-r&s [oi+. d) British Birds August 2013 • Vol.106 • 427-488 NATURAL HISTORY i MUSEUM UBRARY ! AUG 2013 PRESENTED Scarce migrant birds in 2004-07: passerines Bird Photograph of the Year 2013 The Carl Zeiss Award 20 1 3 ISSN 0007-0335 British Birds Established 1907, incorporating The Zoologist, established 1843 Published by BB 2000 Limited, trading as ‘British Birds’ Registered Office: c/o Chappell Cole & Co, Heritage House, 34B North Cray Road, Bexley, Kent DA5 3LZ www.britishbirds.co.uk Editorial Roger Riddington Spindrift, Eastshore, Virkie, Shetland ZE3 9JS Tel: 01 950 460080 editor@britishbirds.co.uk ‘News & comment’ material to Adrian Pitches adrianpitches@blueyonder.co.uk Subscriptions & administration Hazel Jenner 4 Harlequin Gardens, St Leonards on Sea, East Sussex TN37 7PF Tel & fax: 01424 755155 subscriptions@britishbirds.co.uk Design & production Mark Corliss m.corliss@netmatters.co.uk Advertising Mathew Hance, Digital Spring Ltd, Adam House, 7-10 Adam Street, The Strand, London WC2N 6AA Tel: 020 7520 9326 BBAdsales@digital-spring.co.uk Guidelines for contributors See www.britishbirds.co.uk British Birds Editorial staff Roger Riddington (Editor), Caroline Dudley, Peter Kennerley Editorial Board Dawn Balmer, Ian Carter, Richard Chandler, Martin Collinson, Mark Holling, Chris Kehoe, Robin Prytherch, Nigel Redman, Roger Riddington, Brian Small, Steve Votier Rarities Committee Adam Rowlands (Chairman), Chris Batty, Chris Bradshaw, Paul French, Martin Garner, Nic Hallam, James Lidster, Richard Millington, Mike Pennington, Richard Schofield, Steve Votier Secretary Nigel Hudson, Carn Ithen, Trench Lane, Old Town, St Mary’s, Scilly TR2 1 OPA; secretary@bbrc.org.uk Notes Panel Angela Turner (Chair), Will Cresswell, Ian Dawson, Jim Flegg, Ian Newton FRS, Malcolm Ogilvie Annual subscription rates Individual subscriptions: UK - £53.00 Overseas (airmail) - £60.00 Libraries and agencies - £99.00 Back issues available from www.britishbirds.co.uk or the subscriptions office. 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British Birds Volume 1 06 • Number 8 • August 20 1 3 428 BB eye John Eyre 430 News and comment Adrian Pitches 434 Bird Photograph of the Year 2013 Richard Chandler et al 448 Report on scarce migrant birds in Britain in 2004-2007: passerines Peter Fraser 477 pig The Carl Zeiss Award 2013 Adam Rowlands 48 1 Obituary - Brian S. Turner 482 The distribution of Barn Owl nest-sites in relation to altitude in southwest England Chris Batey 484 Reviews 485 Recent reports The news (see pp. 431-432) that a third cohort of satellite-tagged Common Cuckoos is winging its way to Africa is a sign that the BTO’s flagship tracking project has captured our imagination. Even though the price of this sort of technology is a fraction of what it was a decade ago, satellite tags for a Cuckoo are still not cheap so it is great to see newly tagged birds setting out for the third year in a row. It has been fascinating to follow the progress of the SB-sponsored Cuckoo for the last 12 months, and great that he survived a full migration circuit and is now once more heading south as I write. The variety of projects now involving satellite or geolocator technology makes this a particularly interesting era for ornithology. At a local level I’m really looking forward to seeing the results from Red-necked Phalaropes and European Storm-petrels tagged in Shetland, and which should hopefully yield data this year, but the wider picture is that we are learning so much about all sorts of species - and it’s our intention to bring some of the key results to you in the pages of BB in due course. From the newest of approaches to studying birds to one of the oldest and John Eyre’s editorial in BB eye about the value of nest finding. He raises some really interesting issues here, not least by confronting the taboo that we currently have about searching for nests. There is no doubt a debate to be had about the suggestion that we could make more of nest finding as a route to developing interest in and understanding of environmental issues among youngsters but - just as the RSPB has shown with its latest makeover (see our news pages again) - we have to find more effective and lasting ways of engaging with our community as a whole, not just those who are already committed. Roger Riddington FSC www.fsc.org MIX Paper from responsible sources FSC® C022506 British Birds aims to: *;* provide an up-to-date magazine for everyone interested in the birds of the Western Palearctic; ♦> publish a range of material on behaviour, conservation, distribution, ecology, identification, movements, status and taxonomy as well as the latest ornithological news and book reviews; ♦> maintain its position as the journal of record; and ♦> interpret scientific research on birds in an easily accessible way. © British Birds 2013 88 eye A tale of desertion, murder and incest No, this is not about the plot of the latest TV soap but rather about real-life drama - the behaviour of birds. Admittedly, these are not the sort of dastardly deeds that we are likely to see unless we take a close-up look, so that’s the purpose of this BB eye - to foster support for watching what birds do rather than concentrating only on what they are. While on the subject of TV programmes, I have been prompted to write this by watching one - a programme that was episodic, at times dramatic but definitely not a soap. I’m talking about BBC Springwatch. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea but, for me, one of its great strengths is the extensive use of cameras to observe bird and animal behaviour. The footage, which is obtained and interpreted by a team of expert naturalists, has illuminated some fascinating stories. I would never have supposed that a Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus would excavate its eggs from under several centimetres of snow and go on to hatch and rear a successful brood; or that Jackdaws Corvus monedula could be such aggressive bullies, willing to despatch nestlings of their own species to acquire an up-market residence. The cameras have illustrated the stories but first someone has to find the nests - no great problem if the birds, like the Peregrines and the Jackdaws, are occupying nestboxes, but far less simple for a species such as the Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia , which also featured on the programme this year. During one episode in June, the BTO’s Dave Leech demonstrated his uncanny ability to find a Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita nest aided by his trademark skill of Tapping’ (the nest finder’s equivalent of water divining). He emphasised the value of, and encouraged others to participate in, the BTO’s Nest Record Scheme. Following the programme, I was struck by comments on Hampshire Ornithological Society’s e-mail discussion group about the novelty of someone on TV actually encouraging people to search for birds’ nests. For many of today’s birders this has been 428 taboo throughout their lifetimes but for me, as a young lad growing up in the Derbyshire countryside, find- ing nests was a regular pastime. I still recall my excitement on finding my first Northern Lap- wing Vanellus vanellus nest and the anticipation that came with the Easter holidays because the nesting season had begun. It was how I began watching birds. The Protection of Birds act introduced in 1954 brought a premature end to my nest- finding activities and it was not until many years later, through monitoring birds on the Thames Basin Heaths, that my childhood interest was rekindled. I began to appreciate how little I really knew about the birds I was counting and how difficult it was to be sure that my counts were accurate. Was the Woodlark Lullula arborea I heard singing on Saturday the same bird that I flushed 200 m away on Sunday? Why did some birds stop singing while others continued? How successful were the birds? Why did their populations appear to fluctuate from year to year? I realised that I could answer some of these questions if I could find their nests. With the help of my friend and nest-finding mentor, Jim Baldwin, I began to search... Some 250 Woodlark nests later, we had made some interesting discoveries. This is where desertion, murder and - yes - incest come into the story. I was, of course, well aware that some Woodlark nests fail but it came as a surprise to see, with the help of nest cameras, some of the reasons: a nest run over by a mountain bike, another squashed under a jogger’s running shoe and a third trampled by a cow. Murder or, less sensationally, predation, is also commonplace but I hadn’t realised how voracious a predator the Fox © British Birds 1 06 • August 2013 * 428-429 BB eye Vulpes vulpes is. I had been blaming other birds, particularly Carrion Crows Corvus corone and Magpies Pica pica for the loss of eggs and young, yet Foxes turned out to be a far more serious threat. But incest? Yes, thanks to colour-ringing, we found a male Woodlark paired with his sister. They weren’t from the same nest but, as far as we can tell, from the first and second broods of the same breeding pair. In my mind, the key question is this: is it time for us to view searching for birds’ nests in a much more positive way? I appreciate the potential arguments against - the risk of egg- collectors, disturbance, etc. - but the scientific evidence reinforces my own experience that nests can be visited without influencing the outcome. It must be done carefully, of course, and the BTO’s Nest Record Scheme, which has its own Code of Conduct, provides a great way to get involved. The benefits are obvious. It was nest records that demonstrated the impact of organochlorine pesticides on birds of prey in the 1950s and 1960s. They have also played a major role in explaining the effect of agricultural intensification on our farmland birds. Finding and monitoring nests teaches people about bird behaviour and breeding biology; indeed, the network of volunteer nest recorders in the UK now acts as a training resource for PhD students, NGO fieldworkers and consult- ants. It is also rewarding and, as I mentioned above, it was searching for nests that started me (and many others of the same generation) watching birds. So could there be another, less obvious, benefit? Kids love treasure hunts. Tracking down a well- hidden nest and glimpsing its gem-like contents would surely inspire the current generation just as it did mine. Should we not be making more of this, in a controlled way of course, as a means of getting more young people interested in birds, and educated about them? John Eyre 259 & 260. Female Woodlarks Lullula arborea sit tight, making the nest difficult to spot since the bird’s brown-and-buff plumage blends superbly with the typical background vegetation. The nest can be easier to see when the adult is absent. In this case (a nest on the Thames Basin Heaths in May 2006), the bright yellow gapes of the four youngsters are very conspicuous. They show tongue and mandible spots typical of larks. British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 428-429 429 John Eyre John Eyre News and comment Compiled by Adrian Pitches Opinions expressed in this feature are not necessarily those of British Birds RSPB relaunches with ‘Giving nature a home’ When you’re planning a makeover, who better to enlist than Changing Rooms interior designer Linda Barker? The RSPB has relaunched and rebranded with the help of its first TV advertising campaign pitching to a wider audience than just birdwatchers. Ms Barker is endorsing the campaign and so is the Rightmove property website. Giving nature a home aims to enlist the public as builders of ‘a million homes for nature’. Those homes could be nestboxes, garden ponds or bee-friendly herba- ceous borders. The charming TV advert features a girl who creates several wildlife homes in her garden. Hopefully it will inspire many viewers to follow her example - and join the RSPB. The Society has not dropped the name in its rebranding exercise, nor has the Avocet logo disappeared. But both the logo and the RSPB (now rspb) have had a makeover for the nature-focused campaign. Repositioning the RSPB follows the release of The State of Nature report in May. This definitive audit by 25 nature conservation organisations in the UK catalogued the decline of 60% of the 3,148 species assessed (animals and plants) over the last 50 years, with 31% showing strong declines. Birders have not been forgotten by the new- look RSPB. A free checklist of British birds, pro- duced in association with British Birds and WildWings, and incorporating the latest amend- ments to the British List by the BOURC, will be available on the RSPB stand at the Birdfair later this month - and on the British Birds stand too. 25th Birdfair sets up camp at Rutland Water It’s that time of year again. The British Bird- watching Fair www.birdfair.org.uk returns to Rutland Water for its 25th outing over the weekend of 16th- 18th August. Once again Birdfair is supporting BirdLife’s Flyways Programme. Following the previous years’ focus on the European-African and East Asian-Australasian flyways, the third and final ‘flyways fair’ will raise funds to support conserva- tion efforts in the Americas. The key targets are birds breeding in the prairies of North America and wintering in the pampas of South America. It may be too late for the Eskimo Curlew Numenius borealis , but birds like the Upland Sand- piper Bartramia longicauda and the Bobolink Dolichonyx oryzivorus are now in decline and suf- fering from the degradation of their grassland homes north and south of the equator. Birdfair will help to fund the conservation efforts needed to prevent further extinctions of prairie birds in the twenty-first century. To date, Birdfair has raised more than £2m for bird conservation through admission fees, sponsorship and sales. If you’re among the 20,000 people who regu- larly attend Birdfair, then do call in at the British Birds stand (24/25) in Marquee 3 for back issues, special subscription offers and to admire the winning entries of the Bird Photograph of the Year competition. The winners will receive their prizes from Simon King at 3.30 pm on Friday in the Events marquee. And you can cast your (non-binding) vote for your favourite on our stand. Will BB readers choose a different winner from that chosen by the judges (see pp. 434-447)? Phenomenal find in Phnom Penh Previously overlooked, a new species of tailorbird has been discovered in Cambodia. It appears to be locally abundant and is even found within the city limits of the capital, Phnom Penh. The Cambodian Tailorbird Orthotomus chak- tomuk has been found in several other locations just outside the city, including a construction site. It lives in dense, humid lowland scrub in Phnom Penh and other sites in the floodplain. Its scientific name chaktomuk is an old Khmer word meaning ‘four faces’, which alludes to its distribution in Phnom Penh and along the Tonle Sap, Mekong and Bassac rivers. Only tiny fragments of floodplain scrub remain in Phnom Penh, but larger areas persist just outside the city limits where the Cambodian Tailorbird is abundant. The authors of a paper in the Oriental Bird Club journal Forktail , describing 430 © British Birds 106 • August 2013 • 430-433 News and comment 261. Cambodian Tailorbird Orthotomus chaktomuk, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, November 2012. the new species, say that the bird’s habitat is declining and recommend that the species be classified as Near Threatened. See www.orientalbirdclub.org/forktail29 Lead author Simon Mahood said: ‘The modern discovery of an undescribed bird species within the limits of a large popu- lous city - not to mention 30 minutes from my home - is extraordinary. The dis- covery indicates that new species of birds may still be found in familiar and unex- pected locations.’ The last two decades have seen a sharp increase in the number of new bird species emerging from Indochina, mostly due to exploration of remote areas. Newly described birds include various babbler species from isolated mountains in Vietnam, the bizarre Bare-faced Bulbul Pycnonotus hualon from Laos and the Mekong Wagtail Motacilla samveasnae. The tailorbird is one of only two bird species found solely in Cambodia. The other, Cambodian Laughingthrush Garrulax fer- rarius , is restricted to the remote Cardamom Mountains. Co-author Colin Poole said: ‘This dis- covery is one of several from Indochina in recent years, underscoring the region’s global importance for bird conservation.’ Little Tern colony raided Almost all of the eggs in one of Britain’s most important nesting colonies for Little Terns Sterna albifrons have been stolen overnight. Approximately 50 eggs were taken from the nests of the 65 breeding pairs on the beach at Crimdon, Co. Durham, one of only two colonies in northeast England. Until 20 years ago this was a ‘black sand’ beach polluted by the waste from coastal coal mines but as the shoreline recovered, the Little Tern colony grew. Last year 110 pairs nested but predation by Common Kestrels Falco tinnunculus meant that no chicks fledged. Durham Heritage Coast Officer Niall Benson said: ‘This year we have only 65 pairs and this human predator is morally repugnant, criminal and will lead to the extinction locally of this amazing long-distance migrant. I simply cannot understand why someone would do this. The colony has been stripped of eggs by an egg-col- lector. Would they rather have live birds or dead eggs? What makes it worse is that these eggs were two-thirds through incubation with well-formed chicks inside.’ The Little Tern is one of Britain’s rarest seabirds and declining globally. British breeding birds winter off the West African coast. Inspector Dave Coxon of Durham Police said: ‘We are currently working with members of our Coastwatch scheme to identify any suspicious behaviour and, as with any report of theft, we will investigate it thoroughly and aim to bring the perpetrators to justice.’ The Cuckoo class of 20 1 3 The BTO’s pioneering study tracking Common Cuckoos Cuculus canorus to Africa and back to Britain has entered a third year with a fresh cohort of recruits. The class of 2013 comprises 18 male birds trapped and satellite-tagged in Sussex, Devon, Norfolk and the Highlands and islands of Scotland. The cost of the solar-powered satellite tags is £3,000 each; generous sponsorship has enabled so many birds to be included in this year’s study. In 2011, the first five Cuckoos were all tagged in Norfolk. One of them, Chris, still survives and has now embarked on his southbound migration yet again. The British Birds- sponsored Cuckoo, BB, was tagged near Stirling in May 2012. He returned to British Birds 106 • August 2013 • 430-433 431 James Eaton IBirdtour Asia News and comment Loch Katrine this spring after overwintering in the Congo basin. On 18th June he had once again started his autumn migration, flying directly from Scotland to the Friesland islands off the Dutch coast. His fellow Stirling Cuckoo, Chance, left Scotland soon after. The only other survivor of the class of 2012, Welsh Cuckoo David, who was trapped and tagged at Tregaron, Ceredigion, had also reached mainland Europe by the end of June. One of this year’s Norfolk Cuckoos is Nelson, who was named by his sponsor, The Broads Authority. Andrea Kelly from the Authority gave an insight into the naming process: £We asked members of the public to name our sponsored Cuckoo. Nelson was the winning name. Admiral Nelson was a Norfolk man and one of Britain’s greatest heroes. He was brought up in Norfolk and travelled many thousands of miles full of danger and risk to life, very much like Nelson the Cuckoo.’ Follow all the Cuckoos at www.bto.org/cuckoos House building threatens the UK’s most important Nightingale breeding site Another trans-Saharan migrant with a plum- meting British population is the Common Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos and now there’s a further threat: house building. Lodge Hill in Kent is a 325-ha former MoD training site over- grown with scrub and is ideal for Nightingales - up to 85 singing males have been logged in the area. But it’s also prime real estate and Medway Council is keen to progress the £lbn housing scheme planned for the site. However, Natural England stepped in and has designated Lodge Hill as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), largely because it holds the highest density of Nightingales in the country. The RSPB has urged Medway Council to reconsider its plan to build 5,000 homes on a nationally important site for wildlife. Conservation Director Martin Harper said: ‘This is not a case of wildlife versus jobs and houses. We perfectly understand Medway Council’s desire to create employment and homes for the people of North Kent. However, the Gov- ernment’s own guidance is perfectly clear: housing shouldn’t be proposed for nationally important wildlife sites before alternatives have been consid- ered. ‘It is difficult to see how any rational planning authority could grant consent for a planning application, now that a government inspector has made it clear that the proposal is against national planning policy. We think now is the time to draw a line under the Lodge Hill proposal.’ A Medway Council spokeswoman said: ‘We have the absurd situation of a government agency, Natural England, stopping a government depart- ment, the MoD, from proceeding with their plans to relinquish their former training grounds. We are deeply unhappy with this decision.’ The council, which will appeal against the SSSI decision, said the site was ‘littered with munitions and, due to delays, has become overgrown.’ Cumbrian gamekeeper pleads guilty to killing Buzzards illegally Colin Burne, of Winters Park, Penrith, pleaded guilty last month to the intentional killing of Common Buzzards Buteo buteo on land managed by a private shooting syndicate in Whinfell Forest, near Penrith, Cumbria. The 64-year-old gamekeeper attended Carlisle Magistrates Court where he pleaded guilty to three charges. These related to the killing of two Buzzards on 11th February 2013, killing five Buzzards prior to this date and possession of a wooden stick as an item capable of being used to kill the birds. He received a 70-day jail sentence, concurrent on each charge, suspended for 12 months. In sentencing, the judge stated that, had it not been for Burne’s ill health, he would have considered jailing him. On Monday 11th February this year, a cage trap containing live Buzzards was found by members of the public on land managed by the shoot. Cage traps can lawfully be used to control certain crow species, but any non-target species which become accidentally caught, such as the Buzzard and other birds of prey, must be released unharmed. The next day RSPB Investigations Officers set up a covert camera near the trap site. When the footage was retrieved, it showed Colin Burne entering the trap and intentionally killing two Buzzards by beating them to death with a wooden stick. Bob Elliot, Head of RSPB Investigations, said: ‘After we retrieved the footage and played it back, we were surprised at the openness with which Burne had killed the birds. Buzzards were given full legal protection in 1954 - six years after Burne was born - but he calmly dispatched the birds as though it was a routine operation, rather than an illegal act killing a protected species.’ A search of the trap site by officers from Cumbria Constabulary and the RSPB revealed the presence of the remains of many other Buzzards, showing that the killing of these birds at this site had become a regular practice. Burne admitted to the killing of five of these birds. 432 British Birds 106 • August 2013 • 430-433 News and comment The birding year ’13- lucky for some The year 2013 will long be remembered by many British listers as ‘the year of unblocking’. In other words, the year that some near-mythical species (‘blockers’) returned to these shores after a very long absence and, in most cases, lingered long enough to delight the twitching fraternity. It’s been more than half a century since a Dusky Thrush Turdus eunomus presented itself in an accessible location (the overwintering bird in Hartlepool, Co. Durham, in 1959/60), so the female that obligingly spent a Saturday in Margate cemetery in Kent in mid May was much appreci- ated. Within a month, a two-day Pacific Swift Apus pacificus in Suffolk had ended a 20-year wait for those too young or too tardy to catch the Cley bird of May 1993. And then, within a week, another rare swift arrived - although this one was not in southeast England. The sublime White-throated Needletail Hirundapus caudacutus was zooming over a loch on the Outer Hebridean island of Harris, 25 years after the popular bird on Hoy, Orkney. But the elation for birders who ‘unblocked’ the needletail turned to heartbreak within hours when the high-speed beauty died after colliding with the only wind turbine in southern Harris. Untimely death must be the fate of the vast majority of dis- placed vagrant birds that reach our shores but this was a sobering reality check for the twitchers who witnessed it. There was little time for introspection, however, as the birding bonanza continued. On 1st July a Bridled Tern Onychoprion anaethetus landed among the Arctic Terns Sterna paradisaea on Inner Fame, Northumberland, 25 years to the day since the last long-stayer dropped into another ternery - at Cemlyn Bay, Anglesey. And then, the very same week, the most jaw-dropping news of all: a juvenile Ascension Frigatebird Fregata aquila had been photographed sitting on a wall at Bowmore, on Islay! It still seems incredible that one of these Critically Endangered mid-Atlantic seabirds could straggle to Tiree in 1953 (see Brit. Birds 96: 58-73) - let alone a second would be seen on another Inner Hebridean isle 60 years later. 262. White-throated Needletail Hirundapus caudacutus, the victim of a collision with a wind turbine on Harris, Outer Hebrides, June 2013. In praise of... Birdfair As summer migrants start to trickle south and an enticing autumn hovers on the horizon, there is only one date on the calendar. If it’s August, it must be Birdfair. It’s a gathering of the birding clan with a serious conser- vation purpose: an exhausting programme of talks, demonstrations, socialising - and shopping. And after three days in Rutland - when the Birdfair organisers have done their sums - BirdEife should benefit from another bumper cheque. To date, £2m has been generated for bird conservation. That cannot be praised too highly. For extended versions of many of the stories featured here, and much more, visit our website www.britishbirds.co.uk British Birds 106 • August 2013 • 430-433 433 Mark Rayment Bird Photograph of the Year 2013 sponsored by: loot euevy drop anglian Anglian Water Christopher Helm Collins Simon King Wildlife The Eric Hosking Charitable Trust Peregrine Falcons Falco peregrinus embody the mercurial spirit - whenever you see one it leaps larger than life into your imagination. But the fact is that photographing them can be tricky and the results disappointing since they are almost invariably distant, on the move, and flying very rapidly! This remarkable image (opposite - turn the page through 90°), the winner of the 2013 Bird Photograph of the Year competition, captures the moment when a parent bird is sharing a freshly caught meal with its newly fledged young. Taken in the skies above Norwich cathedral by Steven Jefferson, it perfectly captures the charisma of the family, with all its dynamism and flair, and all in a single frame. Astonishing! Simon King Simon King was one of the judges for the 2013 Bird Photograph of the Year competition; he will present this year’s awards at the British Bird watching Fair, at Rutland Water, on Friday 1 6th August, at 3.30 pm in the Events Marquee. For more information about Simon, visit his new website simonkingwildlife.com and oimon King Wildlife ** YouTube channel. 434 © British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 434-447 Bird Photograph of the Year 2013 263. Bird Photograph of the Year 2013 Peregrine Falcons Falco peregrinus, Norwich, Norfolk, June 20 1 2. (Canon EOS 5D III, Canon 400 mm f4 + 1 .4x converter; I / 1 250, f8, ISO 320.) British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 434-447 435 Steven Jefferson Chandler et al. 1st Peregrine Falcons Falco peregrinus plate 263 Steven Jefferson 2nd Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus and Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus plate 264 Michele Mendi 3rd Common Swift Apus apus plate 265 Chris Knights 4th Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinas with Water Rail Rallus aquaticus plate 266 Peter Beesley 5th Red-throated Divers Gavia stellata plate 267 Mark Hamblin 6th Little Owl Athene noctua plate 268 Austin Thomas 7th Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago plate 269 Steve Young 8th Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus and Tien Harrier Circus cyaneus plate 270 Michele Mendi 9th Greenfinch Chloris chloris and Dunnock Prunella modularis plate 271 Mark Hamblin 10th Shags Phalacrocorax aristotelis plate 272 Markus Varesuvo 11th Common Guillemot Uria aalge plate 273 Willie Carlyle 12th Osprey Pandion haliaetus plate 274 Gillian Lloyd 13th Red-breasted Mergansers Mergus senator plate 275 Simon Knight 14th Peregrine Falcons Falco peregrinus Dave Mansell 15th= Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris Michele Mendi 15th= Bearded Tit Panurus biarmicus Chris Knights 17 th Lesser Redpoll Carduelis cabaret Mike Lane 18th Eagle Owl Bubo bubo Arto Juvonen 19th= Common Swift Apus apus Dave Hutton 19th= Little Owl Athene noctua Bill Baston Digiscoped entries 1st Balearic Warbler Sylvia balearica plate 276 Pete Morris 2nd Cream-coloured Courser Cursorius cursor plate 277 Joe Stockwell 3rd Hobby Falco subbuteo Paul Hackett This competition attracts some of the best photographs from both amateur and profes- sional photographers, but has always had a track record for images that showcase unusual or rarely photographed behaviour. Many photographers go to incredible lengths to achieve the perfect composition, some- times with days of fieldwork to ensure that they are in the right place at the right time with the right equipment. Even with that degree of preparation, the light may not be quite right or, more likely, the bird does not behave as it did when the plans were being laid. Although we receive hundreds of entries each year, most of which are very fine photo- graphs in their own right, one that fails to tell a story and to captivate the viewer rarely gets a place in the final shortlist. Sometimes, photographs that feature behaviour or other aspects of a species’ ecology which are of par- ticular interest are highly ranked, even if the image itself is not technically perfect, so an entry that achieves both is special. The 2013 competition attracted images from all over the UK, Europe and the Middle East, many of which are fine examples of the skill and dedication of the modern bird photographer. Sponsors We are enormously grateful to Anglian Water (www.anglianwater.co.uk) for continuing as our principal sponsor in 2013, maintaining the relationship between BB and Rutland 436 British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 434-447 Bird Photograph of the Year 2013 Water - where the winning photographs have been displayed and the awards presented at the British Birdwatching Fair for many years now. In addition, our loyal supporters of many years, Christopher Helm/Bloomsbury (www.bloomsbury.com) and Collins (www.harpercollins.co.uk) have continued their support, while the Eric Hosking Charit- able Trust (www.erichoskingtrust.com) continues to encourage digiscoping as a medium for documenting birds and bird behaviour. Last but not least, we thank Simon King (www.simonkingwiIdlife.com) for once again giving his time to present our awards, for judging the final shortlist and for con- tributing to this account. We thank all our sponsors - without them BB would not be able to host this competition and look forward to working together again in the future. The prizes for the winners will be pre- sented at this year’s British Birdwatching Fair, on Friday 16th August. The top 12 images will be on show at our stand (Marquee 3, stands 24/25) and, as in 2012, you will be able to cast your vote to decide the public’s favourite image. When we did this for the first time last year the outcome was quite dif- ferent from the judge’s decision - let’s see whether you agree with us this year! The rules and closing date for next year’s competition will be announced in January 2014 on our website www.britishbirds.co.uk and in the magazine. The winning entries This year’s overall winner is Steven Jefferson’s family portrait of Peregrine Falcons Falco peregrinus above the centre of Norwich, in Norfolk (plate 263). A pair nests on the spire of Norwich cathedral, where Steven spent several days photographing them after they fledged in late June last year. This gripping photograph shows an adult (in the centre) clasping a hapless Feral Pigeon Columba livia , with two youngsters (which are both colour-ringed) in attendance, the right-hand one preparing to accept lunch in mid-air. Although the birds are moving away from the camera, the immediacy and the detail of the food pass - foot to foot from the adult to the youngster - is very well shown. There are three birds (not including the food item) in the frame, and to get all three sharp, with the head of each bird clearly visible, is a signifi- cant achievement. It’s a cracking image, and a worthy winner. Common Kestrels Falco tinnunculus are feisty little falcons, which is graphically illus- trated by the terrific image from Michele Mendi that was placed second in the 2013 competition (plate 264). It shows a Kestrel darting in under the Short-eared Owl’s Asia flammeus radar to grab a freshly caught vole from the owl’s talons. Michele described an exceptional gathering of Short-eared Owls close to his home in Parma, Italy, between November 2012 and March 2013, with up to 41 birds at the largest roost and up to ten birds in four other roosts. By using his car as a hide he was able to make a close approach to some of the owls but a shot like this requires an intimate understanding of the behaviour of both species... and a slice of luck too. Chris Knights’s photograph of a Common Swift Apus apus leaving its nest-site in the roof of his farm in Norfolk captures superbly an aspect of rural England that is disap- pearing rapidly (plate 265). Refurbishment and renovation of old buildings often results in the loss of nesting sites for species that have come to depend on our homes for theirs. The old pantiles of Chris’s roof are home to a thriving colony of five pairs of Swifts together with up to 15 pairs of House Sparrows Passer domesticus. The judges felt that the combina- tion of the old terracotta tiles with the green moss and yellow lichen worked beautifully as a backcloth; ‘freezing’ the Swift as it left the nest hole was a challenge executed success- fully, and the combination gained Chris a podium finish this year. In fourth place is Peter Beesley’s rather gruesome image of a Great Black-backed Gull Lams marinus with a Water Rail Rallus aquaticus , taken in October 2012 at the Hook of Holland, in the Netherlands (plate 266). Migrant birds face numerous hazards on migration, and this image epitomises just one of those risks. Fifth place goes to Mark Hamblin, who came across this family of Red-throated Divers Gavia stellata late one evening in June while photographing landscapes on the Snsefellsnes peninsula in Iceland (plate 267). British Birds ! 06 ‘August 2013 • 434-447 437 Michele Mendi Chandler et al. 264. Second Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus and Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus, Fontanellato, Parma, Italy, November 2012. (Canon EOS 7D, Canon 500 mm f4 + l.4x converter; 1/3200, f6. 3, ISO 400.) 438 British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 434-447 Bird Photograph of the Year 2013 265. Third Common Swift Apus apus, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, July 2012. (Canon EOS I DX, Canon 800 mm f5.6; 1/1600, fl I, ISO 1600.) British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 434-447 439 Chris Knights Peter Beesley Chandler et al. 266. Fourth Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus with Water Rail Rallus aquaticus, Hook of Holland, the Netherlands, October 20 1 2. (Canon EOS 7D, Canon 100^00 mm f4.5-5.6 @ 390 mm; 1/2000, f6.3, ISO 600.) When he arrived, the lake was almost engulfed in mist and he could just make out the shapes of several divers in the twilight. Mark initially attempted to photograph the two adults and their offspring with a 500-mm lens but that failed to convey the atmosphere of the scene so he switched to a much shorter lens. The picture then started to come alive and, as the mist lifted suffi- ciently to reveal the mountains behind the lake, the cool, low light gave the picture an overall blue tone, which he deliberately left untouched to convey the sense of twilight. Several images made the judges smile this year and the Little Owl Athene noctua in sixth place was one of those (plate 268). Captured by Austin Thomas early on a fine morning in June, it shows a clear, crisp image of a common species behaving in a manner that we don’t often see. Austin had watched a family of Little Owls for several weeks, learning their behaviour and watching the owlets develop, and this shot features a parent running full pelt towards an owlet, presumably about to impart a life lesson of some sort. The judges were particularly impressed with Steve Young’s near-perfect image of a 440 preening Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago at Lower Moors on the Isles of Scilly, prob- ably one of the best places in Britain to photograph this species (plate 269). This par- ticular individual had been feeding in front of the hide but stopped and began preening. In this image, the Snipe is manipulating its preen gland with its bill to secrete the oil that helps to waterproof and protect its feathers. This image also shows how this species’ ability to flex the tip of the upper mandible (rhynchokinesis) is useful for preening as well as feeding. Shooting at f8 has given suffi- cient depth of field to render all the bird sharp at close range and the composition, with the bird forming an almost complete ball, is nicely complemented by the sur- rounding grasses. In eighth place comes a second entry from Michele Mendi, again from the gathering of Short-eared Owls referred to earlier near his home in Parma. These owls had been attracted to a proliferation of small rodents (in the cattle fodder of some of the dairy cows that produce the milk for Parmigiano Reggiano, incidentally). Hen Harriers Circus cyaneus ambushed the owls regularly and in this image Michele has captured the moment British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 434-447 Bird Photograph of the Year 2013 267. Fifth Red-throated Divers Govia stellata, Snaefellsnes peninsula, Iceland, June 2012. (Canon EOS 5D II, Canon 70-200 mm f2.8 @ 87 mm; 1/80, f4, ISO 400.) 268. Sixth Little Owl Athene noctuo , Formby, Lancashire, June 2012. (Canon EOS ID IV, Canon 400 mm f2.8; 1/3200, f6.3, ISO 640.) British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 434—447 Steve Young Chandler et al. 269. Seventh Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago , St Mary’s, Isles of Scilly, October 2012. (Nikon D4, Nikon 500 mm f4; l/2000,f8, ISO 800.) when a Short-eared Owl has reluctantly abandoned its prey to the more powerful predator (plate 270). Everyday activity can sometimes be action packed but so much is still overlooked or rarely witnessed. At his garden feeding station, Mark Hamblin positioned an old fence post to attract birds. What he had not expected was the aggression displayed by this particular Dunnock Prunella modularis towards other birds that perched on the post. In an attempt to record this behaviour Mark set a very fast shutter speed and took a whole series of images to try to freeze the action. At the time of taking this shot (plate 271) he was unaware that the Dunnock had momentarily 442 British Birds 106 • August 2013 • 434-447 Bird Photograph of the Year 2013 270. Eighth Short-eared Owl Asia flammeus and Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus (right), Frescarolo, Busseto, Italy, January 20 1 3. (Canon EOS 7D, Canon 500 mm + l.4x converter; 1/3200, f7. 1, ISO 500.) 271. Ninth Greenfinch Chloris chloris and Dunnock Prunella modularis, Carrbridge, Highland, January 20 1 2. (Canon EOS I D IV, Canon 500 mm f4; I /3200, f/5.6, ISO 800.) British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 434-447 443 Mark Hamblin Michele Mendi Willie Carlyle Markus Varesuvo Chandler et al 272. Tenth Shags Phalacrocorax aristotelis, Hornoya Island, Norway, March 2013. (Canon EOS I DX, 600 mm f4; I/I 250, f4, ISO 1 600.) 273. Eleventh Common Guillemot Uria aalge, Portmahomack, Highland, September 2012. (Canon EOS 50D, Canon 1 00^00 f4.5-5.6 lens @ 400 mm; I / 1 250, f5.6, ISO 400.) 444 British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 434-447 Bird Photograph of the Year 2013 clasped its foot onto the Greenfinch’s Chloris chloris head and after the event was amazed to dis- cover this picture. Tenth place goes to Markus Varesuvo for his portrait of a pair of Shags Pha- lacrocorax aristotelis, taken at the early stages of the breeding season on Hornoya Island in the Barents Sea, in northern Norway (plate 272). In early March, one individual was perched on the cliffs as the other returned from the sea. For a moment the birds entwined their necks, presumably in a greeting that strengthens the pair bond. Just how do you follow a Common Guillemot Uria aalge underwater then capture the moment it breaks the surface? This is precisely what Willie Carlyle managed to achieve in a remarkable 274. Twelfth Osprey Pandion haliaetus, Aviemore, Highland, August 2012. (Nikon D4, Nikkor 200-^400mm f4 @ 200 mm; 1/2000, f5, ISO 8000.) image (plate 273) from the Black Isle in September last year. He explained that the Guillemot’s progress underwater was marked by fish jumping out of the water in their attempts to escape. ‘It was amazing to see the agility and the speed of the Guillemot in the clear water as it chased its prey. On one occa- sion it leapt out of the water completely in its attempt to secure a fish - I have never previ- ously witnessed a Guillemot “porpoising” in this way; even more surprisingly, I was lucky enough to photograph this behaviour as it did it only once.’ The Rothiemurchus fishery at Aviemore, in Speyside, is renowned for outstanding views of fishing Ospreys Pandion haliaetus, which are actively encouraged to take fish from the well-provisioned ponds. In fact, it has become a popular tourist attraction in its own right and for photographers it gives an unparalleled opportunity to get up close and personal with fishing Ospreys. Taking the opportunity to capture some early morning activity, Gillian Lloyd was in the hide at dawn and caught this striking image just before 5.00 am (plate 274). Although there must be many thousands of images of fishing Ospreys, Gillian’s image captures the power and majesty of this magnificent raptor, and is our 12th-placed photo this year. British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 434-447 445 Gillian Lloyd Pete Morris Simon Knight Chandler et al. 275. Thirteenth Red-breasted Mergansers Mergus serrator, Gairloch, Highland, July 2012. (Canon EOS ID IV, Canon 400 mm f4 + l.4x converter; 1/800, f8, ISO 400.) In 13th place comes Simon Knight’s Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator family at Gairloch, Highland, in July 2012 (plate 275). The newly hatched youngsters seem completely at ease while their vigilant mother keeps watch over them. Adding to the composure of this delightful family portrait is the rock encrusted with mussels and barnacles. Digiscoping Pah! Who needs fancy telephoto lenses when you can get images like this through your scope? The fact is that the quality of digiscoped images just seems to go from strength to strength and some are moving out of the ‘record’ category into full-blown fine photog- raphy. This year’s winner displays lovely bokeh1, the light in the background being thrown out of focus by the thin depth of field and setting off the char- coal tones of the warbler beautifully. Simon King 276. Digiscoping winner Balearic Warbler Sylvia balearica, Mallorca, Spain, April 2012. (Nikon Coolpix 1 Bokeh is a Japanese word that loosely P6000, KowaTSN 883 telescope with zoom eyepiece; means ‘fuzzy’ or refers to out-of-focus 1/57, f4. 1 , ISO 100.) areas of photographs. 446 British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 434-447 Bird Photograph of the Year 2013 277. Digiscoping runner-up Cream-coloured Courser Cursorius cursor, Bradnor Hill, Herefordshire, May 2012. (Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3, Kowa TSN 660 telescope with 30x wide-angle eyepiece; 1/160, f4, ISO 800.) The Eric Hosking Charitable Trust award for 2013 goes to Pete Morris for his out- standing portrait of a Balearic Warbler Sylvia balearica, which he came across in the Boca valley in Mallorca while on a family holiday. As he walked down the valley where several birds were singing and showing nicely in the low heath by the sea, this one popped up into view and just asked to have its picture taken (plate 276). It makes a remark- able partner to his image of a singing Marmora’s Warbler S. sarda which won this award just two years ago (Brit. Birds 104: 459-461). The adult Cream-coloured Courser Cursorius cursor that took up temporary resi- dence on the golf course at Bradnor Hill in Herefordshire in May 2012 attracted a huge amount of interest and became one of the most photographed birds of the year. We expected many entries of this bird but as it turned out Joe Stockwell was the only pho- tographer to submit one. Joe had arrived on site for dawn, and this terrific bird was a warming sight in the rising sun. As he watched, the experience was taken to a new level as the bird rose and walked towards him, settling for a time not more than 10 m away! Joe’s image has captured the moment beautifully, and was runner-up in our digis- coping section (plate 277). Acknowledgments We should like to express our gratitude to the BTO for providing a venue for the judging, and in particular to Dawn Balmer; who made the arrangements and provided refreshments. Richard Chandler, Tim Appleton, Robin Chittenden, David Hosking, Peter Kennerley, Simon King and David Tipling, c/o 4 Kmgs Road, Oundle, Peterborough PE8 4AX British Birds Bird Photograph of the Year 2013 is sponsored by: lovt euevy drop anglian Collins f CHRISTOPHER HELM An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing The Eric Hosking Charitable Trust Wlldl,,e^ British Birds 106 • August 2013 * 434-447 447 Joe Stockwell Report on scarce migrant birds in Britain in 2004-2007 Part 2: passerines Peter A. Fraser Introduction This is the second part of the tenth ‘Report on scarce migrant birds in Britain’, dealing with the relevant passerine species recorded during 2004-07. Non-passerines were treated in part 1 (Brit. Birds 106: 368-404), which includes a fuller introduction to the data pre- sented here, but it is worth reiterating that for many species this report marks the 50th year of systematic data gathering. This dataset provides a unique insight into trends that may not (yet) be apparent elsewhere and also supports other data sources (such as the Rare Breeding Birds Panel reports) in revealing changes in population levels and migration patterns, both at home and abroad. From the beginning of 2006, several species that have traditionally been consid- ered as national rarities were included in the Scarce Migrants project for the first time: Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica , Greenish Phylloscopus trochiloides, Radde’s P. schwarzi, Dusky P. fuscatus and Subalpine Warblers Sylvia cantillans , Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus , Arctic Redpoll Carduelis hornemanni and Rustic Bunting Emberiza rustica. For these species, the report focuses on the two years (2006-07) since they ceased to be treated as national rarities by BBRC, although a summary of occurrences since 1958 is given. Of these species, Red-rumped Swallow and Greenish Warbler appeared in above-average numbers in both 2006 and 2007; conversely, the numbers of both Red- throated Pipit and Rustic Bunting were particularly poor. Two species that all birders look for eagerly in autumn made a fine showing during the review period. Unprecedented numbers of Yellow-browed Warblers P. inor- natus reached Britain in 2005 (1,469) and 2007 (1,091), these being the two best years on record. The partly sympatric Pallas’s Leaf Warbler P. proregulus fared well in 2004, when no fewer than 199 were recorded, the second-best year on record, while 2005 and 2007 were also good years. In addition, Radde’s and Dusky Warblers justified their inclusion in this report by maintaining a run of appearances above the BBRC threshold. Several species appeared in below-average numbers, however, including Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus , Melodious Warbler Hippolais polyglotta , Bluethroat Luscinia svecica, Red- breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva and Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana. Two former BBRC species, which have featured in this report for many years, give particular cause for concern. The decade ending in 2007 was the worst for Tawny Pipit A. campestris in 50 years, with an annual mean of just 1 1 birds, and no accepted records at all in 2007. At this rate, the Tawny Pipit seems set to return to the ranks of a national rarity. The same may be true of the Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola, which is in long- term decline and mustered four poor show- ings in the years under review; the annual mean total for 1998-2007 was just 16. This has always been a difficult species to monitor accurately, and numbers are largely dependent on the activities of ringers in south-coast reedbeds. So while the numbers look gloomy, it is also likely that more are occurring than this report suggests. 448 © British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 448-476 Report on scarce migrant birds in Britain in 2004-07 Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus Total 1968-2007 No. 2004 (rank/40) No. 2005 (rank/40) No. 2006 (rank/40) No. 2007 (rank/40) Annual maxima 1968-2007 (year/number/rank) 3,383 59 (28) 105 (10) 70 (23) 43 (35) 1994/235/1 1992/184/2 Fig. I. Annual totals of Golden Orioles in Britain, 1968-2007. Annual means 1968-2007 1968-77 43 1978-87 81 1988-97 130 1998-2007 84 Although the total of 105 birds in 2005 stands as the tenth-highest total since 1968, the other years in the review period emphasise the decline in fortunes of the Golden Oriole as a migratory bird in Britain (fig. 1). This trend is similar to the species’ decline as a breeding bird - the maturing stands of poplar Populus in the East Anglian fens, planted to replace those cut down in the 1980s to make matchsticks and which held most of the breeding population, are failing to attract Golden Orioles. Just how the declines in the migrant and breeding populations are linked is not clear, however, since the five best years on record occurred between 1990 and 1997, at a time when suitable breeding habitat in the fens was already limited. As usual, the vast majority of records in 2004-07 were overshooting birds in the south and southeast, in late spring and early summer. Some of these records involve males that may hang around for a day or two, often in suitable mixed deciduous woodland, but move on after failing to attract a mate. It appears that males outnumber females in spring, and it would be an interesting project to analyse the numbers in greater detail. Most were seen in Kent, Scilly and Shetland, with smaller numbers coming from most English south- and east-coast counties and a scatter of inland reports (fig. 2). Away from Shetland, records in Scotland were few and far between, as was also the case in Wales. There have not been more than six autumn records in any year since 1968, and 2007 was only the second year since 1968 with no autumn records at all. Fig. 2. Distribution of Golden Orioles in Britain, 2004-07. British Birds 106 • August 2013 • 448-476 449 Fraser Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio Total 1986-2007 No. 2004 (rank/22) No. 2005 (rank/22) No. 2006 (rank/22) No. 2007 (rank/22) Annual maxima 1986-2007 (year/number/rank) 4,880 269 (6) 138 (20) 167 (15) 199 (12) 1988/423/1 1998/374/2 Although 2004 was the sixth-best year since 1986, the remaining years under review were unre- markable (fig. 3). Since 1986, there has been rather less variation in the numbers seen in autumn than those seen in spring, and the shallow decline in annual totals in the 22 years is more of a reflection of totals in spring; there has not been a bumper spring passage since 1998. In terms of distribution, almost half of all spring records during the four years (203/430) came from Shetland and Fair Isle, although in autumn there was a much more equitable spread of records along the east coast. Interesting records included the first for Tiree, Argyll, on 2nd October 2006 (with another there on 17th-22nd September 2007). In both spring and autumn there was a widespread scatter of records throughout Britain, with many recording areas notching up at least a single bird during the four years. This is one species that, in theory, climate change should favour, with warmer summers bringing about an increase in invertebrate prey. However, a quick check of the front of the average British car suggests that total insect biomass in the wider countryside remains low. Perhaps agricultural intensification and the use of insecticides on an industrial scale is overriding any potential benefit from different weather patterns. Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor Total 1986-2007 No. 2004 (rank/22) No. 2005 (rank/22) No. 2006 (rank/22) No. 2007 (rank/22) Other annual maxima 1986-2007 (year/number/ rank) 1,820 95(9) 96(8) 36 (19) 118 (2) 1998/206/1 2003/112/3 Fig. 4. Annual totals of migrant Great Grey Shrikes in Britain, 1986-2007. spring (April-june) autumn (August-November) 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 Annual means 1986-2007 1986-90 86 1991-95 80 1996-2000 76 2001-07 91 Annual means 1986-2007 1986-90 234 1991-95 221 1996-2000 252 2001-07 192 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 Fig. 3. Annual totals of Red-backed Shrikes in Britain, 1986-2007. 450 British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 448-476 Report on scarce migrant birds in Britain in 2004-07 Note that these tables, and fig. 4, show annual totals for Great Grey Shrikes in spring and autumn only; winter occurrences are excluded. The Great Grey Shrike presents a unique set of problems for this report since it is both a scarce migrant and a winter visitor. Here, birds arriving in spring (April-June) and autumn (Sep- tember-November) are treated in the same manner as other scarce migrant species in this report, while wintering birds are discussed sepa- rately. Since 1986, there has been little evidence of an overall trend in numbers, but ample variation between years. For example, 2007 saw the second-highest total of Great Grey Shrikes in autumn since 1986; and, since the vast majority of passage birds are seen in autumn, this trans- lated into the second-best year overall (fig. 4). The distribution of birds in autumn during the review period, with a strong bias towards East Anglia and the southeast, suggests that some of these arrived early on wintering territories (fig. 5). The earliest arrival was at Warham Greens, Norfolk, on 6th September 2005. The year 2005 saw the (equal) second-highest spring total (29). Most spring migrants turned up in coastal counties, presumably en route to Scandinavian breeding areas, so one in Kew Gardens, Greater London, on 15th April 2006 was unexpected. The latest spring record was one on Scolt Head, Norfolk, on 26th May 2005. The wintering population of Great Grey Shrikes Unlike the rest of this report, which uses the same criteria as BBRC to count an individual bird only once, it is possible only to estimate the wintering population each year. It is perhaps better to describe the annual wintering prevalence of Great Grey Shrikes (rather than incidence - in which a bird spending successive winters at a site is counted only in its first winter). The main difficulty in estimating the wintering population is this species’ mobility in winter, which may be related to food availability. In less-populated regions of Britain, such as central Wales and more remote areas of Scotland, some individuals may be seen only a few times at scattered sites throughout the winter. With these caveats in mind, it can be estimated that there were 43 wintering Great Grey Shrikes in the first winter period (January to March) of 2004 and 41 in the equivalent period in 2005. In the two subsequent years, wintering numbers dropped dramatically, to 27 in 2006, and 14 in 2007 (the latter is presumably linked to the very low numbers recorded in autumn 2006). The New Forest (Hampshire) remains the species’ winter stronghold in Britain, but there may have been as few as three there in 2007 (compared with a minimum of eight in 2004). Other areas with at least two wintering birds included Clocaenog Forest (Denbighshire), the Peak District (Derbyshire), Speyside (Highland) and Ashdown Forest (Sussex). Fig. 5. Distribution of Great Grey Shrikes in Britain, in autumn (September-November) 2004-07. British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 448-476 451 Kit Day Fraser Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator Total 1958-2007 No. 2004 (rank/50) No. 2005 (rank/50) No. 2006 (rank/50) No. 2007 (rank/50) Annual maxima 1958-2007 (year/number/rank) 802 16 (26=) 23 (8=) 29 (3) 17 (21=) 1997/36/1 2002/32/2 The 29 Woodchat Shrikes in 2006 comprised the third-highest annual total since 1958 but overall there has been rather little change in this species’ standing in the past 20-30 years (fig. 6). Note that only birds of the nominate race are included in this review; the seven accepted records of the Balearic race L. s. badius (up to the end of 2007) have been published in the BBRC annual reports, two of which occurred during 2004-07 (one in Avon in June 2005, the other in Cornwall in May 2007). The vast majority of the 85 records during the four-year review period were in southern England, with 13 on Scilly and nine each in Cornwall, Devon and Dorset. Elsewhere, Derbyshire’s third was at Long Eaton, on 2nd-3rd May 2006, while birds at Raffin, Highland, on 20th-27th July 2007 (one of only six birds in Scotland during the period) and Leeds, Yorkshire, on 4th June 2007 were also notable. Annual means 1958-2007 1958-67 11 1968-77 14 1978-87 13 1988-97 22 1998-2007 21 Fig. 6. Annual totals of Woodchat Shrikes in Britain, 1958-2007. 278. Female Woodchat Shrike, Hambledon, Hampshire, May 2006. 452 British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 448-476 Report on scarce migrant birds in Britain in 2004-07 Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla Total 1958-2007 No. 2004 (rank/50) No. 2005 (rank/50) No. 2006 (rank/50) No. 2007 (rank/50) Annual maxima 1958-2007 (year/number/rank) 698 19 (10=) 10 (33=) 19 (10=) 13 (25=) 1996/45/1 1994/39/2 Fig. 7. Annual totals of Short-toed Larks in Britain, 1958-2007. Annual means 1958-2007 1958-67 4 1968-77 11 1978-87 12 1988-97 24 1998-2007 19 45 -1 40- 35- 30- 25- 20- 15- 10- 5- 0- ■i iJIhiIii lalillllllll'giB L lllii 58 60 62 64 66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 0 6 The four years of the review period were unexceptional for Short-toed Larks and it is clear that the surge in numbers during the 1990s (the eight highest annual totals occurred between 1991 and 2000) has not been maintained (fig. 7). The 6 1 records were divided almost equally between spring and autumn. In both seasons, the majority of records were either in the Northern Isles or on Scilly (20 of 31 in spring, 22 of 30 in autumn). There were very few in between - Yorkshire and Norfolk managed three each in the four years, but no other recording area had more than two. One on Fair Isle on 23rd-25th April 2004 showed characteristics of the nominate race, which breeds in southern Europe, while two autumn birds on Fair Isle in 2004, on 12th and 24th-27th 279. Short-toed Lark, Long Nanny, Northumberland, December 2007. October, were logged as one of the greyer eastern forms, along with one at Brierdene, Northum- berland, on 21st-23rd October 2004. A reasonable hypothesis is that warmer, browner birds in spring are likely to be overshooting nominate birds from southern Europe and North Africa, while autumn arrivals include colder, greyer birds from Central Asia, arriving at the same time as other scarce migrants and vagrants from that region. At present, there are no accepted British records of Short-toed Lark attributed to a particular race. British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 448-476 453 John Malloy Fraser Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica Total 1958-2007 No. 2006 No. 2007 Annual maxima 1958-2007 (rank/50) (rank/50) (year/number/rank) 557 25(5) 23 (8) 1987/61/1 2004/54/2 Annual means 1958-2007 1958-67 <1 1968-77 4 1978-87 10 1988-97 15 1998-2007 26 Fig. 8. Annual totals of Red-rumped Swallows in Britain, 1958-2007. After being removed from the BBRC list in 2005, the Red-rumped Swallow appeared in good numbers in both 2006 and 2007, consolidating a trend that has been apparent since the late 1980s (fig. 8). Most of the 48 birds in 2006 and 2007 were in spring, the majority in the coastal counties of eastern and southern England (fig. 9). A handful of inland records included birds at Brogborough Lake, Bedfordshire (30th March to 1st April 2007), Stocker’s Lake, Hertfordshire (11th May 2007), and Linedon, Northamptonshire (1st June 2007). The Bedfordshire bird was the earliest in the two years, with one at Kenidjack, Cornwall, on 2nd-llth April 2006 the only other before mid April. Of the 39 spring birds, 30 arrived between mid April and mid May, with the latest at Ventnor Downs, Isle of Wight, on 3rd June. There were nine birds in autumn, in eight dif- ferent recording areas (two in Norfolk). The ear- liest was at Hoswick, Shetland, on 23rd August 2006, and this was followed by two in Septem- ber, two in October and four in November, including one at Port Carlisle, Cumbria, on 8th November 2006. The third for the Outer Hebrides was found on 28th October 2007, while one at Norbury, Staffordshire, on 21st-22nd November 2006 turned up on the same date as the previous latest-ever arrival, at Southwold, Suffolk, in 1987. With the discovery in 2010 of a bird in Orkney, then Skye (Highland), showing the streaked underparts typical of one of the east Asian races, careful checking, especially of late autumn birds, may reveal others. Fig. 9. Distribution of Red-rumped Swallows in Britain, 2006-07. 454 British Birds 1 06 • August 2013 * 448—476 Report on scarce migrant birds in Britain in 2004-07 Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides Total 1958-2007 No. 2006 No. 2007 Other annual maxima 1958-2007 (rank/50) (rank/50) (year/number/rank) 504 17 (10=) 42(2) 2005/47/1 1995/31/3 Greenish Warbler was last treated as a national rarity in 2005, when no fewer than 47 were accepted (beating the previous record of 31 in 1995 by some margin). This was followed by a relatively modest year of 17 in 2006 but then another bumper total of 42 in 2007. The arrival of Greenish Warblers in 2007 was almost entirely confined to Norfolk, which accounted for an astonishing 34 of the 42 records. The first that year was on Fair Isle on 20th August, with others the next day on Unst, Shetland, and Inner Fame, Northumberland. At this point the floodgates opened and birds arrived daily during the week that followed with the exception of 26th, with eight new arrivals on both 24th and 25th August. Between 22nd August and the end of September, 31 new arrivals were virtually all in Norfolk - two in Kent and one in Yorkshire were the exceptions. New arrivals dried up in October, when just two birds were dis- covered, at Sydenham, Greater London, on 7th, and the last of the year, on St Agnes, Scilly, on 9th October. There were no spring records in either 2006 or 2007. Although Greenish Warbler is predominantly an autumn bird in Britain, spring records are not uncommon (almost 5% of the total) and frequently involve singing males, most often discov- ered in early June. As a breeding bird, Greenish Warbler is gradually spreading westwards, with numbers and the limit of breeding seemingly determined by spring weather patterns. Good years in western Europe apparently coin- cide with high temperatures and southeasterly movements of warm air masses, which promote extended migration beyond the traditional breeding range (Hage- meijer & Blair 1997). Conse- quently, the western limit of the breeding range is unstable, leading to good and poor years, while the overall westward expansion is being driven by climate trends. Fig. 10. Annual totals of Greenish Warblers in Britain, 1958-2007. Annual means 1958-2007 1958-67 2 1968-77 6 1978-87 7 1988-97 16 1998-2007 21 British Birds 106 • August 2013 • 448-476 455 Hugh Harrop Fraser Pallas’s LeafWarbler Phylloscopus proregulus Total 1958-2007 No. 2004 (rank/50) No. 2005 (rank/50) No. 2006 (rank/50) No. 2007 (rank/50) Other annual maxima 1958-2007 (year/number/rank) 2,147 199 (2) 72 (9) 18 (26) 64 (10) 2003/313/1 1997/171/3 Fig. I I. Annual totals of Pallas’s Leaf Warblers in Britain, 1958-2007. Annual means 1958-2007 1958-67 2 1968-77 9 1978-87 31 1988-97 75 1998-2007 98 The annual totals of Pallas’s Leaf Warblers in the review period ranged from 199 in 2004 (the second-highest total, a year after the record-breaking 313 in 2003), through moderate years in 2005 and 2007, to a lowly 18 in 2006. The ten-year mean of 98 for 1998-2007 is substantially higher than that for any previous decade, however. Unlike the influx in 2003, when most were seen in Norfolk, the influx in 2004 was most apparent in northeast England, with 49 in York- shire alone. All the 2004 records came from the east and south coasts, except for one on Bardsey, Caernarfonshire, on 26th October (fig. 12). After the first arrival, on Fair Isle on 30th September, there were no further reports until one at Win- terton, Norfolk, on 8th October. New birds were reported daily from 10th, with peak tallies of 20-25 new birds on 20th, 28th and 30th October. The arrivals in this main period tailed off quickly in early November, however, with the last reported on 6th. A further five new birds appeared in mid/late November, followed by singles at Greatstone, Kent, on 4th December; Kenidjack, Cornwall, on 31st December; Lymington, Hampshire, on 15th January 2005; and Crossley, Cheshire & Wirral, from 29th January to 9th February 2005. The Isles of Scilly recorder commented that 2004 was a remarkable year on the islands, with roughly one Pallas’s for every two Yellow-browed Warblers P. inornatus ! Britain’s second-ever spring record was also found in 2004 - at Flamborough, Yorkshire, on 3rd May. This was followed in 2007 by two further spring birds: at Wouldham, Kent, on 8th— 1 8th April and Freiston, Lincolnshire, on 7th May. One at Crabble, Kent, on 28th January 2004 remained until 2nd April. Fig. 12. Distribution of Pallas’s Leaf Warblers in Britain, 2004. Pallas’s Leaf Warbler 2004 1-7 8-14 15-21 456 British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 448-476 Report on scarce migrant birds in Britain in 2004-07 Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus Total 1968-2007 No. 2004 (rank/40) No. 2005 (rank/40) No. 2006 (rank/40) No. 2007 (rank/40) Other annual maxima 1968-2007 (year/number/ rank) 12,706 352 (12=) 1,469 (1) 664 (5) 1,091 (2) 2003/886/3 1988/739/4 Annual means 1968-2007 1 500 1 1350- 1968-77 1 200 ■ 1050- 68 900- 1978-87 750- 238 600- 1988-97 450- 300- 374 150- 1998-2007 o-l 585 1 MM ..■.■llllliiilllilliiilm 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 Fig. 13. Annual totals of Yellow-browed Warblers in Britain, 1968-2007. The exceptional numbers of Yellow-browed Warblers in 2005 and 2007 stand out as perhaps the most remarkable events of this review. The totals in both years eclipsed the previous best years, 1988 and 2003, and may herald a long-term change in status of this species in Britain, given that the total in the intervening year, 664 in 2006, was also the fifth-highest on record. Fig. 14. Distribution of Yellow-browed Warblers in Britain in 2005 (left) and 2007 (right). British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 448-476 457 Michael McKee Fraser There were slight dif- ferences in both distribu- tion and timing of the 2005 and 2007 arrivals. In those areas where numbers were highest, it was difficult for recorders to determine the arrival dates for every bird, so in some cases only a ‘period total’ summary was sup- plied. However, in both years, after early records in September, the main arrival of birds was in early/mid October. In both years there were more in Shetland than any other area (the total for Shetland plus Fair Isle was 17% of the national total in 2005 and 26% in 2007). There were proportionately more birds in northeast England in 2005 and some evidence of onward movement to the south- west, with inland records in midland and more northern areas of England (fig. 14). Numbers of Yellow- browed Warblers have also been increasing at other seasons. Fig. 15 shows annual totals of birds found in winter (January-March) and spring (April-June). 28 1 . Ye I low- browed Warbler, Out Skerries, Shetland, October 2006. Fig. 15. Totals of spring and winter Yellow-browed Warblers in Britain, 1 968-2007. Radde’s Warbler Phylloscopus schwarzi Total 1958-2007 No. 2006 No. 2007 Annual maxima 1958-2007 (rank/50) (rank/50) (year/number/rank) 297 13 (8=) 9(12=) 2000/31/1 1991/25/2 Fig. 16. Annual totals of Radde’s Warblers in Britain, 1958-2007. Annual means 1958-2007 1958-67 <1 1968-77 2 1978-87 4 1988-97 11 1998-2007 13 458 British Birds 106 'August 2013 • 448-476 Report on scarce migrant birds in Britain in 2004-07 282. Radde’s Warbler, Horseshoe Point, Lincolnshire, October 2006. The two years covered here were, in the context of the most recent of the five decades since 1958, somewhat unexceptional, with 13 in 2006 and nine in 2007. Of these 22, four were on Scilly, with two in each of Caernarfonshire, Lin- colnshire and Norfolk. Singles were found in 12 other recording areas, mostly along the east coast. Twenty of the 22 turned up in October, 1 1 between 15th and 20th. There was a single Sep- tember record, at Sea Palling, Norfolk, on 30th September 2007 and one at Dungeness, Kent, on 4th November 2006. In the long-running contest between this species and Dusky Warbler P. fuscatus , which has been almost neck and neck for 50 years, it seems that a gap has opened up in favour of Dusky (with a total of 333 against 297 for Radde’s). All things being equal, Radde’s is marginally the more difficult of the two to find, in that it is gen- erally less vocal and has a softer call that fails to attract attention in the way that the hard and far-carrying Dusky Warbler Teck’ does. Surpris- ingly, up to the end of 2007, the numbers trapped for ringing were identical, at 86 apiece. Since a quarter of all records are of birds fished out of a mistnet or a Heligoland trap, how many arrive here and remain undiscovered? Fig. 17. Distribution of Radde’s Warblers in Britain, 2006-07. British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 448-476 459 lain Leach Fraser Dusky Warbler Phylloscopus fuscatus Total 1958-2007 No. 2006 No. 2007 Annual maxima 1958-2007 (rank/50) (rank/50) (year/ number/ rank) 333 5(19=) 18(5=) 2001/26/1 2003/25/2 Fig. 18. Annual totals of Dusky Warblers in Britain, 1958-2007. Annual means 1958-2007 1958-67 <1 1968-77 2 1978-87 5 1988-97 12 1998-2007 15 Like Raddes Warbler, Dusky Warbler was removed from the BBRC list at the end of 2005. In 2006, just five were recorded (1986 is the most recent year with fewer) but 18 in 2007 is the joint fifth-highest total since 1958. All 2006 records were in November, between 2nd (Sandy Point, Fig. 19. Distribution of Dusky Warblers in Britain, 2006-07. Hampshire) and 18th (Sladesbridge, Cornwall). In 2007, after a wintering bird on the Gannel, Cornwall, from 24th February to 14th April, there were 15 records in October and two in November, both in Cornwall. Only four recording areas (Shetland, Yorkshire, Suffolk and Cornwall) recorded more than one and, away from the Northern Isles, all turned up south of Yorkshire. This belies the fact that Dusky has a slightly more northerly occurrence pattern than Radde’s; there are roughly three Radde’s for every four Dusky Warblers in Scotland). One at Netherfield Lagoons, Nottinghamshire, on 7th-8th October 2007 was a great inland record; equally surprising was its rediscovery there two months later, on 16th December. 283. Dusky Warbler, Voe, Shetland, October 2005. 460 British Birds 1 06 • August 2013 * 448-476 Hugh Harrop Bill Boston Report on scarce migrant birds in Britain in 2004-07 Barred Warbler Sylvia nisoria Total 1968-2007 No. 2004 (rank/40) No. 2005 (rank/40) No. 2006 (rank/40) No. 2007 (rank/40) Annual maxima 1968-2007 (year/number/rank) 5,829 150 (19) 184 (9) 193 (7) 115 (27) 2002/297/1 2001/239/2 Fig. 20. Annual totals of Barred Warblers in Britain, 1968-2007. Annual means 1968-2007 1968-77 152 1978-87 109 1988-97 151 1998-2007 170 Barred Warbler As usual, Shetland (242) and Fair Isle (60) dominated the national tallies of Barred Warblers, between them accounting for almost half of the four-year total of 642; the remainder were widely scattered, mainly in east- and south-coast counties (fig. 21). Elsewhere, increased coverage is now yielding regular records of this species on Tiree, with seven birds in three years, while Barred Warblers were also recorded at the following less-familiar sites: Barrhead (Clyde, 22nd-27th August 2004), Dingwall (Highland, 2nd Sep- tember 2004), Kenfig (East Glamorgan, 10th September 2004), the East India Docks (Greater London, 25th-26th September 2006) and Marton Mere (Lancashire & N Merseyside, 24th October 2004). The latest record in the period was at the Ouse Washes, Cambridgeshire, on 12th December 2007. One at Scatness, Shetland, on 1st June 2007 was only the sixteenth ever in spring and the first since 1998. 1-24 25-48 49-72 73-96 97-120 121-144 145-168 A Stm 169+ jy \ My*" T K A 4/ no jty A y -A. y rMi V 284. First-winter Barred Warbler, Landguard, Suffolk, September 2007. Fig. 2 1 . Distribution of Barred Warblers in Britain, 2004-07. British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 448-476 461 Fraser Subalpine Warbler Sylvia cantillans Total 1958-2007 No. 2006 No. 2007 Annual maxima 1958-2007 (rank/50) (rank/50) (year/number/ rank) 566 20 (11) 12 (22) 1995/37/1 1988/31/2 Fig. 22. Annual totals of Subalpine Warblers in Britain, 1958-2007. Annual means 1958-2007 1958-67 2 1968-77 4 1978-87 11 1988-97 21 1998-2007 17 Subalpine Warbler is the fourth warbler in this report that ceased to become a BBRC rarity at the end of 2005, although records of all subspecies other than nominate cantillans continue to be assessed by BBRC. For completeness, all accepted records of all races are presented for 2006-07, Fig. 23. Distribution of Subalpine Warblers in Britain, 2006-07. to maintain the approach followed since 1958. The wide geographical scatter of records is shown in fig. 23, with (typically) the Northern Isles and Scilly being the best recording areas for this species. Some 26 of the 32 birds (81%) in 2006-07 turned up in spring, which is consistent with the proportion for all records since 1958 (86%). Nine arrived in April, with the first at Stanpit, Dorset, on 7th— 1 8th April 2006, fol- lowed by 12 in May and five in June, the last being a bird which remained on the Isle of May from 21st June to Nth August 2007. The earliest autumn bird was on Inner Fame, Northumberland, on 14th August 2006, followed by four September birds, and one on Fair Isle on 20th-29th October 2007. Six of the 32 were accepted by BBRC as being of the eastern race S. c. albistriata (two in 2006, both in Shetland, on 7th and 8th May; and four in 2007, two on Bardsey, Caernarfonshire, on 4th and 24th-25th May, one in Cornwall on 16th April and one on North Ronaldsay, Orkney, from 30th April to 11th May). Note that female Subalpine Warblers cannot (yet) be assigned to a specific race, so while 26 birds were not accepted as being of the eastern race, this does not neces- sarily mean they were all nominate cantillans. If Subalpine Warbler is split into two or more species in the future, the numbers of each species that can be identified positively are likely to fall well below the BBRC threshold for a national rarity. 462 British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 448—476 Report on scarce migrant birds in Britain in 2004-07 Icterine Warbler Hippolais icterina Total 1968-2007 No. 2004 (rank/40) No. 2005 (rank/40) No. 2006 (rank/40) No. 2007 (rank/40) Annual maxima 1968-2007 (year/number/ rank) 3,946 101 (15) 55 (35) 59 (30) 70 (25) 1997/286/1 1992/281/2 In three of the four years considered, the annual total of Icterine Warblers was well below the 40- year average of 99, and only the 101 in 2004 managed (just) to beat that mark. Autumn sightings account for 77% of all the records during 1968-2007, yet in 2007 only ten individuals appeared in autumn (August-November); 32 in autumn 2003 was the previous low. In contrast, 59 individuals were found in spring 2007 making that only the third occasion since 1968 when more than 50 have been recorded. The majority of those spring migrants in 2007 were in the Northern Isles, with 27 in Shetland, ten in Orkney and nine on Fair Isle. Just five other recording areas made it onto the score sheet that spring, with singles in North-east Scot- land and Northumberland, two in Yorkshire, five in Norfolk and four in Suffolk. The first was on Fair Isle on 12th May, no fewer than 28 turned up between 28th and 31st May, and the last was on North Ronaldsay, Orkney, on 18th June. The species is similar to its close relative the Melodious Warbler H. polyglotta in its reluctance to cross the North Sea/English Channel in sufficient numbers to become established as a breeding bird. Yet, since the two species have different breeding distributions, migration routes and wintering ranges, it seems unlikely that the same mechanisms are at work to prevent more birds of both species reaching Britain. As for so many species that feature in this report, the North Sea is apparently an effective barrier to range extension. Melodious Warbler Hippolais polyglotta Total 1968-2007 No. 2004 (rank/40) No. 2005 (rank/40) No. 2006 (rank/40) No. 2007 (rank/40) Annual maxima 1968-2007 (year/number/rank) 1,215 16 (16) 25 (24) 21 (31=) 8 (40) 1981/60/1 1996/59/2 Annual means 1968-2007 1968-77 79 1978-87 100 1988-97 144 1998-2007 72 300 -I 250 • 200 - 150 - 1 00 ' | : lii illhliilllii llh linliliii 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 Fig. 24. Annual totals of Icterine Warblers in Britain, 1968-2007. The Melodious Warbler is one of a small group of species that is a common breeder close to the coasts of northern France and Belgium, yet remains stubbornly rare in Britain. Since the 1950s, its breeding range has expanded northwards. It first bred in Belgium as recently as 1981, by 1985 it already exceeded 100 breeding pairs (Hagemeijer & Blair 1997) and by 2001-02 it numbered between 1,000 and 2,000 pairs (www.birdlife.org/datazone). Its expansion has continued into the Netherlands and Germany but, like the previous species, there is no hint of it colonising southern England. In fact, the four years 2004-07 were particularly poor for Melodious Warblers; eight in 2007 was the lowest annual total since 1968, and the ten-year mean for 1998-2007 was also the lowest British Birds 106 • August 2013 • 448-476 463 Fraser Annual means 1968-2007 1968-77 27 1978-87 43 1988-97 32 1998-2007 21 Fig. 25. Annual totals of Melodious Warblers in Britain, 1968-2007. of the four decades since 1968. There seems to be no obvious reason for this decline, given the evidence of both range and population expan- sion in France, and a year-on-year survival rate of 50.5%, which is exceptionally high for a migrant passerine (Faivre etal. 2002). During the review period, most were seen in southwest England and Wales (fig. 26), which is an established pattern, but there were also single birds in five east-coast counties plus three in Kent. These birds on the east coast are by no means exceptional: substantial numbers were recorded on the east coast in 1981 (19) and 1996 (25). Fig. 26. Distribution of Melodious Warblers 285. Adult Melodious Warbler, Quarff, Shetland, in Britain, 2004-07. October 2007. Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola The Aquatic Warbler is Europe’s most threatened migratory passerine and has a declining world population, largely due to habitat loss in its breeding areas in eastern Europe. Just 53 Aquatic Warblers were recorded in Britain during 2004-07, and the numbers during the last decade confirm that this decline is being reflected in the British record books. Many British records of Aquatic Warbler are of birds trapped for ringing and Davis (2012) suggested that, despite a recent increase in ringing effort at some south-coast sites, the numbers encountered continue to decline. 464 British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 448-476 Simon Stirrup Report on scarce migrant birds in Britain in 2004-07 Total 1958-2007 No. 2004 (rank/50) No. 2005 (rank/50) No. 2006 (rank/50) No. 2007 (rank/50) Annual maxima 1958-2007 (year/number/ rank) 1,275 17 (28=) 12 (37=) 17 (28=) 7 (46=) 1976/102/1 1991/62/2 Annual means 1958-2007 1958-67 9 1968-77 39 1978-87 22 1988-97 42 1998-2007 16 105 -i 90- 75 - 60- 45- 30- 15- l|.I !,■ i.l.l.l.a.*.! J.! , 1 l,llflll.l..l I , lillljllllli u ^ 58 60 62 64 66 68 70 72 7 4 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 9 2 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 Fig. 27. Annual totals of Aquatic Warblers in Britain, 1958-2007. The distribution of records in 2004-07 (fig. 28) is to some extent a function of current ringing activity, although the almost complete absence from much of eastern England is noteworthy, given the intensive observer coverage there, and the species’ status in coastal mainland Europe. Aquatic Warbler remains a regular, albeit scarce, migrant along the coast of the Netherlands, Belgium and France, where records are increasing as a result of intensive ringing effort (Davis 2012). For example, the ACROLA project monitors the passage of Aquatic Warblers at several sites in coastal France. At just one location, the reedbeds fringing the River Seine near Fe Harve, around 100 are caught annually in August (Provost et al. 2010). This figure is typical for other sites on the Channel and Atlantic coastlines of France. Some unexpected records during the review period included the first for Warwickshire (Kites Hardwick, 29th August 2005), the fourth for Derbyshire (Aston-on-Trent GP, 31st August 2004) and one at Flamborough, Yorkshire, on 12th August 2004. Two were seen in Shetland and three on Fair Isle, four of those five in 2004. Two birds trapped and ringed in Britain were subsequently controlled in France, demon- strating that at least some birds that reach Britain manage to reorientate. One trapped on 18th August 2006 at Radipole, Dorset, was recaptured the following day at Oudalle, Seine- Maritime, 234 km away. Another, ringed at Titchfield Haven, Hampshire, on 19th August 2006 was controlled 400 km away in western France on 29th August 2006. Of particular interest was a juvenile trapped at Sandwich Bay, Kent, on 15th August 2006, which had been ringed in the nest at Kostyuki, Brest, Belarus (52°39’N 25°8’E), on 17th June that year. British Birds 106 ‘August 20 i 3 * 448-476 Fig. 28. Distribution of Aquatic Warblers in Britain, 2004-07. 465 Fraser Rose-coloured Starling Pastor roseus Total 1958-2007 No. 2004 (rank/50) No. 2005 (rank/50) No. 2006 (rank/50) No. 2007 (rank/50) Annual maxima 1958-2007 (year/number/rank) 838 30 (7=) 32 (5=) 27 (9=) 18 (12) 2002/195/1 2001 & 2003/67/2= Annual means 1958-2007 1958-67 4 1968-77 5 1978-87 8 1988-97 15 1998-2007 52 Although not matching the preceding, and extraordinary, four-year period of 2000-03, the years of 2004-07 were respectably good for Rose-coloured Starlings, with the joint fifth- and seventh-highest annual totals (fig. 29). The number of young birds recorded in 2004-06 was only marginally down compared with earlier in the decade, although 2007 was a particularly poor year with just five. Fig. 30 shows a distinct bias to southwest England and the Northern Isles, but in between a fairly even scatter of records. Adult birds occurred mostly in summer, with a peak in late June while, unsurprisingly, young birds (reported as immature, juvenile or first-winter) were seen mainly in autumn. Fig. 30. Distribution of Rose-coloured Starlings in Britain, 2004-07. 286. Adult Rose-coloured Starling, Baltasound, Unst, Shetland, September 2007. 466 British Birds 106 'August 2013 • 448-476 Hugh Harrop Report on scarce migrant birds in Britain in 2004-07 Bluethroat Luscinia svecica Total 1968-2007 No. 2004 (rank/40) No. 2005 (rank/40) No. 2006 (rank/40) No. 2007 (rank/40) Annual maxima 1968-2007 (year/number/rank) 4,782 82 (20=) 48 (36=) 63 (31=) 45 (38=) 1985/622/1 1981/333/2 Fig. 3 I. Annual totals of Bluethroats in Britain, 1968-2007. Annual means 1968-2007 1968-77 105 1978-87 170 1988-97 132 1998-2007 72 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 llliiiilllml Li || § 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 Since 1968, this has been one of the commoner species included in this report, but the four years 2004-07 concluded the most dismal of the four decades of reporting. Twenty birds in spring 2007 was the joint-lowest total at that season since 1968. In the review period, autumn records (130 between August and November) marginally out- numbered those in spring (105, April-June). As usual, in both spring and autumn the vast majority were seen in the Northern Isles (69% of all sightings in spring, 72% in autumn), with most of the rest scattered thinly throughout east- and south-coast counties. The majority of males were of the nominate red-spotted form but eight birds were of the white-spotted race L. s. cyanecula. These included a remarkable record of three males at Land- guard, Suffolk, in March 2005; two arrived on 20th, and the third the following day (two stayed to 22nd, one to 23rd). The same site recorded another male on 12th March 2006, while in Kent a male was at Pegwell Bay on 26th March 2006. These early dates are quite typical for this race, which returns to its breeding grounds in northern France, Belgium and the Netherlands from mid March onwards. The others were somewhat later in the spring: at the London Wetlands Centre, 29th April to 3rd May 2004; Blacktoft Sands, Yorkshire, 29th-30th May 2004; and Vange Marsh, Essex, 14th April 2007. In addition, one in Hampshire in March 2005 and a female at Church Norton, Sussex, on 4th April 2004 occurred on dates suggestive of cyanecula. In fact, cyanecula may be occurring more frequently than the confirmed records suggest, as females and many birds in autumn cannot be attributed safely to a particular race. White-spotted Bluethroat is an abun- dant breeding bird along the English Channel coast from Normandy, France, to the Netherlands, where exploration of almost any wetland quickly reveals this race. In the Netherlands they are expanding beyond wetlands and moving into crops (Arnoud van den Berg pers. comm.). With an abundance of apparently suitable habitat available in East Anglia and the south-coast counties, there appears to be no obvious barrier to their colonisation. They just need to find us, and the numbers occurring suggest that very few do so. 287. , w B|uethroat, Spurn, Yorkshire. September 2007. British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 448-476 467 lain Leach Fraser Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva Total 1968-2007 No. 2004 (rank/40) No. 2005 (rank/40) No. 2006 (rank/40) No. 2007 (rank/40) Annual maxima 1968-200/ (year/number/rank) 3,671 79 (25=) 84 (22) 74 (29) 66 (34) 1984/196/1 1976/174/2 All four annual totals in the review period were below the overall mean for 1968-2007 (of 92), although the 14 in spring 2007 constituted the second-highest for that season during the four decades. That year, the first, on 23rd April at Hilbre, Cheshire & Wirral, preceded seven in the Northern Isles, all in May and the first ten days of June. Four widely scattered birds turned up on islands on 11th June - Bardsey (Caernarfonshire), the Isle of May, St Martin’s (Scilly) and Scolt Head (Norfolk) - while two on Portland, Dorset, on 19th and 23rd June, completed the set. Richard’s Pipit Anthus richardi Total 1958-2007 No. 2004 (rank/50) No. 2005 (rank/50) No. 2006 (rank/50) No. 2007 (rank/50) Other annual maxima 1958-2007 (year / number/ rank) 3,862 91 (18=) 202 (2) 83 (22) 119 (9) 1994/353/1 2001/176/3 The review period was generally pretty good for Richard’s Pipits, with all four annual totals above the 50-year average (of 77) and two in the top ten (fig. 33). More were seen in Norfolk (142) during 2004-07 than in any other recording area, but fig. 34 shows that birds turned up at many inland and western sites too. In the recording areas bordering the Bristol Channel and Severn Estuary, eight were found in Somerset, five in Avon and one in Gloucestershire, while on the Welsh side there were two in East Glamorgan and one in Gwent. Farther north there were inland records from Worcestershire (Grimley, 7th October 2007), Northamptonshire (Stanwick GP, 15th October 2005), and Leicestershire (Bardon Hill, 16th October 2006, the second for the county). Annual means 1958-2007 1958-67 20 1968-77 64 1978-87 51 1988-97 130 1998-2007 120 Fig. 33. Annual totals of Richard’s Pipits in Britain, 1958-2007. Annual means 1968-2007 1968-77 76 1978-87 104 1988-97 97 1998-2007 91 Fig. 32. Annual totals of Red-breasted Flycatchers in Britain, 1968-2007. 468 British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 448-476 Report on scarce migrant birds in Britain in 2004-07 Counties bordering the Irish Sea coast fared well, with 15 in Anglesey, 24 in Caernarfonshire, two in Lancashire & N Merseyside and four in Cumbria. Typically, the vast majority of birds in the big year of 2005 turned up in early/mid October. After an early bird at Holkham, Norfolk, on 13th September, and another 18 by the end of that month, over 70 appeared in the first ten days of October, with 17 on 5th October making that the best day for new arrivals. New birds were reported daily until 20th October, but numbers tailed off quickly after the first week of November. There was just a single bird in spring in 2005, compared with ten in spring 2007, spread between 7th March (Trevose Head, Corn- wall) and 25th May (Flamborough, Yorkshire). Several wintering birds were reported, including at Kinmel Head, Denbighshire, in 2004/05; Tanybwlch, Ceredigion, in January/Feb- ruary 2007; the Axe Estuary, Avon, in February 2005; and Terrington, Norfolk, in February 2007. Fig. 34. Distribution of Richard’s Pipits in Britain, 2004-07. Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris Total 1958-2007 No. 2004 (rank/50) No. 2005 (rank/50) No. 2006 (rank/50) No. 2007 (rank/50) Annual maxima 1958-2007 (year/number/ rank) 1,159 6 (47=) 11 (37=) 14 (34) 0 (50) 1992/57/1 1983/56/2 Annual means 60 -I 1958-2007 50- 1958-67 10 40- 1968-77 29 30- 1978-87 20- 32 1988-97 10- 35 0- 1998-2007 11 Fig- Fig. 35. Annual totals of Tawny Pipits in Britain, 1958-2007. With occasional exceptions, such as 1992 and 1993, sightings of the Tawny Pipit in Britain have been declining since the mid 1980s (fig. 35), and it is now one of the least common species in this report. In fact, there were no accepted records of Tawny Pipit in 2007, which is the first time such British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 448-476 469 Fraser a statistic has made it into the Scarce Migrants Report in its current form. There were two or three unconfirmed reports that year, none of which made it into the relevant county report. The other three years in the period were also unremarkable, with a total of just 31 birds (including a paltry six in 2004), while the 108 birds in the decade 1998-2007 is well below the total for a number of national rarities. All but nine of the 3 1 were in southern England, with 1 1 on Scilly making it easily the top area. Farther north, there were two on Anglesey on 25th September 2006 (one remaining to 26th), four in Norfolk, two in Suffolk, and one on Fair Isle (on 23rd and 31st May 2005). There were 13 spring records, the earliest on St Mary’s, Scilly, on 2nd May 2004 and the latest at Mins- mere, Suffolk, on 8th June 2005. The earliest of the 18 seen in autumn was at Wick Hams, Dorset, on 7th August 2004, while the latest was on St Mary’s on 9th-15th October 2006. The decline in numbers reaching Britain is presumably related to events in western and central Europe, where the population has decreased sharply since the mid 1960s, mainly through habitat loss due to intensive agriculture, afforestation and scrub encroachment, combined with the effects of climate change (Hagemeijer 8c Blair 1997). As this trend continues, can we expect to encounter even fewer Tawny Pipits? Or will the effects of climate change benefit the southern European population, leading to an increasing number of records from the south coast? Perhaps the centenary of this report will make very different reading. Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus Total 1958-2007 No. 2006 No. 2007 Annual maxima 1958-2007 (rank/50) (rank/50) (year/number/rank) 428 6 (26=) 4 (32=) 1992/47/1 1995/21/2 Annual means 1958-2007 1958—67 3 1968-77 7 1978-87 7 1988-97 16 1998-2007 10 50- 40- 30 20 10 n -■■■ ■iiiiiibbiI.IIIhIiiiiIIbIIiiI ll llllllili.il. ’ 58 60 62 64 66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 Fig. 36. Annual totals of Red-throated Pipits in Britain, 1958-2007. Red-throated Pipit, removed from the BBRC list at the end of 2005, is another of the species that responded with two very poor years in 2006-07. The ten accepted records in those Wo years took the total for the decade 1998-2007 to just 102, a very similar pattern to that shown by the pre- vious species. It is important to note that some county committees have adopted stricter assess- ment criteria than others, so some fly-over/call-onlv reports of Red-throated Pipits do not appear in this report. The ten accepted records are as follows: 2006 Anglesey The Range, 18th — 19th October. Fair Isle 1 1th— 12th and 16th May; 12th-15th October. Gloucestershire Ashleworth Ham, 4th November. Kent St Margaret’s, 4th May. Shetland Foula, 26th May to 1st June. 2007 Northumberland Staple Island, 22nd May. Isles of Scilly St Mary’s, 3rd-4th October. Yorkshire Flamborough, 12th October; Spurn, 26th October. 470 British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 448-476 Bill Boston Report on scarce migrant birds in Britain in 2004-07 European Serin Serinus serinus Total 1958-2007 No. 2004 (rank/50) No. 2005 (rank/50) No. 2006 (rank/50) No. 2007 (rank/50) Other annual maxima 1958-2007 (year/number/rank) 1,781 89 (2) 47 (14=) 50 (13) 28 (28) 1996/99/1 1994/82/3 Annual means 1958-2007 1958-67 7 1968-77 18 1978-87 34 1988-97 64 1998-2007 56 1 00 - 80- 60- 40- 20- .1,1, -111 illiiilllllllill 58 60 62 64 66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 Fig. 37. Annual totals of European Serins recorded in Britain, 1958-2007. European Serin 2004-07 The second-highest annual total since 1958, the 89 birds in 2004, seems something of an anomaly in an otherwise gradual decline in records from the mid 1990s (fig. 37). The distribution of records in 2004-07 is broadly the same as that for the whole 50-year period (fig. 38); the vast majority were seen in counties bordering the English Channel, with just a handful of birds making it farther north (the only one in Scotland, a male at Baltasound, Unst, Shetland, on 17th-27th April 2004, couldn’t have made it much farther on British soil). The 12 in Yorkshire during the four-year period is the one county total that stands out away from the south coast, and just two others (apart from the Shetland bird) made it beyond Yorkshire, both in 2007: at North Shields, Northumberland, on 7th April and South Walney, Cumbria, on 4th-8th May. 19-24 25-30 31-36 43-48 37-42 288. European Serin, Landguard, Suffolk, July 2007. Fig. 38. Distribution of European Serins in Britain, 2004-07. British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 448-476 471 Simon Stirrup Fraser Arctic Redpoll Carduelis hornemanni Total 1958-2007 No. 2006 No. 2007 Annual maxima 1958-2007 (rank/50) (rank/50) (year/number/rank) 824 11 (10=) 8(17=) 1996/266/1 1995/195/2 Fig. 39. Annual totals of Arctic Redpolls (both forms) in Britain, 1958-2007. Annual means 1958-2007 1958-67 2 1968-77 3 1978-87 8 1988-97 61 1998-2007 8 Two races of Arctic Redpoll reach Britain: the nominate form, which breeds in Arctic Greenland, and the race C. h. exilipes with an extensive breeding range that includes northern Scandinavia and arctic regions of Siberia, Alaska and Canada. Nominate hornemanni has reached the Northern Isles with increasing regularity in autumn in the last decade or so but, for the time being, records of this form continue to be assessed by BBRC. Records of exilipes ceased to be con- sidered by BBRC after the end of 2005, despite the fact that in recent years this has been the rarer of the two forms. This race is notable for occasional irruptions, as in 1995/96, when hundreds were recorded. This is a particularly difficult species to assess. Separating some exilipes from grey- and frosty- toned Common Redpolls C. f flammea can be particularly challenging, while some extremely frosty exilipes may be mistaken for hornemanni and poorly marked Common Redpolls from Iceland complicate the issue even further. As yet, few county committees have had to deal with records of Arctic Redpoll. In the review period, there were 1 1 accepted records of Arctic Redpoll in 2006 and eight in 2007. In 2006, six were accepted as exilipes and five as hornemanni ; in 2007 three were judged to be exilipes and five hornemanni. To maintain consistency, all subspecies are considered together here. Records of exilipes often occur away from the Northern Isles, and this was the case during a small arrival early in 2006, when singles appeared in Co. Durham, Leicestershire and Norfolk, and three in Suffolk (in addition to another discovered there on 31st December 2005, and one in Lothian from 19th December 2005 that remained into 2006 - these are not given in the totals here). Just three were found in 2007: Barton, Lincolnshire, on 25th March; Langham, Norfolk, on 18th November; and Fair Isle on 19th 472 British Birds 1 06 • August 2013 * 448-476 289. Arctic Redpoll Carduelis h. hornemanni , Quendale, Shetland, October 20 1 0. Report on scarce migrant birds in Britain in 2004-07 Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus Total 1958-2007 No. 2004 (rank/50) No. 2005 (rank/50) No. 2006 (rank/50) No. 2007 (rank/50) Annual maxima 1958-2007 (year/number/ rank) 3,800 138 (10) 81 (21) 129 (12) 113 (16) 1992/248/1 1995/180/2 Annual means 250 1 1958-2007 200- 1958-67 9 1968-77 150- 33 1978-87 100- 57 1988-97 50- 151 0 - 1998-2007 130 Fig. 58 60 62 64 66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 Fig. 40. Annual totals of Common Rosefinches in Britain, 1958-2007. Between 2004 and 2007, the gentle decline in numbers of Common Rosefinches since the peak years in the mid 1990s continued (fig. 40). Numbers in autumn have largely held up (2006 recorded the fourth-best autumn in 50 years, with 104 birds, and 2004 recorded the sixth-best with 100) but there has been a marked change in the frequency of spring records (fig. 41), which is driving the overall downward trend. Of the 461 birds recorded during 2004-07, two-thirds were in the Northern Isles, with 203 (44%) in Shetland, 83 on Fair Isle and 23 in Orkney. Other counties that fared well included Scilly (34) and Yorkshire (25). Away from these main counties, ones and twos were the norm in other recording areas. The timing of arrivals during the period was as expected, with the majority of spring birds appearing in late May and early June, and a more pro- tracted autumn passage from mid August until October. The two exceptions to this general pattern were a late winter bird in Sheffield, Yorkshire, from 1st February to 12th March 2006, and one at Cunnings- burgh, Shetland, on 23rd-29th March 2005. 290. First-winter Common Rosefinch, Out Skerries, Shetland, October 2004. 1 60 n 140- 120- ioo- 80- 60- 40- 20- n - m — iiiBi mImIibIBIBIbIIIII 1 lllulllill U 1 58 60 62 64 66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 Fig. 41. Annual totals of Common Rosefinches in spring (April-june) in Britain, 1958-2007. British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 448-476 473 Michael McKee Fraser Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana Total 1968-2007 No. 2004 (rank/40) No. 2005 (rank/40) No. 2006 (rank/40) No. 2007 (rank/40) Annual maxima 1968-2007 (year/number/rank) 2,282 16 (40) 32 (34=) 25 (38) 36 (30=) 1996/119/1 1969/114/2 Following two good years in 2002-03 were four very lean years during this review period; 2004, with just 16 records, produced the lowest annual total over the 40 years. Only seven of the 109 birds were seen in spring, while two-thirds (72) were reported between 20th August and 20th September. Most were in the southwest, with the top counties being Dorset (33), Scilly (20) and Cornwall (16). Many other recording areas, even some prime east-coast ones, recorded just a single bird in the four-year period or missed out altogether. As always, one or two notable inland records caught the eye, including those at Hitchin, Hertfordshire (5th September 2004), and Beddington Sewage-farm, Greater London (27th August 2004). Rustic Bunting Emberiza rustica Total 1958-2007 No. 2006 No. 2007 Annual maxima 1958-2007 (rank/50) (rank/50) (year/number/rank) 443 6 (27=) 8(19=) 1993/50/1 1998/41/2 Following a pattern similar to that of Red-throated Pipit, Rustic Bunting was removed from the BBRC list at the end of 2005, a move that was followed by two poor years: the six in 2006 and eight in 2007 making the ten-year total just 113 to the end of 2007. That statistic in itself is heavily skewed by the bumper crop of 41 in 1998; after that the only annual total of more than ten was the 15 in 2000. In fact, with the exception of 1993 and 1998, and to a lesser extent 1996, Fig. 43. Annual totals of Rustic Buntings in Britain, 1958-2007. Annual means 1958-2007 1958-67 3 1968-77 5 1978-87 9 1988-97 16 1998-2007 11 Annual means 1968-2007 1968-77 52 1978-87 52 1988-97 71 1998-2007 49 Fig. 42. Annual totals of Ortolan Buntings in Britain, 1968-2007. 474 British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 448-476 Report on scarce migrant birds in Britain in 2004-07 there has been an overall downward trend since the 1990s. The records for 2006-07 are given in full, as follows: 2006 Fair Isle 3rd- 15th October. Norfolk Overstrand, 9th June. Isles of Scilly St Mary’s, 29th October. Shetland Foula, 27th September to 1st October, and another from 30th September to 2nd October. Norwick, Unst, 4th-6th October. 2007 Fair Isle 31st May to 4th June. North-east Scotland Foveran, 2nd June. Orkney North Ronaldsay, male, 18th May. Isles of Scilly St Mary’s, 14th- 15th October. Shetland Ocraquoy, 30th May; Grutness, 31st May; Sumburgh, 14th October. Yorkshire Spurn, 28th May. Rustic Bunting breeds widely throughout much of Sweden and Finland north of 60°N, and into the mountains of southern Norway. Although it is still widespread and relatively easy to find, overall numbers there are decreasing and have been doing so since the 1980s (Hagemeijer & Blair 1997). The factors underpinning this trend are unknown, but it may be that unregulated trap- ping on wintering grounds in China, thought to be important in the decline and loss of Yellow- breasted Bunting E. aureola as a breeding bird in Finland, may also be playing a part in the decline of Rustic Buntings in Europe. Little Bunting Emberizo pusilla Total 1958-2007 No. 2004 (rank/50) No. 2005 (rank/50) No. 2006 (rank/50) No. 2007 (rank/50) Other annual maxima 1958-2007 (year/number/rank) 967 19 (20=) 55(2) 33 (11=) 27 (14) 2000/59/1 1993/48/3 Fig. 44. Annual totals of Little Buntings in Britain, 1958-2007. Annual means 1958-2007 1958-67 5 1968-77 9 1978-87 19 1988-97 31 1998-2007 33 60 50- 40- 30- 20- 10- o- II 1 . 1 ll 1 58 60 62 64 66 68 70 72 74 7 6 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 Fig. 44 illustrates a substantial increase in Little Bunting records from the mid 1980s onwards, which coincides neatly with the increase in the population in northern Finland, which rose from c. 1,000 breeding pairs in the late 1980s to 5,000-10,000 pairs in the early 1990s (Hagemeijer & Blair 1997). Breeding numbers fluctuate, correlated with spring temperatures, but with warmer springs now the norm the westward expansion seems likely to continue. The partly sympatric Red-flanked Bluetail Tarsiger cyanurus, which shares similar breeding and wintering distribu- tions, currently appears to be undergoing a comparable expansion in Finland. Could it be that Red-flanked Bluetail will join Little Bunting in this report in the not-too-distant future? The 55 Little Buntings in 2005 comprised the second-highest annual total over the 50 years considered here, beaten only by the 59 in 2000. In that year, apart from one wintering bird (at Caunsall, Worcestershire, seen from early Lebruary until late March), and three in November, all arrived between mid September and the end of October. The top recording areas in 2005 were Shetland (12), Scilly (10) and Fair Isle (7), with otherwise an obvious east-coast bias to the remaining records (fig. 45). British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 448-476 475 Fraser Little Bunting 2005 Fig. 45. Distribution of Little Buntings in Britain in 2005. Little Bunting Winter, 1958-2007 Fig. 46. Distribution of Little Buntings in Britain between December and February, 1958-2007. Wintering Little Buntings are now not unexpected in Britain, and the distribution of all birds between December and February from 1958 to 2007 is shown in fig. 46. Southwest England is particularly favoured, but there is an interesting second cluster in northwestern England and north Wales. Acknowledgments I would like to thank most sincerely the county and regional recorders and their assistants for providing such detailed information for the review period, and for supplying additional details for previous years where appropriate. Without their ready co-operation, this report would not have been possible. References Davis, M. 20 1 2. Monitoring of Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola in southern England in 2011. RSPB and Natural England, Exeter. Faivre, B., SecondiJ., Frochot, B„ & Cezilly, F. 2002. Local survival and breeding ecology in an expanding population of Melodious Warblers Hippolais polyglotta.Ardea 90: 293-301. Hagemeijen W. J. M., & Blair; M. J. 1 997. The EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds: their distribution and abundance. Poyser; London. Provost, P, Kerbiriou, C„ & Jiguet, F. 20 1 0. Foraging range and habitat use by Aquatic Warblers Acrocephalus paludicola during a fall migration stopover Acta Ormthol. 45: 173-180. Peter A. Fraser, 2 The Parade, Truro, Cornwall TR1 1QE; e-mm7peter.fraser@wilkifrase.net 476 British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 448-476 ZEISS The Carl Zeiss Award 2013 The Carl Zeiss Award (CZA) was created in December 1991 (Brit. Birds 84: 589), when it was announced that: ‘ Carl Zeiss-Germany, sponsor of the Rarities Committee, is offering an annual prize of Carl Zeiss 10x40 B/GAT Dialyt or 7x42 B/GAT binoculars to the photographer who supplies “the most helpful, interesting and instructive” photograph of a rarity, taken in the field in Britain... The winning photo- graph may be big, bright, sharp and beau- tiful, or be small, dull, fuzzy and admired only by the Committee, but it will have included details which helped to clinch the identification of the bird in question and it may well have added to ornithological knowledge of the species’ identification, ageing or sexing criteria.’ The aim of the award was to encourage the submission of potentially useful photographs for the purpose of record assessment, subsequent reference material and possible publication. The competition has continued ever since, with a short hiatus during 2006 and 2007 and a special competition to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the BBRC in 2008. Before digital images came along, the voting procedure of the CZA often involved the review of a batch of prints over a glass of wine with the BB Editor or BBRC Chairman. Nowadays, like almost all of the Committee’s business, the process is fully elec- tronic. An initial shortlist is selected by one or more voting members, the necessary material compiled by the Secre- tary and then all (or at least most) of the voting members select their top five images. Whilst the social aspect of the decision process may have disappeared, it is not clear whether alcohol still plays a part... We discussed the parameters and reasons for selection and award at the 2013 BBRC AGM. Candidate images are those judged to have been the most instructive in the record- assessment process during the previous year. There was a concern that the winning image in several recent years had involved a photog- rapher who had not been aware of the signif- icance of the photograph when the image was taken. We agreed, however, that this should not be an issue if the image met the criteria for being instructive to the Com- mittee. There was some discussion regarding other potential categories such as the best written description, best sketch, etc., and it was agreed that it would be useful to publish these in BB or on the BBRC website, but con- cluded that the CZA would retain its focus on photographic images. The shortlisted images in 2013 continued the high standards of recent years, particu- 29 1 . Fifth Female Black-eared Wheatear Oenanthe h. hispanica, Frampton Marsh RSPB reserve, Lincolnshire, 12th June 2012. © British Birds 1 06 • August 2013 * 477- 480 477 Paul Sullivan Rowlands 292. Fourth Chestnut-eared Bunting Emberiza fucata,V irkie, Shetland, 23rd October 2012. larly in terms of the rarity of the bird in question. Some of the records concerned are still being assessed at the time of writing and will be subject to acceptance by BBRC (and in some cases BOURC). As well as the top five, described in more detail below, other images that received support from some voters in the provisional selection are as follows (listed according to alphabetical order of the photographers): Martin Cade’s images of a Siberian Stonechat Saxicola maurus in Dorset, in combination with DNA analysis of a discarded feather, attributed this bird to the form S. m. stej- negeri and may help with the development of plumage cri- teria to support the genetic data, which suggests that stejnegeri is distinct from nominate maurus (the photos also helped to establish that the same indi- vidual had previously spent time in the Netherlands, giving an insight into the movements of such vagrants); Gavin Cham- bers’s photograph of an amaz- ingly brightly coloured stint (potentially a Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris pusilla ) in Dumfries and Galloway, a record that members felt would certainly not have been acceptable without supporting photos; Brian Clasper’s images of an Orphean Warbler Sylvia hortensis in Cleveland, which were considered invaluable in allowing this individual to be assigned to the nominate (western) race; Nick Little- wood’s photograph of a Black Scoter Melanitta americana in North-east Scotland 293. Third Eleonora’s Falcon Falco eleonorae, Porthgwarra, Cornwall, I Ith August 2012 (the inset shows an enlarged image of the bird). 478 British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 477-480 The Carl Zeiss Award 2013 (it is a significant achievement to get a pho- tograph of this species in UK waters, and this is the first time a first-summer bird had been identified); and Steve Young’s images of a putative Western Sandpiper C. mauri in Cheshire & Wirral, which were considered the best photographs of this bird. This last bird caused great debate and the record remains under review. Whatever the conclu- sion of the assessment of the two problem stints in this list, we shall undoubtedly learn more about their variability and identifica- tion in the process. And so to the final shortlist. Fifth place in 2013 was awarded to Paul Sullivan for his shots of a female Black-eared Wheatear Oenanthe hispanica from Frampton Marsh RSPB reserve in Lincolnshire. Although the bird was identified after the event, the images were good enough not only to confirm the identification, but also to assign the bird to the nominate (western) race, not an easy task with female vagrants in many cases. In fourth place was the Chestnut-eared Bunting Emberiza fucata at Virkie, Shetland, photographed by Rob Fray. The story of this bird, like many in this year’s competition, shows how the value of online communica- tion has become so important and supportive in assisting with the identification of vagrants. There was a real battle between the top three images this year, with each of the three receiving much support from voters. Third place was awarded to Jon Irvine for his photographs of an Eleonora’s Falcon Falco eleonorae at Porthgwarra, Cornwall. The bird was quite distant so the shots were rela- tively poor quality, but were nonetheless sufficient to clinch the identification of a species that has a poor track record in terms of its acceptance rate with BBRC. The images were also sufficient to dispel doubts that arose subsequently over the record’s veracity. A worthy winner in many years would have been Pete Saunders’s images of a Pale- legged Leaf Phylloscopus tenel- 294. Second lipes or Sakhalin Leaf Warbler Leaf Warbler P P. borealoides at Portland, Dorset. This bird provided another example where the photo- graphs were instrumental in establishing the identification, at least as one of this difficult species pair. The likelihood of vagrancy by either species may have seemed somewhat fanciful only a decade or two ago, before it became clear that the Baikal watershed is not an insurmountable barrier after all. This record involved some first-class field observers and their initial conclusions about the identification of this bird (that it was either an Eastern Crowned P. coronatus or an Arctic Warbler P. borealis ) were entirely understandable in the circumstances. It was only upon close examination of the images that the bird’s true identity was revealed. The photos, whilst tantalising in representing a rarity that departed before its enormity was fully appreciated, are a salutary lesson for both seekers and assessors of rarities to broaden their horizons and consider species (and cryptic species-pairs) that hitherto were thought to be well and truly off the radar. Edging just ahead of the competition were this year’s winning images, taken by Tom Lowe, of a Thayer’s Gull Larus (glaucoides) thayeri at Elsham, Lincolnshire. Although subsequent images by other observers pro- vided better quality and more insight, it was felt that Tom’s original shots were the catalyst that generated the interest around this instructive bird. There was widespread Pale-legged Leaf Phylloscopus tenellipes or Sakhalin borealoides, Portland, Dorset, 22nd October 20 1 2. British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 477-480 479 Pete Saunders Rowlands 295. Carl Zeiss Award 20 1 3, winner Juvenile Thayer’s Gull Larus (glaucoides) thayeri, Elsham, Lincolnshire, 3rd April 2012. comment that photographic images are essential for the assessment of claims of Thayer’s Gull. Note that the submissions for both the Lincolnshire Thayer’s Gull and the Dorset Pale-legged Leaf/Sakhalin Leaf Warbler remain under consideration at the time of writing, so in both cases the bird’s identity is only provisional at this stage. Tom Lowe is thus the 21st recipient of the CZA (the award was shared in 2003) and will be presented with a pair of Zeiss 8x42 Con- quest HD binoculars in the Events Marquee at the British Birdwatching Fair, at Rutland Water, at 3.30 pm on Friday 16th August. A selection of previous winning images can be viewed on the BBRC website (www.bbrc.org.uk), along with links to the previous competition write-ups in BB. Acknowledgments BBRC is grateful to all those observers who submit their photographs for consideration, either directly to the Committee or via our arrangement with websites (BirdGuides www.birdguides.com and Rare Bird Alert www.rarebirdalert.co.uk). It is always a pleasure to review the images, although one voter described the decision process for selecting a winner as more difficult than determining the identification this year! Chris Batty and Nigel Hudson were again instrumental in pulling together the shortlisted images and this year all voting members selected their top five. We are extremely grateful to Carl Zeiss for their continued support of the Committee and this award. Adam Rowlands, BBRC Chairman, East Walks Bungalow, Minsmere RSPB Reserve, Westleton, Suffolk IP 17 3BY BBRC British Birds Rarities Committee ZEISS BBRC is sponsored by Carl Zeiss Ltd and the RSPB Chairman Adam Rowlands, East Walks Bungalow, Minsmere RSPB Reserve, Westleton, Suffolk IP 1 7 3BY; e-mail chair@bbrc.org.uk Secretary Nigel Hudson, Cam Ithen, Trench Lane, Old Town, St Mary’s, Scilly TR21 OPA; e-mail secretary@bbrc.org.uk BBRC members Chris Batty, Chris Bradshaw, Paul French, Martin Garner, Nic Hallam, James Lidster, Richard Millington, Mike Pennington, Richard Schofield, Steve Votier Archivist John Marchant • Museum Consultant Brian Small Summariser and RIACT Chairman Reg Thorpe • RIACT Secretary Peter Kennerley 480 British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 477-480 Obituary Brian Sherriff Turner (1921 -20 1 3) Brian Turner, who died on 28th March 2013, was a passionate and active observer and recorder of birds for virtually the entire 92 years of his life. He leaves a lasting legacy of scientific data, wildlife photography and an enthusiasm that lives on through those he inspired about the natural world. He was born in Quetta, Pakistan, where his father was an engineer, but in 1935 an earthquake forced his family to flee to India and it was here that Brians early interest in birds developed, largely through shooting for the pot. He moved to Scotland in 1946, left the army and gained a degree in chemical engineering at Dundee and Glasgow Universities before joining ICI in 1952, where he worked for over 20 years. Brian held a full bird ringing licence for over 30 years and was extremely active even in his late seventies. The numerous nestboxes he erected around his river- side home in Dumfries fledged genera- tions of Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca, a particular love of his and, under his stewardship, North Solway RG submitted over 600 nest records to the BTO in the 1990s and early 2000s - almost 200 of which were ‘his pied flies’. His interest in wildlife photography began in 1962 and he steadily built up a remarkable collection of images, par- ticularly of birds, derived from his painstaking observation of nature. Locally, he ‘specialised’ in portraits of Red Squirrels Sciurus vulgaris , owls and raptors and scaled considerable heights, with the help of a rigging crew, to photograph Grey Herons Ardea cinerea in their canopy nests. He frequently visited France, travelling with two fellow Scots in a converted ambulance, to photograph wildlife in the Camargue and led wildlife tours to Zimbabwe, South Africa, and India. Camera in hand, Brian also travelled to Europe, the Antipodes and America, often accompanied by his devoted wife, Pat, herself a gifted natural history watercolourist. The resulting photo- graphs have appeared in national and inter- national newspapers and magazines, a suite of popular science books and a range of pub- lications by conservation NGOs including BTO, RSPB, WWF and WWT. Perhaps an even more lasting legacy is evident through the countless people who Brian touched with his deep understanding of, and enthusiasm for, the natural world. Those lucky enough to have encountered Brian - as an intrepid hill walker, a trainer in bird ringing, a knowledgeable tour leader, an entertaining public speaker and, often, simply as a friend and neighbour - and spent time at his side are richer and wiser as a result. Juliet Vickery 296. Brian Turner capturing wildlife on camera, in Dumfries & Galloway in 2005. © British Birds 1 06 • August 2013 * 481 481 Edmund Fellowes Short paper The distribution of Barn Owl nest-sites in relation to altitude in southwest England In Britain, Barn Owls Tyto alba are often described as lowland birds with an upper altitudinal limit to their breeding distri- bution (Bunn et al. 1982; Shawyer 1987, 1998; Taylor 1994); this understanding influ- ences both conservation recommendations (e.g. Askew 2006, Ramsden & Twiggs 2009) and survey methodologies (e.g. Ramsden 1998, Toms et al 2001, Shawyer 2011, Barn Owl Trust 2012). Previous authors have stated either that an upper limit to distribu- tion in the UK occurs at 250-300 m above sea level (Taylor 1994) or that 150 m is close to the upper limit of habitat suitability, rising to 200 m in the southwest (Shawyer 1998). Barn Owls may breed at slightly higher altitudes in southwest England than else- where in the UK owing to the relatively mild climate; factors such as increased snow cover may be more restrictive elsewhere (for example, through the effect of increased winter mortality of adults; Taylor 1992, 1994; Dadam et al. 2011). This short paper aims to show the altitudinal distribution of Barn Owls in Devon and Cornwall, and to discover whether Barn Owl nest-sites are distributed randomly across the available landscape in the region, in terms of altitude. Methods Some 1,549 Barn Owl nest-sites were recorded in Devon and Cornwall between 1980 and 2011, mainly via reports from the public and in the course of fieldwork under- taken by Barn Owl Trust staff and volunteers. Nests recorded within 200 m of one another were regarded as the same nest-site. The altitude in metres above sea level of 84% of nest-sites was measured by entering a six-figure grid reference into MapMate, which provided an aerial image of the 100 m2 containing the nest-site and allowed meas- urement of AMSL for any point within the square. If the exact position of the nest-site was easily identifiable, the precise altitude was recorded; if not, the altitude was meas- ured from the bottom left corner of the square. Nest-site altitude for the remaining 16% of sites was estimated using contour lines on Ordnance Survey maps. The nest-sites used in this study were grouped into 50-m altitude bands. The number of hectares within each 50-m alti- tude band was measured using GIS software (Maplnfo in Devon and ArcGIS in Corn- wall). Tidal areas and the largest urban areas (Exeter, Plymouth and Torbay) were excluded, being largely unsuitable habitat for Barn Owls. The relationship between the altitudinal distribution of nest-sites and land available was assessed by testing (using chi-square) for a difference between the observed and expected (given the amount of land avail- able) number of nest-sites in these altitude bands. The expected values represent nest- sites distributed randomly across the land- scape in terms of altitude. Results Six nest-sites were recorded above 300 m, the highest at 384 m on Dartmoor. The median altitude of nest-sites was 107 m and while 23.8% of nest-sites were above 150 m, the vast majority (98.2%) were below 250 m. Fig. 1 shows the observed and expected altitudinal distribution of nest-sites in Devon and Cornwall. There was a significant differ- ence between the observed and the expected altitudinal distribution (y2=265.4, P < 0.001), which confirms that Barn Owl nest-sites are not distributed randomly and that more sites were found at lower altitudes (below 150 m) than would be expected by chance. Discussion Despite the finding that the altitudinal distri- bution of Barn Owl nest-sites in the south- west is lower than that expected by chance, there is some evidence that birds are nesting at comparatively higher altitudes now than 50 years ago. The percentage of birds breeding above 150 m in Devon was esti- mated at 12% during 1959-64 (Goodfellow 482 © British Birds 106 • August 2013 • 482-483 Short paper Fig. I . Number of observed and expected Barn Owl Tyto alba nest-sites in Devon and Cornwall in 50-m altitude bands (n=l,549). The expected distribution of nest-sites reflects the proportion of land available in each altitude band. The percentage of nest-sites observed in altitude bands are indicated by bar labels. 1966) but had increased to 30.4% in this study. Such range expansion could well be a result of climate change and thus may be expected to continue. Based on the records analysed here, a current upper altitudinal limit for the region may be estimated at almost 400 m. To date in southwest England, the siting of Barn Owl nestboxes above 300 m has been encouraged only where there is evidence that the species already occurs. Since, in this region, there are few suitable tree sites for nesting (Shawyer 1987; Toms et al 2000), and there is evidence that traditional farm buildings have been lost at a significant rate and that many modern buildings are unsuitable for Barn Owls unless a nestbox is provided (Ramsden 1995, 1998), a shortage of suitable nest-sites may be a limiting factor for Barn Owls at higher altitudes. This requires further investigation and should be borne in mind when designing regional conservation measures. Acknowledgments The Barn Owl Trust (www.barnowltrust.org.uk) provided the nest-site dataset used in this study. I should like to thank David Ramsden (Barn Owl Trust) for the project idea and comments on draft versions of this manuscript and Rob Parkinson (Plymouth University) for support and comments on drafts. The land altitude data were provided by Ellie Knott (Devon Biodiversity Records Centre) and Martin Goodall (Environmental Records Centre for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly). Thanks are due to Devon County Council for support of the project and also to British Birds and the Devon Birdwatching and Preservation Society for access to archived papers. Personal communications on the study with Colin Shawyer and David Glue were also much appreciated. References Askew, N. P 2006. Barn Owl Tyto alba conservation in Britain: identifying priority conservation areas. Unpublished PhD thesis, University ofYork. Barn Owl Trust. 20 1 2. Barn Owl Conservation Handbook. Pelagic Publishing, Exeter Bunn, D. S., Warburton, A. B„ & Wilson, R. D. S. 1982. The Barn Owl. Poysen Calton. Dadam, D„ Barimore, C.J., Shawyer, C. R„ & Leech, D. I. 2011. The BTO Barn Owl Monitoring Programme: Final Report 2000-2009. BTO Research Report No. 577, Thetford. Goodfellow, R F. 1 966. The Owl Enquiry 1959-64. Part I : the Barn Owl. Devon Birds 1 9: 20-28. Ramsden, D. J. 1 995. Barn Conversion Research Project Report. Barn Owl Trust, Ashburton. — 1 998. Effect of barn conversions on local populations of Barn Owl Tyto alba. Bird Study 45: 68-76. — & Twiggs, M. 2009. Barn Owls and Rural Planning Applications. Barn Owl Trust, Ashburton. Shawyer; C. R. 1987. The Barn Owl in the British Isles: its past, present and future. The Hawk Trust, London. — 1998. The Barn Owl. Arlequin Press, Chelmsford. — 201 I . Barn Owl Survey Methodology and Techniques for use in Ecological Assessment: developing best practice in survey and reporting. IEEM, Winchester. Taylor; I. R. 1992. An assessment of the significance of annual fluctuations in snow cover in determining short-term population changes in Field Vole Microtus agrestis and Barn Owl Tyto alba populations in Britain. In: Galbraith, C. A., Taylor, I. R., & Percival, C. M. (eds.), The Ecology and Conservation of European Owls, pp. 32-38. JNCC, Peterborough. — 1 994. Born Owls: predator-prey relationships and conservation. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Toms, M. R, Crick, H. Q. R, & Shawyer; C. R. 2000. Project Barn Owl Final Report. BTO Research Report No. 1 97, Thetford. — , — , & — 200 1 .The status of breeding Barn Owls Tyto alba in the United Kingdom 1 995-97. Bird Study 48: 23-37. Chris Batey, 18 Cucumber Lane, Brundall, Norfolk, NR13 5QY; e-mail chris.t.batey@gmail.com British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 482-483 483 Reviews Terns By David Cabot and Ian Nisbet New Naturalist, HarperCollins, 2013 46 lpp; colour and black-and-white photographs, 241 figures Hbk: ISBN 978-0-00-741247-1 Subbuteo code M20992 £55.00 BB Bookshop price £49.50 Pbk: ISBN 978-0-00-741248-8 Subbuteo code M20993 £35.00 BB Bookshop price £31.50 This book has a mis- leading title, imposed by the New Naturalists (who also refer to the Antarctic Ocean in their introduction when most of us think of the Antarctic as a continent, or at least an archipelago). It is actually about the terns of Britain and Ireland and their representatives in New England, Bossidy’s ‘land of the bean and the cod, where the Lowells talk to the Cabots, and the Cabots talk only to God’, with a few notes on other species and places, but no mention of such diffi- cult subjects as monsoons and ENSOs (El Nino/ Southern Oscillations). The main text consists of a fairly full readable and accurate summary of local literature with numerous fine annotated figures but a terrible system of references, in small figures identified in a separate chapter before the real references. It is debatable whether one should any longer refer repeatedly to the Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea as having the longest bird migration now that the range of the South Polar Skua Stercorarius mac- cormicki is known to extend from the South Pole nearly to the North Pole (see Brit. Birds 87: 290), doubtless kleptoparasitising terns all the way. More- over, the authors do not deal with the tern’s distribu- tion in the north of Britain adequately, where they show two conflicting distributions in the Northern Isles in fig. 181, or mention that the most remark- able discovery during the first census (Operation Seafarer, in 1969-70) was an immense, unprece- dented concentration of tens of thousands breeding in Orkney in a sea full of boiling bait balls (I saw it), which apparently subsequently dispersed among the Northern Isles to the confusion of subsequent observers ( Scottish Birds 16: 205-210, not quoted). W. R. P. Bourne Penguins: close encounters By David Tipling New Holland, 2013 Hbk, 160pp; 130 colour photos ISBN 978-1-7800-9247-8 Subbuteo code M21782 £20.95 BB Bookshop price £18.50 I have known David for a number of years, in fact since he was one of the crop of young photographers taking pictures of rarities whenever and whenever they turned up. Many have disap- peared from the scene since those days in the 1980s, but not David. He has adjusted well to modern bird photography having an excellent grasp of the technology and also finding a com- mercial niche for his superb work. These strengths come out well in this book, which illustrates the extraordinary lives of a group of birds which must endure the greatest hardship just to stay alive. The book deals with all aspects of penguin life including movements, courtship, family life, survival and their relation- ship with humans. David also describes the chal- lenges that he had to deal with just to get close to penguins. Hours of dedication have resulted in a selection of photographs which as well as being breathtaking are a valuable contribution to ornithology. At first glance you might regard this volume as merely another coffee-table book. It is much more than that and the section towards the back dealing with all species of penguins is extremely useful. Derek Moore SUBBUTEO The BB Bookshop, brought to you by Subbuteo Natural History Books www.wildlifebooks.com/bb, and see our list after Recent reports 484 © British Birds 1 06 • August 2013 * 484 Kevin Du Rose Recent reports Compiled by Barry Nightingale and Harry Hussey This summary of unchecked reports covers the period from early June to early July 20 1 3. Headlines In an almost unbelievable period, full of real wow-factor species, an Ascension Frigatebird on Islay, an ill-fated White-throated Needletail on Harris, a Pacific Swift along the east coast of England and a Bridled Tern in northeast England stole the headlines. Black-winged Pratincole in Kent, an accessible European Roller (in Norfolk), a Sardinian Warbler in Borders and (yet another) Collared Flycatcher were mere support players. Other notable arrivals included Black Duck, Pacific Golden Plover, Wilson’s Phalarope, Spotted Sandpiper, at least two Lesser Yellowlegs, Paddyfield Warbler, Two-barred Crossbill and two Black-headed Buntings. Black Duck Anas rubripes Loch of Hillwell, 11th June, same Boddam (both Shetland), 1 6th— 1 8th June. Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca Chew Valley Lake (Avon), long-stayer seen occasionally, 15th-29th June; Ham Wall (Somerset), 12th June; Strumpshaw Fen (Norfolk), 28th June. Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis St John’s Loch (Highland), long-stayer to 12th June. King Eider Somateria spectabilis Ythan Estuary (North-east Scotland), long-stayer to 8th July; Tresta Voe (Shetland), 16th June. Surf Scoter Melanitta perspicillata Murcar/Blackdog (North-east Scotland), up to four in the area to 26th June, up to three to 7th July; Inch Bay (Co. Kerry), 1 1 th— 14th June; Sound of Harris (Outer Hebrides), two, 14th June; Bally- cotton (Co. Cork), 16th June; Filey (Yorkshire), 26th June to 1st July; Rhunahaorine (Argyll), 26th June; Lake Vyrnwy (Montgomeryshire), 2nd July. White-billed Diver Gavia adamsii Knock Head (North-east Scotland), 14th June. Wilson’s Storm- petrel Oceanites oceanicus Gwennap Head (Corn- wall), 13th June. Ascension Frigatebird Fregata aquila Islay (Argyll), 5th July. Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus Ham Wall, nesting pair to at least 8th July, with an additional male from 7th July. Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax Old Moor (Yorkshire), 26th June. Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides Brading Marshes (Isle of Wight), long-stayer to 14th June. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Oare Marshes (Kent), 3rd July; Porthall (Co. Donegal), 4th- 8th July. Purple Heron Ardea purpurea Kenfig (East Glamorgan), long-stayer to 26th June; Hessle (Yorkshire), 19th June; Cromer (Norfolk), 24th June; Tophill Low (York- shire), 24th-30th June; Dunge- ness (Kent), 1st July. Black Stork Ciconia nigra Troutsdale (York- shire), 14th June; Staple-edge Woods, 25th June, and New Fancy View (Gloucestershire), 1st July. Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus Marloes Mere (Pem- brokeshire), long-stayer to 9th July. Black Kite Milvus migrans Faversham (Kent), long-stayer to 15th June; Guyhirn, 12th June, Peterborough, 16th June and Bar Hill (all Cambridge- shire), 19th June; Skye (High- land), 21st June. Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus Ouse 297. Female Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus, Ouse Fen, Cambridgeshire, June 2013. © British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 485-488 485 Ian Fisher Derek Hale Recent reports 298. Female Wilson’s Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor, with Common Redshanks Tringa totanus, Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, June 2013. Fen (Cambridgeshire), long-stayer to 10th June; East Head (Sussex), 13th June; Marston Vale CP (Bedfordshire), 23rd June. American Golden Plover Pluvialis dominica Cuck- mere Haven (Sussex), 1 1th— 14th June; South Uist (Outer Hebrides), 12th June; Brownshill Staunch (Cambridgeshire), 18th June. Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva North Ronaldsay (Orkney), 1st July. White-rumped Sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis Findhorn Bay (Moray 8c Nairn), 1 0th— 14th June, with two on 11th. Buff-breasted Sandpiper Calidris subruficollis Blacksod (Co. Mayo), 11th June; Cemlyn Bay (Anglesey), 20th June. Wilson’s Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor Yarmouth (Isle of Wight), 18th-23rd June. Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus Tacumshin (Co. Wexford), 10th June; Kilnsea (Yorkshire), 12th June; Minsmere (Suffolk), 14th June; Kenfig, 15th June; Vange Marshes (Essex), 16th June; Berry Fen (Cam- bridgeshire), 18th June; Slimbridge (Glouces- tershire), 20th June; off North Shields (Northumberland), 21st June; North Uist (Outer Hebrides), 23rd June; Easton Bavents (Suffolk), 25th June; Tiree (Argyll), 28th June; Ouse Washes (Cambridgeshire), 28th June. Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius Workington (Cumbria), 12th June. Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes The Loons, Mainland, 29th June, North Ronaldsay (both Orkney), 6th July; National Wetlands Centre (Car- marthenshire), 7th-8th July. Black-winged Pratin- cole Glareola nordmanni Swale (Kent), 26th June. 299. Bridled Tern Onychoprion anaethetus, Inner Fame, Northumberland, July 2013. 486 British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 485-488 Chris Batty Recent reports 300 & 301. White-throated Needletail Hirundapus caudacutus, H arris, Outer Hebrides, June 2013. Bridled Tern Onychoprion anaethetus Fame Islands, 1 st— 4th July, Cresswell Pond 5th and 7th, and East Chevington (all Northumberland), 6th-8th July, also Saltholme (Cleveland), 6th July. Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica Kelling Water Meadows (Norfolk), 11th June; Kirkby-on-Bain GP (Lin- colnshire), 18th June; Bowling Green Marsh (Devon), 25th June; Tacumshin, two, 3rd-8th July. Caspian Tern Hydro- progne caspia Radipole Lake and West Bexington (Dorset), 1 1th- 12th June; off Carnsore Point (Co. Wexford), 7th July. Bonaparte’s Gull Chroico- cephalus Philadelphia Oare Marshes, long- stayer to 7th July; Tiree, 18th June; Crossness (Greater London), 6th-7th July. Snowy Owl Bubo scandi- acus Arranmore (Co. Donegal), long-stayer to 24th June; St Kilda (Outer Hebrides), 3rd July; Rousay (Orkney), 3rd July. White-throated Needletail Hirundapus caudacutus Harris (Outer Hebrides), 24th-26th June, when killed during a collision with a wind turbine. Pacific Swift Apus pacificus Spurn (York- shire) then Saltfleetby (Lincolnshire), 12th June, presumably same Trimley Marshes (Suffolk), 1 5th— 16th June. European Bee-eater Merops api- aster Winterton (Norfolk), 14th June; Spurn, 14th June. European Roller Coracias garrulus Holt Lowes (Norfolk), 16th- 19th June. 302. Pacific Swift Apus pacificus, Trimley Marshes, Suffolk, June 20 1 3. British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 485-488 487 Lee Gregory Chris Batty Reston Kilgour Gary Jenkins Kevin Du Rose Recent reports 303. European Roller Coracias garrulus, Holt Lowes, Norfolk, June 2013. 304. Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides, Chapeltown, Lancashire & N Merseyside, June 2013. 305. Adult Rose-coloured Starling Pastor roseus, Wells, Norfolk, June 2013. Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla Bryher (Sc illy), 30th June. Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica Asta (Shetland), 13th June; Swalecliffe (Kent), 17th June. Greenish Warbler Phyllo- scopus trochiloides Egerton (Lancashire & N Mersey- side), 13th— 18th June; Port- land Bill (Dorset), 16th June; Skokholm (Pembroke- shire), 18th June. Arctic Warbler Phylloscopus bore- alis Whalsay (Shetland), 23rd June. Subalpine Warbler Sylvia cantillans On Fair Isle, three new arrivals during the period (17th- 27th June, 26th June and 6th-8th July). Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melano- cephala St Abb’s Head (Borders), 30th June. Savi’s Warbler Locustella luscin- ioides Old Moor, 17th June. Melodious Warbler Hippo- lais polyglotta Tiln (Notting- hamshire), 20th June to 1st July; Sherpa Marsh (Devon), 5th July. Paddyfield Warbler Acrocephalus agri- cola Fair Isle, 16th June. Rose-coloured Starling Pastor roseus Calf of Man (Isle of Man), long-stayer to 16th June; Wells (Norfolk), 18th-22nd June; Harray Hill, 21st June, Finstown, 2nd-4th July, Evie (all Orkney), 6th July; Newquay (Cornwall), 25th June. Collared Flycatcher Ficedula albicollis Stoer (Highland), 12th June. Two-barred Crossbill Loxia leucoptera Eday (Orkney), 30th June. Black-headed Bunting Emberiza melano- cephala Compton Bay (Isle of Wight), 9th— 1 1 th June; Mainsriddle, 22nd June, presumably same Gateshead of Fleet (both Dumfries & Galloway), 23rd June. 488 British Birds 106 ‘August 2013 • 485-488 British Birds Bookshop Brought to you by SUBBUTEO NATURAL HISTORY BOOKS The only place to find all your specialist ornithological, natural history and travel books This month's selection of books... r 'l Great Savings! 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One with all the experience” a \ Don't miss our 201 3 bargain birding selection Nepal - a range of tours Panama - Canopy Tower Ecuador - a range of tours Ethiopia - a range of tours South Africa - Kruger Gambia Ghana - Picathartes Thailand India -a range of tours Uganda Kazakhstan 'enezuef Zambia Morocco Armenia Argentina - Andes Western Australia Australia - Queensland Bolivia - Highlands Bolivia - Lowlands Borneo - Sabah M K ' Botswana www.n3turGtrGk.co.uk 01962 733051 info@naturetrek.co.uk Naturetrek, Cheriton Mill, Alresford, Hampshire, S024 ONG Binoculars & Telescopes Binoculars DBA Oasis S-Coat Mg Delivering sublime performance and handling in a class leading compact and lightweight body, DBA Oasis S-Coat Mg are among the very best birdwatching binoculars money can buy. 100% made in Japan using the highest quality components and coatings, superb clarity and colour contrast are guaranteed in even the most demanding field conditions. 30 year guarantee. 8x42 £629 10x42 £629 Verano BGA HD The Verano BGA HD delivers a vivid 'true to life' viewing experience essential for accurate wildlife observation. 100% made in Japan, the models incorporate high quality wide field optics with F-type muiti-coating to optimise light transmission and colour contrast. 8x32 £429, 8x42 £439, 10x42 £449 Savanna WP Handy, lightweight, easy to use and packed with all the latest features. Savanna WP are thoroughly modern porro prism binoculars uniquely suited to adults and children alike. 6x30 £99, 8x30 £109 Telescopes The GS 52 GA ED sets new standards for light transmission, resolution and colour contrast offering a practical alternative to larger heavier telescopes in situations where size and weight are an issue. Bodies (Str or 45 ) £299 Recommended Eyepieces: HDF T 18xWW £159, HDF T 12-36x zoom £199 Digi-scoping Kits A quality, easy to use solution to the problem of choosing a suitable digital compact camera for telephotography. Prices from £199 HR ED Fieldscopes Designed and engineered without compromise, HR ED fieldscopes deliver exceptional optical performance combined with sublime handling and total reliability. Featuring a twin ED 5 element APO lens system and the very highest grade glass components throughout, both models offer class leading resolution and light transmission and are compatible with the full range of HDF and SDL eyepieces. 30 year guarantee. Bodies (Str or 45°): HR 66 GA ED £749 HR 80 GA ED £899 Recommended Eyepieces: SDLv2 18-54x/24-72x £289 HDF T 20xWW/27xWW £139 HDF T 28xWW/38xWW £159 Range of telephoto options available Opticron equipment can be tried, tested and purchased at good optical retailers nationwide. To find your nearest stockist or for product information please phone us on 01582 726522. Alternatively visit us online at www.opticron.co.uk Opticron. Unit 21, Titan Court, Laporte Way, Luton, Beds, LU4 8EF UK Fax: 01582 723559 Email: sales@opticron.co.uk