640 Sis ts BIRD SCOTTISH BIRDS THE JOURNAL OF THE SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGISTS’ CLUB “ VOLUME 18 LIBRARIES : 1995-96 Editors A-M SMOUT (18.1) then | DRS RD DA PRATO Editorial Panel | BAINBRIDGE, D JENKINS, J B NELSON AND P J B SLATER ISSN 0036 9144 Index compiled by R C Dickson with assistance from E D Cameron Scottish Birds, the official journal of the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club, publishes original material relating to ornithology in Scotland. Papers and notes should be sentto The Editor, Scottish Birds, 21 Regent Terrace, Edinburgh EH7 5BT. Two issues of Scottish Birds are published each year, in June and December. Scottish Birds is issued free to members of the Scottish Ornithogists’ Club, who also receive the quarterly newsletter Scottish Bird News and the annual Scottish Bird Report and Raptor Round Up. The Scottish Ornithologists’ Club was formed in 1936 to encourage all aspects of ornithology in Scotland. It has local branches which meet in Aberdeen, Ayr, the Borders, Dumfries, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, New Galloway, Orkney, St Andrews, Stirling, Stranraer and Thurso, each with its own programme of field meetings and winter lectures. |The Waterston Library at the Club’s headquarters at 21 Regent Terrace, Edinburgh EH7 5BT is one of the most comprehensive ornithological libraries in Britain, and is available for reference during office hours (Monday to Friday 0930 to 1630). A stock of Scottish local bird reports is held at headquarters and may be purchased by mail order. Published by the Scottish Ornithologists Club, 21 Regent Terrace, Edinburgh EH7 5BT Printed by Douglas Gauld & Co Limited, 22 Tannadice Street, Dundee DD3 7QH SCOTTISH BIRDS Contents of Volume 18 1995-1996 Number 1 June 1995 Page Main papers The status of the Eider on the Isle of May and other Forth Islands J Calladine, M P Harris, S Taylor & S Wanless 1 Lek habitats of Capercaillie at Abernethy Forest, Speyside R W Summers, R Proctor and S | H Shah 11 Nest reliefs and feeding rates of Merlins RC Dickson 20 The status and distribution of wintering Pink-footed and Greylag Geese in east central Scotland MV Bell & S F Newton 24 Short notes Diurnal and tidal activity patterns of Purple Sandpipers on the Isle of May, Fife Di Little Ringed Plover attempt breeding in Dumfriesshire R Mearns 55 Numbers and breeding success of Manx Shearwaters on the Isie of Canna 1973-94 RLSwann 56 Buzzard’s interaction with stoat JM Duncan & GF A Cooper 57 Spread wing posture by a juvenile Peregrine Falcon in winter R C Dickson 58 Magpie’s nest - with a difference R Sutcliffe 59 Wheatear’s mountain top roost HE M Dott 60 Items of Scottish Interest W G Harper 61 Advice to Contributors 64 Erratum Vol 17.4 Breeding seasons and nesting success of Snow Buntings in north-east Scotland 64 Number 2 December 1995 Main papers Occupation patterns of lochs by Slavonian Grebes in Scotland RW Summers & R A Mavor 65 Winter diet of Ravens in Perthshire W A Mattingley 71 Seabirds of Handa lsland JG Stoneman & N A Willcox 78 An analysis of prey taken by Merlins within the Lammermuir Hills 1984- 1994 A Heavisides, | R Poxton & A W Barker 88 Yellow-legged Gulls in Scotland R W Forrester 95 Short Notes Raptor evasion and defensive behaviour by Barnacle Geese D J Patterson 101 Sparrowhawk forced to landinsea XLambin, J Lambin & B Scott 103 Feeding rates of Hen Harriers in West Galloway RC Dickson 104 Aspects of the breeding biology of the Common Buzzard in Glen Roy D Sargent 107 Arctic Skua incubating own egg and Common Gull eggs in Common Gull nest P A T Doyle & S J Gough 110 Roseate Terns return to the Isle of May MP Harris & N Harding 111 Presumed feeding movements of auks offshore from Portnahaven on the southwest coast of Islay J Dawson 112 Successful breeding of Bluethroat in Scotland S Benn 114 Juvenile Bluethroat in Inverness-shire M1 Harvey 115 Polyterritoriality in a population of Corn Buntings on North Uist M Shepherd & | R Hartley 116 Goldfinch feeding on seaweed _ B Hay 117: Red-backed Shrike breeding in Perthshire AM Barclay & BR S Morrison 118 Willow Warbler feeding Mistle Thrush nestlings PW Gossip 120 Carrion Crows roosting on ground with Black-headed Gulls JG Young 121 Correspondence Roosting behaviour of Wheatear J Boswall 121 Obituaries GM Dunnet D Jenkins 122 WGHarper D Clugston 126 Advice to Contributors 128 Erratum Vol. 18.1 Wintering Pink-footed and Greylag Geese in east central Scotland 128 Editorial changes 128 Number 3 June 1996 Main papers Amendments to the Scottish List RW Forrester 129 Records of species recorded in Scotland on 5 or fewer occasions P R Gordon & D Clugston 132 Changes since 1890 in the size of Pink-footed Geese wintering in Britain H Boyd & J Berry 144 A census of the St Kilda gannetry in May 1994 S Murray &S Wanless 152 Ravens nesting on buildings in Orkney CJ Booth 159 The hunting behaviour of Merlins in winter in Galloway RCDickson 165 Numbers, distribution and habitat associations of Corn Buntings on the Outer Hebrides and Tiree in 1995 PF Donald, P Hines, P Jackson J Dustow, | Hepburn, G F Albon & S Jervis 170 Short Notes Hunting times of Hen Harriers in winter RC Dickson 182 Oystercatchers nesting in clear cut forestry plantations G Shaw 183 Oystercatcher apparently rearing Lapwings T Dougall 184 Dunnock feeding in Spruce canopy G Shaw 185 Obituaries Dr Norah Armstrong RT Smith 186 lan Munro | Balfour-Paul & J Arnott 188 Correspondence Density of breeding Crows in Argyll R Hewson 190 Density of breeding Crows in Argyll H Dott 190 Red-backed Shrike breeding records in Scotland R Proctor 190 Yellow-legged Gulls in Scotland 1|J Stenhouse 190 Cormorants on Handa__| D Pennie 191 Advice to Contributors 192 Number 4 December 1996 Main papers Numbers of Whimbrel breeding in Shetland in 1989-1994 and previously CP Dore, PM Ellis & E M Stuart 193 Breeding waders in the Cairngorms Straths ESA in 1995 _N Picozzi, D C Catt & R P Cummins 197 Human induced increases of Carrion Crows and gulls on Cairngorms plateaux Adam Watson 205 The Troup Head gannetry S Wanless, J Matthews &WRP Bourne 214 The feeding behaviour of Greylag and Pink-footed Geese around the Moray Firth, 1992-93 1 J Stenhouse 222 The numbers of breeding waders in lowland Scotland Mark O’Brien A winter survey of Goldeneyes on the River Deveron, north east Scotland Peter J Cosgrove Short Notes Feeding association of Dunnock and Blackbird in snow C J Henty Decline of Sutherland rookeries DM Bremner & D Macdonald Probable first breeding record of Brambling in Britain represented in a museum collection HA McGhie & S A Moran Mobbing of Waxwing by Chaffinches and Blue Tits J M & V A Harrison Nestling predation by Merlins RC Dickson Black-throated Diver feeding on Common Frogs T DH Merrie Obituary Ritchie Seath Andrew T Macmillan Advice to Contributors 231 242 247 248 248 250 251 253 254 256 INDEX TO VOLUME 18 Compiled by R C Dickson The Scottish Bird Reports for 1993-94 (nos 26-27) and the 1995 Raptor Round Up are treated as supplements to Volume 18 but with separate pagination. Species mentioned in general articles and the species lists of the Scottish Bird Reports and the Raptor Round Up are not indexed. Abernethy Forest 11 Accipiter nisus 103 ALBON, GF see DONALD, PF 170 Anser anser 24, 222 Anser brachyrhynchus 24, 144, 222 Auks 112 BARCLAY, AM & MORRISON, BRS _ Red-backed Shrike breeding in Perthshire 118 BARKER, AW see HEAVISIDES, A 88 BELL, MV & NEWTON, SF _ Status and distribution of wintering Pink-footed and Greylag Geese in east central Scotland 24, 128 BENN,S Successful breeding of Bluethroat in Scotland 114 BERRY,J see BOYD,H 144 Blackbird 247 Bluethroat, Red-spotted breeding in Scotland 114, 115 BOOTH,CJ_ Ravens nesting on buildings in Orkney 159 BOSWELL, J Correspondence 121 BOURNE,WRP see WANLESS,S 214 BOYD, H & BERRY, J Changes since 1890 in the size of Pink-footed Geese wintering in Britain 144 Brambling 248 Branta leucopsis 101 BREMNER, DM & MACDONALD, D Decline of Sutherland rookeries 248 Bucephala clangula 242 Bunting, Corn polyterritoriality in a population in North Uist 116 Bunting, Corn numbers, distribution and habitat on the Outer Hebrides and Tiree in 1995 170 Buteo buteo 57, 107 Buzzard interaction with stoat 57 Buzzard aspects of breeding biology in Glen Roy 107 Cairngorms 197, 205 Calidris maritima 51 Capercaillie lek habitats 11 Carduelis carduelis 117 CATT,DC see PICOZZI,N 197 Chaffinch mobbing of Waxwings 250 Charadrius dubius 55 Circus cyaneus 104, 182 CLUGSTON, D see GORDON,PR_= 132 COOPER,GFA seeDUNCAN,JM 57 Correspondence BOSWELL, J Roosting behaviour of Wheatears 121 DOTT,H Density of breeding Crows in Argyll 190 HEWSON, R_ Density of breeding Crows in Argyll 190 PENNIE,!D Cormorants on Handa 191 PROCTOR, R_ Red-backed Shrike breeding records in Scotland 190 STENHOUSE,IJ Yellow-legged Gulls in Scotland 190 Corvus corax 71, 159 Corvus corone 121, 190, 205 COSGRAVE,PJ Avwinter survey of Goldeneyes on the River Deveron 242 Crow, Carrion roosting on ground with Black-headedLGulls 121 Crow, Carrion human induced increases on Cairngorms plateaux 205 CUMMINS, RP see PICOZZI,N 197 DAWSON, J Presumed feeding movements of auks offshore from Islay 112 DICKSON, RC_ Nest reliefs and feeding rates of Merlins 20 DICKSON, RC Spread wing posture by a juvenile Peregrine Falcon in winter 58 DICKSON, RC_ Feeding rates of Hen Harriers in west Galloway 104 DICKSON, RC_ The hunting behaviour of Merlins in winter 165 DICKSON, RC_ Hunting times of Hen Harriers in winter 182 DICKSON, RC_ Nestling predation by Merlins 251 Diver, Black-throated feeding on Common Frogs 253 DONALD, P F, HINES, P, JACKSON, P, DUSTOW, J, HEPBURN, I, ALBON, GF &JARVIS,S Numbers, distribution and habitat associations of Corn Bun- tings on the Outer Hebrides and Tiree in 1995 170 DORE, CP, ELLIS, P M&STUART,EM Numbers of Whimbrel breeding in Shetland, 1989-94 193 DOTT, HEM Wheatear’s mountain top roost 60 DOTT,HEM_ Correspondence 190 DOUGALL,T Oystercatcher apparently rearing Lapwings 184 DOYLE, PAT & GOUGH, SJ Arctic Skua incubating own egg and Common Gull eggs in Common Gull’s nest 110 DUNCAN, J M & COOPER, GF A_ Buzzards interaction with stoat 57 Dunnock feeding in Spruce canopy 185 Dunnock feeding association with Blackbird in snow 247 DUSTOW, J see DONALD, PF 170 Editorial changes 128 Eider status on Isle of May and other Forth Islands 1 ELLIS,P M see DORE,CP 193 Erratum The status and distribution of wintering Pink-footed and Greylag Geese in east central Scotland 128 Falco columbarius 20, 88, 165, 251 Falco peregrinus 58 Forth Islands 1 FORRESTER, RW /Yellow-legged Gulls in Scotland 95 FORRESTER, RW Amendments to the Scottish List 129 Galloway 20, 104, 165 Gannet 152, 214 Gavia arctica 253 Glen Roy 107 Goldeneye a winter survey on the River Deveron 242 Goldfinch feeding onseaweed 117 Goose, Barnacle raptor evasion and defensive behaviour 101 Goose, Greylag feeding behaviour round the Moray Firth 1992-93 222 Goose, Greylag wintering status and distribution in east central Scotland 24,128 Goose, Pink-footed wintering status and distribution in east central Scotland 24, 128 Goose, Pink-footed changes in size in Britain since 1890 144 GORDON, P R & CLUGSTON, D_ Records of species recorded in Scotland on 5 or fewer occasions 132 GOSSIP, P W_ Willow Warbler feeding Mistle Thrush nestlings 120 GOUGH,S seeDOYLE,PAT 110 Grebe, Slavonian occupation pattern of lochs in Scotland 65 Gull, Black-headed Carrion Crows roosting with 121 Gull, Common Arctic Skua incubating own egg in Common Gull’s nest 110 Gull, Yellow-legged status in Scotland 95, 190 Haematopus ostralegus 183, 184 Handa 78, 91 HARPER, WG _ items of Scottish Interest 61 HARRIS, MP see CALLADINE, J 1 HARRIS, MP_ Roseate Terns return to the Isle of May 111 HARRISON, JM&VA_ Mobbing of Waxwings by Chaffinches and Blue Tits 250 HARTLEY,!R see SHEPHERD, M 116 HARVEY, MI Juvenile Bluethroat in Inverness-shire 115 HAY,B Goldfinch feeding on seaweed 117 HEAVISIDES, A, POXTON, 1R & BAXTER, AW An analysis of prey taken by Merlins in the Lammermuirs, 1984-94 88 HEWSON,R Correspondence 190 Isle of Canna 56 Isle of Islay 112 Isle of May 1,51, 111 Items of Scottish Interest 61 JACKSON, P see DONALD, PF 170 JARVIS, S see DONALD,PF 170 LAMBIN, X, LAMBIN, J & SCOTT, B Sparrowhawk forced to landinsea 103 LAMBIN, J see LAMBIN, X_ 103 Lammermuir Hills 88 Lanius collurio 118, 190 Larus cachinnans 95, 190 Larus canus 110 Larus ridibundus 121 Luscinia svecica 114, 115 MACDONALD, D see BREMNER,DM = 248 MCGHIE, HA & MORAN, SA_ Probable first breeding record of Brambling in Britain represented ina museum collection 248 Magpie nestwithadifference 59 MATTHEWS, J see WANLESS,S 215 MATTINGLEY,WA_ Winter diet of Ravens in Perthshire 71 MAVOR,RA see SUMMERS,RW_ 65 MEARNS, R Little Ringed Plover attempt breeding in Dumfriesshire 55 Merlin nest relief and feeding rates 20 Merlin prey taken in the Lammermulir Hills 89 Merlin hunting behaviour in winter 165 Merlin nestling predation 251 MERRIE, TDH _ Black-throated Diver feeding on Common Frogs 253 Miliaria calandra_ 116, 170 MORAN,S A see MCGHIE,HA 248 Moray Firth 222 MORRISON,BRS see BARCLAY,AM_ 118 Morus bassanus 152, 215 MURRAY, S & WANLESS,S Acensus ofthe St Kilda gannetry in May 1994 152 NEWTON,SF see BELL,MV 24 North Uist 116 North east Scotland 242 Numenius phaeopus 193 Obituary Dr Norah ARMSTRONG 186 George Mackenzie DUNNET 122 William Gerald HARPER 126 lan MUNRO 188 Ritchie SEATH 254 O’BRIEN, M_ The numbers of breeding waders in lowland Scotland 231 Oenanthe oenanthe 60 Orkney 159 Outer Hebrides 170 Oystercatcher nesting in clear cut forestry plantations 183 Oystercatcher apparently rearing Lapwings 184 PATTERSON, DJ _ Raptor evasion and defensive behaviour by Bamacle Geese 101 PENNIE,ID Correspondence 191 Peregrine Falcon spread wing posture by ajuvenile 58 Perthshire 71,118 Phylloscopus trochilus 120 Pica pica 59 PICOZZI,N, CATT, DC & CUMMINS, RP Breeding waders in the Caringorms Straths ESA in 1995 197 Plover, Little Ringed attempted breeding in Dumfriesshire 55 Podiceps auritus 65 POXTON,IR see HEAVISIDES,A 88 PROCTOR, R see SUMMERS,R W_ 11 PROCTOR, R Correspondence 190 Prunella modularis 185, 247 Puffinus puffinus 56 Raptor Round Up supplement Raven winterdiet 71 Raven nesting on buildings 159 Rookeries 248 Sandpiper, Purple _ tidal activity patterns 51 SARGENT, D Aspects of the breeding biology of the Common Buzzard in Glen Roy 107 SCOTT, B See LAMBIN, X 103 Scottish Bird Reports 1993 and 1994 Supplements SHAH,SIH see SUMMERS,RW_ 11 SHAW, G _ Oystercatchers nesting in clear cut forestry plantations 183 SHAW, G _ Dunnock feeding in Spruce canopy 185 Shearwater, Manx numbers on the Isle of Canna 1973-94 56 SHEPHERD, M & HARTLEY,!IR_ Polyterritoriality in a population of Corn Bun- tings on North Uist 116 Shetland 193 Shrike, Red-backed Breedingin Perthshire 118 Skua, Arctic incubating own eggs in Common Gull’s nest 110 Somateria mollissima 1 Sparrowhawk forcedtolandinsea 103 St Kilda 153 STENHOUSE,IJ Feeding behaviour of Greylag and Pink-footed Geese around the Moray Firth 1992-93 222 SMITHSONI. a) | STENHOUSE,IJ Correspondence 190 3 9088 0 Stercorarius parasiticus 110 Sterna dougallii 111 Stoat interaction with Buzzard 57 STONEMAN, J G & WILLCOX,NA_ Seabirds of Handa lsland 78 STUART,EM see DORE,CP_ 193 SUMMERS, R W, PROCTOR, R & SHAH, SIH Lek habitats of Capercaillie at Abernethy Forest, Speyside 11 SUMMERS, RW _ Diurnal and tidal activitiy patterns of Purple Sandpipers on the Isle of May, Fife 51 SUMMERS, R W & MAVOR,RA_ Occupation patterns of lochs by Slavonian Grebes in Scotland 65 SUTCLIFFE, R Magpie’s nest witha difference 59 Sutherland 248 SWANN, RL Numbers and breeding success of Manx Shearwaters on the Isle of Canna 1973-94 56 wii 16 TAYLOR,S see CALLADINE,J 1 Tern, Roseate returntothe Isle of May 11 Tetrao urogallus 11 Thrush, Mistle nestlings being fed by Willow Warbler 120 Tiree 170 Tits, Blue mobbing of Waxwings 250 Troup Head 215 Turdus viscivorus 120 Vanellus vanellus 184 Waders’ 197, 231 WANLESS, S, MATTHEWS, J & BOURNE, WRP The Troup Head Gannetry 214 WANLESS, S see CALLADINE, J 1 WANLESS, S see MURRAY,S 152 Warbler, Willow feeding Mistle Thrush nestlings 120 WATSON, A_ Human induced increases of Carrion Crows and gulls on Cairngorms plateaux 205 Waxwing mobbed by Chaffinches and Blue Tits 250 Wheatear mountaintop roost 60 Whimbrel numbers breeding in Shetland 193 WILLCOX,NA see STONEMAN, JG 78 YOUNG, JG _ Carrion Crows roosting on ground with Black-headed Gulls 121