reduced compared with the breeding season. These factors are advanced as reasons for regarding British breeding Woodlarks as partial migrants. References Clark, J. M. 1984. Birds oj the Hants/ 'Surrey Border. Aldershot. Harrison, C. J. ()., & Forster, C. R. 1959. Woodlark territories. Bird Study 6: 60-68. Lamb, H. H. 1975. Our understanding of the global wind circulation and climatic variations. Bird Study 22: 121-141. 1982. Climate , History and the Modern World. London. Parslow, J. L. F. 1967. Changes in status among breeding birds in Britain and Ireland. Brit. Birds 60: 268-271. Payn, W. H. 1978. The Birds oj Suffolk. Ipswich. Sharrock, J. I . R. 1976. The Atlas oj Breeding Birds in Britain and Ireland. Berkhamsted. Sitters, H. P. 1975. Results of the 1974 Devon breeding status survey. Devon Birds 28: 35-43. Witherby, H. F., Jourdain, F. C. R., I iCETtuRST, N. F., & Tucker, B. W. 1940. The Handbook oj British Birds. London. H. P. Sitters , Whist lev House , Axtown Lane , Y elver ton. Devon PL206BC Personalities 33 John R. Mather Johnnie Mather (he has never lost the familiar title) was showing an interest in birds by the age of nine, building up a childhood collection which no longer exists. The ‘magpie instinct’ has not declined, and now he is an avid collector of bird and mammal skins (found dead), doves and pheasants (kept alive), and expensive ornithological literature (shown oil with pride). Boi n at Summerbridge, in Nidderdale, Yorkshire, he moved with his parents to Knaresborough, where he has lived since. He attended the Harrogate College of Art, where his Hair for good design was fostered, and then, in 1946, joined a signmaking firm. In his early days, he acted as tea boy; like all good tea boys, and typical of his drive and enthusiasm, he became the owner of that same firm. In 1985, business circumstances dictated a link with a larger organisation. His fust trip abroad was in 1 956, as a result of Hie Suez Crisis; he and his Commanding Officer birdwatched together in the Canal Zone. Since then, he has travelled widely, including ten trips to v arious parts of Europe, five 67,J°hn R. Mather ( Tennant Brown Photography) [ Brit. Birds 79: 117-119. Marc h 1986) 117 118 Personalities: John R. Mather to Africa, three to North America and three to India and Nepal. His first African trip (in 1974) was the result of winning 21 ,000 miles ol free travel on Hughie Green’s ITV quiz show, ‘The Sky’s the Limit’, answering questions on ornithology. With all these trips, his ‘life list’ has increased dramatically, as has his splendid collection of bird and mammal skins, which today tops 2,000 bird and 400 mammal specimens. His home in Knaresborough, which he had built in 1960, was a typical detached bungalow until his collection of bird skins and his involvement in matters ornithological at both local and national level made the addition of the ‘Mather Bird Room’ an absolute necessity. Latterly, a further extension has been added, reflecting his other attributes of good designer, expert entertainer and gourmet. ‘44 Aspin Lane’ changed to become ‘Eagle Lodge’, and a superb Golden Eagle glowers at you from its antique glass case as you enter. His climb up the ornithological ladder began in the late 1940s, when he became a member of the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union; his name first appeared among the accredited observers (a small and select band in those days) in 1951; he was appointed recorder for Watsonian Vice County 64 (Yorkshire is so large that it incorporates five Vice Counties, each the size of many other full counties) in 1962; he became the Reports Committee’s chairman in. 1964; and had responsibility for editing the county bird reports for 1970-79; he remains the chairman. "Thirty years of involvement with the YNU was rewarded in 1982 by his election to its presidency. In 1950, John set up the Knaresborough Ringing Station on some waste ground bordering the River Nidd and nextdoor to a sewage-works. The Station’s main activity has always been the study of migrating warblers in July and August, and the 100,000th bird was caught and ringed in August 1981. In 1965, he bought the land, and created a nature reserve: not just a good place to erect traps and mist-nets, but an area where beetles, moths, snails and flowers are all known and given good management to permit them to prosper on this small patch. He has served on the BTO’s Ringing & Migration Committee, and was a member of the British Birds Rarities Committee from 1976 to 1984. The Committee met at Eagle Lodge in March 1982 {Brit. Birds 75: 337, plate 121) and in June 1983. His major opus in print was, until this year, the detailed and careful work which he carried out with David M. Burn on the identification of White-billed Diver Gavia adamsii , and the associated review of past records {Brit. Birds 67: 258-296). The publication, scheduled for spring 1986, of his The Birds of Yorkshire will be the culmination of a long and active involvement with the birds of the county of his birth. Much of this would not have been possible had not his wife, Bunty, been a lady of such infinite patience, placid at all times and always tolerant of John’s oft erratic and unpredictable comings and goings on various bird- watching duties. Never conventional, in so many ways: his luggage is always scanty (pyjamas are never included); offbeat in his dress (I have yet to see him wear a tie); with a delightful sense of humour and an ability to meet all and Personalities: John R. Mather 1 19 sundry at whatever level; Johnnie Mather is the best of companions. If you visit Eagle Lodge, you will be most welcome, and as you walk across the green sward ol the garden and orchard, you could well be approached by a Lesser W hite-lronted Goose or a Silver Pheasant. Athol ) . Wallis Mystery photographs lit The combination of small size (evident from the relative 111 proportions of the eye, head and bill), blackish cap and ear-spot, and small, all-dark bill on the left-hand gull in last month’s photograph (plate 50, repeated here) should have pointed straight to Little Gull Larus minutus. From the obviously fresh and unworn state of the outer primaries, and the black subterminal marks on these feathers it can be deduced that it has recently completed its full autumn moult from first-summer plumage: it is now in second-winter plumage. The other gull might give the impression of being larger, perhaps suggesting Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla, an identifica- tion apparently supported by the dark bar on the upper mantle which used to be enshrined in the literature as a diagnostic feature ofimmatures of the species. It is, however, another Little Gull, this one near the end of its moult from juvenile to first-winter plumage. At this transitional stage. Little Gull invariably shows this Kittiwake-like bar. as first pointed out by Thomas Ennis in 1969 (Brit. Birds 62: 234-237), yet this potentially confusing fact is [Bril. Birds 79: 1 19-120, March 1986] 120 Mystery photographs still not covered in recent field guides. An extra small point is that the bar on Kittiwake is on the lower hindneck, whereas it is on the upper mantle on Little Gull. The bar may be present on late-moulting Little Gulls as late as November, but eventually disappears when the moult to first-winter is completed. Any impression oflarger size would be the result of size-illusion (Brit. Birds 76: 327-334). In any case, the black on the wing-coverts is too extensive for Kittiwake, which would also never show any black on the crow n or on the retained juvenile scapulars as does this individual. Knowledge of the moult-timing of Little Gull would have indicated that this combination of plumages could be encountered only between August and November. This pleasing and useful photograph was in fact taken in the Netherlands in October 1979 by P. Munsterman. PJG 69. Mystery photograph 1 12. Identify the species. Answer next month PhotoSpot 19. Hooded Wheatear The Hooded Wheatear Oenanthe monaclia is one of the rarest and least-known species breeding in the western Palearctie. It haunts the most desolate and silent of desert places — ravines and rocky wadis — but, contrary to the [Brit. Birds 79: 120-123, March 1986] PhotoSpot 121 statement by Meinertzhagen (1930, Nichol’s Birds of Egypt), it does not completely shun habitations. Pairs breed in buildings by cultivation in southern Saudi Arabia and around small, desert settlements in Oman and Israel. They visit water troughs, and feed on large ticks (Ixodidae) on camels and other livestock (plate 70). Hooded Wheatears are usually silent and elusive: their rattling calls are uttered during territorial disputes, but the song — a brief, throaty, thrush-like warble, lasting about two seconds — is heard only infrequently. Males more often advertise their presence by- chasing insects in the air, flashing black and white against a sand-coloured background. In these flycatching flights, the bird may fly straight up, to 50 or even 100 m, in pursuit of high-flying prey, this specialised feeding method allowing Hooded to inhabit areas without undue direct competi- tion for food with other insectivorous desert species. The clear-cut black upperparts and contrasting white belly and white-sided tail show up spec- tacularly during these vertical-take-ofl' aerial excursions, and, indeed, this slim, long-billed bird is perhaps the most handsome and graceful of all the wheatears. Its fondness for remote and desolate places often makes it 122 PhotoSpot 71. Male Hooded Wheatear Oenantlie monacha, Oman, March 1985 ( G . Bundy) 72. Male Hooded Wheatear Oenantlie monacha, Oman, March 1985 (G. Bundy) PhotoSpot 123 dilTicult to find, although a male may sometimes approach very closely to observers entering his feeding or breeding territory, but then — inquisi- tiveness satisfied — fly a kilometre or more, to some distant clifTface or rocky outcrop and elude all further attempts at observation. 1 his elegant, elusive inhabitant of wild, dramatic places is but one of the 14 species of west Palearctic wheatears shortly to be covered in British Birds in a major identification feature written by Peter Clement and illustrated by Alan Harris. Graham Bundy and J. T. R. Sharrock The Crest , Blythe Shute, Chale, Isle of Wight P0382HJ Identification, habits and status of Great Knot John H. Marchant Among Arctic waders, the Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris is surely one Lof the least known and most obscure. It is very surprising that this can be said of a member of the well-studied and popular genus Calidris , especially one of conspicuously large size (it is marginally the largest), with unusually distinctive colours and patterns in adult summer and juvenile plumages, and with long migrations. The main reason for its relative obscurity is probably its remoteness: its breeding, non-breeding and migratory ranges, although spanning a large sector of the globe, lie almost entirely within regions seldom visited by western ornithologists (relatively few have seen the species). Further, it has usually been considered as scarce, even within its core of distribution. Until recently, information on the Great Knot was accessible to most of us only through regional field guides to Oriental and Australasian countries. Inconsistent, brief, or even wrong treatment in some of these has [Bnt. Birds 79: 123-135, March 1986] 124 Identification and status of Great Knot 73. Adult Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris and juvenile Knot C. canutus , Australia, October 1982 ( John Marchant ) led, however, to considerable confusion in the past. For example, the underparts of Great Knot are never reddish, as pictured in Lekagul & Cronin (1974). The ‘Eastern Knot’ C. tenuirostris described in the Indian Handbook (Ali & Ripley 1969) invites confusion with ‘Eastern Knot’ C. canutus rogersi described for New Zealand (Falla, Sibson & Turbott 1966, altered in recent edition). Knotty problems indeed! I he Great Knot has been listed as a West Palearctic bird only since the publication of a record in Morocco in 1980 (Lister 1981). It is thus not surprising that, unlike nearly all of its congeners, the species has never previously featured in an identification paper in this journal. Indeed, I can find mention of it in British Birds on only four previous occasions: first, in a 1955 review {Brit. Birds 48: 316) ofDementiev & Gladkov (1951), and most substantially by Prater & Grant (1982), who included photographs of an adult at the nest and a juvenile. The Moroccan record caused a hurried addition to the list of species to be covered by BWP vol. 3 (Cramp & Simmons 1983). Appearance in that prestigious and widely available text- book enabled many to read an authoritative text on Great Knot for the first time. It is unfortunate, therefore, that the accompanying plate does not do justice to a well-researched text: it gives a misleading impression of shapes and plumages, and, indeed, tends to compound earlier confusion over this bird’s appearance rather than dispel it. The present paper originates from research into the habits, distribution and field characters of all the world’s waders carried out by Tony Prater and myself for our BTO guide (Prater, Marchant & Vuorinen 1977) and subsequently for Shorebirds — an identification guide to the waders of the world / dentijication and status oj Great Knot 1 25 ( Hayman, Marchant & Prater 1986). I his has involved museum studies, the collection ol photographs, literature searching, and also fieldwork. In Qctober-November 1982, I was fortunate enough to visit several wader localities in northern and eastern Australia and saw manv hundreds of Great Knots, including several in the hand, cannon-netted by the Victorian W ader Study Group. I he colour plate by Peter Hayman, reproduced from Shorebirds, though not faultless, has been painted with extreme care in respect of both structure and fine details of plumage (fig. 1). We hope it will overcome any mistaken impressions derived from previous work, and untangle some of the ‘knotty problems’. Separation from Knot F eeding action, flocking behaviour and habitat choice are all very similar to those ol Knot (Red Knot) C. canutus, with which Great Knot is usually associated in Indonesia and Australia. There is little doubt that many Great Knots in this part of the world (and perhaps elsewhere) still go undetected in large flocks of its smaller relative. Size Great Knot is larger and bulkier on average, but there is considerable overlap in both wing and tail measurements, as well as in weight. Size is likely to be useful only in mixed flocks, when most Great Knots will be obviously taller and longer-bodied than Knot, and with a greater wingspan in flight. Both species are likely to seem very large compared with other calidrids. I hus, it would be unwise to attach too much importance to apparent size when attempting to identify a possible vagrant. Shape 1 he shape of Great Knot differs clearly and consistently from that of Knot. T he chest is conspicuously deeper and the profiles of both the back and the belly flatter, coming to a more acute point at the wingtips and tail: the general appearance is much less rounded than the typical Knot (plates 78 and 79). The head looks proportionately smaller. Shape and proportions of head and body, together with the long bill, may suggest an outsize Dunlin C. alpina. In flight. Great Knot appears longer-winged and less compact than does Knot. Bill shape T he bill is longer than that of Knot, usually obviously so: measurements suggest no overlap. The difference is sufficiently clear always to draw the attention of a critical observer. The name "tenuirostris ’ means ‘thin-billed’, but the bill is actually not thinner than that of the smaller species; it does, however, appear thinner towards the tip (in proportion to its length) (see plates 73 and 74). \\ ingbar Weaker than on Knot, but still readily visible on close views. As on Knot, the wingbar is composed of white at tips of greater and greater primary 1 26 Identification and status of Great Knot 74. Knot Calidris canutus and Great Knot C. tenuirostris , both adult, Australia, October 1982 (John Marchanl) coverts, together with white shafts to the primaries and a little white on the outer webs of the inner primaries, but the white covert-tips are narrower: white on the outer greater covert measures about 4mm, with about 26mm of dark secondary protruding beyond that, while typical equivalent figures on Knot are 8mm and 16mm (plates 75 and 76). The primary coverts show little white either at the tips or on the shafts, and are often strikingly darker than the adjacent zone of the primaries, and darker also than the median coverts. Uppertail-coverts White is clearer than on Knot, forming a more contrasting patch, never so strongly barred as on some individual Knots (plates 75 and 76). Both species show more dark barring on the uppertail when in adult summer plumage. Adult summer plumage Black spotting on the otherwise white breast and flanks is a ready and absolute distinction from Knot. The spots are more or less rounded on the breast, but become more heart-shaped, lanceolate or chevron-shaped on the flanks. In worn plumage, the spots may merge to form a solid area of black, particularly across the centre of the upper breast. The upperparts appear predominantly clean grey when newly moulted, but wear quickly reveals blackish on the mantle and a pair of large, bright chestnut ovals on each scapular. Some autumn adults, particularly males, show a mostly blackish mantle and back, contrasting vividly with a blaze of almost unmarked chestnut on the scapulars. 127 Identification and status of Great Knot 75. Adult C ireat Knot Calidns tenuirostris, in wing moult, Australia, October 1982 (John Marchant ) 76. Adult Knot Calidns canutus. moulting from summer to winter plumage. Australia. October 1 982 (John Marchant) Juvenile plumage As in adult summer plumage, heavy spotting on the breast is a conspicuous feature, but the spots are dark brown rather than black, and the breast ground colour is suffused pale buff (plate 78). There is often a fairly sharp division between the dark brown arid buff of the breast and the white, more sparsely spotted, of the upper belly and flanks. The mantle is dark brown. The wing-coverts and scapulars are like those of Knot in showing a broad 128 Identification and status oj Great Knot huffish fringe and a dark brown submarginal line. The submarginal line is clear only on the largest feathers, however, and a strong dark brown shaft-streak (almost lacking on Knot) is a more conspicuous feature of each feather. Winter plumage Upperparts are grey as on Knot, but each feather shows a much stronger dark shaft-streak, giving a more streaky or variegated appearance. Streak- ing is most evident on the crown and nape. The difference in pattern from Knot is enhanced by stronger pale edges to some larger feathers when fresh, and by the less-rounded, more-lanceolate shape to the majority of the upperpart feathers (plate 74). The breast is less strongly spotted than in other plumages and shows a dull greyish suffusion. Spotting is present, however, to a variable degree. On most individuals, the spots are a dark grey, but some gain a few blackish spots indistinguishable from those of adult summer plumage (plates 77 and 81). Head pattern Photographs of Great Knot in all plumages consistently show a diffuse, roughly triangular dark area across the lores, obscuring the forward part of the supercilium, in contrast to a sharper dark line between eye and bill on Knot. The supercilium is also typically less clear behind the eye than on Knot (plates 73, 78, 79 and 81). Leg colour Adults show dark greyish or greenish-grey legs, while those ofjuveniles are dull greenish (plates 78 and 81). In both age-groups, legs are duller than in the equivalent stages of Knot. Other confusion species T here are some parallels between Great Knot and Surfbird Aphriza virgata, for example in pattern of adult summer plumage and in nesting habitat: they are likely to be near relatives. Confusion is most unlikely, however, owing to the smaller size of the Surfbird, its short, plover-like, yellow-based bill and its yellow legs. The two species have been observed side-by-side in Alaska ( American Birds 38: 947). Nordmann’s Greenshank Tringa guttifer is, like Great Knot, an East Asian species noted for heavy^black spotting on the breast in breeding plumage, but has rather longer bill and legs and shows a conspicuously white back in flight. Its behaviour is more like that of a Greenshank T. nebularia than a knot. An unwary observer might confuse both Great Knot and Knot in distant flight with other basically grey estuarine waders, particularly Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica and Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola. Habits What little is known of the breeding biology of Great Knot has recently been summarised by Myers, Hilden & Tomkovich (1982). Evidence of Identification and status of Great Knot 129 77. Adult Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris, mostly in winter plumage, Australia, October 1982 ( John Marchant) nesting has been obtained only from a small number of mountain ranges in northeastern Siberia, in an area mostly south of the Arctic Circle. Spring arrival begins in late May. The males have a hovering display flight high over their nesting territories, and a repetitive guttural song. Mating is monogamous: both partners share incubation in the early stages, but the females desert the nest shortly before hatching and begin southward migration, leaving the males to guard the young. Broods may travel some distance from the nest to feed on wetter ground. Outside the breeding season, the behaviour of this bird is apparently closely similar to that of its smaller relative, although much work remains to be done on this topic. As in the case of Knot, only stragglers on migration occur inland, and the preferred habitat is extensive coastal or estuarine mudflats, where very large, densely packed flocks may be found. Very often, the two species flock together on the feeding grounds and at roost. The longer-billed Great Knot is equipped to take prey hidden more deeply in the mud, but the extent of any competition for food between the two species is unknown. 8. Great Knot Calidris lemirostris, juvenile, Japan, September 1984 ( / rhnn ( )l 1 INTRODUCING AN ENTIRELY NEW CONCEPT IN THE FIELD GUIDE RANGE COLLINS FIELD NOTEBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS by Roger Lovegrove & Philip Snow THE MOST PRACTICAL POCKET GUIDE EVER PRODUCED! * identification guide * species checklist * notebook all bound in flexible pvc. THE GUIDE Specifically geared to the needs of birdwatchers in the field, the superb and lively paintings portray birds as they are most likely to be seen in the mid while the facing text emphasises distinctive as- j pects of behaviour. Above | all it tells the birdwatcher which are the most impor- tant points to note and jot down while the event is still fresh in the mind. THE SPECIES CHECKLIST The official British Trust for Ornithology Checklist. This lists each British species with spaces along- side to tick off each bird as its seen - for example, in a day’s birdwatching, in a year, in your garden, in your life, etc. THE NOTEBOOK On a hinged flap that allows it to be folded into the guide itself for useful reference against the rel- evant page, each leaf is printed with headings - date, time, page no., place and conditions - leaving abundant space for the birdwatcher’s field notes and sketches. There is a special pocket for com- pleted pages. A perfect personal reference book and record-keeper for the roving ornithologist with only one pair of hands. Publication Date: 3 March '86. 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Payments can also be made directly into UK Giro account number 37 588 6303, buf please still post this form. (Payment can bemad'- in US$. but. please add £1 plus overseas postage charges and then convert to dollars at current exchange rate. Payment can be made in Irish pounds: please convert from sterling by adding 25%. ) Please allow 28 days for delivery in UK, longer if abroad. Name Address Total £ Cheque/PO enclosed d Giro payment made d Send to BB Offers, Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK44 3NJ xi For further information please contact: Zeiss 10x40B/GAT* The closer focusing Dialyt A truly short-focusing binocular, with a minimum focusing distance of only 5 metres and special ‘B- eye-pieces permitting unrestricted viewing with or without spectacles. The multi-layer anti-reflection T* coating gives excellent image contrast and superior light transmission at dawn and dusk. Add to these features the easy-grip rubber armour (complete with rainguard), light-weight, sturdiness and dependability, and you have a binocular unsurpassed in quality and performance. (Now also available without rubber armour if preferred.) Ask for the birdwatcher's popular choice ...9901 ZEISS West Germany Carl Zeiss (Oberkochen) Ltd PO Box 78 Woodfleld Road Welwyn Garden City Herts, AL7 1LU Telephone (0707)331144 xu Fig. 1. Colour plate reproduced from Sborebirds (Havman, Marchant & Prater 1986). 1 Knot Calidris canutus a-e adult summer plumage, f winter, gjuvenile. h adult winter in flight, i under- wing. 2 Great Knot C. tenuirostns a adult summer plumage, b winter, cjuvenile, d adult winter in flight, e underwing [painted by Peter Hayman ) 80 & 81 . Adult Great Knots Cahdns tenuirostris , above, in wing moult; below, mostly in winter plumage; both Australia, October 1982 (John Marchant) 133 Identification and status oj Great Knot World distribution 1 he currently known world distribution of Great Knot is shown in fig. 2. I he breeding distribution, indicated by solid black, is as yet incompletely known: the map summarises Johnsgard ( 1981 ), who plotted 14 sites, mostly unpublished previously, apparently from information supplied by personal contact. I he dotted line surrounds a wider area within which nesting probably occurs in suitable habitat. Non-breeding records are regular on hatched coasts, in midwinter as far north as southern China and the Philippines. Recent counts suggest that numbers are much lower west of Java and Borneo than in eastern Indonesia (particularly southeastern Irian Jaya) and Australia. Fig. 2. World distribution of Great Knot Calidris tenuiroslris (for conventions, see text) ( Elizabeth Murray) The follow ing records are the outliers of the main distribution, marked on the map with asterisks. They are listed in clockwise order around the autumn migration route. I recognise that my summary of such records is likely to be incomplete, particularly with regard to unpublished sightings, and would welcome extra information on this topic. Alaska Ten records in total, all but one since 1971. most recently in May 1984. The most easterly site to date has been Nome river-mouth, where there have been three separate sightings. At least nine of the ten records have been of adults on spring passage, between May 24th and June 16th (Roberson 1980; American Birds 38: 947). palau A few were reported by Baker (1951) to pass through this western Micronesian island group in September, but none was seen in spring. NEW ZEALAND First recorded in 1967. but now seen in most years in very small numbers, chiefly in the North Island harbours, but also more rarely on South Island. It appears that there are no other records from the South Pacific east of Papua New Guinea and Australia. 134 Identification and status of Great Knot Tasmania First recorded in 1965 (F.T. FI. Smith et at., reported by Thomas 1968), now regular. sri lanka A group of four recorded near Mannar in the northwest in early 1981 were the first (HofTman 1982). Laccadives Has occurred as a vagrant (Watson, Zusi & Storer 1963). Seychelles Two records: a juvenile moulting to first-winter, Praslin, 13th- 14th October 1982 (I. J. Ferguson-Lees in litt.), and one in winter plumage, Mahe, 2nd March 1 984 ( V\ . E. Oddie in litt.). Oman A total of three adults at two localities in southwestern Oman on 23rd September 1982 ( King & Gallagher 1983). [Two previous reports from Masirah Island (30th November 1974 and 6th December 1975) are inadequately substantiated.] Israel A worn adult in active moult was seen at Eilat salt-pans in mid October 1985 (Hans Scheckkerman et at.). morocco An adult losing its summer plumage was seen with Knots and other waders on the estuary of the Oued Sous, near Agadir, on 27th August 1980 (Lister 1981). spain An adult in summer plumage was reported on the Ebro Delta on 7th April 1979 (Brit. Birds 78: 342). The record has now been accepted by the Spanish authorities (Ardeola 32: 137-143). It is, therefore, the first West Palearctic record, predating the Moroccan sighting. There is a remote possibility that only a single individual was involved in these two sightings. assam Recorded from two localities (Ali & Ripley 1969). Yakutsk, eastern ussr Recorded as a straggler at this town on the Lena River (Dementiev & Gladkov 1951). Population size As recently as 1976, most ornithologists would have estimated the world population of Great Knot to be around 10,000 individuals. Only small numbers were known on the wintering grounds, and Johnsgard ( 1981 ) was prompted (presumably by old literature) to say that ‘groups of as many as 50’ had been seen in Australia. Details were published in 1980, however, of a heavy spring passage on the west coast of Kamchatka, including an estimated 20,000 at just one site (Gerasimov 1980). This revelation was followed closely by reports from Australia of much larger numbers than previously suspected. An expedition to northwestern Australia in August/September 1981 found 21,800 on the Eighty Mile Beach and a further 17,000 in nearby Roebuck Bay (Lane, Martindale & Minton 1983). In mid November 1982, 90,000 Great Knots were estimated to be present in the same area. More recent and widespread counts have put the total Australian population at 253,500, second only among coastal waders to Red-necked Stint C. ruficollis, and approaching three times the number of Knots recorded (Lane 1984). Owing to its abundance on northern coasts, Great Knot is described as ‘the Red-necked Stint of the north’. The southeastern corner of the Gulf of Carpentaria is a second major site. Ten years on, a realistic 1986 estimate for the total population would be at least 30 times higher: in the region of 300,000. It is not clear whether the higher numbers now recorded are solely the result of greater attention being paid to the species. Since 1965, there have been more records from some areas, such as parts of southeastern Australia, which have been studied for 135 Identification and status oj Great Knot a longer period than this, and many more reports of vagrancy. It is possible, therefore, that there has been a genuine population increase. Surely it can be only a matter of time before a vagrant is found in Britain or Ireland? Acknowledgments I am very grateful to I ony Prater, my co-author on Shorebirds. for his share of the research for this paper, to Peter Hayman for his considerable skill and attention to detail in preparing the colour painting, and to (.room Helm Ltd (Publishers) for allowing it to be included here, and for their generosity in bearing all the expenses of reproduction of it in British Birds. I should also like to thank Richard Loyn, David Eades. Brett Lane, Chris Corben and, especially, Clive Minton for assistance in Australia, and Urban Olsson, James Hancock, Roger Jaensch and Stephen Davies for photographic material. My post at the BTO is funded by the Nature Conservancy Council. References At. i, S., & Ripi.ey, S. D. 1969. Handbook of the Birds oj India and Pakistan. Vol. 2. Oxford. Baker, R. H. 1951. The avifauna of M icronesia, its origin, evolution, and distribution, Unit). Kansas Puhl. Mus. Nat. Hist. 3: 1-359. Cramp, S., & Simmons, K. E. L. (eds.) 1983. The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Vol. 3. Oxford. Dementiev, G. P., & Gladkov, N. A. 1951. Birds of the Soviet Union. Vol. 3. Translation: Jerusalem 1969. Falla, R A., Sibson, R. B., & Turbot, E. G. 1966. A Field Guide to the Birds of New Zealand. 1st edn. Auckland. Gerasimov, N. N. 1980. (Spring migration of the Great Knot Calidns tenuirostris and Knot C. canutus along the western coast of Kamchatka.) In Flint, V. (ed.) (New studies on the biology and distribution of waders.) Moscow. Pp 96-98. [In Russian] Hayman, P.J., Marchant,J. H., & Prater, A. J. 1986. Shorebirds — an identification guide to the waders of the world. London. Hoffman, T. W. 1982. Occurrence of certain waders in Sri Lanka .J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 79: 668-669. Johnsgard, P. A. 1981. The Plovers , Sandpipers , and Snipes oj the World. Lincoln, Nebraska. King, B. F., & Gallagher, M. D. 1983. First record of Great Knot (Calidris tenuirostris) in Oman, E. Arabia. Bull. Br. Om. Club 103: 139-140. Lane, B. A. 1984. Wader study enters its final year. KAO U Newsletter 6\: 6-7. , Martindale, J. D., & Minton, C. D. T. 1983. Wader studies in Australia: a review of wader counts. Wader Study Group Bulletin 37: 30-35. Lekagul, B., & Cronin, E. W. 1974. Bird Guide oj Thailand. 2nd edn. Bangkok. Lister, S. M. 1981. Le Grand Maubeche Calidris tenuirostris nouveau pour l’ouest du Pale- arctique. Alauda 49: 227-228. Myers, J. P., Hilden, O., & Tomkovich, P. 1982. Exotic Calidris species of the Siberian tundra. Omis Fennica 59: 175-182. Prater, A. J., & Grant, P. J. 1982. Waders in Siberia. Brit. Birds 75: 272-281. , Marchant,J. H., & V uorinen, J . 1977. Identification and Ageing of Holarctic Waders. BTO guide 1 7. Tring. Roberson, D. 1980. Rare Birds of the West Coast. Pacific Grove. (See also Errata & Addenda.) Thomas, D. G. 1968. Waders of Hobart. Emu 68: 95-125. Watson, G. E., Zusi, R. L.. & Storer, R. E. 1963. Preliminary Field Guide to the Birds of the Indian Ocean. Washington. John H. Merchant. British Trust for Ornithology, Beech Grove, Tring, Hertfordshire HP235NR Notes Little Stints feeding by hovering The note on Little Stints Calidris minuta feeding in flight in Saudi Arabia {Brit. Birds 77: 156) prompts me to record similar be- haviour by this species in Bahrain. My observations were made in fine weather with a northwesterly wind of 10-15 knots, at a shallow man-made freshwater lake at Sakhir Racecourse. On 20th December 1982, I saw up to six Little Stints hovering into the wind low over the water, with legs dangling and at times brushing the water; on occasions, they would rapidly dip from a hovering posi- tion and take unidentified matter from the surface. On 25th March 1983, up to five stints were hovering with rapid wingbeats within 15 cm of the lake’s surface, at times appearing to be blown backwards; they were not seen to feed from the surface, but they were probably taking insects while hovering. Tom Nightingale Bahrain Natural History Society , PO Box 20336, Bahrain If this behaviour has been observed in Britain or Ireland, we shall welcome details. Further observations from abroad, however, will be filed for reference, but not published separately. Eds Hour-long song flight by Skylark At 16.21 gmt on 22nd June 1983, on pasture adjacent to moorland north of Ilkley, West Yorkshire, I started to time the song of a Skylark Alauda arvensis which was already at a consider- able height. At 17.18 hours, I watched the bird drop into grass, having concentrated my attention on it for 57 minutes. The weather had been quite hot (about 2 1°C) all day, with only a slight breeze. The lark sang continu- ously throughout. No other Skylarks were singing in the area. AlexanderJ. Brown 6 Blenheim Square, Blackman Lane, Leeds LS29AR This seems an exceptionally long time for a Skylark to sing continuously. We would welcome further observations, with accurate timings of song flights by this species. Eds Wrens fighting in flight. At 13.50 gmt on 25th February 1983, at Ilminster, Somerset, I heard agitated Wrens Troglodytes troglodytes calling. Looking in the direction of the calls, I was astonished to see two Wrens flying up together in an unusually persistent and aggressive tangle resembling large butterflies in nuptial pursuit. They rose to about 30m above an old orchard before separating and dropping back to the trees. David E. Paull 33c East Street, Ilminster, Somerset TAJ90AN Two male Blackcaps at one nest During the spring of 1982, two male Blackcaps Sylvia atricapilla held territories in the Cambridge University Botanic Garden. Both were individually marked. Male A attracted a mate 136 Notes 137 in early May, and their young hatched on 7th June. Male B , whose territory bordered that of male ,4, was not seen in the company of a female until 1 1 th June, when he was observed together with male ,4’s mate mobbing a Grey Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis which was close to the female’s nest. Subsequent watches of the nest revealed that the female was being assisted bv both male A and male B in feeding the nestlings. During a total of 300 minutes of observation, the numbers of feeds taken to the nest by the three adults were as follows: female, 31; male A, 18; male B, 25. All three adults mobbed potential predators and removed faecal sacs. The brood fledged success- fully on 1 8th June, and was fed by all three adults. T he young were last seen to be fed by male B on 29th June. I hroughout the nestling and fledgling periods, male B was seen to sing on his own territorv, but never on that of male A. I he two males generally ignored each other, although male .4 was tw ice seen to drive male B away from the area of the nest. Unfortunately, I do not know whether or not both males mated w ith the female. If both did, the behaviour would be an example of polyandry; if male B had not fathered any of the chicks that he helped to rear, he would be an example of a helper at the nest’. I am not aware of any records of either behaviour by members of the family Sylviidae, nor is either one at all common among British birds. 1 he only British passerine regularly to practise polyandry is the Dunnock Prunella modularis (M. E. Birkhead, 1981, Ibis 123: 75-84), and the only ones in which adult helpers are often present at nests are the Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus (e.g. A. J. Gaston, 1973, Ibis 1 15: 330- 351) and the House Martin Delichon urbica. David Harper Edward Grey Institute oj Field Ornithology , Zoology Department , South Parks Road , Oxford OX 1 3PS Nest-building by male Wood Warbler At about 09.00 gmt on 14th May- 1983, I saw a pair of Wood Warblers Phylloscopus sibilatrix building a nest in mature woodland at Lydeard Hill, near Taunton, Somerset. W atching for about half an hour, I saw both birds carrying nest material and incorporating it into the structure; sometimes both arrived at the site simultaneously. On 21st May, at a different site in the same locality, I watched a different pair of Wood Warblers behaving in the same way. Both nests were situated in a depression on the ground and on a slope of the woodland floor. According to The Handbook , only the female Wood Warbler builds the nest, although in an additional note it is stated that, exception- ally, the male assists in building (N. Tracy). My observations suggest, however, that nest construction by both sexes may not be a rare event. A. P. Radford Crossways Cottage, West Bagborough, Taunton, Somerset TA4 3EC, Dr G. J. Bibby has commented that ‘The warblers are an interesting group in that they show a range from equal division of breeding roles by the sexes to considerable emancipation of males. This probably parallels the trend in frequency of polygyny. The division of effort of nest building, incubation and feeding young is still described only in vague terms for most species. 'Simple quantified observations would be useful for all species, not just Wood Warblers.' We hope that readers will take up Dr Bibby's suggestion and make the careful observations required. Eds Letters ‘Pishing’ technique For many years, I have been delighting and often surprising overseas birders visiting North America by enticing numbers ol passerines and other landbirds out of dense cover and into view by ‘pishing’. Although the technique varies among practitioners, mine is to look for a few ‘seed’ birds — tits (Paridae) work well — and then to begin saying ‘pish’, loudly, about five or six times over four seconds or so. My accent is on the ‘sh’, and the sound is nearly continuous, with pauses ofjust a few milliseconds between ‘pishes’. After catching my breath, I repeat the series about two seconds later, and continue the process for half a minute or so. If the birds nearby do not show interest, I move along to some other possible seed birds. The technique, which has been refined over my long birding career, seems to work best when I am alone or with one or two other people, in woods or brushy areas where there is some shade and cover, on windless days, and from late suijnmer into early winter. It seems least successful on bright or windy days, in open terrain, in spring and early summer, or when large groups of people are present. Several of my British birding friends and others have argued that the technique does not work well in Europe. After testing it throughout the UK during September 1984, I must disagree. I regularly attracted numbers of tits, Nuthatches Sitta europaeus, Treecreepers Certhia jamiliaris, Wrens Troglodytes troglodytes, Dunnocks Prunella modularis, flycatchers Ficedula/ Muscicapa, finches (Fringillidae), Robins Erithacus rubecula and other thrushes, Goldcrests Regulus regulus and a variety of warblers (Sylviidae), a Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major, and other woodland birds for close-up views. This was true from the old Caledonian forests of Scotland to the open woods at Virginia Water in Surrey, and from Wales to Norfolk. As in North America, however, I did not achieve the same result every time, nor attract some species which were known to be nearby; some birds seemed very inquisitive, while others remained in view only briefly. I suspect that successful ‘pishing’ attracts birds because the sound is acoustically similar to that which Marler (1955) noted in birds’ predator- mobbing calls; these calls, which have similar properties in many species (Marler 1959), are harsh, with a wide frequency range, and thus are easy to locate. This hypothesis seems consistent with the apparent scolding and searching behaviour shown by many of the birds attracted. I do not intend to imply that man is the presumed predator, but rather that the sound, as might be given by a real bird, signals a predator’s possible presence. Each bird within hearing range then acts as it would with the same information from perhaps a more conventional source. Some historical notes and other theorising about this method of attracting birds were compiled bv Tucker (1978). So, British birders, why not get out in the woods, purse your lips, and try some vigorous ‘pishes’? With practice, you may discover a new dimension to European birding, not to mention some ‘critters’ that otherwise you may not have even known were about. 138 Letters 139 I thank Professor William E. Davis, Jr, for reviewing an earlier draft of this letter and for offering several helpful suggestions. P. William Smith PO Box 1341, Homestead , Florida 33090, USA REFERENCES mari.er, P. 1 955. Characteristics of some animal calls. Nature 1 76: 6-8. 1 959. Developments in the study of animal communication. In Bell. P. R. (ed.). Darwin's Biological W ork: some aspects reconsidered: 150-206 ( 1 75- 1 76). Cambridge. I ucker, J . 1978. Swishing and squeaking. Birding 10: 83-87. Pishing is, we believe, already a much more commonly used bird-attracting technique of Hi ltish birders th^in P. \\ . Smith s letter may imply. I he topic is. however, an interesting one which we feel merits space in these pages. Eds ‘Pishing’ \\ hen I first did it, and finished up with a halo of tits Parus and ( -haffinches bringilla coelebs , I felt like he who must surely have been the first to do it: St Francis of Assissi! M. J. Rogers 4 Pentland Flats, St Mary's, Isles ofScilly TR2I OHY Announcements Sponsored by ■*jK0USrt)entp-ffoe pears ago... ‘SHAG IN SUFFOLK. On January 23rd, 191 1 , an immature Shag (Phalacrocorax graculus) was sent to me by post with a request to name it, and the following account of its capture: — “My son was riding his bicycle home the other evening about 7.30, and the bird seemed dazzled by the lamp, and flew up against it. He jumped off and caught it, and the next morning I cut the wing-feathers and turned it into a very large pond which I have in front of my house. Unfortunately this was partially frozen over, and the bird dived and got under the ice, and was drowned.” This occurred near Lavenham in west Suffolk about thirty-two miles from the sea.’ (Brit. Birds 4: 315, March 1911) / Turkey • Greece 'Austria • Sri Lanka • I hailand L Birdwatehing &Wildl# Holidays lor the discerning naturalist TURKEY AND GREECE CENTRAL & SOU THERN TURKEY 16 days April/May £695 EASTERN TURKEY (2 trips) 18 days May June £750 N/W TURKEY & GREECE 15 days Aug/Sept £595 CENTRAL TURKEY & BOSPHORUS MIGRATION 18 days Sepi £695 BOSPHORUS MIGRATION I 1 days £485 8 days £410 EASTERN AUSTRIA 12 days May £430 Programme for Winter 1987 SRI LANKA 21 daysjan £995 VENEZUELA 21 days Feb POA Privately organised parties, Clubs and special trips in Europe arranged for Bird enthusiasts. All trips led by Chris Slade or Steve Whitehouse. CHRIS L. SLADE 8 The Grange, Elmdon Park, Solihull, W'est Midlands B92 9EL. Tel: 021-742 5420/021-705 5535. In conjunction with Regent Holiday U.K. L.td. (1)639) Sponsors of ‘Bird Photograph of the Year' British Birds is most grateful to The Famous Grouse’ Scotch whisky and Zeiss West Germany for their support. Sponsors of the Rarities Committee ZEISS West Germany u n LTD. of BIRMINGHAM Binoculars-Telescope Dealers Wide Range-Top Quality- Discount Prices ZEISS 10 x 40 B/GAT CLOSE FOCUS F349.95 Sherwoods are the major Binocular and Telescope stockist in the Midlands-we carry large stocks of popular brands and guarantee the lowest price on goods in stock. Call into our shop in Birmingham. We offer Sale on Approval-Accept Part Exchange-Offer Credit Facilities. We offer Discounts for RSPB Members. Spring Special Mirador Armoured Spotting Scope: 30 x 70 £149.95 32 x 80 £179.95 11-13 Gt. Western Arcade, Birmingham B2 SHU. Tel: 021-236 7211. MAIL ORDER WELCOME-VISA-ACCESS. P&P FREE ON UK MAINLAND (Ubo I ) xiii Classified Advertisements All advertisements must be PREPAID HO LI DA Y ACCOM MO DA TION DARTMOUTH — relaxing holidays, beautiful River Dart, National Trust coast and Dartmoor. Choice of fully self-contained properties. Brochure: Powell, 20 South Town, Dartmouth. Tel: 2638. (BB598) WELSH BORDER. In a quiet rural location near Black Mountains, B&B/EM in private annexe with en suite WG and shower. No smokers/pets. Tel: 098123 620. (BB580) YORKSHIRE DALES — Coverdale. Personal attention, comfort and good food. B&B £7.50, EM optional. Sharpies, Well House, Horsehouse, Leyburn. Tel: Wensleydale 40612. (BB472) CEDARWOOD CHALET, 3 bed rooms, 2 bathrooms, sauna, sleeps 8. In woodland setting 3 miles from Loch Garten. Crested and other tits regularly seen in garden. Buckley, 3 Hoy Place, I’hurso, Scotland. Tel: 0847 63912. (BB596) COTTAGES GALORE. We have some 200 delightful cottages in all parts of Britain. A great variety of individual properties, all inspec- ted. Prices £20 to £50 per person per week. Get our free colour brochure: Antaro Cottage Holi- days, 22 High Street, Alton, Hampshire GU34 1 BN. Tel: 0420 88892. (BB594) LLEYN/SNOWDONIA. Period stone cot- tages, sleeps 5-8. Heating, fires, TV. Lakes, woods, fishing, birds. Privacy. Brochure. Glas- fryn Estate, nr Pwllheli. Tel: 076 688 203. (BB601) ISLE OF COLONSAY HOTEL, Argyll PA6I 7YP. Demi-pension (private bath) from £22. Details, brochures, map (bird list on request). Tel: 095 12 316. (BB600) NORTH NORFOLK, HOLT. Cosy cottage in quiet square. Modernised and refurnished. Coastline, sanctuaries, walking distance. Shops, pubs, two minutes. Birdwatching, painting or unwinding. Sleeps 2/4. From £80 p.w. Mrs Baich. Tel: 0442 53437. (BB398) LODGE HOUSE in charming village. Sleeps 5. Birdwatching Minsmere. Dogs welcomed. Write: Easton Hall. Woodbridge I PI 3 0EN. Tel: 0728 746232. (BB590) ISLES OF SCILLY, Mi ncarlo Guest House, St Mary’s. Superbly situated in own grounds overlooking the harbour. Write to: Colin Duncan or Tel: 0720 22513. (BB589) WEST SUSSEX. Black Mill House Hotel, Bognor Regis. Sea, Marine Gardens, 300 yds. Cocktail bar, games room, enclosed garden. Car park. Visit Arundel Wildfowl Trust. Mini-Breaks from £41.50 — 2 days. Member SEE Tourist Board. AA*. Brochure. Tel: 0243 821945. (BB611) WEST CORNWALL. Kelynack Caravan and Camping Park, St Just. Quiet sheltered valley with water course. Ideal centre. Modern caravans and facilities. Group rates. Tel: 0736 787633. ( BB647) NORTH YORKSHIRE DALES— Swaledale— Peat Gate Head Licensed Guest House, Low Row, Nr. Richmond, N. Yorkshire. Moorland, riverside, woodland, hedgerow habitats within easy reach of this warm, comfortable 300 years old Dales house. Stands alone, enjoys views of rare quality. Personal cooking assured. Rich- mond (0748) 86388. (BB649) ISLE OF MULL, StalTa Cottages. Small, comfortable guest house with friendly atmos- phere. On upper slopes of Tobermory Bay with views out to the Sound of Mull & Morvern. All rooms h&c, radiators & electric blankets. Stalfa Cottages Guest House. Tobermory PA75 6PL. Tel: 0688 2464. (BB651) COUNTRY COTTAGES between Alnwick & Belford sleep up to 6. Fully equipped, self- catering, available throughout the year. Well placed for Holy Island & Fame Islands. Cheviot Hills and many places of natural beauty. S.a.e.: Mrs P. Foster, Coxons, Craster, South Farm, Alnwick, Northumberland. Tel: 0665 76640. (BB389) CLOSE TO HILBRE ISLAND Bird Sanctuary, Wirral Way nature walk, etc. A warm welcome awaits you at The Park Hotel, West Kirby (licensed). Groups welcomed. Tel: 051-625 9319. (BB451) FARM COTTAGES between Lindisfarne Re- serve and The Fames. Comfortable and well equipped. Sorry no pets. Brochure: Mr J. McNish, Outchester Farm, Belford. North- umberland. Tel: 066 83 336. (BB45) WARM WELCOME, B&B/EM optional. Close to marshes. Heritage Coastal W'alks. Central for Cley and Titchwell reserves. Mrs Court, Eastdene, Northfield Lane, Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk. Tel: (0328) 710381. (BB251) BARGAIN BREAKS Small, recommended licensed hotel facing open countryside, on sands close to Beach and National Trust cliff walks. All bedrooms with bath/wc, colour TV and teamaker en suite. Four-poster beds. Heated Indoor swimming pool, (food food from extensive menu. Any 3 nights — £72.00. Any 5 nights — £115. Any 7 nights — £154 includes dinner, breakfast and VAT. Glencoe House Hotel Gwithian Village (St Ives Bay) Cornwall TR27 5BX. Tel: (0736) 752216 (BB429) XIV TO ADVERTISE PHONE 0621 815085 15th CENTURY COACHING INN midway Ross/Hereford amidst gentle wooded hills, 2 fields from River Wye. A comfortable and informal place, with proper emphasis on real lood real ales, civilised prices. Log fire, 12 ch bedrooms, lourposter. Egon Ronay, Relais Roulier, AA & RAC**. Green Man Inn. Fownhope, Hereford, l ei: Fownhope (04d 277) 243. *AA& RAC**. (BB367) MOST ATTRACTIVE choice of self-catering cottages, isolated and in beautiful surroundings overlooking the sea on a Westhighland Estate. Scotland’s natural beauty at its best. 1 he ideal holiday for the true country lover with wild life in abundance. For lull colour brochure please write to: File Booking Office, Hilary 7, Lochgilphead, Argyll. Tel: 08803 232/209 or 054685 223. (BB539) TROSSACHS. Two riverside log cabins for sell- catering or b&b in 18thC farmhouse of character. Secluded, but central for birdwatching, hill and forest walks, touring, fishing, watersports or golf. Open all year. Stroncslaney Farmhouse, Strathyre, Perthshire. Tel: 087 74 676. ( BB561 ) NORTH NORFOLK. Attractive comfortable cottage. 4 miles Blakeney. Sleeps 4. Pel: 032875 366. (BB552) OSPREY VISITORS to Loch Garten this Summer? Locheil OH offers BB: £5.50; DBB: £9.25; or self-eater Cottage (sleeps 6) rental £15 nightly, and Chalet (sleeps 4) £10 nightly. For details plus walks, slide-talks, films, local activities, write: Locheil, Boat ol Garten, Inverness-shire. Tel: 047 983 603. ( BB569) NORFOLK BROADS/EAST COAST. Com- fortable, modernised, riverside cottage. West Somerton. Sleeps 6. Rowing boat. Adjacent to Martham, Horsey, V\ interton. I el: 0622 52062. ( BB565) GALLOWAY. Hills, lochs, forests and sea. Speciality, birds of prey and waterfowl. High quality houses, cottages, flats. Details send 28p stamp to: G. M. Thomson & Co, 27 King Street, Castle Douglas. (BB441) A FLIGHT OF FANCY? No. only the solitude and bird life of a holiday in South-West Scotland. Brochure with all accommodation, prices and ideas from: Dumfries and Galloway lourist Board (B), Douglas House, Newton Stewart DG8 6DQ. Tel: 0671 3401. (BB519) YORKSHIRE’S HERITAGE COAST Varied and spectacular bird watching on the 350 ft cliffs around Flam borough and Bempton. A coast that’s rich in history and wildlife. Discover fossils, see the seals, explore the nature trails at Danes Dyke and South Landing. Send for details and Bridlington Colour Guide to: Publicity Dept. 90. 1 he Spa. Bridlington F.ast Yorkshire \ OI5 3JH. A contribution towards postage appreciated. (BB560) TITCHWELL, Manor Hotel, overlooking reserve. Centrally heated, licensed, informal. Noted for food and comfort. Tel: Brancaster (0485)210221. (BB410) NORTHUMBERLAND. Self- catering holiday cottages within easy reach ol Fame Islands/ Cheviots etc. Brochure on request. Northumbria Coast and Country Cottages, Riverbank Road, Alnmouth, Northumberland. T el: (0665) 830783 (24 hrs). (BB498) WELLS, NORFOLK B&B., (Les Routiers recommended). H & C., I ea and Coffee facilities in all rooms. Anne Taylor, T he Cobblers (0328 710155). (BB1II) EXMOOR for country and animal lovers. Farmhouse accommodation, bed and breakfast and evening meal, or self-catering cottage. Details from: French. Brendon Barton. Lynion, Devon. Tel: 059 87 201. (BB474) CETTI’S WARBLER, Ring-bills at Radipole Nature Reserve; migrations at Portland Bill. B&B or self-catering accommodation in superb surroundings at edge of Fleet Nature Reserve, Weymouth, Dorset. Home cooking. Warm wel- come. Mrs Mowlam. t> Fleet Lane. Chickerell, Weymouth, Dorset 1)13 IDF (039. >) 772298. ( BB529) MINSMERE 4m. B&B in comloriable private house, edge of village. Brochure/terms. Hills. ( )ld Mill House, Yoxfbrd, Suffolk. Tel: 536 BB60 5) COASTAL COTTAGES ol Pembrokeshire. Abercastle, Pembrokeshire National Park. 190 warm and well equipped owners' cottages, mostlv within sight and sound of sea and seals on Britain’s most bcautilul and natural coastline. Available all year from £60 per week. Tel: 034 83 742. (BB604) THE BOATHOUSE and birdwatchers go together! Small guesthouse situated on Town Beach. Write or phone for brochure. Hugh Town, St Man's (0720) 22688. tBB60.ii SALTHOUSE, BUNKS FOR BIRDERS in house with "Rustic garden overlooking N.N. I . reserve. Bunk & B from £4. B&B from £6. Local news. Liz Harris. Clev (0263) 740243. I BB606) NEAR PADSTOW. C ottages. sleep 2-3 and 4. close beach and estuary. Mr G. Edwards. 76 Somerset Place. Stoke. Plymouth. Tel: 0752 563594. ( BB607) ISLE OF MULL. Glen Houses. Dervaig, com- bine modern comfort and absolute tranquillity with superb views of Bcllart estuary Brochure: King. Dervaig 270 (24 hrs). (BB608) NORTH NORFOLK COAST, fishermen’s cottages. Open all year. Oak beams. Colour TV and open fires Oct/March, Ray Hewitt. Brig Square Holidav Cottages, Freeman Street. W ells next the Sea. Tel: 0328 710440. ( BB609) xv Peacefully Secluded 16th century former Rectory with Original Character & Charm. Very best oj food, freshly cooked 5 course DINNER B 8c B £23.50 max. En-suite, Family and FOUR POSTER rooms. Near — Birds, Beaches, Moors, quaint old villages Ashley Courtenay recommended. Guestaecotn Good Room Award THE OLD RECTORY COUNTRY HOUSE HOTEL St. Keyne, Liskeard, Cornwall Tel: 0579 4261 7 ( BB595) NORTH NORFOLK’S HERITAGE COAST. Flint cottage in small, peaceful village. Close sea, broads and marshland birdwatching areas. Sleeps 6 4- cot. Full G.H., Colour T.V., Parking. Available all year. Brochure from Sanderlings, Pineapple House, St Martins Lane, Norwich NR3 3AG. (BB372) WITH MINSMERE, N orth Warren and Haver- gate Island on the doorstep you are in Bird- watchers’ Paradise. We can provide your mat- erial comforts. Warm welcome, excellent food, good wine, real ales, TV lounge. Small 18th century family run hotel. AA appointed. Central heating. 2 day weekend breaks, dinner, bed and breakfast £29.50 per person. John and Jean Doyle, White Horse Hotel, Leiston, Suffolk. Tel: 0728 830694. (BB583) AUTHENTIC GYPSY CARAVAN. Beauti- fully sited on private (Lae District) nature reserve. Frahm, Haybridge, Bouth, Ulverston, Cumbria (022 986) 412. (BB551) CAIRNGORMS — Nethy bridge near Aviemore. Choice of unique converted smithy, hay loft, cottages and bungalows. Very comfortable, well furnished, central healing and col. TV from £80- £285 pw. Mrs C. Patrick, Chapclton Place, Forres. Tel: 0309 72505. (BB556) ISLE OF MULL, Torosay Castle, Craignure. Golden eagles often seen in the area. 20 species in the garden and over 200 recorded on the island. Mull is a paradise. Gardens open year-round. Castle 1 May-30 Sept. One flat and two cottages to let. Special monthly winter terms. For terms apply: The Secretary. Tel: 06802 42 1 . (BB564) UNUSUAL AND INTERESTING bird and animal life can be seen on the historic Fursdon Estate tucked away in the unspoiled, wooded Devon countryside. Clean, comfortable and fully equipped self-catering accommodation. Log fires, CH in winter, col TV. Details and brochure: Mrs Catriona Fursdon, Fursdon House, Cadbury, Exeter. Tel: Exeter 860860. (BB502) MINSMERE 5 miles. Listed Tudor farmhouse, b&b, dinner available — fresh home cooked food. TV, CH, separate sitting room. For brochure telephone: MrsJ. Seagon, Laurel Farm House, Kelsale, Yoxford (0728 77) 223. (BB548) NESTLING in quiet Whiteadder V’alley in Lammermuir foothills. Trout fishing in season. Sleeps 5 4- baby. Prentice, Cockburn Mill, Duns, Berwickshire. (BB588) CLEY, Bed and Breakfast in comfortable home, all the year round, Birkhead, The Old House, Cley. Tel: 0263 740996. (BB424) DUNWICH. Holiday cottage, sea V* mile, overlooking marshes, sleeps 6 plus 2 children. Ideally situated for Minsmere and surrounding countryside.. Fully furnished and equipped personally supervised. £20.00 per day. Reduced rates for March-October. Dogs allowed, car parking. Details from R. Green, 53 Albany Road, West Bergholt, Colchester (106 3LB. Tel: 0206 241716. (BB531 ) LAWNS HOTEL, Holt, North Norfolk. Roomy Georgian House on the outskirts of a picturesque Georgian town, centrally situated for the sea. Comfortable, centrally heated, home cooking, vegetarians catered for, friendly atmosphere, licensed, low cost two day bargain breaks of BB&D open all year. Tel: 026 371 3390. (BB541) ISLE OF MULL. A stable converted into 2 warm comfortable flats. Frachadil Farm, Calgary. Tel: 068 84 265 or (0573) 24852. ( BB540) VISIT BEMPTON and Flamborough Head for the best in sea bird watching, Spring and Autumn migrants. Summer breeding. Stay at the Flane- burg Hotel, Flamborough. BB/EM from £29. Two days. Full details, contact us on (0262) 850284. ' (BB533) BED AND BREAKFAST. Mrs D. Crowden, Rosevilla, Middleton, Saxmundham, Suffolk. Tel: Westleton 489 between 6-7 pm. (BB50) BETWEEN CROMER AND SHERINGHAM. 3 bedroomed cottage. Pleasant coastal village. A. Lee, “Woodlands”, Holt Road, Aylmerton NR I 1 8QA. Eel: West Runton (026 375) 480. (BB545) SEE PUFFINS, skuas, seals and a lot more. Private boat takes you among otherwise inaccessible colonies. A nature-lover’s dream. Full board in castle, or self-catering cottages. Send for details: Balfour Castle, Shapinsay. Orkney. Tel: 085 67 1 282. (BB542) ROYAL FOREST OF DEAN, Colelord, Lambsquay Hotel AA*H&B. All facilities. Delicious food and wine. Peaceful surroundings. Dogs welcome. S/c flat available — special breaks. I cl: 0594 33 127 for brochure. ( BB344) HEBRIDES, l hc Hotel, Isle of Coll. Argyll PA 78 6SZ. Pel: 087 93 334. AA* RAC. Open all year, central heating. Over 100 species to be seen including skuas, raptors, water rail etc. May we send you our brochure? ( BB546) HOLIDAY ON SHAPINSAY in the unspoilt Orkney Islands. Walking, bird watching, seal colonies. Farmhouse B&B and evening meal. Home cooking, local produce. Tel: Mrs J. Wallace, 085 67 1 256. ( BB524) CLEY — 6 miles. Flint cottage sleeps 2. Cot available. SAE: Mrs Hampshire, Riverbank, Hunworth, Melton Constable, Norfolk, l ei: Holt 3891. (BB537) GALLOWAY LICENSED RESTAURANT with B& B accommodation available all v ear. The Smithy, New Galloway, Castle Douglas DG7 3RM Tel: 06442 269. (BB281) xvi TO ADVERTISE PHONE 0621 815085 MINSMERE 12 miles B.&B or B.B.&E. meals. Excellent farmhouse cooking with friendly atmosphere. Daily or weekly rates. Phone Ubbeston (098883) 235 for reservations. (BB428) RYDAL. I wo cottages, sleep 4 and 6, weekly lets. Fisher Hoggarth, 52 Kirkland, Kendal. Tel: 0539 22592, office hours. (BB476) ANGLESEY. Rhoscolyn, Holy Island. Groups ol families up to 20. 3 dorms, all facilities self or full catering. AONB, 300m coast, close Reserves. Excellent birds. Tel: 0407 860469. (BB616) MID WALES. Golf Hotel, Borth, Dyfed. Small family hotel, licensed, good food, ideal centre for Ynys-hir reserve, kite and chough country. Tele- phone: (097081) 362. (BB471 ) WIVETON. Blakency and Cley one mile. 16th century cottage, sheltered, beautiful. Sleeps 5-6. Woodhousc, The Old Farmhouse, Lancing College, West Sussex. (BB385) BRIDLINGTON convenient for Bempton Sanctuary. Comfortable, centrally heated, sea and harbour views. B& B Irom £8 per night. I he Clarence, 3 Marlborough Terrace, Bridlington (0262)671784. (BB566) WELLS NEXT THE SEA, close harbour. CF1, garage, 5 + cot. Stevens, 4 Bell’s Court, Castle Street, Cambridge. Tel: Cambridge 66014. (BB550) EXE ESTUARY, DEVON. Turf Hotel famous for Avocets and other waders. Set in a quiet, unique position in centre of conservation area. Ring Bill or Caroline Stuart 0392 833128. (BB575) CLEY. Attractive house in village, four bed- rooms, large garden, garage, c.h. Available all year. Details from Mrs E. Album, 47 Lyndale Avenue, London NW2. Tel: 01-431 2942. (BB58) GARA MILL, Slapton. Comfortable, warm self-catering Cedar Lodges carefully sites in four acres overlooking river and woods. 2 CH flats in 16thC. cornmill available all year. Sleeps 2-6. Dogs welcome. For coloured brochure ring Stoke Fleming 770295. (BB563) LYNTON. Breath-taking views over Lynmouth Bay. Imaginative menu — super cooking. Every comfort — smiling service. Information from R Peacock, Seawood Hotel, North Walk, Lynton EX35 6HJ. Tel: 0598 52272. (BB576) PERTHSHIRE, Sutherland, North Wales and other areas. Self-catering holiday accommoda- tion. For brochure write to: Finlayson Hughes, 82 Atholl Road, Pitlochry, Perthshire. Tel: 0796 2512. LYNTON, N. Devon. David Blakemore and Robert Scutier assure you ol a warm welcome at Woodlands Hotel. Good food and relaxation. Licensed. Within Exmoor National Park; many splendid walks and many species of both wood- land and sea birds. Sorry, no children or pets. Tel: 0598 52324. (BB475) [COMBE MARTIN The quiet part of Devon FREE Brochure phone 0271 88 2692 ^ T_^ ( BB586) - GALLOWAY for coast. Lochs and Hills. Private Hotel ideally situated for birdwatching and holidays. Small parties welcome. Comfortable accommodation and excellent food. Open all year. Tel: 0556 2173. Merrick Hotel, Castle Douglas, Kirkcudbrightshire. (BB6I7) ISLE OF WIGHT. Attractive self-contained flat sleeps 4-6. Marsh, Downs, Clifls, Heath & Migration Points are all within 2 miles. £80-£ 1 30. Elliston House, Iotland Bay, LOAN. 0983 754469. (BB623) NEAR ST DAVIDS. 3 comfortable seif-catering cottages. WTB Special Award Brochure: L. J. Rickards, West Lodge Farm. Butterhill. St Ishmaels, Haverfordwest. Tel: Dale 514. (BB624) CLEY. 3 Quality cottages (sleep 4, 6 and 8). Quiet. Comfortable. Excellent value Brochure: (0353) 740770. (BB625) ISLE OF MULL. Enjoy friendly atmosphere ol small comfortable guest house run by keen ornithologist. Pete Miller. Baliscate, Iobermory. Tel: 0688 2352. (BB627) DERBYSHIRE/PEAK DISTRICT. Self- catering properties. Personally inspected. Rural Vacations Ltd, Pipworth Lane. Eckington, Sheffield S3 1 9EY . Tel: 0246 432202. ( BB630) ISLE OF MULL. A small guest house and farm in lovely countryside a mile from Dervaig village. 2 miles from coast. The best of home cooking in the Highland tradition. Write tojenny Matthew, Ardrioch, Dervaig, Isle of Mull, or tel: 068 84 264. (BB632) PENNAL. Between Machynlleth/ Aberdovey Secluded cottage in peaceful valley. B&B & cm. Mrs Valentine, Cwm Dwr, Pennal, Machynlleth, Powys. Tel: Pennal 610. (BB634) PIED FLYCATCHERS, BUZZARDS and B&B at Appletree Cottage. Mansel Lacy, Hereford. Tel: 098 122 688. (BB635) PEMBROKESHIRE— Beautiful coast and islands (Skomer. Ramsey). Cliffs teeming with sea birds and flowers. Quiet estuaries and Presell Hills. Bed and breakfast, optional evening meal. Comfortable accommodation and good food at reasonable rates. Gerald and Doreen T ait, Church Farmhouse. Puncheston, Haverford- west Dvfed SA62 5RN. Tel: 034882 429. ’ (BB642) ANGLESEY. Superb bcachside hotel with magnificent views. Ideal centre for bird watchers and botanists in area noted for its lakes, reserves and coastline of outstanding beauty . Come to Highground' AA listed, licensed, for warm welcome, excellent food and accommodation. Brochure: Mrs. Karen Hayter, Highground. Ravenspoint Road. Trearddur Bay, Gwynedd LL65 2YY. Tel: 0407 860078. (BB643) xv ji ISLE OF RAASAY, by Skye. Quiet island ideal for hillwalking, fishing and birdwatching. Splen- did views of Skye mountains, etc. NeVv friendly hotel offers modern comforts and good food. Daily car ferries from Skye. Contact Isle of Raasav Hotel, Raasay, Kyle IV40 8PB. Tel: 047 862 222 or 226. (BB571) KITE COUNTRY twixt Tregaron and Lampeter. RSPB members offer warm welcome in comfort- able secluded house of character. Excellent food, lovely views, reasonable terms. Tel: 057 045 227. (BB521 ) WELLS, B&B, comfortable accommodation, full c.h. Warm welcome. Shayes, Lodore, Warham Road. Tel: 0328 710470. (BB382) ISLE OF ISLAY, HEBRIDES. Five superbly equipped cottages, open throughout year. Perfect situation with views, minutes to charming village. Short drive to R.S.P.B. reserve at Gruinart. Brochure: Mrs Sarah Roy, Lorgba Holiday Cottages, Port Charlotte, Isle of Islay, Argyll. Tel: 049 685/208. (BB430) ISLES OF SCILLY— Seaview Moorings, St. Mary’s. Home cooking and personal service from resident proprietors, Tony and Linda. Over- looking harbour, close to quay and town — licensed — in-room tea and coffee making facili- ties— pets welcome. SAP. for details or telephone Pony or Linda Dingley on 0720 22327. (BB437) OLD HUNSTANTON. The White Cottage guest house, beautifully situated. Overlooking Wash. Ideal birdwatching. B&B/EM. Special rates OAPs. Mrs U. Burton. 19 Wodehouse Road. Old Hunstanton, Norfolk. Tel: 048 53 2380. (BB528) ISLE OF COLL, ARGYLL. Ideal for walkers, naturalists, bird watchers. Secluded beaches. Otters, seals. Book our special bird watching week 26lh April to 3rd May with Roger Boughton, MBOU, resident ornithologist as party leader. Pighnamara licensed Guest House, Isle of Coll, Argyll. Tel: 08793 354. (BB520) NATIONAL TRUST VILLAGE on Exmoor. Self-catering holiday homes. Centrally heated, near Porlock. Sea, moors, woods and marshes all within walking distance. Stamp for brochure. Sheila Wright, The Pack Horse, Allerford. Nr. Minehead. Tel: (0643) 862475. (BB509) NEAR MINSMERE, delightful converted barn. Sleeps 6/7. Fully equipped and linen provided. Turner, V ine Cottage, T he Street, Middleton, Saxmundham: Tel: W’estleton 208 after 6pm. (BB254) LAKE DISTRICT, between Kendal/Winder- mere, 17th century manor house in own grounds. All bedrooms colour TV, tea-making facilities and h&c. Dinner, bed, breakfast £18 per person. Aitken, High Hundhowe, Burneside, Kendal I .A8 9AB. Tel : 0539 22707. (BB41 9) NR. NTH NFK RESERVES. ( juest House run by birder for birders. Haydn House, Avenue Road, Hunstanton. Tel: 331 15. (BB308) ISLES OF SCILLY TRELAWNEY GUEST HOUSE, ST. MARY’S Marjorie and David Townend welcome you for Spring and Autumn Birdwatching. Home cooking, good wine, central heating, wood- burner in lounge, CB reports. Close to Quay and Town Centre. £9.50-£10 for B&B (inc. VAT). Special weekly rate for parties of 8- 10. E/.Vl available. SAEor phone 0720/22377. (BB549) NORMANDY HOTEL, St Mary’s. Licensed. Central heating, heated pool, sea views, amid main birdwatching area and beaches. Radio, intercom, baby-listening, mini-bus. Special terms for large parties. Apply sae brochure: J. G. Thomas 0720 22773. (BB527) DISCOVER SHETLAND for ornithology, peace and quiet. Advice on travel, Busta Country House Hotel, Brae, Shetland ZE2 9QN. I el: 080 622 506. (BB587) MINSMERE 7 MILES. Bed and breakfast at moated farmhouse in peaceful country setting. Hill House, Sibton. Tel: Y oxford 662. ( BB599) OVERSEAS HOL ACC SIERRA CAZORLA NATIONAL PARK. Privately operated guesthouse. April-Nov., max. sleeps 4. B&B, EM optional, naturalist's para- dise. rich birdlife. Details: K. (j. Meyer, Aptdo. 51 Cazorla(Jaen). Spain. (BB613) CHARMINGLY RENOVATED FARM- HOUSE, peaceful village in Languedoc, prox- imity mountains, lakes, Mediterranean. Infor- mation: Mrs Bairstow, 12540 Fondamente, France. (BB558) MAJORCA, NORTH. Family run hotel. Half- board. Out of season car hire £35 pw. lei: 531998. “Oriola” Pollensa. (BB570) BIRD IVA TCHING HO LI DA VS CALF OF MAN BIRD OBSERVATORY. Hostel type accommodation from April to October. Details from the Secretary, the Manx Museum, Douglas, Isle of Man. Tel: 0624 75522/ 25125. (BB6Q2) BIRDING IN NORTH AMERCIA Point Pelee — North America’s Clay — and Algonquin Park — Northern Specialities. Escorted Tour in Self-Drive Campers 8th-22nd May 1986. Write for details; J. M. B. Travel Ltd, Freepost, Fishguard, Dyfed. (BB648) xviii TO ADVERTISE PHONE 0621 815085 FALKLAND ISLANDS Falkland Islands specialised wildlife. Get close to nesting black-browed albatrosses, 5 species of penguin, other rare birds. Gdr Angus Erskine leading small group 20 Nov ’H6 on 2 week trip, about £2,500. Many other wildlife expeditions to Arctic July /Aug '86 from £950 either staying at lodges, in boats, or camping. Write: Erskine Expeditions, 1 /8 Ferryfield, Edinburgh (BB420) B1RDWATCH, CORNWALL. 21-27th March 198b, £112 inclusive; 4- 10th October 1986, £112 inclusive. 5 days of field trips, special help for beginners. Exciting seabirds, waders, ducks and birds of prey. Local RSPB leaders. I wo star hotel with Scandinavian leisure centre. For brochure and bird list phone Pauline Boss, 0736 795294, Karenza Hotel, St. Ives, Cornwall. (BB535) SKOKHOLM/SKOMER ISLANDS, PEM- BROKESHIRE. Thousands of seabirds, carpets of flowers. Some courses. S.a.e. Dept BB, WWTNC, 7 Market Street, Haverfordwest, Dyfed SA6 1 INF. (BB554) HIGHLAND SAFARIS: 23rd season led by Derek Hulme and Allister Brebner. Choose from 6 scenic north and west coast centres — Skye. Morvern, Gairloch, Ullapool. Durness and Strathpefler. Visits by minicoach, boat and leisurely walking to remote beaches, dills, glens and bird islands. Ideal holiday for singles and couples in middle/upper age groups. Kyle and Glen, Muir ol Old. Ross-shire 1V6 71 Q. Pel: 0463 870363. (BB593) MIGRATE TO FAIR ISLE this year! Midway between Orkney and Shetland this beautiful rugged island olfers a relaxing wildlife holiday for all the family. Enjoy comfortable full board accommodation and explore the island’s mag- nificent cliff scenery, fine seabird colonies, migrant birds, flora, knitwear and fascinating island life. For details/bookings write (sae): Liz Riddiford (C), Fair Isle Bird Observatory. Fair Isle, Shetland, or tel: 035 12 258. (BB486) £86: CORNWALL FOR BIRDS. 19-26 April and 11-18 October 1986. Trevone Hotel, Newquay. Centrally heated. Delicious food. Talks, films, field outings. 2 to 4 leaders inc. Eric Grace - Jack Wright. Inclusive price for room with sh/wc and DB&B for the week. £8b. Also Cornwall lor W i Id flowers and Gardens. £5 - . Hotel and sp. int. brochures. Eel: Pamela Chegwin (0637) 87309. (BB525) PORTUGAL BIRDWATCHING HOLIDAYS ALL THE YEAR Escorted by a resident English Birdwatcher Transport included and accommodation Hotel or Self-Catering Free brochure write: Bonvista Travel Freepost BB Chelmsford CM1 4BR or Telephone: 0245 356966 (24 hrs) (BB614) BODMIN MOOR NATURE OBSERVA- TORY oilers enjoyable and relaxed holidays watching birds with regular conducted field trips to delightful moorland and coastal habitats. 168 species logged in 1985. Help given to beginners. Eor lull details and 1985 observations sae to Tony Miller, B.MNO, Milestones Farm. Liskeard PL14 6SD. Tel: 0579 20455. (BB538) CRUISES HEBRIDES/ST KILDA. View at close quarters the wide varieties of birdlife which colonise the spectacular Western Isles. Fully inclusive cruises with plenty of lime ashore. Brochure: Kylebhan Charters Ltd, 101 Norman Road. West Mailing. Kent ME19 6RN. Telephone (0732) 841467. (BB581) COURSES BIRDWATCHING ACTIVITY WEEKS 25-30 May 1986 — 1-6 June 1986 “BIRDS OF SPEYSIDE” A repeat of last year’s success with conducted visits and walks, slidetalks, film and social. Tutors: RSPB Wardens, Roy Dennis Resident Guide: Michael Phillips Course Fee: £48 For information, SAE please to: I ourist Association. Boat of Garten. Inverness-shire (BB645) PR OPER TY TO LET NORTH SHROPSHIRE — Colemere. Nr. Ellesmere. Long, full repairing lease on secluded thatched half-timbered cottage, overlooking noted ornithologically interesting lake. Suit keen naturalist. Send £1.50 for particulars to the Countv Valuer and Land Agent. Shirehall. Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury. Telephone Shrewsbury 252371 (BB629) XIX OVERSEAS BIRDING ABROAD? Site guides and trip reports on: Kenya, Gambia, Thailand, India, Israel, Morocco, Canaries, Madeira, Mallorca, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa etc. Tel: 0905 54541. (BB448) WILDLIFE HO LI DA YS CORSICAN SPRING— A two week pro- gramme (May/June) of guided wilderness walks and wildlife watching in Corsica. Details from Castle Head Field Centre, Grange over Sands, Cumbria LAI 1 6QT. Telephone 04484-4300. (BB644) HORNPIPE — visit remote breeding grounds, Hebrides, Orkney in 62 ft yacht. Max 6 guests for space apd comfort. Woodstove, home cooking. Hornpipe Cruises, Kingie, Invergarry, Inverness- shire PH35 4HS. " (BB473) BISHOPSTEIGNTON HOUSE Centre for Learning and Leisure WOODLAND BIRDS 2-4 MAY BIRDS AND THE ECOLOGY OF THE S.W. COASTLINE 20-26JULY MIGRATORY BIRDS 26-28 SEPT plus many other courses. I he perfect spot lor studying wildlife, overlooking the beautiful Feign estuary and close to Dartmoor. Excellent cuisine, comfortable accommoda- tion. Bishopsteignton, S. Devon TQ14 9SD. Tel: (06267) 5270. (BB534) KENYA 2-week tented Birdwatching/Wildlife Safaris dept 1st and 15th August visiting National Gameparks and Rift Valley Lakes. Inclusive £985. India 3-week Rajasthan tour. Jaipur, Udaipur, Pushkar Camel Fair, Taj Mahal. Palace accommodation, dept 1st November £1,450. Adventure Agency, The Square, Ramsbury, Wiltshire. (0672 20569). (BB631) CHINA Ornithology - Nature - Fascinating China. Journeys for everyone with an interest in travelling to China and its nature. Three Special Journeys (1 ) Wolong Panda Reserve/Mt Siguniang with Jeffery Boswall - May ’86. (2) Nature beyond Sian (inc. Zalong N.R.) with Roger Lovegrove -June ’86. (3) Birdwatch China ’86 - Shangdong Peninsula - Martin Williams - April ’86. U (A on'N1 m r- Tel 24-hour Brochure Order Service SCT- CHINA Rose Crescent, Cambridge CB2 3LL. (0223) 31 1 1 03 Telex: 81 8822 PTA HOL 1*3” O ABTA/IATA (BB622) EcoSafaris AFRICA KENYA ★ TANZANIA ★ ZAIRE ★ MALAWI ★ ZIMBABWE ★ BOTSWANA ★ ZAMBIA Thinking of a birdwatching and wildlife safari in Africa? Join one of our escorted tours led by Sybil Sassoon, Ernest Neal, Peter Lack, Mark Boulton or other professionals. We have our own superb safari camps in Zambia and Zaire. Write, phone or call by: ECOSAFARIS (UK) Ltd. 146 Gloucester Road. London SW7 4SZ Telephone: 01-370 5032 (BB612) xx TO ADVERTISE PHONE 0621 815085 Royal Society for the Protection of Birds INVESTIGATIONS OFFICER (subject to approval 1 .4.86) Salary range £6963-£1 0,521 (review 1.4.86) Due to internal promotion a vacancy has arisen for the above, based at the Society’s headquarters in Sandy. After training the successful applicant will be required to take part in countrywide enquiries into offences against wild bird protection legislation. This will often involve working closely with the police and HM Customs & Excise. Applicants must be prepared to spend considerable time away from home; should possess good orniiho- logical knowledge; be aware of current conservation issues; hold a current, full driving licence and have the ability to communicate clearly and concisely both verbally and in writing. Preferred age 25-35. Should an appointment be made prior to 1 st April, the successful candidate may commence duties earlier on an interim contract basis. Initial salary placement will be according to experience. For job description and application form send sae to Personnel, RSPB, The Lodge, Sandy, Beds SGI 9 2DL. (BB61 5) BIRD REPORT Norfolk Ornithologists Association 1985 annual report out March covers migration — Norfolk ('.oast. Price £2.50 plus post. Visitors welcome at our coastal reserves inc. Home Bird Observatory, open daih non- members 10.30 am to 4 pm. Permit fee on arrival. Advance booking for parties. 288 species listed. Walsey Hills Migration Watch Point, Salthouse. Open 6 days weekly. Closed Mondays except Bank Holidays. Call in for migration news. New & s/hand books, bird photos, slides, binoculars & telescopes. Both Reserves wardened full-time. Mini- mum subscription (includes access reserves, N.O.A.s and Norfolk Bird & Mammal Reports). Family £12; Husband/W ife £1 1.00 and single £8.00 N.O.A. Office, Aslack Way. Holme next Sea, Hunstanton, Norfolk. (BB638) BIRD CLUBS ! SPB CENTRAL LONDON GROUP: enjoy irdwatching with the CLG. Frequent coach & •cal field outings, regular lectures. Newsletter om Mary Woozley, Basement Flat, 21 Holland treet, London VV8 4NA. (SAE please). ( BB579) PERSONAL CRETE— EASTER BIRDWATCHING, hints, sites, checklist. £2.50 inc p.&p. S. Coghlan, 25 Thorpe Lane, Huddersfield, W. Yorks HD5 81 A. (BB417) THE HAWK TRUST cares about all birds of prey. Why not help us with our conservation projects? For information, contact The Member- ship Secretary (JB). The Hawk Trust. FREE- POST. Beckenham, Kent. Tel: Loughborough 215598. ( BB459) THE GREAT BRITISH BIRDTABLE. Feed- ing the birds seems to be a national obsession. There are more birdtables in Britain than anywhere else in the world and they are soon to be featured in a new BBC' Natural History Unit programme to be filmed over the next two winters. If you have unusual visitors to your feeding station the BBC would like to hear from you. Novel designs and unusual locations are also of interest. Please write to: The Great British Birdtable, Room 142. BBC? Bristol. W hiteladies Road. Bristol BS82LR. (BB618) BIRDING IN PERU? Phone Nick Gardner 01-660 0910 for essential 67 page (Many Maps) fully typed report. (BB639) PLEASE MENTION BRITISH BIRDS xxi BOOKS HENRY SOTHERAN LTD, ICBP, RSPB London ’s leading ornithological book stockists IN STOCK — Tate: Birds, Men and Books. £13.95. Clancey: The Rare Birds of Southern Africa. £22.50. Mullens & Swann: A Bibliography of British Ornithology. A limited stock available at the pre-publication price. £28.00. Forshaw & Cooper: Kingfishers and Related Birds. Vol. 1 and II now available. £900.00. ICBP, B I O, BOU Publications and a surprising range of smaller books & reports. Superb stock available for browsing. 2, 3, 4 & 5 SackviUe St, London W1 X 2DP. 01-734 1 150. Just oil Piccadilly. Mon-Fri 9.00-5.30. (BB584) BIRD BOOKS 1847-1984, large SAE for catalogue. Crack Books, Sawmill Cottages, Burton-in-Lonsdale, Carnforth. Lancs. (BB597) NEW CATALOGUE of second-hand natural history books now available, stamp appreciated. Little Holcombe Books, 52 Bridge Street. Ramsbottom, Bury , Lancs. (BB633) ORNITHOLIDAYS GUIDES in the Let’s look at . . .’ series. Majorca, SW Spain, The Camargue, Montenegro, Ethiopia, Eastern Austria, South Morocco, North East Greece, Vancouver and The Rockies, Sri Lanka, Lapland and Arctic Norway, The Gambia, and North West Turkey, £2.80 per copy. Ornitholidays, 1-3 Victoria Drive, Bognor Regis, Sussex P021 2PW. (BB636) ‘BIRD BOOKS’. Good secondhand books bought and sold. Free catalogue from, and offers to Briant Books, 94 Quarry Lane, Kelsall. Tarporley, Cheshire CW6 ON J. Tel: 0829 51804. (BB641) THE BIRDS OF THE ASHDOWN FOREST by Alan Barnes, 70 pages, 30 black and white photographs, map, paperback. A new survey of this interesting area. Price £3.95 plus 35p postage. Order now from A & H Books, 23 Andrew Road. Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN49DN. (BB592) BOOKS ON BIRDS. New and secondhand, catalogue 30p stamps. Surplus books urgently sought. BB bought and sold. Open Monday to Saturday. Bird Books of Sevenoaks, 67 London Rd, Sevenoaks, Kent. Tel: 0732 455899. (BB245) Please order all your BIRD BOOKS from BRITISH BIRDSHOP’ Please use the form on the cut-out page in this issue. The purchase of books and recordings through ‘British BirdShop’ subsidises every subscription, and adds extra pages and extra photographs to every issue of British Birds ( B B467) THE BIRD BOOKSHOP SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGISTS’ CLUB Wide range of titles in stock Free catalogue from: 21 Regent Terrace, Edinburgh EH 7 5BT. Tel: 031-556 6042 (BB239) QUALITY BIRD BOOKS— lor latest list write to A. & H. Books, 23 Andrew Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. (BB497) RARE AND SECONDHAND books on birds, natural history, gardening and field sports bought and sold. Peter Blest, Wateringbury, Maidstone, Kent. Tel: 0622 812940. (BB572) NATURAL HISTORY BOOKS. Secondhand and new bought and sold. Catalogues: J. E. Oliver, Malt Cottage, Croft Yard, Wells, Norfolk. (BB553) FINE NATURAL HISTORY BOOKS bought and sold. R. Norman. Hart-on-the-Hill, Dalton Piercv, Hartlepool, Cleveland. Tel: 0429 73857. (BB303) BIRD & NATURAL HISTORY books bought and sold. Catalogues issued. We are very keen to buy good quality stock, so if you have surplus items please allow' us to make you an oiler — St Ann’s Bookshop, 2 St Ann’s Road, Great Malvern, Worcs (068 45) 62818. (BB532) WANTED COLLECTOR wishes to purchase Morris’s Birds, Bannerman’s Birds, and any other interesting Natural History Books or Paintings. David Brodie, Hazel Bank. 106 Castlemain Avenue, Southbourne, Bournemouth, Dorset 0202 431997. (BB530) BRITISH BIRDS. Bound volumes in good condition. 1 have got vols. 39-78 (1946-85) and want to extend my run backwards, so currently seek vols. 38, 37, 36 and so on. Tim Sharrock, Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK 14 3NJ. (BB585) FOR SALE BIRD JOURNAL BACKNUMBERS SUP- PLIED. (BB, B ird Study, County Reports etc) David Morgan, Whitmore, Umberleigh, Devon. (BB418) DECOY DUCKS beautifully hand carved. £16.45. SAE to: Hilary’s Quilts. II Priory Avenue, London W4 FIX. (BB610) BRITISH BIRDS yols. 46-71 inclusive. 6 issues missing, “Hastings” included, £150 ono + p&p £15. Box No. 67, c/o Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham. Bedford MK44 3NJ. (BB591) SURPLUS STOCK of used Slik SL67 and D2 Tripods, plenty in stock and all in excellent condition, only £38.00 each. Call Langley Mill Photo Centre, 121 Station Road, Langley Mill, Nottinghamshire. Tel: Langley Mill 760600. (BB626) XXII WEST MIDLAND BIRD REPORTS, 1984 £2.80, 1981, 82 & 88, £2.30 each. Birds of the West Midlands, £17, Ruddy Duck car sticker, 50p. All prices me. I’& Plrom Mrs. 1). Dunstan, 4 Blossomfteld Road, Solihull. B91 1LD. (BB621) TUNNICLIFFE. The Composition Drawings with 53 unpublished colour and 142 black and white illustrations. ‘ The last remaining treasure from his Studio’ 72 page Souvenir of March '8b Exhibition with introduction and commentary by Robert Gillmor. Special price to B.B. readers — £6.50 inch P&P from l’etina Press (BB), 132 Beechwood Avenue, St Albans AL1 45 1). ( BB628) ^BRITISH BIRDS 1978-84. Unbound Oilers. Gray, 2b Chaucer Rd., Bath (0225) 315879. (BB620) ZEISS/LEITZ binoculars for sale & wanted. P/EX. 21 Crescent Grove, London SW4 7AF. (BBt.37) RARE BIRDS ON VIDEO MOVIES. Filmed in UK 1983/85. Includes Ross’s Gull; Pied. Desert. Black-eared Wheatears; Roller; Bobo- link. Marsh. Stilt. Least, Upland Sandpipers; Little Crake; Pine Bunting. 57 species. YH S/Beta cassette £ lb 4- £1 P& P. Alan Shaw, Breat h Lane. \ Melbourne. Derby 1 el: 0332 8b207;>. (BB640) CARL ZEISS JEN A BINOCULARS. Notarem 10 X 40 with case v.g.c. £ 100. 1 el: 0793 4587b. (BB650) Some of the special oilers to be found in our new colour brochure: Send today lor your copy . 100% COTTON FIELD SHIRTS Country checks in shades of green & brown. 3 for £26.50 post free. (1 of each colour). ALSO towelling Rainchokers. moleskin trousers, breeks and shirts. V\ ax jackets, sweaters. Ladies made to measure trousers and breeks. Countrystyle Sporting Clothes High Street, Ruabon, Wrexham, Clwydd LL14 6BO. Tel: 0978 821 237 24hr answering service for AcccssA isa (BB543) BRITISH BIRDS BOUND VOLUMES 1977, to 1985 inclusive in absolute Mint Condition. Oilers to: Kenneth Cooper. Abbeywood House. Newstead Abbey Park, Nottinghamshire NG158GI). (BB619) BRITISH WARBLERS & GARDEN BIRDS are two, hour-long stereo cassettes in a series ol six titles. Only £4 each inch p&p. SAE details. Richard Margoschis, 80 Mancetter Road, Ather- stoneCV9 1NH. (BB573) PARABOLIC REFLECTOR specially designed for recording birdsong. Hand or tripod mounting. £30 incl p&p. SAE details. Richard Margoschis, 80 Mancetter Road. Atherstone CV9 1NH (BB574) TalktoA.R.Hawkins about Binoculars! SAVE E£££s— BE WISE— BUY FROM BRITAIN’S BINOCULAR/TELESCOPE SPECIALISTS— ORDER BY POST OR PHONE IN COMPLETE CONFIDENCE (PHONE US f OR Best Makes. Largest Stocks. Fastest Service. By return Despatch and Free Advice. ZEISS WEST THE WORLD’S FINEST! YOU'VE JUST GOT TO OWN ONE! : EISS WEST ORDER 0DAY IN YOUR HAND 0M0RR0W PHONE HR POST YOUR -IRDER FOR SAME *JAY DISPATCH 10 X 40 BGA Dialyt S/Focus . 10 x 40 BDialyt S/Focus \ m „ 3 x 56 BGA Dialyt I 2S J x 30 B Dialyt I " = i x 30 BGA Dialyt ) o ► 7 x 42 BGA Dialyt £ j •3 x 20 B Mini Dialyt | §t jx 20 BGA Mini Dialyt J Jz 10x25 B Mini Dialyt 3 x/?0 Monoculat •30 x 60 BGA Zeiss Telescopes lor •Delivery Mid March* tip ITS ZEISS ITS A. R HAWKINSI ULL MODELS IN STOCK. •ORDER TODAY IN YOUR HAND TOMORROW! ZEISS JENA 1 0 x 40 B Notarem Cl 46.00 10x50Dekarem £88.95 8 x 30 Deltrintem £55.95 8 x 30 Monoculat £47.96 10x50 Monoculat £68.65 8 x 50 B Nobilem Special £159.00 All Zeiss Jena Models supplied with Leather Case HABICHT A Ann favourite from Austria, superhly made, outstanding colour and contrast also waterproof! 7 x 42 B/WMP £229.28 10 x 40 B WMP £256.59 10 x 40 W/SLM.. £299.95 OPTOLYTH ALPIN Superb Lightweight Models from W Germany at sensible prices 8 X 30 BGA Alpin £131 8 x 40 EGA Alpin £143 10x40 BGA £145 10x50 BGA Alpin £161 12x50 BGA Alpin. £764 7x42 BGA Alpin £148 SWIFT Audubon — New Model HR5 8.5 x 44 — only 28 on. supplied with tree rubber rainguard to British Bird Readers £139 70p Swift Osprey 75x 42 £99.50 TELESCOPES Spacemaslet 15-45 x 60 Spacemastet 20-60 x 60 Spacemaslet 22 xW'A 60 £169.95 £169.95 £155.95 Spacemasler extra eyepieces 15 x 20 x 22 x W A, 25 x. 40 x. 60 x £32.00 S Vaster Photo Adaptor £32.00 T Mounts £5.95 Hertel & Reuss X x 80 BGA £258.00 Optolyth X x 75 with case £255.00 Optolytti X x 80 £288.00 Optoiyih 80 mm body £253.00 Optolyth 20 x eyepiece £47. X x eye piece £39. 40 x eyepiece £42. Leather case £35. All lor Optolyth X mm telescope Optolyth 22-60 x 70 £265.00 B L Discoverer 1 5-60 x 60 £179.95 Hawk 20-60 x 60 with case £159.95 Mirador 1 5-60 x 60 £169.95 Miradot X x 75 BGA £159.95 Mirador 32 x 80 BGA £239.95 Kowa TSN2 £209.95 HaOicht 23 x 70 BGA £168.95 Habicht X x 75 BGA £239.95 Opticron 20-60 x 60 HR £150.00 SLICK 02 TRIPOD THE finest tnpod tor your telescope! Extends to a lull 5ft 9in weighs only Alb 12oz! Our Special Price £54.95 Post and Insurance £2.75. ORDER NOW lor By Return Dispatch. Binoculars and Telescopes £2.50p post and Insurance send cheque or Visa/ Access accepted by phone! Stamps (50p). For illustrated Discount Price List and Coloured Brochures on over 200 Models CALLERS WELCOME! Our Showrooms are only 7 minutes from Ml Exit 15 or 16 and 2 min walk from railway stn Early closing Thursday 1 pm Prices correct 4th February. 1986 subject to change availability. LARGEST STOCKS OF BINOCULARS AND TELESCOPES UNDER ONE ROOF! A R HAWKINS N'PTON LTD 9 MAREFAIR NORTHAMPTON NN1 1SR TELEPHONE 0604/39674 British Birds Volume 79 Number 3 March 1986 1 05 Woodlarks in Britain, 1968-83 H. P. Sitters 1 1 7 Personalities l?John R. Mather Athol J. Wallis 1 19 Mystery photographs 111 Little Gulls P.J. Grant 1 20 PhotoSpot 19 Hooded YVheatear Graham Bundy and Dr J. T. R. Sharrock 1 23 Identification, habits and status of Great Knot John H. M archant Notes 1 36 Little Stints feeding by hovering Tom Nightingale 1 36 Hour-long song flight by Skylark Alexander J. Brown 1 36 Wrens fighting in flight David E. Pauli 1 36 Two male Blackcaps at one nest David Harper 137 Nest-building by male Wood Warbler Dr A. P. Radford Letters 1 38 4 Pishing’ technique P. William Smith 139 ‘Pishing’ M.J. Rogers Announcements 1 39 Christmas Whisky Puzzle: the solution 1 39 Reduced subscription rates for OBC and OSME members 140 THE book of the world’s waders 140 ‘The Birds of Yorkshire’ 141 Palmer & Boswall discs and cassettes Request 141 Atlas of bird distribution in Sri Lanka DrS. W. Kotegama 141 News and comment Mike Everett and Robin Prytherch Reviews 1 5 1 Log for Birdwatching by Trevor Dolby P.J. Grant 151 A i ear of Bird Life edited by Rob Hume and Sylvia Sullivan DrJ. T. R. Sharrock 1 52 Recent reports Keith Allsopp and Ian Dawson 1 54 Seventy-five years ago . . . Line-drawings: 105 Woodlark (George B. Brown)- 123 Great Knot and Knot {Peter Hay man)-, 152 Red-breasted Goose (R. Woodley)-, 153 Black-and- white Warbler ( Jim Clift)-, 154 Smews (R. A. Hume) Front cover: Snipe (Alan Harris ): the original drawing of this month’s cover design is for sale in a postal auction (see page 44 in January issue for procedure) Volume 79 Number 4 April 1986 Population and breeding of Northumbrian Merlins Breeding status of the Merlin in Britain Identification of Oriental Skylark Coats and jackets for birdwatchers Mystery photographs • Notes • Letters • Review News and comment • Recent reports British Birds Managing Editor Dr J. T. R. Sharrock Personal Assistant Sheila D. Cobban Assistant Editor David Christie Editorial Board Stanley Cramp, P. J. Grant, DrM. A. Ogilvie 8c Dr J. T. R. Sharrock Photographic Consultants Dr R. J. Chandler 8c Don Smith Rarities Committee P. J. Grant (Chairman), D. J. Britton, A. R. Dean, R. H. Dennis, T. P. Inskipp, P. G. Lansdown, S. C. Madge, I. S. Robertson 8c K. E. Vinicombe; J. H. Marchant (co-opted); Peter Colston (Museum Consultant & Archivist); Michael J. Rogers (Honorary Secretary). Notes Panels behaviour Dr C. J. Bibby, Dr J. J. M. Flegg, Dr C. H. Fry, Derek Goodwin, Dr M. A. Ogilvie, Dr J. T. R. Sharrock 8c Dr K. E. L. Simmons; IDENTIFICATION A. R. Dean, P. J. Grant, S. C. Madge, Dr M. A. Ogilvie 8c Dr J. T. R. Sharrock © British Birds Ltd 1986 Copyright of photographs remains with photographers. British Birds is published monthly by British Birds Ltd, 93 High Street, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire ISSN 0007-0335 Publishing Manager, Production & Promotion Dr J. T. R. Sharrock Circulation Manager Erika Sharrock Design Deborah Cartwright Advertising Sandra Barnes Addresses Please keep correspondence on different items separate. Please address your envelope correctly. Please supply SAP. if reply required. Papers, notes, letters, drawings & photographs Jor publication Dr J. T. R. Sharrock, Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK44 3NJ Subscriptions and orders for back copies Mrs Erika Sharrock, Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK44 3NJ Advertising Mrs Sandra Barnes, BB Advertising, c/o Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK44 3NJ. Bird news for ‘ Recent reports' Ian Dawson & Keith Allsopp, c/o RSPB, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire sc; 19 31)1. Phone (outside office hours): Huntingdon (0480) 214186 News items Jor ‘News and comment' Mike Everett & Robin Prytherch, 7 Burlington Way, Hemingford Grey, Huntingdon PE18 9BS Rarity descriptions M. J. Rogers, 4 Pentland Flats, St Mary’s, Isles ofScilly TR2I 0HY Special book and sound recording offers Jor subscribers Mrs Bonny Shirley, BB Offers, Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK44 3NJ Annual subscriptions ( 12 issues and index) Libraries and agencies £27.50. IR£34.50 or $55.41. Personal subscriptions: UK, Europe and surface mail £23.00, IR£28.75 or $34.50; personal: airmail outside Europe £38.50, IR£48.25 or $56.55. Single back copies £2.50, I R£3.25 or $4.00. Make all cheques payable to British Birds Ltd. Payment may also be made directly into UK Post Office GIRO account number 37 588 6303. British Birds publishes material dealing with original observations on the birds of the west Palearctii Except for records of rarities, papers and notes are normally accepted only on condition that material is not being offered in whole or in part to any other journal. Photographs and sketches are welcomed. All contributions should be submitted to the Managing Editor. Papers should be typewritten with double spacing, and wide margins, and on one side of the sheet only. Authors should carefully consult this issue for style of presentation, especially of references and tables. English and scientific names and sequences of birds follow The ‘British Birds' List of Birds of the Western Palearctic ( 1984): names of plants follow Dony et al. ( 1980, English Names of Wild Flowers); names of mammals follow Corbet & Southern (1977, The Handbook of British Mammals). Topographical (plumage and structure) terms should follow editorial recommendations (Brit. Birds 74: 289-242). Figures should be in Indian ink on gixxl quality tracing paper, drawing paper, non-absorbent board or light blue or very pale grey graph paper; lettering should be inserted lightly in pencil; captions should be typed on a separate sheet. Authors of main papers (but not notes or letters) receive ten free copies of the journal (five each to two or more authors). Printed in England by Newnorth-Burt Ltd. Kempston, Bedford in focus Open 9am-6pm Mon-Sat (24 hour answer-phone) 204 HIGH STREET Barnet, Herts. EN5 5SZ 01-4491445 LARGE SELECTION OF SECOND-HAND INSTRUMENTS PART EXCHANGE WELCOME MAIL/PHONE ORDER SERVICE KOWA and MIRADOR, SLIK TRIPOD OUTFITS SPECIAL OUTFIT PRICE ONLY WHILE STOCKS LAST ALL OUTFITS SENT POST FREE. ORDERS DESPATCHED WITHIN 24 HOURS KOWATSN-1 with 25x and 40x eye pieces. 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HILARY FRY STUART KEITH With colour plates by Martin Woodcock Line drawings by Ian Willis Discography by Claude Chappuis Game Birds to Pigeons j £65.00 (UK only)/$99.00 US *Pre-publication price £49.50/$79.00 US (*P re-publication price is valid until 31st August 1986) 600pp., 310x240 mm, 28 colour plates, 4 black and white plates and numerous line drawings. ISBN: 0-12-137302-9 Special 2 Volume Offer! If you order Volumes I and II before 31st August 1986, both may be had for £99.00 (UK only) or US $158.00 Start collecting this magnificent series now! Review of Volume I: “ The quality and scope of the text and illus- trations in this first volume augur well for the whole series. I wholeheartedly recom- mend it to anyone with any interest in the birds of Africa." Peter Olney in NEW SCIENTIST Peter Olney in NEW SCIENTIST (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers) 24-28 Oval Road, London NW1 7DX Academic Press Orlando, FL 32887-0017, USA D643 Birds in Scotland by VALERIE M. THOM In the 33 years since Baxter & Rintoul’s two volumes, The Birds of Scotland, were published much has happened in ornithology generally, and the numbers and distributions of many species have changed, as has much Scottish habitat. Few can be as well qualified as Valerie Thom (editor of Scottish Birds and past- President of the Scottish Ornithologists's Club) to write this replacement of the earlier work and to review the many changes that have taken place and to report on birds in Scotland today. She follows this with the main feature of the book, the species accounts of Scotland’s breeding, resident, wintering and passage birds for the period 1950-83, with summaries of earlier data and records of rarities and vagrants 1983-85. The accounts are complemented by 173 species maps, plus many diagrams and tables, and 129 species drawings. 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You’ll be impressed by the careful attention to practical detail - from the taped and heat sealed seams to the generous internal pockets and detachable wired hood. mmm An you'll admire the styling features like the corduroy collar and attractive check lining. Cyclone is soft and luxurious to the touch. w More importantly, it gives total comfort and protection. [j. Camroyd Street, Dewsbury, W. Yorks. WF131PG Please send me details of the complete Bradsport I range of waterproof clothing and the address of my nearest stockist. Name Address. Post Code. Camroyd Street, Dewsbury, W. Yorks. WF1 3 IPG D654 If Birds Needed Waterproofs... They’d Choose The Richmond vm British Birds VOLUME 79 NUMBER 4 APRIL 1986 Population and breeding of Northumbrian Merlins I. Newton , E. Meek and B. Little The Merlin Falco columbarius is the only widespread breeding raptor in Britain whose numbers have continued to decline in recent years. The causes are not obvious, and may vary from one part of the country to another. The species has been studied in Northumbria for many years, and in an earlier paper (Newton et at. 1978) we gave information collected on numbers, nesting success and other aspects up to 1976. The present paper summarises more-recent information, concentrating on population trend and on aspects on which previous data were inadequate. Information on diet and on pesticide contamination have been published separately (Newton et at. 1982, 1984). Other recent papers on Merlins in Britain include those by M atson (1979), Okill et at. (1980), Newton et at. (1981), \\ illiams (1981). Picozzi (1983), Roberts & Green (1983). W eir (1985) and Bibby (in press). Study areas and methods used in Northumbria, together with other background information, were given in Newton et at. (1978). Pairs were allocated to habitats according to whether the land within 1 km around the nest w as mainly grassy sheepwalk, heather moor, young forest, or a mixture of open land and young forest. Some nests were on the ground among heather Catluna vulgaris , while others were in trees in old stick nests of Carrion Crows Corvus corone. Population trend From 1974. all known nesting areas were surveyed each April for signs of Merlins (birds, droppings, pellets, pluckings), and again in subsequent 155 [Bril. Birds 79: 1 33- 1 70. April I98l>| 1 56 Population and breeding oj Northumbrian Merlins months to search for nests and to record success. As more nesting areas became known, the number checked annually increased from 85 in 1974 to 1 18 in 1980, and then fell to 94 in 1983 (table 1). In different years, signs were found in April at 32-62% of the areas checked, and nests were subsequently found at 23-39%. Some 33-82% of nests produced young each year, w ith the lowest proportions in the last two years. The 1982 spring was late, following a hard winter, and the 1983 spring was very much wetter than the others. Apparent full clutches contained twfo to six eggs (mean 4.2), and broods near fledging contained up to five young (mean 3.3) (table 1). Four repeat nests on the same nesting area were recorded after early failures; three of these were successful. This figure of four may have been an underestimate of the extent of repeat laying if some failed pairs had moved to other nesting areas for their second nest (a phenomenon which we sometimes suspected, but could never prove). Over the study period as a whole, the mean production was 1.9 young per nest, or 2.1 per clutch, whether known repeat nests were included or not. Of 303 nests found during 1974-83, 122 (40%) failed to produce young. So far as we could tell, eggs were not laid in 13 (4%) of these nests, the eggs were deserted in 13 (4%), the eggs were broken by a parent or predator in 21 (7%), and the eggs disappeared without trace in 46 (15%), apparently having been removed by a human or natural predator. After hatch, failure in 25 (8%) nests was associated with the disappearance of the brood; in some cases the young were known to have been taken by human predators, in others by natural predators (remains of well-grown young were found nearby). Loss of broods was the only form of failure which increased significantly during the study period (table 1). Minor causes of nest failure included trampling; shooting and natural predation of the female; and collapse of tree nests. Hence, various factors contributed to failure, ofwhich the most important appeared to be predation. Some idea of trend in breeding numbers over the ten years can be gained from table 2, which gives the occupancy of 88 nesting areas w hich w'ere checked every year. The figures suggest a generally declining population, with fluctuations from year to year. Regression analyses revealed a signifi- cant downward trend in the number of sites at which signs were found in April, and in the number at which nests, clutches and broods were found (table 2). The trend in April signs remained significant, even when the last two years (1982 and 1983), with the lowest numbers, were excluded. Compared with this general trend, in which nest numbers declined to less than one-half in ten years, the annual fluctuations were smaller, with increases in nest numbers between successive years of up to 37% and decreases of up to 34%. Examination of the population trend separately in open and in forested habitats revealed that the decline began earlier and was somewhat more marked in the latter (fig. 1 ). This was true both for numbers of nesting areas at which signs were found in April and for numbers of nests found. In the open habitats, decline was apparent on both grassland and heather moor, and on keepered and unkeepered moorland. One further feature evident in the 88 areas checked everv vear was a Table 1. Occupation of nesting areas and breeding performance of Northumbrian (a) Merlins Falco columbarius, 1974-83 No. at No. (% No. No. (%) No. (%) No. at which of nests) nesting areas with signs at which which eggs at which checked in April nest found eggs laid hatched young fledged 1974 85 53(62) 33(39) 33 27 27(82) 1975 90 47(52) 30(33) 30 25 24(80) 1976 96 55(57) 33(34) 32 22 21(64) 1977 101 53(53) 25(25) 25 19 18(72) 1 97a 1 13 60(53) 31(27) 30 19 16(52) 1979 117 58(50) 37(32) 34 27 23(64) 1980 1 18 47(40) 28(24) 26 18 15(54) 1981 100 42(42) 35(35) 31 25 18(51) 1982 103 33(32) 24(23) 22 13 10(42) 1983 94 36(37) 27(29) 27 12 9(33) AI L YEARS 1,017 486(48) 303(30) 290 207 181(60) (b) Frequency distri butions and means CLUTCHES BROODS 2 3 4 5 6 Mean 1 2 3 4 5 Mean 1974 1 10 1 1 4.5 3 5 1 1 5 3.8 1975 1 3 7 7 1 4.2 5 8 5 4 3.4 1976 1 3 9 1 1 4.3 2 5 8 3 3.7 1977 2 10 4 4.1 1 3 3 6 3.1 1978 4 13 6 4.1 3 3 6 1 2 2.7 1979 1 14 8 1 4.3 2 2 6 8 4 3.5 1980 2 10 6 4.2 1 5 2 6 2.9 1981 10 5 4.3 1 2 4 2.7 1982 1 1 10 3 4.0 1 1 2 4 1 3.3 1983 3 8 7 4.2 1 1 2 4 1 3.3 ALL YEARS 4 19 101 68 2 4.2 10 27 : 39 57 20 3.3 (e) Causes of complete nest failure Eggs broken by parent or predator Eggs Eggs (shell taken1 probably pieces (no shells not laid found) found) Eggs deserted Collapse of tree nest Nestling taken by human or natural predator2 Female died 1974 4 1 1 1975 5 1 1976 1 3 7 1 1977 2 3 1 1 1978 1 5 4 1 3 l6 1979 3 1 3 3 1 3 1980 2 1 5 2 3 1981 43 5 1 7 1982 2 24 7 3 1983 3 6 5s 3 1 ALL YEARS (% of all failures) 13(11) 21(17) 46(38) 13(11) 2(2) 25(20) 2(2) 'includes 6 definite human; 2 includes 7 definite human and 7 definite natural predator (remains found); includes one female killed by Peregrine F . peregrimis', 4 includes one trampled; 5 includes two addled clutches; 6shot. The proportions of nests which succumbed to most types of failure did not change appreciably during the study period, but brood losses increased significantly (r=0. 19, P<0.05) 1 58 Population and breeding oj Northumbrian Merlins Fig. 1. Population trend in Northumbrian Merlins Falco columbarins in 1974-83. Top, per- centage of nesting areas where signs were found in April; bottom, percentage at which nests were found. Based on 88 nesting areas which were checked every year in young forest (filled circles) and open land (grass and heather: open circles) respectively significant decline not only in the numbers of nests which produced young, but also in the proportion. The decline was fairly steady through the ten years, until in 1983 less than one-third of nests were successful (table 2). A similar trend was apparent in the complete data in table 1, due largely to increased loss of broods. Hence, the period 1974-83 saw a progressive decline in both the numbers and the nest success of Northumbrian Merlins. Non-random use of nesting areas I he 88 areas checked each year during 1974-83 varied greatly in the 159 Population and breeding oj Northumbrian Merlins frequency with which they were used for nesting (table 2). Only one area was used in all ten years, and 23 areas, which had been used in former times and still seemed suitable, were not used at all during 1974-83, although at some of these Merlins had been present in April. The general picture was ol fairly sporadic use, varying annually between 1 7% and 38% (table 2). Table 2. Occupancy and nesting success of Northumbrian Merlins Falco columbarius at 88 nesting areas which were checked each year during 1974-83 No. areas with signs in April No. areas (%) at which nest found No. nests in which eggs laid No (%) nests in which young raised 1974 50 33(38) 33 27(82) 1975 47 30(34) 30 24(73) 1976 44 29(33) 27 19(66) 1977 41 19(22) 19 13(68) 1978 45 19(22) 18 12(63) 1979 41 26(30) 23 14(54) 1980 34 20(23) 18 10(50) 1981 29 24(28) 21 13(54) 1982 21 15(17) 13 7(47) 1983 18 15(17) 15 4(27) ALL YEARS 370 230(26) 217 143(63) Regression of numbers on year showed significant downward trends, for nesting areas where signs were found in April: b — —3.5, /■*<(). 001 ; for nests found: b = — I . / 1 . P<3).01 ; tor nests in which eggs were laid: b = 1.75, /><0.01; for nests in which young were raised: b = —2.12. /,<().()() I . For percentage of nests in which young were raised, b = —4.85. /><0.001 . In view of this low total occupancy, we attempted to check whether Merlins used known nesting areas at random or whether they showed preferences for particular areas. I his entailed calculating, for the popula- tion levels found, the numbers ofareas that would be expected to be used for nesting in 1 0, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 or 0 years, if areas were used on a random basis. Comparison of observed and expected distributions showed a highly significant difference between them (table 3). In particular, many more areas were used in less than two years, and in more than four years, than expected by chance; this held whether former areas not occupied during 1974-83 were included or not. The implication was that Merlins showed strong preferences for certain areas and avoided others. This preference could not be linked with nest success, as no significant variation in the proportion of nests that were successful was found between areas occupied for di fie rent numbers of years (table 3). Nor did the usage ofareas vary with the type of nest site available (table 3). Nesting areas in open land, however, were used significantly more often than those in forested, although this habitat preference accounted for only a small part of the variation in use of nesting areas, and even within habitats some areas were used much more often than others. Relationship with nest sites Incorporation of recent data made no difference to our previous finding 1 60 Population and breeding of Northumbrian Merlins Table 3. Use by Northumbrian Merlins Falco columbarius of 88 nesting areas, according to habitat, nest site and nest success, 1974-83 (a) Observed occupancy and success compared with expected occupancy and success No. of years when NUMBER OF CASES NUMBER OF NESTS SUCCESSFUL nest found Observed Expected1 Observed Expected2 0 23 4.1 — — 1 19 14.9 9 1 1.6 2 7 24.3 8 8.5 3 13 22.9 23 23.8 4 2 14.1 5 4.9 5 13 5.5 39 38.7 6 2 1.7 7 7.3 7 3 0.3 13 12.8 8 3 0.0 16 14.6 9 2 0.0 15 1 1.0 10 1 0.0 8 6.1 ‘Expected values were calculated on the assumption that nesting areas were chosen each year at random. Observed and expected values differed significantly whether ‘0’ was included (X2 — 1 1695. 1, P<0. 001) or excluded (x2 — 1 1586.4, P<0. 001 ) 2Expected values were calculated on the assumption that all categories of nesting areas offered similar chances ot success. No significant deviation of observed from expected (b) Use of nesting areas in different habitats NUMBER OF CASES IN No. of (c) Forest years when nest found (a) Grassy sheepwalk (b) Heather moor plantation /open land (d) Forest plantation All habitats 0 4 6 4 9 23 1 1 6 1 1 1 19 2 1 3 1 2 7 3 2 6 3 2 13 4 0 1 1 0 2 5 2 9 0 2 13 6 1 1 0 0 2 7 0 2 1 0 3 8 0 2 1 0 3 9 0 1 0 1 2 10 1 0 0 0 1 (c) Use of nesting areas according to types of nest site offered NUMBER OF CASES IN AREAS OFFERING No. of years Ground/crag sites only Tree or ground sites Tree sites only 1 15 0 4 2 5 1 1 3 9 1 3 4 2 0 0 5 8 3 2 6 1 0 1 7 3 0 0 8 3 0 0 9 0 2 0 10 0 0 1 No significant variation in usage of nesting areas according to the type of nest sites available was found 161 Population and breeding oj Northumbrian Merlins (Newton el al. 1978) of significant variation in success between different types of nest sites (table 4). In particular, tree nests (all in disused Carrion Crow nests) were more successful than the various types of ground or crag nests all of which were accessible to mammalian predators. I he proportion of nests in trees fluctuated from year to year (10-25%), but showed no significant decline during the study period. 1 he general decline m nes success over the years could not therefore be attributed to a decline in t ratio of tree to ground nests. In recent years, predation of eggs and nestlings was the most important cause of nest failure in the population as a who t (see above), and, apart from cases of human predation, was almost entire v restricted to ground nests. This implied that mammalian predators were more important than avian ones. Foxes Vulfies vulpes in particular were \er> numerous in the study areas, having been favoured by allocation whic provided cover and, in the early stages, abundant voles (Microtinae) as food . Relationship with pesticides During successive periods, 1961-70, 1971-73 and 1974-76 .he J.reed»« success of Merlins in Northumbria improved (Newton el al. 1 /«). coincided with a reduction in the national usage ol organochlorme pest cides some of which affected the breeding of raptors, including Merlins Ratcl.lfe 1970; Newton 1973, 1979; Newton el al. 1982). During the sub- sequent years 1977-83, breeding success was lower than in the prewo period with a smaller proportion of nests successful and a smaller mean brood 'size (table I); the proportion ol nests that were ^ succes «fu declined within this period, as discussed above. I he majority ol failure this last period were due not to the egg-breaking and addling which were previously associated with organochlorine conmm, nation (Newton 979) but to increased predation of eggs and young (table ). ere w change in the main types of failure after the mid 1970s. Table 4. Breeding performance of Nordmmbrim, Merlin, Falc, colur, tanue in differen. habitats. 1974-02) assy sheepwalk Tree sites Ground sites ather moor Tree sites Ground sites rest/open land Tree sites Ground sites No. nesting areas with signs in April No. with nests No. nests laid in No. nests in which at least 1 young hatched No. (%) nests in which at least 1 young fledgedt Mean clutch size* Mean brood size* / +2 41 35 33(79) 4.2 3.1 65 l o 0 0 0 f 20 20 17 17(85) 4.3 3.5 263 l.Jt 142 96 81(55) 4 4 3.5 q 9 7(78) 4.0 3.0 79 { 45 41 23 19(42) 4.0 3.3 2 1 1(50) (4.0) (3.0) 79 { 38 35 26 23(61) 4.3 3.4 or broods arc given in bracken: no aignific.nl van., ion clulch or brood sires curred between nest sites or habitats 1 62 Population and breeding of Northumbrian Merlins Relationship with forestry During recent decades, large tracts of grassy sheepwalk and heather moor in Northumbria have been planted with conifers. Merlins continued to nest in these young forests, at least until the canopy closed, but it was important to find whether they would carry on doing so as the forests matured. In the previous paper (Newton et al. 1978), we indicated that at least two former nesting areas had been eliminated completely by tree growth, that none of the Merlins known in 1974-76 nested more than 1 km from open country , and that even the forest pairs fed primarily on pipits Anthus and other open-country prey. Since then, the land around two more traditional nesting places has almost all become forest; one of these sites was last used in 1977 (with signs in April 1978) and the other in 1979. Of the 88 nesting areas checked annually from 1974 to 1983, 37 were surrounded (within 1 km) mainly bv heather moor, 1 1 by grassy sheep- walk, 12 by a mixture of forest and open land, and 28 by forest. In the ten years concerned, this gave 370, 1 10, 120 and 280 nesting opportunities in each of these habitats. Yet the numbers of nests found in the ten years were 124 (34%) on heather moor, 35 (32%) on sheepwalk, 31 (26%) on mixed forest/open land, and 40 (14%) in forest (table 3). There was thus little variation in frequency of nesting between each of the three most open habitats, but nesting was significantly less frequent in forest (x2 = 29.0, /3<0.001). Evidently, those nesting areas surrounded mainly by conifer plantation were considerably less attractive to breeding Merlins than those in open land, confirming the trend mentioned earlier. Table 5. Comparison of occupancy and nest success of Northumbrian Merlins Falco columbarius on keepered and non-keepered land, 1974-83 * Includes heather moor, grassland and young forest No. (% No. No, (%) No. (%) No. No. of nests) at nesting areas with signs at which at which at which which checked in April nest found eggs laid eggs hatched young fledged All sites, all non-keepered land* 817 360(44) 213(26) 203 146 130(60) All sites, non-keepered heather moor 277 137 (49) 79 (29) 75 52 47 (59) All sites, keepered heather moor 200 126(63 ) 88(44) 87 61 51(58) Ground sites, all non-keepered land* — 143 132 85 73(51) Ground sites, non-keepered heather moor — 60 56 36 31 (52) Ground sites, keepered heather moor — 87 86 60 50 (57) Comparison of proportions of nesting areas used in April on keepered and non- -keepered land, \ = 2 2.3. P< 0.001; and of proportions at which nests were found, \2 = 211.2, P < 0.001 . Comparison of proportions of nesting areas used in April on keepered and non-keepered heather moor, = 8.1, P < 0.001; and of proportions at which nests were found, x " = I I .6, P < 0.001. Comparison of proportions of ground nests successful on keepered and non-keepered land, x ' — 0.66, not significant; and on keepered and non-keepered heather moor, — 0.03, not significant. 163 Population and breeding oj Northumbrian Merlins ()l the 23 former nesting areas which were not used in 1974-82, ten were in forested districts (37% of the 27 in this habitat), four in mixed forest/ open land (40% of the ten), four in sheepwalk (36% of the 1 1) and five in heather moor ( 14% of the 37). On these figures, no more of the forest sites were completely abandoned in recent years than of those still in mainly open terrain (though the frequency of usage was less: see above). This result was perhaps not surprising, as other factors besides afforestation led to desertion of nesting areas. On moorland, sites changed in attractiveness with stage of heather growth, and on sheepwalk according to the avail- ability of old crow' nests. Those pairs which did nest in forested districts bred no less successfully than did those in more open habitats, when nest site was taken into account (table 4). Most of the Merlins in forested localities nested on the ground, but a few used old crow nests in large trees which were present in the area at the time of planting. In 1979, however, we found for the first time a nest in the forest itself. This was on the edge of a 25-year-old stand, in an old crow nest, about 5 m off the ground. Two nests were also found in thicket-stage forest in 1980, two in 1981, and one in 1983. They included one in a small plantation in open country and another only 1 .5 m off the ground. All but one of these nests were successful. There were signs, therefore, that trees in the new forests were beginning to be used for nesting, provided that they were near to open land and contained crow nests. * Relationship with moor management Parts of the Northumbrian uplands were managed for Red Grouse Lagopus lagopus. Such areas were almost entirely covered by heather at various stages of growth, and were subject to intense predator control by game- keepers. Foxes and other mammalian carnivores were the main targets, together with Carrion Crows and other crows. Probably few raptors were kiiled, and no Merlins that we know of apart from one which may have been shot accidentally as it left a crow nest. As most Merlins nested in places which were accessible to mammalian predators, it was relevant to compare their breeding on grouse moors with that elsewhere. All but one nest on keepered moors were on the ground, perhaps partly because of the scarcity of crows to provide tree nests. Over the whole ten years, the occupancy of known nesting areas was significantly greater on keepered heather moors than elsewhere. Based on signs in April, the figures were 63% against 44%, and on nests found they were 44% against 26% (table 5). A similar difference was apparent on heather alone, comparing keepered and non-keepered moors. No difference in nest success was apparent between keepered and unkeepered ground (either in all habitats together or in heather moor alone). Almost all the tree nests found, however, were on non-keepered land, perhaps partly because of the shortage of crows on keepered land. When tree nests were excluded, a greater proportion of the remaining (ground) nests was successful on keepered (58%) than on both unkeepered (51%) land and unkeepered heather moor alone (52%), although these differences were not statistically significant. 164 Population and breeding oj Northumbrian Merlins Sex ratio of nestlings In recent years, the sexes of young were recorded whenever nest visits were made late enough in the nestling period for sexing to be done without risk of error (Picozzi 1983). Males and females were distinguished on body size (weights and outer-primary-feather lengths were taken), thickness of tarsus and size of feet; but at fledging the sexes also differed in coloration (males had a bluer cast to the back and flight-feather tips and a more orange cast to the breast) and in voice (males were higher-pitched). Twenty-six broods examined just before fledging contained 35 birds classed as males and 48 classed as females, a ratio not significantly different from unity. Age ratio among breeders The ratio of first-summer (brown-backed) to adult (blue-backed) males found in the breeding population was 1:17 in 1976, 4:16 in 1977, 5:21 in 1978, 1:27 in 1979, 0: 18 in 1980, 3: 1 7 in 1981, 0: 1 7 in 1982 and 0: 14 in 1983: in total, 14: 149, which is equivalent to 9% first-summers among male breeders. Six of these adults and two of the first-summers, however, were at nesting places where no nest was subsequently found; excluding these, the ratio became 12:143, or 8% first-summers. The variations in proportions between years were not statistically significant, nor were they clearly related to changes in the levels of breeding population. In the last two years, with lowest breeding population, no first-summer males were found; but, in the two years with the next lowest populations, the proportions of first- summers were the highest recorded. Among females, first-summers could not be distinguished from adults in the field, so we could obtain this ratio only for the few individuals that were trapped on nests during 1976-80 and examined in the hand. Including birds more than once if they were caught in more than one year, this gave three first-summers to 14 adults (or 18% first-summers), a figure not signifi- cantly higher than that in males (x2 = 0.6). The few pairs where both partners were aged included two adult + adult pairs, one first-summer male + adult female pair, and one adult male + first-summer female pair. Behaviour and roles of sexes in breeding As previously, the roles of the sexes in breeding were assessed by noting which partner was present at each visit. Combining results from the whole study, in the pre-laying period (in April), both sexes were seen together on the nesting area on 84 occasions, the male alone on 60 and the female alone on 92. Thus, at this stage neither sex was present significantly more often than the other. Of nine Merlins flushed from empty nests in the pre-laying period, one was a male; of 33 put off during the laying period, ten were males; of 230 put ofTin the incubation period, 65 were males; and, of80 put oil in the nestling period, only three were males. The latter were with young of one, five and ten days, respectively. These results confirmed previous ones that males did less than half of the daytime incubation; they also suggested that males occasionally brooded young. At most nesting places, only one or two Merlins were seen at once (excluding the young), but on two occasions in late May a second female 165 Population and breeding oj Northumbrian Merlins appeared, apparently attracted by the alarm calling of the others: a pheno- menon noted also among Peregrines F. peregrinus (Ratcliffe 1980). In addition, we had one instance of a male apparently acquiring a new mate, after the first female had been shot. The latter had been found dead on the nesting area on 10th May, and about three weeks later a pair was reported with a new nest on the same slope; the nest contained two eggs, but later failed. Merlins were often seen attacking and driving away other bird species which flew over their nesting area. These were all predators, and included Carrion Crows (seven cases), Kestrels F. tinnunculus (seven), Sparrowhawks Accipiter nisus (four), Golden Eagles Aquila chrysaetos (two), Peregrine (one), Goshawk A. gentilis (one), Grey Heron Ardea cinerea (one) and Great Black- backed Gull Lams marinus (one). Such attacks were recorded from the male (15 cases) or female (seven), and twice from the pair together. Some occurred while the observer was at the site, and may have been redirected aggression, but others clearly occurred in response to the predator itself. The observer may, however, have influenced which sex was involved, as the female often seemed more concerned with him than was the male. On one occasion, Merlins were seen to attack a fox. Movements and mortality Since our previous paper (Newton et al. 1978), another 29 ring recoveries have been reported, bringing the total to 52 for nestlings ringed in Northumbria during 1961-83. Twenty-three of the recent recoveries were in line with previous findings, as they came (rom northern Britain within 180 km of and in various directions from the birthplace; all 23 were from outside the breeding season: five in August, three in September, lour in October, one in November, two in January, three in February, one in March, three (two long dead) in April and one in July. In addition, five other recoveries were at much greater distance: one at 257 km in Lincoln- shire (in November of its first calendar-year); one at 325 km in Suffolk (in October of its sixth calendar-year); one at 460 km in Hampshire (in October of its third calendar-year); and two in France, in Loire and Landes (in March and November respectively of their second calendar-year). All recoveries from outside the breeding season were from a lower elevation than the breeding areas. These various recoveries gave a picture of Merlin movements similar to that found by Mead (1972) lor the whole British population, except that the Northumbrian birds did not disperse exclu- sively to the south. In addition to the above recoveries, one female in her sixth calendar-year was found dead on a nest in Galloway, 1 10 km W S\\ of where she was hatched. Another three females which had been hatched in the study area were later found breeding there in their second (two) and fourth (one) calendar-years, having moved 40 km \\ S\\ , 12.5 km north and 20 km SSE, respectively; these were all trapped on their nests. Four females were caught while breeding in two separate years. Two were on the same site both times, one in 1978 and 1979, and the other in 1 66 Population and breeding of Northumbrian Merlins 1976 and 1978 (the site was vacant in 1977); the other two had changed nesting areas between years, moving 1.5 km between 1977 and 1978, and 15 km between 1976 and 1980, respectively (see Hodson 197 1 , summarised in our previous paper, for site changes in Canadian Merlins). During 1961-83, 31 ringed first-year Merlins were found dead or dying, ten second-years, two third-years, two fourth-years, two fifth-years, one six-year, one seventh-year, and three ninth-years. These figures were too few to estimate the annual mortality, but probably gave a reasonable estimate of the maximum age to which a Merlin is likely to live. Most birds recovered were reported merely as ‘found dead', but there were several road casualties. Discussion Despite year-to-year fluctuations, the general trend of the population during the ten-year study period was downward. At 88 nesting areas which were checked each year, less than half as many nests were found in the final year as in the first. Restricting analysis to the same areas throughout the ten-year period, however, may have given a measure of decline slightly greater than occurred in the population at large. While as a rule the same nesting areas were used in different years, certain areas declined in suitability with time, while others improved. This was the case, for example, where large stretches of heather were burnt and then allowed to re-grow. So, restricting the search to any confined localities where nests had previously been found might in the long term have given the impression of population decline, because it was sensitive to the loss of certain areas yet took no account of any new areas, far removed from the old ones, which may have been taken up in the meantime. We do not believe, however, that this was a serious bias in our data, because all likely-looking sites around each known breeding area were checked. The alternative, of assessing popula- tion trend from the complete data (table 1), was even less appropriate, because the amount of terrain covered increased during the course of the study, thereby giving the opportunity for more nests to be discovered. Despite this, the numbers of nests found each year still declined. The downward trend was evidently widespread, but more marked in districts dominated by young forest than in more open land. It was in forested districts that habitat deteriorated most, for, as the trees grew, the canopy closed over an ever-increasing area, reducing the potential hunting places for Merlins and obliterating some nesting sites completely. Initial tree planting made little difference to the population (Newton et al. 1978); it was only when the trees grew and the canopy closed that the numbers declined. As this happened, some nesting areas were abandoned altogether, while others were used less often. Similar findings emerged in Speyside (Weir 1985). On open land, the downward trend was less marked, but still apparent. Occupancy of nesting places was about 1 .5 times greater, and success of ground nests about 1.1 times greater, on managed heather moor than on unmanaged moor or grassland. In general, it seemed that managed heather moor was the optimal habitat in Northumbria. This may have been 167 Population and breeding of Northumbrian Merlins because only the most productive of the heather areas in Northumbria have remained keepered; because the heather on keepered areas was better managed, covering more of the ground, with patches of old as well as young growth; because of predator control on keepered areas; or because of a combination of these factors. The patches of rank heather on keepered areas may have attracted breeding Merlins in spring, thus ensuring high occu- pancy, and predator control may have helped the success of ground nests. Prey may also have been more numerous — either through higher initial densities or better breeding — or more easily caught on managed heather moor than elsewhere, but on these aspects we had no information. What- ever the benefits of good heather moor, a similar preference for this habitat was found in Wales (Bibby in press). Events in Northumbria may have applied more widely, as the Merlin is on the decline in several regions of Britain from which information is available (Parslow 1967; Newton etal. 1981; Williams 1981; Bibby in press), lhe decline seems to be of long standing, but to have steepened following the introduction of organochlorine pesticides in agriculture. Successive restrictions since 1962 have reduced the use of these chemicals, and the populations of other species affected by them (notably Sparrowhawk and Peregrine) have made spectacular recoveries (Ratcliffe 1980; Newton & Haas 1984). l he Merlin recovered in some areas, but in general now seems again to be on the decline. As its breeding rate is now only slightly reduced by organochlorines, at least in regions where the problem has been studied (Newton et al. 1981), some other factor is almost certainly involved. Three possibilities are discussed below, but in a national rather than merely a Northumbrian context. 1 . Habitat in the breeding season. Available breeding habitat has shrunk in recent decades, and some of the remainder has deteriorated in quality. Managed heather moor, which provides the best conditions, has been decreasing in area since the last century (Anderson & Yalden 1971; Potts et al. 1 983) and, as sheep stocks have increased, heather has given way through increased grazing to grass; the numbers of gamekeepers, and hence the extent of predator control, have also declined. This process could have affected Merlins ov er wide areas ol Britain. Similarly, the rough vegetation on the hillsides has increasingly given way to 'improved pasture', as drainage and re-seeding have increasingly encroached. The further reduction of breeding habitat through afforestation has been substantial, but much more marked in some regions than in others. There can be no doubt, therefore, that both the total amount of breeding habitat and the amount of optimal habitat have greatly declined in recent decades. Of that habitat which is still available, however, much seems unoccupied. This is reflected in the sporadic usage of traditional sites, which previously were occupied more regularly, and also by the large areas of apparently good habitat which have recently become devoid of breeding Merlins, such as much of the Peak District (Newton etal. 1981). With a dwindling population, one would expect the birds to concentrate in the best areas (good heather moor) and desert the poorer ones, but this does not necessarily mean that the decline in breeding habitat per se has caused the decline in Merlin numbers. The population may have declined for quite different reasons, leaving much of the remaining breeding habitat unoccupied or under-occupied. Thus, we suggest, some factor other than the carrying capacity of the nesting habitat has recently depressed Merlin numbers in several regions below the level at which they could occupy even the reduced habitat which remains. 2. Habitat outside the breeding season. After breeding. Merlins spread over the lowlands, ranging widely on farmland and sea coast. They extend to all British counties at this season, and to some extent south into France. Small avian prey in general may be less numerous on farmland than formerly, but agricultural trends in eastern districts of Britain have tended increasingly to 1 68 Population and breeding oj Northumbrian Merlins produce open habitat, ol the type favoured by Merlins. Because of this, and the freedom the birds have at this season to range over wide areas, it seems unlikely that the population decline has been caused by shortage of suitable winter habitat or food? 3. Population dynamics. If the species is not currently limited by habitat or food resources, either in summer or in winter, some other factor must be reducing the breeding rate or increasing the mortality, irrespective of resources, so that the population cannot maintain itself. Mortality almost certainly increased around the time when cyclodiene compounds were in peak use, but it is not known whether it is still higher than normal now that the use of these chemicals has been reduced. Reproduction also declined with organochlorines, and, although the situation has improved in recent years, breeding success may still be lower than it would be in the absence of organochlorines. The main cause of breeding failure in Northumbria, however, was predation on nest contents, and such loss of young increased during the ten-year study. This predation may also have increased in other areas, associated with the general decline in gamekeeping and the increase in fox and other carnivore populations, documented by Tapper ( 1982). Human predation, resulting from the desire for captive birds, may also have increased on a wide scale, as in Northumbria. The net result of all these factors may be the production of insufficient young to offset the current adult mortality, and a consequent decline in population. Nesting extensively on the ground, the British Merlin population is highly vulnerable to mammalian predation, including human. The mean production of young in Northumbria, at 1.9 young per nest, was only slightly lower than the 2.1 found in Wales (Roberts & Green 1983), but considerably lower than the 2.6 found in a Swedish study (Olsson 1980) and the 2.9 and 2.8 found in two Canadian studies (Temple 1972; Fox & Donald 1980). T his was associated with ground nesting among British Merlins, and higher losses of young to predators. Adults were also occa- sionally taken off the nest by ground predators (once in Northumbria). In one instance, an adult was killed away from the nest by Peregrines. These large falcons have recently recolonised the Northumbria uplands and during the study period the number of territorial pairs increased from nil to seven. Their significance, if any, to the decline of Merlins in Northumbria could not be assessed, but they were surely unimportant in some other areas (such as the Peak District, w here the decline of Merlins occurred before the Peregrines returned). We suggest, therefore, that it is a combination of factors, including increased natural and human predation and some con- tinuing pesticide casualties, that has shifted the balance between breeding and mortality rates and led to population decline in Northumbria and some other parts of the country. The relative importance of predation and pesticides may vary between regions. To test these views, more accurate knowledge is needed of mortality, and of the proportions of birds which begin breeding at different ages. It would then be possible to check whether the known reproductive rate was sufficient to offset the annual losses, even though the main cause of reduced reproduction may vary from one region to another. Acknowledgments For their stalwart efforts in the field, without which this review would not have been possible, we are grateful to A. M. Bankier, J. Brogdon, G. Christer, R. Cook, M. Davison, B. Galloway, A. Heavisides, C. Jewitt, YV. G. Johnstone, I Kerr, the late L. G. MacFarlane, S. J. Petty and R. I emple. For permission to work on their ground, we thank the Forestry Commission and other landowners in Northumbria. For constructive criticism of the manuscript, we thank Dr C.J. Bibby, Dr J. P. Dempster and Dr M. Marquiss. 169 Population and breeding oj Northumbrian Merlins Summary 1 . This paper reports a ten-year study of Merlins Falco columbarius breeding in Northumbria. At sites checked annually, nest numbers fluctuated from year to year, but the general trend was downward. This was true of the number of nesting areas on which signs were found in April, of the number of nests found, and of the proportion of nests which were successful. In total, the breeding population declined by more than 50% between 1974 and 1983. The decline was widespread, but more marked in forested than in unforested districts. 2. Merlin nesting areas were not used at random from year to year; some were used less often and others more often than expected by chance. Those in open land were used significantly more often than those in young forest. No link was apparent between frequency of use and nest site, or between frequency of use and nest success. 3. Sixty per cent of all nests produced young, and annual variation ranged between 3.3% and 82%. A much greater proportion of tree nests than ground nests was successful, largely because ground nests were accessible to mammalian predators. Predation on young increased during the course of the study. Average production was 1.9 young per nest. 4. ( )ccupancy of known sites was higher on heather Calluna vulgaris me Kirs managed for grouse Lagopus than on unmanaged heather moors, grassland or young forest. Keepered heather moors probably provided the optimal habitat for Merlins in Northumbria. 5. First-summers formed 8-9% of all breeding males, and 18% of all breeding females. Males did less than half the daytime incubation and occasionally brded young, w hile females did the rest. 6. It is suggested that the population decline, both in Northumbria and in some other parts of Britain, is due not to shortage of suitable breeding or wintering habitat (though breeding habitat has declined), but to production of insufficient young to offset the current adult mortality. I he problem could result partly from continuing failures from organochlorine pesticides, together with ground nesting, which makes Merlins unusually vulnerable to foxes Vulpes vulpes and other predators, which have increased recently. This view cannot be checked without more information on adult mortality and age of first breeding. References Anderson, P., & Yalden, D. V\ . 1981. Increased sheep numbers and the loss of heather moorland in the Peak District, England. Biol. Conserv. 20: 195-213. Bibby, Cl. J. In press. Merlins in Wales: site occupancy and breeding in relation to vegetation. J. Appl. Ecol. Fox, G. A., & Donald. T. 1980. Organochlorine pollutants, nest-defense behaviour and reproductive success in Merlins. Condor 82: 81-84. Mead, G.J. 1973. Movement of British raptors. Bird Study 20: 259-286. Newton. I. 1973. Egg breakage and breeding failure in British Merlins. Bird Study 20: 241-244. 1979. Population Ecology oj Raptors. Berkhamsted. . Bogan, J., Meek. E., & Little. B. 1982. Organochlorine compounds and shell-thinning in British Merlins Falco columbarius. Ibis 124: 328-335. — — & Haas, M. B. 1984. The return of the Sparrowhawk. Brit. Birds 77: 47-70. , Meek, E. R„ & Little, B. 1978. Breeding ecology of the Merlin in Northumberland. Brit. Birds 1 1 : 376-398. 5 , & 1984. Breeding season foods of Merlins Falco columbarius in Northumbria. Bird Study 3 1 : 49-56. , Robson. J. E.. & Yalden, D. \V. 1981. Decline of the Merlin in the Peak District. Bird Study 28: 225-234. Okill, ]. D., Ginnever. J. A., & Jones, A. 1980. Shetland's Merlins. Shetland Bird Rep. 1979: 51-54. Olsson, B. O. 1980. Projekt Stenfalk. Svenska Naturskyddsforeningen, Stockholm. Parslow. J. L. F. 1967. Ghanges in status among breeding birds in Britain and Ireland. Brit. Birds 60: 2-47. Picozzi, N. 1983. Growth and sex of nestling Merlins in Orkney. Ibis 125: 377-382. Potts, G. R.. Tapper. S. C.. & Hudson, P. J. 1983. Population fluctuations in Red Grouse: analysis of bag records and a simulation model, y. Anim. Ecol. 53: 21-36. Ratcliffe, D. A. 1980. The Peregrine Falcon. Gallon. Roberts, J. L.. & Green, D. 1983. Breeding failure and decline of Merlins on a north Wales moor. Bird Study 30: 193-200. 1 70 Population and breeding of Northumbrian Merlins Tapper, S. C. 1982. Using estate records to monitor population trends in game and predator species, particularly weasels and stoats. Proc. Int. Congr. Game Biol. 14: 1 15-120. Dublin. Temple, S. A. 1972. Chlorinated hydrocarbon residues and reproductive success in eastern North American Merlins. Condor 74: 105-106. W atson, J. 1979. Food of Merlins nesting in young conifer forest. Bird Study 26: 253-258. \\ eir. D. 1985. Numbers, spacing, habitat and prey of Merlin and Sparrowhawk near native and planted woods in Speyside, Scotland. Unpublished Ms. \\ iklund, C. G. 1979. Increased breeding success for Merlins balco columbarius nesting among colonies of Fieldfare Turdus pilaris. Ibis 121: 109-1 1 1. W illiams, G. A. 1981. The Merlin in Wales: breeding numbers, habitat and success. Brit. Birds 74: 205-214. Dr /. Newton , Institute oj Terrestrial Ecology , Monks Wood Experimental Station, Abbots Ripton, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PEI72LS E. R. Meek, Royal Society jor the Protection of Birds, Smyril, Stenness, Stromness, Mainland, Orkney B. Little, 37 Stella Hall Drive, Blaydon-on-Tyne, Newcastle, Tyne & H ear Breeding status of the Merlin in Britain C.J. Bib by and M. Nat trass The Merlin Falco columbarius is not so common in Britain as might be expected of a small raptor with an apparently large area of breeding habitat in the uplands. Its numbers are reported to have declined over a long period, perhaps at an increasing rate since about 1950 (Parslow 1967). Organochlorine pesticides were implicated in the 1960s (Newton 1973; Newton et al. 1982). Recent studies have, with one exception, reported continuing declines of varying severity (Newton et al. 1981, 1986; Williams 1981; Roberts & Green 1983; Bibby in press), despite reductions in pesti- cide use (Newton & Haas 1984). Merlins can be elusive, and it is particularly time-consuming to confirm with reasonable certainty the absence of pairs. At apparently unoccupied sites, there may be many nearby places where Merlins may be present. Pairs whose nests fail early may not be found at all, especially if the site is \Bnl. Birds 79: 170-185, April 1986] 171 Breeding status of the Merlin in Britain not checked in late April. In well-studied areas, there are many more known places where Merlins have bred, or could do so, than there are actual pairs. Possible sites are not so distinct, recognisable or limited in number as for the crag-nesting raptors. For these reasons, Merlin numbers cannot be assessed or monitored by cataloguing sites and checking large samples, as has been done for Peregrines F. peregrinus (Ratclifle 1984) and Golden Eagles Aquila chrysaetos (Dennis et at. 1984). Some sites are more likely to be occupied in any one year than others (Newton etal. 1986; Bibby in press); fieldwork tends to be biased, even if unwittingly, towards these favoured sites, especially when a major interest is to find pairs for further study rather than to conduct a well-designed sample census. The present study aimed to improve knowledge of total numbers and distribution of Merlins in Britain, and to assemble baseline data for future monitoring. Information was required especially for the planning and direction of conservation initiatives. Though imperfect, this is the first attempt at a national survey of this species. We hope that it will help to stimulate further work. Methods Information from the 1983 and 1984 breeding seasons was collected by correspondence, from local workers and from our own fieldwork. In some areas, local ornithologists already interested in Merlins had the necessary background knowledge, skills and access permissions. Such groups were encouraged to make their coverage as complete as possible in the two summers. Elsewhere, we attempted to collate casually collected records. In five areas, where there was no other prospect of getting results, but where reasonable populations of Merlins were suspected to exist, the authors or paid helpers did the fieldwork. Most recorded data referred to the checking of a given nesting site either known to have been used previously by Merlins or found during the study. A few observers did not provide information on location of nests; because of this, sample sizes are not identical in all analyses. Most records of pairs were follow ed up to ascertain the outcome of breeding. Coverage A wide coverage was achieved (fig. 1) w hen judged by the distribution map in the Atlas (Sharrock 1976; fig. 2). In Shetland, Orkney and Wales, all known or likely squares shown in the Atlas were checked. In northern England and in the rest of Scotland excluding the northern isles, some data were collected for a total of 368 10-km squares; these included about half the squares in which Merlins were reported during the Atlas period (1968-72) and about 70% of those where breeding was proved. Coverage was poorest in western Scotland, where Atlas records were thinly scattered over a vast area. Some of the more southern Atlas records, especially in Derbyshire and Lancashire, were not checked in 1983-84; many were from places perhaps then only marginally suitable and subsequently almost totally abandoned. The fact that fieldwork was reported in a 10-km square does not mean that all possible sites within it were checked. Nor did the squares covered 172 Breeding status of the Merlin in Britain Fig. 1 . Distribution of 10-km squares in which at least one site was checked during survey of breeding Merlins Falco columbarius , 1983-84. Coverage was complete in Shetland, Orkney and Wales represent a random selection of those which held breeding Merlins in the Atlas period. Apart from geographical bias in observer distribution, people are more likely to search for Merlins in the most suitable-looking places. Results Because publication of more detailed information would risk attracting undesirable attention to some of the better places, findings are summarised by region (table 1). The results reflect the general pattern that Merlins do not occupy all their known potential sites in any one year. Even sites at which signs, such as pluckings, droppings or single birds, ‘were found do not all represent breeding pairs. The figures should not be compared in detail between regions or with other studies. The quality of coverage varied, since more suitable sites are likely to be checked selectively. A thorough study might, therefore, report a lower rate of occupancy than a quick checking of the better sites alone. The present records include some checks made late in the season, when it is possible to find successful pairs though not pairs which have earlier failed and left. It is also likely that some observers would not have reported sites checked with negative results. Particularly in southern Scotland and northern England, many sites checked in the most heavily alforested areas were probably unsuitable and long since abandoned. SHETLAND, ORKNEY AND WESTERN ISLES Coverage in Shetland has been thorough since 1979, so that the majority of recent sites are probably now known (Okill et al. 1980). Since 1980, some Fig. 2. Breeding distribution of Merlins Falco columbarius in Britain and Ireland during 1968-72. Large dots, confirmed breeding; medium dots, probable breeding: small dots, possible breeding. Reproduced bv permission of the publishers. T. & A. D. Poyser, from The Atlas of Breeding Birds in Britain and Ireland 1 74 Breeding status of the Merlin in Britain Table 1. Known sites of Merlins Falco columbanus in Britain and results of checks in 1983 and 1984 a = no. sites checked, b = no. showing signs of presence of Merlins, including c, definite pairs found Total Region sites known a 1983 b c a 1984 b c Outer islands 1 18 88 39 26 93 37 26 Northern Scotland 111 91 55 47 29 22 21 Central Scotland 202 155 99 66 161 115 86 Southern Scotland 111 66 44 34 78 46 35 Northern England 323 255 150 128 245 175 147 Wales 110 87 41 31 97 47 34 TOTALS 975 742 428 332 703 442 349 long-occupied areas have been abandoned. The population has apparently fallen from 25-30 pairs in the 1970s to perhaps about 20, but it is too early to know whether such a trend will continue or whether it is a short-term fluctuation. In Orkney, the historic record is also quite good, and present coverage is thorough. Numbers have apparently been falling over several decades (Lea & Bourne 1975). Balfour ( 1 968) suggested a total of perhaps 25 pairs in 1955-60, with a slight subsequent decrease. As recently as 1975, the Orkney Bird Report suggested that ‘the density of this species in Orkney may be unusually high’, but poorer reports have been given since 1979-80. The last few years with complete coverage have seen further declines to the present level of five to ten pairs. Moorland habitat in this area has been lost or altered. The situation in the Western Isles is less well known, but Merlins are clearly not common, with only three pairs found in the present study. In 1973, 12 pairs were reported in the Uists alone ( Scottish Bird Report) . It seems unlikely that a full survey would reveal a total population any greater than about 25 pairs, although seemingly suitable habitat appears abundant. SCOTLAND NORTH OF THE GREAT GLEN Coverage in this large region was widespread, except in the west, but nowhere intensive. Many of the sites were found by chance during surveys of moorland waders. Reported sites were generally widely spaced, with few records of Merlins despite the large areas covered by the survey teams (NCC and RSPB, unpublished). Many sites were on better-quality lower ground in river valleys, rather than in extensive uniform upland. It is unlikely that there are any concentrations yet to be found, and total numbers in the region are probably below 1 00 pairs. There is no information from which to assess population trends. CENTRAL HIGHLANDS Coverage was again widespread, but poorer in the west. Only in Speyside is there sufficient historic information to estimate recent trends (D. N. Weir in litt.). After a decline of some 30% from the early 1960s, there are now signs 175 Breeding status of the Merlin in Britain of possible recovery. Surrounds of many of the abandoned nesting places have been afforested. The present density is about 1.7-2. 2 pairs per 100 km2. A study in northeast Scotland, especially Deeside (Rebecca & Payne in press), has substantially increased knowledge of Merlins in the area and should provide a basis for long-term monitoring; there is much suitable ground to be explored here, and it was suggested that 80-100 pairs could be found in a thorough survey of the northeast. An area of some 4,800 km2 to the south of Cairngorm-Grampian massif was estimated to contain about 830 km2 of suitable Merlin ground. About 45% of the area checked held breeding pairs at 40 sites and signs at a further 12. In total, the eastern Highlands must support an important part of the British breeding population. To the west, the indications arc that Merlin numbers are much lower, with a low rate of casual reporting of pairs and rather few sites known. An attempt to locate some areas for studying the effects of afforestation in Kintyre (S. J. Petty in lilt.) was thwarted by lack of any signs of Merlins, even though potentially suitable areas with recent records were covered. It is probably true of much of western Scotland that Merlins are too scarce to provide adequate reward to anyone looking for them. SOUTHERN UPLANDS The Lammermuir, Moorfoot and Pentland Hills have some large areas of heather Calluna/ Erica managed as grouse moor, and quite well covered for Merlins. Coverage was less good in the largely sheepwalk and afforested 89. Female Merlin Fatco columbarius at nest with eggs, Clwyd, June 1 074 (J. Lauton Roberts ) 1 76 Breeding status of the Merlin in Britain 90. Female Merlin Falco columbarius at nest with young in hawthorn Crataegus monogyna, Dvfed. June 1975 (Graham F. Date) regions of Ettrick and Tweedsmuir, where few sites are known. The Lowther Hills in Lanarkshire are quite well known, as are the now exten- sively afforested hills of Galloway and south Ayrshire. The total population of the region is conservatively estimated to be about 50 pairs. Recent trends in the east are not known, but sufficient information and enthusiasm are now available for future monitoring here. In the west, many sites have been deserted following extensive afforestation. A small popula- tion may persist, but be very difficult to find as the habit of forest-edge nesting develops. NORTHERN ENGLAND There were no known major gaps in coverage of northern England, Table 2. Maximum numbers of pairs of Merlins Falco columbarius located in Britain in each 10-km square for which data received, 1983-84 Some sites in central Scotland were not located to 10-km square and are therefore excluded MEAN per 10-km per square Region 0 1 2 3 4 5 6+ square occupied Northern Scotland 25 35 8 1 0.80 1.25 Central Scotland 24 34 14 9 1.10 1.56 Southern Scotland 10 13 9 2 1 1.17 1 .64 Northern England 12 32 17 9 7 6 3 1.99 2.31 Wales 20 23 5 2 0.78 1.30 177 Breeding status oj the Merlin in Britain although a few pairs would no doubt have been overlooked, especially in low-density areas which were less well searched. Some good concentrations of Merlins were found in areas where the management of grouse moors continues. Much lower numbers were found on grass-dominated sheep- walks. The long-running study in Northumbria has revealed declines in numbers and in breeding success in the period 1974-83 (Newton et at. 1986). The decline in the Peak District from several tens of pairs to nearly zero has also been well documented (Newton et at. 1981). No other large areas are well documented, but it was interesting to find five pairs on the moor where Rowan (1921-22), in his pioneering studies of Merlins, was never able to locate more than four pairs in any year. It is hoped that work will continue on one or two of the major grouse moors where Merlins are still sufficiently numerous for it to be unlikely that large declines have occurred in the recent past. WALES Coverage throughout Wales has been extensive and fairly thorough, but there are many potential sites in places less characteristic of Merlins but known to have been occupied occasionally. Analysis in relation to major vegetation communities has shown a strong trend ol decreasing annual occupancy of sites related primarily to the trend from heather to grass domination (Bibby in press). This allows a prediction of the total popula- tion from coverage of a sub-sample of sites biased towards the better possible ones. Table 3. Distribution of numbers of pairs of Merlins Falco columbarius in Britain per 10-km square, according to nest site, 1983-84 Ground nesting is more frequent with higher densities: z test for linear trends in proportions: z = 5.54, P < 0.001 NUMBER OF PAIRS IN SQUARE Nest site 1 2 3 4 5 6 Tree nests 51 33 25 4 2 Ground nests 90 84 64 37 42 10 15 % ground nests 65 72 72 90 95 100 100 The Welsh population is estimated at 40-45 pairs, of w hich about 75% were found in 1983 and 1984. Analysis of the same data set by the same methods predicted a moorland population ol about 70 pairs in the mid 1970s, and there were additionally a few lowland and coastal sites still occupied then. In other words, a substantial decline has occurred in the last ten years, although probably not so great as suggested by comparison with Williams (1981), who estimated ka conservative figure of at least 150 breeding pairs’ for the period 1968-78. This larger figure is the result primarily of different assumptions by which substantially the same infor- mation was analysed: most importantly, Williams assumed that all sites reported were occupied by pairs each year, n respective of the proximity of other occupied sites or of whether Merlins had ever been found breeding as 178 Breeding status oj the Merlin in Britain against merely seen in summer. Roberts & Green (1983) reported a sharp decline on one moor which previously held a particularly high density of Merlins. Densities There were clear variations in density of Merlins, some places having adjacent pairs 2-4 km apart and others where scattered pairs had no near neighbours. Since we had no measures of area of suitable habitat, table 2 presents numbers of pairs by 10-km squares for all squares where at least one site was checked (records for which inadequate locations were given are not included). If records were received for both years, the numbers of pairs given for each square are the higher of the two, but they are still minima as all the ground may not have been searched. Densities may be five to ten pairs per 100 km2 (i.e. per 10-km square) in suitable habitat, which is, however, rarely extensive. Only 40 squares were found to contain more than two pairs of Merlins in a single year. Most of these were in northern England. More than half the squares in which some fieldwork was carried out produced one or no pairs of Merlins, which must be considered typical of densities by area of total land rather than by suitable habitat. Grid boundaries fell arbitrarily over actual blocks of moorland, and the pattern of concentrations was still clearer on a map as 16 of the 18 best squares fell in three contiguous groups. As insufficient records included classification of surrounding habitats, nest site has been used as a general indicator. In afforested and grass- dominated areas, Merlins generally nest in trees. On heather moors, they nest mainly on the ground. Table 3 shows that ground nesting was propor- tionately more frequent in the squares with more Merlins. This is because, in general, the best places for Merlins are heather-dominated, while tree nesting is more frequent in less-favoured habitats. Breeding success Data on breeding success from this study were biased by variation of effort. Pairs which fail early or do not lay are more likely to be detected in a thorough study. Casually studied areas can appear to be disproportionately more successful. While urging caution over the interpretation of these results, we indicate two points which deserve further attention by publica- tion of findings from more thorough studies as these become available. Of the regions summarised in table 4, only in Wales are numbers known to be declining throughout. That Wales shows the lowest breeding success may be a reflection of the intensity of study. In Northumbria (Newton et at. 1986), success rates of nests have fallen in the last ten years such that some 50% of Merlins now fail to rear young: a proportion similar to that in Wales in the same period. In Orkney, too, the population has been declining, and in the present study 1 7 pairs reared only 2 1 young. For the other two areas where populations are known to be declining (Galloway and the Peak District), there are insufficient data to assess breeding success. From three areas, it seems that nesting success of about 50%, with an average of less than two young being reared per pair, is associated with declining numbers. 179 Breeding status of the Merlin in Britain Table 4. Breeding statistics of Merlins Falco columbarius in Britain, 1983-84 Note that the figures are biased by incomplete study Pairs Young Young success- per per % pairs Region Pairs ful Young pair success successful Outer Islands 51 37 108 2.12 2.92 73 Northern Scotland 37 25 85 2.30 3.40 68 Central Scotland 105 72 252 2,40 3.50 69 Southern Scotland 52 33 115 2.21 3.48 63 Northern England 190 126 454 2.39 3.60 66 W ales 63 32 107 1.70 3.34 51 For the larger regions shown in table 4, the data are not currently sufficient to assess trends in numbers or, because of the bias due to effort, to be confident that nesting success is as good as indicated. Newton et al. (1978) showed that, in Northumbria, tree nests are more successful than ground nests. In Wales, a non-significant trend was found in the other direction (Bibby in press). Since heather moors are preferred habitats and ground nesting is more prevalent on them, it would be informative to know whether or not the Northumbrian finding is widely true. In the present survey, there was no difference in success between ground nests and tree nests (table 5). Successful brood sizes tended to be larger for ground than for tree nesters, so that, in total, ground nests reared more young per attempt, although not significantly so. Table 5. Success of nests of Merlins Falco columbarius in Britain in relation to site, 1983-84 Difference in success rates according to nest site: x'i = 1 -22; n.s. Difference in production of young per pair according to nest site: t(2o = 1 -54; n.s. Young Mean No. young per nest Total % per brood Site nests 0 12 3 4 5 young success pair size Ground 324 1 10 5 20 73 74 42 770 66 2.38 3.60 Tree 100 40 3 7 19 24 7 205 60 2.05 3.42 Discussion How many Merlins in Britain? Much of the difference between 1983 and 1984 in counts in one region was due to differences of effort. Taking the higher count for each region gives a total of some 375 pairs actually discovered. In four of the six regions, sufficient coverage was achieved for it to be possible to estimate what the total might have been after making an informed guess as to the proportion of suitable ground not checked. We suggest that there may be approxi- mately 50 pairs in Orkney, Shetland and the Outer Hebrides combined; 50 in southern Scotland; 180 in northern England; and 40 in Wales. In mainland Scotland north of the central lowlands, 1 33 pairs were located; we can no more than guess that there may be another 100-200 pairs to be found in this huge area. The remaining population, in southwest England, is very- small (less than five pairs). 1 80 Breeding status of the Merlin in Britain 91. Female Merlin Falco columbarius with juvenile House Sparrow Passer domesticus, at perch near nest, Clwyd, June 1975 (Dennis Green) The round-number range of 550-650 pairs is an estimate of how many pairs would be found if coverage was thorough in the sense normally understood by raptor workers looking for such a difficult bird. It is not possible to estimate how thorough this is, but Merlins can breed in such a variety of places and be so elusive that any survey of a large area is unlikely to reveal all pairs. For applied purposes, however, the relative counts derived from work of normal thoroughness are sufficient for assessing the importance of particular areas. Population trends can be measured by applying a constant effort from year to year without expecting 100% efficiency. 181 Breeding status of the Merlin in Britain Distribution I he Atlas map (Sharrock 1976, fig. 2) indicates the total breeding range of the Merlin. The general impression it gives probably remains correct, although numbers and distribution have since contracted in the southwest, V\ ales, the south Pennines, and probably southwest Scotland. Numbers are less well indicated. Many of the Atlas records were of possible or probable breeding only. Few Merlins breed at one year of age, and single individuals can be seen in non-breeding areas and may account for a proportion of the Atlas records. Favoured sites may be used repeatedly over many years, but Merlins also breed sporadically elsewhere and the pattern of such records over five years would tend to enlarge the distribution and mask concentra- tions. In detail, our information reveals more about Merlin distribution than the Atlas survey. Since well-known Merlin areas tend to suffer from human disturbance, however, we are hesitant to publish detailed information. Some areas within the general distribution shown in the Atlas have con- siderably higher densities of Merlins than others. High densities are strongly associated with extensive heather moorland, primarily where grouse-shooting and its attendant management continues as a major land use. In Scotland, England and Wales, such areas tend to have an easterly distribution, away from the areas of highest rainfall and most impoverished soils. The preference shown by Merlins for heather moorland is well known, but its causes are not fully understood. It is not known whether the association with grouse moors is coincidentally due to preference for better soils with heather, or whether grouse-keepering has benefits to Merlins as a result of vegetation or predator management. Where grouse-shooting is not important, open moorland is often heavily grazed, and grass-dominated, or has been afforested. Merlins occur spor- adically in such places, but pairs are rarely as close together as may be found on heather moorland, where groups of pairs are often spaced at 2-4 km from each other. Population trends A general decline in Merlins over the first half of the present century is widely acknowledged. In the period 1970-80, Peregrines and Sparrow- hawks Accipiter nisus have made impressive recoveries in numbers and range, especially away from the arable areas of southeast England where Merlins do not breed (Ratcliffe 1984; Newton & Haas 1984). From the few studies of Merlins of sufficient thoroughness, the evidence points to a continued decline and certainly no strong recovery anywhere during this most recent period. In the period 1974-83, in Northumberland, breeding success has declined in association with a population decline (Newton*/ al. 1986). On a single moor in Wales, poor breeding success was also evident during a period of sharp population decline (Roberts & Green 1983). Evidence presented in the present paper shows wide variation in breeding success, with a suggestion that poor breeding may be more frequent in areas with declining numbers than in places with relatively strong and possibly stable 182 Breeding status of the Merlin in Britain numbers. It should be noted that, in order to measure breeding success, data need to be collected carefully, since pairs which fail early or do not lay at all are harder to detect than those which rear -young. More thorough study is, therefore, likely to produce lower estimates of numbers of young reared per pair. Pesticides Organochlorine levels in British Merlin eggs and effects on breeding suc- cess up to 1980 were reviewed by Newton etal. (1982), and breeding failures by Newton (1973). Shell-thinning associated with DDE residues was demonstrated. DDE levels were not associated with the partial success of individual clutches, and were below those shown to cause total clutch failure in Canada (Fyfe et at. 1976). Similar or higher DDE levels were reported in Newfoundland (Temple 1972) and Sweden (Olsson 1980) in populations whose breeding success is greater than that currently found in Britain. For several reasons, the possibility of Merlins continuing to be adversely affected by pesticide residues cannot be totally dismissed. Study of eggs deals only with that part of the population which lays, while breeding success could be depressed by pairs failing altogether to lay or failing before their nests were found. Secondly, quite marked regional variations were noted and sampling might have under-represented some of the least suc- cessful areas, such as the Peak District, where it is difficult to collect any eggs. Egg breakage is currently a frequent cause of nest failure in Orkney and Shetland, though evidently not elsewhere. Newton et al. (1982) drew attention to the fact that British Merlins, perhaps through being predominantly ground nesters, seemed to have a lower breeding success than those in Canada or Scandinavia. Population levels might as a result be more sensitive to factors causing even a small reduction in breeding success or adult survival. It would, therefore, be desirable to continue to study organochlorine residues in eggs and in adults found dead. Habitat loss The spread of conifers and sheep-grazed grass-moorland and the decrease of heather undoubtedly constitute a long-term loss of the best Merlin breeding habitats. It is not, however, clear to what extent habitat loss has been responsible for recent declines in Merlin numbers or failures of populations to recover from pesticide-induced declines from the 1950s and 1960s. Habitat loss has undoubtedly contributed to loss of individual sites in some areas, such as in southwest Scotland (forestry) or in Orkney, Wales and southwest England (mainly replacement of heather by grasses). In the Peak District, however, the population declined sharply in the 1950s, but then continued to decline in spite of previously used sites still apparently being suitably vegetated (Newton et al. 1981). In Wales, heath-dominated sites are occupied in preference to those extensively surrounded by grass-moorland, and the preferred sites produce more young per pair (Bibby in press). Such a result was not found in Breeding status of the Merlin in Britain 183 92. Female Merlin Falco columbarius with part of Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus, retrieved from nearby cache amongst heather Cal/una vulgaris, at perch near nest. C'.lwyd. June 1975 (Dennis ' Green) Northumbria (Newton et at. 1986); there (Newton et at. 1978). but not in Wales, tree nesters were more successful, perhaps because they were less accessible to predators. Ground nesting is most frequent on the preferred heather-dominated sites. If the Welsh findings have any general truth, then loss of habitat, through influencing breeding success, could have an effect on population numbers before the stage at which habitats are so changed as never to be occupied by pairs of Merlins. Resolution of this uncertainty requires more information on site occu- pancy and breeding success in relation to habitats. In particular, it would be useful to know more about the causes of breeding failure. 1 1 might be that 184 Breeding status of the Merlin in Britain predators such as crows (Corvidae) or foxes Vulpes vulpes are more abundant in grass-dominated or conifer-dominated landscapes than on heather moorland, especially if the heather moors are keepered for grouse. Future work Unlike most other birds of prey in Britain, the present trends of the Merlin are unsatisfactory, for reasons inadequately understood. It may well be, as suggested by Newton et al. (1982), that breeding success is generally poor in Britain, so that any further reduction caused by pesticides, habitat changes or other factors unknown could be enough to produce further declines. The habitats used by British Merlins are peculiar in being so heavily altered by Man. Elsewhere, tree nesting on forest margins is widely typical, rather than ground nesting in the open. Both in its own right and with regard to current debate about the state funding which drives land-use changes in the uplands, the Merlin is of interest to nature conservation. More knowledge is clearly required, with a need for monitoring in a spread of regions, studying breeding success and diets, and investigating the effects of pesticides and habitat changes. Determined groups of amateurs, who have already contributed much of what we know about Merlins, have a very valuable role to play. Acknowledgments A large number of people helped with this survey. We apologise to anyone not named and thank the following: S. A. Anderson, C. Armistead, J. S. Armitage, S. J. Aspinall, C. Baddenoch, A. M. Bankier, J. Barret, S. F. Barret, G. Bates, I. Bates, S. Benn, C. Briggs. R. A. Broad, J. Brogden, D. Bromwich, P. Burnham, Dr L. H. Campbell, G. Cattenden, F. A. Clements, R. Coomber, B. Cosnette, M. Crosby, F. A. Currie, M. Davison, R. FI. Dennis, D. Dick, D. Doody, R. E. Downing, D. W. Duncan, P. Ellis, B. Etheridge, B. Galloway, Nl. G. FI. Garnett, C. Geddis, F. Grey, J. Halliday, J. J. C. Flardy, M. Harvey, A. Heavisides, C. Hedlam, D. Herringshaw, Dr P. J. Hudson, C. Jewitt, I. Kerr, T. Keuchel, Dr D. R. Langslow, J. M. S. Lewis, B. Little, the late L. G. MacFarlane, J. MacLoughlin, M. Madders, E. R. Meek, A. J. Merrit, D. T. Metcalf, J. Miles, M. Mills, C. Minshull, C. Moncaster, C. Morris, D. Newborn, Dr E Newton, D. Okill, J. Orchel, A. Payne, S. J. Petty, C. Pickup, D. Pierce, Dr I. Poxton, D. E. Pritchard, D. Pullan, G. Rebecca, DrT. Reed, M. Richards, J. L. Roberts, S. Roe, R. Roxburgh, D. Sexton, B. Shorrock, K. Shaw, I. Simm, D. J. Simpson, E. D. Steele, T. Talbot, R. Temple, C. Thomas, M. Tulloch, Dr S. J. Tyler, I. Vandome, C.J. Varty, Dr L. E. J. Vick, A. F. G. W alker, D. G. Walker, G. Wall, A. D. Watson, J. Watson, D. N. Weir, D. Whittacker, G. A. Williams, D. Woodley, and P. M. Wright. We are grateful to D. Burgess for helping with regional literature and to Dr 1. Newton and D. N. Weir for comments on an earlier draft. Summary This first, albeit incomplete, attempt in 1983 and 1984 to count the number of breeding Merlins Falco columbarius in Britain suggested a total population of 550-650 pairs; some 375 pairs were actually located. Densities exceeded two pairs per 10-km square in only 40 squares, and were higher where Merlins nested on the ground than where they used trees. In all the five areas studied with sufficient intensity in the last ten years, numbers have decreased. Poor breeding success, with about half the nests failing, is associated with declining numbers in all three areas where sufficient information is available (Orkney, Northumberland and Wales). References Balfour, E. 1968. Breeding birds of Orkney. Scot. Birds 5: 89-104. Bibby, C.J. In press. Merlins in Wales: site occupancy and breeding in relation to vegetation. /. Appl. Ecol. Breeding status of the Merlin in Britain 1 85 Dennis, R. H.. Eli.is, P. M.. Broad, R. A.,& Langslow, D. R. 1984. The status of the Golden Eagle in Britain. Brit. Birds 77: 592-607. Eyffe, R. \\ ., Risebrough, R. M ., & Walker, W. 1976. Pollutant effects on the reproduction ol Prairie Falcons and Merlins of the ( Canadian prairies. Can. Field Nat. 90: 3+6-455. Eea, 1)., & Bourne, \V. R. P. 1975. 1 he birds of Orkney. In R. Goodier (ed.). The Natural Environment of Orkney . NCC, Edinburgh. Newton, 1 . 1973. Egg breakage and breeding failure in British Merlins. Bird Study 20: 241-2+4. , Bogan, E., Meek. E. R.. & Little, B. 1982. Organochlorine compounds and shell thinning in British Merlins Falco columbarius. Ibis 124: 328-335. & Haas. M. B. 1984. The return of the Sparrowhawk. Brit. Birds 77: 47-70. , Meek, E. R., & Little, B. 1978. Breeding ecology of the Merlin in Northumberland. Brit. Birds 71: 376-398. , , & . 1986. Population and breeding of Northumbrian Merlins. Brit. Birds 79: 155-170. , Robson, J. L., & Yai.den, I). W. 1981. Decline of the Merlin in the Peak District. Bird Study 28: 225-234. ( )kili.. J. I)., Ginnever, J. A., & Jones, A. 1980. Shetland’s Merlins. Shetland Bird Report for 1979: 51-54. Olsson, B. ( ). 1980. Projekt Stenfalk. Svenska Naturskyddsforeningen. Stockholm. Parslow. J. L. L. 1967. Changes in status among breeding birds in Britain and Ireland. Brit. Birds 60: 2-47. Ratci.iffe, D. A. 1984. The Peregrine breeding population of the UK in 1981 . Bird Study 31: 1-18. Rebecca, G. W & Payne, A. G. In press. Breeding Merlins in North-east Scotland during 1983 and 1984. NE Scotland Bird Report 1984. Roberts, J. I.., & Green, D. 1983. Breeding failure and decline of Merlins on a North Males moor. Bird Study 30: 193-200. Rowan, W. 1921-22. Observations on the breeding habits of the Merlin. Brit. Birds 15: 121-1 29. 1 94-202, 222-23 1 , 246-253. Sharrock. J. T. R. 1976. The Atlas oj Breeding Birds in Britain and Ireland. Berkhamsted. Temple, S. A. 1972. Chlorinated hydrocarbon residues and reproductive success in eastern North American Merlins. C.ondorlA\ 105-106. W illiams, G. A. 1981. The Merlin in Wales: breeding numbers, habitat and success. Brit. Birds 74: 205-214. Dr C. J. Bibby, RSPB. The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG 19 2DL M. Nattrass, 4 Whitecliffe Close, Preston Grange, North Shields, Tyne & H ear NE299HF ^rtjcutp-filjc prats ago... ‘Of the Grey Phalarope’s love-making the author gives a delightful account, from which we may quote the following: — “As the male seemed to pay no attention to her alluring move- ments she flew rapidly up to him — producing as she left the water a peculiar whirling sound with her wings, and uttering short angry cries — pushed him with her bill, and then she returned to the water and took up her sw imming-dance. Now the male came out to her and the two birds whirled around for some moments equally eager and with increasing rapidity. Uttering a short call, the female again flew to a tuft surrounded by water and waited some seconds in vain for the male; again she flew to the water to induce him w ith eager pushes and thumps to accompany her. They again whirled violently around, whereafter she. uttering a strong alluring sound flew back to the tuft, this time accompanied by the male — and the pairing immediately took place." (Brit. Birds 4: 346. April 191 1) Identification of Oriental Skylark •x, i /. , 'V Hadoram Shirihai The Oriental Skylark Alauda gulgula (also sometimes known as Small Skylark, I .esser Skylark or Eastern Skylark) is found aeross a large area of southern Asia. Eleven raees were reeognised by Vaurie (1959), most of which are resident in tropical Asia, but A. g. inconspicua , which breeds west to central Asia and Iran, is migratory, though its winter quarters are not known. The species has not yet been reliably recorded in Europe, although there are several recent records for Israel (see final section, and Shirihai in prep.) and it is possible that the Oriental Skylark will eventually be found in western Europe, and perhaps even Britain and Ireland. The main confusion species is Skylark A. arvensis , especially the smaller races. Given good views, however, the careful observer should not find separating them a serious problem. This paper summarises the main identification features of Oriental Skylark and its distinction from Skylark and other larks. Identification in the field In the field, Oriental Skylark resembles Skylark in coloration, but Wood- lark Lullida arborea in shape and flight. Its pointed bill is relatively long and thick, and it has a shortish tail and relatively long legs. From a distance, it might even be confused with Short-toed Calandrella brachydactyla or Lesser Short-toed Lark C. rujescens. The following are important points to observe when identifying the Oriental Skylark in the field. silhouette and size Size as W oodlark lark’s. W ings rattier short, primaries project- ing little, if at all, beyond tertials, unlike Skylark’s. Generally, silhouette is that of small and squat lark, recalling Woodlark. head Dark streaks visible on forehead and crown. Kar-coverts obviously rusty toned. Nape grey to rusty-brown, with dark streak- ing. Chin and throat whitish, and dark moustachial and malar stripes are much less prominent than on Skylark; crest also much as (about 16 cm in length), significantly smaller than nominate Skylark (18.5 cm). Bill seems small, but, compared with Skylark's and W oodlark's, is longer and thicker. From side, forehead looks rather flat and in line with bill. W hen raised, short crest gives head pointed shape, fail looks short compared with Sky- lark's, and extends less beyond wing-tip, but is longer and projects more than does W’ood- 186 | lint. Birds 79: 186- 197. April 1986] Identification of Oriental Skylark less prominent. Lores and supereilium strikingly whitish, latter being longer and more noticeable than Skylark’s, but do not meet at back of head, unlike W oodlark’s (see fig. 1). upperparts Brown to dark-brown feathers of mantle and scapulars have noticeably sandy fringes. \\ ing-coverts dark brown, also with sandy or rusty edges. Pale grey lesser coverts contrast with rusty-brown median and greater coverts. Unlike both Skylark and Woodlark, rusty fringes of primaries and secondaries give impression of very rusty- coloured wing. Rump pale rusty, with dark leather-centres. 187 tail Short and slightly forked. ( filter feathers rather sandy-coloured, not white as on Sky- lark. (Woodlark has very short-looking tail, less forked and with white outer feathers and white tips to inner ones, giving pattern quite different from that of Oriental Sk\ lark.) underparts Breast sandy-yellow, with deli- cate, narrow dark-brown to medium-brown streaking extending to upper belly. Belly sandy-white, lacking streaking on flanks. bare parts Bill brow nish-grey . with pale greyish-vellow base to lower mandible. Legs fleshy-pink to yellow , and quite long. A ppea ranee in flight In flight, ( )riental Skylark’s wings seem short and rounded and its tail also looks rather short. The pale trailing edge to the wing is sandy or rusty in colour, and is less noticeable than and clearly different from the contrasting white trailing edge of Skylark. The flight action of ( )riental is very slow, and it tends to hover and flutter its wings when low over a field (about 30 cm from the ground). The flight silhouette is rather like that of Woodlark. At a higher altitude, its flight is faster and recalls that of Short-toed Lark or Skylark. Voice The Oriental Sky lark’s voice is totally different in character from that of Skylark and Woodlark. I transcribed its call as ’baz, baz’ or ‘baz-terrr’: the notes being staccato, reminiscent of the calls of Richard s Pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae. Dr J. T. R. Sharrock (in litt.) described the call as ‘a very distinctive, soft buzz’. The species usually gives one to three calls at intervals of one to two seconds. Summary oj identification in the field Oriental Skvlark is close in colour and plumage pattern to both Sky lark and Woodlark. Important features that distinguish it in the field from Sky lark are its small and squat appearance and its clearly shorter tail, wings and primary projection; when standing, it shows an obviously rusty tone on the ear-coverts and wings. In flight, its short tail and short, rounded wings are apparent, while it has a sandy, not white, trailing edge to the wings, as well as sandy tail-sides. Its calls are decisively different from those of any other lark. It differs from Lesser Short-toed Lark and Short-toed Lark in its thicker and more prominent streaking on the breast and in its noticeably Fig. 1. Head patterns of Oriental Skylark Alauda gulgula. Skylark .4. arvensis and Woodlark Lullula arborea ( Hadoram Shirihai) 188 [The inclusion of colour plates 93 & 94 has been subsidised by ZEISS (I'm/ Germany] ’Actually, there’s not a lot 1 !>f choice it you want ►inoculars that meet the lighest standards. Compare my favourite vith others for durability water proofing) and ease >f handling; field of view, iose-focusing and ccuracy of colour, ompare them in bad light and try hem against the sun; does the >icture go ‘milky’? iHBfc ^lcse* Kre sPcchic tests but \, ultimately the best binoculars have an indefinable quality about I them-a naturalness -and when you look through them, it’s as if you’re seeing exactly what vour eves see. but much closer. 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All trips led by Chris Slade or Steve Whitehouse. CHRIS L. SLADE 8 The Grange, Elmdon Park, Solihull, West Midlands B92 9EL. Tel: 021-742 5420/021-705 5535. In conjunction with Regent Holiday U.K. Ltd. (1)639) XIV Ask for the birdwatcher's popular choice . . . 9901 Zeiss 10x40B/GAT* The closer focusing Dialyt A tmly short-focusing binocular, with a minimum focusing distance of only 5 metres and special ‘B- eye-pieces permitting unrestricted viewing with or without spectacles. The multi-layer anti-reflection T* coating gives excellent image contrast and superior light transmission at dawn and dusk. Add to these features the easy-grip rubber armour (complete with rainguard). light-weight, sturdiness and dependability, and you have a binocular unsurpassed in quality and performance. ( Now also available without rubber armour if preferred. ) For further information please contact: ZEISS West Germany Carl Zeiss (Oberkochen) Ltd PO Box 78 Woodfield Road Welwyn Garden City Herts AL7 1LU Telephone (0707)331144 xv Simonside XVI (D586) 95. Skylark Alauda arvensis with wing expanded. Israel, January 1 963 ( D. Pierce, k . Foundation) 96. Oriental Skylark Alauda gulgula with wing expanded. Israel. March 1965 (Hadoram Shirihai) 190 Identification oj Oriental Skylark 97. ( )riental Skylark Alauda gulgula. Israel. November 1984 (Hadoram Shirihai) longer and narrower bill; it is also a little larger. Woodlark has a longer white supercilium, a shorter tail with white sides and white-tipped inner feathers, and lacks the rusty-fringed primaries and secondaries of Oriental Skylark. The coloration and build of Oriental Skylark are somewhat similar to those of various other larks, particularly Skylark; they do not attract attention. The most likely way of locating an Oriental Skylark among a flock of Skylarks is by its call. Identification in the hand In the hand, distinguishing Oriental Skylark from Skylark is not difficult. The main differences are in length of tail and wing, and in wing formula. The measurements of Oriental are markedly smaller than those of nomi- nate Skylark, with hardly any overlap. The rusty outer fringes of the primaries and secondaries are typical of Oriental Skylark; the colour of the outer pair of tail feathers is also significant: sandy on Oriental, white on Skylark. Oriental also averages 15 g less in weight than nominate Skylark. The following description is taken from personal notes made on ten individuals examined in the hand in Eilat, Israel, during autumn/winter 1984/85. head Whitish supercilium starting at base of bill, narrow at first, broad and prominent behind eye, then tapering to a point 10 mm behind eye. Lores, chin and eye-ring whitish or pale brown. Ear-coverts pale brown to rusty, slightly streaked with darker brown and encircled by blackish stripe starting under eye. F eathers of crown blackish/dark brown (80% of their centre) with bull fringes, producing streaked effect; when raised, these feathers create small crest. Throat buffish- white without clearly defined moustachial or malar stripes. Nape greyer than crown. upperparts Dominant colour of mantle and scapulars blackish to dark brown, with feather edges pale grey to sandy. Rump and uppertail-coverts more rusty, with only centres of feathers dark brown. underparts Light sandy-coloured, with breast (especially sides) narrowly and clearly streaked dark brown. Much individual varia- tion in this pattern: some individuals have narrow and delicate streaks, others have relatively broad ones. Belly paler. Vent and undertail-coverts pale sandv-coloured. wings Upperwing Greater coverts dark brown, broadly fringed and tipped sandy- brown (inner greater coverts edged paler, outer ones more rusty). Median coverts similar, but fringes a shade rustier. Lesser coverts dark brown, with fringes greyer than median and greater coverts. Greater primary 191 Identification of Oriental Skylark 98. Skylark Alauda arvensis, Israel, January 1985 (D. Pierce , K. Foundation) coverts dark brown, with outer webs rusty- coloured and tips sandy. Feathers of alula dark brown, outer webs with rusty fringe, and tips sandy. Primaries and secondaries dark brown, all except second primary with rusty outer webs; second primary with pale sandy outer web. Tertials dark brown, with outer edges rusty to pale sandy. Seventh to tenth primaries and secondaries have notched tips. Fourth to tenth primaries (mainly sixth to tenth) have rather contrast- ing sandy tips 1-2 mm wide forming trailing edge, less noticeable on secondaries. Underwing Remiges grey. Coverts whitish to sandy. Axillaries rusty to dark brown. tail Rectrices dark brown. Outer tail feather mainly sandy; second feather with outer web sandy-coloured; third with only a sandy tip; fourth and filth with narrow sandv edges to outer and inner webs. Fringes of central pair of feathers wider, with sandy and rusty tones. bare parts Bill small, but. compared with Skvlark, looks long, thick and pointed; upper mandible brown to dark grey; lower man- dible horn-grey, with dark tip. Iris brown. Tarsus and toes pale flesh-coloured; soles paler; claws pale horn. Measurements and wing formula Table 1 gives the average measurements of ten Oriental Skylarks which 1 caught at Eilat in autumn-winter 1984/85. Although some overlap occurs between measurements of Oriental Skylark and Skylark (Baker 1926; Dementiev & Gladkov 1970; Ali & Ripley 1972), this is in most cases slight, and a combination of measurements would be conclusive in identification. The wing formula of Oriental Skylark, calculated as the average of the ten indiv iduals examined, is shown below: emarginated -1 5 - -8.5 -15.4 -19.1 -21.5 -29.7 1111 1 : I 1 I I I 1 2 3 4 ' .5 fi 7 8 9 10 longest First primary 9.5-12.0 mm shorter than primary coverts. Inner secondaries - 14.3; tertials - 3.2 The tip of the w ing is usually formed by the third and fourth primaries, although sometimes only by the fourth. It can also sometimes be formed jointly by the second to fifth. A major distinction between Oriental Skylark and Skylark is the 99. Oriental Skylark Alauda gulgula and Skylark A. arvensis, Israel, November 1985 (Paul Doherty ) Table 1. Measurements (in mm) of Oriental Skylark Alauda gulgula based on ten individuals trapped at Eilat, Israel, in autumn-winter 1984/85 Range Mean Wing 89.0-98.5 93.5 Wing spread 273-304 290.8 Tail 54.5-61.0 56.7 Tail difference (outer feather to inner) 2. 0-6. 5 3.7 Tail-tip to coverts (under) 2 1 .0-26.0 24.8 Tail-tip to coverts (upper) 16.0-23.0 19.7 Bill (to skull) 15.0-16.5 15.8 Bill (to feathering) 9.8-11.5 10.4 Bill depth (at nostrils) 4. 2-5.0 4.6 Bill width (at nostrils) 4.2-5. 2 4.5 Tarsus 23.0-25.0 24.2 Tarsus thickness (at middle) 1. 1-1.3 X 1. 9-2.0 1 . 1 7 X 1.98 Footspan (less claws) 26.0-29.0 26.8 Footspan (with claws) 41.0-52.0 43.5 Hind claw 11.0-21.0 14.0 Middle claw 5. 5-7.0 5.9 Inner claw 3. 0-5.0 4.2 Outer claw 3. 2-5.5 4.1 Weight (g) 19.5-26.0 22.6 difference between the wing-tip and the tip of the fifth primary. This can be summarised as follows: Oriental Skylark: p59f>) NORTH NORFOLK’S HERITAGE COAST. Flint cottage in small, peaceful village. 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Ideal for spring and autumn birdwatching. Send stamp for brochure to Bcachfield House, St. Mary s. Book Now for October. Tel: 0720 22463. ( BB654) MOST ATTRACTIVE choice of self-catering cottages, isolated and in beautiful surroundings overlooking the sea on a Westhighland Estate Scotland’s natural beauty at its best. The ideal holiday for the true country lover with wild life in adundance. For full colour brochure please w rite to: The Booking Office, Ellary 7, Lochgilphead, Argyll. Pel: 08803 232/209 or 054685 223. (BB685) UNUSUAL AND INTERESTING bird and animal life can be seen on the historic Fursdon Estate tucked away in the unspoiled, wooded Devon countryside. Clean, comfortable and fully equipped self-catering accommodation. Log fires,- CH in winter, col TV. Details and brochure: Mr E. D. Fursdon, Fursdon House, Cadbury, Exeter. Tel: Exeter 860860. (BB677) OSPREY VISITORS to Loch Garten? Locheil GH offers BB: £6.50; DBB: £10.50; or self-eater Cottage (sleeps 6) rental £18 nightly, and Chalet (sleeps 4) £12 nightly. For details plus walks, slide-talks, films, local activities, write: Locheil, Boat of Garten, Inverness-shire. Tel: 047 983 603. (BB686) BIRD 1 1 ' A TCHING HO LI DA YS BIRDING IN NORTH AMERICA Point Pelee — North America’s Clay — and Algonquin Park — Northern Specialities. Escorted Four in Self-Drive Campers 8th-22nd May 1986. Write for details: J. M. B. Travel Ltd, Freepost, Fishguard, Dyfed. ( BB648) PEMBROKESHIRE — One week within the National Park, led by Tony Cook. Curator for Wildfowl Trust, Peakirk. V isit Skomer Island. St. Davids Head, etc. Excellent self-catering accom- modation. £65 per person 3rd May 1986. Further details from: Felindre Holidays (0782) 329476. (Accommodation available for family holidays throughout the year). (BB672) CALF OF MAN BIRD OBSERVATORY. Hostel tvpe accommodation from April to October. Details from the Secretary , the Manx Museum, Douglas. Isle of Man. 1 el: 0624 75522/ 25125. (BB602) HIGHLAND SAFARIS: 23rd season led by Derek Hulme and Allister Brebner. Choose from 6 scenic north and west coast centres — Skye. Morvern. Gairloch. Ullapool, Durness and Strathpefler. Visits by minicoach, boat and leisurely walking to remote beaches, cliffs, glens and bird islands. Ideal holiday for singles and couples in middle/ upper age groups. Ky le and Glen, Muir of Ord, Ross-shire 1V6 7l'Q. I el: 0463 870363. (BB593) \\iii BODMIN MOOR NATURE OBSERVA- TORY offers enjoyable and relaxed holidays watching birds with regular conducted field trips to delightful moorland and coastal habitats. 168 species logged in 1985. Help given to beginners. For full details and 1985 observations sae to Tony Miller, BMNO, Ninestones Farm, Liskeard PL 14 6SD. Tel: 0579 20455. (BB538) SKOKHOLM/SKOMER ISLANDS, PEM- BROKESHIRE. Thousands of seabirds, carpets of flowers. Some courses. S.a.e. Dept BB, WWTNC, 7 Market Street, Haverfordwest, Dyfed SA6 1 INF. (BB554) OVERSEAS HO L ACC CHARMINGLY RENOVATED FARM- HOUSE, peaceful village in Languedoc, prox- imity mountains, lakes, Mediterranean. Infor- mation: Mrs Bairstow, 12540 Fondamente, France. (BB558) MAJORCA, NORTH. Family run hotel. Half- board. Out of season car hire £35 pw. Tel: 531998. “Oriola” Pollensa. (BB570) U ILDLIFE HO LI DA YS CORSICAN SPRING— A two week pro- gramme (May /June) of guided wilderness walks and wildlife watching in Corsica. Details from Castle Head Field Centre, Grange over Sands, Cumbria LAI 1 6QT. Telephone 04484-4300. (BB644) HORNPIPE— visit remote breeding grounds, Hebrides, Orkney in 62 ft yacht. Max 6 guests for space and comfort. Woodstove, home cooking. Hornpipe Cruises, Kingie, Invergarry, Inverness- shire PH35 4HS. (BB473) KENYA 2-week tented Birdwatching/VVildlife Safaris dept Island 15th August visiting National Gameparks and Rift Valley Lakes. Inclusive £985. India 3-week Rajasthan tour. Jaipur, Udaipur, Pushkar Camel Fair, Taj Mahal. Palace accommodation, dept 1st November £1,450. Adventure Agency, The Square, Ramsbury, Wiltshire. (0672 20569). ( BB63 1 ) OVERSEAS BIRDING ABROAD? Site guides and trip reports on: Kenya, Gambia, Thailand, India, Israel, Morocco, Canaries, Madeira, Mallorca. South America, Europe, Asia, Africa etc. Tel: 0905 54541. (BB448) CRUISES HEBRIDES/ST KILDA. View at close quarters the wide varieties of birdlife which colonise the spectacular Western Isles. Fully inclusive cruises with plenty of time ashore. Brochure: Kylebhan Charters Ltd, 101 Norman Road, West Mailing, Kent ME19 6RN. Telephone (0732) 841467. (BB581) PERSONAL THE HAWK TRUST cares about all birds of prey. Why not help us with our conservation projects? For information, contact The Member- ship Secretary* (JB) , The Hawk Trust, FREE- POST, Beckenham, Kent. Tel: Loughborough 215598. (BB459) THE GREAT BRITISH BIRDTABLE. Feed- ing the birds seems to be a national obsession. There are more birdtables in Britain than anywhere else in the world and they are soon to be featured in a new BBC Natural History Unit programme to be filmed over the next two winters. If you have unusual visitors to your feeding station the BBC would like to hear from you. Novel designs and unusual locations are also of interest. Please write to: The Great British Birdtable, Room 142, BBC Bristol, Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2LR. (BB618) Professional ornithologist seek entrepreneur for exciting project with no existing com- petitors. Financial involvement only pre- ferred but active partners, with suitable experience, considered. Apply Box No. 69 c/o Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK44 3NJ. (BB669) NORMANDY / BRITTANNY / SOLOGNE. Planned holiday. August. Anyone recommend good bird spots? Postage refunded. M. Carr, 73 Temple Gate Ave, Leeds LS15 0HL. (BB664) BOOKS HENRY SOTHERAN LTD, ICBP, RSPB London 'j leading ornithological book stockists IN STOCK — Tate: Birds, Men & Books. £13.95. Roche: The Bird-Walker. Boxed set of three cassettes of bird songs/Westcrn Palearctic. £16.00. Savory: George Lodge- Artist Naturalist. Signed copies. £25.00. Skutch: Life of the Woodpecker. £45.00. ICBP, BTO, BOU Publications and a surprising range of smaller books & reports. Superb stock available lor browsing. 2, 3, 4 & 5 Sackville St, London W1X 2DP. 01-734 1 150. Just off Piccadilly Mon-Fri 9.00-5.30. ( BB676) NEW CATALOGUE of second-hand natural history books now available, stamp appreciated. Little Holcombe Books, 52 Bridge Street. Ramsbottom. Bury, Lancs. ( BB633) ORNITHOLIDAYS GUIDES in the Let’s look at . . .’ series. Majorca, SW Spain, The Camargue, Montenegro, Ethiopia, Eastern Austria, South Morocco, North East Greece, Vancouver and The Rockies, Sri Lanka, Lapland and Arctic Norway, The Gambia, and North West Turkey, £2.80 per copy. Ornitholidays, 1-3 Victoria Drive, Bognor Regis, Sussex P021 2PVV- (BB636) XXIV ‘BIRD BOOKS’. Good secondhand books bought and sold. Free catalogue from, and offers to Briant Books, 94 Quarry Lane, Kelsall, Tarporley, Cheshire CYV6 ON J. Tel: 0829 51804. (BB641) THE BIRDS OF THE ASHDOWN FOREST by Alan Barnes, 70 pages, 40 black and white photographs, map, paperback. A new survey of this interesting area. Price £3.95 plus 35p postage. Order now from A & H Books, 23 Andrew Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent 1 N4 9DN . (BB592) QUALITY BIRD BOOKS— for latest list write to A. & H. Books, 23 Andrew Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. (BB497) RARE AND SECONDHAND books on birds, natural history, gardening and field sports bought and sold. Peter Blest, Wateringbury, Maidstone, Kent. Tel: 0622 812940. (BB572) NATURAL HISTORY BOOKS. Secondhand and new bought and sold. Catalogues: J. E. Oliver, Malt Cottage, Croft Yard, Wells, Norfolk. CBB553) FINE NATURAL HISTORY BOOKS bought and sold. R. Norman. Hart-on-the-Hill, Dalton Piercy, Hartlepool, Cleveland. I el: 0429 73857. (BB303) BIRD & NATURAL HISTORY books bought and sold. Catalogues issued. We are very keen to buy good quality stock, so ii you have surplus items please allow us to make you an offer St Ann’s Bookshop, 2 St Ann's Road, Great Malvern, Worcs (068 45) 62818. (BB532) BIRD BOOKS 1847-1984, large SAE for catalogue. Crack Books. Sawmill Cottages, Burton-in- Lonsdale, Carnforth, Lancs. (BB597) BIRDWATCHING GUIDE BOOKS. Essential for holiday birding. What birds to see and where, when to go, where to stay, etc. Richly illustrated with maps. Mallorca by Eddie Watkinson (second edition) £3. I he Isles ol Scilly by David Hunt £3. The Gambia by Etienne Edberg £4. Prices include post and packing from J. Sanders, PO Box 24, Alderney, Channel Islands. (BB567) C Oi'RSES BIRDWATCHING ACTIVITY WEEKS 25-30 May 1986 — 1-6 June 1986 “BIRDS OF SPEYSIDE" A repeat of last year's success with conducted visits and walks, slidetalks, film and social. Tutors: RSPB Wardens. Roy Dennis Resident Guide: Michael Phillips Course Fee: £48 For information, SAE please to: Tourist Association, Boat of Garten, Inverness-shire (BB645) LAKELAND BIRDS — 14/15th June and Birdwatch Cumbria — 12- 1 7th October, and other natural history courses. Extremely good value and traditional hospitality. Details of these, plus group accommodation and guiding from Warden, Low Gillerthwaite, Ennerdale. Cleator, Cumbria. (BB665) BIRD CLUBS RSPB CENTRAL LONDON GROUP: enjoy birdwatching with the CLG. Frequent coach & local field outings, regular lectures. Newsletter from Mary Woozley, Basement Flat. 21 Holland Street, London W8 4NA. (SAE please). (BB579) SITUATIONS VACANT ASSISTANT MANAGER, SOC BIRD BOOKSHOP. Enthusiastic person with an interest in birds and books wanted for busy and expanding mail order business. Graduate or equivalent preferred. Details from: John Davies, SOC, 21 Regent Terrace, Edinburgh EH7 5B 1 Tel: 031-5566042. (BB670) WANTED COLLECTOR wishes to purchase Morris's Birds. 1 horbum s Birds, and any other interest- ing Natural History Books or Paintings. David Brodie, Hazel Bank. 106 Castlemain Avenue, Southbourne. Bournemouth, Dorset 0202 43 1997. (BB679) •BRITISH BIRDS’ VOL. 78, No. 10 (OCTOBER 1985). £10.00 for a copy of this issue. Don Smith, The Garden Cottage, Camell Estate. Fiveways, Hurlford, Ayrshire. ( BB681 ) FOR SALE WEST MIDLAND BIRD REPORTS, 1984 £2.80, 1981. 82 & 83. £2.30 each. Birds of the West Midlands, £17. Ruddy Duck car sticker. 50p. All prices inc. P& P from Mrs. D. Dunstan. 4 Blossomficld Road. Solihull, B9 1 1LD. (BB6-1) ZEISS/LEITZ binoculars for sale.& wanted. p/EX. 21 Crescent Grov e. London SW4 7AF. ( BB637) BRITISH WARBLERS & GARDEN BIRDS are two, hour-long stereo cassettes in a series of six titles. Only £4 each inch p&p. SAE details. Richard Margoschis, 80 Mancetter Road. Ather- stoneCA’9 1NH. (BB573) PARABOLIC REFLECTOR specially designed for recording birdsong. Hand or tripod mounting. £30 ind p&p. SAE details. Richard Margoschis, 80 Mancetter Road, Atherstone C’.V9 1NH. (BB574) XXV BWP, Vols 1-4, £160. Tel: 0484 659946. (BB671) EXCEPTIONALLY well documented library ol' scientific ornithological books. Book lists sent Iree on request. \\ rite Box No. 68, c/o Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK.44 3NJ. ( BB666) BUSHNELL Spacemaster, 22 X w.a. and 40X lenses, good condition. £100. Tel : Dunblane 823021. (BB674) BIRD STUDY 1958-1984, 17 Volumes Bound, 10 Volumes unbound. Private sale. Hertford- shire. Tel: 0442 53994. (BB684) BIRD JOURNAL BACKNUMBERS SUP- PLIED. (BB, Bird Study, Counts Reports etc) David Morgan, Whitmore, Umberleigh, Devon. (BB678) QUERCUS Willow Road WHITSTABLE CT5 3DW Tel: (0227) 275077 NEST BOXES z(L- The natural home for any bird from Wren to Jackdaw. Name the bird, we’ll supply the box! £3.90 each. Two or more £3.00 each. (Illustrated — Bluetit) Send S.A.E. for full range and details of quantity discount. (BB687) THINKING OF GETTING NEW BINOCULARS OR A TELESCOPE? first consult. The British Birds Binoculars and telescopes survey P. J. Grant and J. T. R Sharrock (BB341 ) Send SA£ and cheque/ PO tor Cl 00 (payable to BRITISH BIRDS LTD) to Binoculars & Telescopes Fountains. Park Lane. Blunham. Bedford MK44 3NJ TalktoA.R.Hawkins about Binoculars! SAVE ££££s— BE WISE— BUY FROM BRITAIN’S BINOCULAR/TELESCOPE SPECIALISTS— ORDER BY POST OR PHONE IN COMPLETE CONFIDENCE ZEISS WEST THE WORLD’S FINEST! YOU’VE JUST GOT TO OWN ONE! ZEISS WEST ORDER TODAY IN YOUR HAND TOMORROW PHONE OR POST YOUR ORDER FOR SAME DAY DISPATCH 10 x 40 BGA Dlalyt S/Focus 10 x 40 BDialyt S/Focus 8 x 56 BGA Dialyl 8 x 30 B Dialyl I I 8 x 30 BGA Dialyt ) \ 7 x 42 BGA Dialyl I \ 8 x 20 B Mini Dialyl I j 8 x 20 BGA Mini Dialyt ) j 10 x 25 B Mini Dialyt ' 8 x 20 Monocular •30 x 60 BGA Zeiss Telescopes lor For Immediate Delivery IF ITS ZEISS ITS A. R. HAWKINS! ALL M00ELS IN STOCK. ORDER TODAY IN YOUR HAND TOMORROW! Ui GO C/3 ^ — O ZEISS JENA 10x40BNolarem 046.00 1 0 x 50 Dekarem £88.95 8 x 30 Deltrintem E55.95 8x30 Monocular £47.96 10x50 Monocular £68.65 8 x 50 B Nobilem Special 059.00 All Zeiss Jena Models supplied with Leather Case i HABICHT A fimr favourite Irom Austria, [ superbly made, dutstanding colour and contrast also waterproof! 7 x 42 B/WMP £229.28 10 x 40 B/WMP £256.59 10 x 40 W/SLM £299.95 OPTOLYTH ALPIN Superb Lightweight Models Irom W. Germany al sensible prices. 8 x 30 BGA Alpin 031 8 x 40 EGA Alpin 043 1 0 x 40 BGA 045 10x50 BGA Alpin 061 12 x 50 BGA Alpin £764 7x42 BGA Alpin 048 SWIFT Audubon — New Model HR5 8.5 < 44 — only 28 on. supplied with Iree rubber ralnguard lo British Bird Readers £139 70p Swill Osprey 7 5 x 42 £99.50 TELESCOPES Spacemaster 1 5-45 x 60 . . Spacemaster 20-60 x 60.. Spacemaster 22xW/A60 069.95 069.95 £155.95 Spacemaster extra eyepieces 1 5 x, 20 x, 22 x W/A, 25 x. 40 x, 60 x. £32.00 S/Master Photo Adaptor £32.00 T. Mounts. £5.95 Hertel&Reuss 30 x 80 BGA £258.00 Oplolyth 30 x 75 with case £255.00 Optolyth 30 x 80 £288.00 Oplolyth 80 mm body £253.00 Optolyth 20 x eyepiece £47 . 30 x eye- piece £39. 40 x eyepiece £42. Lealher case £35. All lor Oplolyth 80 mm telescope. Oplolyth 22-60 x 70 £265.00 B/L Discoverer 1 5-60 x 60 £179.95 Hawk 20-60 x 60 with case £1 59.95 Mirador 15-60 x 60 £169.95 Mirador 30 x 75 BGA £159.95 Mirador 32 x 80 BGA £239.95 Kowa TSN2 £209.95 Habicht 23 x 70 BGA £168.95 Hahicht 30 x 75 BGA £339.95 Opticron 20-60 x 60 HR £150.00 ("PHONE US FOR Best Makes. Largest Stocks. Fastest Service. By return Despatch and Free Advice. SLICK D2 TRIPOD THE linesl tripod lor your telescope! Extends to a lull 511 9in. weighs only 41b 1 2oz! Our Special Price £54.95 Post and Insurance £2.75. ORDER NOW for "By Return Dispatch. Binoculars and Telescopes £2.50p post and Insurance send cheque or Visa/Access accepted by phone! Stamps (50p). For Illustrated Discount Price List and Coloured Brochures on over 200 Models. CALLERS WELCOME! Our Showrooms are only 7 minutes Irpm Ml Exit 15 or 16 and 2 min walk Irom railway sin Early closing Thursday 1 pm Prices correct 4th February. 1986 subject to change availability. LARGEST STOCKS OF BINOCULARS AND TELESCOPES UNDER ONE ROOF! ARhawkins N’PTON LTD 9 MAREFAIR NORTHAMPTON NN1 1SR TELEPHONE 0604/39674 D645 XXV University Microfilms International reproduces this publication in microform: micro- fiche and 16mm or 35mm film. For information about this publication or any of the more than 13.000 titles we offer, complete and mail the coupon to: University Microfilms International. 300 N. Zeeb Road. Ann Arbor. MI 48106. Call us toll-free for an immediate response: 800-521-3044. Or call collect in Michigan, Alaska and Hawaii: 313-761-4700. University Microfilms International This publication is available in microform. (D525) British Birds Volume 79 Number 4 April 1986 1 55 Population and breeding of Northumbrian Merlins Dr I. Newton , E. Meek and B. Little 1 70 Breeding status of the Merlin in Britain Dr C. J. Bibby and M. Nattrass 185 Seventy-five years ago . . . 1 86 Identification of Oriental Skylark Hadoram Shirihai 198 Coats and jackets for birdwatchers Dr J. T. R. Sharrock 202 Mystery photographs 112 Wood Sandpiper Dr R.J. Chandler Notes 205 J uvenile-plumaged Great Crested Grebe in spring Phillip Bristow and Nigel Odin 206 Bewick’s Swan with yellow legs Dr A. M. Hanby 206 Eleonora’s Falcon in North Humberside John R. Mather 208 Great Grey Phalarope in West Midlands Gary Palmer 209 Pallid Swifts in Dorset G. Walbridge and M. Cade Letters 2 1 0 Escapes? Dr J. T. R. Sharrock 2 1 1 Field guides, sex and the size of birds Paul Greenwood and Jonathan Adams 2 1 1 Pink Black-headed Gulls 0vstein R. Stirkersen 2 1 2 Breeding areas ofGrey Hypocolius Tom Roberts 2 18 ‘British status and identification of Greenish Warbler’ M.J. Rogers Announcements 2 1 3 ‘Shorebirds: an identification guide to the waders of the world’ 2 1 3 ‘The Birds of Africa’ 2 1 3 New: books available through British BirdShop 213 ‘BB’ binders 214 F ree car stickers 214 Date change: SWLA, B1Y & RRA exhibition 2 1 4 News and comment Mike Everett and Robin Prytherch 2 1 5 Recent reports Ian Dawson and Keith Allsopp Review 220 The Birds of Australia: a book oj identification by Ken Simpson and Nicolas Day David Fisher Line-drawings: 155 Male Merlin and 170 female Merlin ( Ian Lewington ); 186 Oriental Skylark ( Killian Mullamey); 215 Red-breasted Goose and Brent Geese at Cley ( Bryan Bland)', 216 Ivory Gull ( Simon Smethurst), Forster’s Tern and Laughing Gull (Julian R. Hough); 217 Long-billed Dowitcher (R. Woodley); 218 Waxwings ( Simon Smethurst) Front cover: Great Crested Grebe at nest (D. A. Thelwell ): the original drawing of this month’s cover design is for sale in a postal auction (see page 44 in January issue for procedure) Volume 79 Number 5 May 1986 Snowy Owls on Fetlar PhotoSpot: Hazel Grouse Mystery photographs • Product reports • Points of view Notes • Letters • News and comment • Recent reports Reviews British Birds Managing Editor Dr J. T. R. Sharrock Personal Assistant Sheila D. Cobban Assistant Editor David Christie Editorial Board Stanley Cramp, P. J. Grant, Dr M. A. Ogilvie & Dr J. T. R. Sharrock Photographic Consultants Dr R. J. Chandler & Don Smith Rarities Committee P. J. Grant (Chairman), D. J. Britton, A. R. Dean, R. H. Dennis, T. P. Inskipp, P. G. Lansdown, S. C. Madge, J. H. Marchant, I. S. Robertson & K. E. Vinicombe; Peter Colston (Museum Consultant & Archivist); Michael J. Rogers (Honorary Secretary). Notes Panels behaviour Dr C. J. Bibby, Dr J. J. M. Flegg, Dr C. H. Fry, Derek Goodwin, Dr M. A. Ogilvie, Dr J. T. R. Sharrock & Dr K. E. L. Simmons; IDENTIFICATION A. R. Dean, P. J. Grant, S. C. Madge, Dr M. A. Ogilvie & Dr J. T. R. Sharrock © British Birds Ltd 1986 Copyright of photographs remains with photographers. British Birds is published monthly by British Birds Ltd. 93 High Street. Biggleswade. Bedfordshire ISSN 0007-0335 Publishing Manager, Production & Promotion Dr J. T. R. Sharrock Circulation Manager Erika Sharrock Design Deborah Cartwright Advertising Sandra Barnes Addresses Please keep correspondence on different items separate. Please address your envelope correctly. Please supply SAP, if reply required. Papers , notes, letters, drawings & photographs Jor publication DrJ. T. R. Sharrock, Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK« 3NJ Subscriptions and orders Jor back copies Mrs Erika Sharrock, Fountains, Park Lane. Blunham, Bedford MK.44 3NJ Advertising Mrs Sandra Barnes, BB Advertising, c/o Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK.44 3NJ. Bird news for ‘ Recent reports ’ Ian Dawson & Keith Allsopp, c/o RSPB, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SC192DL. Phone (outside office hours): Huntingdon (0480) 214186 News items Jor ‘News and comment’ Mike Everett & Robin Prvtherch, 7 Burlington Way, Hemingford Grey, Huntingdon PE18 9BS Rarity descriptions M. J. Rogers, 4 Pentland Flats, St Mary’s, Isles ofScilly TR21 ohy Special book and sound recording offers Jor subscribers Mrs Bonny Shirley, BB Offers, Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK44 3NJ Annual subscriptions ( 12 issues and index) Libraries and agencies £27.50. IR£34.50 or $55.41. Personal subscriptions: UK, Europe and surface mail £23.00, IR£28.75 or $34.50; personal: airmail outside Europe £38.50, IR£48.25 or $56.55. Single back copies £2.50, I R£3.25 or $4.00. Make all cheques payable to British Birds Ltd. Payment may also be made directly into UK Post Office GIRO account number 37 588 6303. British Birds publishes material dealing with original observations on the birds of the west Palearctic. Except for records of rarities, papers and notes are normally accepted only on condition that material is not being offered in whole or in part to any other journal. Photographs and sketches are welcomed. All contributions should be submitted to the Managing Editor. Papers should be typewritten with double spacing, and wide margins, and on one side of the sheet only. Authors should carefully consult this issue for style of presentation, especially of references and tables. English and scientific names and sequences of birds follow The 'British Birds' List of Birds of the Western Palearctic ( 1984): names of plants follow Dony et al. ( 1980. English Names of Wild Flowers); names of mammals follow Corbet & Southern (1977, The Handbook of British Mammals). Topographical (plumage and structure) terms should follow editorial recommendations {Bril. Birds 74: 239-242). Figures should be in Indian ink on good quality tracing paper, drawing paper, non-absorbent board or light blue or very pale grey graph paper; lettering should be inserted lightly in pencil; captions should be typed on a separate sheet. Authors of main papers (but not notes or letters) receive ten free copies of the journal (five each to two or more authors). Printed in England bv Newnorth-Burt Ltd, Kempston. Bedford in focus Open 9am-6pm Mon-Sat (24 hour answer-phone) 204 HIGH STREET Barnet, Herts. EN5 5SZ 01-4491445 LARGE SELECTION OF SECOND-HAND INSTRUMENTS PART EXCHANGE WELCOME MAIL/PHONE ORDER SERVICE KOWA and MIRADOR, SLIK TRIPOD OUTFITS SPECIAL OUTFIT PRICE ONLY WHILE STOCKS LAST ALL OUTFITS SENT POST FREE. ORDERS DESPATCHED WITHIN 24 HOURS KOWA TSN-1 with 25x and 40x eye pieces, Kowa case, Silk Master D2 or Slik 88 (specify) tripod, and Slik tripod strap. ONLY £339 KOWA TSN-2 with 25x and 40x eye pieces, Kowa case, Slik Master D2 or Slik 88 (specify) tripod, and Slik tripod strap ONLY £329 MIRADOR 60mm 20x -60x zoom, hard case, Slik Master D2 or Slik 88 (specify) tripod, and Slik tripod strap. ONLY £199 BINOCULARS ZEISS WEST £ Dialyt 8 x 20 B 155 00 Dialyt 10 x 25 B 16900 Dialyt 8 x 20 BGA 199.00 Dialyt 10 x 40 BT Phone Dialyt 10 x 40 BGAT Close focus Dialyt 7 x 42 BGAT for price 335 00 Dialyt 8 x 56 BGAT 399.00 15x60 PorroT 67500 Rainguard 3.40 Eye cups (set) 7.00 Lanyard 4.00 LEITZ Trinovid 8 x 20 BC 175.00 Trinovid 8 x 20 BCA 189.00 Trinovid 10 x 25 BC 189.00 Trinovid 10 x 25 BCA 199.00 Trinovid 8x40 BA 365.00 Trinovid 7 x 42 BA 375.00 Trinovid 10 x 40 B 34500 Trinovid 10x40 BA 375.00 Trinovid 10x40 BA Close focus 385 00 Cases from 29.00 Rainguards 600 Eye cups (set) 10.00 BINOCULARS £ Optolyth Alpin 10 x 40 145.00 Optolyth Alpin 8 x 40 Carl Zeiss Dekarem 10 x 50 143.00 8995 Carl Zeiss Deltrintem 8 x 30 54.95 Habicht Diana 10x40 239 00 Nikon 10 x 35 18900 Opticron Elite 9 x 35 157 00 Hartmann 10 x 40 Send for full price list 234.00 TRIPODS AND ACCESSORIES £ Slik Gazelle 33.95 Slik Master D2 51.95 Slik 88 51.95 Slik 35 DN 47 95 Slik SL 67 84.95 Slik Tripod Strap 5.95 Car Window Mount 17.00 Universal Mount 17.50 New Hide Mount 35.00 Shoulder Pod 18.95 Mono Pods from 10.95 Lanyards from 2.50 Rainguards from 1.50 TELESCOPES £ Nikon Ed 20x60 419.00 Nikon 20 x 60 249.00 Eye pieces 30x & 40x 58.00 Kowa TSN-1 228.00 Kowa TSN-2 21800 Eye pieces from 44.95 KowaTS-1 129.00 KowaTS-2 11900 Eye pieces from 29.00 Optolyth TB 80 253.00 20x 30x & 40x from 39.00 Optolyth 30 x 75 BGA 255.00 Optolyth 22 x 60 BGA 158 00 Spacemaster 20x-60 x 60 1 74.00 Spacemaster 22 x 60 154.00 Mirador 60mm 20x-60 x 60 150.00 M i rador 1 5x-60 x 60 1 74.00 Habicht 30 x 75 339.00 Bausch & Lomb 4000 Criterion Mirror scope 399.00 All equipment sent on 14 days approval upon receipt of full remittance Please add £2_00 if ordering by mail t&ut BINOCULARS AND TELESCOPES REPAIRED ON THE PREMISES D648 Publication 24th May The Sparrowhawk by IAN NEWTON Dr Newton’s monograph of this widely distributed raptor is based on 14 years’ research and fieldwork in SW Scotland. During the period he attempted to trap and ring all Sparrowhawks in the study area and to find their nests. As a result many individual birds were known throughout their lives. The book draws on Dr Newton’s wide knowledge of the species, and that of other workers in Britain and abroad, and benefits additionally from his particular interest in population regulation and breeding performance of the Sparrowhawk and the remarkable contrast in size between males and females. Thirty-eight drawings by Keith Brockie complement the text and there are over 80 diagrams and 50 photographs. 396 pages plus 24 plates, £16.00 net T & A D POYSER Calton, Waterhouses, Staffs ST10 3JX D668 '' f Turkey* Greece •Austna*Sri Lanka ‘Thailand * Holidays for the discerning naturalist TURKEY AND GREECE CENTRAL & SOUTHERN TURKEY 16 days April/May £695 EASTERN TURKEY (2 trips) 18 days May /June £750 N/W TURKEY & GREECE 15 days Aug/Sept £595 CENTRAL TURKEY & BOSPHORUS MIGRATION 18 days Sept £695 BOSPHORUS MIGRATION 1 1 days £485 8 days £41 0 EASTERN AUSTRIA 12 days May £430 Programme for Winter 1987 SRI LANKA 21 days Jan £995 VENEZUELA 21 days Feb POA Privately organised parties, Clubs and special trips in Europe arranged for Bird enthusiasts. All trips led by Chris Slade or Steve Whitehouse. CHRIS L. SLADE 8 The Grange, Elmdon Park, Solihull, West Midlands B92 9EL. Tel: 021-742 5420/021-705 5535. In conjunction with Regent Holiday U.K. Ltd. (D639) FIRECREST TELESCOPES AND BINOCULARS SPRING SALE Large reductions on many items Sample prices C. Z. Dekarem 10 x 50 £82.00 C. Z. Notarem 1 0 x 40 £1 24.00 Swift Stadium 9 x 35 £67.50 Swift Trilyte 1 0 x 40 £85.50 Mirador 15-60 x 60 £160.00 B & L Criterion 4000 c/w 24 x & 40 x eyepieces & case £389.00 Fast mail order service Easy access to M6 and M62 Callers welcome 14 day approval For details ring Pam or Cliff Gibson on (0925) 81 7874 or write to FIRECREST 8 Chapelcross Road, Feamhead Warrington, Cheshire WA2 0PP D646 11 BINOCULARS & TELESCOPES FROM fUOOlICH BIRMINGHAM I Optical Visit our showroom and examine at your leisure all the top makes (excellent distance viewing facilities) Discuss your particular requirements with fellow birdwatcher and author ALAN RICHARDS SIRATfORD ON AVON 8 x 30BGA ALPIN . 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EXCLUSIVE PRE-PUBLICATION PRICE OF £18.45 FOR BB READERS - OFFER ENDS 22nd MAY- Order now through British BirdShop £19.95 0-7099-2034-2 214 maps 88 colour plates 1800 birds painted in full colour May 86 THE BIRDS OF YORKSHIRE John R. Mather The Birds of Yorkshire is complete review of the avifauna of the old county of Yorkshire. Over 400 species have been recorded and their present and historical status is covered in this, the first major study for 30 years. The main systematic list gives the most detailed account available of all the species recorded in Yorkshire, including the historical records of Nelson and Chislett, information on breeding status, migration, ringing recoveries and local vernacular names of birds. This superb book will be the standard work for many _ (D657) years to come. £40.00 0-7099-3510-2 624 pages 119 black and white photographs 96 line drawings, 35 maps May 86 Available through British BirdShop viii British Birds VOLUME 77 NUMBER 5 MAY 1986' White-crowned Black Wheatear: new to Britain and Ireland B.J. Brown At about 18.15 gmt on 4th June 1982, A. C. Easton and R. Conner were told by Mr and Mrs R. Tarry of Kessingland, Suffolk, that they had seen what they thought was possibly a Black Wheatear Oenanthe leucura to the north of the pumping station at Kessingland. Their description was good, so ACE telephoned me and we went to investigate. The bird was easily found, in the exact spot that Mr Tarry had described. It was quite approachable, and we instantly identified it (at that time) as a Black Wheatear. Since it was all-black, with a white rump, uppertail- and undertail-coverts, and a white tail except for black central feathers, we did not consider the possibility that any other species could be involved or needed to be eliminated. We had, however, noted a single white feather on the forehead; and that the w hite on the outer tail feathers extended to the tip with, apart from one or two small marks, no terminal black band. The wheatear was frequenting a small pit which was being used to dump farm rubbish and pieces of disused machinery, and a flat grassy area around this. While we were watching it, a gentleman on holiday at Kessingland came along and told us that he had observed the bird for the past two days; he had no idea what it was, believing it to be a freak Wheatear 0. oenanthe. The supervisor of the nearby pumping station confirmed that it had been there for a few' days before it was reported. [Bnt. Birds 79: 221-227, May 1986] 221 222 White-crowned. Black Wheatear: new to Britain and Ireland After we had watched the wheatear for about an hour, we went off to spread the news. When we arrived at my home, we checked our notes against various books. It was then that we realised that our initial identifi- cation was wrong. Looking at the illustration in Heinzel et al. (1972), we concluded that our bird must be a White-crowned Black Wheatear 0. leucopyga. This is the only species which has a combination of all-black body (in non white-crowned specimens) and all-white sides to the tail. I he single white feather on the forehead of our bird then became much more signifi- cant. The wheatear was watched by a large number of people on 5th, but as many more missed out on 6th, by which time it had disappeared. 1 his was the first record of White-crowned Black Wheatear in Britain and Ireland, and the species’ most northerly occurrence by around 1,700km. Description head Black, more or less tinged brownish, except for one white feather just right of centre on forehead. body Rump, lower back, uppertail- and undertail-coverts, vent and rear flank white, this extending well up back and much farther than I have seen in photographs of Black Wheatear (e.g. plate 67 in Ferguson-Lees 1960); at times, the white showed in rough T shape between tertials when wings folded. Rest of body black, more or less tinged brownish, with no noticeable bluish gloss; black appeared to extend back to just between legs. tail White, except for central feathers which were black. All outer feathers unmarked, apart from one on right-hand side which had small black mark at tip. Underside of each feather appeared to have small dark marks at tip, but only fleeting glimpses obtained, so accurate description cannot be given. wings Blackish-brown and paler than rest of body, looking reminiscent of Ring Ouzel Turdus lorquatus at a distance. Coverts sooty- brown, edged slightly paler brown, but this noticeable only at close range; primaries sooty-brown, perhaps slightly paler than coverts; secondaries appeared to be a bit darker than primaries, but this difficult to confirm. bare parts Eye black. Bill and legs black, but appearing quite grey in some lights. size and shape No direct comparison with any other species, but appeared to be slightly larger than Wheatear. Shape and stance as in typical Wheatear, but appeared quite pot- bellied at times. behaviour Similar to Wheatear. When we watched at close range during first evening, flicked wings quite often and ‘waved’ tail up and down slowly. This behaviour not seen on following day (perhaps anxiety reaction to my close approach on previous evening). age and sex Probably first-summer (see dis- cussion below). Peter Clement has commented (in litt .) that ‘the bird was most likely to have been of the nominate race O. 1. leucopyga, from North Africa, on tail pattern. The state of plumage does not help subspecific identification and only measurements in the hand would have confirmed. Many birds from Egypt and Sinai are intermediate between the two races.’ The wheatear stayed in the vicinity of the small pit and the surrounding area of flat stony ground, which was covered to a varying extent with short grass and dune-type flora. The pit was being gradually infilled with farm rubbish, including pieces of concrete, metal, wood, tyres, bricks, a trailer, and soil which was being dumped on the afternoon of 5th and which may have been the cause of the bird’s departure. The vegetation in the pit was much lusher than in the surrounding area and the bird obtained much of its food there. It was seen to feed mainly on brownish and greenish White-crowned Black Wheatear: new to Britain and Ireland 223 121 & 122. White-crowned Black Wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga , Suffolk. June 1982, showing rump and tail pattern [left, B. J. Brown; right, M. A. Harding) I 123 & 124. White-crowned Black Wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga. Suffolk. June 1982, showing stance and extent of white on underparts ( John Hewitt) 125 & 126. White-crowned Black Wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga. Suffolk, June 1982 (below, M. A. Harding ; right, Mike Frost) 224 White-crowned Black Wheatear: new to Britain and Ireland Fig. 1. White-crowned Black Wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga, Suffolk, June 1982 (M. P. Frost) caterpillars, which it persistently bashed and squeezed before swallowing. Other observers reported seeing it eating earthworms. Weather, and occurrence of associated species The weather during May and June 1982 was abnormally dry and sunny. According to Blowers (1983), only small amounts of rain fell between 7th and 27th May, and in a warm southwesterly airflow temperatures soared to 75°F (24°C) on 16th. The temperatures in the first week of June were the hottest for 35 years, and a very warm air-stream originating from North Africa and the Mediterranean raised temperatures to over 80°F (27°C) in Suffolk. There seems little doubt that this weather pattern was the cause of the vagrancy of the White-crowned Black Wheatear. A number of other south- ern species occurred in Britain at the time, but the Marmora’s Warbler Sylvia sarda at Langsett, South Yorkshire, from 15th May (Lunn 1985) is most significant: it could have come from the same area, on the same air-stream. It is quite possible that our bird had been at Kessingland for up to a couple of weeks, as the spot is virtually unwatched, particularly in summer; most birders visiting Benacre, to the south, stop short of the pumping station. It may seem amazing that two unexpected ‘firsts’ should have arrived in Britain at the same time, but the possibility was foreseen (Sharrock 1982): ‘One year, perhaps, we shall get whatever weather pattern is needed to bring rarities such as Hoopoe Lark Alaemon alaudipes pouring northwards to us from the deserts of North Africa.’ Identification and ageing of White-crowned Black Wheatear When identifying a wheatear with an all-black body, there are three species that need to be considered: Black, White-crowned Black, and Eastern Pied 0. picata of the race opistholeuca. It is not intended to discuss the finer details of identification of all three species here: a paper on wheatear identification is to appear in a forthcoming issue of this journal, and I am grateful to P. Clement and Dr L. Cornwallis for letting me see a draft copy of the relevant parts of the paper, upon which the following notes on the main points separating Black and White-crowned Black Wheatears are based. White-crowned Black Wheatear: new to Britain and Ireland 225 Any wheatear with an all-black body and white crown and tail (except for central feathers) is instantly identifiable as White-crowned Black. 1 he situation is somewhat different where immatures and non white-crowned adults are concerned, and it is then necessary to see the tail to be certain of identity: on Black, this has a broad terminal band similar to that of Wheatear; this band is lacking on White-crowned Black, which has the outer feathers completely white with or without a variable amount of small black markings at the tips. Other points on White-crowned Black are the extension of white above the rump onto the lower back, and onto the ventral area below. These lesser, but valid, characters are useful only when used in conjunction with the tail pattern, but could conceivably eliminate confusion with a Black Wheatear showing an abnormal, damaged or badly worn tail (the tips of the Kessingland wheatear’s tail feathers looked dark when wetted by dew from the grass early in the morning). I have not found any mention of the amount of white on the rump and lower back in the dozen or so books that I have been able to consult, but some do illustrate it (especially Etchecopar & Hue 1967 and Heinzel et al. 1972) while others do not (e.g. Gallagher & Woodcock 1980). I he Greek leucopyga (white rump) and the species’ old name of White-rumped Black Ghat do seem to imply that the amount of white in that area is significant. This is, in fact, diagnostic in the case of White-crowned Black and Black. I he amount of white on the rump is, however, exceeded by Hooded YV heatear 0. monacha and equalled by Hume’s Wheatear 0. alboniger, but as both of these have predominantly white underparts no confusion between them and the species under discussion exists. In the past, there has been great confusion, and speculation, as to what the presence or absence of a white crown indicates. Individuals are lound with all-white or all-black crowns, or any mixture between the two. Some authors have stated that this is related to age and/or sex, or even race, but breeding pairs occur in which either one or both of the sexes show a black or a white crown. Any individual with a white crown is certainly adult, but those with black crowns may be adults or first-years. To determine which, one has to look for the bluish gloss (or lack of it) on the black parts of the plumage. On adults, all the black areas are glossy, but this gloss is usually confined to the breast, mantle and coverts on first-years. In worn plumage, first-years also look more sooty-brown above, and then show a greater resemblance in this respect to Black Wheatear. All wheatears retain juvenile primaries, secondaries, tail feathers and some wing-coverts throughout their first year, until the first complete moult which takes place in the autumn of their second calendar-year. The faded, brownish coloration of the Kessingland bird’s wings (contrastingly paler than the rest of the body), as well as the lack of any bluish gloss on the body, strongly suggest that it was a first- summer individual. In June, it seems likely that the wings of an adult would not be so faded and contrastingly pale, and that the body would have been more glossy, bluish-black. White-crowned Black Wheatear is noticeably larger than \\ heatear, and only slightly smaller than Black Wheatear, which is the biggest of all 226 White-crowned Black Wheatear: new to Britain and Ireland wheatears. Such a small difference in size would, however, be of little use in the held unless White-crowned Black and Black were seen together. Distribution and habitat There has been, and in some respects still is, a lack of knowledge of the exact distribution of the White-crowned Black Wheatear, with some authors contradicting others. The following account has been compiled from Harrison ( 1982), Jennings (1981), Mackworth-Praed & Grant (1957) and Vaurie (1959). In North Africa, the species ranges from the Western Sahara in the west to Sinai and the Red Sea coast in the east. It does not quite reach the Mediterranean coast in the north. The southern limit is difficult to identify, but the species is certainly found around the oases of the southern Sahara. In the east, it occurs south to central Ethiopia and the northern tip of Somalia. There is a patchy distribution across Saudi Arabia north to Israel, Jordan and Iran. Within this range, the White-crowned Black Wheatear frequents the most inhospitable areas. To quote Harrison (1982), it is ‘resident in dry subtropical zones. It occurs in desert areas of very sparse herbage, where broken terrain occurs, on rocky outcrops, talus slopes, and in wadis and hill ravines. It also uses ruins and buildings and occurs in desert villages.’ Where it nests near human habitation, it is said to be very tame and confiding. The species winters within its breeding range, and is ‘mostly sedentary’ (Gallagher & Woodcock 1980). Could this last statement indicate that some movement occurs? There are very few cases of vagrancy: records of individuals in Malta on 18th April 1872 (Sultana & Gauci 1982), in Cyprus on 17th March 1970 (Bannerman & Bannerman 1971; the bird was actually present from 1 1th to 24th), and of two at the Reserva Biologica de Donana, Spain, on 28th May 1977 (Valverde 1978) are the only ones known. I would suspect, however, that black-crowned individuals of Wh ite-crowned Black Wheatear might have been misidentified as Black Wheatear in south European areas where the latter species is more familiar. The Kessingland bird could easily have been accepted as a Black Wheatear had we not seen the tail. A ‘Black Wheatear’ in Ireland in June 1964 is on record with the proviso that White-crowned Black was not eliminated ( Irish Bird Report 12: 32). Subspecies Two subspecies of White-crowned Black Wheatear are recognised bv most authors. That found in Sinai, southern Israel and southern Jordan, O. 1. ernesti, is distinctly bluer-black, and some individuals have more black on the tips of the tail feathers; in the hand, its bill is slightly longer than on nominate leucopyga. The nominate race occurs across the rest of the range, but some authorities split this in two, assigning the North African popula- tion to the race aegra. Wardlaw-Ramsey ( 1923) described aegra as having a slightly smaller bill and, judging from the measurements given, a margin- ally, but not diagnostically, shorter wing. Meinertzhagen (1954) doubted White-crowned Black Wheatear: new to Britain and Ireland 227 the validity of this subspecies, describing it as a synonym of leucopyga, and it was not mentioned by Vaurie (1959), but Howard & Moore (1980) included it in their checklist. Acknowledgments I am indebted to Peter Clement for letting me see a draft of his forthcoming paper, and for reading and commenting on the present paper; without this, the identification section would have been greatly curtailed. I also thank Peter Grant for commenting on an earlier draft, and the editor of the East Anglian Daily Times for allowing me to quote from their weather review. Summary A White-crowned Black Wheatear Oenanlhe leucopyga was present at Kessingland, Suffolk, on 4th and 5th June 1982, and almost certainly for a few days previously. 4 his was the first record of this mainly sedentary African and Middle Eastern species for Britain and Ireland; it was probably a first-summer individual and probably of the nominate race. The species natural distribution and habitat are summarised and its identification and ageing discussed. References Bannerman, D. A., & Bannerman, W. M. 1971. Handbook of the Birds of Cyprus and Migrants of the Middle East. Edinburgh. Blower, S. K. 1983. Suffolk Weather Review for 1982. East Anglian Daily Times, Jan. 3rd 1983. Ipswich. Etch£copar, C. I)., & Hue, F. 19fi7. The Birds of North Africa. Edinburgh & London. Ferguson- Lees, I. J. I960. Studies of less familiar birds. 109. Black Wheatear. Brit. Birds 53: 553-558. Gallagher, M., & Woodcock, M. W. 1980. The Birds of Oman. London. Harrison, C. 1982. An Atlas of the Birds of the Western Palaearctic. London. Heinzel, H ., Fitter, R. S. R., & Parslow.J. L. F. 1972. The Birds of Britain and Europe with North Africa and the Middle East. London. Howard. R., & Moore, A. 1980. ,4 Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World. Oxford. Jennings, M.C. 1981. The Birds of Saudi Arabia: a checklist. Cambridge. Lunn, J. 1985. Marmora’s Warbler: new to Britain and Ireland. Brit. Birds 78: 475-481. Mackworth-Praed, Cl. W ., & Grant, C. H. B. 1967 . AJrican Handbook of Birds , Senes I: BirdsoJ Eastern and North Eastern Africa, vol. 2. London. Meinertzhagen, R. 1954. Birds of Arabia. Edinburgh & London. Sharrock, J. T. R. 1982. Editor’s summary. In Sharrock, J. I . R . & Grant. P. J .. Birds Sew to Britain and Ireland. Calton. Sultana J., & Gauci, Cl. 1982. .4 New Guide to the Birds of Malta. Malta. Valverde, J. A. 1978. Prima cita de la Collalba Yebelica (Oenanlhe leucopyga ) en la Peninsula Iberica. Dohana Acta Vertebrata 5: 109-110. Vaurie, C. 1959. The Birds of the Palearctic Fauna: Passeriformes. London. B. J. Brown, 24 Clifton Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk ^>rt3cntp-fibc pearg ago... ‘BLYTH'S REED-WARBLER AT FAIR ISLE. A New British Bird. Yet another bird is added to the British list by the indefatigable workers on Fair Isle. Mr. \\. Eagle Clarke records (Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 191 1 , p. 70) that a bird somewhat like a Garden-W arbler was observed in some turnips on Fair Isle bv the Duchess of Bedford in September, 1910. but only a momentary view of it could be obtained. On the day following (no exact date is mentioned) the bird was found in the same place, and obtained by Mr. Clarke s observer. Mr. Clarke and Dr C. B. Ticehurst identified it as Blyth's Reed-Warbler ( Acrocephalus dumetorum) and this has been confirmed by Dr. E. Hartert.’ (Brit. Birds 4: 362, May 1911) Snowy Owls on Fetlar Martin Robinson and C. Dustin Becker The Snowy Owl Nyctea scandiaca was first recorded breeding in Britain in 1967, on Fetlar, Shetland (Tulloch 1968), although it may have nested in the past on other remote Shetland islands (Saxby 1874). The RSPB set up a reserve around the nesting area, and, with the co-operation of the landowner and crofters, kept an around-the-clock watch next to the owls’ nest. This paper summarises events during the breeding seasons 1967-75, since when no breeding has been recorded. Methods Each year, an observation hide was erected about 100 m from the nest such that one could approach it unseen by the birds on the nest. At the hide, wardens recorded and timed owl movements and behaviour, and, where possible, the identity of prey brought to the nest. Observations were noted in a standard way by 30 main recorders and many other short-term helpers. In 1975, within the owls’ 4-km2 hunting range, waders were counted and their available chicks thereby estimated. Results It is believed, from plumage details, that the same pair of owls nested from 1967 to 1974. In 1973 and 1974, the male was bigamous: two females laid eggs and began to incubate; the male supplied his original mate with food, but did not provide for the second female, a younger individual ringed and raised on Fetlar and probably related to the main pair. In 1975, this second female mated with the male at the main nest and reared four chicks. During winter 1975/76, the male disappeared, and breeding came to an end. During the nine-year study, the population of rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus changed markedly. Myxomatosis was introduced in 1970, and by 1971 rabbits had almost disappeared from the island, and from the owls’ diet. In 1974, there were signs of a recovery in the rabbit population, and by 1975 the percentage of rabbits in the owls’ prey was near the levels preceding the epidemic ( 1968-70). 228 [Bril. Buds 79: 228-242, May 1986] Snowy Owls on Fetlar 229 Breeding biology The breeding performance of Snowy Owls on Fetlar during 1967-75 is summarised in table 1. Table 1. Breeding success of Snowy Owls Nydea scandiaca on Fetlar, Shetland, 1967-75, related to size of population of rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus YOUNG Year Estimated rabbit numbers laid EGGS hatched fledged Survived to first winter MAIN NEST 1967 high 7 6 5 5 1968 high 6 6 3 3 1969 high 6 4 3 1 1970 declining 5 5 2 2 1971 low 5 5 3 3 1972 low 4 4 0 0 1973 low 5 5 2 1 1974 low 5 5 1 1 1975 increasing 6 4 4 4 SECOND NEST 1973 low 3 0 - - 1974 low 1 0 - - 1975 increasing 3 0 - — CLUTCH SIZE The mean clutch size for the main nest over the nine breeding seasons was 5.4 eggs. It was higher in the three years when rabbits were most abundant ( 1967-69) than in the four years when they were low in numbers. EGG-LAYING AND INCUBATION All the first laying dates fell within a week of 16th May (see Appendix 1), the exceptional date of the colonising pair in 1967 being ten days later than any others. Few nest checks were made in the earlier years, when the priority was to protect a rare bird. In 1970, more frequent checks showed a minimum of 201 hours between laying of the first and last eggs, and a mean of 50 hours between each egg. Egg-laying was evenly spaced. In 1968. there was an interval of five days between the third and fourth eggs, coinciding with very cold northeasterly winds (4 ulloch 1969). INCUBATION AND HATCHING The female started to incubate the first egg as soon as it was laid. In nine years, the mean length of incubation of the first egg was 3 1 .6 days, although the data suggest 32 days or slightly more for later eggs. This compares well with the 32-33 days given elsewhere (Watson 1957; Scherzinger 1974; Taylor 1974). Of the 49 eggs laid by the main pair. 44 hatched. Hatching success did not vary with food supply; it probably depended more on other factors, such as care during incubation and the amount of disturbance to the female on the nest. On one occasion, in 1975, the female flew with an egg (possibly damaged or infertile) in her bill to the opposite side of the nesting valley, smashed it open with a downward blow of her bill, and ate the contents. 230 Snowy Owls on Fetlar 127. Nesting habitat of Snowy Owl Nyclea scandiaca in Shetland: female at nest with four young, July 1975 ( Chris Mylne) During the nine years, three other eggs disappeared around the time that they should have been hatching. Mean date for first hatching was 16th June. All first hatches occurred within a week of this, apart from in 1967, when the first egg did not hatch until 4th July (see Appendix 1). FLEDGING SUCCESS AND DEVELOPMENT OF YOUNG From the 44 eggs that hatched, 23 young fledged (average 2.5 per pair per year). Twelve of the remaining 2 1 young died in the first ten days of life, and five more died before leaving the nest. At least three of the fledged young were known to have died in their first three weeks out of the nest. More young fledged in years when rabbits were abundant than in years when their food was predominantly wader chicks (table 1 ). From about 16 days of age, owlets began to wander a metre or so from the nest. These excursions gradually became longer and wider-ranging, though the young owls would still return to the nest to be fed. We could not establish the precise age at which each young finally abandoned the nest. Excluding 1973, the mean age for the oldest owlet to leave the nest for good was 26.2 ± 3.4 days. I n 1 973, the two oldest young were still returning to the nest at 39 and 38 days respectively, attracted there by the female, who was feeding a weak chick. As young abandoned the nest and fed away from it, the interval between successive owlets leaving seemed to narrow, but data on this are insufficient for conclusions to be drawn. After leaving the nest, the young owls hid among rocks and continued to be fed by the female. The first flights of the oldest young occurred from 22nd July to 16th August (mean 3 1st July), except in 1967 when the breeding cycle was later. The average age for first flights was 45 days (range 43-50). 231 Snowy Owls on Fetlar Other authors give a slightly longer period: Watson (1957) noted that Snowy Owls were unable to fly strongly until over 50 days old, and YVitherby et al. ( 1938) stated that young in captivity began to fly at 51 to 57 days. The Fetlar owls did not have mastery of the air at 45 days, but they were flying buoyantly then and not simply gliding downhill. Feeding ecology HUNTING BEHAVIOUR The owls hunted almost entirely by a sit-and-watch technique. They were seen quartering the ground and hovering (W atson 1957) only occasionally. Time spent hunting could not be separated from time spent guarding the nest, because the male did both at once. The male could locate prey from his I favourite perches overlooking the nesting valley. Fourteen times during 1973-75 he flew to the slopes of a hill in his main hunting area, dropped on to prey and returned with it to the nest. The mean duration of these forays was four minutes. On discovering a brood of wader chicks, he often brought them back one by one, frequently mobbed by waders nesting nearby. Fhe female was observed making forays to a hunting area about 700 m from the nest, and used the same hunting methods as the male. In 1973, the •second female left the nest to kill an Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus which had landed to feed within 20 m of her. Passerines, such as \\ heatears Oenanthe oenanthe and Meadow Pipits Anthus pratensis , near the nest were . always ignored by the incubating female. In 1975, the female joined in hunting about the time that the young finally abandoned the nest. She brought in only 21% ol the food items 1 128. Snowy Owl Nyctea scandiaca nest with seven eggs, Shetland, June/July 1967 (Robin Tulloch) 232 Snowy Owls on Fetlar 129. Male Snowy Owl Nyctea scandiaca alighting at nest with young, Shetland, July 1967 (Eric & David Hosking) between then and the end of regular observations, which ceased when all four young had flown. Fig. 1 shows the number of prey items delivered to the nest every three days. Both female and young relied heav ily on the male for food during the early stages. The female did not hunt much for food for her offspring until they were more than one month old. Fig. 1. Number of prey items brought to nest by parent Snowy Owls Nyctea scandiaca during 19th May-23rd July 1975, Fetlar, Shetland. Three days per interval Over the study period, the peak of hunting activity was during the dimmest light, between 22.00 and 03.00 hours (fig. 2). As the light brightened, activity lessened; by 05.00 it was very low, and remained low between 06.00 and 15.00 hours. Watson (1957) thought that his Baffin Island owls were less active around midday and midnight, and Scherzinger ( 1974) found the same with captive Snowy Owls. The relative difficulty in obtaining food in Shetland may have caused the owls to be more nocturnal. Snowy Owls on Fetlar 233 Fig. 2. N umber of prey items brought to nest each hour by Snowy ( )\vls Nyctea scandiaca o\ er six seasons (286 days), Fetlar, Shetland I n t He post-incubation period, the male delivered an average of 0. 1 3 prey items per hour to the nest, as against 0.06 items per hour while the female was incubating. Thus, to supply both female and chicks, the male doubled the number of prey items that he delivered. FEEDING AND FOOD DEPOSITS Prey caught by the male was delivered, sometimes headless, to the female at the nest. She then either took it to a feeding station to eat or stored it at a 130. Female Snowy Owl Nyctea scandiaca with young, Shetland, July 1967 (Eric & Dand H os king) 234 Snowy Owls on Fetlar food depot. When there were young in the nest, she would eat bits herself at the same time as feeding them. Surplus food was still removed to a depot. The male was never seen to tear up prey and feed the young. The female did all of this at the nest soon after the male brought it in. In the later stages, when the young had fledged and scattered, the male would pass whole prey items to them. The male and female of a captive pair took an equal share in feeding the young after they had left the nest (Scherzinger 1974), but this was not the case with the wild Shetland pair. PREY On Fetlar, where there are no lemmings Lemmus or voles (Microtinae), rabbits were the preferred prey. Wood mice Apodemus sylvaticus were only occasionally brought to the nest, but they probably formed a larger propor- tion of the food in winter, when the owls sometimes hunted on lower ground around the crofts. Several waders, mainlv Oystercatchers, Curlews Numenius arquata and Wh imbrels N. phaeopus , nested within the owls’ hunting range and w'ere taken. Arctic Skuas Stercorarius parasiticus nested nearby, and in the earlier years were caught as fledglings or adults from August onwards; during 1972-75, however, nestlings were taken throughout July, and in 1975 formed 22% of the diet in the first three weeks of that month. Arctic Terns Sterna paradisaea were taken occasionally in most years, usually as young on the wing. Chicks of Common Gulls Larus canus and of Great Black-backed Gulls L. marinus were also occasionally taken. A total of 20 bird species was recorded as prey. The owls preyed on most of the bird species that bred on the hill around them, but showed preferences. In 1968, before the myxomatosis epidemic, prey brought to the nest 131. 1 emalc Snowy Owl Nyctea scandiaca in threat/distraction display, Shetland, summer 1967 (Bobby Tulloch ) Snowy Owls on Fetlar 235 132. Female Snowy Owl Nyctea scandiaca feeding pellet to one of her young, Shetland, J uly 1 967 (Eric & David Masking ) consisted exclusively of rabbits and two adult Oystercatchers until the second half ofj uly, when Oystercatcher chicks were more extensively taken (fig. 3). In 1972 and 1974, after the epidemic, rabbits were almost absent from the diet, and the owls relied heavily on waders, Arctic Skuas and other birds. In 1975, rabbits once again made up a large part of the food supplied t to the nest during incubation and the owlets early stages; during July, however, although available, they were ignored in favour of w ader chicks. ' which were then abundant. The biomass of prey items was estimated using averages from other studies (Appendix 2), and these figures were multiplied by the number of i relevant prey items brought to the nest every three days. The errors inherent in assigning weights to prey items, rather than weighing each item, could easily result in unrealistic figures. The biomass calculations in this Table 2. Estimated weight (g) of food brought to nest for female Snowy Owl Nyctea scandiaca and chicks, Fetlar, Shetland Data based on ‘24-hour watches ' No. days data collected Total weight of food estimated Weight per day Weight per day during incubation period Weight per day after hatching 1968 1972 1974 1975 66 36 33 57 37.700 11.800 19.300 34,100 572 328 585 598 314 241 390 404 719 587 726 812 236 Snowy Owls on Fetlar 20 - 1968 14-6 i I r E OJ maintains a conservation fund to support small-scale projects by members — » keeps a register of important bird sites in the Middle East — * publishes the Turkey Bird Report — » recently ran a major expedition to North Yemen. To join (U.K. fee £7 per year), write to Membership Secretary, OSME, c/o The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SGI 9 2DL. SPECIAL OFFER: Sandgrouse 1-6 now available as a set to paid-up members for £22 (individually £5 for 1-5, £7 for 6). 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Includes 60 tables, 28 photographs, 24 line diagrams, 112 breeding birds' maps plus 4 colour plates. 360 pages Case bound Size 232 x 155 mm ISBN 0 948555 01 7 £17.50 net Published by Castlemead Publications Swains Mill, 4A Crane Mead Ware, Herts. 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Magnificent binoculars of the very highest quality, ideal for birdwatching in all conditions . . . I cannot recommend them too strongly. . . (British Birds Vol 79 No. 6 June 1986) Superb optical performance. TheT* multi- layer, anti-reflection coating ensures excellent image contrast and outstanding clarity in poor light conditions. Minimum focusing distance 3.5m. Rubber armoured, rugged and reliable fx4db/UAI Zeiss offers a wide choice. Write for catalogue and nearest stockist. The name makes the difference The difference made the name Carl Zeiss (Oberkochen) Ltd PO Box 78 Woodfield Road Welwyn Garden City Herts AL7 1LU Telephone (0707)331144 ZEISS West Germany British Birds VOLUME 79 NUMBER 6 JUNE 1986 Sponsored by Photograph of theYear/ This is the tenth annual competition for ‘Bird Photograph of the Year’, and the sixth to be sponsored by Matthew Gloag and Son Ltd, proprietors of The Famous Grouse Scotch whisky. 151. G rey Partridges Perdix perdix dusting, West Midlands, April 1985 (.4. T. Moffett ) (Olympus: OM 1 . 300 mm Zuiko lens. Kodachrome 04) [Brit. Birds 79: 271-276. June 1986] 271 272 Bird Photograph oj the Year 152. Female Goldcrest Regulus regulus displaying to its own reflection, Norfolk, April 1985 (J. D. Bakewell) (Olympus OM1. Tamron 90 mm Macro lens. Novoflex macroflash guns. Kodachrome 64) 153. Water Rail Rallus aquaticus at dead Moorhen Gallinula chloropus, Worcestershire, January 1985 ( Alike Wilkes) (Olympus OM2. 70-210 zoom. Braun F700 flashgun with two heads. Kodachrome 64) Bird Photograph of the Year 273 1st Bird Photograph of the Year 1986 Grey Partridges Perdix perdix dusting, by A. T. Moffett (plate 151) 2nd Water Rail Rallus aquaticus at dead Moorhen Gallinula chloropus , by Mike Wilkes (plate 153) 3rd Goldcrest Regulus regulus displaying to its own reflection, by J. D. Bakewell (plate 152) 4th Red-legged Partridge Alectoris ruja dusting, by A. T. Moffett (plate 154) 5th Treecreepers Certhia Jamiliaris reacting at nest-site, by Alan Barnes (plate 155) 6th Grey Partridge by C. R. Knights 7th Kestrel Falco tinnunculus hovering, by Hans Schouten 8th Mallards Anas platyrhynchos copulating, by Richard T. Mills 9th Buzzards Buteo buteo at nest, by Colin Carver. 1 Oth Blackbird Turdus merula, by Colin Carver 1 1 th Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax removing egg from nest, by M. B. Withers 1 2 th Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs singing, by Ernie Janes 13th Temminck’s Stint Calidris temminckii displaying, by Gordon Langsbury 14th Mallard retrieving nest material stolen by nearby Canada Goose Branta canadensis, by Mike Wilkes 1 5th Long-eared Owl Asio otus , by Paul van der Poel 16th Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus , by Tim Loseby 17th Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos singing, by P. Munsterman 1 8th Common Terns Sterna hirundo fishing, by Roger Tidman 1 9th Bittern Botaurus stellaris displaying at photographer, by Dennis Green 20th Fulmars Fulmarus glacialis at colony, by Roger Wilmshurst 21st Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus , by Paul Doherty The general standard of photographic excellence achieved seems to improve every year. The top five or six photographs have always been superb, but we have now reached the position that no less than 41 transparencies were selected for our initial shortlist, and we could whittle 154. Red-legged Partridge Alectoris ruja dusting, West Midlands, April 1985 (A. I. Moffett) (Olympus OM 1 . 300 mm Zuiko lens. Kodachrome 64) 274 Bird Photograph of the Year 155. Pair of Treecreepers Cerlhia Jamiliaris reacting at nest-site, Sussex, June 1985 (A. P. Barnes) (Olympus OM 1 . Tamron 300 mm lens. Two Sunpak flash units. Kodachrome 64) 275 Bird Photograph of the Year this down to 21 only after a further hour of discussion. As usual, the final placings are the result of a paper vote by the four judges. We have commented on this ‘strength in depth’ on previous occasions, but wish to stress it again, for bird photography in colour is clearly thriving, thanks to the excellent equipment now available, and the expertise of today’s bird- photographers, who have built on the experience of previous generations. Another satisfactory trend is that the proportion of photographs taken away from the nest is still increasing. The rules of this competition state that, as well as technical excellence, aesthetic appeal and artistic compo- sition, entries will be judged on originality and scientific interest; we are, therefore, always looking especially for action shots showing interesting behaviour, although a portrait showing the bird particularly well within its habitat can also be just as ‘scientifically interesting’ and informative. The standard was so high that we wish to repeat that any photographer whose work reached even the first shortlist of 41 (let alone the final 21 already listed) deserves congratulations. The initial 41 included 12 additional photographers: Dennis Bright, Dr Kevin Carlson, David M. Cottridge (winner in 1983), David J. Garner. R. Glover, Tony Hamblin, S. J. Hingston, Harry Lehto, J. Lawton Roberts (winner in 1984). Peter Smith, J. G. Snowball and Steve Young. Most photographers submitted three transparencies (the maximum number permitted by the rules), and two entrants deserve special mention since all three of their entries were selected in the initial short-listing: this consistency of top-class work was achieved by our 1986 winner, A. T. Moffett, and our 1977 winner, Mike Wilkes. Only three photographers managed to get two of their three photographs included in the final shortlist: Colin Carver, A. T. Moffett (again!) and Mike Wilkes (again!) Our winning photograph this year meets all the criteria of the competition’s rules equally. A. 1 . Moffett, who, over recent years, has photographed birds sunning with conspicuous success, concentrated in 1985 on attempting to photograph birds dusting. His results are stunningly successful, and also show a rarely photographed feature of bird behaviour. We believe the best of these photographs is a delightful shot of two Grey Partridges dusting (plate 151). The composition is exactly right, the birds being ‘well balanced’ within the picture, and both looking at the camera; and the colours are a delight. But. most importantly, we see both partridges dug-in to the soft, dusty earth as they indulge in this curious form of feather care, introducing the soft earth into their plumage. The success of this series of photographs is demonstrated by the fact that we also placed fourth another of A. T. Moffett’s shots, a Red-legged Partridge also dusting (plate 154). This bird has dug itself surprisingly deeply into the soft soil. We are delighted that Mr Moffett's meticulous preparations and patience — revealed by his success in the past with sunning Green W oodpecker Picus vindis (4th in 1982, Brit. Birds 75: plate 68), sunning Wren Troglodytes troglodytes and Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major (6th in 1982 and 8th in 1983) and singing Cuckoo Cuculus canorus (3rd in 1983, Brit. Birds 76: plate 89, and now well known through its use in the ZEISS West Germany advertisements for 10x40 binoculars)— have 276 Bird Photograph of the Year now been rewarded with our top prize. The runner-up, M. C. Wilkes, was our winner in 1977 with a Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos at a woodland pool {Brit. Birds 70: plate 25), was runner-up in 1981 (with a pair of Reed Warblers Acrocephalus scirpaceus , Brit. Birds 74: plate 132) and was placed third in both 1979 (with a W oodcock Scolopax rusticola , Brit. Birds 72: plate 105) and 1984 (Kingfisher Alcedo atthis, Brit. Birds 77: plate 55). His photograph this year is of a Water Rail coming to feed at a dead Moorhen (plate 153). This sums up the problems which birds have in winter: freezing conditions making feeding difficult, so that the most opportunistic and catholic feeders survive. In fact, the Moorhen was a traffic casualty, placed by Mike Wilkes to attract a feeding Water Rail, but the picture achieves the planned effect brilliantly and this planning and preparation by a bird-photographer is wholly justified in our view (provided, as in this case, that an honest account is given of the circumstances). The colour and composition, with the faded winter reeds forming a back-drop, complete the picture. The third place goes to J. D. Bakewell, for a most original photograph of a displaying female Goldcrest (plate 152). This bird was observed regularly, at the same time each morning, displaying, with crest raised, to its own reflection in a garage window. The bird was photographed from inside the window, illumination of both bird and background being with well- handled flash. Placed fifth was a most attractive shot of a pair ofTreecreepers at the nest (plate 155) — one of the few nest-photographs in our shortlist. A. P. Barnes photographed these, when both parents returned simultaneously to feed their young. Both seemed surprised to find the other present and tried to feed each other — instead of their nestlings — before flying off. Moments later, they returned, singly, going straight in to the nest hole to feed their young. The 18 photographers whose work was short-listed will be invited to attend the Press Reception in London at which the award is made to the winner. A short report on this will appear in ‘News and comment’ in due course. We must stress yet again that the standard is so high that no-one who entered this year should be discouraged if they did not reach the shortlist. The day’s judging is one of the highlights of our lives — seeing so many stunning bird-photographs, the cream of the dedicated work by many of the world’s most expert amateur and professional bird-photographers. We hope that all this year’s entrants will again submit their work for our 1987 competition. Finally, we must once more remind photographers of the legal requirements of the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981), and that the welfare of the birds must always be put first. R. J. Chandler, Eric Hosking, J. T. R. SHARROCKand Don Smith Development of snail-smashing by Song Thrushes C.J. Henty The note on snail-smashing by a previously inexperienced Song Thrush Turdus philomelos (Herring 1984) prompted me to summarise some observations made on hand-reared birds, mostly during 1 96 1 , as part of my doctorate project (Henty 1965), but not otherwise published previously. Experimental methods The idea was to present some individuals of a brood with hard objects, including snails (adults ol the medium-sized brown Arianta arbustorum), and follow how their behaviour developed day by day until a snail had been smashed. One or more of the others in the brood which had also been given similar spells in the test situation, but no access to any hard objects, were then given snails in order to see whether preliminary ‘practice’ really was necessary or whether the naive birds could (at the right age) smash a snail in spite of having had no previous relevant experience. Some initial tests had shown that newly fledged Song Thrushes presented with small flattish pebbles and spills of wood would perform the typical smashing behaviour. In the main experiments, therefore, a third type of early experience was studied by giving some birds these objects, but no snails: a type of partial deprivation. Throughout the period of the main experiments, the thrushes were kept together in broods in canary cages, with a wire floor so that dried faecal pellets were not accessible as hard objects. Similarly, the food was inspected, and berries or hard lumps removed. By opening a sliding partition, the bird chosen for a test could be gently ushered into a test cage which had a floor of soft sacking folded several times. Besides the appropriate test items, the test cage also had permanent furniture consisting of four units: two were hard ‘anvils’ made from tiles of the same area (6x6 cm) but of different heights (1.1 cm and 2.5cm, though this turned out to be unimportant). I was interested in how thrushes might develop the recognition of anvils, so included two soft ‘anvils’ made from sacking, but mimicking the hard anvils in size and colour. The positions of all four were varied amongst tests at random. Usually, a particular bird would have two tests per day, but the exact 277 [. Bnl Buds 79: 277-281, June 1986] 278 Snail-smashing by Song Thrushes number depended on circumstances. A bird’s response was quite self- determined and was very unpredictable. I f no response occurred within five minutes, a test was ended; if there was some smashing behaviour, a test ended when 30 seconds elapsed without response. The naive birds were given five-minute tests with anvils, but no objects. Due to hand-rearing, the young thrushes were quite tame, so I made records seated in full view. Initially, I used a tape recorder, but soon developed a shorthand system that noted every occurrence of the behaviour types mentioned below. Basic responses and their development over time Snails, pebbles and wood spills were all treated in a similar fashion. Simple pecking was quite common; alternatively, the bird would grip the object and then lift it. Often, the object was then just carried or dropped immediately, but otherwise it might be flicked (in mid air, bird in normal standing position) or actually hit on the ground by lowering the head and crouching slightly. Rarely, a hard, snail-sized object was shaken in mid air or vibrated on the ground. Testing was started when a brood showed consistent exploratory pecking, eight or nine days after fledging. The three birds whose tests included snails took nine, 24 and 25 days before a snail was broken; four more individuals in less-well-controlled pilot experiments the year before (1960) took 15 to 22 days. A major reason for the slow development is that, given a choice, much of the early smashing behaviour is directed to the pebbles and wood spills which are more easy to grip and lift. Thus, the thrushes largely develop an efficient response with inanimate objects in 1 3 days or less, and eventually transfer this to snails. The primary development of smashing behaviour is similar for birds given hard objects, whether or not snails are included; this section uses information from all such birds. The general level of interest in hard objects can be measured by taking pecking and lifting together, and this does not vary systematically from day to day. Lifting, however, steadily replaces pecking as the main initial response, rising on average from 35% to 60%. Once lifted, the number of smashing responses performed before the object is dropped rises steadily, from 1 to 4.5 just before a snail is actually broken. At the start, flicking is the main response compared with hits (at 51%), but hits steadily become the dominant behaviour, ending at 94%. Few of the early hits (6%) are directed to the hard anvils, but this rises to a mean of 66% . Thus, over a period of one to two weeks, the choice and persistence of relevant responses changes in at least four ways, so that, finally, a snail would be very likely to be broken if it were to be chosen as an object ofattention. Two observations on newly fledged wild thrushes suggest that the artificial situation is not misleading. C. S. Elton FRS (in lilt.) saw a large Helix aspersa being hit but not smashed, whilst G. Lewis (in lilt.) noted smashing behaviour being applied to the split and almost empty husks of the conkers of horse chestnut Aesculus hippocastanum. These seem to be the only developmental observations on young thrushes in the wild. Behaviour of naive birds at first test I he changes with time, described above, naturally suggest, but do not 279 Snail- smashing by Song Thrushes prove, that a young Song Thrush needs extensive practice before being able to smash snails. I he critical test, however, is the response of their brood mates that have not had such practice, t hree such naive birds were presented only with a snail, and all succeeded in breaking it first time, as did a bird in the pilot experiment whose environment was not so well screened for accidental objects. Another naive individual was tested with snail, pebble and wood spill, and directed most of its response to the pebble, so that, although its behaviour was well organised, it did not break a snail first time, but only in another test when undistracted by other objects. I bus, the supposed practice is not in fact essential. The inexperienced birds are, however, not exactly the same, since only 35% of their hits are directed to the hard anvils (P = 0.0 1 2, Mann Whitney) and they show more ol the ineffective flicks, though this is not statistically reliable. There are strong indications that some of the fledglings learn to use the hard anvils during the course of their very first test. When tested with inedible hard objects, these birds initially responded vigorously, but the response rapidly wanes. It seems that a few rewarded performances with real snails enables Song Thrushes quickly to ignore other hittable objects. Interestingly enough, the results from the group with partial deprivation show that extensive experience with pebbles and wood spills inhibits first response to a snail— the general level of smashing behaviour has become depressed— and several tests with snails are needed before the response recovers sufficiently to be effective. Even after young thrushes have smashed and eaten many snails, they will respond to novel hard objects of the right size, for example a collar stud or a wood spill painted a new colour; this interest is, however, very' shortlived. Other observations I did a few tests to determine the stimulus characteristics that elicit smashing responses. Broken shells are hit in the normal way, but small pieces of shell are mandibulated, as are large pieces of india-rubber and mealworms. A floppy piece of fabric several centimetres square was shaken. Thus, to be treated as a snail, an object has to be both hard and of a certain size (probably too large to be swallowed whole). One young thrush which had suffered a severe gut infection, associated with white panels in its flight feathers, showed a most aberrant response. It ignored hard objects, but, after having eaten mealworms normally for 16 days, it suddenly started to smash them for up to 15 minutes at a time, so that the prey was reduced to a shred ofchitin. After three days, it started to hit the mealworm on the hard anvils, and the next day pecked at and occasionally lifted a snail whilst it was carrying a mealworm. In the next test, it broke and ate a snail, and never smashed mealworms again. In this case, the behavioural actions were normal, but the selection of objects highly unusual. Discussion, and the responses of Blackbirds In his note, Herring (1984) described a case very' similar to my naive birds, but did imply that social example is the only relevant previous experience. This overlooks the possible role of individual trial-and-error. My 280 Snail-smashing by Song Thrushes experiments showed, in fact, that practice has only a marginal effect, but it could well be that the noticeable pecking and pulling at anvils and other cage fixtures gives a bird information about the relative hardness of the substrate which could help direct the response when first tested with a snail. Similarly, the general use of the bill in feeding and exploratory pecking could help a bird to direct its bill to the lip of a snail, which the nai’ves did just as well as more experienced individuals. It should be noted that the observations of Haviland & Pitt (1919) are quite consistent with my results for ‘experienced’ birds, but their conclusion that learning must be involved is just not tenable on logical grounds. 1 made some tests with three young Blackbirds T. merula, which showed all the responses of the Song Thrushes, but only as isolated, non-persistent, actions (except for pecking, which was by far the major reaction to a pebble or an intact snail). The Blackbirds readily swallowed the bodies of snails removed from their shells, and with half-broken shells lifted them and got at much of the body through a combination of hits, flicks and shakes. Snails with 5-mm to 10-mm diameter holes in the shell that exposed the body were mainly pecked, with rare bouts of hitting, so that, although after a long time most of the body had been eaten, the original hole had not been obviously enlarged. Interspersed tests with intact, crawling snails showed that the Blackbirds still only pecked at them briefly. Two of the Blackbirds were later kept together with Song Thrushes that were breaking snails. The Blackbirds watched and would rob the thrushes, but this did not alter their own response to intact snails. Basically, Blackbirds have the appropriate repertoire of actions, but do not persevere and link hits into sequences that are long enough to be effective. There are — very rarely — reports of Blackbirds breaking snails (Butlin 1 959; Vere-Benson 1963), but very few species apart from the Song Thrush regularly do it, even though it is apparently a good source of food, available in drought and frost. Exceptions to this are the Himalayan Myiophoneus caeruleus and Malabar Whistling Thrushes M. horsfieldi (Salim Ali 1949, 1953), a bower bird, the Tooth-billed Catbird Scenopoeetes dentirostris (Marshall 1954), and the Noisy Pitta Pitta versicolor (Cayley 1959). There is no reason to suppose that breaking snails imposes any special limitation on the Song Thrush, since no marked morphological specialisation is involved. There could possibly be some other form of disadvantage to explain why so few species have evolved an apparently simple behavioural performance. In nature, the sound of a thrush breaking a snail can be heard for some distance, and in many woods there are very few anvils, so a bird must return regularly to a small number of sites. This could make Song Thrushes more detectable by predators, and more easily ambushed. Morris (1954) noted that a pair of Song Thrushes used anvils remote from the nest whilst the young were there: this suggests that predators may be attracted to anvils. Both in England and on the Continent, there is some evidence that Song Thrushes are caught by Sparrowhawks Accipiter nisus more readily than are Blackbirds (Owen 1932; Tinbergen 1946). The evidence is thin, but at least consistent with selection pressures being exerted by nest-predators and other predators on birds that break snails by hitting them on anvils. 281 Snail-smashing by Song Thrushes 1'his study also highlights the inadequacy of calling types of behaviour ‘innate’ or ‘learnt’. The basic actions do not depend on practice, nor the selection of hard objects, but there is reason to suppose that experience plays a role in the selection of hard anvils, whilst the final discrimination of snails seems to be a case of operant (as distinct from Pavlovian) learning being guided by food reward. Thus, in the normal development of snail- smashing by Song Thrushes, there is an interplay of inherent influences with influences of traditional learning. Lorenz’s idea (1966) of the ‘innate school marm’ seems appropriate in this example: any animal that innately picks up large hard objects in the environment, perseveratively (repeat- edly) hits them on the ground, prefers the feedback from hard surfaces, and prefers doing the behaviour to items that provide food, is inevitably going to be a self-taught breaker of snails. My thrushes were then engaged in hunting for snails in an aviary, and were afterwards released into the wild. Acknowledgments Thanks are due to my supervisor, Professor N. Tinbergen FRS, and to Professor A. C. Hardy FRS, for use of facilities in the Department of Zoology, Oxford. The then Nature Conservancy granted me support in the form of a research studentship. Summary This paper describes and interprets observations, made in 1961, of young Song 1 brushes T urdus philomelos in controlled conditions, to study the mechanism of the development of the species’ habit of breaking open snail shells by smashing them against a hard object (‘anvil ). Fledglings gradually develop an effective performance when given repeated tests with snails. Naive individuals, however, that have never seen any suitable hard objects, will nevertheless break a snail the first time if this test occurs several weeks after fledging. References Ali, S. 1949. Indian Hill Birds. Oxford. 1953. The Birds oj Travancore and Cochin. Oxford. Butlin, S. M. 1959. Snail eating by Blackbirds. Brit. Birds 52: 315. Cayley, N. W. 1959. What Bird is That? Sydney. Haviland, M. D., & Pitt, F. 1919. The selection of //. nemoralis by the Song Thrush T urdus musicus. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. Series 9, 3: 525-531. Henty, C. J. 1965' The Song Thrush as a predator of snails: experiments on camouflage and the development of snail smashing. D. Phil, thesis, University of Oxford. Herring, J. 1984. Use of anvil by juvenile Song Thrush as innate behaviour. Brit. Birds 77: 365. Lorenz, K. 1966. Evolution and Modification oj Behaviour. London. Marshall, A. J. 1954. Bower Birds. Oxford. Morris, D. 1954. The snail-eating behaviour of thrushes and Blackbirds. Brit. Birds 47: 33-49. Owen, J. H. 1932. The food of the Sparrow-hawk. Brit. Birds 26: 34-40. Tinbergen, L. 1946. De Sperwer als roofvijand van Zangvogels. Ardea 34: 1-213. Vere-Benson, S. 1963. Blackbird breaking snails. Brit. Birds 56: 191-192. C.J. Henty , Department of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4 LA Product reports Items included in this feature have been submitted by the manufacturers or their agents. 4 he reviews are the personal opinions of the reviewers; they are not the result of technical tests, but are assessments made after use in appropriate conditions (e.g. in the field). Neither British Birds nor the individual reviewers can accept responsibility for any adverse consequences of opinions stated, and items are accepted for review on this understanding. We aim, however, to be helpful both to our readers and to the manufacturers of goods used by birdwatchers. Eds Zeiss West Germany 7x42B/GAT* binoculars Crystal-clear, whether on an icy, foggy Bedfordshire winter day or in the humid heat of Thailand. A magnificent binocular! The enormous field of view will be especially welcomed by all spectacle-wearers. Surprisingly, I never found the 7X magnification a disadvantage compared with my usual 10X, perhaps because of the exceptional brightness and clarity of the image of the 7X42. This is one of the range of top models from which anyone able to afford the best will inevitably choose (the usual retail price is just over £350). There are only two or three very minor ‘niggles’. Whereas the Zeiss 10X40 — with internal focusing — focuses without the eyepieces extending towards one’s eyes, this 7X42 model does so in the way of traditional binoculars (disconcerting for a day or so to someone used to ramming binoculars against spectacle lenses). The focusing wheel is well placed, and nicely proportioned, so that it can be located instantly even with a gloved hand, and is far enough away from the eyepiece that it does not fall beneath the rim of a hat or peak of a cap; nevertheless a slightly wider wheel would be an improvement. Having used 1 -kg Ross 1 OX 50 binoculars in my early birdwatching years, weight seldom concerns me, but, for the record, these weigh 857 g. They balance well in the hand, and hang easily when not in use. There are splendidly clear instructions on how to fit the strap to the binoculars and the rainguard, but the webbed strap supplied is rather thin (cutting into a bare neck). The rainguard itself fits excellently over the eye-pieces, even when the binocular is opened out for a wide-eyed person. A first-rate leather case is supplied. The objective lenses are well inset, providing good protection against rain, sun-glare and — to some extent — accidental impact. The wide field of view is particularly useful in confined habitats, such as woodland or forest, and for seawatching or raptor-watching; on any occasion when a small object needs to be located against a relatively large or uniform background, such as leaves, sea or sky. The depth of field which remains in focus is also greater than usual with some popular makes and models, especially helpful with a flying bird or one at an indeterminate range in undergrowth. It is possible to focus down as closely as 4 m: a boon whenever a really tame bird is encountered. All -in-all, these are magnificent binoculars of the very highest quality, ideal for birdwatching in all conditions. I cannot recommend them too strongly. J. T. R. Sharrock [If any reader would like further details of this product, please send a SAE to Sandra Barnes, BB Advertising, Fountains, Park Eane, Blunham, Bedford MK44 3NJ.] 282 [ lint Birds, 79: 282, June 198(j] Mystery photographs ~t ~| A The warbler in last month’s puzzle (plate 140, repeated here) has A A4! several eye-catching features. The supercilium is short and pointed, and there is a broad pale crescent below the eye: the pattern is distinctive, and could be shown only by Cetti’s Warbler Cettia cetti or one of the Locustella warblers. The tail is short and stumpy, with long undertail- 157. River Warbler Locustella Jluviatilis , \\ est Germany, May 1985 (Norbert Hojmann ) [Bril. Birds 79: 283-284, June 19861 283 284 Mystery photographs 158. Mystery photograph 1 15. Identify the species. Answer next month coverts, a good point in favour of Locustella. We can actually see the diagnostic feature of a Locustella tail: the outermost tail feather falls well short of the undertail-coverts. The outer web of the outermost primary is fringed whitish, also a feature of Locustella , but not of Cetti’s Warbler. This helpful last point is admittedly difficult to see here, but, in any case, Cetti’s can also be eliminated by those very large and obvious pale tips on the undertail-coverts. The lack of obvious streaks on the head, and the lack of white tips on the tail feathers, narrow down the choice among the Locustella warblers. In fact, the boldness of the whitish tips on the undertail-coverts is a diagnostic feature of only one species: River Warbler L. Jlumatilis. Savi’s Warbler L. luscinioides has plain or less strongly pale-tipped undertail-coverts (see Brit. Birds 76: 81-82; 77: 205). This River Warbler was photographed byNorbert Hofmann in West Germany in May 1985. His second photograph (plate 157) shows the typical large-winged look o{ Locustella, and properly shows the white-fringed outer primary, as well as the species’ diagnostic fine streaking on the lower throat and upper breast. The streaking can be difficult to see at times, so the prominent undertail-coverts spotting is a very useful supporting character, which is often not difficult to see because of the species’ habitual, ‘nervous’ tail-cocking. PJG This nineteenth six-monthly selection includes contributions from 22 countries. The official correspondents whose detailed six-monthly reports are summarised in this feature are acknowledged at the end of this news \Bnl. Birds 79: 284-292, June 1986] 285 European news contribution, I his feature is intended as a news service; anyone requiring further information or quoting records in other publications should refer to the literature of the relevant country. If you have made observations in any of the countries included here and do not know to whom records should be sent, we suggest that you send a copy to the relevant ‘European news’ correspondent listed at the end of this summary, who will pass your records on to the correct person. Records awaiting formal verification by national rarities committees are indicated by an asterisk(*). Unless otherwise stated, all records refer to single individuals Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata Hungary Small invasion: nine records during 20th October to 1st December 1985, including two groups of three, eight of nine records on Danube near Budapest. White-billed Diver Gavia adamsii Denmark High number: 15 adults migrating past Skagen during May 1985. Yugoslavia Second record: inland on Ptuj Lake on 23rd January 1986. Black-browed Albatross Diomedea melanophris Denmark Deletion: September 1983 record (Bril. Birds 77: 233) rejected by Danish rarities committee. Cory’s Shearwater Galoneclris diomedea Norway First record: Vestfold on 19th October 1983. Sooty Shearwater Pufjinus griseus Finland First record: frozen to ice on Juurusvesi Lake on 28th November 1985, released, but subse- quently died. Sweden Highest-ever total: 224 in 1984 (previous maximum 133 in 1983) (cf. high number in Denmark, Brit. Birds 78: 338). Wilson’s Petrel Oceanites oceanicus federal republic of Germany Second record: dead on road near Geislingen, Baden-Wiirttem- berg, on date not yet notified. Norway First record in Norwegian recording area: landed on ship west of Spitsbergen on 25th November 1980. Storm Petrel Hydrobates pelagicus morocco First probable breeding: breeding calls heard at Punta Ceres in Strait of Gibraltar in June 1984 and 1985 (present in area throughout year, but breeding never proved). Gannet Sula bassana Sweden High numbers: 9,490 in 1984 (total of only 8, 790 in 1974-83). Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo Luxembourg Breeding hint: ‘decidedly immature' indi- vidual on River Sure on 17th August 1985, perhaps from lakes of nearby Lorraine (no breeding record for Luxembourg) (cf. in- creased passage numbers, Brit. Birds 78: 338). Shag Phalacrocorax anstotelis Poland Fifth to seventh records: two at Sarbinowo on 28th January 1985, immature at WLadysfowowo on 11th March 1985 and immature at Rewa on 2 1 st-22nd August 1 985 (first record was in February 1979, Bnt. Birds 75: 25). Darter Anhinga melanogaster morocco First record: Merja Zerga lagoon on 8th August 1985 (previous claim, near Sidi Ifni in September 1979, not yet verified). White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus Romania Breeding population: about 2,(XX) pairs in Danube Delta in 1985 (cf. 2,500 pairs in 1981, Brit. Birds 75: 25). Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus Romania Breeding population: only one small colony: 1 00 nestlings in 1 985; also some isolated pairs (cf. about 200 pairs in three colonies in 1981, Bnt. Birds 75: 25). Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax Norway Sixth record: Nord-Trondelag on 18th May 1983. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Italy First breeding record: pair at Molentargius Marsh, Sardinia, in June 1985. Western Reef Heron Egretta gulans Greece Third record: dark-phase in Porto Lagos on 2nd May 1985 (first and second records were in August 1982 and August 1983. Bnt. Birds 77: 233, 78: 338; note other recent records in Austria, France, Federal Republic of Ger- many, Morocco and Switzerland, Brit. Birds 77: 586, 78: 639). Great White Egret Egretta alba France Increasing: up to 40 in Camargue during winter 1985/86; many records from almost all regions; now removed from list of species considered by French rarities committee. morocco First winter record: Merja Zerga lagoon on 26th January 1986 (previous records: 22 in spring and four in autumn). Grey Heron Ardea cinerea morocco Second breeding record: two nests on old kasba at Ouarzazate dam on 5th April 1985 (previous 286 European news breeding at same site, but in a tree, in spring 1984, Brit. Birds 78: 639). Purple Heron Ardea purpurea Norway Seventh record: Trondheim on 23rd July 1983. White Stork Ciconia ciconia Denmark Decline continuing: 19 breeding pairs reared 21 young in 1984; 14 pairs reared 34 young in 1985 (cf. 31 pairs in 1979, 25 in 1980 and 1981, and 20 in 1982, Brit. Birds 74: 260, 76: 273). Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus Italy In- creased breeding: five pairs in Sardinia, and single pairs in Emilia Romagna and Apulia. Romania Breeding population: about 800 pairs in Danube Delta in 1985 (cf. ‘only about 4,000 pairs in nine colonies’ in 1981, Brit. Birds 75: 25). Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia Finland Fifth record: Kuhmo on 14th October 1985 (pre- vious records in 1975, 1978, 1979 and 1984, Brit. Birds 73: 257, 77: 587). Romania Serious decline: now rare to see even a single in Danube Delta, although there could still be a very small colony surviving somewhere (cf. one colony of 20 pairs known in 1981, Brit. Birds 75: 25). Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber Greece Largest-ever number: 2,465 on 14th- 15th January 1986 (2,085 at one site). Canada Goose Branta canadensis faeroe islands First breeding record: four juveniles reared on Sand0y in 1985. Brent Goose Branta bemicla Denmark Evidence of good breeding season: several counts in autumn 1985 showed 80-85% first- years. Ruddy Shelduck Tadoma jerruginea morocco Largest-ever winter flocks: 339 at Khnifiss lagoon on 19th November 1985 and 908 at Oued Saquiat-Al-Hamra at Layoun on 12th December 1985. Baikal Teal Anas Jormosa Norway Second record (first accepted for ‘A-list’): second- year male found dead on Spitsbergen on 9th June 1983 (cf. first Spanish record in January 1983 and eighth French record in March 1983, Bnt. Birds 76: 567, 78: 639). Blue-winged Teal Anas discors faeroe islands Vagrant: adult female on 1st November 1973 (previously identified as Cinnamon Teal A. cyanoptera). King Eider Somateria spectabilis faeroe islands Eleventh record: Vestmannasund on 1st July 1984. Sweden High number: flock of 2 1 at Gotland in mid February 1986. Steller’s Eider Polysticta stelleri Denmark Farge flock: 13 (four males, nine females) around Bornholm in February-March 1985. Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis France Influx: in autumn and winter 1985/86 (e.g. up to ten in Camargue, and flock of 25 on Morbihan coast). Hungary Influx: 12 records of one to eight near Budapest from 6th December 1985 to 13th February 1986. Velvet Scoter Melanitta jusca France Large influx inland: in autumn 1985 (e.g. up to 35 on gravel-pit in Seine-et-Marne, and about 180 in Alsace). Hungary Unusual influx: 14 records of flocks of up to 80 on Danube near Budapest from 16th November 1985 to 25th January 1986. Bufflehead Bucephala albeola Netherlands First record: near Cuyck, Noord-Brabant, from 18th February' 1986 (only other Euro- pean vagrant records since 1977 were in France in March 1980 and in the Western Isles, Scotland, also in March 1980, Brit. Birds 74: 464, 75: 26). White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala Poland Fourth record: pair on River Vistula near Koszyceon 12thjanuary 1985. White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla Czechoslovakia Second twentieth-century breeding attempt: Trebon pond basin, Bohemia, in 1985: as in 1984, Brit. Birds 78: 340, eggs again unfertilised (cf. increases in Estonian SSR, Finland and Norway, Brit. Birds 78: 340, 640). Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus Denmark Second record: Gjerrild on 22nd-23rd May and Skagen on 24th-25th May (first record was in spring 1858). morocco Fourth con- firmed breeding since 1950s: young in nest south ofTaroudant in May 1985. Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus Finland Fourth record: Inkoo on 30th June 1985 (first three were in October 1979, August 1980 and April 1984, Brit. Birds 73: 258, 74: 260, 78: 340). Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus faeroe islands Second record: juvenile found dead near Torshavn around February 1980. Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus federal republic of Germany Vagrant: Ismaninger Teichgebiet, Bavaria, on 27th March 1983*. Rough-legged Buzzard Buteo lagopus France Influx: in autumn and winter 1985/ 86, from mid October, mainly in east, but west to Vendee. 287 European news Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina Norway First record: subadult in Vestfold on 23rd September 1983. Tawny Eagle Aquila rapax morocco Second record in Rif Mountains since 1950s: Jbel Bourfi near Al-Hoceima on 1st June 1985 (species rapidly declined and now occurs regularly only south of High Atlas). Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca Denmark Ninth record: immature on Skagen on 3rd June 1985. Estonian ssr First record: adult of western race A. h. adalberti in Kohtla-Jarveon 16th August 1985*. Eleonora’s Falcon Falco eleonorae France Deletion: 1984 breeding record (Brit. Birds 78: 640) should be deleted. Capercaillie Tetrao urogallus Finland Steep decline: present population of about 135,000 ‘pairs’ (females outnumber males by 1 .5 to 1) is only half of that of 1940s. Double-spurred Francolin Francolinus bicalcaratus morocco Population increase: fol- lowing creation of ‘hunting reserves’ some years ago, now frequently encountered around Sidi-Bettache and Sidi-Yahya des Zaers. Crested Coot Fulica cristata morocco Records far south of breeding range: two at Khnifiss lagoon in November 1985 and one in December 1985. Crane Grus grus Finland Census: 3,500 pairs and ‘a few thousand’ non-breeding indi- viduals in summer 1983. Demoiselle Crane Anthropoides virgo Denmark Fourth record: two departed from Skagen towards Sweden on 30th May 1985. Little Bustard Tetrax tetrax Netherlands Second record since 1959: male at Nijkerk, Gelderland, during 18th-20th January 1986. Black-winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanm France Sixth and seventh records: Vendee during 23rd August to 6th September 1985* and Saone-et- Loire during 30th September to 6th October 1985* (fifth was in November 1982, But. Birds 76: 274). Dotterel Charadrius morinellus Czecho- slovakia Third twentieth-century breeding record: Jesem'ky Mountains, Moravia, in 1985 (previous records in Krkonose Moun- tains, Bohemia, in 1903 and 1946) (cf. first- ever breeding records from Pyrenees and Italian Alps, Brit. Birds 76: 274, 78: 341-342). Sociable Plover Chettusia gregaria Czechoslovakia Fifth record: Louny, Bohemia, on 12th April 1985 (fourth record was in March 1981. Brit. Birds 75: 269). White-tailed Plover Chettusia leucura federal republic of Germany First record: Dummersee, Lower Saxony, on 16th July 1985* (cf. 1975-84 records in Austria, Great Britain, Italy, Morocco, the Netherlands, Romania and Sweden, Brit. Birds 70: 465-471, 71: 584, 73: 506-507, 77: 588, 78: 545, 641). Little Stint Calidris minuta Denmark Good autumn passage in 1985 (e.g. up to 610 at Basnaes nor in mid September). White-rumped Sandpiper Calidris Juscicollis FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY Second record: adult at Salzderhilden, Lower Saxony, on 30th-31st May 1985*. Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos Poland Fourth record: Turawa Reservoir on 26th August 1984. Portugal Second record: Alvor Estuary, Algarve, on 13th September 1985. Buff-breasted Sandpiper Tryngites subrufi- coltis FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY Sixth record: immature at Salzgitter-Heerte, Lower Saxony, on 3rd-4th September 1983*. Great Snipe Gallinago media morocco Vagrant: Ain El Ouata near Fes on 17th February 1985. Dowitcher Limnodromus Portugal V agrant: Quinta da Rocha, Alvor Estuary, Algarve, on 1 5th October 1985. Slender-billed Curlew Numemus tenuirostris morocco Decline: commonly reported until 1960s, 12 records in 1970s. and only four since 1980: 3rd January 1982 at Merja Zerga lagoon, seven at mouth ofOued Smiron 28th January' 1983, mouth of Oued Tahadart on 22nd August 1983, and four at Merja Zerga lagoon on 26th January 1986. Upland Sandpiper Barlramia longicauda France Third record: Ouessant during 5th- 7th September 1985*. Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis morocco Fifth winter record: Sidi-Moussa and Oualidia marshes on 1st January 1985 (many sightings in March-May and Sep- tember-November). Norway First and second records: Sor Trondelag on 18th May 1983, and Vestfold on 5th June 1983 (cf. best-ever totals in Sweden and Finland in 1983, Bnt. Birds 77: 236, 78: 342). Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa fiavipes Sweden Third record: Getteron, Varberg, during 8th- 1 7th November 1985*. Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus Norway Fourth record: Rogaland during 1 7th- 1 9th November 1983. 288 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos Belgium First breeding record since 1951: brood of three young near Couvin, Namur, on 30th June 1985. Grey Phalarope Phalaropus Julicarius morocco Unusual winter numbers: 20 off Rabat on 6th January 1985 and 30 there on 30th January 1985. Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus Denmark Large influx in autumn 1985: high- est numbers were 89 passing Skagen on 12th November, and 72 at K0g harbour on 9th November. Finland Unusually numerous: about 20 records*, mostly juveniles, in autumn 1985. Netherlands Large influx: many hundreds every where along coast and at many places inland in November 1985 (usually only a few hundreds in August- November); largest numbers on 7th and 1 1 th November. Sweden Highest-ever numbers: in first half of November 1985 (e.g. 51 at Gubbanasan, Varberg, on 6th and 94 at Hono, Goteborg, on 10th). Great Black-headed Gull Lams ichthyaetus Greece Third record: second-year in Evros Delta on 14th June 1985. Mediterranean Gull Lams melanocephalus federal republic of Germany Range ex- pansion: first breeding in Bavaria, at Ammersee, attempt in 1981 and successful in 1982. France Breeding: pair bred in Alsace in 1985. Poland Third and fourth breeding records: single nests on River Vistula near Dyblin in 1984 and in Siedlce in 1985. (Cf. breeding establishment or increases in Bel- gium, Czechoslovakia, Italy, Spain and Sweden, Brit. Birds 72: 278, 73: 258-259, 74: 261, 75: 270, 571, 76: 274, 568, 77: 237, 78: 342,641). Laughing Gull Lams atricilla Denmark First and second records: second-year in Vejlerne from late June to early September 1985, and adult at Skagen on 4th-5thjuly 1985. Greece First record: adult in Alexandroupolis harbour on 15th August 1984. Franklin’s Gull Lams pipixcan France Fourth record: Ouessant on 23rd December 1985* (first to third records were in 1977, 1981 and 1982, Brit. Birds 72: 591, 75: 571). Audouin’s Gull Lams audouinii France First record on Atlantic coast: immature at Pointe de L’Aiguillon, Vendee, on 3rd October 1985*. morocco Large number wintering far south: 707 around Tarfaya (550 km south of Agadir) on 20th November 1985 and 689 there on 27th December 1985 (cf. January European news 1984 census, when 96% were on Mediter- ranean coast, Brit. Birds 78: 641). Ring-billed Gull Lams delawarensis France At least eight on Atlantic coast in summer and autumn J 985*. Norway Second record: Bergen from mid October 1983 to mid Feb- ruary 1984 (first was on Spitsbergen). (Cl. recent records in Britain & Ireland, Federal Republic of Germany, Morocco, Poland, Spain and Sweden, Brit. Birds 78: 641-642.) Lesser Black-backed Gull Lams Juscus Finland Severe decrease: only about 500 pairs of L. J. Juscus (mainly in Gulf of Finland), compared with 1,800 pairs in late 1950s. Glaucous Gull Lams hyperboreus Hungary Vagrant: adult near Almasfuzito during 9th- 24th November 1985; fewer than five pre- vious records. Sweden Highest-ever num- bers: 71 in 1983 and 71 in 1984 (five times as many in January-May as in October-Decem- ber). Ross’s Gull Rhodostethia rosea Sweden Fourth record : juvenile at Goteborg on 1 0th October 1984* (individual at Bohuslan on 31st January 1983, previously noted as fourth, Brit. Buds 77: 237, has not yet been reported to Swedish rarities committee). Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla Latvian ssr Second record: Pape in autumn 1985 (first was in 1983, Brit. Birds 77: 237). Ivory Gull Pagophila ebumea Finland First record since 1953: juvenile in Pietarsaari in November 1979 (about 22 previous records, mostly from Lapland). Sweden Fourteenth record: first-winter at Landsort, Stockholm, during 10th- 1 7th January 1986. Lesser Crested Tern Sterna bengalensis Italy First breeding record: pair in colony of Sandwich Terns S. sandvicensis at Comacchio, Emilia Romagna, in June 1985. Little Auk Alle alle Denmark High numbers in winters 1984/85 and 1985/86: maximum count 80 at R0rvig on 3rd November 1985. Norway Influx: over 300 in Inner Oslofjord on 1st November 1985. Sweden High num- bers: 65 in 1983, 735 in 1984, and even more in 1985 (e.g. 350 at Gubbanasan, Varberg, on 6th November); these are highest num- bers observed, but about 6,500 were found dead after oil-spill in early January 1981. Woodpigeon Columba palumbus Denmark Highest-ever count: at Utterslev Mose on outskirts of Copenhagen, total of 111,170 passed, mostly during 07.05-09.40 hours. 289 European news Rufous Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis Sweden Wintering again: Morbylanga, Oland, in winter/spring 1984/85 (Brit. Birds 78: 642) reappeared on 17th November 1985 and stayed into 1986. Ring-necked Parakeet Psiltacula krameri Yugoslavia Breeding: small colony with successful breeding near Trieste on Italian/ Yugoslav border since 1975. Bam Owl Tyto alba Sweden Breeding remnants: pair reared broods of two and three young in 1984; none breeding in 1985, but a few individuals seen (30 pairs were breeding in Sk&ne 20 years ago: Brit. Birds 77: 238). Great Grey Owl Strix nebulosa Finland Southerly extension of breeding range: two pairs reared six young near Helsinki in summer 1985. Sweden High breeding nuVnbers: at least 70 pairs in 1984 (same number as in record year, 1981), and present at 60 further localities, where breeding possible; bred in several other areas south of normal range. Short-eared Owl Asia flammeus faeroe islands Eleventh record: juvenile dead in Torshavn on 7th March 1985. Alpine Swift Apus melba Norway Sixth record: Vestfold on 18th June 1983. Sweden Fifth record: Varberg on 6th June 1984 (two in September 1981, Brit. Birds 75: 571, regarded as relating to one individual, the second Swedish record; and record in April 1984, Brit. Birds 78: 343, not yet reported to Swedish rarities committee). Little Swift Apus ajfinis morocco Late breeding: adult feeding nestlings in Meknes on 7th October 1985. Bee-eater Merops apiaster Denmark Breeding: three pairs bred in south Jutland in 1985. France Breeding: four pairs in Jura and at least two pairs in Saone-et-Loire in 1984 (where breeding since 1977). Romania Con- tinuous decline: due to human disturbance and loss of breeding habitats. Sweden Highest-ever total: 12 records involving 35 individuals in 1984, including 15 at Hudiks- vall, Halsingland, on 26th May. Hoopoe Upupa epops Sweden Highest-ever total: about 130 in 1984. Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius Denmark Small influx in autumn 1985: a few coming in from Scania and a few seen away from usual breeding areas. Great Spotted Woodpecker Dmdrocopos major Denmark Widespread influx: during July-September 1985. Middle S plotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos medius Latvian ssr First breeding record: 1985 (total of 18 non-breeding records up to 1985). Dup>ont’s Lark Chersophilus duponti morocco Records west of normal range: two near Taliouineon 17th April 1985. Calandra Lark Melanocorypha calandra Finland Third record: Juupajoki on 26th May 1985 (second was in March 1985, Brit. Birds 78: 643). Shore Lark Eremophila alpestns France H igh- altitude winter record: at 1,100 m in Haute- Pyrenees on 14th November 1976. Brown-throated Sand Martin Riparia paludicola morocco Breeding range exten- sion: several pairs on lower Oued Bou- Regreg, near Rabat, in spring 1985. Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica Netherlands Sixth and seventh records: Katwijk, Zuid-Holland, on 20th October 1985, and Maarn, Utrecht, on 23rd October 1985. Pechora Pipit Anthus gustavi Poland Second record: Przegalina near (fdah.sk on 14th April 1985 (first was in September 1983, Brit. Birds 77: 239). Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola Denmark Second record: female at Busene on \l0n on 6th May 1984. Greece First record: adult in Keramoti, Nestos, on 29th April 1978. Latvian ssr Third record: spring 1985. Poland Influx: one to four at Jastarnia during 21st April to 26th May 1985 and male at Nlosty on 15th May 1985 (only four pre- vious records). Waxwing Bombvcilla garrulus Hungary No records in 1985. Alpine Accentor Prunella collaris morocco Second breeding season record in Middle Atlas: three adults (one singing male) on top ofjbcl Bou Naceur (3,000 m) on 7th June 1985 (previously known only from High Atlas and Jbel Bou Iblane in Middle Atlas, Brit. Birds 78: 643). Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos Finland Tenth record (first in autumn): Sappi bird- station on 4th October 1985. Siberian Rubythroat Luscinia calliope DENMARK First record: Christians0 in late October 1985. Bluethroat Luscinia svecica italy Second and third confirmed breeding records: two pairs of L. s. svecica in Lombard Alps in 1984, and one pair there in 1985 (cf. Brit. Birds 78: 344). 290 Red-flanked Bluetail Tarsiger cyanurus Netherlands Second round: Texel, Noord- Holland, on 29th September 1985 (first, also on Texel, in 1967). Sweden Seventh record: ringed at Torhamn, Blekinge, on 22nd Sep- tember 1985. Stonechat Saxicola torquata Norway First record of S. t. variegata : example showing characters of this south Russian race caught and ringed in Vestfold during 15th- 19th June 1983. White’s Thrush Zoothera dauma federal republic of Germany Vagrant: Heligoland, Schleswig-Holstein, on 1st November 1984. Romania Vagrant: Danube Delta on 27th September 1981. Sweden Sixth record (and first since 1966): Stenasa, Oland, on 23rd October 1985*. Redwing Turdus iliacus Denmark High number: 72,000 with other migrating thrushes at Stensnaes on 11th October 1985. American Robin Turdus migratorius Norway First record: Hordaland on 3rd October 1983. Lanceolated Warbler Locustella lanceolata Finland Fourth record: singing male at Ran- tasalmi on 26th June 1983 (June 1984 record, Brit. Birds 77: 590, now becomes fifth record). Savi’s Warbler Locustella luscinioides Finland Third and fourth records: singing males in Janakkala during 19th-26thjune 1985 and in Ruotsinpyhhtaa during 28th May to 2nd June 1985 (first and second were in 1984, Brit. Birds 77: 590). Sweden Highest-ever totals: 132 in 1983 and 107 in 1984. (Cf. colonisation of Estonian SSR and Latvian SSR, Brit. Birds 1 1 : 256, 72: 592, 76: 275.) Paddyfield Warbler Acrocephalus agricola Netherlands Deletion: 1967 record now rejected; 1984 record (Brit. Birds 78: 344) still under consideration. Blyth’s Reed Warbler Acrocephalus dumelorum Sweden Highest-ever total: 24 in 1984. First proved breeding: north ofGavle, Gastrikland, in 1984 (cf. first French record in 1984, Brit. Birds 78: 344). Booted Warbler Hippolais caligata France Third record: Ouessant on 11th October 1985* (first and second records were both in 1984, Brit. Birds 78: 344). Norway Second record: Rogaland on 11th September 1983 (first was in October 1978, Brit. Birds 73: 260). Tristram’s Warbler Sylvia deserticola morocco First proved breeding in Middle Atlas: nest with five young in foothills ofjbel Bou Naceur (2,200 m) on 8th June 1985. European news Extension of breeding range: pair displaying and building at Tanalt in Anti-Atlas on 26th June 1984 and family party there on 25th May 1985. Ruppell’s Warbler Sylvia rueppelli malta Vagrant: April 1985 (most recently in 1976, 1978 and 1982). Barred Warbler Sylvia nisoria Denmark ‘Small signs of increase, after almost century- long decline.’ Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla faeroe islands First case of probable breeding: summer 1985. Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides Sweden High numbers: 85 in 1984 (exceeded only in 1978, when about 110). Pallas’s Warbler Phylloscopus proregulus Estonian ssr Ninth record: trapped at Kabli on 9th October 1985 (sixth to eighth records were in 1982, Brit. Birds 75: 572)'. Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inomatus Estonian ssr Sixteenth to twentieth records: three at Kabli, one at Sorve and one at Lao in 1985. Finland Probably largest- ever influx: about 35 in autumn 1985 (pre- vious peak was 28 in 1984). Latvian ssr Influx: 12 in Pape in 1985 (same number as in 1984). malta Thirteenth to fifteenth records: three ringed in October 1985. Netherlands Largest-ever influx: at least 80 and probably over 100 in late September and October 1985 (only ten to 20 per year during 1980-84; previous highest total, over 30 in 1967). Sweden Highest-ever numbers: at least 58 in 1985. Dusky Warbler Phylloscopus juscalus Nether- lands Second record: trapped at Vlieland, Friesland, on 22nd October 1985 (first was in October 1978, Brit. Birds 72: 280). Semi-collared Flycatcher Ficedula semi- torquata malta Seventh record: ringed in April 1985 (previous records in 1976, five, and 1982, Brit. Birds 76: 569). Bearded Tit Panurus biarmicus Denmark Population recovery: ‘after total collapse of breeding population six to seven years ago, and almost complete absence since, seen relatively often in 1985.’ Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus Estonian ssr First to third records of individuals with black head-stripes: two trapped at Sorve on 2nd October 1985*, singles at Lao on 6th October 1985 and Sorve on 11th October 1985; latter two identified as A. c. europaeus. Finland Very' large influx: throughout country, and several thousand mist-netted at 291 European news bird-stations, during October-Novernber 1985. (Cf. large invasion noted in Finland and Poland in 1977, Brit. Birds 7 1 : 257, but no big numbers reported since.) Willow Tit Parus montanus Denmark Colon- ising: recently established as sparse breeder in South Jutland, with singing males in several localities (cf. first record and first breeding in 1977, Brit. Birds 7 1 : 586). Siberian Tit Parus cinctus Finland Large influx: 70 records, south to southern Finland, in autumn 1985. Crested Tit Parus cristatus Finland Long- term decrease: winter bird census data show 50% decrease in past 30 years. Coal Tit Parus ater Denmark Massive movements of three common tits: 2,700 Coal Tits at Hammeren and 2,000 Coal Fits at Blavand in September 1985; former locality also had 1,000 Blue P. caeruleus and Great Tits P. major in one day. Blue Tit Parus caeruleus Denmark Massive movements: 2,500 at Stigsnaes during 22nd September to 6th October 1985; see also under Coal Tit. Finland Long-term increase: winter bird census data show continuous population growth in past 30 years, and especially steep increase since mid 1970s. Azure Tit Parus cyanus Sweden Second record: Blekinge on 12th November 1985 (first record 200 years ago). Great Tit Parus major Denmark See under Coal Fit. Nuthatch Sitta europaea morocco Breeding range extension: scarce and local breeder in central High Atlas from Tounfite near Midelt to Ait-Tamlil near Telouet, south to jbel Anrhomer (31°20'N 7°00'\V). Penduline Tit Remiz pendulinus Sweden Breeding numbers and range increasing: breeding or attempted breeding in Skane, Oland, Gotland, Ostergotland and, for first time, Vastergotland; at least 60 young reared in SkSne (cf. increase noted in Finland, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Lux- embourg, The Netherlands, Spain and Yugoslavia, Brit. Birds 72: 592, 74: 262, 75: 27 1, 573, 76: 570, 77: 590, 78: 344, 644). Masked Shrike Lanius nubicus malta First record: October 1985 (cf. first Finnish record in October 1982, Swedish record in October 1984, Brit. Birds 76: 276, 78: 345). Magpie Pica pica morocco First record in Rif mountains: four near A1 Hoceimaon 1st June 1985. Nutcracker Nucifraga caryocatactes Denmark Invasion: one of largest invasions this century, with 1,500 migrants during 9th September to 7th October 1985, with peak of 252 on 14th September. Finland Very large invasion: several thousand records of eastern race macrorhynchos in autumn 1985. Sweden Irruption: both races involved in autumn 1985. (Apart from a small invasion noted in the Latvian SSR, these were first evidence of any irruption since autumn 1977, Brit. Birds 70: 495,71:257, 586, 74: 263.) Jackdaw Corvus monedula Denmark High number: 37,240 at Laes^ on 15th October 1985, heading for east coast of Jutland. Raven Corvus corax federal republic of Germany First breeding in Hesse since 1912: two pairs at Hersfeld-Rotenburg in 1985. Starling Stumus vulgaris Finland Recovery from decrease: after severe crash in 1970s, breeding population has recovered locally in south, but still scarce in north. Tree Sparrow Passer montanus morocco First probable breeding in North Africa: three males and three females with brood-patches netted in colony of Spanish Sparrows P. hispaniolensis near Kenitra during 10th April to 10th May 1985. Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olwaceus France Second record: Ouessant on 17th October 1985* (first was in October 1983, Brit. Birds 77: 242). Netherlands First and second records: Wormerveer, Noord-Holland, on 13th October 1985, and Rottumerplaat, Groningen, on 19th October 1985. Siskin Carduelis spinus faeroe islands Invasion: from 1st May 1985 onwards. Redpoll Carduelis flammea Hungary Influx: after absence of several years, small groups ‘everywhere’ in winter 1985/86. malta Fifth record: December 1985. Arctic Redpoll Carduelis homemanni Sweden Second-highest numbers: about 235 in 1984 (125 in October) (cf. large influx in Finland during February- April 1985, Brit. Birds 78: 644)/ Two-barred Crossbill Loxia leucoptera Finland Large invasion: hundreds of records at coastal bird-stations in late summer and autumn 1985. Sweden Irruption: autumn 1985, beginning in July. Crossbill Loxia cun'irostra faeroe islands Invasion: about 125 during 25th June to 10th July 1985. Scarlet Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrmus federal republic of Germany Range 292 expansion: first breeding attempt in Lower Saxony, at Gronauer Masch in June 1985. Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula Portugal Wintering unusually far south: Odelouca, Algarve, in December 1985/January 1986. Pine Bunting Emberiza leucocephalos Hungary First record: male at Ballahida near Zalaegerszeg on 1st January 1986. Rock Bunting Embenza da Poland Third record: male at Przegaleria near Gdansk on 14th April 1985 (second was in September 1982, Brit. Birds 76: 570). House Bunting Emberiza slriolata morocco Further northerly range extension: first breeding season records in Fes: male singing during 17th April to 1 1th June 1985 and pair European news displaying on 20th June 1985 (cf. extension to Rabat, Brit. Birds 78: 645). Little Bunting Emberiza pusilla Estonian ssr Third record: trapped at Sorve on 10th September 1985 (first and second were in 1979 and 1984, Brit. Birds 72: 593, 78: 345). Yellow-breasted Bunting Emberiza aureola Denmark First record: Christians0 on 22nd August 1984. Black-headed Bunting Emberiza melano- cephala Poland Third record: male at Kielce on 29th April 1984. Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludovi- danus France First record: immature male on Ouessant during 15th-22nd October 1985*. Correspondents Belgium Rene de Liedekerke & Drs Franklin L. L. Tombeur, rue des Flaies 20, B-5296 Pailhe Czechoslovakia Dr Karel STastny, Institute of Applied Ecology and Ecotechnology, Agricul- ture University in Prague, 281 63 Kostelec n.C.lesy Denmark Lars N^rgaard Andersen & Henrik Dissing, Baekkeskovvej 53, DK-2700 Br0nsh0j Estonian ssr Dr Vilju I.illeleht, Academy ofSciences of the Estonian SSR, Institute ofZoology and Botany, 21 Vanemuise St, SU-202 400 Tartu faeroe islands Mrs Dorete Bloch, Museum ofNatural History, Debesartr0d, Torshavn federal republic of Germany Alistair Hill, Dachverband Deutscher Avifaunisten, Bundes- deutscher Seltenheitenausschuss, Albrecht-Haushofer-Str. 10, 3200 Hildesheim Finland Martti Hario, The Finnish Ornithological Society, P. Rautatiekatu 13, SF-00100 Helsinki 10 France Dr Philippe J. Dubois, Le Cabestan, 73 avenue Robespierre, 1 7000 La Rochelle grand duchy of Luxembourg David Crowther, 18 rue des Eglantiers, L-8227 Mamer Greece George 1. Handrinos, 50 El Venizelou Street, 166 75 Glyfada Hungary Laszlo Haraszthy, Hungarian Ornithological Society, 1121 Budapest, Kolto u. 21 Italy Marco Gustin, Stazione Romana per L’Osservazione e la Protezione degli Uccelli, c/o Oasi Naturale WWF Bosco di Palo, Via Palo Laziale 2, 00055 Ladispoli (Rome) Latvian ssr Drjanis Baumanis, Laboratory of Ornithology, Miera 3, Salaspils Malta Joe Sultana & Charles Gauci, The Ornithological Society, PO Box 448, Valletta morocco Michel Thevenot, LIniversite Mohammed V', Institut Scientifique, Charia Ibn Batouta, B.P. 703 — Rabat Netherlands Kees Scharringa, Trompenburg 15, 1852 CB Heiloo Norway Geoffrey Acklam, Nordliveien 18, 1320 Stabekk Poland Dr Tadeusz Stawarczyk, Wroclaw University, Museum of Natural History, Sien- kiewicza 2 1 , 50/335 Wroclaw Portugal Dr Antonio Teixeira, CEMPA, Servi^o Nacional de Parques, Reservas e Conser- va^ao da Natureza, Rua da Lapa 73, 1200 Lisboa Romania Dr Victor Ciochia, str, Pavilioanele CFR, No. 30, RO-2200 Bra§ov Sweden Per Alstrom, Marholmsvagen 105, S-436 00 Askim Yugoslavia Iztok Geister, 64202 Naklo, Pokopaliska pot 13 No information was received from Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, German Democratic Republic, Iceland, Spain or Switzerland. Notes Great Crested Grebe attacking Little Grebe At 13.40 GMT on 5th April 1983, at Catcliffe Flash, South Yorkshire, I saw an attack by a Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus on a Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis. The Great Crested Grebe grasped the neck of the Little Grebe in its bill and appeared to be trying to submerge it under the water. Alter several seconds, during which it gave frequent yelping calls, the Little Grebe managed to free itself, but it appeared to have sustained an injury to its left wing which slowed its attempts to escape, and the larger grebe, after chasing it for about 3 m, seized it by the neck again. The Little Grebe got free several times, sometimes diving in its attempts to escape, but it was chased and recaught in the same manner on each occasion. These attacks continued for about two minutes until the victim managed to reach a clump of half-submerged willow Salix, where it was able to evade subsequent attempted attacks. The Great Crested followed the Little Grebe for up to 2 m among the dead willow stems, but finally appeared to lose contact and returned to the open water. The Little Grebe was not seen subsequently. R. David R. Williams 5 Thorpe House Avenue, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S89NG Dr K. E. L. Simmons has commented as follows: ‘I have seen similar behaviour during the early years of my Great Crested Grebe study, but it seems rarely to have been recorded. The Great Crested Grebe Enquiry {Brit. Birds 26: 181) said “certainly there is no direct hostility or aggression” between the two species.’ Eds White-tailed Plover in Tyne & Wear On 21st May 1984. an adult White-tailed Plover Chettusia leucura was watched for a little over an hour on newly sown farmland at Cleadon, Tyne & Wear. At 16.50 gmt, I was cycling around my local patch when I noticed what was clearly a crouching plover in a distant field. My first thought was that the bird could be a Dotterel Charadrius morinellus, as that species had favoured neighbouring fields in 1982. A closer approach, however, pro- duced a bird which was totally unfamiliar to me. My first impression was of a large, rather plain plover, with an almost white head and extremely long, lemon-vellow legs. A phone-call to Ian Mills produced the accurate identi- fication and he arrived within a quarter of an hour, closely followed by David Constantine and Peter Hogg. In good light, at a range of about 80m, the following details were obtained. SIZE Comparable with Lapwing Vanellus cpperparts Pale, sandy brown, with mauve vanellus. tinge. head Pale fawn, lightly flecked with sandy streaks. Streaking absent above eye, produc- ing indistinct white supercilium. underparts Neck and upper breast duller brown than upperparts. deepening to rich chestnut on lower breast. Belly and flanks ofl'-w hite, becoming pinkish on vent. WINGS Black primaries and mainly white secondaries produced thin black-and-white margin to lower edge of greyish brown wing. tail Usually hidden by closed wings, though clearly white and unmarked. 293 294 Notes bare parts Legs long and lemon-yellow. Bill Lapwing. Eye large and dark, contrasting black and proportionately longer than that of with pale head. In flight, the plover took on a completely different character. The wings were broad and rounded. The strongly contrasting black-and-white wing pattern reminded PH and DC of Sabine’s Gull Larus sabini and the rich colouring was enhanced by the white tail and uppertail-coverts. The lower legs and feet extended well beyond the tip of the tail. The bird remained in the field until about 18.10 GMT, when it circled high ox er our heads before disappearing to the southwest. It had constantly been irritated by the presence of other birds, particularly Lapwings, but also Linnets Carduelis cannabina. It frequently crouched very low and became difficult to see. Persistent territorial aggression by a Lapwing caused the plover’s premature departure. The only previous records of White-tailed Plover in Britain and Ireland were in Warwickshire in July 1975 (Brit. Birds 70: 465-471) and in Dorset in July 1979 (Brit. Birds 74: 228), but one (perhaps the same bird) was discovered in Shropshire three days after this one in Tyne & Wear (see below). B. S. Bates 10 Wingrove Avenue, Sunderland , SR69HJ White-tailed Plover in Shropshire On the evening of 24th May 1984. I receiv ed a telephone call from Paul Swales informing me that he had seen a Wh ite-tailed Plover Chettusia leucura. He needed someone to corroborate the sighting and we arranged to meet the following morning. At 05.20 gmt, we arrived at the site: a meadow which had been flooded during the winter months, and which still held a large area of shallow water. Vegetation around the pool was mainly lush grass, with patches of rushes and, where the water had most recently receded, bare or very sparsely vegetated ground. Within minutes of arrival, we had noted a pair of Lapwings Vanellus vanellus , up to seven Redshanks Tringa tolanus , a Dunlin Calidris alpina, a Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dub ms. a Snipe Gallmago gallinago , and a Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos. After about five minutes, the White-tailed Plover appeared, in low flight, closely pursued by a Lapwing. The two species were similar in size, but the former appeared less bulky. The colour pattern in flight was very striking: an area of white stretched across the full wing, from the alula, through the greater primary coverts and along the secondaries. This was sandwiched between the brown wing-coverts and the large solid black wedge of the primaries. The rump and tail were completely white, with the legs protrud- ing well beyond the end of the tail. The mantle was brown, and the bird appeared almost white-headed. The pursuit was broken off and both birds alighted. The White-tailed Plover was seen in flight on three further occasions as it moved around the site to feed, for distances of from 20 to 60 m, and it always kept within two metres of the ground. From the initial sighting until we departed an hour later, the White- tailed Plover was present continuously, although at times it was hidden from view in dead ground. V iewing distances ranged from 80 to 150m, and sightings varied from partially obscured views to watching the bird feeding Overseas bird tours survey If you have participated in a trip organised by a bird tour company, please complete this form and send it before the end ol the month to: Bird tour survey. Fountains, Park Lane,Blunham, Bedford MK443NJ. 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Sketches were made during the hour the bird was under observation, and the following notes are a summary of those made at the time. colour Mantle and dosed wings uniform brown, with hint of purple, except tor thin black line running for almost full length of wing and terminating in protruding tips of primaries. Small patch of white showing immediately forward of these tips appeared to be made by secondaries being not quite covered by wing-coverts. Breast darker than mantle, becoming darker in lower area where it ended in distinct line. Below this line, underparts pinkish, becoming whiter in vent area. Tail, seen when bird preened, white. Head paler than mantle, except crown, which noticeably darker. Slight dark line extending back from eye. Nape grey. Fore- head, 'face' and chin slightly off-white. These head colours very delicate, the bird looking quite white-headed to the naked eye, and even through binoculars, but the pattern described seen dearly through telescope. Legs very bright lemon-yellow and long. Ratio of tibia to tarsus about one to three. Bill black and short, being approximately hall to two-thirds of head length. Eye dark, appear- ing black. flight Somewhat similar to that of Lapwing, but narrower wings made flight appear more direct and less floppy. movement Impression created by bird's general movements and manner was one of great elegance. It fed by stooping as it walked. Although it varied in pace as it fed. even when it was moving more quickly it still did not run. Quite often an erect stance was taken, with neck extended, and the bird was obviously alert. On a few occasions, it bobbed. INTERACTION WITH OTHER SPECIES Although often passing close to Redshanks and the Dunlin, the White-tailed Plover ignored them and fed alone. Only positive interaction w ith another species was pursuit bv Lapw ing (as mentioned earlier). Although both birds remained in area, there was no further aggression. I made no further v isits to the site, but Paul Swales kept a regular watch on the meadow to ascertain the length of the bird's stay. It was seen on 26th, 27th, 28th May, and 3rd June, which proved to be the final sighting. After considerable thought, we decided against making the sighting public. The Raritv-finders Code as printed in British Birds (75: 301-303) was our guide. The main cause for concern was the fact that the site was on private land, and in a position completely unsuitable to handle hordes of visitors. W e were further influenced by the disrespect shown to private propertv some months previously by enthusiasts determined to see a mere Pectoral Sandpiper Cahdris melanotos . which had turned up on a permit-only site. This resulted in a severe deterioration in relationships between the landowners and local birdwatchers. The \\ hite-tailed Plover site is not a regular birdwatching location, and the occurrence was a ‘one-off. We feel that to give the 10-km square reference, SJ61 . which is northwest ofTelford, Shropshire, is of sufficient accuracy to satisfy all reasonable purposes. This was the fourth record of White-tailed Plover in Britain and Ireland, the previous three being in Warwickshire in July 1975 (Brit. Birds 70: 465-471), in Dorset in July 1979 (Brit. Birds 74: 228) and in Tyne & Wear just three days before this Shropshire occurrence (see above). Jack Sankey 11 Mardol Terrace . Snuthfield Road. Much U’enlock . Shropshire TF136BH Immature White-cheeked Tern helping to defend chick On llthjune 1 982. during a visit to a colony ofW'hite-cheeked Terns Sterna repressa just off 296 Notes the Saudi Arabian mainland coast in the Persian Gulf (27°N 49°E), I noted a small number of first-summer individuals among the breeding adults. The terns seemed to be in all stages of the breeding cycle: there were fresh eggs, eggs hatching, chicks, and even a few flying juveniles attended by aggressive adults. I was about to leave the islet4 which meant wading waist-deep across a creek, when a pair of adults became typically anxious as I passed a ten-day-old chick away from the main colony. The chick was able to run strongly, and swam confidently when necessary. During the whole of this short episode, the two adults were accompanied by an immature. When the adults pitched on the sand near the retreating chick, the immature pitched, too. When the adults hovered low over the swimming chick, the immature hovered nearby, all three uttering the short ‘kit’ alarm note and the long ‘kee-yaah’ call. The adults were restless and ascended repeatedly during my passing, in order to stoop towards my head; twice the immature followed suit and performed low-intensity dives towards me. Graham Bundy The Crest , Blythe Shute, Chale, Isle of Wight P0382HJ Dr E. K. Dunn has commented as follows: ‘It is not unusual among terns of various species to flock over a chick breaking cover or running away. In my account of Common Tern S. hirundo in BWP (4: 80) I have drawn attention to this characteristic response: “Chick leaving cover may attract adult flock hovering overhead from which individuals periodically swoop as if attacking or driving it back to cover.” A swimming chick is an especially strong stimulus for eliciting this sort of response. The birds typically divide their attention between chivvying the chick and attacking the human intruder. Though I have not noticed it before, it would not greatly surprise me if, from time to time, an immature got caught up in the general excitement and behaved like the adults usually do, the more so because clearly only two of the mobbing birds can be the parents of the chick in question. The others are either terns attracted from a distance or those whose breeding territories are infringed by the fleeing chick and trespassing human.’ Eds Scops Owl sunbathing On 6th August 1983, along the lower section of the Barranco de Algender, Menorca, my attention was drawn by the alarm calls of several birds, indicating the presence of a predator. Scanning the vegetation through binoculars revealed a perched Scops Owl Otus scops about 75 m away. Through a 45 X telescope, I was able to observe the owl in some detail. It was perched on a bare, almost horizontal branch of a large Phillyrea bush about 2m from any cover or shade. It had its upperparts angled towards the sun and, with wings and tail partially spread and wings drooped, was obviously sunbathing. It would stay motionless for periods of up to ten minutes, apparently not being bothered by the brief visits of a Great Tit Parus major , three Sardinian Warblers Sylvia melanocephala , a Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos and a Cetti’s Warbler Cettia cetti , none of which approached closer than 20cm to the owl. Only twice did it turn its head, when the strong morning sun shone directly into its eyes, and I could see how contracted the pupils were in the yellow irises. I watched from 08.30 to 09.00 hours, and then disturbed the owl in order to verify that it was not injured or sick; it flew ofl strongly. The alarm calls of the various visiting passerines were somewhat subdued and not of the intensity norm- Notes 297 ally directed at Scops Owls in Menorca. I can find no reference to nocturnal owls sunbathing. Ed Mackrill Apartment 1-2 II, Paseo del Rio 6, Puerto Soto Grande, Cadiz, Spain Although Scops Owls do very occasionally hunt during the daytime, Heimo Mikkola (1983. Owls of Europe) makes no mention of sunbathing by this species. Eds Opportunistic use by birds of ephemeral food source in hard weather On 24th December 1981, in Morayshire, during a prolonged cold spell (maximum daytime temperature — 4°C), we observed abnormal feeding behaviour by Fieldfares Turdus pilaris and Redwings T. iliacus. A land drain was being dredged, and the sediment deposited on the banks contained an abundance of food. Fieldfares and Redwings were seen to swallow small eels Anguilla anguilla up to an estimated 1 2 cm. This local abundance of food attracted a great variety of other bird species, including Moorhen Gallinula chloropus. Lapwing Vanellus vanellus, Redshank Tringa totanus, Common Gull Larus canus, Black-headed Gull L. ridibundus, Blackbird Turdus merula, Robin Enthacus rubecula. Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis. Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba, Starling Sturnus vulgaris and Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs. Each Redshank held its own small territory of dredgings and was exceptionally aggressive towards other Redshanks. John Barrett and Catrina Barrett Gunnersvale Farm Cottage, near Elwick, Cleveland TS273HH Hermit Thrush in Scilly At about 10.35 gmt on 28th October 1984, whilst walking towards Peninnis Head, St Mary’s, Isles ofScilly, I noticed a small bird diving for cover in the bank of gorse Ulex to the west of the headland. I relocated the bird running away from me some 40m farther on, and its appearance, though briefly seen, was of a small thrush with prominently rufous tail and perhaps warm uppertail-coverts and lower rump. After ten minutes, I again glimpsed it, and saw a prominent eye- ring. In due course, I was joined by I. Lewington and S. Davies, who saw the bird in a brief flight, giving them no clues as to its identity, and myself a momentary lack of confidence. After alerting the late David B. Hunt via the CB radio, I again saw the bird and, although a tantalising view beneath a bramble Rubus Jruticosus , it confirmed my suspicions of a small thrush as the bird was heavily spotted on the upper breast, having a clean, unmarked Fig. i . Hermit Thrush Cathanis guttatus. Scilly. October 1984 ( S . M. Andrews ) 298 Notes throat and strong malar stripe. The probability of its being a Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus was high, but, as I was a single observer, lacking a field-guide, I kept my mouth shut. After arriving with DBH, Paul Holness — a welcome driving force — joined me in an extensive, but fruitless search over the next few hours. Eventually, thanks to Porthloo Val, who cycled around the island gathering birders, a small group arrived. Despite doing its best to conceal itself, the bird finally gave good views on the ground, on a bush and on a wall, although fog was coming in and the light waning fast. The following description was tak< size Basically like small, fat Song Thrush Turdus philomelos, or perhaps reminiscent of big Robin Erithacus rubecula. upperparts Forehead, crown, nape, mantle, scapulars and upper rump like that of Song Thrush, though possibly darker olive-brown. Lower rump, uppertail-coverts and tail rufous/reddish-brown, more reminiscent of Thrush Nightingale Luscinia luscinia than Nightingale L. megarhynchos, with uppertail- coverts appearing brighter and more rufous in better morning light. Lores and ear- coverts olive-brown. Supercilium virtually unnoticeable; short, slightly paler patch in front of eye. Eye-ring virtually complete and strong white. underparts Chin and throat clean white, unmarked; black unbroken malar stripe. Lower breast, belly and vent clean white. Upper breast and anterior flanks white, heavily marked with clean, black spots, stopping almost like markings on Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos. Flanks washed in the field; grey, strongly in places. wings Coverts same as mantle, with slightly paler fringes; slight wing-bar seen in flight at close range. Primaries and secondaries darker than coverts; base of primaries on closed wing reddish-brown, forming warm panel; outer primary' edges also darker. Tertials slightly darker than mantle, with outer edging noticeably darker. Very notice- able dark alula. bare parts Bill typically thrush-like, horn to brown, pale from base of lower mandible to about halfway. Eyes large, black. Legs long, pale pink. behaviour Flights always low over ground, and, although bird obviously tired (on one occasion lying rather than sitting on a wall), when alighting, it flicked tail up, holding wings low. Spent most of the time sitting at base of bushes, occasionally flitting out onto grass, but at no time whilst in view did it attempt to feed. After the last of the small number of observers remaining on the island had arrived and seen the bird, it dived for cover and was never seen again. This was only the second record of this Nearctic species in Britain and Ireland, the first also being a ‘one-day bird’, on Fair Isle, Shetland, on 2nd June 1975 (Brit. Birds 72: 414-417). S. M. Andrews Flat 7, 47 Severn Street, Leicester Blackbird and Song Thrush using same song post On 1st June 1982, from my garden in Louth, Lincolnshire, I saw a Blackbird Turdus merula and a Song Thrush T. philomelos simultaneously using the same chimney stack as a song post. Although they were at times within 0.5 m of each other, neither showed any aggression towards the other. What made this incident of particular interest, however, was that they were singing antiphonally. The Blackbird would utter a few phrases, pause, the Song Thrush would take its turn, and so on; this continued for about 15 minutes, until the Song Thrush flew away, leaving the Blackbird alone on its favoured perch. J. R. Clarkson 34 Kenwick Road, Louth, Lincolnshire LN11 8EG Notes 299 159. Song Thrush Turdus philomelos and Blackbird T. tnerula (see note on facing page), Lincolnshire, June 1982 (/. R. Clarkson) Trumpeter Finch in West Sussex During the morning of 19th May 1984, Mr & Mrs R. YV. Russell located an unidentified finch at Church Norton. West Sussex. The strikingly pale and relatively featureless plumage suggested an escaped cage-bird and, although it was seen later in the day by other observers including E. D. Lloyd and A. Silcocks, it was not identified specifically. The following morning, N. Crooks, Mrs B. & C. M. James and I relocated the bird and considered the possibility of its being a Trumpeter Finch Bucanetes githagineus. It was observed feeding with a flock of Linnets Carduetis cannabina and, as soon as the trumpeting call was heard, the identification was confirmed. The description given below is compiled from the detailed notes taken in the field. Other observers were contacted and hundreds sawr the bird during its stav. SIZE AND structure Dumpy finch, with' tba" , ref , of upperparts Wing-coverts large round head and plump body. Slightly s,1Shtl>' darker than bod> plumage; secon- larger than Linnet, but very much stockier and plumper-bodied. Wings short and rounded, appearing broad in flight, fail short for size of bird and slightly notched. upperparts Head uniform sandy brown. Lores pinkish-orange, appearing blackish at long range. Thin dark line from base of bill, through eye to ear-coverts. Back and scapulars sandy brown, upper rump greyish, lower rump salmon-pink, similar in tone to that of male Twite C.ftavirostris. Tail browner daries and primaries sandy buffbrown. underparts Chin, throat, breast and belly unstreaked sandy brown, shading to orange- bulT on undertail-coverts. Flanks rather greyer than rest of underparts. bare parts Bill noticeably large and broad based, almost conical in outline, pinkish-red. but appearing greyish in dull light. voice Flight call a distinctive buzzing ‘cheez’. similar in tone to noise emitted from child’s toy trumpet. 300 Notes The bird fed almost entirely with Linnets, often taking flight with them when disturbed and then disappearing for long periods. It remained in the area until 23rd May 1984, when it was killed by a Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus. In view of the possibility of the bird being an escape, E. D. Lloyd contacted the Cage Bird Society. They informed him that none was kept in captivity in this country, according to their records. As this individual showed no leg rings or marked plumage abrasion, it is reasonable to assume that it was a true vagrant. This is the fourth record of this desert species in Britain and Ireland, the previous three being in Suffolk and Sutherland in May/June 1971 (Brit. Birds 70: 45-49) and in Orkney in May 1981 (Brit. Birds 76: 523). P. James 70 Denmark Villas , Hove, East Sussex Ptars ago... 'PROBABLE SNOW-GEESE IN ESSEX. I have received a communication from Major J. Thornhill, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, to the effect that while he was searching the marshes in the neighbourhood of that place on April 13th, 1911, he observed two pairs of birds which he identified, with all the certainty possible under the circumstances, as Snow-Geese (Chen hyperboreus , Pall). The birds were very wild, but it could be seen that “they were quite white, except the flight-feathers, which were black.” At first he wondered if they could be Gannets, but “was quickly undeceived by their manner of flight.” While recognising that records of rare birds, unaccompanied by specimens, must always be received with caution and reserve, 1 venture to hold that the exceptional clearness and unmistakableness of the identification characters of this species, give this record a much greater value than is usual in such cases. A Landsborough Thomson.’ (Brit. Birds 5: 25, June 191 1) Letters British rarities in a foreign perspective In a letter (Brit. Birds 78: 51-52), Norman Elkins hypothesised on the possible route of a single Yellow- browed Bunting Emberiza chrysophrys which arrived on Fair Isle, Shetland, in October 1980. Contrary to Alan Kitson and Iain Robertson (Brit. Birds 76: 217-225), Elkins did not believe in a reverse great circle route across northern Siberia and Norway. Elkins considered wind-drift as the major force of vagrancy, and in the week before the Fair Isle record the winds were westerly in northern Siberia. I have some comments on this point of view. First, one should realise that the movement of Siberian vagrants from their breeding grounds to northern and western Europe may last for a long time: one month, or even two months or more. The Yellow-browed Bunting may well have reached Finland/Scandinavia a week before it got to Fair Isle. Anyway, track-analyses based on single records are endowed with (too) much uncertainty. Dispersal/random orientation in connection with wind-drift is an appro- priate explanation of the patterns of records of most rarities. Especially the Siberian vagrants seem well oriented within northern and western Europe, but in a ‘wrong’ direction south of west. The cause of this ‘wrong’ but active Letters 301 progress could be simple (and thus probably recurrent) errors in the genetically based orientation programme; or errors which arise under the execution of an otherwise correct programme. Reverse great circle navigation may be such an error, and formerly I was an eager proposer of this hypothesis in the case of the orientation of Pallas’s Warbler Phylloscopus proregulus within western Siberia and Europe ( Dansk Orn. Foren. Tidsskr. 70: 5-16). Now, however, I do not believe in the process of great circle navigation, which seems to be a superfluous complication also in cases where the normal migratory track follows a great circle route. Furthermore, as learned from experiments with homing pigeons Columba livia, co-ordinate navigation seems to be a much less precise process than was formerly envisaged. These points reduce reverse great circle co-ordinate navigation to an academic possibility of extremely low probability. There is, however, no urgent need involving the process of reverse great circle navigation as an explanation of the south-of-west tracks of, for example, Pallas’s Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler P. inomatus and Dusky Warbler P. fuscatus within northern and western Europe. The south-of-west tracks of these species become evident when the Baltic and Nordic records are considered. Both the absolute numbers and the ‘centres of gravity’ are significantly more northerly distributed in the Baltic region than within Britain and Ireland, a fact known for a long time (at least since my 1976 paper cited above). A tentative explanation of the south-of-west track could be an initial phase of reverse (northwesterly) orientation from the breeding grounds and then later on a change to ‘complementary’ orientation (i.e. the northerly component of the reverse orientation changes into the southerly component of the normal migratory track, whereas the erroneous westerly component remains unchanged). Finally, I do recommend that British ornithologists interested in rarities should read the Nordic journals of ornithology. The language may be strange, but the scientific names of the birds are the same all over the world, and Arabic numerals are also used in the Nordic countries. JPrgen Rabol Institute oj Population-biology, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen (J). Denmark Norman Elkins has commented as follows. ‘My letter was prompted by the fact that a great circle route was incompatible with the synoptic situation over such a route if one assumed that the bird had departed from its breeding grounds within the previous week or two. I did point out the difficulties of assessing a vagrant’s route when the duration of passage is unknown. ‘It is certainly quite possible for these individuals to have taken weeks (or months?), but one would expect that, over such a time scale, there would have to be an inordinate length of lime spent of!' passage. If a bird has a strong migratory urge, and is well-oriented as Dr Rafxjil suggests (even if it is in the wrong direction), I should be surprised if delays added up to such a lengthy period, particularly as some birds on a great circle route would pass over quite inhospitable terrain in autumn. A more leisurely passage over more suitable terrain would be more likely for drift migrants originally on post-juvenile dispersal. The recent paper on Pallas’s Warblers in October 1982 (Brit. Birds 78: 381-392) does oflfer further evidence of vagrant drift movements, and I still favour this concept. I would also suggest that the majority of oriented long-distance migrants normally use an approximate great circle, and therefore reverse migration is also along a great circle. ‘I take Dr Rabbi’s point about the northerly distribution of far-eastern vagrants, but this must partly reflect the distribution of observers and observ atories in northern and central 302 Letters Europe. A further valid reason could be that, as the track of depressions in autumn is rarely south of latitude 55°N, any drift migrants reaching Britain must necessarily have travelled in the windflows on the northern flank of such disturbances, and thus well north, over Scandi- navia. On this premise, those moving into central Europe would make little or no progress westwards. His comment about the use of Continental journals is probably true; we British have an aversion to the lesser-known languages, quite apart from the relative inaccessibility of such journals. ‘To summarise: we still do not know just what these birds are doing, nor how long they have been doing it; but it’s fine to speculate!’ Eds East is east, and west is west, and oft the twain shall meet (with apologies to Kipling) In view of the interest in vagrant passerines and near-passerines from both the Nearctic and eastern Palearctic regions in recent years, it would seem timely to ponder on the mechanism of their respective arrivals in autumn. A close comparison of the numbers of these birds recorded in Britain and Ireland reveals a striking coincidence in the peak years of vagrancy, and an approximate seven-year cycle becomes apparent, with relatively high numbers of both groups in 1968, 1975-76 and 1981-82 (see fig. 1). Fig. 1. Numbers of Nearctic (continuous line) and eastern Palearctic (dotted line) vagrants recorded in autumn in Britain and Ireland during 1964-83. Nearctic species include all landbirds, while Palearctic species include the rarer, more southerly breeding, species whose nearest breeding range is 55°E (i.e. warblers, Sylviidae; thrushes and chats, Turdinae; and buntings, Emberizidae: 13 species in total). Figure at top of each column shows percentage of Pallas’s Warblers Phylloscopus proregulus in each autumn fall of Palearctic vagrants Three possible explanations can be suggested for these fluctuations; 1. The often-quoted growth in the number of observers and the improvement in their identification skills with the passage of time 2. Population changes and/or range expansion 3. Meteorological factors. I he first is a valid one, but which, as an approximately linear expansion, merely ensures that the number and variety of vagrants increase in each Letters 303 peak autumn. The second is doubtless of greater importance, with a high percentage of first-year birds comprising the majority of vagrants. Sharrock (1976) has already drawn attention to vagrancy patterns, suggesting that they may reflect high populations. Certainly, the high numbers of eastern Palearctic Phylloscopus warblers in 1981 and 1982 were paralleled in northern Europe. That such factors should operate on both Nearctic and Palearctic species in the same seasons would, however, be surprising. The last explanation also appears to be plausible with regard to the observed coincidence of vagrancy from the west and the east. I have already (Elkins 1979) described the abnormalities of the atmospheric circulation which contribute towards Nearctic landbird vagrancy in northwestern Europe. Abnormalities in circulation do tend to occur in several parts of the hemisphere during the same season. The circulation in the middle atmos- phere, which controls the movement and development of weather systems at lower levels (described in Elkins 1983), show's a waving pattern, with several cold troughs and warm ridges around the hemisphere. The low-level pattern conducive to eastward transatlantic vagrancy shows a southward displacement of the polar front, together with fast eastward-moving warm sectors (Elkins 1979). Associated mid-atmospheric cold troughs are likely to be found near the eastern seaboard of North America and in the vicinity of Britain and Ireland. T his latter trough is likely to induce a warm ridge over Scandinavia, with a surface high- pressure system beneath it, linked to the building autumn Siberian anti- cyclone. The trough over Britain and Ireland contributes towards lower surface pressure than normal over the region surrounding southern Britain and, together with the Scandinavian anticyclone, creates a surface flow over the North Sea and southern Baltic Sea with an easterly component. Thus, the arrival of vagrants from the west may, through the atmospheric circulation pattern, coincide approximately with those from the east. There is little doubt that, in the periods during which the two groups coincide, the atmosphere is colder than normal between the British Isles and Newfoundland (associated with the more southern position of the polar front), but warmer than normal over the region between east Greenland and eastern Europe (associated with the warm ridge). The above described pattern occurred in 1968, 1976 and 1982, with the mean circulation in the Octobers of the last two years almost identical. In October 1982, the peak arrival of eastern Palearctic vagrants was sand- wiched between an arrival of Nearctic waders and the bulk ol the Nearctic landbirds. As already suggested (Elkins 1983), waders are thought to be more directly influenced by upper w'indflows than surface features and, indeed, the transatlantic westerly jet stream in October 1982 was stronger and farther south than normal (Ratclifle 1983). This circulation pattern was not so evident in 1975 and 1981. when falls did not coincide. Nearctic species differed from those in 1976 and 1982, and arrived mainly in late September, some two to three weeks before the eastern vagrants (see Elkins 1979 for discussion on species-composition and timing). 304 Letters It is emphasised that the initial westward movement of central Asian birds is thought to be unrelated to the large-scale mid-atmospheric circula- tion per se , since the Siberian anticyclone and its easterly airflows are shallow features overlain by an upper westerly flow. It is the circulation in Europe and Russia that gives the already westward-moving birds the impetus to penetrate into Scandinavia and the North Sea region, as has already been shown (Baker 1977; Howey and Bell 1985; Wheeler 1985). Another point of interest is the high proportion of central Asian thrushes (Turdinae) which appear in winter. Although these populations normally winter in southern Asia , their arrival pattern in western Europe parallels that of their North American congener, the American Robin Turdus migratorius, whose transatlantic movements are thought to be linked to hard-weather passage in the USA (Elkins 1979, 1983). Norman Elkins 18 Scots tarvit View, Cupar, Fife KYI54DX REFERENCES Baker, K. 1977. Westward vagrancy of Siberian passerines in autumn 1975. Bird Study 24: 233-242. Elkins, N. 1979. Nearctic landbirds in Britain and Ireland — a meteorological analysis. Brit. Birds 72: 417-433. 1983. Weather and Bird Behaviour. Calton. Howey, D. H., & Bell, M. 1985. Pallas’s Warblers and other migrants in Britain and Ireland in October 1982. Brit. Birds 78: 381-392. Ratcliffe, R. A. S. 1983. Review of Autumn 1982 weather. Weather 38: 24-25. Sharrock, J. T. R. 1976. Lanceolated Warblers and vagrancy patterns. Brit. Birds 69: 109-110. ' Wheeler, D. A. 1985. The meteorological background to Siberian passerine vagrancy in Northumbria: October 1982. Trans. Nat. Hist. Soc. of Northumbria 54: 23-30. Vagrants and Saharan dust In my book, Weather and Bird Behaviour (Elkins 1983), I drew attention to the unseasonal arrival of migrants in association with falls of Saharan dust in Britain, in particular an early fall of summer migrants in March 1977. Such dust falls depend on rather precise meteorological conditions, but show little seasonality other than a slight preponderance towards the winter months. They have been well described and documented by Wheeler (1985, 1986) in connection with a noticeable dust fall in November 1984. The fine dust originates in the Sahara desert, being whipped up by strong surface winds and then lifted, to be carried in suspension by southerly winds at probable altitudes of 3 to 5 km. The dust is normally precipitated out with rain. Transport to Britain is an exceptional occurrence, subject to the persistence (in both time and space) of the dust-bearing upper winds, which form part of deep, warm, southerly airflows between anticyclones over Europe and low pressure in the eastern Atlantic. The effect on migrants of the lower-level windflows in these airmasses depends on the season in which they occur, and two events other than that of 1977 can be identified. Mid May 1979 produced a selection of overshooting southern rarities in Britain (mainly vagrant herons (Ardeidae) and Alpine Swifts Apus melba) in a brief warm spell during which a dust fall was recorded on 15th in Northern Ireland. Overshooting in warm spells is, however, not an uncommon event in late spring. Letters 305 I he most recent event, in November 1984, was of particular interest. Dust, probably originating in northern Saharan dust storms on 7th, fell on 9th and 10th, coincident with the arrival in southern England of several Pallid Swifts Apus pallidus and, a few days later, a Desert VVheatear Oenanthe deserti {Brit. Birds 78: 120, 563, 572) in unusually warm weather. Several Subalpine Warblers Sylvia canlillans also occurred in November, although two were earlier in the month. Such late records of southern vagrants suggest a remarkable ‘reverse’ migration, except that the western population of the Desert VVheatear is at most only a partial migrant from its breeding grounds in subsaharan North Africa. Two other individuals of this extreme rarity have arrived in similar meteorological situations — those of September 1970 and October 1978 — though at neither times were dust falls recorded, and one cannot necessarily link individual appearances to a particular weather pattern. Norman Elkins 18 Scotstarvit View, Cupar, Fife KY154DX REFERENCES Elkins, N. 1983. Weather and Bird Behaviour. Calton. Wheeler, D. A. 1985. Saharan dust storm over England. New Scientist 105: 26. 1986. The meteorological background to the fall of Saharan dust, November 1984. Met. Mag. 1 15: 1-9. Diary dates This list covers July 1986 to June 1987 17th-23rd July SOCIETY OF WILDLIFE artists’ annual exhibition (including display of winning entries in ‘Bird Illustrator of the Year’ and ‘The Richard Richardson Award’ competitions). The Mall Galleries, The Mall, London SW1. Open 10-5 Mon.- Fri., 10-1 Sat. Admission £1.00 (free to SVVLA members). 22nd July BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS' CLUB. Alan Tye on birds in Sierra Leone. Central London. Non-members should write (enclosing SAE) at least 21 days before to Hon. Secretary, R. E. F. Peal, 2 Chestnut Lane, Sevenoaks, KentTNl3 3AR. 12th- 14th September wader study group annual conference. Oatridge Agricultural College, Broxburn, near Edinburgh. Details from Nigel and Jacquie Clark. Zoology' Department, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JT. 25th October bto/london natural. HISTORY SOCIETY ONE-DAY CONFERENCE. ‘Winter Birds.’ Details from Keith Betton, 36 Milton Road, Hampton. Middlesex rwi 2 2LJ. 25th October RSPB LONDON DAY AND AGM. Kensington and Chelsea Town Hall. London. Details from Mrs Marcella Hume, RSPB, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire sc. 19 2DL. 31st October-2nd November Scottish ORNITHOLOGISTS’ CLUB ANNUAL CONFERENCE and agm. Marine Hotel. North Berwick. Details from SOC, 21 Regent Terrace, Edinburgh EH75BT. October (provisional) bou autumn- scientific meeting. British Museum (Natural History). Dr Charig on ‘ Archaeopteryx — the forgery that never was.’ Details from BOU, c/o Zoological Society of London. Regent’s Park. London NWl 4RY. 14th- 16th November (provisional) irish WILDBIRD CONSERVANCY/BTO CONFERENCE. The Banba Hotel, Salthill, Galway . Details from IWC, Southview, Church Road. Greystones, Co. Wicklow', Ireland. 306 Diary dates 22nd-23rd November SCOTTISH RINGERS' conference. The Landmark Centre, Garrbridge. Details from Highland Ringing Group, c/o SOC. 25th November boc. Jeffery Boswall on ‘Ornithology in China’. Central London. Write to Hon. Secretary. November bto/west wales trust for nature conservation one-day conference. Orielton Field Centre, Pembroke. Details from Tim Davis, BTO, Beech Grove, Tring, Hertfordshire HP23 5NR. 5th-7th December bto annual conference and agm. Hayes Conference Centre, Swanwick, Derbyshire. Witherby Memorial Lecture: ‘The Bee-eaters’ by Hilary Fry. Details from Tim Davis, BTO. 5th-7th December national exhibition of cage and aviary birds. National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham. Details from Brian Byles, Editor, ‘Cage and Aviary Birds’, Surrey House, 1 Throwley Way, Sutton, Surrey SM4 4QQ. 5th-28th December exhibition of work by WINNERS OF ‘bird ILLUSTRATOR OF THE YEAR’ AND ‘THE RICHARD RICHARDSON award’ 1986. Stevenage Leisure Centre, Lytton Way, Stevenage, Hertfordshire. 8th December bou winter meeting. Jointly with Fauna and Flora Preservation Society. ‘The South Atlantic.' The Meeting Room, Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London NWl 4RY, 6.30 p.m. (provisional). Details from BOU. 13th December oriental bird club annual meeting. Finsbury Library, London EC: l . Details from OBC, c/o The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL. 9th-llth January bto ringing and migration conference. Swanwick. Details from The Ringing Office, BTO. 24th-25th January young ornithologists' club garden “BIRD survey. Details from YOC, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL. 31st January Closing date for entries for ‘Bird Photograph of the Year’. 31st January Closing date for ‘Best recent black-and-white bird-photographs’. 27th February-lst March rspb/irish WILDBIRD CONSERVANCY ALL-IRELAND conference. Slieve Donard Hotel, Newcastle, Co. Down. Details from RSPB Northern Ireland Office, Belvoir Park Forests, Belfast BT8 4QT. 28th February rspb film premiere. Royal Festival Hall, London. 14th March Closing date for entries for ‘Bird Illustrator of the Year’. 17th March- 12 th May YOC MIGRATION phone-in. Telephone Sandy (0767) 80551. Tuesdays only, 5.30 p.m. -7. 00 p.m. Records from adults welcomed. 28th March bto/buckinghamshire bird club one-day conference. Details from Tim Davis, BTO. 10th- 12th April ‘BRITISH BIRDS’/bTO conference. Swanwick. Details from Mrs Sheila Cobban, Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK.44 3NJ, or from Tim Davis, BTO. 10th- 12th April rspb members’ weekend. University of Warwick. Details from Mrs Marcella Hume, RSPB. 2nd-4th May yoc/rspb national SPONSORED BIRDWATCH. Sheila D. Cobban , Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK44 3NJ Announcements Overseas bird tours survey There are now many travel companies which provide special overseas tours for birdwatchers. Indeed, a number of companies — such as Birdquest, Cygnus Wildlife, Ornitholidays and Sunbird — specialise in such tours. Prices vary, even for trips with more-or- less the same itinerary, partly due to concessions from hotels, ground agents or airlines, but also depending upon the number of people on the trip and whether there is an accompanying ornithological leader (and whether he/she is a full-time professional, a freelance receiving a fee, or is providing his/her services to the travel company merely in exchange for a free, or reduced-price, holiday). Announcements 307 1 he popularity ol these tours suggests that those who participate generally enjoy them and find them rewarding ornithologicallv. But which are the most reliably satisfactory companies? As a British Birds reader, you will want to go with a good leader to the right places at the right time of year at a reasonable price. Those British Birds readers who have already been on organised bird tours can give the necessary advice to help those wondering whether to book such a trip (and with which company). Y\ e hope that anyone who has been on one or more overseas bird tours in the past ten years will complete the form on pages xi & xii and send it to us. 1 he results will be published in British Birds , naming the bird tour companies (but NOT the leaders). Everyone submitting a completed form will receive an advance copy of the survey results by post, before they arc published in British Birds. Please send the form(s) to Bird tour survey, Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK44 3NJ. Sponsorship for ‘Bird Illustrator of the Year’ We are delighted to announce that the mail-order book company, Natural History Book Service, is now sponsoring our annual competition to find the 'Bird Illustrator of the Year’. ^ W e are most grateful to the NHBS for this support. Sponsorship is a great help to a magazine such as ‘BB\ and we should also like to take this opportunity to repeat our thanks to Matthew Gloag & Son Ltd, the proprietors of The Famous Grouse Scotch whisky, sponsors ol our ‘Bird Photograph of the Year’ competition for the past six years, and to ZEISS West Germany, sponsors of the Rarities Committee. The results of this year's 'Bird Illustrator of the Year’ competition will be published next month, and the prize-winning entries will be on display with the annual exhibition of the Society ofW ildlife Artists at The Mall Galleries in London during 17th-23rd July (see 'Diary dates’ for further details). New books in British BirdShop In addition to the continuing special offers concerning The Frontiers of Bird Identification and volumes I and II of The Birds oj Africa, we can now also offer the following new books: d’Aguilar & Dommanget A Field Guide to the Dragonflies oj Britain. Europe and North Africa (Collins) Cemmick Black Robin Country: the Chatham Islands and its wildlife (Hodder & Stoughton) Jackman & Pearson The Countryside in Winter (Hutchinson) Jackson Bird Etchings: the illustrators and their books, 1655-1855 (Cornell CP) Neal The Natural History of Badgers (Croom Helm) Orians & Angell Blackbirds of the Americas (Univ. of Washington) Skutch & Gardner Life of the Woodpecker (Croom Helm) Please use the form on page xii i now. Requests Colour-ringed White-tailed Eagles An international progratpme for colour-ringing White- tailed Eagles Haliaeetus albicilla was initiated in 1976 and now includes Sweden, Finland, Norway, the Federal Republic of Germany, the German Democratic Republic, Poland and the USSR. Anvone reporting a sighting of a colour-ringed White-tailed Eagle is promised a quick reply by the co-ordinator: Dr Bjorn Helander, SNF Helander, SNF/The Swedish Society (or the Conservation ofNature, Box 6400, S-l 13 82 Stockholm, Sweden. Transparencies request Anyone with high-quality colour transparencies of a 1985 rarity is asked to loan the originals to us for possible use (perhaps in colour) in the next rarities report. 1 o be considered, transparencies must arrive with DrJ. T. R. Sharrock (Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK44 3NJ) before 1st July. Tree-roosting by Swifts There are a few published observations of Swifts Apus apus roosting in trees (listed in Swedish with an English summary in Anser 2, 1986), but further observations are requested. Notes should include place, date, weather situation, times of beginning and end of watch, times of interesting events such as fly-ins or perching Swifts, and whether Swifts were adults or juveniles. Please send reports to Jan Holmgren, Rodhakevagen 23, S-274 00 Skurup, Sweden. News and comment Mike Everett and Robin Prytherch Opinions expressed in this feature are not necessarily those of ‘British Birds’ Congratulations, SOC! A reception held at the Museum and Art Gallery, Kelvingrove, Glasgow, on 21st March marked the Golden Jubilee of the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club— known affectionately to its 3,000 members, and many more besides, simply as ‘the SOC’. This coincided with the publica- tion of a most important contribution to British ornithological literature: Valerie Thom’s Birds in Scotland — which will be fully reviewed in ‘BB’ shortly. A 50-year roll-call from the SOC’s membership would include some of the most distinguished names in British ornithology: the club takes a quiet pride in its many achievements and distinguished sons and daughters — but much of its strength really lies in a widespread and loyal membership, brought together through its 13 local branches and of course via its Annual Con- ference which many ‘foreigners’ agree is the best of its kind in the UK, or anywhere else for that matter. Add the considerable emphasis placed on the word ‘club’, the excellent journal, Scottish Birds , and the superb reference library — named in memory of George Waterston — and bird bookshop, and you will begin to see how and why the SOC has such a pre-eminent plaee in British ornithology. Our very best wishes go to the Club for the next 50 years — and beyond! Change of Recorder Michael limes, 106A Queen’s Street, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, has taken over from Dr Mike Bell as Recorder for Grampian (excluding Moray). 308 News and comment 309 Lundy Warden Congratulations to Neil Willcox, who was appointed the new Warden of Lundy on 6th February. 160. Neil Willcox, new Warden of Lunds ( The Lundy Company l.td) Wash NNR On 25th February, the Nature Conservancy Council established the 212th National Nature Reserve — The Wash (Lutton Outmarsh) in Lineolnshire, some 100 ha of relatively mature saltmarsh lying outside an old sea-bank dating from 1865. The area is excellent for wildfowl and is an important addition to the chain of reserves established by various conservation bodies around the Wash. Further information from Boh Lord, NCC. Marsh Cottage, Marsh Road, kirton, near Boston PF.it) n.Y, or from NCC East Midlands Regional Office, Northminster House, Peterborough PE20 il.v. or from NCC East Midlands Regional Office, Northminster House, Peterborough PEI ll'.v; access is by permit only, obtainable from the latter address. Peregrinations Stan Howe ol BP has drawn our attention to what may be the best telex Ronald Reagan will get this year — in fact it could be the only one ol its kind received by an administration not exactly noted for its positive approach to wildlife conservation matters ... It is from the Latin America Daily Post in Rio de Janeiro and congratulates the L SA on its efforts to restore its population of the Peregrine Falco peregnnus ; this was prompted by the return for the third successive w inter of a Peregrine to an apartment building in Sao Paulo. Brazil — in which a notable resident is Dalgas Frisch. Vice-president of Brazil s Association for the Preservation ol \\ ildlife. Well done, BR! t Criticising our railways is a national pastime as important as jokes about the weather and not winning at most of the sports we invented and gave to the world — so it makes a pleasant change to give British Rail a well-deserv ed pat on the back. BR has just presented ten sites totalling 67 ha from its considerable landholdings to the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature for the RSNC’s British Wildlife Appeal. Several are SSSIs and several (including the largest, 20 ha on the Nene Washes) are of ornitho- logical importance. Oxfordshire’s breeding atlas After one successful season’s work, the organisers of this tetrad survey consider that 1986 is the survey’s crucial year. If you can help with fieldwork, please contact Andrew Heryet, 109 Farmers Close, Witney. Oxfordshire OX8 6NR; phone Witney (0993) 5036. Mystery personality No. 1 See plate 161. Contributions for this new feature will be gratefully receiv ed. 161. Mystery personality 1. Who? Doing w hat? Where? Answer below (tisiuny iw/dns) 9861 vJtmjqa.] ‘pUEl!BlLL B-i.mnn stq in tu|y aip SutSueip uosstng siiiujq 310 News and comment Danish oil and birds Licenses have been granted for exploratory drilling for oil in the shallow seas off Esbjerg on the west coast of Denmark. This appears to be a pheno- menally important bird area: it is estimated to hold wintering numbers ol 200.000 Common Scoters Melanitta nigra (about 50% of those in western Europe) and 4,000-5,000 Red-throated/Black-throated Divers Gavia stellata/arctica. In late summer, 100,000- 150,000 Common Scoters moult in the area. It is encouraging to learn that, in recognition of the ornithological importance of the area, the Danish Department of the Environment has commissioned the Danish Ornithological Society (Dansk Ornitologisk Forening) to undertake surveys of the wildfowl and other birds off the country’s west coast. The society sent biologist Finn Danielsen to confer with the RSPB’s Conservation Planning and Research Department over oil development technology and the best methods of survey- ing birds offshore (based on the RSPB’s experience in the Moray Firth). Further developments are awaited with interest. (Contributed by Dr James Cadbury) 20th All-Ireland Conference 1 1 is always a pleasure to attend an Irish bird conference — and not just for the ‘duty frees’ on one’s return. Their uncrowded programmes and relaxed atmospheres give them a spacious feel not always found in their British counterparts. The annual All-Ireland con- servation conferences invariably have a central theme; the latest, held in Sligo during 28th February to 2nd March, was on the broad topic of birds and boglands. Roger Goodwillie opened the programme with a lament for Ireland’s vanishing peatlands, fast disappearing in the face of commercial exploitation. John Wilson followed this with a status review of wintering Greenland Whitefronts, now increasingly concentrated in Co. Wexford as traditional sites elsewhere are rendered unusable. Richard Collins reported on his Mute Swan population study in and around Dublin, and Julian Green- wood summarised his work on Dunlin migration. Finally, Ron Macdonald showed that Cormorants are not the black sheep so often alleged by Irish fish stockists, provided salmonids are not released in great shoals whose conspicuousness will attract fish predators from far and wide. This was an interesting conference, with good lecturers, more beards per square yard than I have encountered before, and excellent Guinness. British Birds was invited to supply the traditional mystery photographs competi- tion, which attracted 33 entries, most of which correctly identified three or four of the birds in the five photographs. The only all- correct entry was from Killian Mullarney, who was presented with his bottle of champagne by BB's Alison Breach ( Contri- buted by Robert Hudson) Good luck, Charles! Charles Latimer, Managing Director of our printers, New- north-Burt Ltd, retired on 31st March, ending a long and happy relationship with British Birds. Charles always attended our Press receptions for 'Bird Photograph of the Year’ and 'Bird Illustrator of the Year’, and was proud of the praise which his firm’s printing achievements with British Birds received from guests on such occasions. We wish him, and his wife Pamela, a long and enjoyable retirement in their new riverside home at St Neots. More howlers So you thought the Great Grey Phalarope (Brit. Birds 79: 208-209) was the latest bird new to science? Think again! In recent months, more have been dis- covered, including the Black-winged Pratting Cole ( Daily Telegraph , 3rd February ), the Sported Redshank and Water Tail (‘Conservation of Wild Birds’, European Communities Commission Background Report) and what is probably, for fairly obvious reasons, Thailand’s rarest bird, the Greater Shotted Eagle (Bangkok Bird Club Bulletin). Still more extinct species are being rediscovered too — see ‘The Great Auk Wreck’ (Norfolk Bird Report, 1983), which somehow the ‘grapevine’ dipped on . . . Christmas truce? With Dr Henty’s paper in this issue (see pages 277-281) we could not resist including the very appropriate cartoon from Norman McC'.anch’s personal 1985 Christmas card (see below). H"ave a SmasVur^ Christmas.. Recent reports Keith Allsopp and Ian Dawson These are largely unchecked reports, not authenticated records The dates in this report refer to March unless otherwise stated. The high-pressure systems to the north of Britain and Ireland which brought the bitterly cold air in from Siberia during February began to weaken during the first days of March, and temperatures jumped 10°C on 4th when the mild Atlantic westerlies arrived. On 7th, pressure began rising to the south and east, and the winds turned more southwesterly. The next day two Little Ringed Plovers Charadrius dubius were found at Staines Reservoir (London), with subsequent also early records on 10th in Hampshire and north Buckinghamshire; Wheatears Oenanthe oenanlhe and Chiff- chaffs Phylloscopus collybita arrived in the Southwest, and on 9th Sand Martins Riparia riparia could be seen in Berkshire, Garganeys Anas querquedula in the south and Norfolk, a Hoopoe Upupa epops popped up in Guernsey (Channel Islands) with another being found on Tresco (Isles ol Scilly) on 14th, a Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus at South Slob (Co. Wexford), and a noticeable migra- tion was noted at Walney Island (Cumbria). The weather remained unsettled westerly as frontal systems crossed Britain and Ireland and further early birds arrived: a Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus at Kenfig (Mid Glamor- gan) on 12th, and, by 16th, Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis. Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus, Swallow Hirundo rustica , House Martin Delichon urbica and Stone-curlew Burhinus oedicnemus had all been reported, followed by a Redstart Phoenicurus phoemeurus at Portland (Dorset) on 20th and a Hobby Falco subbuteo at Dungeness (Kent) on 24th. Black Redstarts Phoemeurus ochruros , an early migrant, had been noted on the East Coast from 6th, with six being found at Landguard Point (Suffolk) on 18th. From 21st, the high pressure declined to the east, and the tracks of the Atlantic lows moved south, with con- sequent strong west and northwest winds, and lower temperatures, inhibiting any further arrivals of summer visitors. Seabirds A particularly deep depression brought very strong winds on 24th, but no significant seabird wrecks were reported. A flock of 200 Kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla collected below the Severn Bridge (Avon) on 23rd. with a similar number inland at gravel-pits near King’s Lynn (Norfolk) the next day. Quite an influx of Bonaparte's Gulls Larus Philadelphia was reported: as well as the one at Drift and Newlyn (Cornwall) staying on into March, others were seen at Kenfig in mid month, Gilkicker Point (Hampshire) on 21st, Wexford Harbour from 24th and at Durleston Head (Dorset) on 31st. The appearance of a Franklin’s Gull L. pipixean 311 312 Recent reports at Borth (Dyfed) in mid month corresponds nicely to Ireland’s first record at North Bull (Co. Dublin) on 1st, reported last month. Among the ten reports of Ring-billed Gulls L. delawarensis was one inland at Throckmorton (Hereford & Worcester) and the one at Newcastle (Tyne & Wear) (plates 162 & 163), noted last month. The Laugh- ing Gull L. atricilla also continued to entertain at Newcastle, as did the Forster’s Tern Sterna Jorsteri at Holyhead, Anglesey (Gwynedd), and Pomarine Skuas Stercorar- ius pomarinus were still being seen along the East Coast (note the request for records, Brit. Birds 79:261). The 2 1 Glaucous Gulls Larus hyperboreus at Killybegs (Co. Donegal) on 23rd was an exceptional number for this winter, but the westerly gales at that time were perhaps the concentrating factor as numbers were low elsewhere, as were those of Iceland Gulls L. glaucoides. A notable concentration of six Mediterranean Gulls L. melanocephalus was reported from Sinah Gravel-pits, Hayling Island (Hampshire), at the end of the month. A rare sight was another concentration: of 122 Great Crested Grebes Podiceps cristatus off the Cumbrian shore of the Solway Firth on 9th for one day only, presumably a return movement after the bad weather. Inland Red-necked Grebes P. grisegena included one at Wath Ings (North Yorkshire) (plate 164). Two Guillemots Uria aalge were present at Barnes Bridge on the River Thames (Surrey) (plate 165). Nine Red-throated Divers Gavia stellata in the River Thames ofT Turfleet (Essex) were also notable, on 28th February, and the White-billed Diver G. adamsii at Ardglass (Co. Down) could still be seen on 15th. Recent reports 313 * 162 & 163. Second-winter Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis, Tyne & V\ ear, February 1986 (left, Daniel M. Turner; above P.J. Dunn) Birds of prey The bird of the month was undoubtedly a white-phase Gyrfalcon Falco msticolus which was found at Berry Head (Devon) on 31st. The discovery of its roosting site enabled many birdwatchers to study this magnificent bird, rather than having to wait for a split- second glimpse. Not to be outdone, the Irish reported their own Gyrfalcon at North Slob (Co. Wexford) on 1st April. Also in Ireland, there was a Rough-legged Buzzard Buteo lagoptis in north Antrim on 17th. This month there were an unusual number of records pf Red Kite Milvus milvus outside Wales: at the Lodge, Sandy (Bedfordshire), on 15th, at Oxford and at Titchfield Haven (Hamp- shire) on 16th, in Northamptonshire on 23rd, and at Ballycastle (Co. Antrim). Returning Ospreys Pandion haliaetus were also more evident than usual, with reports from Inver- 164. Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena, North Yorkshire, March 1986 (John Heu itt ) ■■■■■■ 314 ness (Highland) on 13th, Portglanone (Co. Antrim) on 23rd, Sandy on 26th, in East Anglia on 29th, with the most famous site at Loch Garten (Highland) being occupied once more on 31st. Two notable reports of Short-eared Owls Asio flammeus were from the Tame Valley (Warwickshire), where 16 was the estimated wintering population, and from Langstone Harbour, where six were seen on 10th. Waders and wildfowl Wintering Nearctic waders still included the Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla at Porth- scatho (Cornwall), two Long-billed Dowitchers Limnodromus scolopaceus, one at Curbridge (Hampshire) and the other on Guernsey, and a White-rumped Sandpiper Calidris Juscicollis at Sandwich Bay (Kent) on 10th. An estimated 12,000 Bar-tailed Godwits Limosa lapponica was an exceptional count for Snettisham (Norfolk) on 2nd, and 24 Green Sandpipers Tringa ochropus was also an exceptional wintering number at Purwell (Hertfordshire). Most of the rarer wildfowl reports referred to established winterers; the three Surf Scoters Melanitta perspicillata in Largo Bay (Fife) and the one on the North Wales coast remained through- out the month, and three more were seen at Rosslare (Co. Wexford) on 30th. Long stayers were the King Eiders Somateria speclabilis at Porthscatho and Tayport (Fife), the Ring-necked Duck Aylhya collaris at Ash Vale Gravel-pits (Surrey/Hampshire) until 19th, and the American Black Duck Anas rubripes at Tyninghame (Lothian). New reports were of American Wigeons A. americana on Guernsey and at Blacktoft (Humberside) in late March, and a Teal A. crecca of the Nearctic race carolinensis at Cley (Norfolk) from 11th to 15th. Interesting Recent reports February reports recently received were of a Ferruginous Duck Aylhya nyroca at Sinah Gravel-pits on 20th and counts of 1 80 Ruddy Ducks Oxyura jamaicensis and 3,000 Pochards Aylhya ferina at Rostherne Mere (Cheshire). With the change to milder weather, the numbers of inland Smews Mergus albellus dropped, but the total at Horton Gravel-pits (Berkshire) reached 16 on 8th before their departure. On the Kent Estuary (Lancashire), the numbers of Whooper Swans Cygnus cygnus reached a high of 42 on 6th. Twenty Bean Geese Anser fabalis were rare visitors to Kingsbury Water Park (Warwickshire) from 15th to 25th, and three others were found at Holkham (Nor- folk) on 15th. Nine White-fronted Geese Anser albifrons of the Greenland race flavirostris called in at Slimbridge (Gloucestershire) be- tween 6th and 16th, and three flocks, of 48, 41, and 23, could be found on Orkney. Very odd passerine records A bird picked up dead in Rhyl (Clwyd) on 26th December 1985, and consigned to a freezer, was finally identified as a Red- rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica when examined in March. An Oxford cat, surpris- ingly unknowledgeable, killed a Bluethroat Luscinia svecica on 11th February. Ringers netting Reed Buntings Emberiza schoeniclus at a roost near Winchester (Hampshire) on 23rd found that one of the birds in the hand was a Little Bunting E. pusilla. A Woodlark Lullula arborea was a good record at Cley on 14th, a Serin Serinus serinus passed through Sandwich Bay on 7th, and three Lapland Buntings Calcarius lapponicus were an inter- esting find at Bedford Pools (Hereford & Worcester) on 17th. The Two-barred Crossbill Loxia leucoplera at Carran Valley (Central) continued to be seen into April, 165. Guillemots Uria aalge, Surrey, March 1986 ( Andrew V. Moon) 315 Recent reports and there was at least one Waxwing Bom- bycilla garrulus at Bexley (Kent) in March. Latest news Even by mid May, some summer migrants (e.g. Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur and Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata) still very scarce. A few southern and eastern rarities: Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus, two Bee-eaters Merops apiaster and two Woodchat Shrikes Lanius senator at Portland, and Alpine Swift Apus melba at Beachy Head. Trips of up to 23 Dotterels Charadrius morinellus in The Fens. Short reviews The Oxford Dictionary of Natural History. Edited by Michael Allaby. (OUP, 1985. £20.00) Despite three years at university studying botany, two studying zoology, and a further three researching in ecology, 90% of the words in this dictionary arc still totally unknown to me. Even after reading the definitions, I am little the wiser in many cases. This is not the book in which to look up the meaning of ‘rut’ or ‘gonys’ (neither is included). The definition of ‘imago’ is not very helpful, since it defines it as ‘The fully developed adult among ptery- gote insects’, but ‘pterygote’ does not merit an entry. These are just examples from a book with a title suggesting that it might be of use to the amateur naturalist, but which in realitv is far more likely to be ol value to the professional scientist. I here are no illustra- tions (perhaps not expected in a dictionary, but many books called dictionaries these days are really well-illustrated encyclo- pedias). Birds Beyond Belfast: a guide for birdwatchers. By Belfast RSPB Members’ Group. (RSPB. 1985. Paper- back £2.95) This 118-page paperback is a companion volume to the 66-page Birds Around Belfast published in 1981. Both have been produced by the Belfast RSPB Members’ Group, and together they cover the whole of Northern Ireland. After a foreword by Bill Oddie. the well-known foreword writer, and an introduction and acknowledgments, the text is divided into the six counties, within each ol which arc set out the various birdwatching localities, shown on accompanying maps. For each locality are set out details of location, access, habitat, birds and items ofgeneral interest. The text is enlivened by line-drawings by Rob Hume. This is a well-produced, clearly laid out booklet, with accurate and up-to-date infor- mation, despite a rather unprepossessing cover. The Belfast Members’ Group is to be congratulated on an excellent job. [Tony Marr] Kennzeichen und Mauser Europaischer Singvogel. By Hans Bub. (Die Neue Brehm-Bucherei 570. A. Ziemsen Verlag, 1985. DM23.40) These 200-plus pages and 106 illustrations provide a general insight into the subject of characters and moults of European songbirds, following the three previously published parts dealing with 58 species {Brit. Birds 77: 637-638). Eighteen chapters by a total of 19 authors cover a very wide range of topics — geographical varia- tion, feather morphology, causes and eflects of moult, ageing, etc — including a ‘rare’ one on the brood-patch. All extremely useful, despite the (in places) rather tortuous German style. [DAC] Black Robin Country: the Chatham Islands and its wildlife. By David Cemmick and Dick Veitch. (Hodder & Stoughton. 1985. Paperback £14.95) The Black Robin Petroica traversi is one of (if not the) rarest birds in the world (see Brit. Birds 77: 575). This 130-page large-format paperback illustrates it and the other wildlife of the Chatham Islands (870 km west of New Zealand), with superb paintings by David Cemmick and text by David Veitch. Very evocative; a delightful book. Wildlife in Towns and Cities, Gardens, Parks and Waterways. By Michael Chinery and W. G. Teagle. (Country Life Books. 1985. Paperback £5.95) It really is quite useful to have a field guide covering all the groups of animals and plants that the general naturalist is likely to come across indoors and outdoors in urban areas. 316 Short reviews The species included are, of course, only a selection of what might be found, but the text is authoritative and the illustrations helpful and attractive. God’s Acre: the flowers and animals of the parish churchyard. By Francesca Greenoak. (Orbis, 1985. £12.95) Britain’s 20,000 churchyards mean 20.000 acre-sized nature reserves (a total of 8.000 ha), providing sanctuary for an astonishing variety of plants and animals. Francesca Greenoak writes of the history and natural history of these ancient enclosures throughout the length of Britain, giving an eloquent plea for their conservation as microcosms of a countryside under threat. Her own research was helped by that of the members of Britain’s Women’s Institutes, who were dragooned into making wildlife surveys of their local churchyards: useful involvement of hundreds of potential con- servationists. This is a delightful book, scarcely a page without at least one of Clare Robert’s delicate drawings, mostly of flowers, shrubs or trees, but also of insects, mammals, particular churchyards and, occasionally, birds. [Robert Gillmor] The Dragonflies of Great Britain and Ireland. 2nd edn. By Cyril O. Hammond; revised by Robert Merritt. (Harley Books, 1985. Paperback £9.75) It is very useful to have a relatively cheap paperback edition of this 1 16-page classic. The 20 colour plates depict 44 species, for which there are also standard Biological Records Centre dot-distribution maps. There is also an 18-page key to the identification of larvae. Essential for anyone interested in dragonflies and damselflies. The Atlas of Breeding Birds of Vermont. Edited by Sarah B. Laughlin and Douglas B. Kibbe. (University Press ofNew England, 1985. £37.50) The first North American breeding bird atlas to appear, this 456-page volume adopts the conventional system of recording each species confirmed, probably and possibly breeding on a grid basis. It differs, however, from the European atlases published to date in that the organisers recognised, following a pilot survey in 1976, that it would not be possible to cover every one of the approximately 1,000 25-km squares into which the state was divided. As a result they used a selective sampling system based on one priority square selected randomly from each group of six squares. In addition to the 1 79 priority squares chosen by this method, an extra 24 squares con- taining unique and fragile habitats were surveyed, though records were accepted and published for all squares. The success of this project illustrates how the use of sample squares can enable ornithological groups in sparsely populated areas to carry out atlas surveys. [C. D. Hutchinson] Physiologi- cal Strategies in Avian Biology. By J. G. Phillips, P. Js Butler and P. J. Sharp. (Blackie, 1985. Hardback £ 19.95; paperback £9.95) Introductory review of the subject by distinguished non-ornithologists for advanced undergraduates, but also claimed to provide commentary for informed amateur ornithologists. BB readers would certainly learn from this text, although the biochemistry left me gasping. Chapters on locomotion, migration and thermoregulation are the most readable, but surely the publishers cannot justify the expense of the hardback. [Norman Elkins] Birds of the Norfolk Broads. (Jarrold, 1985. Paperback 90p) An interesting, good-quality booklet, with some very good colour photographs of Broadland birds. The text is generally infor- mative, about both the bird-life and the habitats. For the serious student of Broad- land, it is too brief, but at only 90p it is ideal for tourists as an introduction to this threatened environment. [D. J. Holman] Der Indische Brillenvogel. By Frank L. Radicke. (Die Neue Brehm-Bucherei 572. A. Ziemsen Verlag, 1985. Paperback DM13.00) About 100 pages on the Oriental White-eye Zosterops palpebrosa, mostly behaviour and breeding biology, based on the author’s extensive studies of captive birds (eight males, five females, and their off- spring). A four-page table shows the development of the young from day 1 to day 30 (the eye-ring begins to show at 14-15 days and is fully developed at 22-23). The biology of Zosterops in the wild is very little known. May this excellent book stimulate field research! [DAG] Vertebrate Flight: a bibliography to 1985. By Jeremy M. V. Rayner. (University of Bristol Press, 1985. Paperback £5.75) This 182-page softback lists some 2,500 references to the mechanics, physiology, ecology', morphology and anatomy of flight mechanisms of birds, bats, pterodactyls, gliding reptiles, gliding mammals and flying fish. Monterey Birds: status and distribution of birds in Monterey County, California. By Don Roberson. (Monterey Peninsula Audubon Society, 1985. $16.00). Monterey County boasts some of the best birding in North America and a list of 427 species: the status of each is described, together with an at-a- glance occurrence bar-chart. Also much other useful information, including seven Short reviews 317 recommended birding routes, an extensive bibliography, and details of the famous seabird-watching in Monterey Bay. This very attractive book (59 of its 81 plates in colour) is an absolute must for any birder visiting this or nearby parts of California. [PJG] The Effects of Oil on Birds: a multi-discipline symposium. 1982 Pro- ceedings. Edited by Don Rosie and Stephen N. Barnes. (Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research, Inc., 1983. Paperback £11.00) The 17 papers cover a wide range of studies, from veterinary analysis of the physiological effects of oil, especially on ducks and gulls, to the rehabilitation of affected birds and the use of post-mortem examinations as a research tool. One paper illustrates the effect on populations: that of the Esso Bernicia oilspill at Shetland in 1978. Discussion on sub-lethal effects of oil on reproductive success brings together a broad range of studies. Most papers relate to work in the USA, but all have excellent references. Those on conditions for bird hospitals and re- habilitation should be of special interest in the UK. [Peter Morgan] A Tour of British Bird Reserves. By Valerie Russell. (Crowood Press, 1986. £12.95.) Of the 3,000 nature reserves in Britain, some 50 are described on the basis of short — often one-day (or shorter) — visits. Snettisham RSPB Reserve is illustrated by an Arctic Skua on its nest, Cley Marshes by an adult summer Red-throated Diver (from the calmness of the water, surely on a breeding lochan) and Hickling Broad National Nature Reserve by a photograph of a Greenshank which ‘on a better day we might have seen’. The impression is almost of a bundle of photographs randomly scattered — often inappropriately — throughout the book. There is even that classic error of a Treecreeper photograph apparently misaligned by 90°. The idea of this book was a good one, and the brief word-pictures of the reserves do give some of the flavour of the places which I know well, but the task was really too great for one person, and a better book would have been produced by having a team of regional authors. Der Kampflaufer. By Horst Scheufler and Arnd Stiefel. (Die Neue Brehm-Biicherei 574. A. Ziemsen V'erlag, 1985. Paperback, DM24.00) Based on a very comprehensive review of the world literature, this compact East German paper- back details, with the aid of photographs, a wealth of information on all aspects of the biology of the Ruff Philomachus pugnax. It is a pity that such a publication is unlikely to be readily available or translated into English, and thus will not be read by many British birders. Anyone interested in monographs, waders in general, or Rufls in particular should make a special effort to read this book. [Bob Scott] Der Zug Europaischer Singvdgel: ein Atlas der Wiederfunde beringter Vogel. Part 4. By Gerhardt Zink. (Vogelwarte Radolfzell, 1985. DM76.00) This large-format atlas of ringing recoveries is wholly in German (a language in which I flounder and then sink), but this must still be regarded as an essential part of any serious ornithologist’s reference collec- tion. The maps are large and clear, and easily understood. In its four parts, this atlas maps the migration routes of 95 species of Euro- pean passerines, with over 16,000 ringing recoveries plotted on 535 maps. This Part, for instance, contains no fewer than 39 maps plotting ringing recoveries of Pied Fly- catchers Ficedula hypoleuca (only one of the 14 species covered in this Part). Unless migra- tion bores you, you should look at a copy; if you look at one, you will probably want to own it. Park Lane , Blunham, Bedford MK44 3NJ Dr J. T. R. Sharrock, Fountains , Reviews The Countryside in Winter. By Brian Jackman. Illustrated by Bruce Pearson. Hutchinson, London, 1985. 160 pages; 105 colour illustrations. £12.95. For the six winter months, Brian Jackman takes us around Britain, returning regularly to his west Dorset village to chronicle the cycle of winter on his own doorstep. He is a knowledgeable and eloquent guide, but if there is another who can tell even more he will team up for a day in 318 Reviews the field. W ith Roger Lovegrove, on a cold January day in W ales, he watched 30 Red Kites coming to roost, more than Roger had ever seen in a day in 20 years of bird watching in W ales. His day spent with Dick Treleaven on the cliffs of north Cornwall to look at Peregrines makes a stirring finish to March, and to the book. Brian Jackman’s word pictures of the countryside in winter are marvellously complemented by Bruce Pearson’s paintings. There are over one hundred, including 12 double spreads and 13 full-page pictures. Bruce’s work for this book further enhances his rapidly growing reputation as one of our very best all-round natural history painters. Like Jackman, he has gone out into the field in all weathers, and his pictures have the authenticity of being drawn from life. How right we were to make him the ‘BB’ Bird Illustrator of the Year in 1984! His mammals are equally good, and the landscapes that grace these pages are cold and windswept, painted with an ability to recreate the texture of wet mud or dank woodland. This beautifully written and illustrated book celebrates the richness of wild country and wildlife that can still be found in our islands, but at the same time shows how fragile it is and how much we owe to those who devote their lives to its conservation. Robert Gillmor Bird Etchings: the illustrators and their books, 1655-1855. By Christine E. Jackson. Cornell University Press, 1985. 292 pages; four colour plates; 76 black-and-white illustrations. $60.50. Covering the period from 1655 to the mid nineteenth century, this handsomely produced and well-illustrated volume is a scholarly account of the writers and artists of bird books, published in Britain, whose illustrations were reproduced by etched metal plates. The story, which documents the development of ornithology, is built around 16 amateur naturalists from VVillughby and Ray to Audubon, and is fascinating reading. We learn much of the personal as well as professional life of each man and dealings with patrons, clients and collectors, as well as each other. Most of the artists etched their own plates, and there was quite a do-it-yourself cottage industry of book production. Christine Jackson makes a well-timed appeal for the books they produced to be preserved in their entirety and not broken up for the sake of their plates. Her book will help to support those who regard such scarce books as a valuable heritage of knowledge and art which should be as carefully protected as other masterpieces of our past. Bird Etchings is a must for all interested in the history of ornithology and its associated art. Robert Gillmor Blackbirds of the Americas. By Gordon H. Orians. Illustrated by Tony Angell. University of Washington Press, Seattle & London, 1985. 163 pages; 82 drawings. $24.95. The 94 species of American blackbirds, comprising the family Icteridae, are structurally rather homogeneous, but marvellously varied in their ecology and social organisation. In this outstanding book, Gordon Orians, the foremost research worker on the family, uses them as a basis for discussion of many fundamental questions which have concerned avian biologists in recent years — spacing and territoriality, optimal foraging theory, mating patterns, nest parasitism and vocal communication. His writing is lucid, authoritative, and quite free of jargon. As an introduction to social aspects of bird biology, the book cannot be bettered. The drawings by Tony Angell are fresh and lively, if a bit angular and spiky. Highly recommended. David Snow Life of the Woodpecker. By Alexander F. Skutch. Illustrated by Dana Gardner. Croom Helm, London, 1986. 136 pages: 61 colour plates. £45.00. Alexander Skutch, doyen of tropical American ornithologists, has long had a special interest in woodpeckers. In this attractively produced book, he ranges over the whole family, with emphasis on New World species, giving a wealth of information not easy to obtain except by reference to the original, very scattered sources. The paintings by Dana Gardner are generally excellent and well reproduced. An expensive book, not for those who need a full systematic treatment (recently provided by Lester L. Short’s Woodpeckers oj the World , 1982), but for the general ornithologist with an interest in life history and behaviour. David Snow wif t Binoculars for a etime’s birdwatching Audubon HR/5 F 8.5x44 Swift Audubon and Osprey Binoculars with a Lifetime Guarantee rVIFT — THE WORLD’S FINES1 RANGE OF IRDWATCHING BINOCULAR Send for full colour catalogue containing details of the exciting range of Swift Binoculars Please send me the Swift Binocular Catalogue. 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A R HAWKINS N’PTON ® MAREFAIR NORTHAMPTON NN1 1SR TELEPHONE 0604/39674 LTD D666 British Birds The established quality magazine with a proven committed readership British Birds for the serious birdwatcher FOR ADVERTISING RATES AND DETAILS PHONE SANDRA BARNES 0621 815085 (D667) XVI Turkey • Greece ‘Austria • Sri Lanka ‘Thailand Birdwatchi &Wildli Holidays for the discerning naturalist TURKEY AND GREECE N/W TURKEY & GREECE 15 days Aug/Sept £595 CENTRAL TURKEY & BOSPHORUS MIGRATION 18 days Sept BOSPHORUS MIGRATION £695 1 1 days £485 8 days £410 Programme for 1 987 SRI LANKA 21 days Jan £995 VENEZUELA 21 days Feb £1 ,650 CENTRAL & SOU THERN TURKEY 16/18 days May £695 EASTERN TURKEY (2 trips) 18 days May /June £750 Privately organised parties, Clubs and special trips in Europe arranged for Bird enthusiasts. All trips led by Chris Slade or Steve Whitehouse. CHRIS L. SLADE 8 The Grange, Elmdon Park, Solihull, West Midlands B92 9EL. Tel: 021-742 5420/021-705 5535. In conjunction with Regent Holiday U.K. Ltd. (D676) New members who enrol during October- December in any year receive Trust publications and privileges lor fifteen months before their second subscription falls due. THE BRITISH TRUST FOR ORNI- THOLOGY is an organisation which binds together thousands of amateur bird watchers spread throughout Britain and a small stall ol professional biologists at Tring. Together they find pleasure and satisfaction in tackling projects that provide facts on which conservation can be based. All is more fully set out in our brochure Please send for a copy to: The British Trust for Ornithology, Dept. BB, Beech Grove, Station Road, Tring, Hertfordshire HP23 5NR. (D238) Deal with birdwatchers who understand your requirements All the leading Instruments from stock — at discount prices. We are Nikon and Kowa specialists! Tony & Enid Murphy FOCALPOINT 1 4 Cogshall Lane, Comberbach, Northwich, Cheshire CW9 6BS Tel: 0606 891098 E (Excellent secondhand Canon outfit — ask for list) . (D683) Please order all your BIRD BOOKS from BRITISH BIRDSHOP’ Please use the form on the cut-out page in this issue. The purchase of books and recordings through "British BirdShop’ subsidises every subscription, and adds extra pages and extra photographs to every issue of British Birds BB5 j XVII HO LI DA Y A CCOMMODA TION Classified Advertisements All advertisements must be PREPAID and sent to British Birds Advertising Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK44 3NJ. Telephone 0621 815085 Rates (including 15% VAT) £2.00 a line — average of 6 words £8.00 a centimetre — min. 2 centimetres Box Number counts as 2 words is £1 .00 extra per insertion Replies should be sent to the above address Series Discounts 3 insertions for the price of 2 6 insertions for the price of 4 Copy Date JULY— JUNE 1 st AUGUST— JULY 5th Please post early to avoid disappointment. Sponsors of ‘Bird Photograph of the Year' British Birds is most grateful to The Famous Grouse’ Scotch whisky and Zeiss West Germany for their support. Sponsors of the Rarities Committee West Germany N. DEVON VILLAGE, lovely coastal walks, birdwatching. Comfortable flats from £45 p.w. Tel: Woolacombe 870641 or sae Mrs Cowdry, Sea Breeze, Mortehoe EX34 7DX. (BB733) COMFORTABLE FLAT in beautiful Lytli Valley, sleeps 4, Windermere 6 miles, children welcome. Also one caravan. Bell, Fellside Farm, Crosthwaite, Kendal. Tel: Crosthwaite 312. (BB735) OUTER HEBRIDES. Come and stay at the comfortable Lochboisdale Hotel, AA**. Excellent food. Your guide will take you to see geese, seabirds, birds of prey, waders, etc. Visits to local RSPB reserve (Balranald) and informal walks to show you the islands. Contact: Rosie Quick, Lochboisdale Hotel, Lochboisdale, South Uist, Outer Hebrides. Tel: 087 84 332. (BB740) DERBYSHIRE/PEAK DISTRICT. Self- catering properties. Personally inspected. Rural Vacations Ltd, Pipworth Lane, Eckington, Sheffield S31 9EY. Tel: 0246 432202. (BB744) NR MINSMERE. Bed and breakfast at 16th c. moated farmhouse in peaceful country setting. Hill House, Sibton. Tel: Yoxford 662. (BB745) ANGLESEY. Superb beachside hotel with magnificent views. Ideal centre for bird watchers and botanists in area noted for its lakes, reserves and coastline of outstanding beauty. Come to ‘Highground’ AA/RAC listed, licensed, for warm welcome, excellent food and accommodation. Brochure: Mrs Karen Hayter, Highground, Ravenspoint Road, Trearddur Bay, Gwynedd LL65 2YY. Tel: 0407 860078. (BB746) ISLE OF COLONSAY HOTEL, Argy ll PA61 7YP. Demi-pension (private bath) from £25. Details, brochures, map (bird list on request). Tel: 095 12 316. (BB747) HOSPITALITY, home cooking, comfort, tran- quillity in lovely country house and garden over- looking Derwent Ings. B&B, E.M. from £12.00. Brochure. Mrs Vincent, Aughton Hall, Aughlon, York Y04 4 PC. Tel: 075785 237. (BB749) COTTAGES GALORE. We have some 200 delightful cottages in all parts of Britain. A great variety of individual properties, all inspec- ted. Prices £20 to £50 per person per week. Get our free colour brochure: Amaro Cottage Holi- days, 22 High Street, Alton, Hampshire GU34 1 BN. Tel: 0420 88892. (BB752) MILTON MANOR HOTEL, nr Tenby. Tel: 064 67 398. In 7 secluded acres near National Park, estuary and coast path. 26 bedrooms most en-suite, 6 with self-catering terms. Licensed restaurant. Central heating. (BB555) MINSMERE 4m. B&B in comfortable private house, edge of village. Brochure/terms, Hills, Old Mill House, Yoxford, Suffolk. Tel: 536. (BB603) BED AND BREAKFAST. Mrs D Crowden, Rosevilla, Middleton, Saxmundham, Suffolk. Tel: Westleton 489 between 6-7 pm. (BB50) xviii To Advertise Phone 0621 815085 The Park Hotel West Kirby Ideally situated for the famous Hilbre Island bird sanctuary and the Wirral Park nature walks. Dinner, bed and breakfast from £1 6 in a very comfortable Hotel. Licensed bar. Groups welcome. Tel: David or Gail Lewis at 061 -625 931 9 BB656 WARM WELCOME, B&B/EM optional. Close to marshes. Heritage Coastal Walks. Central lor Cley and Titchwell reserves. Mrs Court, Eastdene, Northfield Lane, Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk. Tel: (0328) 710381. (BB680) WEST SUSSEX. Black Mill House Hotel, Bognor Regis. Sea, Marine Cardens, 300 yds. Cocktail bar, games room, enclosed garden. Car park. Visit Arundel Wildfowl Trust. Mini-Breaks from £44.50 — 2 days. Member SEE Tourist Board. AA*. Brochure. Tel: 0243 821945. (BB611) NEAR MINSMERE, delightful converted barn. Sleeps 6/7. Fully equipped and linen provided. Turner, Vine Cottage, The Street, Middleton, Saxmundham: Tel: Westleton 208 after 6pm. (BB70I) CHEW VALLEY/MENDIP AREA. Bed and breakfast in friendly and comfortable home; with bird watching family. Mrs Warden, Centaur, Bishop Sutton, Bristol. Tel: (0272) 332321. (BB706) YORKSHIRE’S HERITAGE COAST Varied and spectacular bird watching on the 350 ft cliffs around Flamborough and Bempton. A coast that’s rich in history and wildlife. Discover fossils, see the seals, explore the nature trails at Danes Dyke and South Landing. Send for details and Bridlington Colour Guide to: Dept 93, The Spa, Bridlington East Yorkshire Y015 3JH. A contribution towards postage appreciated. ( BB560) ISLE OF MULL, Stalfa Cottages. Small, comfortable guest house with friendly atmos- phere. On upper slopes of Tobermory Bay with views out to the Sound of Mull & Morvern. All rooms h&c, radiators & electric blankets. Staffa Cottages Guest House, Tobermory PA75 6PL. Tel: 0688 2464. (BB651) COUNTRY COTTAGES between Alnwick & Belford sleep up to 6. Fully equipped, self- catering, available throughout the year. Well placed for Holy Island & Fame Islands, Cheviot Hills and many places of natural beauty. S.a.e.: Mrs P. Foster, Coxons, C.raster, South Farm, Alnwick, Northumberland. Tel: 0665 76640. (BB389) ISLES OF SCILLY, Mincarlo Guest House, St Mary’s. Superbly situated in own grounds overlooking the harbour. Write to: Colin Duncan or Tel: 0720 22513. (BB589) FARNE ISLANDS — LINDISFARNE. Over 17 species seabirds breeding May-June. Also excellent winter wildfowl. Beadnell Towers Hotel, Northumberland NE67 5AU. Tel: 0665 720224 Family/pets welcome. Colour brochure. (BB655) N. WALES (Lleyn, Anglesey & Snowdonia, etc.) A choice of c.800 self-catering seaside cottages, etc. In an area abounding with bird life (Chough, Peregrine, American vagrants, etc.). Free brochure: Mann's Holidays (BB). Pwllheli. Gwynedd. Tel: 0758 61 3666. (BB662) KITE COUNTRY twixt Tregaron and I-ampeier. RSPB members offer warm welcome in comfort- able secluded house of character. Excellent food, lovelv views, reasonable terms. Tel: 057 045 227. (BB521) TREGARON — farmhouse accommodation in the heart of red kite country. Breath-taking views over National Nature Reserve, excellent food, moderate rates. Mrs M. Cutter, ‘Neuaddlas’, Tregaron, Dyfcd. Tel: 097 44 380. (BB663) NORTH NORFOLK — LAWNS HOTEL — HOLT. Georgian house in small country town. Excellent home cooking. Licensed. Open all year. Spring breaks to end of May. BB&D 2 days £32. Tel: 0263 7 13390. (BB682) CLOSE TO MINSMERE, The White Horse, Westleton, Saxmundham, Suffolk. B&B, bar meals. Westleton 222. ( BB699) MID WALES. Golf Hotel, Borth, Dyfed. Small family hotel, licensed, good food, ideal centre for Ynys-hir reserve, kite and chough country. 1 ele- phone: (097081) 362. (BB755) NATIONAL TRUST VILLAGE on Exmoor. Self-catering holiday homes. Centrally heated, near Porlock. Sea, moors, woods and marshes all within walking distance. Stamp for brochure. Sheila Wright, The Pack Horse, Allerford. Nr. Minehead. Tel: (0643) 862475. (BB757) EXMOOR for country' and animal lovers. Farmhouse accommodation, bed and breakfast and evening meal, or self-catering cottage. Details from: French, Brendon Barton, Lynton, Devon. Tel: 059 87 201. (BB759) KEYHAVEN, NEW FOREST. Self-catering holiday cottage, sleeps 5. Fabulous sea views, marvellous birdwatching! Tel: 0438 832265. (BB763) NORTH NORFOLK. Attractive comfortable cottage. 4 miles Blakenev. Sleeps 4. Tel: 032875 366. ‘ ' (BB552) xix UNUSUAL AND INTERESTING bird and animal life can be seen on the historic Fursdon Estate tucked away in the unspoiled, wooded Devon countryside. Clean, comfortable and fully equipped self-catering accommodation. Log fires, CH in winter, col TV. Details and brochure: Mr E. D. Fursdon, Fursdon House, Cadbury, Exeter. Tel: Exeter 860860. (BB677) MOST ATTRACTIVE choice of self-catering cottages, isolated and in beautiful surroundings overlooking the sea on a Westhighland Estate Scotland’s natural beauty at its best. The ideal holiday for the true country lover with wild life in abundance. For full colour brochure please write to: The Booking office, Ellary 7, Lochgilphead, Argyll. Tel: 08803 232/209 or 054685 223. (BB685) NORTH NORFOLK’S HERITAGE COAST. Flint cottage in small, peaceful village. Close sea, broads and marshland birdwatching areas. Sleeps 6 -I- cot. Full C.H., Colour T.V., Parking. Available all year. Brochure from Sanderlings, Pineapple House, St Martins Lane, Norwich NR3 3AG. (BB372) AUTHENTIC GYPSY CARAVAN. Beauti- fully sited on private (Lae District) nature reserve. Frahm, Haybridge, Bouth, Ulverston, Cumbria (022 986) 412. ‘ (BB551) 15th CENTURY COACHING INN midway Ross/Hereford amidst gentle wooded hills, 2 fields from River Wye. A comfortable and informal place, with proper emphasis on real food real ales, civilised prices. Log fire, 12 ch bedrooms, fourposter. Egon Ronay, Relais Routier, AA & RAC**. Green Man Inn, Fownhope, Hereford. Tel: Fownhope (043 277) 243. *AA & RAC**. (BB367) LITTLE HAVEN — Pembs National Park. 6-berth caravan, comfortable, fully equipped. Farm site, sea views (Easter, May-Oct). Tel: Johnston 890/805. Llewellin, 86 New Road, Freystrop, Haverfordwest, Dyfed SA62 4LH. (BB698) ISLE OF RAASAY, by Skye. Quiet island ideal for hillwalking, fishing and birdwatching. Splen- did views of Skye mountains, etc. New friendly hotel offers modern comforts and good food. Daily car ferries from Skye. Contact Isle of Raasay Hotel, Raasay, Kyle IV40 8PB. Tel: 047 862 222 or 226. (BB571) TROSSACHS. Two riverside log cabins for self- catering or b& b in 1 8thC farmhouse of character. Secluded, but central for birdwatching, hill and forest walks, touring, fishing, watersports or golf. Open all year. Stroneslaney Farmhouse, Strathyre, Perthshire. Tel: 087 74 676. (BB561) EDGE LOCH GARTEN RESERVE. Spacious mobile home. 2 bedrooms, shower, WC, elec, gas, private burnside site. 6-8 berths. Pott, Tulloch Moor, Nethybridge PH25 3EF. Tel: 047 983 227. (BB695) A FLIGHT OF FANCY? No, only the solitude and birdlife of a holiday in South-West Scotland. Brochure with all accommodation, prices and ideas from: Dumfries and Galloway Tourist Board (B), Douglas House, Newton Stewart DG8 6DQ. Tel: 0671 3401. (BB519) NEW FOREST — Brockenhurst s/c holiday flat sleeps 2-4. Good birdwatching. Tel: 0590 22051. (BB675) PEMBROKESHIRE, Broad Haven, Modern chalet, sleeps 6, TV. Hildick-Smith, Redmarley Orchards, Great Witley, Worcester. Tel: Great Witley 308. (BB696) ISLE OF COLL, ARGYLL. Ideal for walkers, naturalists, bird watchers. Secluded beaches. Otters, seals. Book our special bird watching week 26th April to 3rd May with Roger Boughton, MBOU, resident ornithologist as party leader. Tighnamara licensed Guest House, Isle of Coll, Argyll. Tel: 08793 354. (BB520) ISLE OF MULL. Enjoy friendly atmosphere of small comfortable guest house run by keen ornithologist. Pete Miller, Baliscate, Tobermory. Tel: 0688 2352. (BB627) NEAR ST DAVIDS. 3 comfortable self-catering cottages. WTB Special Award. Brochure: L. J. Rickards, West Lodge Farm, Butterhill, St Ishmaels, Haverfordwest. Tel: Dale 514. (BB624) CLEY. 3 Quality cottages (sleep 4, 6 and 8). Quiet. Comfortable. Excellent value. Brochure: (0353) 740770. (BB625) KERNYK COTTAGE, 1 mile Mousehole, sleeps 5-6. Sea and country views. Mrs Wootton, 9 Sea Lane, East Preston, Sussex BN 16 1NG. (BB700) ISLES OF SCILLY — Seaview Moorings, St. Mary’s. Home cooking and personal service from resident proprietors, Tony and Linda. Over- looking harbour, close to quay and town — licensed — in-room tea and coffee making facili- ties— pets welcome. SAE for details or telephone Tony or Linda Dingley on 0720 22327. (BB437) COASTAL COTTAGES of Pembrokeshire, Abercastle, Pembrokeshire National Park. 100 warm and well equipped owners’ cottages, mostly within sight and sound of sea and seals on Britain’s most beautiful and natural coastline. Available all year from £60 per week. Tel: 034 83 742. (BB604) MINSMERE 12 miles. BB or BB&E meals. Excellent farmhouse cooking with friendly atmosphere. Daily or weekly rates. Phone Ubbeston (098683) 235 for reservations. (BB673) N. NORFOLK, WELLS. On green near harbour, fully equipped cottage sleeps 5-6. SAE: Beer, Peterhouse, Cambridge. Tel: 0223 356384 evenings. (BB703) XX To Advertise Phone 0621 815085 THE BALCARY BAY HOTEL Auchencairn, nr Castle Douglas. RAC*** Ashley Courtenay. Family run country house in magnificent setting on the shores of the bay. Telephone: 055 664 217 (BB712) OUT SKERRIES, SHETLAND. Caravan overlooking the sea, excellent migration, good walking, Puffins, Seals: Mrs Fait. Tel: (08065) 245. (BB668) FARM COTTAGES between Lindisfarne Re- serve and I'he Fames. Comfortable and well equipped. Sorry no pets. Brochure: Mr J. McNish, Outchester Farm, Belford, North- umberland. Tel: 066 83 336. (BB45) THE OLD VICARAGE, Soulby, Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria. Magnificent, peaceful countryside near Lake District and Yorkshire Dales. Excellent walking wildlife and bird- watching. Dinner, B&B. Tel: 0930 71477. (BB705) RATHLIN ISLAND, Co. Antrim, N. Ireland. Superb scenery, seclusion, birds include Ulsters largest sea-bird colony, breeding peregrine, chough, buzzard and corncrake. Superb flora including a profusion of orchids, adders tongue, limestone bugle, thyme broomrape. Accom- modation. Boat transport £3 return adult. Board of Trade Pass Cert 70 persons. M.V. Rathlin Venture. Phone (02657) 71234, 71217, 71228, 71206. (BB704) ISLE OF MULL, Torosay Castle, Craignure. Golden eagles often seen in the area. 20 species in the garden and over 200 recorded on the island. Mull is a paradise. Gardens open year-round. Castle 1 May-30 Sept. One flat and two cottages to let. Special monthly winter terms. For terms apply: The Secretary. Tel: 06802 42 1 . ( BB564) SOUTHWOLD. ‘Avondale’, North Parade, overlooking sea. B&b/em, CH, dglazed, licensed. Open all year. Ideal Minsmere, Havergate, Walberswick. Good food, friendly atmosphere. Tel: 0502 722538. (BB653) WALSINGHAM. Secluded luxury cottage. Registered ETB, sleeps 5. C.H. Available all year. Near Heritage Coast Bird Sanctuaries. SAE: Little, 19 Common Lane, Sheringham, Norfolk. Tel: 0263 823754. (BB702) HOLMERE HALL HOTEL, N. bancs. Ideally situated for easy access to Leighton Moss. Small, cosy and friendly. Full range of meals at reasonable prices. Reservations and enquiries: 0524 735353. Sae for brochure. (BB726) SHETLAND, UNST, B&B, evening meal optional. Comfortable family home, magnificent coastal scenery. Tel: 095 785 249. (BB720) YOU WILL FIND a warm welcome and every comfort in this attractively situated and secluded country hotel. Excellent birdwatching amidst moorland, forest and river. Home cooking, home produce. Full central heating, h&c and electric blankets in all bedrooms. Terms £90.00 db&b tor week. Brochure from Old Manse Hotel, Dulhill, Carrbridge, Inverness-shire PH23 3ND. Tel: Carrbridge 278. (BB715) EXMOOR NATIONAL PARK. Our hotel stands in 9 acres of gardens and paddocks sur- rounded by beautiful, unspoilt countryside — ideally situated for walking, riding, fishing and birdwatching. The marvellous sandy beaches of North Devon are within easy reach. Each of our 8 bedrooms has a private bathroom or shower and all have wonderful views. To complete your enjoyment we offer very good food and wines, log fires and a comfortable, relaxing atmosphere. Write to us for our brochure: John and Judith Kelly, Westerclose Country House Hotel, Withv- pool, Somerset TA24 7QR, or telephone Exford (064 383) 302. (BB714) ARDNAMURCHAN PENINSULA, peaceful and unspoilt, home of Highland birds, otters etc. Varied comfortable properties. Detailed colour brochure from: Mrs Pamela Campbell, Kilchoan, bv Acharacle, Argyll PH364LH. Tel: 097 23 262. (BB71I) CLEY, Bed and Breakfast in comfortable home, all the year round, Birkhead, 1 he (fid House. Cley. Tel: 0263 740996. (BB707) SIBTON (NR MINSMERE), The White Horse Inn. A unique and charming 16th century freehouse in 3 acres, and some en suite accommodation available in modern chalet block, bed & breakfast or weekly rates. Ample car parking. CC location site. Bar snacks or restaurant meals available. Tel: Peasenhall 337. (BB657) WIVETON. Blakenev and Cley one mile. 16th century cottage, sheltered, beautiful. Sleeps 5-6. Woodhouse, The Old Farmhouse. Lancing College, West Sussex. (BB385) NORTH NORFOLK, HOLT. Cosy cottage in quiet square. Modernised and refurnished. Coastline, sanctuaries, walking distance. Shops, pubs, two minutes. Birdwatching, painting or unwinding. Sleeps 2/4. From £80 p.w. Mrs Balch. Tel: 0442 53437. (BB398) ANGLESEY. Rhoscolyn. Holy Island. Groups ol families up to 20. 3 dorms, all facilities self or full catering. AONB, 300m coast, close Reserves. Excellent birds. Tel: 0407 860469. (BB616) PERTHSHIRE, Sutherland. North Wales and other areas. Self-catering holiday accommoda- tion. For brochure write to: Finlayson Hughes, 82 Atholl Road, Pitlochry, Perthshire. Tel: 0796 2512. (BB470) xxi WELLS, NORFOLK B&B., (Les Routiers recommended). H. & C., Tea and Coffee facilities in all rooms. Anne Taylor, The Cobblers (0328 710155). ' (BB111) VISIT BEMPTON and Flamborough Head for the best in sea bird watching, Spring and Autumn migrants. Summer breeding. Stay at the Flane- burg Hotel, Flamborough. BB/F.M from £29. Two days. Full details, contact us on (0262) 850284. (BB533) YORKSHIRE DALES. Situated in the Dales village of Kettlewell, this friendly 6 bedroom country guest house extends a warm welcome to those in search of comfortable accommodation, personal service and good food. Bargain winter weekend breaks. Also warm and cosy holiday cottage. Mr and Mrs A. R. Butterfield, Dale House, Kettlewell, N. Yorks. Tel: 075 676 836. (BB652) ISLES OF SCILLY. Santa Maria, Sally Port, St. Mary’s. A licensed guest house ideally situated 100 yards from the monitoring and information centre for birdwatchers at Porthcressa. Home cooking and a warm welcome awaits you from Roger and Pamela Savage. Small flatlet for 2/3 persons also available. Tel. 0720 22687. (BB667) OSPREY VISITORS to Loch Garten this Summer? Locheil GH offers BB: £5.50; DBB: £9.25; or self-eater Cottage (sleeps 6) rental £15 nightly, and Chalet (sleeps 4) £10 nightly. For details plus walks, slide-talks, films, local activities, write: Locheil, Boat of Garten, Inverness-shire. Tel: 047 983 603. (BB569) BEAUTIFUL PEMBROKESHIRE COAST — spectacular coastal scenery, wild moorland, offshore islands. Amall family-run hotel close coastal path offers reduced spring/summer rates. All rooms with bath, central heating, colour TV', tea-making facilities. Good food and wine, relaxed friendly atmosphere. Four-poster and family suites. Separate flatlet at Solva, sleeps 2. Grove Hotel, St Davids, Dyfed. Pel: 0437 720341 . (BB661 ) ROYAL FOREST OF DEAN, Coleford, Lambsquay Hotel AA*H&B. All facilities. Delicious food and wine. Peaceful surroundings. Dogs welcome. S/c flat available — special breaks. Tel: 0594 33127 for brochure. (BB344) CETTI’S WARBLER, Ring-bills at Radipole Nature Reserve; migrations at Portland Bill. B&B or self-catering accommodation in superb surroundings at edge of Fleet Nature Reserve, Weymouth, Dorset. Home cooking. Warm wel- come. Mrs Mowlam. 6 Fleet Lane, Chickerell, Weymouth, Dorset DT3 4DF. (0305) 772268. (BB529) ST. IVES, CORNWALL. Fisherman’s Cottage in old quarter of town, close to the Island, harbour and beaches. Sleeps 4, all mod. cons., car parking nearby. Tel: 01-871 0602 (evenings). (BB659) CLEY. Attractive house in village, four bed- rooms, large garden, garage, c.h. Available all year. Details from Mrs E. Album, 47 Lyndale Avenue, London NW2. I el: 01-431 2942. (BB58) NR. NTH NFK RESERVES. Guest House run by birder for ^birders. Haydn House, Avenue Road, Hunstanton. Tel: 331 15. (BB308) SARK: discover the wildlife and birds of Sark, one of the smaller and quieter of the Channel Islands. Self-catering accommodation in a modern Sark cottage sleeping 6. Please send for coloured brochure to — Duncan Spence, La Heche, Sark, Channel Isles. (BB660) ISLAY, GEESE. Warm cottages sleep 8, 7 or 2. Lady Wilson, Ancala, Port Charlotte. Tel: 289. (BB658) BIRD WA TCHING HO LI DA YS ECOLIDAYS LTD. Spanish Birdwatching, Natural History Tours. Starts September 1986 for migrants. Further details contact: Ecolidays Ltd, 26 Canal Wharf, Leeds LS11 5PS, or Tel: 0532 717423. (BB762) HEBRIDEAN BIRDWATCHING CRUISES led by experts Don and Gillie Hind invite you to join us on a spacious and comfortable traditional sailing boat, to enjoy the remote Scottish Islands. Cruises are suitable for experts and beginners. Details: Lome Leader, Balvicar, By Oban, Argyll. Tel: 08523 479. (BB748) PAPA WESTRAM, ORKNEY An island rich in birds, seals, plants and archaeology. Rare migrant birds an exciting Autumn feature. For details of travel/ accommodation: Papay Community Co-operative Ltd, - j Beltane House, Papa Westram, to Orkney Tel: 08574 267 or 238 g MIGRATE TO FAIR ISLE this year! Midway between Orkney and Shetland this beautiful rugged island offers a relaxing wildlife holiday for all the family. Enjoy comfortable full board accommodation and explore the island’s mag- nificent cliff scenery, fine seabird colonies, migrant birds, flora, knitwear and fascinating island life. For details/bookings write (sae): Liz Riddiford (C), Fair Isle Bird Observatory, Fair Isle, Shetland, or tel: 035 12 258. (BB486) ISLE OF ARRAN, Scotland in Miniature, most accessible of the Hebrides. Try a week of guided trips among eiders, ptarmigan and eagles, full board, comfortable, licensed, family hotel on the sea front, Brodick Bay. From £139. Tel: Ennisijior Hotel 0770 2265 for brochure. Reductions for parly bookings. (BB709) xx n To Advertise Phone 0621 815085 SKOKHOLM/SKOMER ISLANDS, PEM- BROKESHIRE. thousands of seabirds, carpets of flowers. Some courses. S.a.e. Dept BB, WVV i NC, 7 Market Street, Haverfordwest, Dyfed SA6 1 INF. (BB554) BODMIN MOOR NATURE OBSERVA- TORY oil ers enjoyable and relaxed holidays watching birds with regular conducted field trips to delightful moorland and coastal habitats. 168 species logged in 1985. Help given to beginners. For full details and 1985 observations sac to Tony Miller, BMNO, Ninestones Farm, I .iskeard PL 1 4 6SD. Tel: 0579 20455. ( BB538) CALF OF MAN BIRD OBSERVATORY. Hostel type accommodation from April to October. Details from the Secretary, the Manx Museum, Douglas, Isle of Man. Tel: 0624 75522/ 25125. (BB602) USK VALLEY near Abergavenny. Two very attractive modernised riverbank cottages, fully equipped, lovely countryside near Brecon Beacoqs, secluded but easy access. Resident buzzards, sparrowhawks, kingfishers, ravens. SAFi for particulars: The Agent, Estate Office, Llanover, Abergavenny, Gwent. (BB697) WILDLIFE HOLIDA YS INDIA. 3 -week Rajasthan tour, Jaipur, Udaipur, Pushkar Camel Fair, Taj Mahal. Place accom- modation. Depart 1st November £1,450. Kenya, 2 week tented birdwatching/wildlife safaris. Depart 19th December and 2nd January 1987. Visiting game parks and Rift Valley lakes. Inclusive £985. Adventure Agency, The Square, Ransbury, Wilthire. Tel: 0672 20569. (BB754) OVERSEAS HOL ACC MAJORCA, NORTH. F amily run hotel. Half- board. Out of season car hire £35 pw. Tel: 531998. “Oriola” Pollensa. (BB570) COURSES LAKELAND BIRDS — 14/15th June and Birdwatch Cumbria — 1 2- 17th October, and other natural history courses. Extremely good value and traditional hospitality. Details of these, plus group accommodation and guiding from Warden, Low Gillerthwaite, Ennerdale, Cleator, Cumbria. (BB665) ART FOR BIRDERS June 14th-21st. Learn the secrets of drawing and painting birds. £90 inclusive; Boswednack Manor, Zennor, St Ives, i Cornwall. Tel: 0736 794183. (BB734) ISLE OF SKYE FIELD CENTRE, Broadford, Skye, offers week long study holidays. Send for 1986 brochure. Tel: 047 12 487. (BB717) BIRD REPORT HANTS/SURREY BORDER BIRD REPORT 1985. £1.75, from J. Clark, 4 Cygnet Court, Old Cove Road, Fleet, Hants. (BB724) HERTS BIRD REPORT 1984— £2 from HNHS, 6 Castle Hill, Berkhamsted HP4 1HE. (BB729) BARDSEY OBSERVATORY REPORT 1985 1 72 pp including papers on Magpie behaviour, movement and mortality of Shag and Cor- morant, Little Owl diet, arrival dates of summer migrants, Manx Shearwater population, hel- minth parasites of Blackbird and Redwing, and several papers on island invertebrates. From R. G. Loxton, Dept. ofZoology, Leeds University, Leeds LS2 9JT. £2.50 + 34p, p&p. (BB730) “SUFFOLK BIRDS 1984”, inc. systematic list, articles, Landguard report, photographs, ringing report, rarity descriptions. £3 post paid from Mrs G. Green, The Museum, High Street, Ipswich, Suffolk I PI 3QH. (BB741) CUMBRIA BIRD REPORT 1985. £2.30 including P&P from M. Hutcheson, Garden Cottage, Sizergh Castle, Kendal, Cumbria LAS SAFE Back issues available. ( BB76 1 ) PERSONAL THE GREAT BRITISH BIRDTABLE. Feed- ing the birds seems to be a national obsession. There are more birdtables in Britain than anywhere else in the world and they are soon to be featured in a new BBC Natural History Unit programme to be filmed over the next two winters. If you have unusual visitors to your feeding station the BBC would like to hear from you. Novel designs and unusual locations are also of interest. Please write to: The Great British Birdtable, Room 142, BBC. Bristol, Whitcladies Road, Bristol BS82LR. (BB6I8) THE HAWK TRUST cares alxnit all birds of prey. Why not help us with our conservation projects? For information, contact The Member- ship Secretary (JB), The Hawk Trust, FREE- POST, Beckenham, Kent. Tel: Loughborough 215598. (BB459) BOOKS HENRY SOTHERAN LTD. ICBP, RSPB London 's leading ornithological hook stockists IN STOCK — Tate: Birds. Men & Books, £13.95. Havman. Marchant & Prater: Shorebirds. £19.95. New ton: The Sparrow hawk, £16.00. Wade, Ed: Every Australian Bird Illustrated. £12.95. Roche: The Bird-Walker, boxed set of three cassettes of bird songs. £16.00. ICBP, BTO, BOU Publications and a surprising range of smaller books & reports. Superb stock av ailable for browsing. 2, 3, 4 & 5 Sackville St, London Wl X 2DP. 01-734 1 150. Just off Piccadilly. Nlon-Fri 9.00-5.30. (BB728) xxiii FINE NATURAL HISTORY BOOKS bought and sold. R. Norman. Hart-on-the-Hill, Dalton Piercy, Hartlepool, Cleveland. Tel: 0429 73857. (BB303) BIRD & NATURAL HISTORY books bought and sold. Catalogues issued. We are very keen to buy good quality stock, so if you have surplus items please allow us to make you an offer — St Ann’s Bookshop, 2 St Ann’s Road, Great Malvern, Worcs (068 45) 62818. (BB532) ‘BIRD BOOKS’. Good secondhand books bought and sold. Free catalogue from, and offers to Briant Books, 94 Quarry Lane, Kelsall, Tarporley, Cheshire CW6 ONJ. Tel: 0829 51804. (BB641) RARE AND SECONDHAND books on birds, natural history, gardening and field sports bought and sold. Peter Blest, Wateringbury, Maidstone, Kent. Tel: 0622 812940. (BB572) SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGISTS’ CLUB SOC BIRD BOOKSHOP Over 600 titles in stock Free catalogue from: 21 Regent Terrace, Edinburgh EH7 5BT Telephone: 031-556 6042 ^ggyr,^ ORNITHOLIDAYS GUIDES in the Let’s look at . . .’ series. Majorca, SW Spain, The Camargue, Montenegro, Ethiopia, Eastern Austria, South Morocco, North East Greece, Vancouver and The Rockies, Sri Lanka, Lapland and Arctic Norway, The Gambia, and North West Turkey, £2.80 per copy. Ornitholidays, 1-3 Victoria Drive, Bognor Regis, Sussex P021 2PW. (BB636) BOOK ON BIRDS. New and secondhand, catalogue 30p stamps. Surplus books urgently sought. BB bought and sold. Open Monday to Saturday. Bird Books of Sevenoaks, 67 London Rd, Sevenoaks, Kent. Tel: 0732 455899. (BB736) THE BIRDS OF THE ASHDOWN FOREST by Alan Barnes, 70 pages, 30 black and white photographs, map, paperback. A new survey of this interesting area. Price £3.95 plus 35p postage. Order now from A & H Books, 23 Andrew Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 9DN. (BB737) QUALITY BIRD BOOKS— for latest list write to A. & H. Books, 23 Andrew Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. (BB738) NATURAL HISTORY BOOKS. Secondhand and new bought and sold. Catalogues: J. E. Oliver, Malt Cottage, Croft Yard, Wells, Norfolk. (BB553) WANTED BRITISH BIRDS. Comp, indexes for 1964 and 1967. Any price. Steve Holliday, Oak Cottage, The Green, Salton, N. Yorks. (BB743) WANTED Bird Observatories in Britain and Ireland and Scarce Migrant Birds in Britain and Ireland , both published by T. & A. D. Poyser. Tim Sharrock, Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK44 3NJ. (BB760) COLLECTOR wishes to purchase Morris’s Birds. Thorburn’s Birds, and any other interest- ing Natural History Books or Paintings. David Brodie, Hazel Bank. 106 Castlemain Avenue, Southbourne, Bournemouth, Dorset 0202 431997. (BB679) VAURIE. Birds Palearclic Fauna Passeriformes 1959. Box No. 71, c/o Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK44 3NJ. (BB739) FOR SALE BIRD JOURNAL BACKNUMBERS SUP- PLIED. (BB, Bird Study, County Reports etc) David Morgan, Whitmore, Umberleigh, Devon. (BB678) ZEISS/LEITZ binoculars for sale & wanted. P/EX. 21 Crescent Grove, London SW4 7AF. (BB637) THINKING OF GETTING NEW BINOCULARS OR A TELESCOPE? first consult: The British Birds Binoculars and telescopes survey P. J. Grant and J. T. R. Sharrock (BB341 ) Send SA£ and cheque/ PO for Cl 00 (payable lo BRITISH BIRDS LTD) to Binoculars 8 Telescopes. Fountains. Park lane. Blunham. Bedford MK44 3NJ QUALITY LOOSE-LEAF CHECKLISTS of over 600 birds. Space for photos, maps, notes, etc. Details from M. Baverslock, 6/7 East St, Ware, Herts. (BB731) MEINERTZHAGEN. Pirates & Predators, good condition, no d.j. £100 inch p&p, phone (0392) 51482— evenings. (BB732) BWP Vols. 1-4. £150. Tel: 04023 49267 (evenings). (BB742) SCHMIDT & BENDER 20-60 X 60 telescope GC. £75. Tel: 065671 8208. (BB750) BRITISH BIRD VOCABULARY in six vol- umes. Also specially prepared Sound Guides. SAE to Lewis, Rosehill House, Lyonshall HR5 3HS. (BB751) BIRD STUDY 1958-1984, 17 Volumes Bound, 10 Volumes unbound. Private sale. Hertford- shire. Tel: 0442 53994. (BB753) PRINTED notepaper, headed postcards, change of address cards, samples available. G. Stokoe, Printer, Dept BB, 98 Church Lane, Beeston Regis, Sheringham, Norfolk NR26 8EY. (BB758) BRITISH BIRDS for the serious birdwatcher FOR ADVERTISING RATES AND DETAILS Phone Sandra Barnes 0621 815085 XXIV London Camera Exchange FOR THOSE WHO WANT ONLY THE BEST Superior definition/Light-transmission plus the widest field at high magnifications Weight Field Price 30x75GA 44oz 120ft. £255 (inc. case) 22x60GA 35oz 183ft. £158 (inc. case) 22x70GA (waterproof) 37oz - £242 (inc. case) 22-60x70GA(zoom) 47oz 87-54ft. £265 (inc. case) A(£W80mm, body only (interchangeable eyepieces) £253 (case extra) Eyepieces: 20x £47, 30x £39, 40x £42, Case £35. ALPIN BY OPTOLYTH W. EUROPE'S MOST POPULAR COMPACT AND LIGHTWEIGHT BINOCULARS Weight Field Price 10x50BA 22.5oz 309ft. £161 (inc. case) 10x40BGA 19oz 345ft. £145 (inc. case) 8x40BGA 19oz 330ft. £143 (inc. case) 8x30BGA 14oz 420ft. £131 (inc. case) MAILORDER WELCOMED FREE POSTAGE London Camera Exchange Group lOHighStreet 15TheSquare Southampton, Hants. Winchester, Hants. Tel: (0703)221597 Tel: (0962) 66203 D686 British Birds ■ Volume 79 Number 6 June 1986 27 1 Bird Photograph of the Year Dr R.J. Chandler , Eric Hosking, Dr J. T. R. Sharrock and Don Smith 111 Development of snail-smashing by Song Thrushes Dr C.J. Henty 282 Product reports Zeiss West Germany 7 X 42B/GAT* binoculars DrJ.T.R. Sharrock 283 Mystery photographs 114 River Warbler P.J. Grant 284 European news Notes 293 Great Crested Grebe attacking Little Grebe R. David R. Williams 293 White-tailed Plover in Tyne & Wear B. S. Bates 294 White-tailed Plover in Shropshire JackSankey 295 Immature White-cheeked Tern helping to defend chick Graham Bundy 296 Scops Owl sunbathing Ed Mackrill 297 Opportunistic use by birds of ephemeral food source in hard weather John Barrett and Catrina Barrett 297 Hermit Thrush in St illy S. M. Andrews 298 Blackbird and Song Thrush using same song post J. R. Clarkson 299 Trumpeter Finch in West Sussex P. James 300 Seventy-five years ago . . . Letters 300 British rarities in a foreign perspective Dr Jurgen Rabfl 302 East is east, and west is west, and oft the twain shall meet Norman Elkins 304 Vagrants and Saharan dust Norman Elkins 305 Diary dates Announcements 306 Overseas bird tours survey 307 Sponsorship for ‘Bird Illustrator of the Year’ 307 New books in British BirdShop Requests 308 Colour-ringed White-tailed Eagles Dr Bjorn Helander 308 Transparencies request 308 Tree-roosting by Swifts Jan Holmgren 308 News and comment Mike Everett and Robin Prytherch 3 1 1 Recent reports Keith Allsopp and Ian Dawson 3 1 5 Short reviews Dr J. T. R. Sharrock Reviews 3 1 7 The Countryside in Winter by Brian Jackman and Bruc e Pearson Robert Cil/mor 3 1 8 Bird Etchings: the illustrators and their books, 1655-1855 by Christine E. Jackson Robert Gillmor 318 Blackbirds oj the Americas by Gordon H. Orians and Tony Angel I Dr David Snow 3 1 8 LiJe oj the Woodpecker by Alexander F. Skutch and Dana Gardner Dr David Snow Line-drawings: 277 young Song Thrush with snail ( Martin IF. Woodcock)', 311 Serin (Ernest Leahy) and Bonaparte’s Gull (Julian R. Hough); 315 Waxwing (Raymond Woodley) Front cover: Shags on Fexa, Islay (A. Birkby ): the original drawing (measuring 18.5cm X 20.8cm) of this month’s cover design is for sale in a postal auction (see page 44 in January issue for procedure) Volume 79 Number 7 July 1986 Sponsored by y > ^ ‘Bird Illustrator of the Year' 8c ‘The Richard Richardson Award’ tactions of birds to heavy rain ientification of White-winged Lark Natural History Book Service British Birds Managing Editor Dr J. T. R. Sharrock Personal Assistant Sheila D. Cobban Assistant Editor David Christie Editorial Board Stanley Cramp, P. J. Grant, Dr M. A. Ogilvie & Dr J. T. R. Sharrock Photographic Consultants Dr R. J. Chandler 8c Don Smith Rarities Committee P. J. Grant (Chairman), D. J. Britton, A. R. Dean, R. H. Dennis, T. P. Inskipp, P. G. Lansdown, S. C. Madge, J. H. Marchant, I. S. Robertson 8c K. E. Vinicombe; Peter Colston (Museum Consultant & Archivist); Michael J. Rogers (Honorary Secretary). Notes Panels behaviour Dr C. J. Bibby, Dr J. J. M. Flegg, Dr C. H. Fry, Derek Goodwin, Dr M. A. Ogilvie, Dr J. T. R. Sharrock 8c Dr K. E. L. Simmons; IDENTIFICATION A. R. Dean, P. J. Grant, S. C. Madge, Dr M. A. Ogilvie 8c Dr J. T. R. Sharrock © British Birds Ltd 1986 Copyright of photographs remains with photographers. British Birds is published monthly by British Birds Ltd, 93 High Street, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire ISSN 0007-0335 Publishing Manager, Production & Promotion Dr J. T. R. Sharrock Circulation Manager Erika Sharrock Design Deborah Cartwright Advertising Sandra Barnes Addresses Please keep correspondence on different items separate. Please address your envelope correctly. Please supply SAE, if reply required. Papers, notes, letters, drawings & photographs for publication DrJ. T. R. Sharrock, Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK443NJ Subscriptions and orders for back copies Mrs Erika Sharrock, f ountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK44 3NJ Advertising Mrs Sandra Barnes, BB Advertising, c/o Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK44 3NJ. Bird news for ‘ Recent reports’ Ian Dawson & Keith Allsopp, c/o RSPB, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG192DL. Phone (outside office hours): Huntingdon (0480) 214186 News items for ‘News and comment’ Mike Everett & Robin Prytherch, 7 Burlington Way, Hemingford Grey, Huntingdon PE18 9BS Rarity descriptions M. J. Rogers, 4 Pentland Flats, St Mary’s, Isles ofScilly TR21 0HY Special book and sound recording offers for subscribers Mrs Bonny Shirley, BB Offers, Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK44 3NJ Annual subscriptions (12 issues and index) Libraries and agencies £27.50. IR£34.50 or $55.41. Personal subscriptions: UK, Europe and surface mail £23.00, IR£28.75 or $34.50; personal: airmail outside Europe £38.50, IR£48.25 or $56.55. Single back copies £2.50, IR£3.25 or $4.00. Make all cheques payable to British Birds Ltd. Payment may also be made directly into UK Post Office GIRO account number 37 588 6303. British Birds publishes material dealing with original observations on the birds of the west Palearctic. Except for records of rarities, papers and notes are normally accepted only on condition that material is not being offered in whole or in part to any other journal. Photographs and sketches are welcomed. All contributions should be submitted to the Managing Editor. Papers should be typewritten with double spacing, and wide margins, and on one side of the sheet only. Authors should carefully consult this issue for style of presentation, especially of references and tables. English and scientific names and sequences of birds follow The ‘British Birds’ List of Birds of the Western Palearctic ( 1 984) : names of plants follow Dony el al. (1980, English Names of Wild Flowers); names of mammals follow Corbet & Southern (1977, The Handbook of British Mammals). Topographical (plumage and structure) terms should follow editorial recommendations (Brit. Birds 74: 239-242). Figures should be in Indian ink on good quality tracing paper, drawing paper, non-absorbent board or light blue or very pale grey graph paper; lettering should be inserted lightly in pencil; captions should be typed on a separate sheet. Authors of main papers (but not notes or letters) receive ten free copies of the journal (five each to two or more authors). Printed in England bv Newnortti-Burt Ltd, Kempston. Bedford 204 HIGH STREET Barnet, Herts. I PURCHASED m Eufn^jjc Open 9am-6pm Mon-Sat (24 hour answer-phone) Ul“44y 1 44u in focus ZEISS WEST KOWA SLIK Dialyt 8 x 20B 155 00 Dialyt 10 x 25B 169 00 Dialyt 8 x 20 BGA 199 00 Dialyt 8 x 30 BGA 299 00 Dialyt 7 x 42 BGA 335.00 Dialyt 10x40 BTCF phone Dialyt 10x40 BGA phone Dialyt 8 x 56 BGA 399 00 15x60 Porro GA 675.00 Rainauard 3.40 Eye Cups (set) 7.00 Lanyard 400 LEITZ Trinovid 8 x 20 BC 175 00 Trinovid 8 x 20 BCA 189.00 Trinovid 10x25 BC 189.00 Trinovid 10x25 BCA 199.00 Trinovid 8 x 40 BA 385 00 Trinovid 1 0 x 40 B 365.00 Trinovid 10x40 BA 395 00 Trinovid 7 x 42 BA 395.00 Trinovid 10 x 40 BA Close Focus 405.00 Case for miniature 12.95 Soft case for 10x40 29 95 Hard case for 10 x 40 36.95 Eye Cups (set) 12.00 Rainguard 8.00 Lanyard 9.50 Kowa 8 x 30 69.00 Kowa 9 x 35 99.00 TS-2 109 00 TS-1 119.00 15x 29.00 20x HR 29 00 20x WA- 36.95 25x 29.00 27x WA 36.95 40x 29 00 Case for TS-2 15.00 Case for TS-1 16.00 Kowa TSN-1 21000 Kowa TSN-2 215.00 20x WA 66.95 25x 42.95 40x 4295 20x-60x Zoom 97.95 Photo Adaptor 64 95 Case for TSN 18.50 OPTICRON Elite 9 x 35 157 00 HR 8 x 30 79.99 HR 8 x 42 85 99 HR 10x42 89 99 HR Body 60mm 100.00 HR Body 60mm 45° 110.00 20x-6Ux Zoom 50.00 Case 15.00 BUSHNELL Slik Gazelle 33.95 Slik 35 SN 39.95 Slik 35 DN 44.95 Slik 88 51.95 Slik Master D2 59.95 Slik SL67 84 95 Slik Tripod Strap Slik Mono Pod 10.95 Slik Black Diamond 65,95 CULLMANN Cullmann 2502 39.95 Q/R Head 070 7.95 Shoulder Pod 080 18.95 Mono Pod 1747 27.95 Mono Pod 741 14.95 PERSONAL CALLERS Can choose and select from our comprehensive range of equipment. Compare Zeiss with Leitz, Kowa with Optolyth, Miradorwith Bushnell. We are a completely independent company who's only concern is that our customers select the correct instrument for their personal needs FIELD TEST Your final choice on Hadley Common just 150 yards from our shop NIKON 8 x 30 ZCP 169.00 10 x 35 ZCF 18900 12 x 40 ZCF 199 00 Spoting Scope 20 x 60 249.00 Field Scope ED 20 x 60 449.00 Photo Kit 157 00 30 x Eye Piece 58.00 40 x Eye Piece 58,00 Lens Hood 10.75 Filter Ring 14.25 OPTOLYTH Alpin BGA 8 x 30 131.00 Alpin BGA 8 x 40 143.00 Alpin BGA 10x40 145.00 Alpin BGA 7x42 148.00 Alpin BGA 10x50 16100 Optolyth 22 x 60 158.00 Optolyth 30 x 75 255.00 Optolyth 30 x 80 288.00 Optolyth TB80 253.00 20 x Eye Piece 47.00 30 x Eye Piece 39.00 40 x Eye Piece 42.00 Case for TB80 35.00 Optolyth 22v-60 x 70 265.00 CARL ZEISS JENA Detrintem 8lX 30 54.95 Binoctrm 7 x 50 79.95 Dekarem 10x50 88.95 Turmon8x21 42.95 Explorer 7 x 35 89.00 Explorer 8 x 40 99.00 Spacemaster Body 11900 20x-60x Zoom 50.00 15x EyePiece 2900 20x Eye Piece 29 00 22x WA Eye Piece 29.00 25x Eye Piece 29 00 40x Eye Piece 29 00 Photo Adaptor 22.00 Case 15.00 HABICHT Diana 10x40WM 259 00 Habicht 10x40 WSL 314.00 Habicht 23 x 70 BGA 179.00 Habicht 30 x 75 BGA 339 00 Habicht 30 x 75 BGA 339.00 (Short Focus) BAUSCH & LOMB Criterion 4000 Mirror Scope 399.00 complete with porro prism, 4x finder and one eye piece. ACCESSORIES Car Window mount 17.00 Universal mount 17.50 Hide mount 35.00 Lanyards from 2.50 Rainguards from 1.00 Bino Tripod Clamp 5.50 Prices correct 5.5.86 E. & O.E. PHONE ORDER Discuss your requirements with our technical staff and orders placed with Access or Visa Card will be despatched same day by Post or Securicor MAILORDER Just add £2 00 to help cover p.&p and insurance and your order will be depatched on the same day as we receive your cheque. All equipment is supplied on 14 days approval upon receipt ot full remittance. SECONDHAND Instruments are always available, turnover is high, so we do not print a price list. Phone for current bargins PART EXCHANGE Your old Binoculars. Telescopes or Tripods. HOW TO FIND US We are 10 mins, from M25 and AIM motorways and 10 mins, walk from High Barnet Tube Station TELESCOPES & TRIPOD OUTFITS If you purchase a scope and tripod at the same time we can offer you a very special price! PHONE FOR A QUOTE BINOCULARS AND TELESCOPES o ■■■ REPAIRED ON THE PREMISES (D679) CUMBRIAN BIRDS Malcolm FHutcheson BOOKS ON BIRDS line drawings by Shaun Lawson ^ 25 colour plates by Arnold F. Gould -size: 4’/2" x 8" xL Published price: £7.95 jj Catalogue on request WHELDON & WESLEY LIMITED LYTTON LODGE CODICOTE A twenty year review of the distribution and status of the 31 4 species recorded since the publication of Ralph Stokoe's earlier work ‘Birds of the Lake Counties’. The contents include, description of the various ornithological habitats throughout the county and reference to Walney Bird Observatory. Notes on recent Bird Study in the county including Morecambe Bay Wader Group. Principle Waterfowl Tables and a report of selected records for 1 985. Nr. HITCHIN HERTS. SG4 8TE Published by: Frank Peters (Printers) Ltd., The Printing Works, Gatebeck, Near Kendal, Cumbria. Tel. 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Q, BINOCULARS and TELESCOPES from KAY OPTICAL SERVICING Service to the Naturalist for over 24 years BINOCULARS £ ZEISS (West) 10x25 B Dialyt 175 8x^0 BGA Dialyt 205 8 x 30 BGA Dialyt 297 10x40 BGA Dialyt (9901) Phone 7 x 42 BGA Dialyt 353 For maximum comfort in sustained observation: SWIFT 20 x 80 BCF binocular, with tripod fitting 365 HABICHT (Swarovski) 10 x 40 WM Diana 249 MIRADOR 8x32 rubber covered 84 8 x 42 rubber covered 91 10x42 rubber covered 95 OPTOLYTH 8 x 30 Alpin 131 8 x 40 Alpin 143 10x40 Alpin 145 10x50 Alpin 161 OPTICRON 9 x 35 Elite 157 8 x 32 Fligh Resolution 79 8x42 High Resolution 85 10x42 High Resolution 89 NIKON 8 x 30 ZCF 169 1 0 x 35 ZCF 189 9x30 DCF roof prism 219 12x36 DCF roof prism 239 8 x 23 Compact 93 TRIPODS: 'Stitz CV550 65 rSlik Master D2 70 'Slik SL67 95 Slik Gazelle 34 *£15 off tripods if bought with telescope or binoculars. 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(D681 ) 11 BINOCULARS & TELESCOPES FROM R1D0I1CH BIRMINGHAM I Optical Visit our showroom and examine at your leisure all the top makes (excellent distance viewing facilities) Discuss your particular requirements with fellow birdwatcher and author ALAN RICHARDS STRAf FORO ON AVON 8 x 30BGA ALPIN. Proved by independent tests that the opt'eat performance of this lightweight compact wide anqle binocular IS superior to those costing three times as much Wciqhl is only 1407 field of view -120ft at 1000yds Our peteo: £131 00. Incl toft c«u 7X42BGAALPIN. Probably the best general purpose binocular available loday The largo depth of field contrast resolution and clarity are dearly superior to most ) * t>u models WeiQht 19o? Field 330ft at 1000yds Habid* 10 x 50BA ALPIN. This model IS m a class of 'is own _ .1 nthor m.lk P of IU X JVUH MLrlll ms myuri '1 inovoxxv Guaranteed lo O've a boner resolution llwn *"»<>'!'*' rnakc ol 10* binocular Werqhl 22 Sor field 309b at 1000 vds Our prtc* €1*1.00. 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Dept BB at the address below. berghaus Berghaus Limited, 34 Dean Street, Newcastle upon Tyne Tel (091)232 3561 (D690) i J ** > ^ * ~ re * ** < r ■ * a VI British Birds VOLUME 79 NUMBER 7 JULY 1986 Sponsors of 'Bird Illustrator of the Yeah ‘Bird Illustrator of the Year’ and ‘The Richard Richardson Award’ SERVICE It is of special note that this year, for the first time, our ‘Bird Illustrator of the Year’ competition is sponsored by the Natural History Book Sen ice. This support by the NHBS is greatly welcomed. The total of 64 artists submitting entries for this year’s awards was the highest since the first competition eight years ago. I he number of entries for the Richard Richardson Award was, however, only one above last year. \\ e should like to see this number growing, as we are sure there is much young talent to be encouraged. The winners were as follows: Bird Illustrator of the Year, 1986 1st Chris Rose (Weymouth, Dorset) 2nd Nik Borrow (London) 3rd John Davis (Sidlesham, West Sussex) The Richard Richardson Award, 1986 1st Timothy Hinley (Middlesbrough, Cleveland) It was tight at the top, with a very high standard of entries by all the artists in our rather long short-list: Martin Hallam R. A. Hume H. ^ Knott, E. J. Leahy, David Mitchell. W. Neill, Nicholas Pike. D. R. Powell, Philip Snow and Andrew Stock. [Bnt. Birds 79: 319-325, July 1986] 319 320 ‘Bird Illustrator oj the Year’ and ‘ The Richard Richardson Award Kingfisher Alcedo althis ( Chris Rose ) Chris Rose’s crisp, clean handling of scraperboard has impressed us in previous competitions, and he was placed unofficial joint fourth in 1984. This year, he produced two cover designs, one of which appears on the front of this issue and will be the frontispiece to volume 79. We thought that this drawing of a Great Spotted W oodpecker Dendrocopos major , dwarfed by the gnarled bole of an old tree, was the best of all those submitted this year. The great knobbly growths on the trunk contrast with the delicate new twigs springing up at the left. The whole makes a powerful image for a cover design. His drawing of Black-winged Stilts Himantopus himantopus is an admirable example of what is required inside the magazine. Chris Rose’s 321 ‘ Bird Illustrator oj the Year' and ‘ The Richard Richardson Award Northern Parula Panda americana ( Nik Borrow) second cover drawing, reproduced here, is a daring composition, with the Kingfisher Alee do atthis a small part of the picture, but the scale is nghc There is a rich range of textures: grainy wood, rusty metal, worn rope and smooth, oily water. The curving shadows add variety to a bold, abstract pattern of shapes and tones, making up a design which attracts the eye and demands attention. ' , , , „ Nik Borrow, who was 3rd in 1981 and who has always been well up among the leading artists, has this year reached his highest placing. We like his particular individual style of black-and-white drawing, admirably represented by his illustrations of Black-and-white Warbler Mmotilta vana 322 'Bird. Illustrator of the Year'' and ‘ The Richard Richardson Award ’ Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia and Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus ( Nik Borrow) and Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus. The cover design of a Northern Parula Parula americana is in great contrast to those of the other winners, but contains some excellent drawing and penmanship. When our elimination process finally leaves three or four sets of drawings from which the winners will be selected, we become very critical of the smallest points of detail. The left wing of John Davis’s Barn Owl Tyto alba , reproduced here, can be faulted, although the general effect of the drawing is most appealing. His rich, dark drawing of two Snipes Gallinago gallinago will appear on a future cover. fhe illustrations by Timothy Hinley, winner of the Richard Richardson Award for artists aged under 21, were done in the finest detail of carefully dotted tones and textures — some perhaps too fine for good reproduction after reduction. His birds are placed in intimate settings or landscapes which work well, something not always achieved by his seniors. Despite the small entry (only 1 1 artists this year), we were pleased to find a generally higher standard of entries for the RRA, and short-listed Julian Hough and Derek Robertson. Regrettably, more drawings than usual were done at the wrong size, which automatically disqualifies the artist. We found one precise copy of a photograph, and suspected others. The slavish copy of a photo often reveals a lack of understanding of what is going on in the dishevelled plumage of an Coots Fulica atra (John Davis) 'Bird Illustrator of the Year’ and ‘ The Richard Richardson Award ’ 323 individual bird, or how the feet really are when partly lost in shadow. A photo often stops a bird in mid movement, making it assume a position which, while acceptable in the photograph, looks quite wrong in a drawing. Although the actual subject is the least important aspect ot the drawing, we are always surprised and pleased by the variety of subjects chosen. The 256 drawings this vear covered 170 species. The most popular, with six apiece, were Woodcock Scolopax rusticola . Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus , and Firecrest Regulus ignicapillus , followed by Coot Fuhca atm. Barn Owl and Kingfisher with five each. 324 'Bird Illustrator of the Year’ and ‘ The Richard Richardson Award ’ Most of BB' s covers in the coming year, and many of the illustrations inside, will be drawings selected from entries to BIY. Among the cover pictures is one by Martin Hallam which takes the bold black-and-white pattern of a Great Northern Diver Gavia immere.s the starting point for an abstract design. In another, John Hollyer makes skilful use of artificial tints in a drawing, full of lively movement, of an Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus chasing Common Terns Sterna hirundo. All the entries by the winners will be exhibited throughout the 23rd Little Tern Sterna albifrons (T. Hinley ) ‘Bird Illustrator o) the Year’ and ‘The Richard Richardson Award ’ 325 Little Stint Calidris minuta ( T . Hinley) Annual Exhibition of the Society of Wildlife Artists at the Mall Galleries, The Mall, London SYV1, during 17th-23rd July 1986. (Please note the amended dates.) We feel that this link between BB and the S\\ LA is of benefit to both organisations and to the artists whose work is exhibited. Robert Gillmor. Keith Shackleton and J. T. R. Sharrock Reactions of birds to heavy rain R. A. Hume A note by myself and another by David A. Christie on the reactions of wildfowl and waders to rain and hail {Brit. Birds 77: 20-21), with a request for other observations on the subject, stimulated a further 1 1 notes describing the behaviour of birds in such conditions. This summary has been compiled at the request of the Editorial Board o i British Birds. Kennedy ( 1970) reviewed the rather meagre information then available, and detailed the disadvantages of wetting to a bird. Replacement of the trapped air within the plumage of a bird by water increases the rate of heat loss from the body. The smaller the bird, the greater the surface area relative to the volume, so the greater is the disadvantage. If the air temperature is low, resistance to wetting, and subsequent cooling, and recovery afterwards, are impaired. Effectively, the most damage is done to small birds in cold weather (leaving aside the other problems — of finding food, for example — posed by adverse conditions). That birds adopt a posture with head withdrawn, bill pointed towards the rain, body rather upright and feathers sleeked, to prevent water penetrating the plumage, is well known, but, as Kennedy showed, poorly documented. An interesting observation of Curlews Numenius arquata standing upright, with heads hunched and tails drooped to allow water to run ofT, was illustrated by C. F. Tunniclifle, and reproduced in Niall (1980). J. Graham (in litt.) reports a mixed flock of Feast Sandpipers Calidris minutilla and Semipalmated Sandpipers C.pusilla on Grand Cayman, W est Indies, on 22nd February 1983, which stopped feeding, stood close together and raised their bills at an angle of about 30°, head to wind, when a heavy downpour occurred. J. D. Aldridge (in litt.) reported a few Fesser Black- backed Gulls Larus juscus and several hundred Black-headed Gulls L. ridibundus at Chew Valley Fake, Avon, on 2nd August 1982, pointing their bills at between 45° and 75° above normal during a heavy thunderstorm with hail. The juvenile Black-headed Gulls present, however, held their 326 [Brit. Birds 79: 326-329, July 1986] 327 Reactions of birds to heavy rain bills in the normal position. Kennedy noted that young birds are more subject to mortality from wetting than old ones, and these young Black- headed Gulls may not have yet learned the appropriate technique, but it is odd that they did not learn by copying the accompanying adults. On 9th May 1981, at Rye Harbour, East Sussex. Richard C. Knight and Pamela C. Haddon observed gulls and terns reacting to rain in this fashion, also described by R. E. Elliott [Brit. Birds 76: 314). Five immature Eittle Gulls L. minutus , several Black-headed Gulls, Common Gulls L. canus and Common Terns Sterna hirundo raised their bills upwards to 50-60°, into and parallel with falling rain during a very heavy downpour. I he most interest- ing observation was that a Common Tern acted in the same way while in flight. On 2nd August 1983, the same observers saw the same behaviour, also at Rye Harbour, from Common Terns, Little I erns S. albijrons and Sandwich Terns S. sandvicensis , and this time a Little Tern flew 450 m into a force 2 wind, with its head pointing upwards at 50°, during heavy rain. It is interesting that the rain caused these flying birds to react in this manner, but not to settle on the ground. Kennedy also discussed sheltering from rain by birds. It is clearly ol survival value for a bird with poorly resistant plumage to take shelter Irom heavy rain if possible. Swifts Apus apus move away Irom, or fly around, local storms and may not emerge from the nest for much of very wet days. 5 et Starlings Sturnus vulgaris may take shelter, but have been observed to continue feeding in the open during torrential downpours. Kennedy also reported seeing Pied Wagtails Alotacd/a alba and a Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus feed in the open in heavy rain, though Blue I its Parus caeru/eus and House Sparrows Passer domesticus have been seen to take shelter. Mrs Jean D. Garrod {in lilt.) saw two Swallows Hirundo rustica fly headlong into a hole in a dense bramble bush at Minsmere, Suffolk, to escape torrential rain on 16th September 1983. They quickly emerged as the rain ceased. Bernard King {in htt.) watched a juvenile ( )spre\ Pandion haliaetus at St Mary’s, Isles of Scilly, on 6th October 1982. At Porth Hellick lake, it fished from, and regularly perched in, a tall conifer, but at the onset of heavy rain settled on mud at the lake edge, sheltered by a thick stand of reed Phragmites , and remained there for 15 minutes until the storm passed. Meanwhile, Coots Fulica atra on the lake also sought shelter in the reeds. Bernard King also watched two Eittle Grebes Tachybaptus ruficotlis at Marazion Marsh, Cornwall, on 26th January 1972. W hereas the Little Grebes which I reported at C.hasewater, Staffordshire, sought open water during a storm, those watched by King always immediately left open watei to seek shelter in reeds when strong winds and heavy rain swept across the lake at intervals during the day. At Drift Reservoir, Penzance, Cornwall, on 1 1th January 1986, Bernard King was watching a party of some 60 Teals Anas crecca feeding in the shallows of a quiet bay. Rain had been threatening most of the afternoon, and it was cold, with strong gusty winds. The Teals remained close to the water’s edge until a violent storm came slanting into the bay. The ducks immediately took flight through the rain and were lost to view. After only 1 2 minutes, the storm ceased as suddenly as it had arrived, and, just as 328 Reactions of birds to heavy rain suddenly, die Teals flew back once again, to settle into the shallows. The same observer reports on the behaviour of 3,000 Ruddy Ducks Oxyura jamaicensis at Lake Jessup, Florida, USA, on 19th December 1983. Small parties were leaving and others arriving; leaving the approximate total of 3,000 intact until, unexpectedly, a torrential, tropical rainstorm broke. Ruddy Ducks quickly left the area, and an hour later none was to be found. At the same time, another, very different species, acted quite unlike the ducks. A group of 60 Turkey V ultures Cathartes aura were in nearby treetops. As the rain fell, all of them fully extended their wings, rain-bathing until the observers left. J. Graham, on 12th January 1984, noted a Magnificent Frigatebird Fregata magnificens in the West Indies, during a downpour ‘so intense that it flattened crested waves raised by a 16 knot wind’. The frigatebird patrolled 50-150 m offshore, unperturbed by the storm, except when taking temporary evasive action to avoid a lightning strike. At the same time, a Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon ignored nearby cover as it perched on an open rail for 20 minutes. Precipitation was approximately 70-100 mm per hour. That different species react in different wavs is also illustrated by Geoffrey Beven (in litt.), who watched birds at Minsmere on 28th March 1977. It was very cold, with a strong north wind, some sunshine and f requent show ers of snow. At times, the snow blew horizontally and there were bouts of hail, reducing visibility to 10 m. Of 21 Avocets Recurvirostra avosetta present, four were visible during the worst of the hail and these crouched in shallow water behind a patch of herbs, head to wind; but, as the weather eased, several Avocets fed in deep water. Black-headed Gulls, one with head turned back and bill under its scapulars, also crouched behind herbs or islets in the worst of the blizzard, but fed when the hail stopped, even though snow was then falling heavily. Shelducks Tadorna tadorna and Moorhens Gallinula chloropus fed normally, and were active throughout the worst of the weather. I have watched many thousands of Oystercatchers Haematopus ostralegus on Texel, Netherlands, take shelter from gales and intermittent rain, in very cold conditions, by crowding together along the lee of embankments and inside reedy dykes, while Knots C. canutus were bunched together, and Bar-tailed Godwits Limosa lapponica and Grey Plovers Pluvialis squatarola were widely scattered over open fields in similar very windy, very cold and wet conditions. David M. Wilkinson (in litt .) reports the behaviour of a flock of Bewick’s Sw ans Cygnus columbianus and a group of feral, free-flying Barnacle Geese Branta leucopsis at Martin Mere, Lancashire, on 14th January 1984, in a strong, cold wind with frequent showers of sleet and hail. Most of the swans spent the whole time sitting front to the wind, with their heads tucked back into their body feathers, whereas the geese adopted this posture only during the showers, but otherwise grazed during a period of four hours. Very heavy hail has obvious dangers in that, unlike rain, wetting is less of a problem than physical damage from the solid hailstones. R. M. Lord (in litt.) was at Pagham Harbour, West Sussex, on 5th June 1983. There was a 329 Reactions of birds to heavy rain southeasterly wind of force 6-7, at low tide, until suddenly all was still and very quiet. Flocks of waders, including Redshanks Tringa totanus , Dunlins Calidris a/pina, Grey Plovers and Curlews, approached ahead of a storm. The noise of large hailstones hitting the mud was audible at IV2 km. Little, Common and Sandwich Terns, Shelducks, Oystercatchers and Ringed Plovers Charadrius hiaticula Hew up from the mudflats and the shingle-island breeding colony and Hew southwest in front of the advancing hail. 1 he stones measured some 3 cm in diameter, but the storm quickly passed, the wind increased again, and the birds drifted back. No hail was recorded 2V2 km away, and the birds had presumably avoided it. Many eggs in the colony had, however, been smashed. While it is clear that heavy rain and hail will cause many species to take evasive action, take shelter, or adopt postures which seem likely to reduce the effects of wetting on the plumage, it is also obvious that not all species, or individuals, will act in a predictable way. 1 hat birds take shelter during thunderstorms, for instance, is vaguely referred to in the literature and assumed to be the case by most birdwatchers, but there is still room for detailed and systematic study of the everyday reaction of Girds to rain, as well as the more extreme examples, such as those recorded here. References Kennedy, R. | . 1 970. Direct elici ts of rain on birds: a rc\ ic\v. Bril. Birds b.i: t(> I - 1 1 t. Niall, l. 1980. Portrait of a Country Artist. London. R. A. Hume , 15 Cedar Gardens, Sandy, Bedfordshire SCI'.) IE) Mystery photographs 1 1 K Last month’s mystery photograph (plate 158. repeated here) 1 1 J clearly showed an eagle. Although it perhaps looked like a rather short version of a White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla without the typical wedge-shaped tail of that species (note, however, that wear and moult may cause the tail to look more fan-shaped than normal), its sil- houette is in fact typical of the smaller Aquila eagles: Spotted .4. clanga. Lesser Spotted A. pomarina and Steppe .4. rapa.x. Our mystery eagle shows the following silhouette features: (1) rather long and broad wings, about [Brit. Birds 79: 329-331. July 19811] 330 Mystery photographs V2 -% as broad at the base as at the broadest point; (2) a fan-shaped tail; (3) a rather broad, protruding head; and (4) seven ‘fingered' primaries. Golden A. chrysaetos and Imperial Eagles A. heliaca would have shown a bigger, more protruding head, and Golden in addition a longer, somewhat slimmer tail, and longer wings, normally held more forward. First-year White-tailed Eagle, which may look almost as uniformly coloured as the bird illustrated, would have shown jagged secondaries, typical of the genus Haliaeetus. All of the small Aquila eagles soar on level wings, with the outer wing held somewhat downcurved; it is usually not possible to distinguish them from each other on silhouette alone. Generally, however, Steppe Eagle is larger than the spotted eagles, and shows longer wings, with a proportionately fuller hand, longer primaries, longer neck and head, and a larger bill; it is 1 V2-2 times the size of a Buzzard Buteo buteo, while the two smaller species are 1 V3-I V2 times Buzzard size. Lesser Spotted, especially, may be difficult to pick out among migrating Buzzards. The silhouettes of Spotted and Lesser Spotted Eagles are almost identical. Generally, Spotted shows broader wings, with a more S-curved trailing edge, although wear and moult may affect this impression. Despite earlier statements, both species may show either six or seven fingered primaries. Plumage characters, however, are conclusive. The mystery eagle shows underparts typical of Spotted Eagle: the combination of very dark (in life blackish-brown) body and underwing-coverts, and paler, slightly contrast- ing flight feathers is visible especially on the right wing, the palest part of the wing being the innermost primaries. I photographed this individual in January 1979 in India. Typical Lesser Spotted would show slightly paler (warm brown) underparts and underwing-coverts than flight feathers. It should be noted that many individuals of both species lack this contrast, while the underparts may be difficult to see properly on soaring birds, as the somewhat downcurved outer wing tends to shadow underwing patterns at some angles. Older Steppe Eagles, which lack the distinctive white underwing bar of younger individuals, show a dark brown body and dark carpal patch (on some, not unlike that of a Rough-legged Buzzard B. lagopus ), in slight contrast to the dark greyish-brown underwing. Many Steppe Eagles, however, look all-dark at a distance, but most show a pale throat patch lacking on Spotted and Lesser Spotted. Up to about their sixth calendar-year, Steppe Eagles typically show a white underwing bar on the greater underwing-coverts; this may vary in extent, and on moulting indi- viduals the bar is often broken. Note, however, that many Spotted and Lesser Spotted Eagles may show a similar, though narrower bar, restricted to the tips of the greater underwing-coverts, but sometimes visible at some distance. Immature (dark-tailed) White-tailed Eagle would typically show paler spotting on, especially, breast, axillaries and underwing-coverts. Not shown in the photograph are the upperparts. Both spotted eagles have a white patch on the uppertail-coverts. On Spotted Eagle the rest of the upperparts are blackish-brown, with one to three white bars on the wing-coverts on juveniles and one (occasionally two) on older immatures; a difluse whitish patch is present at the base of the innermost primaries. The upperparts of Lesser Spotted are warm brown, with darker tail and flight feathers; on juveniles, one pale, narrow bar is present on the greater coverts, 331 Mystery photographs usually broken through wear or moult on older immatures. At all ages. Lesser Spotted shows a clear, white, contrasting area at the base of the primaries, one of the best distinctions between the two species. Other marks on Lesser Spotted are paler wing-coverts contrasting with mantle and scapulars, and (on juveniles) a golden spot on the neck. (For upperparts ol other eagles, see Porter et at., 1981 , Flight Identification oj European Raptors.) Single perched eagles are difficult to identify. On both Spotted and Lesser Spotted Eagles, the point of the gape reaches back to about level with the middle of the eye, while on Steppe it penetrates beyond the middle of the eye. On Steppe, the pale gape contrasts strongly with the rather dark head. On Spotted, however, the gape may also be rather striking, depending on the darkness of the head. Adult Lesser Spotted has pale eyes; the others all have dark eyes. Unfortunately, eagles vary a lot, and individuals sometimes show such atypical features that they may be impossible to identify. For example, on Spotted Eagle, the white bands on the upperwing may be so striking as to give an effect of a pale patch, as on Lesser Spotted. Some Spotted, of the [fulvescens’ variety, may be creamy brown on upper body and wing-coverts, and tricky individuals observed recently in Scandinavia showed more or less greyish-brown coverts and body, in contrast to darker flight leathers (one had a white underwing bar. not so broad as on Steppe Eagle, but visible at long range). The features mentioned are valid mainly for the younger immatures which are most likely to straggle to Britain and W estern Europe. For adults, other characters may be used. I am grateful to Steen Christensen for his enthusiastic help in many ways during an earlier draft of this text. K. laus M alling Olsen Identification of White- winged Lark Iain S. Robertson Few European ornithologists have had the opportunity to observe-the White-winged Lark Melanocorypha leucoptera in the field. As a result, the species is little known, and difficulties have occurred with the identification of vagrants in the West. On a visit to central Kazakhstan in June 1983, I was able to watch about 50 White-winged Larks and to make direct comparisons with Skylarks Alauda arvensis and Black Larks M . yeltoniensis . The White-winged Lark is endemic to the LTSSR, breeding from Dagestan, the lower Volga River area, through central and northern Kazakhstan to about 80°E. It is found mainly in the Kirghiz Steppe, an area of dry, short-grass plains with orache Atriplex, wormwood Artemisia and feather grass Stipa interspersed with bare, open ground (Dementiev & Gladkov 1968). The amount of suitable breeding habitat has no doubt declined since the opening up of these ‘Virgin Lands’ for agriculture. Since 1954, over 25 million ha — an area roughly the size of Yugoslavia — have been ploughed for cereals in Kazakhstan alone (Larkin & Burambayev 1980). The species is migratory, wintering in the Ukraine, Crimea, Caucasus, Transcaspia and Iran. In severe winters, it also occurs in Romania. Some winter in the southern part of the breeding range, but these are thought to be migrants from the north rather than residents. In spring, arrival on the breeding grounds takes place between early April and early May. Autumn departure takes place from early August to early September, with strong passage noted in Trans Volga in late August. The species forms large flocks outside the breeding season (Dementiev & Gladkov 1968). The range of vagrancy includes parts of the Li SSR as far west as Moscow, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Belgium, Heligoland and Britain. Only four records involving six birds are now accepted for Britain, several others having been dismissed among the ‘Hastings Rarities’ {Brit. Birds 55: 28 1 - 384). These four records were in November 1869 (Sussex), November 1917 (Sussex), August 1933 (Sussex) and August 1955 (Hertfordshire). Subse- quent claims have proved to be unacceptable (BOU 1971). 332 [flrif. Birds 79: 332-335, July 1986] 333 Identification oj White-winged Lark Summary of identification features SIZE AND SHAPE White-winged Lark is slightly larger than Skylark and smaller than Calandra Lark M. calandra. There is some discrepancy between actual measurements and appearance in the field, particularly in flight (Demen- tiev & Gladkov 1968; Witherby et at. 1938). Though wing length is intermediate between those of Skylark and Calandra Lark, White-winged looks noticeably long-winged in flight. Soviet authors have compared it to a shorebird in flight. This long-winged appearance seems to result from the visual effect of the very broad white trailing edge to the wing, from measurements, the tail is proportionately shorter than that of Skylark, but in the field this is not apparent, White-winged looking quite long-tailed, again as a result of the white trailing edge to the wing. GENERAL APPEARANCE First impressions are of a very pale lark, with a ‘bare-faced’ expression, and a white panel in the closed wing. The closest comparison is to a female Snow Bunting Pleclrophenax nivalis, rather than to another lark. In flight, the striking three-tone wing pattern recalls Sabine’s Gull Larus sabini. Plumage, bare parts and voice crown The crown is pale chestnut on breed- juveniles. It contrasts vvith the hare-fact d ing males, finely streaked with dark brown on appearance and paler nape. females, and more heavily streaked on face pattern The supercilium, lores, chin, 168. White-winged Lark Melanocorypha leucoptera. I SSR. June 1965 ( E . A. Cioloianova) 334 Identification oj White-winged Lark Fig. 1. Flying W hite-winged Lark Melanocorypha leucoptera ( Iain S. Robertson). This drawing based on photograph by Iain S. Robertson; heading drawing of standing bird based on photograph by Nigel Redman 169. Wh ite-winged Lark Melanocorypha leucoptera, USSR, June 1983 ( Iain S . Robertson) throat and a crescent below the eye are off- white or \ erv pale buff. The large dark eye contrasts against this pale area giving a beady-eyed look. The ear-coverts are chest- nut, with fine, dark brown streaks. upperparts The nape, mantle and scapulars are pale brownish grey, with darker brown streaks; the rump feathers are fringed pinkish grey, and the streaking is less obvious. The upper tail-coverts are chestnut, each with a fine, dark brown central streak. underparts The whole underparts from chin to undertail-coverts are basically white. Some chestnut streaking is present at the side of the breast on adults, forming a diffuse patch. More-prominent chestnut streaking is present on the flanks. Juveniles show fine, dark streaks at the sides of the breast, extending to the flanks, where they become more chestnut. At a distance, the underparts appear unmarked white. wing pattern The striking wing pattern is most obvious in flight, when a three-tone pattern (formed by chestnut lesser, median and primary coverts, contrasting with very dark primaries, secondaries, and greater coverts, bordered by a broad white trailing edge formed by the tips of the inner primaries and the mainly white secondaries). The dark tertials have broad, pale edges and tips which can be seen in flight. On the ground, the closed wing shows chestnut lesser and median coverts, dark-brown greater coverts, edged with pale buff, very dark brown primaries edged on the outer webs and tipped with bulfish, and dark brown tertials with broad pale fringes. The secondaries form a clear, white panel on the closed wing. Prominence has been given in some guides to the white outer web <>l the second (outermost long) primary (Hollom 1968). Though the edge of this feather is whitish, it is barclv Identification of While-winged Lark visible in the field, and certainly not striking. Several other larks, including Skylark, have very pale margins to this outermost primary. tail The tail is very dark brown with broad huffish fringes. The central tail leathers are edged chestnut, and the outer pair show a conspicuous amount of white. The tail appears well forked. 335 bare parts The bill is quite short and stout. The upper mandible is dark greyish horn, the lower mandible has a yellowish base becom- ing darker towards the tip. The legs are pale brown to dull flesh in colour. The eye is black. voice Most of those that I observed were in song, and no distinctive call was noticed. Difficulties of identification The White-winged Lark is a very distinctive and striking bird which should not give any problems of identification. The main danger lies with partially albinistic individuals of other larks. Though rare, they are perhaps not as rare as are genuine White-winged Larks in Europe. Patches of albinistic feathers arc sometimes symmetrical, suggesting a natural, rather than an aberrant plumage. The combination of chestnut crown and lesser coverts, together with facial pattern and very dark primaries and central wing area, should be a clear distinction from any other species of lark showing aberrant white secondaries. Bill shape and colour, together with white lesser and/or median coverts, should rule out Snow Bunting in any plumage. Acknowledgments I am grateful to Mark Beaman and Nigel Redman for their comments and use ol their photographs during the preparation of this paper. References British Ornithologists' Union. 1971. The Status oj Birds in Britain and Ireland. London. Dementiev, G. P., & Gladkov, N. A. 1968. Birds of the Soviet Union. Israel Program for Scientific Translations, Jerusalem. Hollom, P. A. I). 1968. The Popular Handbook of British Birds. London. Larkin, V., & Burambayev, G. 1980. Kazakhstan. Moscow. \\ itherby, H. Jourdain. F. C. R.. Ticehurst, N.. & Tucker. B. \V. 1988. The Handbook of British Birds, vol. 1. London. Iain S. Robertson , Easthouse, South Whiteness, Shetland ZE29LL Product reports Items included in this feature have been submitted by the manufacturers or their agents. The reviews arc the personal opinions of the reviewers; they are not the result ol technical tests, but are assessments made after use in the appropriate conditions (e.g. in the field). Neither British Birds nor the individual reviewers can accept responsibility for any adverse consequences of opinions stated, and items are accepted for review on this understanding. We aim. however, to be helpful both to our readers and to the manufacturers of goods used by birdwatchers. Eds ‘Benbo Mk. 1’ tripod The tripod was supplied with a ball-and-socket head; including this, dimensions are; maximum height about 5 ft 8 in. (1.7 m), closed length - ft 5 in. (0.7 m); weight 8.8 lb (4 kg). The review tripod had a ball-and-socket [Brit. Birds 79: 335-336. July 1986] 336 Product reports head, but a pan-and-tilt head is also available; price complete, about £118, including VAT. This superbly engineered tripod is somewhat unconventional in design; an ingenious, if somewhat bulky, clampable joint connects the legs and centre column, so that each of the legs and the column can be moved and clamped into position independently. If the clamping handle is slackened too much, the tripod behaves like a drunken spider, its legs everywhere; loosened partially, adjustment is simplicity itself. The main advantage ol this unusual design is that a camera (or telescope) may be supported in almost any position from ground level upwards. I was even able to erect and use the tripod for photography from my car (try doing this with a conven- tional tripod, especially one with bracing struts!). The extending tubular legs are in two sections; the outer section, which has sealed rubber feet, extends downwards: similar to the Welt tripod ( Brit . Birds 78: 96). It is then locked in the desired position with a chunky screw-in knob, conveniently located at the top of the extending section. As a result, the Bernbo may be set up in mud or salt water with little fear that dirt or corrosion will alTect the tripod. As a photographer’s tripod, it has both the weight and rigidity to support even the heaviest telephoto lens. My only criticism is that the operation of the ball-and-socket head was a little awkward with a very heavy lens, though, once clamped, the resulting photographs lacked nothing in sharp- ness. With a telescope, the Bembo was equally satisfactory, the adjusting knobs falling easily to hand, enabling it to be quickly set up. Fully extended, it is the right height for easy use, and the ball-and-socket head could be set for easy panning. In a strong breeze, its weight and rigidity came into their own, but it is rather heavy to carry for any distance. Moreover, when folded, the tripod is rather bulky; the adjusting knobs project somewhat, and users may find it advisable to remove them to avoid damage when travelling. These are minor quibbles, however, and I have no hesitation in strongly recommending this tripod; in spite of its bulk, I had no second thoughts about taking it with me on a recent visit to the USA. Its easy adjustability, coupled with the improved photographs resulting from the use of a solid tripod, made it a valued travelling companion. R. J. Chandler [ I f any reader would like further details of this product, please send a SAE to Sandra Barnes, BB Advertising, Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK44:iN.J.] ^fhcntp-fthr pearsi ago... ‘FULMARS NESTING IN CAITHNESS. On May 30th, 1911, Mr. B. B. Riviere and 1 tooka boat for the purpose of inspecting the cliffs which form Berriedale Head in Caithness. On some ol the steeper faces we found that a small colony of Fulmar Petrels ( Fulmarus glacialis ) had established itself, and as this is probably the most southerly nesting-place of this species in the British Isles, it should be worthy of record. A. H. Meiklejohn.’ (Brit. Birds 5: 56, July 191 1) Notes Parent Great Crested Grebe killing own small chick On 30th .June 1984, on a fine sunny morning, I was watching a family of Great Crested Grebes Podiceps cristatus at Lcs Grangettes Nature Reserve on Lake Geneva, Switzerland. Each parent carried two chicks, half hidden on its back. From time to time, both adults stretched and flapped their wings, making the chicks swim around with them. The grebes came near me, but they were apprehensive, even though I was quite alone and half hidden by shrubs. Suddenly, one of the adults seized a chick swimming in front of it and shook it. then threw it into the water and struck it savagely on the head. Was it a ‘slowcoach’, or had it been ‘disobedient’? In any case, it seemed to me to be smaller than its brothers and sisters. It tried desperately to climb on to the old nest, but the adult continued to attack it until it lay motionless on the water, quite dead. During this time, the other adult grebe had stayed apart with the three remaining chicks. What was the reason for this strange behaviour and extreme punishment? Was the parent frightened by my presence, to the point of making the young pay with its life, or had it simply decided to reduce the number of its offspring? 1 recall that these grebes arc used to seeing a lot of people around and that they build their nests on fallen branches trailing by the water's edge a metre or two from passers-by. Denis Ebbutt Confrerie 22. CH-1800 Vevey, Switzerland Dr K. K. I.. Simmons has commented as follows: ‘In all my .57 years of Great C rested Grebe watching, still continuing, including detailed observations on numerous broods. 1 have never seen or heard of anything like this — a parental attack on a small chick. Parental host i I i t \ towards older voting is. of course, quite normal in this species — to do with brood -division and what I have called the ‘in-chick/out-chick’ situation (see Brit. Birds 67: 424) — but never to the point of killing, so this incident seems quite abnormal. Eds Black-necked Grebes jump-diving If Black-necked Grebes Podiceps nigricollis did not usually jump before diving, this might offer a means of distinguishing them from Slavonian Grebes P. auritus at long range. In agreement with D. Graham Bell (Brit. Birds //: 315). I soon discovered, however, that Black-necked Grebes at Staines Reservoirs, Surrey, habitually jump-dive. P- J- Gasselton Department oj Botany. Birkbeck College , Male t Street. London IVCIE 7HX Cormorants roosting on electricity pylons Previous notes have described Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo perching on electricitv pylons and power cables (Brit. Birds 69: 498; 73: 310; 74: 181), but none has mentioned this species using pylons for overnight roosting. Since the early 1960s. the number of Cormorants wintering off the Sussex coast has increased markedly, and each year increasing numbers have flown inland in the 337 338 Notes evening to roost. Most use trees in the Arun valley, but in the Adur and Ouse valleys, which lack suitable riverside trees, pylons are used as roosts. In Sussex, records of Cormorants perching on inland pylons during the daytime date back to 1949, but roosting on pylons, although suspected in the late 1960s, was not confirmed until 1972, when 23 were reported on a single pylon in the Adur valley in December. This was, however, excep- tional: normally, more than one pylon is used and numbers rarely exceed 1 2 per pylon. In the 1981/82 winter, it was estimated that 220 Cormorants were flying into the three valleys at dusk, and, of these, about 60 were found to be roosting on pylons at six sites. S. W. M. Hughes 6 West Way, S/infold, Horsham, West Sussex Wigeon falling prey to grey seal On 9th January 1985, on the River Conway, Gwynedd, Mr and Mrs T. Davies saw a Wigeon Anas penelope disappear quickly beneath the surface, then reappear a few seconds later, before going under again. It then appeared once more, in the jaws of a grey seal Halichoerus grypus , which shook it and took it under again; it was not seen again. Although seals are well known to be carnivorous, first-hand accounts of their taking wildfowl appear to be quite rare. John Barnes Fach Goch, Waenfawr, Caernarfon, Gwynedd LL55 4YS Eider attacked by grey seal On 17th August 1985, at Pagham Harbour Nature Reserve, West Sussex, I saw a grey seal Halichoerus grypus attack one of two Eiders Somateria mollissima which had just separated. The Eider was in moult and could not fly. The seal was diving and attempting to come up underneath the duck. Feathers could be seen on the water around the Fader, which, after constant attacks from the seal, I thought to be dead. After the seal swam ofT, however, I could see that the Eider was still alive. Robert Morgan 11 Coningsby Road, South Croydon , Surrey Grey seal apparently taking Razorbill On 20th June 1983, on the Calf of Man, Isle of Man, looking down from about 27 m, I watched two Razorbills Alca torda on the water circling each other and bill-tapping. After a few minutes, a grey seal Halichoerus grypus surfaced some 10 m downtide of the auks and appeared to watch them for one or two minutes; it dived quietly and swam towards the Razorbills, which continued bill-tapping while the seal dived deeper and out of my vision. Within a few seconds, a great commotion took place. One Razorbill was bitten and held, seemingly by the lower belly; amid a lot of wing-beating and splashing, it was drawn under the water. The second auk, which had remained until the grabbed Razorbill was taken below the surface, then quickly flew out to sea. Despite a close watch, l saw neither the seal nor the Razorbill surface; an area immediately below my position, however, was obscured by a cliff overhang. I have spent many hours watching seabirds and seals close together, but this is the first aggressive interaction I have seen between them. Adrian del -Nevo Department of Zoology, University of Sheffield, Western Bank , Sheffield ST W2TN Notes 339 Corbet & Southern ( 1977, The Handbook oj British Mammals, 2nd edn. page 399) noted that grey seals ‘occasionally take birds swimming on surface of sea', but the identity of the prey was not specified. Eds Razorbill swimming at depth of 140 m I should like to report what 1 feel may be a unique experience. I am employed as a professional submersible pilot. On the morning of 1 1th February 1986, at around 08.15 GMT, while piloting the Perry submersible PC1805 from \1SV Stadive, my observer, L. Maguire, and I observed a seabird swimming at a depth of 130 m.and later at 140 m. At the time, we did not recognise the type of bird we were seeing, and thought it was a Guillemot Uria aalge , but later, due to the shape of its bill, identified it as a Razorbill Alca torda. We watched fascinated at its superb swimming action and the amazing fact that it did not appear to be a quick excursion, but was swimming around maintaining this depth. We were viewing the bird through a 1-m window, and it came, at its nearest, to within 1 m, possibly attracted by the submarine’s lights. At the time, underwater conditions were such that we had visibility of 10 m, and the whole area was extremely well lit by our lights. The accuracy of depth was within a few centimetres due to the digiquartz transducer carried on board PC 1805. Unfortunately, although PC1805 is fitted with an external video camera, we were unable to obtain a video record due to the position ol other equipment obscuring the camera’s view. This dive took place at a position of'61°0'61 N 1°40'44 E (ENE ofShetland, about midway between Shetland and Norway); there was a 0.3-knot easterly current or bottom tide. During 1 1 years and thousands of hours underwater, this was the first and only time that I have ever seen a bird at this sort of depth. In fact, had I not seen it with my own eyes, I would have had great difficulty in believing it. ' J. A. Jury .97 Bavview Road, Northarn. Devon E. \'39 IB] In .4 Dictionary of Birds (1985), Professor Robert \V. Storer noted that ‘Emperor Penguins Aptenodytes forsteri can descend to at least 265 in and remain submerged for over 18 min under natural conditions’, but we know of no remotely comparable records for any auk. We are grateful to Dr R. A. F. Cox of the North Sea Bird Club for passing Mr Jury's account to us. Eds Pallid Swift occupying House Martin’s nest On 5th May 1984. at Torremolinos, Spain, I watched a House Martin Delichon urbtea rebuild the left-hand nest in a cluster of three under the roof overhang of an hotel. The right-hand nest was complete, but only a trace of mud remained of the central one. The nests were at a height of about 45m. At 1 1 .30 gmt. a pair of Pallid Swifts Apus pa/lidus approached the completed nest. On 1 1 occasions in the next 1 Vi hours, one of the pair clung to the entrance hole for periods ranging from a few to over 20 seconds; at least four times, the other swift entered the nest being rebuilt, once breaking away a large piece of fresh mud. T he swifts moved off'for up to 15 minutes at a time during the period. From 1 6.00 to 1 8. 1 5 hours on 8th May, the swifts behaved in much the same manner; one twice entered and stayed in the right-hand nest, for eight and five minutes, in which time a martin alighted at the entrance hole, causing much screaming from the swift inside. The left-hand nest, now complete. 340 Notes was being visited regularly by the martins, which perched at the entrance and twice entered and sang vigorously. I left the area on 1 1th May, unable to see the outcome. Paul Kennedy Golden Hinde Restaurant, Watersmeet Road , Lynmouth . Devon EX356EP BWP vol. 4 makes no mention of Pallid Swifts taking over the nests of House Martins. Eds Apparently melanistic Green Woodpecker At Hoobrook, Kidder- minster, Worcestershire, on 25th June 1985, I saw' an all-dark Green Woodpecker Picus viridis feeding on a grass verge. It was wholly black, with no red. When it flew, I noticed a dirty cream rump. Gordon Forrest 97 Crabtree Lane, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire Whilst this may have been a melanistic Green Woodpecker, the possibility that it was soiled by some contaminant could have been eliminated only by examination (and perhaps chemical analysis) in the hand. Eds Ground-feeding behaviour of migrating Swallows During sultry but brilliantly sunny anticyclonic weather on 12th September 1982, my wife and I were on Trewey Common, Cornwall, a high heather moor of 121 m overlooking Gurnard’s Head and the Atlantic Ocean. In the morning, few birds were about except Skylarks Alauda arvensis, Meadow Pipits Anthus pratensis and Curlews Numenius arquata. As the day progressed to late after- noon, a persistent but mild westerly wind came in from the Atlantic, and, as suddenly, a great influx of black dipteran flies arrived into the area (these may have been Dilophus Jebrilis , which are prolific in summer and autumn: E. G. Hancock in litt.). These flies were all about us in hovering flight, but equally they covered the ground, the heather and the grasses. We were about to leave when a migrating flock of at least 500 Swallows Hirundo rustica, adults and juveniles, suddenly arrived. For three-quarters of an hour, they fed avidly on this food supply: at any one time, hundreds of Swallows had alighted on ground and heather to ‘pick off the flies with snapping bill movements (many also resorted to flight feeding at intervals). Apparently satiated, they departed as quickly as they had arrived, flying over the moor in a southeasterly direction. Although it is well known for hirundines occasionally to feed on the ground or prostrate vegetation (e.g. Brit. Birds 44: 65; 45: 69; 50: 306-307; 74: 98, 441 ), this degree and duration of ground feeding was new to me in Britain. Bernard King 9 Park Road, Newlyn. Penzance, Cornwall TRI85DZ Phylloscopus warbler with songs of Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler In 1982, Michael Leonard drew my attention to a strange Phylloscopus warbler at Hackenthorpe, South Yorkshire. The bird had been present for at least the previous two breeding seasons, and was obviously defending a small territory comprising rough grassland and scattered hawthorns Crataegus monogyna on the slopes of a small valley. When I was first shown the bird, it was singing a song typical of Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita which was so convincing that any unforewarned ornithologist would instantly have identified it as that species. A few seconds later, as I watched Notes 341 the bird, its song changed to that of a Willow Warbler P. trochilus. On this and subsequent occasions, the latter was the more usual type of song, but it frequently sang Chiffchaff song also, sometimes alone for periods of up to 15 minutes or so. Occasionally, it changed from one form of song to the other without any audible break between the two. All who saw' the bird, including A. Bailey, G. P. Mawson and S. Toher, considered it to be a Willow Warbler on shape and coloration, but unfortunately all attempts to trap the bird, which was ringed, were unsuccessful. It did not return in 1983. R. A. Frost 66 St Lawrence Road, North Wingfield, Chesterfield. Derbyshire S42 5LL Appearance and song of possible Chiffchaff X Willow Warbler hybrid In 1982, in a study area in Lothian, southeast Scotland, a brood of Phylloscopus warblers was reared by a male Chiffchaff P. collybita and a female Willow Warbler P. trochilus {Brit. Birds 76: 248-25 1 ). We were unable to visit the site in 1983, but on 23rd April 1984 we did so, and were struck by an unusual song, best described as Chiffchaff-type phrases preceding and following typical Willow Warbler song. Further study revealed that the singer was one of the brood of presumed hybrids, which had all been colour-ringed. On 28th April, we returned and caught the bird in a mistnet. 1 1 was similar to a male Willow Warbler in size (wing 68 mm; weight 9.7 g). Its 2nd primary equalled the 6th, which is typical ol \\ illow Warbler, but there was a slight trace of emargination on the 6th, though less obvious than on the majority of Chiffchaffs (at the nestling stage, no emargination at all had been visible on the growing feather). Its legs were dark grey-brown, paler at the rear. Its plumage was generally duller than that ol any \\ illow Warblers we have handled, although this was obvious only when other birds were available for direct comparison. We suspect that most ringers would have identified the bird as a Willow Warbler in the hand, dull plumage being not uncommon among northern Willow Warblers (Wil- liamson, 1974, The Genus Phylloscopus. BTO Guide No. 2). In the field, the presumed hybrid responded more readily to tape-recordings ol W illow Warbler than to those of Chiffchaff. Whether other hybrids would resemble this individual is not known. Owing to construction work on the study site, opportunities to study warblers were very limited in 1984 and we could not catch another Phyllo- scopus warbler which also had an unusual song. It usually sang like a Chiffchaff, but also produced phrases reminiscent of a Willow W arbler. to such good effect that we thought at first that two birds were in the same bush. The origin of this individual is not known; it was unringed, and clearly not a member of the brood of presumed hybrids from 1982. We would stress that the production of Chiffchaff song phrases by Willow- Warblers, or vice versa (both are recorded in The Handbook ), is insufficient evidence of hybridisation. Furthermore, the songs of Chiffchaffs in Iberia and North Africa include phrases similar to those of Willow Warbler (Thielcke & Linsenmair, J. Om. 104: 372-402), and an individual appar- ently of this form (known as ‘ brehmii ’) has been recorded in Dorset {Brit. Birds 77: 25). It does seem, however, that there is scope for further study of 342 Notes these points, ideally by ringers who are prepared to watch their birds closely in the field. S. R. D. da Prato and E. S. da Prato 38 Carlaverock Grove, Tranent , East Lothian EH332EB Chiffchaff with songs of Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler A ChifTchafT Phylloscopus collybita with an extraordinary song, starting like a typical ChilTchafi and developing into a trill very similar to that of a typical Willow Warbler P. trochilus , was present and heard singing at Ballagh, Co. Tipperary, from 2 1st April to 23rd July 1985. That it was a male ChilTchafi was established by trapping and ringing at 06.00 GMT on 21st April (wing 62 mm; weight 7.9 g) and retrapping on 3rd and 12th May, when the wing formula was re-checked (emarginated 6th; 2nd primary between 7th and 8th) and bare-part coloration compared with other Chifichafis. It behaved as though on breeding territory, but the presence of a female and nest were not established (four adult and 14 juvenile Chifichafis were ringed in this study area in 1985). The song was often very predominantly that of Chiff- chaff, but reverted to the ChifTchaff-becoming-Willow- Warbler song combination without fail after, at most, six pure ChifTchafT phrases. Christopher Wilson Dreoilin, Knockavilla , Dundrum , Co. Tipperary, Ireland A tape-recording of the song was sent to Ron Kettle of the British Library of Wildlife Sounds, who informed us that the BLOWS collection contains recordings of three other examples of mixed Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler song: from Wales, in May 1979; from Gloucestershire, in April 1980; and from Trondheim, Norway, in July 1983. See also the notes above. Eds Jay taking peanuts from hanging mesh bag Two previous notes des- cribed Jays Garrulus glandarius learning to feed on peanuts in helical spring holders. In the first, peanuts were dislodged by various shaking techniques and later by the holder being tipped (Brit. Birds 56: 221). The second described one Jay hanging on the side of the holder, like a tit Parus , and another flying up from the ground and stabbing at nuts, without landing on the holder (Brit. Birds 69: 105). Observations in November 1983, in my garden in Slinfold, West Sussex, suggest that the current fashion of pro- viding peanuts in plastic mesh bags provides new scope for this opportunist species. At first, the bird’s technique was to fly at the bag from a nearby post: the momentum on landing caused the bag to swing violently, but this was not a deterrent; a single jab from its beak was sufficient to make a hole in the underside of the bag, and one or two nuts were taken before the bird retired. On later visits, the Jay holed the top of the bag, and it was able to assume a comfortable feeding position from which it took 39 nuts in as many seconds. This rate of feeding soon reduced the bulk of the nuts and made landing and feeding more difficult and, I thought, self-limiting. The Jay, however, soon overcame this problem by flying at the very bottom of t lie bag and hanging there, totally inverted, in typical tit fashion. Green- finches Carduelis chloris and Great Tits Parus major attempted to feed on the bag while the Jay was present, but with little success. S. W. M. H UGHES 6 West Way, S/inJold, Horsham, West Sussex British Birds The established quality magazine with a proven committed readership British Birds for the serious birdwatcher FOR ADVERTISING RATES AND DETAILS PHONE SANDRA BARNES 0621 815085 ( lXitj 7) Talk to A, R. Hawkins about Binoculars! SAVE ££££s— BE WISE— BUY FROM BRITAIN’S BINOCULAR/TELESCOPE SPECIALISTS— ORDER BY POST OR PHONE IN COMPLETE CONFIDENCE ' PHONE US FOR Best Makes. Largest Stocks. Fastest Service. By return Despatch and Free Advice. ZEISS WEST THE WORLD’S FINEST! YOU’VE JUST GOT TO OWN ONE! 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For information write to: Peter de Knijff, Dutch Birding Association, Postbus 473, 2400 AL Alphen aan den Rijn, Netherlands. (D692) X Letters ‘Mystery photographs 92’: Franklin’s Gull or Laughing Gull? The request to readers for considered opinions about the identity of the mystery gull Larus at Radipole, Dorset, on 13th April 1980, depicted in the July 1984 issue (Brit. Birds 77: plate 1 12, reprinted with a second photograph as plates 134 & 135 with P. J. Grant’s solution in the subsequent issue, Brit. Birds: 350-352) elicited 15 thoughtful replies, ranging in tone from cautious and tentative to adamant and even outraged. Only three correspondents unequivocally endorsed the Rarities Committee’s conclusion that the bird was a Laughing Gull L. atricilla , though two more thought Laughing Gull at least as possible as Franklin’s Gull L. pipixean. Six took rather firm stands (and one spoke more warily) for Franklin’s Gull, one for Bonaparte’s Gull L. Philadelphia , and two for Black-headed Gull L. ridibundus. Two suggested the possibility of a hybrid: Black-headed X Laughing, Black-headed X Franklin’s, or Black-headed X Mediterranean Gull L. rnelanocephalus. In most cases, the arguments against one species or another were put more strongly than the arguments for the proposed alternative solution. In general, correspondents depended heavily on interpretations ol the colour of the tipperparts, the contour and proportions of the bill, the shape of the hood, and the thickness of the eye-crescents to defend their positions. The case for Bonaparte's Gull, put by Robin Prytherch, was accompanied by a drawing comparing Bonaparte’s delicate bill, rounded forehead, and extended chin-feathering with the heavier bill, more sloping forehead, and 170. Laughing (hill Larus atricilla with Herring Gulls /.. argentatus, Dorset, April 1980 (previously published as plates 112 and 134 in volume 77) ( Brian Holmes) 343 344 Letters receding chin of both Franklin’s and Laughing Gulls. For Mr Prytherch, size, jizz, bill proportions, hood-shape, eye-crescents, colour of the upper- parts, leg-length, and white-tipped primaries were all entirely compatible with Bonaparte's. comment Although I would argue that the eye-crescents are too thick, the bill too heavy and bulbous, and the wing-pattern inappropriate for Bonaparte’s Gull, the conclusive arguments against this diagnosis are found in the text, not the photographs. 4 he bird in question had a dark red bill with an orange tip, dark legs (possibly dark red), and upperparts darker grey than those of Common Gull L. canus. Bonaparte’s Gull’s black bill (occasionally red just at the base), orange-red legs, and light grey mantle and scapulars take this species out of the running immediately. The case jor Black-headed Gull or its hybrids , presented by Yolker Conrad and D. I. M. Wallace, might be summarised as ‘Why on earth not?!’ Both Black-headed Gull advocates found almost nothing to suggest either Franklin’s or Laughing Gull in the photographs. Mr Wallace found the head-pattern, the posture, and the ‘tripping gait’ just right for Black- headed and thought he saw a white blaze on the outer primaries in plate 134. Fie suggested that the black hood (if correctly perceived) and the thick eye-crescents might be attributable to a Mediterranean Gull gene. comment An unfortunate omission from the information available to readers is the evidence from another photograph showing a raised wing with all-dark outer primaries. 1’his feature eliminates consideration of both Black-headed and Bonaparte’s Gulls at once, even if no discrepancies in bill-shape, eye-crescents, wing-pattern, and upperparts colour are per- ceived in the published photographs and text. Though it may be difficult to overcome the powerful impression of pale upperparts presented by the photographs, which appear overexposed, a fair analysis must take into account the observers' presumably thorough familiarity with Black-headed Gulls and their confidence that the bird was darker than a Common Gull. 171. Laughing Gull Larus atricilla with Herring Gull L. argentatus. Dorset, April 1980 (previously published as plate 135 in volume 77) ( Brian Holmes) Letters 345 The case for Franklin ’s Gull rested largely on presumed differences between Franklin’s and Laughing Gulls. It is worth while to eliminate at once the false assumptions that convinced several correspondents that the bird could not be a Laughing Gull: 1 . size Not all Laughing Gulls arc larger than Black-headed Gulls. Laughing Gulls breeding in the Caribbean overlap in wing- and tarsus-measurements with both Franklin's and Black- headed Gulls and are unlikely to appear generally larger than either species, even in direct comparison (and we have no evidence that this gull was ever seen next to a Black-headed Gull). There is no good reason to assume that this bird was hatched in North America rather than in the West Indies. 2. colour of mantle, scapulars, and wing-coverts Despite published statements that Franklin’s Gulls are paler above than Laughing Gulls, observers accustomed to searching for Franklin’s Gulls among flocks of Laughing Gulls find that the two species, even standing side-by-side, cannot be separated on the basis of the colour of the upperparts. 3. wing-tips It is entirely typical of adult Laughing Gulls to have narrow white tips on their sixth to eighth primaries as late in the year as mid May. 4. colour of legs and bill From late March to August, an adult Laughing Gull normally has dark red or reddish-black legs and a dark red bill with a red or orange-red tip. Second- summers usually have reddish-black legs and black bills with dark red tips, like winter adults, but these features may vary from plain black to nearly as red as on breeding adults. 5. hood shape Most of the time, a Laughing Gull’s hotxl (like that ol a f ranklin’s) extends well down the hind neck. When it is courting, however, competing for food, manifesting stress, or hunched down (and probably under other circumstances), the posterior edge of the htxxl may climb right up to the top of the nape. Points 3 to 5 were verified many times over in April and May 1985 at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, site of a large Laughing Gull nesting colony on the coast ol \ irginia. The remaining arguments put forth by Franklin’s Gull supporters can be summarised as follows: Richard Coomber, backing his point with two good photographs of Florida Laughing Gulls, emphasised the lack of a ‘very striking droop- tipped bill with a distinct gony (sic).' A. D. Prowse considered the head and proportions to be all wrong for a Laughing Gull, the apparent attenuation of the rear end a photographic illusion, and the loral distance useless because ol distortion. He recognised the anomaly ol a Franklin’s Gull showing a lull hood and dark primaries, and resolved it by concluding that the bird was a Franklin’s Gull in second summer plumage with arrested or delayed primary moult, the old primaries being at least p7 to plO, retaining worn white tips on p7 and p8. Keith Walton, also concerned about the anomaly, suggested that the bird was a first-summer Franklin’s with a hood so nearly complete that we cannot see the negligible white feathering in the photographs. A. H. J. Harrop found the balance of the evidence in favour of Franklin's Gull, allowing for old, much-abraded outer primaries and a more signifi- cant variation in Franklin’s wing-tip patterns than is sometimes thought. He saw no reason to rule the thinner eye-crescents of plate 135 more accurate reflections of reality than the thicker ones of plate 134. Call, bill-length, and leg-length all seemed to him more characteristic of Franklin’s. Dr Philippe Dubois also minimised the importance of the dark outer primaries and endorsed Franklin’s, though he thought that the bill seemed rather long. He was the other proponent of a possible hybrid (either 346 Letters Franklin’s or Laughing X Black-headed), citing the pairing of both New World species with Grey-headed Gull L. cirrocephalus in Senegal. K. J. Hall speculated that, given the imperfect understanding of Franklin’s Gull moults, it may be possible that “some individuals of this species do not have a complete spring moult: ‘Among these, surely the most likely individuals not to have a “normal” moult will be those that have undergone the trauma of displacement from their usual migration route’ being wrongly programmed internally as to both navigation and plumage. P. J. Baglee, the most positive of all the Franklin’s Gull adherents, wrote twice, ruling out Laughing Gull on the basis of size, length of primaries, head-shape, bill-shape, head-size, hood-shape, eye-crescents, mantle colour, under-exposure of plate 135 (reducing the eye-crescents and elimi- nating the white primary tips), and stocky jizz. The case for Laughing Gull w as developed from a variety of perspectives, but always on the basis of morphology and plumage rather than jizz. David Ferguson, who had encountered tens of thousands of individuals of both Franklin’s and Laughing Gulls, had never seen a Franklin’s with a full hood and no white primary spots, and he noted that the eye-crescents on the mystery gull are entirely compatible with Laughing Gulls of his acquaintance. He enclosed a photograph taken in March showing a Laughing Gull nearly identical to the mystery gull in head, neck, bill, and hood shape. Finally, he found the same ratio of bill-plus-head length to tarsus length (2.8:1) in his photograph and in plate 135. At the other extreme of experience (none with either species) Ken Osborne, initially in the Franklin’s Gull camp, analysed the photographs for foreshortening, and concluded that the angle on the forehead was steeper and the bill shorter than it would be in a side-on view. After attempting to compensate for the distortion by drawing the heads in both photographs turned onto the horizontal plane, thus lengthening the bills, he became convinced that Laughing Gull was a possibility (and his drawings are persuasive.) Alan Lewis made just the same point by showing how the leg placement in plate 134 indicates that the bird is partly turned away from the camera, noting also that the foreshortening reduced the attenuated effect of the rear end and made the bird appear stockier and more Franklin’s-like. He also pointed out the fact that leg lengths of Laughing and Black-headed Gulls overlap, whereas Franklin’s has noticeably shorter legs. The quotation from the description, ‘The legs appeared short, not longer than Black- headed’s’, seems inappropriate to a Franklin’s, but compatible with a Laughing Gull. Michael Passant considered the key issue to be bill-length and examined all the side-on photographs of both species that he could find for length of bill relative to the distance from the back of the eye to the base of the bill. On eight Laughing Gulls, the ratio varied from 1.19:1 to 1.58:1, averaging 1.4:1; on five Franklin’s Gulls, it ranged from 1 .027: 1 to 1 .156: 1 , averaging 1.086:1. Having access to eight slides of the Radipole gull taken by B. Holmes, he found three with side-on views. The ratios measured 1.472:1, 1 .475: 1 , and 1 .25: 1 , all within only the Laughing Gull limits. Letters 347 I'he only correspondent brave enough to reach no decision between Laughing and Franklin’s was M. J. Giles, who found the combined evi- dence of the photographs and the field description inadequate to eliminate either species. Conclusions For American gull-watchers, the evidence presented to British Birds readers was less than conclusive. Specifically, no description of the extended wing, either above or below, nor of the uppertail surface was provided. The seven photographs (in colour) and two descriptions, by R. A. Ford and I. C. Pembroke, from which the Rarities Committee drew its conclu- sion, are less equivocal; they remove any doubts that the bird was a Laughing Gull, albeit a small one. The long wings (conspicuously long to all observers), the long bill, and the broken eye-crescents, as seen nearly side-on in plate 135 and more clearly in several unpublished photographs, are characteristic of Laughing Gtfll, not Franklin’s. The gonydeal angle and the drooped, pointed tip ol the bill can be seen in the colour prints. The single picture showing a raised but still folded wing reveals not only all-dark outer primaries, but also apparently all-white central tail leathers. Those observers who saw the bird in flight described the tail as white, not appropriate for a Franklin’s Gull of any age (though grey central tail feathers might have been difficult to see under poor conditions). The upper surface of the extended wings was not seen well, but reminded observers of Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus Juscus: dark grey, with black tips. According to Mr Pembroke, ‘the under wing had black tips which appeared to fade into a dusky grey inner wing colour although this demarcation was fuzzy and not clear cut.’ This description fits only a Laughing Gull. Although the apparently pale underparts, the hood-shape in plate 135, and the eye-crescents in plate 112/1 34 (but not 1 35) are sufficiently atypical of a Laughing Gull to be confusing initially, all of these features can be explained by light conditions and film exposure, camera angle, and the bird’s temporary position. (A similarly pale-backed Laughing Gull, with a seemingly droopless bill, a stocky body, and foreshortened wings, was shown in British Birds 78. plate 66.) The orange-tipped red bill and the dark red legs (both features unexpectedly colourful in the original photographs), the complete hood (described as ‘jet-black’ and ‘very black’), the dark primaries with very thin white tips on the seventh and eighth primaries, and the pure white tail typify in all respects adult Laughing Gulls in April. The traces of brown on the abraded wing-coverts suggest the possibility of a second-summer indi- vidual, but most second-year Laughing Gulls have wing-coverts that are as grey and fresh as those of adults, season for season. The lack of any other clear sign of immaturity makes it more likely that the bird is a noticeably travel-worn adult instead. Compared with the case for Laughing Gull, the one for Franklin's becomes very weak indeed. One must not onl\ accept the foreshortened view in plate 1 12/134 as showing the true proportions of the bird, but one 348 Letters must argue for an individual in adult summer plumage except for a much delayed primary moult. ( British Birds readers, not given all the facts available to the Rarities Committee and to me, had no opportunity to take into account the dusky underwing and the white uppertail.) Why search for an explanation which requires one to hypothesise either hybridisation or anomalous patterns of moult, when one species oilers a normal plumage (with compatible bare parts) that fits the bill? The answer seems to lie in an inclination to allow jizz, even of a rare and relatively unfamiliar bird, to outweigh hard data when the information provided is insufficient for an unarguable conclusion. The evidence as a whole points conclusively to Laughing Gull. I am grateful to my American consultants, Rick Blom, Hal Wierenga and Blair Nikula, for illuminating discussions on this subject, and to Rick Blom for a critical reading of an early draft of this paper. Claudia Wilds 3331 N Street N. IV., Washington DC 20007 , USA VV e are most grateful to Claudia Wilds for preparing this summary' at our request. Eds Aerial display of Black-shouldered Kite On 7th December 1982, at Beung Boraphet, central Thailand, Tony Baker and I observed two Black- shouldered Kites Elanus caeruleus displaying in a manner identical to that described by Norman Arlott (Brit. Birds 77: 22-23). Their tumble to the ground from 40 m I likened to a falling sycamore key Acer pseudoplatanus. Since the contrasting flashes of black, white and grey during the cartwheel would be visible over a large distance, I wonder if this display is a sexual one, advertising occupancy of a particular area, especially as this species often inhabits a large territory in open, featureless country. Paul J Epson 87 Weetwood Lane, Leeds LS16 5NU Size-illusion In reply to D. J. Jeffers (Brit. Birds 78: 248-251), I would point out that I defined ‘size-illusion’ as the particular phenomenon which makes farther objects appear larger than they really are in comparison with nearer objects whenever binoculars and telescopes are used (76: 327-334). This rather obvious illusion had apparently not been described previously, but this is perhaps not all that surprising because it is only in birdwatching that size assessments made with optical aids are so frequently crucial, and in which size-illusion could cause problems. So it is misleading for D. J. Jeffers to say that size-illusion ‘has been known to man since antiquity’, and irrelevant of him to use the Moon illusion (in which, w ith the naked eye , the Moon looks larger when it is at the horizon than when it is at the zenith) as an example: the Moon illusion has nothing to do with size-illusion, in which the illusory effects are created by magnifying optical aids. He also points out that it is not the image which is illusory, but the brain’s interpretation of it which causes size-illusion, a semantic point which I accept, but which does not alter the facts of size-illusion. Contrary to the main conclusion of his letter, size-illusion certainly does occur when straight line depth cues are absent. This can easily be demonstrated by looking at same-sized objects, one a short distance behind Letters 349 the other, on featureless ground. The farther object will still look larger, even without the depth cues of straight lines. 1 am pleased that there now seems to he general agreement among experienced birdwatchers that accurate size judgment is vers difficult, except in the most favourable circumstances, and that a size assessment, when it forms the main factor in the identification of a rarity, is extremely unreliable, as proposed in my first contribution on this subject (73: 227- 228). I remain convinced that size-illusion itself can add its own particular problems when making size comparisons in the field and in some photo- graphs taken with telephoto lenses. P-.J Grant 14 Heathfield Road , Ashford, Kent TN248QD Size-illusion After reading D. J. Jeffers’s letter (Brit. Birds 78: 248-251) and then re-reading P. J. Grant’s original article (Brit. Birds 76: 327-334), 1 am not sure if a satisfactory answer to the problem of size-illusion has emerged. In particular, the importance of movement when we make both absolute and relative size judgments has not been mentioned. Brick w alls, parallel lines, test cards, poles in the ground, etc. are, to my mind, missing the point: these are all stationary objects. What the brain uses to compare the size of an observed bird against known birds is the subtle way in which it moves all or part of its body. This is most easily illustrated for birds in flight. If we watched a small warbler (Sylviidae) flying against a clear back- ground, we would note that it was much smaller than a gull Larus because of the way its wings move in relation to its body, the speed of flapping, and the general quickness of activity that a warbler displays, as opposed to a gull s more ponderous flight, slowness in turning, and more relaxed way of moving through the air. When we watch a flock of Starlings Sturms vulgaris flying overhead, the way in which the birds move indicates straightaway that they are Starlings, the subtlety of movement being very characteristic of that species’ size. Returning to P. J. Grant’s original hypothesis, it would appear that viewed and recorded images create the effect that a distant bird is bigger than a nearer one. But is this really the problem that it appears? Do we say to ourselves ‘53A inches’ or ‘14.5 cm’ when we see a small brown bird flit through the undergrowth? Do we gasp in amazement as we watch a game of cricket end-on, which shows the distant wicketkeeper ‘bigger' than the bowler? No, our brain’s programme is so comprehensive as to be able to allow for this extra introduced information. My contention is that, in these situations, we fall back on movement as the prime supplier of visual information as to the object’s size. John Higginbottom Rye brook. Four Weston Lodge, Portsmouth Road , Thames Ditton , Surrey KT70EZ W hilst we agree that movement — the actions- — and other aspects ol a bird s jizz can on occasions help an observer to determine its size correctly, they are likely to be of little help in assessing the size of, sav. a stint or peep Calidns standing or feeding a couple of metres beyond a Dunlin C. atpina : the sort of problem originally highlighted by Peter Grant. Birders are now. however, aware of the dangers of size-illusion; it was the lack of appreciation that there could be a problem that was the cause of size misjudgments and. potentially, ol misidentifications. The subject has been well aired, so this correspondence is now closed. Eds 350 Letters Herring Gulls of ‘cachinnans’ group nesting on buildings The nesting of Herring Gulls Larus argentatus on buildings in Barcelona, Spain, since 1981 is referred to as the first such case for the cachinnans race/ species {Brit. Birds 77: 237). Breeding on buildings by cachinnans has in fact long been known in the Black Sea area: in Constanta, Romania, since at least 1953, and earlier than this in Bulgaria (Padadopol, 1980, Trav. Mus. Hist. Nat. ‘Grigore Antipa’ 21: 253-274). Pierre 5 esou Office National de la Chasse , CERA ‘ Oiseaux d'eau ’, 85340 lie d'Olonne , France Pesticides and pollution In his recent review of John Sheail’s book on the pesticide story in the United Kingdom, Stanley Cramp said (I paraphrase) ‘the Toxic Chemical and W ildlife Section (TCVVLS) at the Monks Wood Experimental Station was disbanded’ {Brit. Birds 79: 104). True enough, staff have changed, and the section name was dropped (along with all the other former section names at Monks Wood), but this is, perhaps, a little misleading. The work has continued, expanded and diversified so that many more, modern, problems are now being tackled at Monks Wood. The successors to the TCWLS were recently re-housed in brand new laboratories and have improved means ofdetecting the presence and effects of toxic chemicals on wildlife. At present, there are about 20 staff members directly involved with toxic chemical research, and a further ten work on general agricultural impacts on wildlife. We continue to monitor organochlorine pesticides and PCBs, in seabirds and birds of prey, and actively investigate the causes of wildlife mortality incidents under contract to the Nature Conservancy Council. Also, we have, since 1975, started work on a number of other topics. Work on metal provides some convenient examples, such as lead in swans Cygnus , cadmium and mercury in seabirds, and the Mersey estuary bird mortalities. Additionally, we have work in progress on the impact of ‘acid rain’, on improving ways ofdetecting the adverse effects of chemicals on wildlife, and on factors affecting the uptake of chemicals by animals. As a result of our scientific investigations, national and international agencies seek our advice and information on a very regular basis. For example, we have recently produced a report on the effects of ‘acid rain’ on frogs Rana for the EEC and regularly contribute to the World Health Organisation's series of Environmental Health Criteria Documents and to the UN Environment Programme’s International Register of Potentially Toxic Chemicals. Your readers might also like to know that, in addition to the work at Monks Wood, this Institute’s other research stations, placed as they are at strategic locations around the country, also conduct a great deal of work on pollution — particularly into the problems associated with ‘acid rain' (ITE Bush/ITE Brathens) and the waste products from nuclear power (ITE Merlewood). Further, the work on environmental pollution is increasingly integrated with work on land use, the breeding and feeding ecology' of indicator organisms, and ecophysiology. An Institute-wide research programme aimed at assessing the impact of agriculture on the environ- Letters 351 ment has also recently been implemented, along with studies into the management of those parts of agricultural land which undergo periodic inundation. In short, I feel that the work has been expanded even though TCWLS was disbanded and I hope this letter should go some way to reassuring your readers. M. D. Hooper Monks Wood Experimental Station, Abbots Ripton, Huntingdon PE172LS Mediterranean races of Manx Shearwater in British waters The pos- sible identification of the east Mediterranean race of Manx Shearwater Pujfinus pujfinus yelkouan (known as ‘Levantine’) in British waters is receiving another airing (Brit. Birds 76: 413), but is the ‘Balearic' P. p. mauretanicus versus Levantine situation that simple? J. S. Ash and K. B. Rooke (Brit. Birds 47: 285-296) demonstrated the variability of Balearic Shearwaters seen at Portland, Dorset, grouping them broadly into light and dark phases. During 1953-57, the possibility that the very light individuals might be ol the race yelkouan was mooted. Dr I. C. T. Nisbet and T. G. Smout, travelling from east of Venice to the Sea of Marmara, distinguished three discrete types yelkouan, indicating variability in appearance (Brit. Birds 50: 201). Do these variations suggest that a cline may exist, birds becoming progres- sively darker, and perhaps larger, from east to west? G. H . Rees 16 Winch Crescent. Haverfordwest. Dyjed Curtis et al. (Brit. Birds 78: 123-138) made the surprising claim that the race yelkouan of Manx Shearwater occurs in the North Sea oil Flamborough Head, North Humberside, from May to December in the ratio of one yelkouan to nine mauretanicus. (511 the Lizard peninsula, Cornwall, I have recorded 232 mauretanicus, in even month ot the year except February, but only three Manx which I have regarded as of the rac e yelkouan. all ol which were in the first half of May. I know of no other observers who have identified yelkouan in either Devon or Cornwall, so the ratio may be even lower than my own records indicate. Indeed, outside the short period in which I have seen them, they appear to be absent. The answer to this discrepancy between observations in the Southwest and those in the North Sea seems unlikely to be that yelkouan moves north well clear of land before coming inshore again, and it appears that there may be a case for further discussion of the identification criteria employed by the Flamborough seawatchers. There are two points here. The first is that, surely, the plumages of mauretanicus and yelkouan are quite distinct? Secondly, it w ould appear that the flight characteristics and size of yelkouan are also useful identifying features. All my three observations of apparent yelkouan were made on southeast sites. My position was 10 m above the sea, and conditions were as follows: wind southwest, force 5-6; occasional light to moderate rain; visibility between *1 km and 3 km; light clear and diffuse. One individual passed at 352 Letters 100 m, flying beside a Manx Shearwater of the nominate race P. p. puffinus] another at 150 m, with a nominate Manx in the same field of view for part ol the time; and the third at only 75 m, but with no other bird for direct comparison. On each occasion, 7X50 binoculars were used. A summary of the birds’ appearance is as follows: size & flight Appeared shorter than, or at eye, but a horizontal division between upper- most equal to, nominate Manx. Wingspan and underparts from bill to wing; this smaller than, or at most equal to, nominate division not quite so sharp as on nominate Manx. Wingbeats at least as fast as nominate Manx, but nothing like the smudgy effect on Manx, or (in two cases) distinctly faster. mauretanicus. Division between upper- and plumage Medium-brown above, paler than underparts behind wing also roughly hori- tvpical mauretanicus , with clear division zontal, lacking the pale notch ol nominate between upperparts and underparts. Pale Manx, off-white below. No ‘crescent-mark’ behind Either the plumage or the flight action (in some cases, both) should clearly identify yelkouan. My field notes on the first example state: ‘First impression was that it was a Little Shearwater — slightly shorter — much faster wing- beat than adjacent Manx. Immediately realised it was only marginally smaller than the Manx (5-10%) and obviously brown & white. Paler brown than Balearic, horizontal division through eye almost as sharp as Manx, white underparts. ’ Contrary to the view of Curtis et at. (Brit. Birds 78: 124), a far better representation of the appearance of yelkouan is, in my opinion, given in the paintings by P. J. Hayman in BWP (vol. 1, plate 15): illustration 8b gives an excellent idea of the first two individuals I observed; the third may have been as large as that in illustration 8a, but, even so, its plumage was quite distinct from both mauretanicus and nominate Manx. (Incidentally, the table of measurements in BWP (vol. 1, p. 150) gives the outer wing length of yelkouan as 224-244 mm for 23 individuals, although four adults not included in this table had outer wing lengths of209-216 mm; clarification of the range of measurements of the three races of Manx would be helpful.) It appears that the observers of the Flamborough Ornithological Group may have oversimplified the basics of Manx Shearwater identification and are not adequately distinguishing yelkouan from the commoner races. I would hold that a typical yelkouan seen under good conditions presents no problems. A very small yelkouan with its faster and more fluttery flight could be confused with a Little Shearwater P. assimilis by the unwary, unless a good view of the plumage is obtained. Paul McCartney 4 Dracaena View, Penwerris, Falmouth, Cornwall TR112PY Curtis et al. (Brit. Birds 78: 1 23-138) stated that ‘there seems to be no reason to doubt that individuals of the rac e yelkouan reach British waters.’ If we may reasonably think that this subspecies can reach the British coasts, it would be useful to acquire more evidence than that given by Cade (Brit. Birds 76: 413). Every summer since 1982, I have had the opportunity to watch many hundreds of ‘Balearic’ Shearwaters off the Vendee and Charente-Maritime coasts of west France, where at least 10,000 shear- waters spend the summer (Yesou, 1984, Gorgebleue 6: 5-8). In July and August, many are moulting and their plumage is very faded, but some Letters 353 juveniles in fresh plumage are also seen in the same waters. One of the characteristics of mauretanicus is an extreme variation in plumage, Irom ‘Sooty P. griseus' type to ‘Manx P. p. pufjinus' type. Some individuals seen at close range fitted very well the description given of P. p.yelkouan by Cade or 172-174. Manx Shearwaters PuJJinus pufjinus of west Mediterranean race mauretanicus. France. September 1984 ( G . Baudoin) 354 Letters by Harrison (1983, Seabirds: an identification guide), and also my personal observations in 1973 and 1979 oil’ the Black Sea, including the division between brown and white on the side of the head. The underwing pattern, too, is quite variable, according to the light, the angle of view and the distance of the bird from the observer. Some Balearic Shearwaters seen off the Vendee coasts during the beginning of the autumn fitted very well with the plumage pattern of yelkouan (plates 1 72- 1 74). It seems to me too early to include this latter race in the British list without a more open debate on its identification and on the probable confusion between the three races of Manx in West Palearctic waters. Examination in the hand of individuals of the rac e yelkouan could produce valuable information on the true status of this race in the Atlantic, as well as in Britain. Without this, any compu- tation about it may only complicate the problem. Philippe J. Dubois Le Cabes tan, 73 avenue Robespierre, 17000 La Rochelle, France Certain statements by Curtis el al. (Brit. Birds 78: 123-138) may incline observers to determine as P. p. yelkouan birds which are perhaps nothing other than normal pale forms oi P. p. mauretanicus. During 1983-85, I studied the latter race in detail at a particular place on the French Atlantic seaboard where thousands gather each year from June to October. Pale forms showing well-contrasted upper- and underparts are not rare, and such individuals fit the description given for possible yelkouan by M. Cade (Brit. Birds 76: 413). Also, mauretanicus not uncommonly shows a whitish crescent on the side of the neck, and darker primaries, and its flight is at times identical to that of nominate Manx. It is also my opinion that better illustrations o t mauretanicus than those in Harrison ( 1983, Seabirds: an identi- fication guide) are available generally in other published works. Pierre Yesou 101 rue du 8 mai, F-85340 O/onne-sur-Mer , France A paper on the identification of the Mediterranean races of Manx Shearwater is currently in preparation for British Birds by Dr \V. R. P. Bourne, Ed Mackrill, Andy Paterson and Pierre Yesou. Eds Announcements New books in British BirdShop In addition to the continuing special oilers concerning The Frontiers of Bird Identification and volumes I and 1 1 of The Birds of Africa, we can now also offer the following new books: ( .coders The New Where to Watch Birds (Andre Deutsch) I layman & Everett What's That Bird? (RSPB) Please use the form on page ix now. Announcements 355 The Joint BB-BTO Conference We wish to draw special attention to the first-ever British Birds conference, which will be held at The Hayes Conference Centre, Swanwick, Derbyshire, on 1 Oth- 1 2th April 1987. The conference is being run jointly by the British Trust for Ornithology and British Birds , with the aim of providing a chance for BTO members and BB subscribers to meet the members of BB' s Rarities Committee, Identification Notes Panel, Behaviour Notes Panel, Editorial Board and staff, the B TO staff, and the members of the BOU Records Committee and the Rare Breeding Birds Panel. Special invitations are also being sent to all of Britain’s County Bird Recorders. The mixed programme will feature items related to the interests of these bodies, with plenty of 'meat’, but also some lighter items for participants’ entertainment. There will be a AN hat’s that Bird?’ slide competition, a bookshop run by the Natural History Book Service, and a bird art display with paintings and drawings for sale. Most of all, however, there will be plenty of chance to chat over coffee or drinks. The cost, including conference fee, meals from dinner on Friday to lunch on Sunday, and accommodation, will be £35, including VAT. We suspect that there may be great competition for the 300-or-so places at this conference. A booking form will be included in the November issue o { BB. but please note the dates oj this conference in your diary. We hope to see you there! Custom-printed, personal ‘BB’ indexes 1946-85 Orders or enquiries for indexes (see Brit. Birds 79: 44-45) should be sent to Dr Malcolm Ogilvie at his new address: Glencairn, Bruichladdich, Isle of Islay, Argyll PA49 7LN. ‘BB’ trip to Thailand in 1987 Please write NOW il you are interested in being one of the eight ‘BB' subscribers to join Phil Round and 'Tim Sharrock on an 18-day trip to Thailand in January /February 1987 (see ‘Announcement’ in May, Brit. Birds 79: 260). Bad photographs In ‘Mystery photographs' we like to include good photographs of difficult species. For our competitions at conferences, however, and for use in our ‘Monthly marathon competition, we need prints of those photographs which photographers might otherwise throw away. — the bird that turned its head just as the shutter opened, or that out-of-focus ‘just like a misty day' fuzzy picture. Anything which you can spare will be helpful for our use. Please send your ‘duds’ to DrJ. T. R. Sharrock. British Birds. Fountains. Park Lane. Blunham. Bedford MK44 3NJ. News and comment Mike Everett and Robin Prytherch Opinions expressed in this feature are not necessarily those of ‘British Birds’ Swans and lead The campaign to phase out the use of lead weights for angling has been gathering increasing momentum. After initial doubts (and in some cases vociferous opposition), fishing clubs and journals are providing strong backing for a change to non- toxic alternatives. The 1986 fishing season will be crucial as it will test the efficacy of a widespread voluntary move to outlaw the use of lead. An RSPB poster is available for placing in fishing tackle shops, and is avail- able free via the ‘News and comment’ ad- dress. The Government has already circu- lated draft regulations on a ban on the import and sale of all lead split shot (except the smallest, ‘dust shot’) and all other lead weights up to 2 oz.; it has made it clear that, if the voluntary ban fails, legislation will be introduced from lst january 1987. Portuguese protection An unexpected piece of protection legislation in Portugal has been the banning of all hunting and shooting along the entire Portuguese coast and around the offshore islands. The protected zone will also extend 1 km inland. Lost binoculars Word has reached us of a pair of Swift binoculars found on a lonely road at or near Agadir, Morocco. If they are yours, please let us know— giving proof of ownership, date of loss and details of the binoculars themselves. F0roya Fuglafr^difeleg The Ornithologi- cal Society of the Faroes was founded on 10th May 1984, and membership is at present about 50 (the population of the Faroes is 45,000). Activities have been meetings and excursions, but in the long run other activi- ties will be included. To improve and update the Checklist of Faroese Birds (1984) by D. Bloch & S. Sorensen, and to collect data for conservation and bird protection purposes, visiting orni- thologists are requested to submit observa- tions on rare or scarce breeding birds and migrants, on larger concentrations of breeding and migrant birds, and on winter visitors. Details should be sent to Fjrfroya Fuglafr^difelag, Ornithological Society of the Faroes, PC) Box 2090, DK-3800 Argir, Faroe Islands. North Sea Forum The North Sea Forum, which comprises a number of voluntary and statutory environmental organisations chaired by Lord Cranbrook, has been formed to brief Ministers at an early stage in the run up to the LTK Conference on the North Sea. This is being held in November 1987, and briefing by the Forum must be completed by November 1986. Working Groups on Species, Habitats and Human Impacts related to the North Sea have been estab- lished. These are currently canvassing pro- fessional opinion through the mechanisms of very short questionnaires on issues identified by the Forum as meriting attention. The objective is to assess the ‘health’ of the North Sea, based on as broad a spectrum of com- ment as possible. If you would like to contri- bute to the study, or receive further details, please contact Edwina Miles at CoEnCo, The London Ecology Centre, 80 York W ay, London Nl 9AG (phone 01-837 5359). An aukward one How are we to comment on a Press Release received recently telling us that a five-man team, sponsored by the whisky firm Canadian Club , is about to set oil (in May 1986) to rediscover the Great Auk Alca impennis at one of its last known stations. Papa Westray in Orkney? A hoax, perhaps, or has there been too much Canadian Club going the rounds? We hope the organisers and the sponsors will forgive our scepti- cism— but such a ploy does seem really weird . . . however, if they do relocate Great Auks, we are quite prepared to tender our apologies. Imagine the red faces in Orkney! Alan Flarris’s ambition fulfilled Winner of BB's Bird Illustrator of the Year in 1982, Alan Harris tells us news of his latest exploits: ‘I have freelanced since 1980, and, as expected, it has been very up and down. 1984-85 was very important for me: I worked on the ‘Kingfisher’ guide for nine months up to April 1985, doing two species a day. I also did my first work for BWP (vol. 5), which was a great ambition fulfilled. Some of the pro- ceeds of this work went on a three-week trip to Canada in May 1985. Since then, 1 have hardly painted a stroke, but have done some illustrations for a forthcoming Nature oj Bedfordshire for Bcrnic Nau (an old Rye Meadian) and illustrated the forthcoming 356 News and comment 357 Birds oj the Isle oj Man by Pat Cullen. Looking ahead, I have 16 plates to do lor BWP (vol. 6), and I shall be spending May and June in St Lucia, censusing reptiles for the \V\VF.’ BB readers can also look forward to seeing Alan Harris’s illustrations ol West Palearctic wheatears in a paper by Peter Clement due to appear within the next few months. RSPB Members’ Conference The favour- ite venue of York drew some 836 residents and many visitors to the RSPB Members’ Weekend in April. Many people even stayed from Thursday to Monday! Despite the numbers, the atmosphere was relaxed and easy-going, with a little more time, perhaps, to browse and take in everything from the art exhibition to the trade stands. Over £2,000 spent on the tombola could indicate the ‘spare’ time available! Before the programme proper really got underway, two splendid presentations warmed up the early arrivals. John Armitage and Ian Armstrong both entertained and put in some thought- provoking points too. The Friday evening was well-filled by Radio and TV personality and teller of traveller’s tales. Johnny Morris. He concentrated more on his experiences with birds and mammals, with the odd python thrown in, than his travels, but even the hard birdwatchers were Morris Ians by the end of a very professional performance, tame parrots and all. Saturday began with a typicallv well-researched talk by Robert Gillmor (whose busy weekend included his usual stint on the painting exhibition and even painting a cartoon relating to a ‘BB’ item for Tony Soper's Nature to be shown that Sunday). Robert spoke on the life and art of Charles Tunnicliffe, presenting much new material from his own collection (gleaned from books, journals, magazines, advertis- ing, and postcards picked up in Oxfam shops) to give an extra dimension to the artist’s work even for committed Tunnicliffe fans. Following him, unfortunately rather tight on time, was the gardener of TV and radio, Geoffrey Smith. Not simply a gar- dener. but a botanist and observer of wildlife and the countryside of great knowledge and perception, he put across a lot of good advice and information in a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining fashion, rarely equalled by ‘straight’ bird men. Saturday afternoon, for most people, meant a trip out to see some birds: but for Johnny Morris, the staff organisers and local helpers it was time for 2,500 children and parents to come in for the YOC bird afternoon. The enormous crush seemed to be a huge success. After dinner, in the difficult spot when plenty of fine food and wine had made the audience a little less attentive than usual, David Cabot presented the results of his researches in Ireland and Greenland into the biology of Barnacle Geese. His slides and film whetted the appe- tites of all those w ho would like to visit the spectacular Arctic — and w ho wouldn't? For many, the highlight of the weekend came on Sunday morning, w ith the presenta- tion of only the 23rd RSPB Gold Medal for outstanding services to conservation. The recipient was Sir Peter Scott, and surely there has never been a more deserving candidate. The presence of Sir Peter and Lady Scott added a rather special air to the whole weekend. Perhaps appropriately, though it set a somewhat depressing tone, the presen- tation was preceded by one of the sharpest and best of talks, on the international work of the RSPB, by Alistair Gammell. He used some very sad. frightening examples of species on the edge of extinction, and the plight of some huge areas of once- wonderful habitat — like the whole of Madagascar — is surely enough to turn the most half-hearted conservationist into a militant activist, ifonly we knew w hat action to take. The whole weekend was a great success, due not only to the RSPB staff involved, but to a complete army of helpers, including no fewer than 70 volunteers from the York members’ group marshalled by Heather Reynolds; thanks too to the participating companies, and especially to Crispin Fisher and Collins for their sponsorship. (Contributed by R. A. Hume) Champagne winners A BB mystery photo- graphs competition was run at the one-day joint BTO/SOC Scottish Birdwatchers’ Conference at Aberdeen on 5th April. There were 40 entrants, all five photographs being correctly identified by four people: Simon Aspinall (who won the champagne in a draw). Dawn Bazely, Brian F.theridge and Andv Webb. Thanks are due to Tim Davis, Dr Jeremv Greenwood and Dr Ian Newton who ran the competition on BB s behalf. - The BB" mystery photographs competi- tion held by invitation at the BTO's one-day conference at Gamston, Nottinghamshire, on 12th April, attracted only 1 7 entries from the 170 people present, but three completely correct entries were received, from Roy Frost. Steve Henson and Dr David Parkin, the last-named winning the champagne in a draw bv the Chairman, Tim Bow les. Recent reports Ian Dawson and Keith Allsopp These are largely unchecked reports, not authenticated records The dates in this report refer to April unless otherwise stated. Early in the month, high pressure to the northwest brought cold air in from the north. From 13th, a low-pressure system remained stationary for several days, with very unsettled rainy and cold conditions. High pressure developed to the south on lHth, bringing in warmer air, but by 21st Atlantic air pushed in from the west bringing further wet, cool weather. Birds of prey A fine day on 26th was ideal for raptor movement in southern England: Black Kites Milvus migrans appeared over Dungeness (Kent) and Pagham (West Sussex), and wandering Red Kites At. milvus were seen at Dry Drayton (Cambridgeshire) and Steeple Bumpstead (Essex). Marsh Harriers Circus aeruginosus passed through St Catherine’s Point (Isle of Wight), Theale (Berkshire) and Grafham Water (Cambridgeshire), while Hobbies Falco subbuteo arrived in force, with records at St Catherine’s Point, Portland (Dorset), Bedford (Bedfordshire), and three together at St Ives (Cambridgeshire). The previous day had seen a Honey Buzzard Pemis apivorus at Holme (Norfolk), and the following produced a Rough-legged Buzzard Buteo lagopus on Holy Island (Northumberland). A further Black Kite was found at VVeeley near Clacton-on-Sea (Essex) on 30th, and the same day a Red Kite passed south over Sandwich Bay (Kent). Other Rough-legged Buzzards occurred at Castor Hanglands (Cambridge- shire) on 1st and Benacre (Suffolk) on 19th where there were also two Buzzards B. buteo , with another at Potton (Bedfordshire) on 23rd. Good numbers of Ospreys Pandion haliaetus passed through during the month. 358 359 Recent reports with over 20 reported, from Malahide (Co. Dublin), again on 26th, north as far as Shetland, where there were two on 22nd. Two white Gyrfalcons F. rusticolus which turned up on 31st March, at Berry Head (Devon) (plate 178) and Wexford Slobs (Co. W exford) (plates 175 & 176), stayed to 9th and 3rd respectively, while there were also reports of different (?) ones at Over (Cam- bridgeshire) and Lundy (Devon). On Unst (Shetland) a young White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla was seen early in the month. Small migrants The coldest April for over 60 years in southern England and since records began in Northern Ireland was, perhaps not sur- prisingly, a disappointing month for migrants. Most species had trickled in by the month end, but mainly in small numbers. and up to ten days later than usual. Swallows Hirundo rustica did not appear in many localities until the second half of the month, with 155 north at Sandwich on 29th the only movement there. The only exciting movements in evidence were falls of thrushes, chats and finches on the coast of northeast England from 16th to 19th, and in the Northern Isles on 21st and 22nd. On 17th, Redcar (Cleveland) saw ten Black Red- starts Phoenicunts ochruros and 400 Robins Erithacus rubecula between there and Hartle- pool, and farther north, at Eyemouth (Bor- ders), there were ‘loads of Robins' including 200 in one field. On 18th. ten Ring Ouzels Turdus torquatus were at Redcar. 27 on Hob Island, nine at Tynemouth (Tyne & Wear), and three in the Mourne Mountains (Co. Down), and. also on 18lh, 20 Black Red- starts and 570 Robins on Holy Island. On 21st and 22nd, there were over 5,600 migrants on Fair Isle (Shetland) alone in- cluding 900 Robins, Ml Ring Ouzels. 1,250 Blackbirds T. merula , 850 Song Thrushes T. philomelos , 800 Fieldfares T. pilaris and 500 Redwings T. i/iacus, along with 600 Bramblings Eringilla montijringilla , 250 Chaffinches F. coelebs and three Haw- finches Coccothraustes coccothraustes. The rest of Shetland and Orkney each had at least seven of this large finch, while on Orkney the Robin count ran ‘well into thousands'. Also associated with this fall on Fair Isle were 50 Woodcocks Scolopax rusttcola and three Waxwings Bombycilla garrulus. Earlier in the 175 8c 176. Gyrfalcon Falco rusticolus. Co. Wexford, April 1986 (left. Bob Strickland: below. Anthony McGee ban) 360 Recent reports month, there had been one Waxwing at Little Paxton (Cambridgeshire) on 3rd, and an- other, found dead, at Binscarth (Orkney) on 10th, and there was a good inland passage of Black Redstarts, with up to seven at one gravel-pit near Norwich (Norfolk), and three in a single garden at Tadley (Hampshire). Pied Wagtails Motacilla alba of the nominate race alba known as the ‘White Wagtail’ peaked at 2 1 on 2nd at Sandwich (a site record), and 22 on 26th at Siddick Pond (Cumbria). Scarce migrants included single Wood- larks Lullula arborea at Sandwich on 2nd, 19th and 29th, a Shore Lark Eremophila alpestris on 21st, and a Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris also there on 29th, Wrynecks Jynx torquilla at Church Norton (West Sussex) and Wood- bridge (Suffolk) late in the month, a Blue- throat Luscima svecica at Portland on 26th, six Firecrests Regulus ignicapillus at Dungeness on 14th, a scatter of Great. Grey Shrikes Lanius excubitor, four Serins Serinus serinus late in the month, with two each at Sandwich and Holme (the wintering Redcar individual re- mained to 14th), and two Ortolan Buntings Emberiza hortulana at Hartlepool on 13th. Hoopoes Upupa epops were few and far between, with only eight reported, and not one in Ireland. The only passerine ‘BB rarities’ reported were a Rustic Bunting E. rustica at Holywell (Northumberland) on 19th, a singing Little Bunting E. pusilla in Scotland, and a Wood- chat Shrike L. senator at Portland on 30th. Remaining from the winter was the Carron Valley (Central) Two-barred Crossbill Loxia leucoptera and a male Dartford Warb- ler Sylvia undata at Dungeness. A Stonechat Saxicola torquata of the eastern race stejnegeri occurred at Langstone Harbour (Hamp- shire) on 25th March. Wading birds A Bittern Botaurus stellaris was found dead at Teynham Level (Kent) on 19th, and a Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis at Westonzoyland (Somerset) on 2nd and 3rd may have been the one seen near Yeovil in January. A White Stork Ciconia ciconia flew over Dundrum (Co. Down) on 24th, and the rarer Black Stork C. nigra was a surprise sighting from a train near Poulton le Fylde (Lancashire) on 31st March. Two Cranes Grus grus were seen at Barton Mills (Suffolk) on 23rd March, followed by singletons near Newton Stewart (Dumfries & Galloway) on 1st, and on South Ronaldsay (Orkney) from 23rd to 26th. A scattering of Kentish Plovers Charadrius alexandrinus included inland birds at Eversley Gravel-pit (Hampshire) on 1 1th and Thrapston (Northamptonshire) on 15th, while a single Dotterel C. morinellus appeared on Silecroft Golf-course (Cumbria) on 26th (with 18 Whimbrels Numenius phaeopus) , and a trip of six on Blows Downs, Luton (Bed- fordshire), for an hour on 30th was the first multiple occurrence in the county. A large movement of Whimbrels took place on 20th, with 200 at Dungarvan (Co. Waterford), 90 at Radipole (Dorset) and 60 on Exminster Marshes (Devon). Even more impressive were counts of 535 Black-tailed Godwits Limosa limosa on the Ouse Washes (Cam- bridgeshire), the highest-ever count there, on 30th March, and a flock of 200 south at Little Paxton on 13th, presumed refugees from the flooded Ouse or Nene Washes. A small over- land movement of Avocets Recurvirostra avosetta resulted in two at Stewartby (Bedfordshire) on 15th and 18th to 22nd, at Peterborough (Cambridgeshire) on 17th and 18th, and at Spalding (Lincolnshire) on 22nd. A White-rumped Sandpiper Calidns juscicollis seen on one date in March at Sandwich was also seen on one date in April, the 9th, and the Cornish Least Sandpiper C. minutilla remained at Porthscatho into April. Wildfowl The continuing wintry weather delayed the departure of many wildfowl. There were still 1,200 White-fronted Geese Anser albifrons on the Wexford Slobs on 27th, along with a Snow Goose A. caerulescens . Another was with Pink-footed Geese A. brachyrhynchus at Loch Leven (Tayside) on 6th: the roost of Pink-footed Geese on St Serfs Island, Loch Leven, totalled 7,000 on 10th, and, though most had departed by 1 2th, there were still 500 on 25th. A drake Smew Xlergus albellus remained at Little Paxton to at least 13th, and there were five Long-tailed Ducks Recent reports 361 177. Bonaparte’s Gull Larus Philadelphia , South Glamorgan, April 1986 (Richard G. Smith) Clangula hyemalis on Staines Reservoir (Surrey), and another on nearby YVraysbury Gravel-pit (Berkshire) on 12th. The same day left one observer feeling ‘somewhat incredulous’ at finding a female Eider Somateria mollissima and a Black-throated Diver Gavia arctica sharing ‘an insignificant gravel-pit’ at Sunnymeads (Berkshire). Remaining from March were American Black Duck Anas rubripes at Tyninghame (Lothian), American Wigeon A. americana at Blacktoft (Humberside), several Surf Scoters Xlelanitta perspicillata in Co. Donegal, Go. Wexford, and in the Firth of Forth (Fife), drake King Eiders 5. spectabilis at Tayport (Fife) and Loch Fleet (Highland), and two Ring-necked Ducks Aythya collaris at Marazion (Cornwall). There were further individuals of this species at Sutton Bingham Reservoir (Somerset) on 17th and Chew Valley Lake (Avon) on 26th, and Ferruginous Ducks A. nyroca at Holywell Pond, and in Belfast Harbour (Co. Antrim) on 27th. Few Garganeys Anas querquedula were reported, with six at the Ouse Washes on 30th March the only count of more than two. Teals A. crecca of the Nearctic race carolinensis known as ‘Green-winged I eal were found at Sandbach (Cheshire) at the end of March, and at Teesmouth (Cleve- land) on 19th and 20th. Seabirds The Hermaness (Shetland) Black-browed Albatross Diomedea melanophris returned to its favoured ledge in February. A Fulmar Fulmarus glactalis at Grafham on 3rd was unusual, and a blue-phase individual flew south at Sandwich on 16th. A White-billed Diver Gavia adamsii was picked up dead on Islay (Strathclyde) in late March, though the Whalsay ferry (Shetland) individual was still around. A few wintering Pomarine Skuas Stercor- arius pomarinus remained on the east coast of Britain, though an adult seen on the crossing to the Saltee Islands (Co. Wexford) on 26th was probably a migrant. The first Great Skua S. skua returned to Fair Isle on 28th March. The Laughing Gull Larus atncilla at Newcastle (Tyne & Wear) was still present on 13th, and an adult Bonaparte's Gull /.. Philadelphia remained at Wexford to the middle of the month, assuming summer plumage before its departure. A first-winter found at Cardiff (South Glamorgan) early in the month (plate 177) remained to at least 29th and was perhaps the one seen at Kenfig in March. Away from regular haunts. Ring- billed Gulls L. delawarensis turned up on the east shore of Lough Neagh (Co. Antrim) in mid month, and at Sandwich on 24th. 26th and 29th. A total of 130 Little Gulls L. rrjinutus was present at Seaforth (Merseyside) on 23rd March, while a single in Shetland for several davs was unusual. A Forster’s Tern Sterna jorsteri stayed at Penrhos. Anglesey (Gwvnedd), from 31st March to 4th. Tern movements included 106 Sandwich Terns S. sandvicensis north off. appropriately, Sandwich on 4th. and 400 Common Terns S. hirundo past Beachy Head (East Sussex) on 20th. Some 30 Puffins Fratercula arctica had 362 Recent reports f . . ’■%-V - |Ux3\S. - - Jjup 178. Gyrfalcon Falco rusticolus , Devon, April 1986 ( P. Wheeler) returned to Skomer (Dyfed) by 26th March. And finally, a bird seldom mentioned in these reports and definitely not a seabird: a Red Grouse Lagopus lagopus found dead by the roadside near Edwinstowe (Nottingham- shire) on 20th March was only the eighth county record. Latest news Very few rarities in early June: Steller’s Eider Polystida stelleri in Shetland, Rock Thrush Monticola saxatilis on Anglesey (Gwynedd), Woodchat Shrike near Lowestoft (Suffolk) and Black-headed Bunting Emberiza melanocephala at Clacton (Essex). Review The New Where to Watch Birds. By John Gooders. Andre Deutsch, London, 1986. 224 pages; 72 maps. £7.95. If 1 was an American or Continental tourist planning a holiday in Britain. I should certainly include this book among my list of essential equipment for the trip. Some 210 birdwatching Review 363 localities arc described, usually with a map and instructions on how to reach the best vantage points. Short lists show the most interesting species likely to be seen in winter, spring, summer and autumn. Almost 20 years on from its first edition, this book is still very useful, and worth keeping in the car for use when a business or family trip takes one to an unfamiliar part of Britain. Care has been taken to avoid revealing the locality of sensitive rare breeding species, but a commonsense approach has been taken concerning other ‘rarities’ such as Cetti s Warbler Cettia cetti and C.irl Bunting Emberiza cirlus, acknowledged to be breeding birds in the Prawle Point/Slapton Ley area, for instance. Care has been taken to avoid directing visiting birdwatchers to sensitive habitats, however, and it was with some relief that I found that some of my favourite quiet birding spots are still absent from this widely referred to reference work. (If that sounds selfish, then 1 must plead guilty, for I still enjoy my birdwatching in small groups rather than hordes.) Not everywhere in this book, however, is a famous ornithological site. 1 particularly liked the comment under one locality that ‘It may not be brilliant, but it is better than nothing.’ You will have to read John Gooders’ book to discover the map reference of that particular spot! .)• 1 . R. Sharrock Monthly marathon Win a (\^f) We are delighted to announce a new monthly competition which will give the opportunity for BB subscribers to win a SCNB1RD holiday ol a lifetime. Each month, British Birds will present a new photograph of an unnamed bird (only species listed in The ‘ British Birds’ List oj Birds of the Western PalearcticX 1984) will be included). As with our regular ‘Mystery photo- graphs’ feature, readers can try' to identify the species, but we shall not reveal the answer until three months later. Readers will be invited to send their answers by postcard, to arrive at the BB Editorial Office before 15th of the following month (this should give overseas readers time to send their answers in, by airmail). The first person to beat all other contestants by achieving a winning sequence often (or more) species in a row correctly identified will win the prize of a SUNBIRD holiday to North America, Africa or Southeast Asia. A Sl^NBIRl) holiday to a destination in each of these three areas will be otTered free to the winner, who will be able to choose which one ol the three holidays he or she wishes to take as the prize. After this competition has been going on for a few months, we shall publish in each issue a ‘league table’, showing how the so-far-successful entrants are doing. But, remember, if the sequence is broken by getting just one wrong answer, the leading contender w ill be bac k at square one. holiday to North America Africa or Southeast Asia 364 Monthly marathon We are delighted that SUNBIRD, the bird-tour holiday firm which has helped us to run British Birds trips to Thailand and to Israel, has agreed to sponsor this monthly competition by providing the holiday prize. Good luck to all our readers! The first photograph appears below. 179. ‘Monthly marathon’ competition. Photograph number 1. Identify this species. If you succeed with ten in a row, you could win a SUNBIRD holiday (see rules below). Send your answer on a postcard to British Birds Editorial Office (Monthly marathon, Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK44 3NJ), to arrive by 15th August 1986. RULES 1 . Only current individual subscribers to British Birds are eligible to take part. Only one entry is permitted per person each month. 2. Entries must be sent by post, on a postcard, and be received at the British Birds Editorial Office (Monthly marathon. Fountains, Park Lane, Blunham, Bedford MK44 3NJ) by 15th of succeeding month. Every care will be taken, but, even if negligence is involved, no responsibility can be accepted lor non-delivery, non-receipt or accidental loss of entries. 3. All ‘BB’ subscribers are eligible, except members of the Editorial Board and staff of British Birds, Directors and members of staff of SUNBIRD/VVINGS holidays, and Directors and members of staff of our printers, Newnorth-Burt Ltd. (Members of ‘BB’ Notes Panels, the Rarities Committee, and other voluntary contributors — including bird-photographers, even if one of their photographs is used in the competition — are eligible unless proscribed above.) 4. To win, a British Birds subscriber must correctly identify the species shown in ten consecutive photographs included in this competition. The 'Monthly marathon’ will continue until the prize has been won. 5. fn the unlikely event of two or more 'BB’ subscribers achieving the ten-in-a-row simultaneously, the competition will continue each month until one of them (or someone else!) achieves a longer run of correct entries than any other contestant. 6. In the event of any dispute, including controversy over the identity of any of the birds in the photographs, the decision of the Managing Editor of British Birds is final and binding on all parties. 7. No correspondence can be entered into concerning this competition. MARK BEAMAN STEVE MADGE NIGEL REDMAN IAIN ROBERTSON BIRDWATCHING HOLIDAYS 1987 Birdquest provide exciting, friendly, professionally arranged small group tours for birdwatchers of all levels of experience. Come with us and see the difference. AUSTRALIA: £2,680 (£470) • BORNEO & THE MALAY PENINSULA: £1,660 (£460) • COSTA RICA: £1 ,380 (£380) • INDIA & NEPAL: £1 ,690 (£580) • ISRAEL: £1,090 • JAPAN: £2,560 (£770) • KENYA: £1,590 (£390) • MADAGASCAR: £1 ,870 • MEXICO: £1 ,450 (£480) • POLAND: £640 • SIBERIA, CENTRAL ASIA & THE CAUCASUS: £1 ,580 (£360) • SIKKIM, DARJEELING, KASHMIR & LADAKH: £1,420 (540) • THAILAND: £1,250 (£420) • TURKEY: £1 ,1 60 • ZIMBABWE & THE OKAVANGO DELTA: £1 ,490 (£590). Prices shown in parentheses are for optional tour extensions. For our brochure please contact: BIRDQUEST Ltd., 8 Albert Road East, Hale, Altrincham, Cheshire WA1 5 9AL. Tel: 061 -928 5945. (D695) British Birds The British Birds Binder It’s so easy and tidy with the British Birds Binder to file your copies away. Each binder is designed to hold twelve issues and the index, and is attractively bound and blocked with the British Birds logo. Each issue is held in place by a removable metal rod. So, you can use a binder to store the current year's issues as they arrive, or to hold a complete volume for your bookshelves. Price UK £5.95 including postage, packing and VAT; overseas orders add 50p. Why not place your order now?