Scottish Birds
published by the SF,

SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGISTS’ CLUB

VOLUME 30(2) JUNE 2010

ee )

The Scottish Ornithologists’ Club (SOC) was formed in 1936 to
encourage all aspects of ornithology in Scotland. It has local
branches which meet in Aberdeen, Ayr, the Borders, Dumfries,
Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, New Galloway, Orkney,
St Andrews, Stirling, Stranraer and Thurso, each with its own
programme of field meetings and winter lectures. The George
Waterston Library at the Club’s headquarters is the most
comprehensive ornithological library in Scotland and is
available for reference seven days a week. A selection of
Scottish local bird reports is held at headquarters and may be
purchased by mail order. The Donald Watson Gallery holds
exhibitions of artwork for sale. Check out our website for more
information about the SOC: www.the-soc.org.uk

Scottish Birds, the official publication of the SOC, contains
original papers relating to ornithology in Scotland, short
notes on bird observations, topical articles and Club-related
news, reports of rare and scarce bird sightings and
information on birding sites.

Four issues of Scottish Birds are published each year, in
March, June, September and December) ihessoGralse
publishes an annual Scottish Raptor Monitoring Scheme
Report, which is produced on behalf of the Scottish Raptor
Monitoring Group with grant aid from Scottish Natural
Heritage. It is sent to all members.

Copies of these reports may be purchased by non-members
on application to the SOC. Membership details as well as
news and information can be found on the Club’s website
www.the-soc.org.uk.

2m mils m=. Ame lAKrcCMIMm CLIAcCeHE

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Adult

ie ZHOO
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Scottish Birds

ZT HSONIAN

™N
98 President's Foreword D. Jardine JUL 2 c sa
RIE
PAPERS LIBRA

99 Scottish Birds Records Committee report on rare birds in Scotland, 2005-08. Part 1
T. ap Rheinallt, CJ. Mclnerny, A.W. Lauder & RY. McGowan on behalf of the Scottish Birds
Records Committee

SHORT NOTES

124 Early records of bitterns in the Outer Hebrides T. ap Rheinallt & D.U. Stiubhart
126 Some observations on the bowing behaviour of Merlins R.C. Dickson

126 Icterine Warblers breeding in Sutherland in 2009 B. Swann

127 Icterine Warblers breeding in Strathspey in 2009 J. Poyner

OBITUARY
127. + Michael James Thomas, 1933-2010 H. Thomas

ARTICLES, NEWS & VIEWS
129 Wind farms and Golden Eagles, the Argyll experience - an update M. Gregory
13] NEWS AND NOTICES
134 Scottish Birdwatchers’ Conference, 20 March 2010
139 = Patchwork _N. Elkins
142 NOTES AND COMMENT
144 BOOK REVIEWS
147 The influx of Quail to East Lothian in 2009 S. Welch
153 Quail - a study in minature A. Marland
oy, OBSERVATORIES' ROUNDUP
159 The Great Shearwater passage off Lewis, September 2007
- Scottish and British record day counts M.S. Scott
161 American Black Tern, South Uist, Outer Hebrides, 17 November 2008
- the first Scottish record S. Duffield
163 Bobolink, Foula, Shetland, 28 September 2008
- the sixth Shetland record P.R. Gordon & M.S. Scott
165. Franklin’s Gulls in Ayshire and Orkney during 2009 B. Kerr & K.E. Hague
170 Brown-headed Cowbird, Fair Isle, 8-10 May 2009 - the second Scottish record D. Shaw
173 Collared Flycatcher, Denburn Wood, Crail, 16-19 May 2009 - the first Fife record S.L. Rivers
175 River Warbler, Applecross, Wester Ross, Highland, June—July 2009
- second Scottish mainland record R. Maskew
178 Crossbills - some clues for their identification in the field R. Rae

BIRDLINE SCOTLAND REVIEW
186 1 July to 31 December 2009 A. Murray & S.L. Rivers

PHOTOSPOT
BC Ptarmigan J. Chapman

30:2 (2010) : : 97

98

-
i-(
AS

eword

President's

_ President's Foreword

Since the publication of The Birds of Scotland, the fortunes of
the Club have been on the up, although core annual incomes
and expenditures remain finely balanced. With the generous
bequests from the estates of Margaret Mowat, Mary Margaret
Spires, Donald Stewart and Frances Towns, the SOC is now in its
strongest financial position for over a decade. At its meeting in
March 2010, Council considered how best to invest for the
future, but it also recognised the need for regular increases in
subscriptions to ensure that annual revenues and expenditures
remain balanced.

Council agreed that more efforts should be made to increase membership through a number of
different approaches. They agreed that funds should be made available to promote junior and
student membership, through the provision of subsidies for attendance at conferences and for
travel to bird observatories. The development of an electronic archive of the local and Scottish
bird reports, along with the digitising of past copies of Scottish Birds was also supported as
electronic communications are widely used by the younger generation. The recent Building Bird
Monitoring in Scotland programme has shown the need to strengthen the Club’s branch network
and to provide educational material to encourage further recording effort in Scotland.

Council also felt that encouragement of active members would come through an increase in
payments made by the Research and Surveys Committee through the Endowment Fund. It also
agreed that funding should be made available to ‘future-proof Waterston House against
increases in energy costs and future upgrades of the Club computer hardware and software, and
also to support the Waterston Library.

We also discussed the forthcoming 75th Anniversary of the founding of the Club. It was agreed
that funding should be provided to enable this to be celebrated through the annual conferences
and special events held by branches, along with a high-profile event involving a celebrity to help
promote the Club. Two fund raising events are also proposed, a raffle and a sponsored bird race,
which would help further the development of junior and student memberships. We hope that these
decisions will help take the SOC forward so that it remains the ‘broad church’, which will allow
it to retain its important role as ‘Scotland’s Bird Club’

In the long-term, new and increased membership will ensure the future of the Club and finding
new recruits is the responsibility of every member... have you asked somebody to join the SOC
recently? If not, please do so; there are many people who enjoy birds in Scotland who are not yet
members and the Club has a lot to offer them.

In closing this foreword I welcome Ken Shaw to the post of Vice President of the Club. Ken,
who is well known to the Scottish birding community, was voted into this position at the
Extra-ordinary General Meeting of the Club, held immediately following the Scottish
Birdwatchers’ Conference held in Culloden Academy on 20 March. Ken’s dynamism is a
welcome addition to the Club team.

Thanks for everybody’s support. Enjoy your birding this summer - keep those breeding records
coming for the Atlas.

David Jardine, President

30:2 (2010)

. *

Plate 89. American Golden Plover, juvenile, Torlum, Benbecula, Outer Hebrides, 25—26 September 2008 © Steve Duffield.

T. AP RHEINALLT, C.J. MCINERNY, A.W. LAUDER & R.Y. MCGOWAN
on behalf of the Scottish Birds Records Committee

This is the first in a planned series of annual reports from the Scottish Birds Records Committee
(SBRC). It covers the period 2005 to 2008, thus providing continuity with The Birds of Scotland
(Forrester et al. 2007), which incorporated data to the end of 2004. Future reports will cover single
years, starting with 2009. We plan to publish the next one in 2011.

The main purpose of this report is to summarise the occurrence of rare species assessed by SBRC
during 2005-08. It is hoped that its publication will stimulate more comprehensive recording and
encourage the submission of all relevant records of these species, even retrospective ones. We are
aware that a number of claimed sightings from 2005-08 have never been formally submitted. We
also encourage finders of rarities that have died to deposit the remains, even if incomplete, in a
museum that maintains a permanent reference collection.

The main ornithological events documented in this report include the 1st to 3rd Scottish records
of Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans, a species that may well feature more prominently in future
reports. The same can be said for the Continental subspecies of Great Cormorant, Phalacrocorax
carbo sinensis, which amassed seven accepted records during 2005-08 in conjunction with the
delayed acceptance of the first record from 1998. Also notable is the 16th Scottish record of
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus, which is also the first for western Scotland and the first
involving a wintering bird. Other featured species that are particularly rare in Scotland include
Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca, with 19 records by the end of 2008, and Black Kite Milvus
migrans, with 22. Interestingly, the 21st Scottish record of Black Kite, reported here, involved a

30:2 (2010) 99

100

bird that paired with a Red Kite Milvus milvus and reared hybrid young that could potentially
pose identification problems for Scottish observers.

One prominent feature of the period was a surge in numbers of several American wader species,
including the three covered by this report: American Golden Plover Pluvialis dominica, White-
rumped Sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis and Buff-breasted Sandpiper Tryngites subruficollis. The total
number of individuals of the first two species recorded during 2005-08 represented a remarkable
65% of the previous all-time total. For Buff-breasted Sandpiper, the equivalent proportion for the
two years 2005 and 2006 alone (after which records were no longer assessed by SBRC) was 37%.
Observers on the islands enjoyed the lion’s share of sightings of these wader species, with the Outer
Hebrides being strongly represented, and the island of Tiree (Argyll) also producing a good run of
sightings. Most other records came from the Northern Isles (Fair Isle, Orkney and Shetland).

Sightings of rare passerines were concentrated in the Northern Isles, which dominated the picture
for several species. For example, c. 128 Marsh Warblers Acrocephalus palustris occurred in the
Northern Isles during 2005-08, compared to just 12 elsewhere in Scotland. The equivalent figures
for Little Bunting Emberiza pusilla are 59 and 2, and for Rustic Bunting Emberiza rustica 23 and 1.
Of mainland recording areas, only North-east Scotland had a significant number of records of
these rare passerines. Most notably, it acccounted for all five records of Greenish Warbler
Phylloscopus trochiloides outwith the Northern Isles during the period, as well as the only records
of Common Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos and Rustic Bunting. It also produced a single
record of Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta, a species whose geographical distribution in Scotland
differs substantially from all others, being concentrated in Lothian and Ayrshire.

For the observers involved, the period will be best remembered for a species that breeds many
thousands of miles away in the South Atlantic. The staggering numbers of Great Shearwaters
Puffinus gravis that flew past the Butt of Lewis, Lewis (Outer Hebrides) on 8 and 10 September 2007
included several flocks of more than 500 birds, making the previous land-based Scottish record
count of 190, obtained at the same site a year earlier, seem like small beer indeed. Elsewhere,
Dennis Head on North Ronaldsay (Orkney) produced an excellent series of counts in both 2006 and
2007, though overall numbers in 2007 were much smaller than those seen in the Outer Hebrides.

Format of the report

The species accounts in the report follow a standard format, which is modelled on the annual
British Birds Rarities Committee (BBRC) reports published in British Birds. We are aware of recent
changes to the taxonomic sequence of the British List (BOU 2010, Sangster et al. 2010), but as
these have not yet been formally adopted by SBRC, this report follows Forrester et al. (2007), as
updated by SBRC (2009), with regard to sequence as well as nomenclature. However, Pastor roseus
is used in preference to Sturnus roseus for Rosy Starling, following Knox et al. (2008).

On the header line, after the species or subspecies name, are three numbers:

mw Total number of birds in Scotland to the end of 2004, based on Forrester et al. (2007), with
corrections in some cases, and also including records added in this report. In some cases older
records or ‘At sea’ records are explicitly excluded from the totals, following the example of
Forrester et al. (2007). In the case of Marsh Warbler and Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana,
numbers seen in the past were so great that totals have not been estimated.

m [otal number of birds in Scotland during the period 2005-08, including acceptances by BBRC
and by local committees in the Northern Isles where appropriate. Returning birds or repeat
sightings of the same individual, insofar as these can be judged, are not counted. In the case of
three species no longer assessed by SBRC from 1 January 2007, totals are for 2005-06 only.

m [otal number to the end of 2008, or 2006 in the case of three species.

99-123 30:2 (2010)

Immediately below the header line is a table of accepted records with details. The list of records in
this table covers the whole of Scotland and the period 2005-08, with the following exceptions:

For 15 species that were assessed by BBRC to the end of 2005, full details are given only for
records during 2006-08. BBRC acceptances for 2005, where they occur, are briefly summarised at
the beginning of the table. However, there is no table for Wilson’s Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus
or Dusky Warbler Phylloscopus fuscatus, which had no records accepted by SBRC during the period.

For the three species dropped from the SBRC list at the end of 2006, the period covered is 2005-06.

For 12 species that were assessed by local committees in the Northern Isles but by SBRC
elsewhere in Scotland, full details of accepted Northern Isles records are not given. Instead,
information about these records is presented in summary form, usually in a separate table. We
are very grateful for the cooperation of the relevant local recorders in compiling these
summaries. For additional details of individual records, the reader is invited to consult the Fair
Isle, Orkney and Shetland Bird Reports.

For all taxa, details are given of records from 2004 and earlier years accepted by SBRC but
omitted from Forrester et al. (2007).

For each record listed in full, the following details are given:

Year.
Recording area, arranged alphabetically within each year.

Location(s). In the case of Argyll, the Outer Hebrides and the Northern Isles, individual island
names are given, while for the extensive Highland recording area, the component adminis-
trative areas are also named. Note that for locations in the Outer Hebrides, place names follow
current Ordnance Survey maps; anglicised names as used in Forrester et al. (2007) and other
ornithological literature are given in parentheses to facilitate comparison where necessary. Use
of the word ‘to’ to link locations, e.g. ‘Meoness to Vaasetter’, implies that the bird was also seen
at sites between these locations. Use of ‘Off before a place name indicates that a bird was
observed at sea from a boat and not from land.

Number of birds if more than one, with age and/or sex if known. Where no details of age are
given, records in spring and summer concern birds in adult plumage.

‘Returning’ if applicable. Note that many claims of presumed returning birds were not assessed
directly by SBRC but instead accepted by the local recorder.

Date(s).
‘Found dead’ or ‘died’ if applicable.
Existence of a photograph, if this formed part of the assessment process.

Names of observers, in alphabetical order. Every effort has been made to name only those
people who played a part in finding and/or identifying the bird. The sole exception to this rule
is where no submission was made by these observers, in which case the submitter of the record
is also credited; in a few instances, the finders’ names were unknown. All other observers are
covered by the use of ‘et al.

Details of specimen if preserved, with specimen number if available. National Museums
Scotland (NMS), Edinburgh (Lothian), is the only museum named in this particular report.

Additional sightings of the same bird in the same recording area in the same year where
appropriate, or a cross-reference to additional sightings in a different recording area or year.
Where a bird is said to be the same, this is rarely known with certainty but is usually a
presumption based on the judgment of the observer, local recorder and/or others.

The table of records is followed by the main text of the species account, which aims to summarise
the pattern of occurrence of the species (or, in one case, subspecies) in question. Maps and

30:2 (2010) 99-123

101

102

histograms are presented where appropriate, and there may be separate tables for the Northern
Isles as explained above. Note that the date ranges given in these tables are based on both first
and last dates for the individual birds concerned, thus a range may be given even when only one
bird occurred in the season in question. Also, the definition of spring and autumn is somewhat
flexible in accordance with the temporal pattern of records, and is not exactly the same for every
species. Where information about birds in the Northern Isles is presented in the text without
references, the source is normally the relevant local bird report.

Note that references to Forrester et al. (2007) are to the main text. Supplementary data for 2005
and 2006, presented in Appendix 3 of that work, are not taken into account except where
explicitly stated.

At the end of each species account, a brief summary of global breeding and wintering distri-
bution, with mention of relevant subspecies, is given in parentheses.

Species coverage

The period covered by this report saw SBRC taking over the assessment of several long-standing
British rarities from BBRC, which carried out a major overhaul of its species list with effect from
1 January 2006 (Fraser et al. 2007a). The report includes records for 15 of these species, some of
which remain very rare in Scotland. They are Ferruginous Duck, Wilson’s Storm-petrel, Great
Egret Ardea alba, Black Kite, Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus, American Golden Plover,
White-rumped Sandpiper, White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus, Red-rumped Swallow
Cecropis daurica, Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus, Subalpine Warbler Sylvia cantillans,
Greenish Warbler, Radde’s Warbler Phylloscopus schwarzi, Dusky Warbler and Rustic Bunting.

It should be noted that rare subspecies of several species now on the SBRC list are still assessed
by BBRC. The most important example is Subalpine Warbler, for which BBRC assessed claims of
the eastern subspecies, S. c. albistriata, during the period of this review, while claims of Western
Subalpine Warbler S. c. cantillans or birds not assigned to any particular subspecies were assessed
by SBRC (or, in the Northern Isles, local committees) after the end of 2005.

Another example is Arctic Redpoll Carduelis hornemanni, which like Subalpine Warbler was
dropped from the BBRC list as from 1 January 2006 (Fraser et al. 2007a). In this case, BBRC still
assesses records of the subspecies C. h. hornemanni, Hornemann’s Redpoll, which has
traditionally been perceived as rarer in Britain than C. h. exilipes, Coues’s Redpoll. Arctic Redpoll
does not feature in this report, however. No records were accepted by SBRC during 2006-08, and
for various reasons only a fragmentary picture of its occurrence in Scotland during 2005-08 is
currently available. It is hoped to rectify the omission in the next report.

Another significant omission, in this case involving a species that has been on the SBRC list for
some time, is Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis. Although SBRC accepted several records
during the period, all of these together with earlier acceptances are currently under review. Again,
it is hoped that the results of the review can be published in the next report.

Other omissions involve species for which there were simply no accepted records during the
period. These are Purple Heron Ardea purpurea, Montagu’s Harrier Circus pygargus, Stone-curlew
Burhinus oedicnemus, Alpine Swift Apus melba, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos minor,
Cetti’s Warbler Cettia cetti, Dartford Warbler Sylvia undata, European Serin Serinus serinus, and
Cirl Bunting Emberiza cirlus.

In addition to the changes occasioned by the dropping of several species from the BBRC list, SBRC
also revised its own list during the period, delegating the assessment of American Wigeon

99-123 30:2 (2010)

Av)

INeErs

YP S

Anas americana, Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Rosy Starling to local committees as from 1 January
2007. No reference is made in this report to occurrences of those species after the end of 2006.

Further changes have been made to the SBRC list since the end of 2008: Yellow-billed Diver Gavia
adamsii, Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis and Parrot Crossbill Loxia pytyopsittacus were added on 1
January 2009, while American Golden Plover and Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis were
delegated to local recorders on 1 January 2010, as was Great Shearwater in the Outer Hebrides only.

A list of records assessed by SBRC and considered to be ‘not proven’ can be found in Appendix
1, while Appendix 2 summarises the involvement of different committees in the assessment of the
37 species included in this report.

At the request of local recorders, SBRC also assessed individual records of several species not on the
SBRC list. These records are not listed below but may have been published in local reports if accepted.

SBRC

SBRC was set up in 1984 as a subcommittee of the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club (SOC) Council,
with the objective of ensuring that records of birds that were rare in a Scottish context were fully
assessed prior to publication in the Scottish Bird Report. With the advent of local records
committees throughout most of Scotland, a three-tier system of record assessment was introduced
in the 1990s. Within this system, SBRC’s role is to assess records of species that are rare in
Scotland but not rare enough in Britain to be assessed by BBRC. Local committees assess records
of slightly less rare Scottish species as well as local rarities. In the case of some species, records
from certain recording areas are assessed locally while records from the remainder of Scotland are
assessed by SBRC. SBRC is also responsible for maintaining the official Scottish List.

There are seven voting members of SBRC, each serving for a seven-year period and with the longest-
serving member retiring each year. Current members are Alan Brown (chairman), Tristan ap Rheinallt,
Mark Chapman, Alan Lauder, Chris McInerny, Hywel Maggs and John Sweeney, with Bob McGowan
as non-voting museum consultant. In addition, Dougie Dickson, Angus Murray, Roger Riddington
and Richard Schofield served on the committee during the period 2005-08, but have since retired.
The position of non-voting secretary is currently occupied by Angus Hogg, who took over from Ron
Forrester in April 2005. The Scottish List subcommittee consists of Dave Clugston, Ron Forrester,
Angus Hogg, Bob McGowan, Chris McInerny and Roger Riddington. More information about SBRC,
including details of voting procedures, can be found at www.the-soc.org.uk/sbre.htm.

Acknowledgements

First and foremost, we are grateful to all those observers who went to the trouble of writing up
and submitting records of Scottish rarities during the period. Without their efforts, this report
could not exist. We owe a particular debt of gratitude to those who gave permission for their
excellent photographs to be reproduced here.

Next, we thank the following local recorders or co-recorders for their assistance in compiling,
checking and correcting records: Paul Baxter, Mark Chapman, Jon Cook, Martin Cook, Kevin
Davis, Paul Daw, Jim Dickson, Iain English, David Kelly, Hywel Maggs, Ray Murray, Chris
Pendlebury, Brian Rabbitts, Rab Shand, Deryk Shaw, Fraser Simpson, Jim Williams, Val Wilson
and Bernie Zonfrillo.

lan Andrews produced the maps and graphs, and also provided much valuable assistance throughout
the compilation of the report. Angus Hogg, SBRC secretary, played a major supporting role not only
by providing information about records but also by commenting on different aspects of the report.
Others who helped in various ways were John Bowler, Simon Cohen, Steve Duffield and Harry Scott.

30:2 (2010) Scottish Birds 30: 99-123 | 103

104

SBRC report, 2005-08. P

Systematic list of accepted records

American Wigeon Anas americana 165: 10 (2005-06): 175

Table 1. Accepted records of American Wigeon in Scotland, 2005-06. Northern Isles records are
summarised separately in Table 2.

2005

Angus & Dundee Loch of Kinnordy, male, 13 June to 9 September (S.R. Green, A.J. Leitch et ai).

Highland Caol, Fort William, Lochaber, male, 2-17 January, photo (M.J. McKee et a/.).

Outer Hebrides Loch Mor Bharabhais (Loch Barvas), Lewis, male, 15 January, photo; same, Siadar (Shader),
25-26 March (T. ap Rheinallt, M.S. Scott et a/.).

Outer Hebrides Tobha Mor (Howmore) & Loch Bi (Loch Bee), South Uist, male, 21 May to 21 June (S.E.
Duffield et a/.).

2006
Outer Hebrides Siadar (Shader), Lewis, male (returning), 25 January to 1 April, photo (M.S. Scott et a/.).
Outer Hebrides Loch Bi (Loch Bee), South Uist, two males (one returning), 14-15 November (S.E. Duffield ef a/.).

American Wigeon occurs annually in Scotland in very small numbers, with most birds arriving in
autumn; many remain to winter and in some cases return in subsequent winters. Arrival is often
apparent in the islands of the north and west. Like many other vagrant ducks, American Wigeons
can quickly assimilate into flocks of carrier species, in this case almost always Eurasian Wigeon
Anas penelope.

Records were assessed by SBRC up to the end of 2006, with the exception of the Northern Isles,
where they were assessed locally. The species was then delegated to local committees throughout
Scotland from 1 January 2007.

Table 2. Summary of accepted records of American Wigeon in the Northern Isles, 2005-06.

Number of birds Date range
2005 Spring Autumn Spring Autumn
Fair Isle : = = =
Orkney = zs) - 25 Sep—10 Oct
Shetland 1 - 1 June -
2006
Fair Isle = - - -
Orkney | : 24-28 April :
Shetland | - 6-14 May -

Eight birds in 2005 was the seventh highest annual total on record, with two birds in 2006 more typical.
The Orkney and Shetland records from 2006 were thought to relate to the same individual, which was
paired with a female Eurasian Wigeon.The peak annual total, 11 records of 20 birds, was in 2000 and
included a single flock of ten birds in Shetland. Additional observations in the period 2005-08, not
listed above, involved long-stayers from 2004: a male in the Beauly Firth, Inverness district/Ross &
Cromarty (Highland) from 12 December 2004 to 22 March 2005; and a male at Loch of Hillwell and
Scatness, Mainland (Shetland) from 2 November 2004 to 18 January 2005 (Forrester et al. 2007). The
latter was thought to be a returning bird that had arrived originally with the 2000 influx.

Females remain rare, or at least rarely identified, with no confirmed records in this period, although a
male American Wigeon on Loch of Tingwall, Mainland (Shetland) on 1 June 2005 was seen to mate
with a female that may also have been an American Wigeon. American Wigeon pairs have occasionally
bred in Iceland and young have also been reared by mixed pairs (Johan Oli Hilmarrsun pers.
comm.).This may account for the appearance of hybrids in the population, with resulting identification
difficulties. No fewer than three hybrids were observed in Orkney in early 2005.

(Breeds across North America south to northern USA, winters in northern South America.)

99-123 30:2 (2010)

Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca 15: 4: 19

Table 3. Accepted records of Ferruginous Duck in Scotland, 2005-08.

2005 BBRC
2 birds: Perth & Kinross 1, Upper Forth 1.

2006
Fife Loch Gelly, adult male, 16 July to 16 August, photo U.S. Nadin et a/.).
Lothian Threipmuir Reservorr, first-winter female, 22—29 December, photo (M. & B.D. Griffin et a/.).

Ferruginous Duck is a very rare duck in Scotland with just 19 birds to the end of 2008. Records were
assessed by BBRC until the end of 2005, with two Scottish individuals in that year: one at Gart Gravel
Pits, Cambusmore (Upper Forth) (Fraser et al. 2007a), and the other at Loch Leven (Perth & Kinross)
(Hudson et al. 2008, SBRC 2009). With two additional mainland records in 2006, the period 2005-08
augmented the previous all-time total of 15 birds by more than a quarter. The appearance of a flightless
individual during the mid-summer moult period at Loch Gelly (Fife) coincided with the occurrence of
a growing flock of other moulting diving ducks.

The overall pattern of occurrence in Scotland is poorly defined as birds have been found in most months
and in a wide range of areas. The Fife record indicates a bird arriving to moult and now perhaps in
long-term association with commoner diving ducks after the breeding season.

(Breeds from south-east Europe to central Asia, as far as western Mongolia. Winters from the
Mediterranean, Iberia and Morocco through the Middle East to India and also sub-Saharan Africa.)

Cory’s Shearwater Calonectris diomedea c. 228: 20: c. 248

Table 4. Accepted records of Cory’s Shearwater in Scotland, 2005-08, with late acceptances from
previous years not included in Forrester et al. (2007).

2003
Highland Portvasgo, Sutherland, 22 August (M.S. Scott).

2004
Lothian Aberlady Bay, 22 April, found dead, photo (I.M. Thomson).

2005

Argyll Aird, Tiree, 24 August J. Bowler).

Fife Fife Ness, 10 September (R. Shand et al.).

Fife Fife Ness, 11 September (A.W. Lauder, T. Moodie).

North-east Scotland Girdleness, 10 September (AJ. Bull, M. Newell).

Outer Hebrides Labost, Lewis, two, 4 August (T. ap Rheinallt, D. Houghton, N. Wilkinson).
Outer Hebrides Labost, Lewis, 5 August (7. ap Rheinallt).

2006

Orkney Dennis Head, North Ronaldsay, 14 July (RJ. Simpson et a/.).

Orkney Dennis Head, North Ronaldsay, two, 28 August (MJ. Gee, RJ. Simpson et a/.).
Orkney Dennis Head, North Ronaldsay, two, 31 August (M.J. Gee, RJ. Simpson et al).
Orkney Dennis Head, North Ronaldsay, 1 September (M.J. Gee, RJ. Simpson et a/.).
Orkney Dennis Head, North Ronaldsay, two, 3 September (M.J. Gee, RJ. Simpson et al.).
Outer Hebrides Butt of Lewis, Lewis, two, 29 August (M.S. Scott).

2007
Orkney Dennis Head, North Ronaldsay, 28 August (P.A. Brown, RJ. Simpson).
Outer Hebrides Butt of Lewis, Lewis, 8 September (T. ap Rheinallt, M.S. Scott).

2008
Lothian Barns Ness, 1 September (A. Brown).

30:2 (2010) +h Bire 99-123

105

106

Cory’s Shearwater is a near-annual visitor to Scotland in very small numbers, with records in most
years falling between late summer and early autumn. Up to the end of 2004 there were 129 records of
around 228 birds (adjusted from Forrester et al. 2007, with the addition of late acceptances from 2003
and 2004, detailed in Table 4). The bird found dead at Aberlady Bay (Lothian) in 2004 is one of only
three Scottish records in the month of April.

There has been a marked increase in sightings since the mid-1990s, in part due to observer effort,
but warmer seas and a changing marine ecosystem in the north Atlantic may also be contributing
factors. The species continues to be sought after by birdwatchers in Scotland, and is invariably found
by dedicated seawatchers. During the period 2005-08 numbers seen in most years were close to the
norm, but 2008, with just a single bird, was well below average. All observations fell within the
normal mid-summer to mid-autumn period. The increase in the number of records in Orkney and the
Outer Hebrides compared to earlier years was notable and reflects increased seawatching effort in
these archipelagos.

Cory’s Shearwater remains a difficult bird to identify with a relatively low acceptance rate of 56%
for descriptions submitted to SBRC during the period. Scottish observers are still generally unfamiliar
with the species, at least at home, and seawatching sightings are often brief and at long range. Thus
there can be difficulties in picking up key identification features, or in confirming the lack of certain
features to support separation from Great Shearwater and even commoner species such as juvenile
Northern Gannet Morus bassanus and Northern Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis. Many records can end up,
at best, as unproven large shearwaters.

(Polytypic with two subspecies: C. d. borealis (Cory’s Shearwater) breeding on the Azores, Canary
Islands and other nearby Atlantic islands, and nominate diomedea (Scopoli’s Shearwater) breeding in
the Mediterranean. Both subspecies can occur in North Atlantic waters in autumn but most assumed to
be Cory’s and no confirmed Scopoli’s yet recorded in Scottish waters.)

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Figure 1. Distribution by recording area of Cory's Shearwater (left) and Great Shearwater (right) ‘in
Scotland, 2005-08.

99-123 30:2 (2010)

_esthasbaeuegtc

Plate 90. Great Shearwater, off Stonehaven, North-east Scotland, 12 September 2007 © Caroline Weir.

Great Shearwater Puffinus gravis c. 522 (1950-2004): 9,208: c. 9,730
(excluding ‘at sea’ records)

Table 5. Accepted records of Great Shearwater in Scotland, 2005-08. Data from Dennis Head,
North Ronaldsay (Orkney) in 2007 are presented in summary form; for more detail, see Table 6.

2005

Argyll Barra—Tiree ferry, 20 October VU. Bowler).

Highland Rubha Reidh, Gairloch, Ross & Cromarty, 24 August (E. Maguire, R. Shand).

Highland Tarbat Ness, Ross & Cromarty, 5 September (D. Tanner).

Lothian Cramond Island, 31 August (T. Cranston, J. Steele).

North-east Scotland Girdleness, 10 September (H.A. Addlesee et a/.).

Outer Hebrides Labost, Lewis, 4 August (T. ap Rheinallt).

Outer Hebrides Labost, Lewis, two, 5 August (T. ap Rheinallt).

Outer Hebrides Off Rubha Aird a’ Mhuile (Rubha Ardvule), South Uist, 14 August, photo (S.E. Duffield et a/.).
Outer Hebrides Labost, Lewis, four, 24 August, photo (M.S. Scott).

Outer Hebrides Rubha Aird a’ Mhuile (Rubha Ardvule), South Uist, 29 August (T. Charman, A. Stevenson).
Outer Hebrides Rubha Aird a’ Mhuile (Rubha Ardvule), South Uist, 20 September (A. Stevenson).
Shetland Sumburgh Head, Mainland, 24 August (S.J. Minton, D.P. Hall).

2006

Highland Ullapool—Stornoway ferry, Ross & Cromarty, 4 September (M. Coleman, J. Poyner et a/.).
North-east Scotland Off Banff, 17 September, photo (N.A. Littlewood et a/.).

Orkney Dennis Head, North Ronaldsay, four, 30 August (M.J. Gee, RJ. Simpson).

Orkney Dennis Head, North Ronaldsay, 46, 31 August (P.A.Brown, M.J. Gee, RJ. Simpson).
Orkney Dennis Head, North Ronaldsay, six, 1 September (MJ. Gee, RJ. Simpson).
Orkney Dennis Head, North Ronaldsay, 2 September (RJ. Simpson).

Orkney Dennis Head, North Ronaldsay, two, 5 September (MJ. Gee, R.J. Simpson).

Outer Hebrides Labost, Lewis, four, 28 August (T. ap Rheinallt).

Outer Hebrides Butt of Lewis, Lewis, 190, 29 August, photo (T. ap Rheinallt, M.S. Scott).
Outer Hebrides Labost, Lewis, 29 August (T. ap Rheinallt).

2007

Argyll Oban—Barra ferry, four, 7 September, photo (7.P. Drew, M.A. Wilkinson).
Argyll Aird, Tiree, five, 10 September (J. Bowler).

Argyll Aird, Tiree, two, 14 September UJ. Bowler).

Borders St Abbs Head, three, 10 September (D.K. Graham).

30:2 (2010) Scotti: ds 30: 99-123

107

108

Highland Ullapool—Stornoway ferry, Ross & Cromarty, 12, 8 September (G. Owens).

Isle of May 11 September (B. Bates).

Moray & Nairn Lossiemouth, 3 September (R. Proctor).

Moray & Nairn Lossiemouth, two, 14 September (M. Cook).

North-east Scotland Collieston, 12 September (P.S. Crockett).

North-east Scotland Off Stonehaven, three, 12 September, photo (C. Weir).

North-east Scotland Girdleness, two, 14 September (A. Webb).

Orkney Dennis Head, North Ronaldsay, a total of 346 birds on 20 dates, 23 August to 29 September (P.A.
Brown, R.J. Simpson) (see Table 6).

Orkney Whitaloo Point, Birsay, five, 26 August (S.J. Williams et a/.).

Orkney Whitaloo Point, Birsay, two, 28 August (S.J. Williams et a/.).

Orkney Whitaloo Point, Birsay, 13 September (S.J. Williams et a/.).

Outer Hebrides Rubha Aird a’ Mhuile (Rubha Ardvule), South Uist, two, 24 August U.B. Kemp).

Outer Hebrides Labost, Lewis, 41, 25 August (T. ap Rheinallt, M.S. Scott).

Outer Hebrides Labost, Lewis, 19, 26 August (T. ap Rheinallt, M.S. Scott).

Outer Hebrides Butt of Lewis, Lewis, two, 30 August (M.S. Scott).

Outer Hebrides Butt of Lewis, Lewis, 7,114, 8 September, photo (T. ap Rheinallt, M.S. Scott).

Outer Hebrides Bru (Brue), Lewis, three, 9 September (M.S. Scott).

Outer Hebrides Butt of Lewis, Lewis, 165, 9 September (G. Owens, M.S. Scott).

Outer Hebrides Rubha Ghriminis (Griminish Point), North Uist, 74, 9 September (B. Rabbitts).

Outer Hebrides Labost, Lewis, 16, 9 September (T. ap Rheinallt).

Outer Hebrides Rubha Aird a’ Mhuile (Rubha Ardvule), South Uist, 9 September U.B. Kemp).

Outer Hebrides Butt of Lewis, Lewis, 1,076, 10 September (M.S. Scott).

Outer Hebrides Oban—Barra ferry, seven, 11 September (T.P. Drew, M.A. Wilkinson).

Outer Hebrides Labost, Lewis, 12 September (M.S. Scott).

Outer Hebrides Butt of Lewis, Lewis, 12, 14 September (S.E. Duffield).

Outer Hebrides Butt of Lewis, Lewis, 5, 21 September (M.S. Scott).

Outer Hebrides Butt of Lewis, Lewis, 25 September J. Bowler).

Sea area Fair Isle c. 27 km west of Fair Isle, 10, 26 August, photo (GL. Irvine, J.H. Simpson et a/.).

Sea area Fair Isle c. 55 km south-west of Foula (but closer to Orkney), four, 29 August, photo ULL. Irvine, J.H.
Simpson et al.).

Shetland Lamba Ness, Unst, five, 10 September (D. Cooper, M.G. Pennington, B.H. Thomason et al.).

Shetland Rerwick Beach, Mainland, 30 September, found dead (R. Riddington); skeleton preserved, NMS.Z 2010.32.

2008
Shetland Eshaness, Mainland, 25 August (M.S. Chapman).

Historically, Great Shearwater has been an infrequent visitor to Scotland, with few or no records in
most years up to 2004, although large numbers were seen at St Kilda (Outer Hebrides) in 1910 and 1911,
and off the Rockall Bank in 1948 (Forrester et al. 2007). The total number of birds seen during
1950-2004, excluding ‘at sea’ records, was c. 522 (adjusted from Forrester et al. 2007).

Since 2004, there has been a marked increase in sightings, with more birds than usual in 2005 and then
a record year in 2006. However, this was completely eclipsed by 2007, with the number of birds seen
not only breaking records for Scotland and indeed Britain, but also astounding the observers involved.
2008 reverted to being a more typical year by historical standards.

The two main locations involved in the 2007 series of records were the Butt of Lewis (Outer Hebrides)
and Dennis Head, North Ronaldsay (Orkney). At the former site, birds were seen on seven dates, with two
remarkable counts of 7,114 on 8 September and 1,065 on 10 September. Fewer birds were seen at the
latter site but observations were spread across many more days, with a total of 346 birds seen (Table 6).

Table 6. Daily counts of Great Shearwaters observed from Dennis Head, North Ronaldsay
(Orkney) in 2007.

August September
Date De) sy XS ZY By 2B) FO Se Oe I ie 14S is i is 19 20 22 29
Birds | a RAO mr OO 2* 7. 29 40° 73.957 39 1 Wi 35) eS ee

The 1950-2008 total of c. 9,730 birds incorporates only land-based and inshore records, thus the birds
recorded in Sea area Fair Isle in 2007 are omitted. However, the ten birds seen on 26 August that year
form part of the Shetland county totals, as does one of the 29 August birds, which followed the
observers’ boat to within 30 km of Foula (Shetland Bird Report).

99-123 30:2 (2010)

The recent increase in observations in Scotland possibly reflects a geographic shift, with a decrease in
records from formerly favoured areas of the North Atlantic. It appears that the boom years in Scotland
correspond with poorer years in Biscay and south-west Ireland, where birds are normally present. It is
thought that flocks follow concentrations of prey species and may then pass headlands in large numbers
during periods of strong onshore winds.

The species continues to be sought after by Scottish birdwatchers since, even in recent years, passage has
been largely confined to certain headlands and island groups in the north-west and north, away from the
bulk of the Scottish birdwatching public. The timing of the species’ occurrence in Scotland is later than in
other parts of Britain and Ireland, with most sightings from mid-August to mid-September.

In contrast to Cory’s Shearwater, the acceptance rate of records by SBRC during the period 2005-08
was high. Records that involve larger numbers of birds demand a different approach to assessment, but
even if records of 10 or more birds are excluded from consideration, the remainder still amassed an
acceptance rate of more than 98%. Compared to Cory’s Shearwater, the presence of better-defined
identification features, like the dark cap and belly patch, may help observers and assessors alike.

(Breeds on South Atlantic islands and carries out a loop migration in the North Atlantic outside the
breeding season. In the north-east Atlantic occurs most regularly off western coast of Ireland.)
Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus 4: 1: 5

One at Labost, Lewis (Outer Hebrides) on 3 August 2005 (Fraser et al. 2007c) was the fifth for Scotland
(SBRC 2009). Since SBRC took over the assessment of this species in 2006, no claims have been submitted.
Continental Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis 1: 8: 9

Table 7. Accepted records of Continental Great Cormorant in Scotland, 2005-08, with a late
acceptance from 1998 not included in Forrester et al. (2007).

1998
Moray & Nairn Loch Spynie, immature, 26 December to 20 January 1999, photo (R. Proctor et a/.).

2005
Clyde Prince's Dock, Glasgow, first-winter, 26 December, photo U.J. Molloy).

2007

Borders Eyemouth Harbour, adult, 25 March, photo (R.D. Murray).

Lothian Gladhouse Reservoir, adult, 21 January (M.A. Wilkinson).

Lothian Port Seton, adult, 13 March, photo (K. Gibb, M. Thrower).

Shetland Loch of Hillwell, Mainland, adult, 30 April to 4 June, photo (PV. Harvey, R. Riddington, R.M. Tallack et a/.).
Shetland Lochs of Spiggie & Brow, Mainland, first-summer, 18-19 June (PV. Harvey et a/.).

2008
North-east Scotland Girdleness, 7 February, photo (M.A. Maher, R.A. Schofield).
Shetland Uyeasound, Unst, adult, 10 May, photo (W. Dickson, R.M. Tallack).

There is only one accepted Scottish record of this difficult-to-identify subspecies prior to 2005, though
a number of other claims were submitted to SBRC.

Criteria for field identification only became available in 1991 and were not widely known until the late
1990s. Since 2000 or so, there has been an improved awareness of these criteria among birdwatchers,
and a resultant increase in the number of claims submitted. Some of these were discussed by Forrester
et al. (2007), but remained unproven for a variety of reasons, including: lack of clear observation or
mis-recording of the ‘gular pouch angle’ (Newson et al. 2004, 2005); lack of supporting characters such
as size and structure of the bird in the case of a marginal gular pouch angle; misinterpretation of the
identification criteria; and use of older, redundant identification criteria. Only recently was the first
Scottish record from 1998 accepted. This bird at Loch Spynie (Moray & Nairn) was the subject of debate
at the time (Proctor & Donald 2000a, 2000b), but the collection of video and other material was
reviewed and finally accepted in a detailed review of claims in 2008. Proving identification remains
difficult and claims should ideally be supported by good-quality images.

30:2 (2010) Scotti: 0: 99-123

109

110

Continental Great Cormorants have expanded their population and range dramatically throughout
Europe in recent decades following protection in the 1970s (Hagemeijer & Blair 1997). They occur as
breeders in southern England, and can mix and occasionally hybridise with P. c. carbo in tree colonies.
Given the frequency of occurrence of the subspecies in England and its continued range expansion in
Europe, its presence in Scotland is likely to become increasingly regular. As there is some potential for
conflicts with fisheries, particularly inland, documenting its distribution will be of value in future years.
To that effect birdwatchers are encouraged to pay extra attention to Great Cormorants and to submit
descriptions accompanied by photographs of any likely P. c. sinensis candidates.

The Scottish records reveal a broad latitudinal range, although all but one come from the eastern side
of the country. Given that they are likely to involve birds arriving from the south and east, particular
attention might be directed to those areas when looking for Continental Great Cormorants in future.
While accepted sightings remain too few to show a clear pattern of temporal occurrence, all to date
have been in the period from mid-winter through to late spring. During this period, Continental Great
Cormorants are perhaps at their most obvious, with adults having striking white head plumes, on
average more extensive and untidy than on P. c. carbo.

(P. c. sinensis breeds throughout central and southern Europe and has expanded recently into parts of
northern Europe. Outside the breeding season it occurs both inland and on coasts through much of
Europe including England.)

Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax 46: 6: 52

Table 8. Accepted records of Black-crowned Night Heron in Scotland, 2005-08.

2006
Upper Forth Bridge of Allan, adult, 21 May (G. Owens).

2007
Lothian Bavelaw, adult, 14—15 February (E. Hurley et a/.).
Shetland Bressay, juvenile, 15 September, photo (A. Ash et al).

2008

Fair Isle Various locations, two adults (including one male), 5—24 April, both died (M. Breaks et a/.); partial
skeletons, head and wing preserved, NMS.Z 2009.148.1-3.

Outer Hebrides Cladach Bhalaigh (Claddach Vallay), North Uist, first-summmer, 8 May, photo U. Boyle, S.E.
Duffield et a/).

Since the apparent eradication, by 2004, of a free-flying colony of the North American subspecies N.
n. hoactli at Edinburgh Zoo (Lothian), the status of this species in Scotland has become a little clearer
(Forrester et al. 2007). However, a number of the Edinburgh Zoo birds were translocated to other
collections, for example Auchingarrich Wildlife Centre near Comrie (Perth & Kinross), where they exist
as a free-flying group. In addition, two ringed free-flying birds remained in the Edinburgh Zoo grounds
during 2006-09 (Breaks 2009). Although adults appearing in southern Scotland may still be zoo
escapes, the ability to racially identify adults using facial features (Forrester et al. 2007) helps to clarify
origins as captive birds are of the North American subspecies. Any birds encountered should be
scrutinised either to rule out N. n. hoactli in southern areas or, potentially, to confirm it in western
areas, where vagrancy is possible. It was suggested that the juvenile seen on Shetland in September
2007 might have a transatlantic origin.

The total number of birds seen in Scotland to the end of 2004 was 46 (adjusted from Forrester ef al.
2007). When escapes are removed from the equation, the occurrence of genuine wild vagrants fits the
pattern seen elsewhere in Britain, with a spring peak of Continental overshoots and fewer at other
times. Some can remain for long periods but may go undetected due to their secretive nature. There is
a wide geographical spread of records but the most likely areas of occurrence in Scotland are southern
counties, the Northern Isles and the Outer Hebrides.

The Fair Isle birds in 2008 were unusual not only in constituting a multiple record but also because
both individuals perished. The corpses were donated to NMS (Breaks 2009).

(Holarctic with four subspecies, nominate nycticorax breeding in mainland Europe and into Asia, and
N. n. hoactli in North America. Both populations move south in winter.)

99-123 30:2 (2010)

Great Egret Ardea alba 37: 13: 50

Table 9. mccepted | records of Great PERISH in 1 Scotland, 2005- 08.

2005 BBRC
3 birds: Clyde 1, Shetland 2.

2006
North-east Scotland Near Turriff, 18-19 June, photo UG. Littlejohn, S. Mackison et a/.).
Outer Hebrides Driomor (Drimore), South Uist, 13 February to 2 March (S.E. Duffield et a/).

2007

Ayrshire Eriff, Loch Doon, 4—6 July, photo G. Graham, A. Hogg et d/.).

Clyde Wards Pond, Endrick Mouth NNR, 3-14 July, photo (1. Fulton, S. Longster et a/.).

Orkney Loch of Banks, Mainland, 28 March to 3 April, photo (P. Hollinrake et a/.).

Orkney Bridesness, North Ronaldsay, 14 May, photo (PA. Brown et a/.); same, Loch Carrick, Eday, 17 May, &
Sanday, 20 May, photo (G. Byers, M. Cockram et a/.).

Outer Hebrides Various locations, North Uist, Benbecula, & South Uist, 12 October to 23 March 2008, photo
(C. Johnson, M. MacRury, M.S. Scott et a/).

Shetland Brig of Bakkasetter, Mainland, 8-26 May, photo (PV. Harvey et a/.).

2008
North-east Scotland Loch of Strathbeg, 21-22 April (H.E. Maggs et a/.).
Shetland Haroldswick & Norwick, Unst, 11-16 April, photo (W. Dickson et a/.).

Great Egret, along with Little Egret Egretta garzetta and Cattle Egret, has gone through rapid population
and range expansion in Europe, and now regularly breeds on the near Continent (Hagemeijer & Blair
1997). Records in Scotland have been assessed by SBRC since 2006. Previously they were assessed by
BBRC, with three accepted records in 2005, within the period of this report (Fraser et al. 2007a). It is
clear that, with more than a quarter of all Scottish records to date falling within the period 2005-08,
the trend is one of a distinct increase.

4 ey
Pn ity Te :

Aap as ae
, 3 bs be Le ne jie Ss a2
Plate 91. Great Egret (with Mute Swan foreas olor and Conamnan Crane ais grus), ‘Brig of Bakkasetter Mainland
Shetland, 8-26 May 2007 © Roger Riddington.

30:2 (2010) 111

SBRG@Trepon, 2005-06) Panty

The distribution of first recorded dates in Scotland is obscured by the fact that birds regularly remain for
long periods and roam widely, thus their true arrival dates may be unknown. Generally, however, the main
arrival appears to be in spring (April and May), followed by a smaller peak in late autumn (Forrester et
al. 2007). This would fit the expected pattern, with spring migrant overshoots and north-westward autumn
dispersal to wintering areas by a small proportion of birds from the Continental European population.
Unusually, an individual wintered in the Outer Hebrides in 2007-08, moving between islands.

Despite the apparent ease of identification, the rejection rate of records by SBRC is more than 10%.
Frustratingly, some observers do not exclude leucistic or albinistic Grey Heron Ardea cinerea from their
often cursory descriptions. Given that Little Egrets are also occurring in Scotland with increasing
frequency, an accurate estimation of size and bare-part colouration is also important. These are the only
significant identification pitfalls.

The North American subspecies A. a. egretta is difficult to separate without biometrics but some
records, particularly in autumn, could involve this subspecies. However, none has yet been confirmed.

(Occurs on all continents outside polar regions. In Europe, nominate alba breeds from central Europe

eastwards, wintering in Africa and Persian Gulf to China and Korea; A. a. egretta breeds in Nearctic,
with northern populations wintering in south; two other subspecies.)

Black Kite Milvus migrans 19: 3: 22

Table 10. Accepted records of Black Kite in Scotland, 2005-08.

2005 BBRC
1 bird: Ayrshire 1.

2006
Highland Undisclosed site, Inverness district, male, summered from 24 May, photo (C. Crawford, J. & N. Glenn).

2008
Fair Isle Various locations, adult, 7-10 May, photo (S.J. Davies, D.N. Shaw et a/.).

Black Kite is a very rare visitor to Scotland
from Continental Europe. Most individuals
have been seen in spring, from April to
June, with just a handful of sightings later
in the season, though there have also been
instances of summering. One at Pinwherry
(Ayrshire) on 7 June 2005 (Fraser et al.
2007a), the last year when records of this
species were assessed by BBRC, was the 20th
Scottish record.

The Black Kite seen in May 2008 on Fair Isle
was the first for the recording area. It was
presumably a spring overshoot, like many
others in Scotland. The 2006 record, on the
other hand, was highly unusual in that it
involved a bird subsequently found to be
paired with a wing-tagged female Red Kite
belonging to the Black Isle, Ross & Cromarty
(Highland) population. This hybrid pairing,

weg a cn eee §=owhich represented the first confirmed
Plate 92. Black Kite, adult, Fair Isle) 7-10 May 2008 breeding by a Black Kite in the UK, produced
© Mark Breaks. two fledged young (Holling et al. 2009).

(Nominate migrans breeds throughout most of Europe except the far north, wintering in sub-Saharan
Africa; other subspecies elsewhere in the Old World.)

112 | Scottish Birds 30: 99-123 30:2 (2010) |

Plate 93. Rough-legged Buzzard, _ Plate 94. Rough-legged Buzzard, juvenile (right) with Common Buzzard Buteo
Juvenile, Skaw, Unst, Shetland, 7 __ buteo, Cille Pheadair (Kilpheder), South Uist, Outer Hebrides, 2 October 2008

May 2006 © Mike Pennington. © Andrew Stevenson.

Rough-legged Buzzard Buteo lagopus c. 308 (1968-2004): 17: c. 325

Table 11. Accepted records of Rough-legged Buzzard in Scotland, 2005-08.

2005

Borders Dowlaw, 16 October (D.K. Graham).

Fair Isle Observatory, 13 May (RJ. Butcher et a/.); also seen Shetland, 13 May.

Lothian Faseny Bridge, 28-29 November (C.N. Davison, S. Ward).

North-east Scotland Bridgend, Newburgh, juvenile, 16 April (D. Parnaby).

North-east Scotland Loch of Strathbeg, adult, 1-18 June (T.W. Marshall et a/.).

Outer Hebrides Various sites, North Uist, 6-29 March (B. Rabbitts et a/.).

Shetland Sumburgh Head, Mainland, 13 May (H.R. Harrop, R.M. Mellor et a/.); also seen Fair Isle.
Shetland North Roe, Mainland, 27 October (R.M. Mellor).

Shetland Fetlar, 30 October to early April 2006, found dead, photo (M.|. Smith, C. Thomason et a/.).

2006

Lothian Kingside Hill, Spartleton & Whiteadder, 16-19 February (C.N. Davison); same as Lothian 2005.
Orkney Hindera Fiold, Harray, adult female, 28 January to 11 April J.B. Ribbands et a/.).

Shetland Skaw, Unst, juvenile, 7 May, photo (M.G. & M.J. Pennington).

2007

Orkney Rue, North Ronaldsay, adult, 16 May (R.J. Simpson).

Orkney Queenamidda, Rendall, Mainland, juvenile, 16 December to 23 April 2008, photo U.B. Ribbands et a/.).
Shetland Foula, juvenile, 16—18 October, photo (T.P. Drew, M. Garner, M.A. Wilkinson et a/.).

2008

Angus & Dundee Balduff Hill, Glenisla, juvenile, 2 April (C.R. McKay).

Orkney Tor Ness, North Ronaldsay, juvenile, 4—5 May, photo (R.J. Simpson et a/.).

Orkney Pegal Burn, Hoy, juvenile, 5 November (S.J. Williams).

Outer Hebrides Cille Pheadair (Kilpheder), South Uist, juvenile, 2 October, photo (A. Hogg, A. Stevenson, R.G.
Vernon et al.).

Rough-legged Buzzard is a rare passage migrant in Scotland, occurring mostly on the eastern side of
the country and the Northern Isles in autumn; in addition, a few birds overwinter (Forrester et al. 2007).
The geographical distribution of sightings in the period 2005-08 reflects this general pattern, with
Orkney continuing to be well represented. Arrival dates were divided equally between spring, with eight
birds between early March and early June, and an extended autumn period, with eight birds between
early October and mid-December. Outside these periods, a wintering individual was on Orkney from
January to April 2006.

30:2 (2010)

aS

Plates 95-96. Red-footed Falcon, second-summer female, Almondell Viaduct Lothian, 25 ‘May to 6 June 2008

SBRC report, 2005-08. Part ]

The North American subspecies, B. |. sanctijohannis or Rough-legged Hawk, which occurs in both pale
and dark morphs, is a potential vagrant (Forrester et al. 2007). As yet this subspecies does not appear
in Category A of the British List, although it is on the Irish List by virtue of a single occurrence. A
Nearctic origin is suspected for birds that appear in the west of Scotland relatively early in the autumn,
but pale morphs of the two subspecies may not be readily distinguishable.

A dark-morph Rough-legged Hawk seen at various locations on Mainland Shetland from May 2006 to
March 2007 had been released at sea off Noss following several years’ captivity in the Faroe Islands,
which it reached as a passenger on a fishing boat after coming aboard near the Grand Banks of
Newfoundland in September 2003. It was found dead in the Faroes in April 2008, more than a year
after it was last seen on Shetland (Jensen 2006, Shetland Bird Report 2006, 2007).

Claims of Rough-legged Buzzard have one of the highest rejection rates among species assessed by
SBRC (Forrester et al. 2007). This continued to be the case during the period covered by this report, with
ten out of 29 submissions resulting in ‘not proven’ verdicts. Although some of these claims seemed to
involve mistaken identity, the main obstacle to acceptance was the lack of detail in many descriptions.
(Holarctic, with four subspecies; nominate lagopus breeds from Scandinavia east to Siberia and
migrates south to winter in an area extending from France to central Asia.)

Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus 80: 8: 88

Table 12. Accepted records of Red-footed Falcon in Scotland, 2005-08.

2005 BBRC
2 birds: Argyll 1, Lothian 1.

2006

Orkney Burgar Hill, Mainland, adult or first-summmer male, 25 July (A. Upton).

Shetland Brow Marsh & Fladdabister, Mainland, first-summmer female, 10-13 June, photo (PV. Harvey, R.
Riddington et a/.).

Shetland Collafirth, Mainland, first-summer male, 12 June (M.S. Chapman).

2007
Highland Tarbat Ness, Ross & Cromarty, adult male, 15 October (D. Tanner).

2008

Lothian Almondell Viaduct, second-summer female, 25 May to 6 June, photo (IJ. Andrews, M. Hannam et a/.).
Shetland Bixter, Mainland, first-summer female, 3—5 June, photo (M. Henry et a/.).

(a3

© Jack Brodie (left) & Frank Golding (right).

114

99-123 30:2 (2010)

Papers

This species is mainly a rare late-spring migrant to Scotland, with no more than one or two records in
most years, although there are occasional influxes, such as in 1992. The total number of Scottish
individuals to the end of 2004 was 80 (adjusted from Forrester et al. 2007), and there were two
additional sightings of singles in 2005 (Fraser et al. 2007a, Hudson et al. 2009).

Red-footed Falcon was dropped from the list of species assessed by BBRC from 1 January 2006. The six
records since then reflect the pattern of earlier occurrences (Forrester et al. 2007), with the majority
coming from Shetland and Orkney, and the three-month period May to July accounting for all but one
of the records. Autumn birds are rare, thus the individual at Tarbat Ness, Ross & Cromarty (Highland)
on 15 October 2007 was noteworthy.

(Breeds from Hungary and the Czech Republic east to China, wintering in southern Africa.)

Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus 15: 1: 16

Table 13. Accepted records of Kentish Plover in Scotland, 2005-08.

2007
Outer Hebrides Baile Gharbhaidh (Balgarva) area, South Uist, 11 November to 20 April 2008, photo (A.
Stevenson et al.).

Kentish Plover is a very rare visitor to Scotland, first recorded only in 1949. All but one of the 15 records
quoted by Forrester et al. (2007) were in April and May, the exception being a bird at Carnoustie (Angus
€t Dundee) on 8 September 1974. None of these remained longer than five days, thus the 2007 individual
in the Outer Hebrides was highly unusual in more than one respect. In addition to the late arrival date and
the exceptionally long duration of its stay, it was the first Kentish Plover to be seen in the west of Scotland,
all previous records coming from the eastern mainland (13), Fair Isle (1) or Shetland (1).

Interestingly, a second long-staying Kentish Plover was present in the British Isles around the same
time. This bird, discovered at Youghal, Co. Cork at the beginning of December 2007, was the first to be
seen in Ireland for more than a decade. The fact that it was ringed enabled it to be traced to an illegal
collection of birds that had apparently been confiscated by police on the German mainland before being
taken to Helgoland for release into the wild (Birding World 20: 489). Thus, although the South Uist bird
was unringed, some doubt was expressed about its origins. There was also speculation at the time that
it might belong to one of the North American subspecies, C. a. nivosus, but the vagrancy potential of
this form seems limited (Stevenson 2010).

(A cosmopolitan species with several subspecies, including nominate alexandrinus, which breeds

patchily in Europe, North Africa and Asia; European birds are migratory and normally spend the winter
in sub-Saharan Africa.)

American Golden Plover Pluvialis dominica 72: 49: 121

Table 14. Accepted records of American Golden Plover in Scotland, 2005-08.

2005 BBRC
11 birds: Argyll 2, Lothian 1, Orkney 1, Outer Hebrides 3, Shetland 4.

2006

Argyll Greenhill & Crossapol, Tiree, adult, 29 August to 3 September, photo VU. Bowler, K. Gillon et a/.).

Dumfries & Galloway The Wig, Loch Ryan, juvenile, 16-29 October, photo (B. Orr et a/.).

Orkney Overbister, Sanday, first-summmer, 27—30 September, photo J. Wright).

Outer Hebrides Cros (Cross) & Eoropaidh (Europie), Lewis, adult, 9-22 September, photo (T. ap Rheinallt, A.J.
Whitehouse et a/.).

Outer Hebrides Bornais (Bornish), South Uist, juvenile, 26—28 September, photo U.B. Kemp).

Outer Hebrides Eoropaidh (Europie), Lewis, juvenile, 15 October to 27 November, photo (S.E. Duffield et a/.).

Outer Hebrides Tobha Mor (Howmore), South Uist, juvenile, 31 October, photo (S.E. Duffield et a/.).

Shetland Funzie, Fetlar, adult, 1-2 October, photo (|. & R. Broadbent, P.S. Crockett, |. Gordon et al.).

Shetland Challister & Vatshoull, Whalsay, juvenile, 2 October, photo (I. & R. Broadbent, P.S. Crockett, |. Gordon et a/.).

30:2 (2010) : 3 99-123 | 115

2007

Argyll Sandaig, Tiree, adult, 5-6 October, photo J. Bowler, J. Wilson et a/.).

Clyde Balgray Reservoir, adult, 16 September, photo (A.G. Jamieson, J.J. Sweeney).

Dumfries & Galloway Seafield Bay, Annan, juvenile, 24 October, photo (C. & A. Bushell).

Lothian Aberlady Bay, juvenile, 22 October to 2 November, photo (M. Griffin et a/.).

North-east Scotland Ythan Estuary, juvenile, 20 October to 18 November (C. Gibbins et a/.).

Orkney Greentoft, Deerness, Mainland, adult, 8-11 September, photo (K.E. Hague ef a/.).

Orkney Hilltoft, Holm, Mainland, adult, 25 September to 4 October, photo (K.E. Hague ef a/.).

Orkney Tofts, Sanday, juvenile, 8 October (D.M. Bryant).

Outer Hebrides Ceann Ear, Heiskeir (Monach Islands), first-summer, 14—17 July, photo (S.E. Duffield, J.B.
Kemp, B. Rabbitts).

Outer Hebrides Aird a’ Mhachair (Ardivachar), South Uist, adult, 8 September, photo J.B. Kemp et al.).

Outer Hebrides Griminis (Griminish), Benbecula, juvenile, 11 October (S.E. Duffield).

Outer Hebrides Geirinis (West Gerinish), South Uist, juvenile, 17—26 October, photo (S.E. Duffield ef a/.).

Outer Hebrides Geirinis (West Gerinish), South Uist, juvenile (Second bird), 26 October, photo J.B. Kemp).

Shetland Fleck, Mainland, juvenile, 4—5 October (R.M. Mellor et a/.).

Shetland West Burra, juvenile, 10 October (R.A. Haywood).

Shetland Haroldswick, Unst, juvenile, 16 October, photo (R. Tallack, B.H. Thomason et a/.).

Shetland Stenness, Mainland, juvenile, 31 October (M.S. Chapman, R.W. Tait).

2008

Argyll Add Estuary, adult, 21 July, photo G.M. Dickson).

Argyll Greenhill, Tiree, adult, 5-6 September, photo (K. Gillon).

Argyll Balevullin, Tiree, juvenile, 6-10 October, photo (W. Allan, J.M. Dickson).

Argyll Loch a’ Phulill, Tiree, juvenile, 7 October, photo (W. Allan, J.M. Dickson).

Outer Hebrides Torlum, Benbecula, juvenile, 25—26 September, photo (S.E. Duffield et a/.).

Outer Hebrides Baghasdal (North Boisdale), South Uist, juvenile, 29 September, photo (A. Hogg et a/.).

Outer Hebrides Eodlaigearraidh (Eoligarry), Barra, juvenile, 6-14 October (K. Gillon et a/.).

Outer Hebrides Siadar (Shader) to Loch Ordais, Lewis, juvenile, 12—17 October, photo (T. ap Rheinallt, D.C. &
J.A. Jardine, M.S. Scott).

Outer Hebrides Loch Bi (Loch Bee), South Uist, juvenile, 17-20 October, photo U.B. Kemp ef a/.).

- za ee ‘ = , : ae mE Mic — . 3 — a
Plate 97. American Golden Plover, adult, Cros (Cross) & Edropaidh (Europie), Lewis, Outer Hebrides, 9-22
September 2006 © Tristan ap Rheinallt

se

116] < 99-123 30:2 (2010)

Shetland Dalsetter, Mainland, two juveniles, 24—27 September, photo (H.R. Harrop, R.M. Mellor et a/.).
Shetland Baltasound, Unst, juvenile, 29 September to 2 October, photo (D. Fairhurst et a/.).

American Golden Plover is a scarce but annual visitor to Scotland from the Nearctic, seen mostly on
islands during August, September and October. It was dropped from the list of species considered by
BBRC in January 2006 (Fraser et al. 2007a), when the number of accepted Scottish birds stood at 83.
Of these, 72 were seen in 2004 or earlier (adjusted from Forrester et al. 2007), and 11 in 2005 (Fraser et
al. 2007a, 2007c).

Following a marked increase in records since the late 1980s, the period under review saw more
American Golden Plovers than ever making landfall in Scotland. Indeed, the 49 individuals during the
four years 2005-08 represent more than two-thirds of the previous all-time total. Although 2006, with
nine birds, was not markedly different from some other recent years, 2007 and 2008 were both
exceptional. Improved observer awareness has been invoked as an explanation of the long-term
increase in Scottish records (Forrester et al. 2007), but is unlikely to account for the flurry of recent
sightings. Perhaps the explanation is to be found in the changing patterns of Atlantic weather systems,
which are believed to have played a part in a general northward shift of vagrant Nearctic waders within
Britain (Fraser et al. 2007a).

There also appears to have been a recent change in the geographical distribution of this species within
Scotland. While the Northern Isles accounted for most records prior to 2005, they were overtaken during
2005-08 by the Outer Hebrides and nearby Tiree (Argyll). Between them, Orkney and Shetland mustered
18 birds during this period, while the Outer Hebrides and Tiree had 22. Mainland sightings are still
relatively infrequent: Dumfries & Galloway, Clyde and mainland Argyll all recorded their first American
Golden Plovers in the period covered by this report.

In accordance with the usual pattern of occurrence, American Golden Plovers during 2006-8 were seen
mostly in autumn, with just two summer records. As usual, autumn adults tended to precede the more
numerous juveniles. Indeed, in 2007 there was an almost perfect split in arrival dates between adult birds
(to 5 October) and juveniles (from 4 October). Some birds labelled as juveniles in the table, especially those
seen later in the autumn, would probably have moulted partially or wholly into first-winter plumage.

(Breeds at high latitudes in North America and northeast Siberia, migrating over the western Atlantic
to winter in the south of South America.)

White-rumped Sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis 69: 43: 112

Table 15. Accepted records of White-rumped Sandpiper in Scotland, 2005-08.

2005 BBRC
27 birds: Argyll 1, Lothian 1, Orkney 10, Outer Hebrides 13, Shetland 2.

2006

Fair Isle Various locations, juvenile, 7-10 October, photo (N. Green, PA. Harris et a/.).

Lothian Tyninghame, adult, 6—9 October (A. Brown, B. Doe, M. Griffin).

Orkney Trolla Vatn, North Ronaldsay, adult, 31 July to 1 August (PA. Brown, R.J. Simpson).

Orkney Loch Gretchen, North Ronaldsay, juvenile, 14—22 October, photo (PA. Brown et d/.).

Outer Hebrides Loch Phaibeil (Loch Paible), North Uist, juvenile, 15-18 November (B. Rabbitts et a/.).
Shetland Pool of Virkie, Mainland, adult, 22—24 July, photo (PV. Harvey et al.).

Shetland Pool of Virkie, Mainland, adult, 24 July (second bird), photo (H.R. Harrop et al.).

2007

Fair Isle South Harbour, adult, 2 October, photo (T. ap Rheinallt, M.S. Scott et a/.); also seen Shetland, 27
September to 1 October.

North-east Scotland Ythan Estuary, adult, 31 July (R. King, AJ. Whitehouse et a/.).

Orkney Mill Sand, Tankerness, Mainland, adult, 14-20 August (K.E. Hague).

Shetland Pool of Virkie, Mainland, adult, 16 August, photo (R.M. Fray, P.V. Harvey et a/.).

Shetland Norwick & Westing, Unst, adult, 27 September to 1 October, photo (M.G. Pennington, G. Woodburn
et al.); also seen Fair Isle.

Shetland Quendale, Pool of Virkie & Fleck, Mainland, juvenile, 17-22 October, photo (R.M. Fray, J.J. Gilroy et al.).

30:2 (2010) 3 99-123 | 117

SBRC report, 2005-08. Part I

2008

Outer Hebrides Bagh a’ Bhaile (Village Bay), St Kilda, adult, 12 October, photo (W.T.S. Miles et a/.).

Outer Hebrides Baile Gharbhaidh (Balgarva), South Uist, adult, 22—25 October, photo (S.E. Duffield et a/.).

Outer Hebrides Baile Gharbhaidh (Balgarva), South Uist, juvenile, 29 October to 2 November, photo (S.E.
Duffield et a/.).

Shetland Pool of Virkie, Mainland, adult, 25 October (R.M. Fray).

Plate 98. White-rumped Sandpiper adult Pool of Virkie, Mainland, Shetland,
16 August 2007 © Hugh Harrop.

118

Like American Golden Plover,
White-rumped Sandpiper is a
scarce but nowadays annual
visitor to Scotland from North
America. The Outer Hebrides, the
Northern Isles, North-east
Scotland and Lothian account for
most of the 68 occurrences
catalogued by Forrester et al.
(2007). A late acceptance of a bird
in the Outer Hebrides in
September 2004 (Fraser ef al.
2007c) brings the total recorded to
the end of 2004 to 69 birds.

2005, the last year when records
of this species were assessed by
BBRC, saw an unprecedented
autumn influx, with a total of 27
birds seen in Scotland, including
up to seven on North Ronaldsay
(Orkney) and up to four together
at Loch Ordais, Lewis (Outer
Hebrides) in mid-October (Fraser
ef. al. 2007a, 2007e) ihe 16
accepted individuals during

2006-8 represent a return to more normal numbers, though the annual totals of 4-7 birds are still towards
the higher end of the range by pre-2005 standards. Geographically, the tabulated records correspond very
well to the pattern of earlier years, and the range of dates is likewise typical, although the traditional
division between early-autumn adults and late-autumn juveniles appears to be eroding away to some

extent as more and more adults are seen in October.

The adult on Fair Isle on 2 October 2007 was identified from photographs as being the same as the bird
on Unst (Shetland), almost 150 km to the north, from 27 September to 1 October.

(Breeds in North America at high latitudes, migrating to winter in Brazil, Argentina and Chile.)

Buff-breasted Sandpiper Tryngites subruficollis 134: 49 (2005-06): 183

Table 16. Accepted records of Buff-breasted Sandpiper in Scotland, 2005-06, with late

acceptances from 2004 not included in Forrester et al. (2007).

2004
Argyll The Reef, Tiree, male, 17-19 June G. Bowler).

Shetland Funzie, Fetlar, juvenile, 1-3 October (P.V. Harvey, B.H. Thomason et a/.).

2005

Argyll Various locations, Tiree, up to three juveniles, 3-8 September, photo J. Bowler, K. Gillon et a/.).
Highland Traigh Golf Course, Arisaig, Lochaber, juvenile, 8 September, photo (S. Macdonald).

Lothian Tyninghame, juvenile, 25 August, photo (D. Allan, P. Burns et a/.).

Lothian Tyninghame, juvenile, 15 September, photo (D. Allan, P. Burns et d/.).
Orkney Tor Ness, North Ronaldsay, juvenile, 23-26 August, photo (P.A. Brown et a/.).
Orkney Kirkhouse, South Ronaldsay, juvenile, 5 September (P. Higson et al.).

99-123

30:2 (2010)

Papers

Orkney Linklet Bay, North Ronaldsay, two juveniles, 9 September (PA. Brown et a/.).

Orkney Linklet Bay, North Ronaldsay, juvenile, 22-23 September (A.E. Duncan et a/.).

Outer Hebrides Mullach Sgar, St Kilda, two, 23 August to 4 September (N. Mitchell et a/.).

Outer Hebrides Bornais (Bornish), South Uist, up to five juveniles, 31 August to 20 September (T. Charman, A.
Stevenson et al.).

Outer Hebrides Steinis (Steinish), Lewis, juvenile, 1-7 September (T. ap Rheinallt, A. Robinson et a/.).

Outer Hebrides Borgh (Borve), Berneray, North Uist, three, 3—5 September, photo (B. Rabbitts).

Outer Hebrides Butt of Lewis, Lewis, juvenile, 3 September, photo (T. ap Rheinallt, A. Robinson et a/.).

Outer Hebrides Loch Bi (Loch Bee), South Uist, juvenile, 4-15 September (A. Stevenson et a/.).

Outer Hebrides Butt of Lewis, Lewis, juvenile, 15 September, photo (T. ap Rheinallt).

Shetland Foula, 8 September (A.R. Mainwood).

Shetland Scatness, Mainland, 14-15 September, photo GV. Wilson et a/.).

Shetland Fleck, Mainland, 27 September (P.M. Ellis).

2006

Argyll Loch a’ Phuill, Tiree, 29 August (K. Gillon et a/.).

Argyll Seal Cottage, Oronsay, juvenile, 10 September (D.C. Jardine et a/.).

Fair Isle Meoness to Vaasetter, juvenile, 19—21 September, photo (M. Telfer et a/.).

Lothian Tyninghame & Aberlady, 4—6 May, photo (C.N. Davison, K. Gillon et a/.).

Moray & Nairn Lossie Estuary, 27 June (A. Jensen).

Orkney Linklet Bay, North Ronaldsay, 23-26 September, photo (D. Kramer, E.R. Meek, J. Palmer).

Outer Hebrides Ormacleit (Ormiclate) & Loch Bhornais (Loch Bornish), South Uist, adult, 17-26 August, photo
(S.E. Duffield et a/.).

Outer Hebrides Rubha Aird a’ Mhuile (Rubha Ardvule), South Uist, juvenile, 31 August (M.S. Scott).

Outer Hebrides Loch Bi (Loch Bee), South Uist, up to five, 6-27 September, photo U.B. Kemp et a/.).

Outer Hebrides Mullach Sgar, St Kilda, two juveniles, 6 September (S. Money et a/.).

Outer Hebrides Groigearraidh (Grogarry), South Uist, juvenile, 11 September, photo (S.E. Duffield).

Outer Hebrides Eachcamais (Eachkamish), Baleshare, North Uist, three, 15 September, photo (B. Rabbitts).

Outer Hebrides Stornoway, Lewis, juvenile, 24-28 September (T. ap Rheinallt et a/.).

Shetland Funzie, Fetlar, 21 September (K. Luxford, B.H. Thomason).

11-28
3)

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10-day periods
Figure 2. Distribution by recording area and seasonal occurrence of Buff-breasted Sandpiper in Scotland, 2005-06.

30:2 (2010) scottisn Bi 99-123 | 119

120

Plate 99. Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Tyninghame & Aberlady, Lothian, 4—6 May 2006 © Tristan Reid.

SBRC report, 2005-08. Part 1

Buff-breasted Sandpiper is a scarce but annual visitor to Scotland, usually in autumn (Forrester ef al.
2007). In terms of numbers recorded, it comes second only to Pectoral Sandpiper among Nearctic wader
species. To the end of 2004, a total of 132 birds had been seen (adjusted from Forrester et al. 2007, with
the 1996 ‘At sea’ record excluded as it is outside the Scottish List recording area). With the addition of
two late acceptances from 2004 (Table 16), this total becomes 134.

Although numbers seen in Scotland vary widely from year to year, there has been an overall increase
since the mid-1990s. The reasons for this are unclear, and there is some uncertainty about whether the
breeding population is expanding or declining (Forrester et al. 2007). With a total of 28 birds, 2005 was
a record year, although the possibility of repeat sightings of the same individuals, especially in the Outer
Hebrides, cannot be ruled out. Fewer were seen in 2006, but the total of 21 still exceeded the next best
year (2004, with 11) by a wide margin.

The Outer Hebrides have traditionally produced more sightings of this species than any other recording
area in Scotland, and this continued to be the case during 2005-06, when they accounted for more than
half the Scottish total (28 out of 49). In accordance with the usual pattern, sightings were largely
confined to a short period between mid-August and late September. Only two birds were seen outside
this period. One, in Lothian on 4-6 May 2006, was the earliest ever in spring by three days; it may have
been a northbound migrant that had wintered on this side of the Atlantic. The other was at the Lossie
Estuary (Moray & Nairn) on 27 June the same year, and was possibly a summering non-breeder. The
same might apply to the June 2004 bird on Tiree (Argyll), which was seen to display (Bowler 2009).

Reflecting the steep increase in records, Buff-breasted Sandpiper was dropped from the list of species
assessed by SBRC as from 1 January 2007.

(Breeds in the high Arctic of North America and eastern Siberia, wintering in South America.)

Scottish Birds 30: 99-123 30:2 (2010)

Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis 132: 29: 161

Table 17. Accepted records of Ring-billed Gull in Scotland, 2005-08, with a late acceptance from
2004 not included in Forrester et al. (2007).

2004
Outer Hebrides Siabost (Shawbost) to Barabhas (Barvas), Lewis, first-summer, 6 June to 11 July, photo (M.S.

Scott et al).

2005

Argyll Machir Bay, Islay, adult (returning), 29 March, photo (T. ap Rheinallt, A.J. Whitehouse); same, 8 November
(M. Holt, T. Lowe).

Argyll Bowmore, Islay, first-winter/summer, 4—5 April, photo (T. ap Rheinallt, T.P. Drew et a/.).

Argyll Oban, first-summer, 4 April to 10 May, photo U.M. Dickson, B. Rabbitts et a/.); same, 12 September to 5
March 2006, photo (S. Gibson et a/.).

Argyll Loch a’ Phuill, Tiree, first-winter, 5 April G. Bowler).

Highland Dingwall, Ross & Cromarty, adult (returning), 25 August to 18 October, photo (S. Cohen et d/.).

Moray & Nairn Coltfield, first-summer, 27-28 April (D.M. Pullan, R. Proctor).

Orkney Point of Ness, Stromness, Mainland, adult (returning), 3 January to 7 February, photo; same, 18
November to 12 March 2006, photo (P. Higson et a/.).

Outer Hebrides Tobha Mor (Howmore) & Peighinn nan Aoireann (Peninerine), South Uist, first-winter/summer,
30 January to 29 July; same Aird a’ Mhachair (Ardivachar), South Uist, 3-18 September, & Peighinn nan
Aoireann (Peninerine), 9 November (A. Stevenson et a/.).

Outer Hebrides Tobha Mor (Howmore), Peighinn nan Aoireann (Peninerine) & Smeircleit (Smerclate), South
Uist, second-winter, 30 January to 7 April (A. Stevenson et al).

Outer Hebrides Teanna Mhachair (Teanamachar), Baleshare, North Uist, second-winter, 6 February (A. Stevenson).

Outer Hebrides Cnoc Gunna, Berneray, North Uist, first-winter, 6-7 March (S.E. Duffield et a/.).

Outer Hebrides Tobha Mor (Howmore) & Peighinn nan Aoireann (Peninerine), South Uist, adult, 27 March to
7 April (A. Stevenson et al/.).

Outer Hebrides Tobha Mor (Howmore) & Peighinn nan Aoireann (Peninerine), South Uist, second-
winter/summer, 5 April (A. Stevenson).

Outer Hebrides Bagh a Tuath (North Bay), South Uist, first-winter, 9 April (S.E. Duffield).

Outer Hebrides Tobha Beag, South Uist, second-winter, 10 November, photo (M. Benson, B. McMillan).

Upper Forth Kinneil Lagoon, adult, 16 September to 1 November, photo d. Calladine, D. Thorogood, MA. Wilkinson et al).

6

&
Number of birds
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10-day periods
Figure 3. Distribution by recording area and seasonal occurrence of Ring-billed Gull in Scotland, 2005-08.

30:2 (2010) . is 99-123 | 121

122

SaC aoe ZOOS—0ls: iraine ||

2006

Angus & Dundee Lunan Water Mouth, adult, 3-6 November, photo (H. Bell et a/).

Argyll Oban, adult, 14 January to 2 May, photo (N. Milligan et a/.).

Argyll Sorobaidh Bay, Tiree, adult, 2-6 February, photo GU. Bowler et a/.).

Argyll Bowmore, Islay, second-winter (returning), 22 February, photo (7.P. Drew, A. Hogg).

Argyll Oban, second-winter, 28 February to 5 March, photo (S. Gibson et a/.).

Argyll Oban, third-winter/adult (returning), 16 November to April 2007, photo U.M. Dickson, S. Gibson et al.);
same as one of the two second-winters present in early March 2006.

Fife Thornton Pool, first-winter, 27 February (D.E. Dickson).

Highland Dingwall, Ross & Cromarty, adult (returning), 25 March to 11 April, photo; same, 4 October to 5
February 2007, photo (S. Cohen et ad/.).

Orkney Point of Ness, Stromness, Mainland, adult (returning), 27 November to 28 January 2007 (E.R. Meek et a/.).

Outer Hebrides Tolastadh bho Thuath (North Tolsta), Lewis, second-winter, 19 February, photo (T. ap Rheinallt).

Outer Hebrides Siabost (Shawbost) to Arnol, Lewis, first-summer, 12-24 June, photo (C. Dunn, M.S. Scott et al.).

Outer Hebrides Mealabost Bhuirgh (Melbost Borve), Lewis, first-summer, 24 June, photo (M.S. Scott).

Outer Hebrides Loch Ordais to Barabhas (Barvas), Lewis, second-winter, 22 September to 10 October, photo
(T. ap Rheinallt et a/.).

Upper Forth Kinneil Lagoon, adult (returning), 26 September to 23 December, photo (T.P. Drew et a/.).

2007

Argyll Oban, adult (returning), 23 August to 9 April 2008, photo U.M. Dickson, S. Gibson et al.).

Highland Dingwall, Ross & Cromarty, adult (returning), 31 October to 16 November (S. Cohen et al).

North-east Scotland Loch of Strathbeg, first-summer, 16 March to 2 April, photo (G. Anderson, AJ. Whitehouse et ai).

Orkney Point of Ness, Stromness, Mainland, adult (returning), 29 October to 30 December, photo (S.J.
Williams et a/.).

Outer Hebrides Loch Mor Bharabhais (Loch Barvas), Lewis, first-winter/summer, 29-30 March, photo (S. Cole,
T. McKinney et a/.).

Outer Hebrides Balranald, North Uist, adult, 19 April, photo (B. Rabbitts).

Upper Forth Kinneil Lagoon, adult (returning), 28 October to 17 February 2008, photo (D. Thorogood et al).

2008

Angus & Dundee Dundee, adult, 2 December to 25 February 2009, photo (R. McCurley et al).

Argyll Oban, adult (returning), 16 August to 18 December, photo (W. Allan, S. Gibson et a/.).

Clyde Strathclyde Country Park, adult, 9 February to 31 March, photo (K. Hoey et al).

Highland Little Loch Broom, Ross & Cromarty, adult, 18 March G. Bell).

Highland Dingwall, Ross & Cromarty, adult (returning), 17 November to December, photo (S. Cohen et al).
Orkney Lighthouse, North Ronaldsay, adult, 9 March (R.J. Simpson).

Upper Forth Kinneil Lagoon, adult (returning), 14 August to 10 February 2009, photo (R. Shand et a/.).

Ring-billed Gull is a scarce visitor to Scotland, with most observations along the west side of the
country on islands. The majority of birds are seen from January to April in flocks of migrating Common
Gulls Larus canus.

First observed in Scotland in 1976, the species has occurred with increasing regularity over the years.
To the end of 2004, a total of 131 birds had been seen (Forrester et al. 2007); with the addition of a late
acceptance from 2004 (Table 17), this total becomes 132. During the 1980s an average of 3.6 per annum
were noted, increasing to 5.4 in the 1990s (Forrester et al. 2007). This trend continued with up to 13
new arrivals during 2005, but this was followed by a decline,
with nine during 2006, and just three during 2007 and four
during 2008. These totals do not include returning birds.

The geographical pattern of incidence follows that seen
before 2005 with most birds being noted in coastal areas,
particularly on west coast islands in Argyll and the Outer
Hebrides, consistent with this species being of Nearctic
origin. Many were seen during February to April, apparently =
moving north with Common Gulls. Such spring occurrences . an
are thought to involve birds that, after arriving in Europe in
previous seasons, subsequently move up and down the —— a 3
eastern Atlantic seaboard. Some autumn birds, however, plate 100. Ring-billed Gull, adult,
particularly sub-adults, are probably newly arrived Strathclyde Country Park, Clyde, 9
individuals displaced across the Atlantic after westerly gales. February to 31 March 2008 ©Jim Woods.

99-123 30:2 (2010)

Veal a

In a few cases birds have returned to the same sites for consecutive winter periods, or during migration.
One well-known individual wintered at Point of Ness, Stromness, Mainland (Orkney), and was last
observed in December 2007, its 21st winter; it was initially seen as a first-winter in January 1988,
making it over 22 years old when last seen (Gray 1993, Dillon 2002). Other birds have returned to the
same sites at Dingwall, Ross & Cromarty (Highland), at Machir Bay, Islay and on the Oban waterfront
(both Argyll), and at Kinneil Lagoon (Upper Forth).

More unusual records include adults seen inland in Clyde at Strathclyde Country Park in February and
March 2008 (returning in March 2009), and on the waterfront in Dundee (Angus & Dundee) from
December 2008 to February 2009. Also, a first-winter at Thornton Pool in February 2006 was the first
to be recorded in Fife (Dickson 2007). Most observations involve single birds, but two second-winters
were present together at Oban during February and March 2006.

(Breeds widely in North America, wintering along the south-eastern seaboard, south to Central America
and the Caribbean.)

Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans 0: 3: 3

Table 18. Accepted records of Caspian Gull in Scotland, 2005-08.

2006
Lothian Belhaven Bay & Dunbar Harbour, first-winter, 28 December to 13 February 2007, photo (C.N. Davison et a/.).

2007
Lothian Tyninghame, first-winter, 14 October, photo (K. Gillon et a/.).

2008
Clyde Strathclyde Country Park, first-winter, 9-14 February, photo (K. Hoey, CJ. Mclnerny).

First observed in Scotland in 2006 in Lothian (Davison 2009), Caspian Gull has been identified on just
two more occasions, with all three sightings from the southern mainland in late autumn and winter.

Recent changes in the taxonomy of the large white-headed gulls have resulted in this taxon being
elevated to full specific status (Sangster et al. 2007). This change, along with a heightened interest in
cull identification amongst ornithologists, has resulted in a tiny number of individuals, all first-winters,
being found in Scotland. This fits with observations elsewhere in England and Continental Europe. A
proportion of the population, consisting mostly of immatures, leaves the breeding sites in eastern
Europe to migrate north and west to the Atlantic and Baltic areas in late summer and early autumn,
with smaller numbers remaining to winter in these areas (Olsen & Larsson 2003). Now that identifi-
cation features for this species are becoming better known (Gibbins et al. 2010, McInerny 2010), it is
likely that more will be seen in Scotland in the future.

(Breeds at inland lakes in eastern Europe and the Middle East, wintering mostly in the eastern
Mediterranean, but with smaller numbers reaching western maritime Europe.)

Part 2 of this report, covering terns to passerines, will appear in the September issue.

Tristan ap Rheinallt, 21 Urquhart Gardens, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis HS1 2TX

Email: calidris@cix.co.uk

Christopher J. McInerny, 10 Athole Gardens, Glasgow G12 9AZ

Email: C.Mcinerny@bio.gla.ac.uk

Alan W. Lauder, BirdWatch Ireland, Crank House, Banagher, Co. Offaly, Ireland

Email: alauder@birdwatchireland.ie

Robert Y. McGowan, National Museums Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF
Email: b:mcgowan@nms.ac.uk

Revised ms accepted April 2010

30:2 (2010) Scottish Birds 30: 99-123 | 123

124

fo ae NI AtAcH
Short Notes

Early records of bitterns in the Outer Hebrides

The noted Gaelic folklorist Alexander Carmichael
(1832-1912) submitted observations of birds to
J. A. Harvie-Brown (1844-1916), with the result
that the latter’s A Vertebrate Fauna of the Outer
Hebrides (Harvie-Brown €& Buckley 1888)
contains several references to him, not only as
the principal source for Gaelic bird names in the
book, but also as a contributor of records.
Carmichael’s papers are in Edinburgh University
Library, where they form the core of the
Carmichael Watson Collection. The collection
includes Carmichael’s recently identified field
notebooks, which contain a wealth of disparate
information and observations concerning the
birdlife of the islands, including a note on the
occurrence of a bittern on South Uist in 1874:

Found at Milton 17th Mar[ch] 1874 - ina
gravel pit at roadside within a gunshot of
Flora Macdonald’s house fo[ugh]t like a
buck & squealed like a pig ruff about neck
stood out as a lady said like an
Eliza[bethan] collar. Serv[an]ts said the bird
was unlucky & an evil omen & so when the
people got up in the morning the bird was
dead & eaten up by the cats. Another bird
of the same kind said to have been shot by
a shep[herd] near the same place some
years ago [later addition: €& also Bailanloin
N.Uist.] [EUL CW MS 111 fos.17r-v].

Also within the Carmichael Watson Collection
are three boxes of paper slips, now catalogued
as EUL CW MS 131 A-C, recording occurrences
and behaviour of birds, mammals, fish and
invertebrates in the islands. They are a
testament to Carmichael’s unrealised ambition
of compiling a natural history of the Outer
Hebrides. One of the slips in CW MS 131A,
probably composed from memory in the late
1880s, contains further information on bitterns:

A Bittern was found? or shot? in a ditch at
Baileanloin Nflorth] Uist in the winter of
18[ ] and one was found at Milton S[outh]
Uist in the winter of 187[ ]. The one at
Baileanloin was found or shot by Dr John
Macdonald and the one at Milton by Dr.
Thomas Nicoll - both in a state of extreme
exhaustion. [EUL CW MS 131A fo.303]

According to Forrester et al. (2007), the earliest
acceptable record of Great Bittern Botaurus
stellaris in the Outer Hebrides was in 1890. The
three records quoted by Carmichael antedate any
of these, though the one involving a bittern ‘said
to have been shot by a shepherd’ near Milton is
so vague that it is probably best ignored. Given
that the Baile an Loin record is undated, its claim
to be considered as a potential first for the Outer
Hebrides is also weak. This record can be no
later than 1871, since John MacDonald died in
that year; it may account for the statement in
Gray (1871) that a Great Bittern was shot in
North Uist ‘a few years ago’

The Milton record from March 1874 is not only
dated but accompanied by the finder’s name
and a convincing description of the bird’s
behaviour. As with other bittern records from
this part of the world, however, there is a
potential complication in that the bird involved
could have been an American Bittern Botaurus
lentiginosus. Given that the great majority of
American Bittern records in the British Isles
have been in the period September to early
January, this is unlikely; on the other hand, an
American Bittern was shot in Dumfries &
Galloway almost exactly a year prior to this
sighting, on 25 March 1873. However, the fact
that the Milton bird was in a ‘state of extreme
exhaustion’, at a time when conditions in the
Outer Hebrides were relatively mild, suggests it
was a recent arrival, and while American
Bitterns are not thought to cross the Atlantic at
this season, hard-weather movements of Great
Bitterns are a recognised phenomenon.

The fact that the Milton bird was thought to be
an evil omen suggests that the servants
mentioned in Carmichael’s note were acquainted
with Great Bitterns and the folklore surrounding
them. Mistrust of these birds was widespread in
Scotland at one time (Forrester et al. 2007).

Summary of Great Bittern records

from the Outer Hebrides

We regard the following as acceptable records
of Great Bittern’ in’ the ‘Outerm@rebmades:
Although the possibility that some of these

30:2 (2010)

birds were American Bitterns cannot be ruled
out with absolute certainty, the same could be
said for a good number of currently accepted
Scottish records, especially older ones.

™@ Found exhausted at Milton, South Uist, 17
March 1874 (previously unpublished).

@ Captured on the coast of Harris in January
1890; specimen added to Harvie-Brown’s
collection (Harvie-Brown 1902).

™@ Present for a week at Westford, North Uist,
between December 1914 and January 1915,
but became emaciated and later died;
specimen said to have been preserved
(Beveridge 1918).

@ Killed near Langass, North Uist, on or around
20 April 1915 (Baxter & Rintoul 1916).

™ Found exhausted at Carloway, Lewis, 30
January 1917; specimen sent to the Royal
Scottish Museum (Mackenzie 1917).

@ Observed at close range at Loch Stiapabhat,
Lewis, 2 and 6 November 1962, by Peter
Cunningham and others (Anon. 1963).

A few other occurrences or possible occurrences
are mentioned in the literature, but like Gray’s
record and two of those referred to by
Carmichael, they are vague and/or undated. The
only significant exception is a record of a bittern
present for some time at Loch Hallan, South Uist,
in the early winter of 1955. However, J. W.
Campbell, to whom this occurrence was
reported, believed that the bird in question could
have been either a Great Bittern or an American
Bittern (unpublished MS).

We would like to acknowledge the kind
assistance of Kirsty Stewart, archivist, and
Andrew Wiseman, researcher, both at the
Carmichael Watson Project, Edinburgh
University Library, in compiling this article.
Peter Cunningham provided information about
past records and made available an unpublished
manuscript compiled by Dr J. W. Campbell.
Brian Rabbitts commented on the text.

30:2 (2010)

Short Notes

References

Anon. 1963. Current notes. Scottish Birds 2:
311-325. [p. 312]

Baxter, E.V. & Rintoul, L.J. 1916. Report on
Scottish ornithology in 1915, including
migration. Scottish Naturalist 1916: 145-218.
[pp. 152, 196]

Beveridge, F.S. 1918. The birds of North Uist.
Scottish Naturalist 1918: 245-254. [p. 254]
Forrester, R.W., Andrews, I.J., McInerny, C.J.,
Murray, R.D., McGowan, R.Y., Zonfrillo, B.,
Betts, M.W., Jardine, D.C. & Grundy, D.S.
(eds) 2007. The Birds of Scotland. The

Scottish Ornithologists’ Club, Aberlady.

Gray, R. 1871. Birds of the West of Scotland
including the Outer Hebrides. T. Murray &
Son, Glasgow.

Harvie-Brown, J.A. 1902. On the avifauna of
the Outer Hebrides, 1888-1902. Annals of
Scottish Natural History 1902: 83-91,
136-151, 199-217. [p. 204]

Harvie-Brown, J.A. & Buckley, T.E. 1888. A
Vertebrate Fauna of the Outer Hebrides. David
Douglas, Edinburgh.

Mackenzie, D. 1917. Bittern in the Island of
Lewis. Scottish Naturalist 1917: 70.

Tristan ap Rheinallt, 21 Urquhart Gardens,
Stornoway, Isle of Lewis HS1 2TX
Email: calidris@cix.co.uk

Domhnall Uilleam Stiubhart,

c/o Carmichael Watson Project,

Fifth Floor, Edinburgh University Library,
Edinburgh EH8 9LJ

Email: dw.stewart@ed.ac.uk

Revised ms accepted December 2009

125

126

Short Notes

Some observations on the bowing behaviour of Merlins

According to Brown & Amadon (1969) several
species of raptor indulge in specialised greeting
ceremonies which include bowing. Orton (1980)
could only cite two occasions of Merlin Falco
columbarius bowing behaviour in four years’
study in Wales.

In Galloway, Merlin bowing behaviour was
observed on 29 occasions at six breeding sites from
1973 to 1994. Females solicited copulation from
males by bowing, fanning their tails and calling.
Bowing occurred infrequently at some sites but at
one site from 1 April to 12 June 1974 a female was
seen to bow 12 times and the male twice.

Cramp & Simmons (1980) mention Merlin bowing
behaviour only once when the male of a wild-
caught pair bowed to the female in an enclosure.
Feldsine & Oliphant (1985) reported that bowing is
much less prominent in Merlin Falco columbarius
richardsonii than the large falcons, although it is

present as a low intensity component of several
displays; rarely is the deep bowing, typical of
many falcons, seen in Merlin displays.

References

Brown, L. & Amadon, D. 1969. Eagles, Hawks
and Falcons of the World. The Wellfleet Press,
Feltham.

Cramp, S. & Simmons, K.E.L. (eds) 1980. The
Birds of the Western Palearctic. Volume 2.
Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Feldsine, J.W. &€ Oliphant] pie 935:
Breeding behavior of the Merlin: the
courtship period. Raptor Research 19: 60-67.

Orton, D.A. 1980. The Merlins of the Welsh
Marches. David & Charles, London.

R.C. Dickson, Lismore, New Luce, Newton
Stewart, Dumfries & Galloway DG8 OAJ

Revised ms accepted December 2009

Icterine Warblers breeding in Sutherland in 2009

On 28 June 2009, I was surveying for the 2007-11
Bird Atlas project in a strath in south-east
Sutherland. | arrived at the first tetrad at 0600 hrs
and immediately heard a bird singing from some
tall deciduous trees, mainly Sycamore Acer
pseudoplatanus, by an area of ornamental shrubs
in the grounds of a large lodge. It was not a song
I recognised, but due to the dense foliage I could
not see the bird. I continued on my way but on my
return in late afternoon I used an MP3 player to
give a burst of Garden Warbler Sylvia borin song.
Immediately a large warbler flew towards me and
landed in a bush 20 m in front. I could see that it
was a Hippolais warbler and the light yellow
underside, grey-green back and pale wing panel
confirmed that it was an Icterine Warbler Hippolais
icterina. It appeared to be carrying food in its bill.
It quickly lost interest in the tape and disappeared.

After about ten minutes I heard an unusual alarm
call and eventually located the bird in the lodge
grounds. I confirmed it was the Icterine Warbler
and it was again carrying food. Later I watched it
collecting more food in some young alder Alnus
trees. I tried to follow it back to a nest, but lost it

amongst the foliage. Reluctantly I had to leave.

As I knew I would not be able to revisit the site, I
informed Al McNee, (then) Highland Recorder,
about my observations. On 3 July, Al and Dave
Tanner visited the site. Following my directions
they eventually located two foraging birds and
watched one with a beak full of insects disappear
into a small ornamental bush in a well manicured
part of the lodge garden. The begging calls of the
young confirmed the presence of an active nest.

In mid-May 2009, easterly winds had resulted in a
small influx of Icterine Warblers into the
highlands. Two other singing birds were reported
within 25 km of the breeding site and there were
at least four other reports at other sites in Highland,
including one in Strathspey, where another bird
was observed carrying food (see below).

Bob Swann, 14 St.Vincent Road, Tain,
Ross-shire IV19 1JR
Email: Bob.Swann@bto.org

Revised ms accepted March 2010

30:2 (2010)

Icterine Warblers breeding in Strathspey in 2009

On 10 July 2009, I was leading a group in an
area of Strathspey in search of dragonflies. The
habitat is an open area of birch Betula scrub
with a mosaic of small lochs and pools
surrounded by Scots Pine Pinus sylvestris forest.
Near one of the pools, our attention was drawn
to a very loud, harsh repeated chattering alarm
call, which I did not immediately recognise. We
soon located the bird sitting on top of a birch
about 200 m away. I could see the outline of
what appeared to be a large warbler, with a
noticeably long and square-ended tail. Being
familiar with Icterine Warbler Hippolais icterina
on their breeding grounds in Eastern Europe,
this species immediately sprang to mind. In the
telescope, the rather long, square-ended tail and
flat, sloping forehead with long pointed bill
fitted that of a Hippolais warbler, with dark
grey/green upperparts and some pale yellow on

the underside. Although in the very bright
sunlight it was difficult to confirm a wing panel,
the call and features observed were convincing
enough for its identification. Through the
telescope it could clearly be seen to be carrying
a caterpillar in its bill. A second bird seemed to
be responding to its call from the undergrowth
nearby. It remained in the tree for some minutes
before flying into some scrub and could not be
relocated again despite searching. I suspect it
may have been feeding fledged young rather
than at a nest. The birds were searched for again
the next day but without success.

John Poyner, Dornoch Cottage,
aba hee Nethybridge PH25 3DD

Email: johnpoyner@hotmail.co.uk
Revised ms accepted March 2010

Mark Holling, Secretary of the Rare Breeding Birds Panel has commented: “According to records held by
the Rare Breeding Birds Panel, documented in Forrester et al. (2007), the two confirmed breeding attempts
in 2009 constitute the fourth and fifth records for both Scotland and the UK. Previously, there had been
just three records of confirmed breeding of Icterine Warbler in the UK, all in Scotland: in 1992 (Creag
Meagaidh NNR, Highland, fledged young seen 29 July), 1998 (near Newtonmore, Highland, female trapped
with brood patch) and 2002 (Orkney, at least four young fledged in July from a nest found in June).”

held visiting professorships at universities in

OBITUARY

Michael James Thomas, 1933-2010

Michael Thomas was born in 1933 in
Birmingham. He did his National Service as an
officer in the Royal West African Frontier Force in
Nigeria in 1952-53, and then read economics at
University College London. He won a Fulbright
scholarship to study in the United States and
received his Masters of Business Administration
from the University of Indiana in 1956. He began
his academic career at Syracuse University in
New York, before returning to England to
Lancaster University where he championed the
new discipline of marketing management. In
1987 he moved to Glasgow to the Chair in
Marketing at Strathclyde University. He authored
or contributed to more than 30 books on
marketing, was a consultant to numerous organi-
zations in the U.K. and abroad, including the
United Nations Development Programme and

30:2 (2010)

Finland, Malta, the United States, Poland and
England. In 1999, he was awarded the OBE by
the Queen for his services to Poland.

Professor Thomas was an avid birdwatcher. He
wrote four books on birds including an
introduction to the birds of Bute and authored a
study on the marketing of John James
Audubon’s seminal Birds of America.

He was a member of the SOC and the Argyll Bird
Club and a popular lecturer who visited five
continents to follow his passion for birds. He had
a worldwide network of friends and associates in
ornithological societies. He was also a regular
contributor to Scottish Bird News.

He died aged 76 on 30 January 2010 at his home
in Rothesay, Isle of Bute, after a brief illness.

Helen Thomas

127

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Wind farms and Golden Eagles,
the Argyll experience -.an update

Plate 101. Beinn Ghlas wind farm © Andy Robinson.

In June 2007, Scottish Bird News published my
article on wind farms and Golden Eagles in
Argyll, in which | gave details of two eagle
territories where wind farms had been
constructed in recent years.

| pointed out that at Beinn an Tuirc in Kintyre, in
spite of a fortune having been spent on habitat
modifications intended to mitigate any adverse
effects, the breeding productivity of the eagles
had been zero since the wind farm had
become operational. In the case of Beinn Ghlas
near Taynuilt, not only was productivity zero, but
the territory no longer contained a resident pair
of birds. | suggested that taken together the
experience at Beinn an Tuirc and Beinn Ghlas
ought to suggest that wind farms and eagles
did not go well together and extreme caution
should be exercised when considering any
further proposals for wind power developments
in eagle country.

Some three years later it might be of interest to
consider if there has been any change in the
Situation at these two locations. At Beinn an
Tuirc after a new male had joined the resident

30:2 (2010)

female, there was a successful nesting in 2008
and two chicks were fledged. The survival of two
chicks has never been recorded there before
and, if this sort of productivity could be
repeated, would suggest that all the expensive
habitat management might be bearing fruit. The
supplementary feeding provided for the eagles
throughout the winter might well have helped.
Unfortunately, in common with some other
eagles in Argyll in 2009, no eggs were laid, and
this was the case in 2006 and 2007. The full
productivity of this and five control territories in
earlier years was shown in the table included in
my previous article. Both the 2008 chicks were
fitted with transmitters to allow satellite tracking.

At Beinn Ghlas there has been no improvement
and all observers are agreed that certainly for
the eight years since 2002 there has been no
resident pair of eagles, although birds from the
neighbouring home ranges do make occasional
visits. For some reason there is reluctance by
many people to accept that the abandonment
of this eagle territory has anything to do with the
presence of the wind turbines. When the Beinn
Ghlas wind power project was given planning

129

approval by Argyll and Bute Council, it was a
condition of the consent that the eagles and the
effect of the mitigation measures should be
monitored and an annual report prepared. The
power company employs consultants to do this.
These reports are submitted to the Council, and
copied to SNH and RSPB, but are considered as
confidential and not readily made available for
public inspection.

In November 2008, a public inquiry was held at
Inveraray into another wind farm proposed at
Stacain, very close to one of the most
productive eagle sites in Argyll. | offered to give
evidence at this inquiry and because | intended
to base my objection largely on the fact that
eagles had abandoned Beinn Ghlas, | tried to
obtain a copy of a summary report that | knew
had been prepared. In fact, | had provided data
for five control ranges. Unfortunately, my
request to the lead author and the power
company that had commissioned the report
met with a negative response. It was not really
a surprise during the course of the inquiry to
find that the applicant's consultant was quoting
selective items from this very report.
Presumably, this was a case of one wind power
company helping another.

Some considerable time later in the Council
offices, | was allowed to read the annual Beinn
Ghlas reports, but not take photo copies.
Eventually, | was even given a copy of the
Summary report for the years 2000 to 2007.

Plate 102. Beinn an Tuirc wind farm © Andy Robinson.

Somewhat to my surprise, this report did not
deal only with the results of the annual
monitoring at Beinn Ghlas as compared to the
control data supplied by me. It also considered
the claim in my SBN article of June 2007 that
eagles and wind farms do not go well together.
By taking Beinn an Tuirc and Beinn Ghlas
together, and carrying out a statistical analysis
of breeding attempts where eggs were laid, it
was claimed that this occurred slightly less
often after construction of the wind farms than
before, but not significantly so. It was
concluded that this did not refute my argument,
but neither did it offer any confirmation of it. My
response to this would be that productivity
measured by the number of chicks fledged is
more meaningful than breeding attempts. In
addition, by combining the data for the two
sites together, the high incidence of egg laying
at one obviously compensates for the paucity
at the other. It was conceded that the attempt
to increase grouse numbers at Beinn Ghlas by
removing sheep trom a fenced area had not
been a SUCCESS.

To summarise, it appears to me that at Beinn an
Tuirc, in spite of the expenditure of much time
and money in mitigation measures, there has
been only a single successful breeding attempt,
compared to better results from five control
areas. Beinn Ghlas has been completely
abandoned by resident eagles, whereas in five
adjacent control areas the birds have maintained
occupancy and average breeding success. | see
no reason to alter the views | expressed in my
previous article, namely that extreme caution
should be exercised when considering further
proposals for wind power development in eagle
country, and for the moment, there is no
evidence to suggest that habitat management
and supplementary feeding are effective in
mitigating adverse effects.

| have prepared my own much more detailed
report on the Beinn Ghlas eagles, and | would
be happy to send an electronic copy io
anyone interested.

Mike Gregory, 10 Kilmory Road,

Lochgilphead PA31 8SZ
mike @mjpgregory.plus.com

30:2 (2010)

NEWS AND NOTICES

New SOC Members

We welcome the following new members to
the Club: Ayrshire: Mr & Mrs J. Montgomerie,
Mr A. Smith, Borders: Mr T. Brewis, Central
Scotland: Ms C. Convery, Ms C. Kelt, Mr J.
McHugh, Clyde: Mr & Mrs A. Hill, Mr B.
Shields, England, Wales & NI: Mr & Mrs A.
Brannan, Mr R. Maskew, Mr S. Menzie, Fife:
Ms J. Herrington, Mr W. McBay, Grampian:
Mrs H. MacBean, Highland: Ms J. D. Bell, Mr
D. Carter, Mr M. Hamblin, Mr A. Muir, Ms M.
Sharpe, Lothian: Ms C. Barrett, Mr W. Brodie,
Ms B. Cunningham, Mr L. Hawkings, Mr M.
Kennedy, Dr K. MacKenzie, Mr G. Mason, Ms
S Millar, Mr O. Moore, Ms L. Moore, Ms D.M.
Porterfield, Ms B. Smyth, Ms M. Walbank, Mr
& Mrs H. Wright, Orkney: Mr B. Hamill,
Tayside: Dr L. Easton.

200 Club

The latest prize winners are: February Ist £50
J. Melrose, 2nd £30 Mrs E.M. Smith, 3rd £20
H. Robb, 4th £10 Mrs J. McNeil. March: 1st
£30 |. Balfour-Paul, 2nd £20 Miss Moncur, 3rd
£10 Mrs E. Forrester. April: 1st £30 M. Nicoll,
2nd £20 J.M. Wills, 3rd £10 Mrs A. Beggs.

The above is our monthly Cash Prize Draw.
Now in its 22nd year, the draw was set up as
a fundraising initiative to help to pay for
functional items required at HQ e.g.
furnishings, fittings, equipment etc. Recent
purchases have included a sofa and chair for
the library, a strimmer for the gardeners, a
new office chair and an electric hotplate for
functions.

The annual entry fee is £12 payable from June
and new participants are always welcome
(entrants must be SOC members and aged
over 18). To enter, please complete the form
included with your March mailing and send it
along with your payment (cheque payable to
‘SOC 200 Club’ or Standing Order instruction)
to: Daphne Peirse-Duncombe, Rosebank,
Gattonside, Melrose TD6 9NH. Forms can also
be requested from HQ.

30:2 (2010)

Articles, News & Views

Conferences
SOC Annual Conference, 29-31 October
2010, Windlestrae Hotel, Kinross. The

programme and booking form are enclosed with
this mailing. Places are limited, so please book
early to avoid disappointment.

Scottish Birdwatchers’ Conference, Saturday
19 March 2011, Macdonald Marine Hotel & Spa,
North Berwick.

Upcoming Events at Waterston House

Art Exhibitions:

® Robert Greenhalf, Andrew Haslen & David
Koster: until 21 July

= Paul Bartlett, D.I.M. Wallace, Lisa Hooper,
Derek Robertson & Martin Ridley: 24 July to 8
September

= Chris Lodge, Jenny Matthews, Tommy
Daniels, Darren Rees & Barry Van Dusen:
11 September to 3 November.

= Michael Warren: 6 November to January 2011.

Autumn Goose Watch: Thurday 14th & Tuesday
19 October, 4.30pm. Illustrated talk followed by
watching geese come in to roost on Aberlady Bay
nature reserve. Advance booking essential.

Optics Demo Day: Sunday 17 October 10 am
to 4 pm.

Annual SOC Book Fair: Saturday 31 July and
Sunday 1 August 10 am to 4 pm.

Branch updates

Up-to-date contact details for SOC branch
secretaries and local recorders can be found on
the inside back cover of this issue.

The date for the Fife Branch outing to Outhead
and St. Andrews Bay has been changed to
Sunday 12 September to avoid clashing with the
Leuchars airshow.

Central Branch Secretary: Roger Gooch has a
new email address roger@dollar11.plus.com

13]

[272

Articles, News & Views

SOC Research Grants 2010/11
The following projects have been awarded a
grant from the SOC Endowment Fund:

m Pit tag Merlins in Angus (£500)

= Monitoring wader numbers and ecology of
Sanderling on the Sanday, Orkney (£300)

= Ring Ouzel breeding ecology in Glen Clunie,
Aberdeenshire (£400)

= Breeding ecology and diet of Great and Arctic
Skuas on Handa Island (£750)

= Digital nest camera - Kestrel feeding rate/prey
choice (£350)

The Research & Surveys Committee wishes to
thank Phill Hollard for his kind donation of £22
towards the SOC Endowment Fund.

Building Bird Monitoring in Scotland

On 6-7 February 2010 around 50 of ‘the cream
of bird survey co-ordinators’ from all over
Scotland, from Shetland to the Borders and from
the Western Isles to Aberdeenshire, met at the
University of Stirling to celebrate the completion
of the Building Bird Monitoring in Scotland
(BBMS) programme which has run since 2007.

On the Saturday morning, local recorders,
regional reps, Bird Atlas and other survey
voluntary organisers heard about how Scottish
bird records are used by both government and
non-government bodies to assist conservation.
In his update, Bob Swann reported excellent
progress being made with the Bird Atlas, but
that some observers would need to be
encouraged to get out and complete the tetrads
to which they had committed themselves.

Later delegates heard about the 19 training
events which had been held as part of the
BBMS programme, encouraging at least 40
volunteers to take up new bird recording
activities. BBMS has been organised by BTO
Scotland and the SOC with funding from
Scottish Natural Heritage, the Gillman Trusts
and BTO. A workshop session followed which
sought to consolidate the lessons learnt from
BBMS and at which we discussed how to
work together to increase bird recording and
to bring on and develop new recorders for
the future.

On the Sunday morning parallel sessions
were held. BTO Regional Reps and organisers
had the chance to get together with the BTO
Director, Head of Membership and Volunteer
Engagement and other staff involved in
organising surveys and supporting
volunteers, to hear about recent BIO
developments in this area and discuss ideas
and any concerns face-to-face. There was a
detailed presentation, with question and
answer session, on the Atlas, with tips for
local organisers to help them complete the
project successfully in their area. Downstairs
the SOC Recorders held their annual meeting
which looked in detail at the developing
enhancements to BirdTrack (including
validation processes for these records), heard
about the new North-east Scotland Bird Atlas,
digitising the local and Scottish Bird Reports
and had an update from the Rare Breeding
Birds Panel (RBBP).

All-in-all a useful and very enjoyable time was
had by all. Those of us who have been
involved in organising the BBMS programme
(from BIO and SOC) would like to thank
everyone who has taken part. So many
people have given so freely of their time,
energy and depth of experience to contribute
so effectively to training events and offer
ideas to assist the project as a whole, and we
are very grateful!

David Jardine and Chris Wernham

SRSG Award

At the Scottish Raptor Study Group's Annual
Conference held on 28 February 2010 at
Battleby, the Donald and Jeff Watson Memorial
Award for outstanding services to raptor work in
Scotland was made to Gordon Riddle (Mr
Kestrel’) for nearly 40 years of dedicated
research into Kestrels in the south of Scotland.
Gordon was a popular choice and he is
currently updating his publication ‘Seasons with
the Kestrel’. Many congratulations from us all.

Raptor Report 2007 on line

The 2007 Scottish Raptor Report can be viewed
or downloaded as a pdf from the Scottish
Raptor Group web site www.scottishraptor-
groups.org in the Scottish Raptor Monitoring

30:2 (2010)

scheme section. It is intended to produce a new
style report with trends as well as annual data
and this has led to delays. In order to catch up,
several years’ data will be combined in one hard
copy publication and members will be kept up
to date with progress on this.

Gordon Riddle, Chairman,

South Strathclyde Raptor Study Group,
Roselea Cottage, 5 Maybole Road,
Kirkmichael, South Ayrshire, KA19 7PQ
Tel: 01655 750335, Mob: 07769 963217,
Email: gordon @riddle-kestrel.com,
www.riddle-kestrel.com

MacGillivray’s grave desecrated

The Edinburgh grave of one of Scotland's
greatest naturalists, William MacGillivray, has
been vandalised. Dr Alan Knox visited the grave
in April and found the grave stone damaged
and the valuable bronze plaque missing.

Former conservator for the College of
Surgeons in Edinburgh and University of
Aberdeen professor William MacGillivray
(1796-1852) was buried in an unmarked
plot in the New Calton Burial Ground, which
lies just below our former HQ in Regent
Terrace. In 1900, a memorial was raised by
former students and admirers and a bronze
plaque based on a painting of a Golden Eagle
by MacGillivray was inserted into a nine foot
tall pink Peterhead granite stone.

on aS ae ee eS

Plate 103. The 32 cm by 30 cm bronze plaque above
MacGillivray’s grave as photographed 10 years ago
© University of Aberdeen.

30:2 (2010)

Articles, News & Views

Anyone with any relevant information is asked to
contact Lothian and Borders Police on 0131 311
3131, or the University of Aberdeen’s Museums
on 01224 274301 or museums@abdn.ac.uk.

Waterston Library - additional material
(formerly stored in RT (Regent Terrace) Top
Shelf boxes)

The Waterston Library, when located at Regent
Terrace, held numerous boxes of material that
were unsuitable for storage on the bookshelves.
These boxes included offprints of papers,
reports, letters, booklets, leaflets and press
cuttings. This material had been augmented
over the years by various librarians, although
80% date from between 1950 and 1990. There
are over 2000 individual items.

When re-located to Waterston House, it was
decided to sift through this material, dispose of
unwanted items and catalogue the remainder.
This would provide future researchers with a
searchable electronic catalogue, although some
of the material is of marginal interest due to the
dated subject matter.

Many of the offprints were from journals already
held by the library and these have been
discarded/sold. Of the reports, some are
suitable for shelving, but others were considered
too small/flimsy. Other material, such as hand-
written or typed letters and local bird lists, was
considered to be more suitable for the archives
and will be dealt with separately. During the
sifting, many fascinating items were found,
including George Waterston’s wartime bird notes
from Crete, complete with a Stalag Luft stamp
from his time in a German PoW camp!

The remainder has been re-housed in larger
boxes, labelled and numbered, and is now
shelved on a library stack. Three broad sections
are included - biology and other ornithological
topics, species and geographical areas. Further
revision will take place, but the material can
now be accessed by arrangement. There is a
searchable catalogue on the Library computer. It
is expected that further items will be
added/removed as and when necessary.

Norman Elkins

133

134

Articles, News & Views

Scottish Birdwatchers’ Conference,
20 March 2010 \

Plate 104. The auditorium at Inverness © David Palmar.

This year's Scottish Birdwatchers’ Conference
was held in Culloden Academy, Inverness,
where the SOC/BTO spring conference was
hosted by the SOC’s Highland Branch. This
proved an excellent venue with its purpose-built
lecture room adjoining a large octagonal atrium
where coffee and lunch were served; there was
also plenty of room for the stalls from BTO, SOC,
SWT, RSPB, Highland Biological Recording
Group and Highland Butterfly Group.

Delegates to the conference were welcomed by
Chris Wernham, Head of BTO Scotland.

Marooned with the birds - Dr Matt Low

This was an account of two contrasting studies
(one about recovery, the other about
protection) with which Dr Low had been
involved. In New Zealand he had worked on the
Kakapo Recovery Project, using an army of
volunteers. As with many of the country's
flightless birds, the Kakapo (a large nocturnal
parrot) had suffered severely from predation by
mammals introduced from Europe. In 1997,
150 were found on Stewart Island, but unfortu-
nately cats found them too and by 1997 the
population was down to 56 with no chicks - the
small Pacific Rat was eating the young. The

Kakapo team went into action, tagging the birds
and monitoring the nests, with the failing chicks
taken into care and hand-reared. By 2009, the
numbers had gone up to 123 and there is hope
for the survival of the species on islands, if not
on mainland New Zealand.

Next Matt took us to Bechervaise Island in the
Australian Antarctic region where Adelie
Penguins have been studied for 17 years. The
birds nest on rocky islands where studies of the
length of their foraging trips, giving an indication
of the availability of food, can be used to inform
and influence fishery policy in the area. We
were shown distressing photographs of a colony

2 - ; . Ps £. =z Sie ee
= \ =. ee Fe — = |
a 4 rm =

Plate 105. Will Miles and Matt Low © David Palmar.

30:2 (2010)

devastated by lack of food due to pack ice
delaying them reaching the sea, but were also
amused by the video of a young male ineffec-
tually trying to build a nest to attract a mate.

Living with birds on St Kilda - Will Miles

Then to St Kilda, where Will Miles of Glasgow
University has spent three years studying the
interaction between the Great Skua and Leach's
Storm Petrel. The Bonxie population, which had
increased, was causing concern over the petrel
colony as this was very susceptible to predation.
Will aptly described the atmosphere of visiting
the Carn Mor colony at night, and commented
on the petrels’ reactions to the presence of a
large, albeit stuffed, Bonxie in their nesting area!
A more recent decrease in skua population will
hopefully take the pressure off the colony. Will
reviewed some Hirta local species especially
the St Kilda Wren and finished with some shots
of rare visitors to the islands - Wood Warbler,
Bluethroat, Buff-bellied Pipit and Snowy Owl.

Ann Sime

Bird ringing from a Highland perspective
- Simon Foster

A member of the Highland Ringing Group,
Simon gave an update of some of the current
local bird ringing projects, covering mainly
seabirds, ducks, geese and waders. About
30,000 birds of over 150 species are ringed
annually in this area using a variety of methods
of capture, but the actual ringing is only part of
it. Data has to be collated and analysed and
results extrapolated including studies of food
and breeding success.

Plate 106. Simon Foster © David Palmar.

30:2 (2010)

Articles, News & Views

Seabird studies on Canna have involved the
ringing of over 100,000 Guillemots and the
study of chick diets. A decline in Kittiwake
numbers appears to be due to poor supply of
Lesser Sandeels, and a study on Shags has
shown a steady decrease in numbers since the
1990s, due mainly to rats, but an eradication
programme means there is hope for recovery.
Decanted food from Puffins has shown that the
sandeels caught are very small. Round the
Moray Firth, Teal and Wigeon are ringed, and
studies of Pink-footed and Greylag Geese at
Loch Eye involve fitting visible neck collars.
Information from sightings can then determine
migration routes and breeding areas.

Recoveries from ringed waders have shown
that Dunlin migration involves different staging
areas in the Baltic, and that 90% of our local
Redshanks are Icelandic. DNA is used to
determine the sex of waders and has shown an
imbalance amongst Ringed Plovers.

The origins of Purple Sandpipers is another
current study - the short-billed birds comes
from Svalbard and Iceland, but the origin of the
long-billed birds remain a mystery. Over 1000
of these were leg-flagged, but so far this has
provided no results. Now geo-locators will be
fitted in the hope of finding more information.

It is hoped in the future to add other projects
such as fitting satellite transmitters to Wigeon,
and studying the increasing numbers of wintering
Brent Geese and Black-tailed Godwits in the firth.

Birds living with birds - David Jardine
David's talk concentrated on studies done to
determine direct and indirect interaction of
eagles, Buzzards, Ravens, Choughs, Kestrels and
Grey Herons on Colonsay, a small island, 10
miles by 3, which is advantageous for long-term
study. It has many habitats - typical upland, wet
and dry heath, pastoral farmland with a little
remnant arable, native oak and birch woodland
plus 20th century spruce plantations. There are
also six lochs, many lochans and plenty streams
though no rivers. The shorelines can be muddy,
sandy or rocky, sheltered or exposed. The field
methods used were estimation of the population
of these species, assessment of the prey remains
in the nest and the measuring of chicks.

[35

136

Articles, News & Views

There are about 20 pairs of Grey Heron, mainly
a coastal population using unusual nest sites
such as an old wall or reed beds. Studies show
fairly long-term stability for this species but the
low productivity is typical of its coastal location.
Golden Eagles are now breeding successfully
but there was evidence of direct interaction
when the skull of a young bird was found to
have a large hole in it, almost definitely caused
by another eagle.

Competition for food and nest sites is also an
issue. The population of Ravens is increasing.
They nest early on cliffs, and although they feed
on Rabbits and carrion, are also known to
predate the nests of other birds. Chough are
declining slightly probably because of poor first-
year survival and the decline of good feeding
areas due to the reduction of sheep farming.
Buzzards have lost their original nest sites to
Ravens and eagles and compete for similar food
supplies. Their chicks are hatching earlier but
whether this is due to climate change, a change
in the Rabbit population or a release from
density dependence because of eagles and
Ravens can only be surmised.

<

Plate 107. David Jardine with Paul Haworth
© David Palmar.

These studies will continue in the future and it
has been interesting to note that three pairs of
Hen Harriers are now breeding and Kestrels
have revived in the last five years.

Lynda Graham

Atlas 2007-11

Britain and Ireland’s birds

Plate 108. Ray Collier with his medal © David Palmar.

Dilys Breeze Award

Before lunch, Graham Appleton, BTO Director of
Communications, presented the Dilys Breeze
medal to Ray Collier. This medal was
established from a bequest from Dilys Breeze to
reward excellence in communicating the work
of the BTO to a wider audience. Ray Collier, a
ringer for many years, moved to the Highlands
with the Nature Conservancy and played a
leading role in the management of National
Nature Reserves, receiving the regional award
for his regular contributions to the highland
press, including the local Inverness Courier, as
well the national press (The Guardian).

Understanding the importance of
Scotland’s garden birds - Mike Toms

Mike began by stressing that gardens have often
been considered as managed habitats and
therefore unimportant for birds, but most
habitats in this country are also managed.
Evidence from BTO surveys has now shown
that gardens are vital. Not only do they provide
food and nest site resources both natural and
artificial, gardens are an important component
of urban habitat, e.g. two-thirds of House
Sparrows and one-third of Greenfinches are
found in urban areas. Supplementary feeding
throughout the year has great survival value
during winter but can also advance the breeding
season by improving body condition. Surveys of
private green spaces engage householders and
enhance citizen science. The BIO Garden
BirdWatch (GBW) scheme is funded by the
15,000 participants, of whom 1,000 live in

30:2 (2010)

Scotland. 69 million records are submitted
yearly, both on paper forms and online, the
latter enabling almost real-time output.
Supported by a quarterly magazine and books
on garden birdwatching, both of which answer
FAQs; participants also record other taxa, such
as mammals and butterflies. Mike described
how GBW has shown that disease has led to
reductions in Greenfinches, and that House
Sparrow declines in England have not been
mirrored in Scotland. Such regional and other
differences throw more light on the causes of
population changes and GBW complements
other national BTO survey results.

Plate 109. Mike Toms © David Palmar.

Birds and butterflies: who’s in your
neighbourhood? - Liz Humphreys

Liz followed Mike with a similar theme,
highlighting the wide diversity of habitat in
Scotland where people tend to be drawn to
remote areas. However, 80% of the population
live in towns, where public green spaces are
often not only poorly managed and under-used
but also perceived as being unsafe and littered
- both costly to local authorities. Local people
are often keen to encounter nature but have
limited knowledge. The BIG (Biodiversity in
Glasgow) project was conceived to improve
management and raise awareness of urban
green spaces. Summer surveys of birds and
butterflies in Glasgow's green spaces were
undertaken in 2007-08 by 102 volunteers who
received initial training in identification and
methodology. Liz presented some surprising

30:2 (2010)

Articles, News & Views

Mandy Cook’, Chris Waltho?. leuan 2,
1 BTO Scotiaet, Scsced of Bickel & Erwromatel Science, Pshoddsad , Jeuan Evans’ and C;
a i. ay ob Sing FA 2 9090 Sena

er Pe

Plate 110. Liz Humphreys © David Palmar.

results: for example, 91 bird species were
recorded during the project, 15 of these being
UK LBAP species. The most ubiquitous bird was
the Magpie, found on 98% of the sites
surveyed while the Small White was the
commonest of 17 butterfly species. Species
richness was found to be closely related to site
area, especially where water bodies, wetland,
marsh and wild areas with rank grass were
present, the latter important for butterflies if
flower-rich. The project was able to inform local
authorities by producing management
recommendations leading to greater use of
green spaces, already successful on some sites.
Future challenges are many, not least being the
increase in high density housing and the loss of
gardens to car parking, which also increases the
risk of run-off and flooding.

Norman Elkins

Golden Eagles: prey, productivity and land
use - Paul Haworth

The Golden Eagle population in Scotland was
generally stable at 440 pairs and had shown
little change between the 1992 and 2003
national censuses. Paul's presentation focused
on the west of Scotland with an analysis of nest
site selection and prey remains in some 90
ranges. Up to 2,000 prey items had been
identified including Mountain Hares, Rabbits,
lambs and rats amongst the mammals and Red
Grouse, Fulmars, corvids and Greylag Geese
amongst the birds. The wide spectrum of prey
remains reflected what was available and high

Sy,

138

breeding productivity did not appear to be
associated with dietary specialisation. Breeding
failure occurred more frequently during
incubation or with small young. Of concer, was
the proportion of eggs converted to young,
which was generally low in the west of Scotland,
especially so in the Ardnmurchan/
Lochaber/Morvern/Sunart areas. As a general
trend, productivity in the west was in slow
decline. Paul then considered a number of
factors including forestry, declining sheep
numbers, competition with White-tailed Eagles
and land-use change such as wind farm
developments. These were discounted,
although weather, through increasing May
rainfall seems to be an important factor. Unless
there was improved biodiversity to reverse this
decline, potentially this might lead to the loss of
up to 50 pairs in the west. Conversely, there
was potential for an increase of 100 pairs in the
east of the couniry, but persecution on grouse
moors was a major constraint.

Restoring large mammals to Scotland -
Roy Dennis

Perhaps an unusual subject for a bird
conference, but central to Roy's presentation
was the premise that the animals which had
been lost in Scotland were influential to our
ecosystems. Even the ecological value of large
herbivores was poorly understood and there
was a need to increase cattle for conservation
and the creation of niche habitats. We needed
to concenirate on old-fashioned nature conser-
vation and think about ecosystems rather than

Plate 111. Roy Dennis © David Palmar.

individual birds. Roy was at his passionate best,
and bemoaned the fact that it had taken four
years for a decision to be made on the Beaver
reintroduction. Turning to Europe there were lots
of examples of reintroductions of larger
mammals with public and political support. A
feasibility study had suggested there could be
600-800 Lynx in Scotland which, contrary io
public perception, do not need wild remoie
areas. Lynx was a Roe Deer predator and would
therefore restore the balance of nature. Wolf
was increasingly established throughout Europe
and would have an important effect of Red
Deer populations. There was a similar position
with Brown Bear. Roy's contention is that the
major constraint against the reintroducing large
mammals was social and political, not
ecological. In concluding, he made an
emotional plea to be bold. In his view the
biggest failure “is not that the project we ined
failed, but that we never tned.”

Bob McMillan

Plate 112. Chris Wernham with Graham Appleton
© David Palmar.

Following the raftle, funds from which were
being used for the Highland Bird Report, and
the results of the quiz, the conference was
closed by David Jardine, SOC President. He
thanked all the speakers and organisers, and in
particular Chris Wernham and Graham Appleton
from BIO for their support of the Scoitish
Birdwatchers’ Conference. Next year, the Spring
Conference will be held in the Marine Hoiel,
North Berwick.

David Jardine

30:2 (2010)

Patchwork

Most of us have a favourite ‘patch’ which we visit
regularly, whether to count, ring or just enjoy our
birds. My local patch is a quarry in Fife that | have
visited twice monthly since the owners began to
participate in the BIO's Birds and Business
Challenge. From the start of my counting in
2002, | have recorded 104 species using the site.

Although the site is small, covering about 50 ha,
there are a number of different habitats. The
largest is the loch itself, an excavated area of
roughly 18 ha with a depth of up to 8 m.
Vegetated islands and headlands allow a
number of wildfowl to breed in relative safety in
an undisturbed environment. A strip of mature
conifers runs along the southwest periphery
and over 9,000 deciduous trees and shrubs
have been planted elsewhere. Continued
extraction to the east of the loch Is creating
other ponds, the shores of which are becoming
vegetated but with some sandy or shingle
banks. While the site is still a working quarry, it
remains closed to the general public.

30:2 (2010)

Plate 113. The loch in August 2009. © Norman Elkins

Articles, News & Views

Approximately 44 species breed or have bred
within the site boundaries with wildfowl, waders
and woodland species predominating. As the
largest habitat is freshwater, wildfowl are the best
represented and numerous group. Apart from an
occasional winter freezing episode (except for
2009/10, when ice up to 18 cm thick persisted
for several weeks!), the loch holds considerable
numbers of birds for its size. These fluctuate as
birds move between adjacent wetlands. One or
two pairs of Mute Swans raise broods and
Whooper Swans appear occasionally between
October and April although rarely in winter. Both
Pinkfeet and Greylags overfly, but only the latter
occasionally rest on the loch and then mainly in
early spring. Up to ten broods of Mallard and
Tufted Duck appear each year with varying
success but no other ducks have bred. Mallards
peak in autumn, the highest number being 300
in September. At least fourteen Tufted Duck
broods were hatched in 2007, but totals rarely
reach 100 birds, averaging around 60 throughout
the year. The other three species recorded

139

140

Articles, News & Views

frequently are Wigeon, Teal and Pochard. Wigeon
peak at 300 in midwinter while Teal are present
mainly from late July to early May, exceeding 250
in autumn and winter. Over 100 Pochard can be
present between October and December, but
are scarce in summer - the small local breeding
population of the 1990s does not now exist but
| live in hope! Small numbers of wintering
Goldeneye occasionally remain into May or June
and up to 5 Goosander occur. Pairs of Shelduck
appear in spring, with other scarce species being
Gadwall, Shoveler, Mandarin (a female
throughout winter 2002/03), Pintail, Scaup and
Long-tailed Duck. Two or three pairs of Little
Grebes are resident breeders but Great Crested
Grebes are recorded only rarely. The only raptor
to use the site regularly is Buzzard, which breeds
nearby but occasionally on site. Sparrowhawk
and Kestrel are irregular visitors, while Peregrine
and Osprey have been seen. One or two pairs of
Moorhen and Coot breed, but the latter only
irregularly. Coots have peaked at 22 and are
scarcest In autumn.

The number of waders present on site varies
with water levels and, as with wildfowl, some
interchange occurs with nearby wetlands.
Nevertheless, it is an excellent undisturbed site
where six species breed with varying success.
Oystercatchers are present annually from mid-

14

—

0

Mean count

J F M A M

J

February to late July, peaking in late March with
two pairs remaining to breed. Up to two pairs of
Little Ringed Plovers and up to four pairs of
Ringed Plovers breed in most years. Lapwings
flock all year round, especially in autumn
although only one or two pairs breed. The largest
flock has been 360. Up to two pairs of Common
Sandpipers also breed. Non-breeding waders,
mostly on passage, include Dunlin, Little Stint,
Snipe, Woodcock, Curlew and Greenshank. The
final wader species is the Green Sandpiper,
which is a regular visitor in every month except
May, with up to three birds recorded.

Gulls utilise the loch for resting or bathing. Most
regular are Common and Black-headed, both of
which peak in early winter and again in early
spring, the latter suggesting passage. A colony
of the latter was present in 1998 and 1999, but
none have bred since. Herring Gulls are the
next commonest, and a small spring passage of
Lesser Black-backed Gulls occurs. Counts of all
these waterbirds are submitted to the Wetland
Bird Survey (WeBS), while any nest histories are
followed for the Nest Record Scheme.

Many songbird species are present all year
round. Residents confirmed breeding, in order
of abundance, are Chaffinch, Robin, Coal Tit,
Blackbird, Great Tit, Reed Bunting, Wren, Blue

J A S

Figure 1. Mean counts of Meadow Pipits in each half-month, 2002-09.

30:2 (2010)

Tit, Skylark, Long-tailed Tit, Bullfinch,
Yellowhammer, Song Thrush, Goldcrest,
Dunnock and Pied and Grey Wagtails. Breeding
summer visitors include Sedge and Willow
Warblers, Whitethroat, Blackcap and Garden
Warbler. Chiffchaffs appear in spring and
autumn but are not thought to breed, while
Spotted Flycatchers rarely visit between June
and September. There is a Sand Martin barrel on
the main island but up to 50 pairs normally nest
in quarried sand banks.

Meadow Pipit passage over Fife has been well-
recorded, but peaks on the patch in spring and
autumn show that some do stop off (Figure 1).
The two winter thrushes, Fieldfare and Redwing,
show different usage of the site. The former are
mainly seen between mid- October and late
December, while small flocks of the latter feed
on the berry bushes at any time between mid-
October and April. Mistle Thrushes may breed,
flocking in autumn. Other species present all
year are Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Great Spotted
Woodpecker, Treecreeper, Goldfinch, Jay and
Carrion Crow. Linnets visit all year round and
may breed, but are scarce in winter. Siskins feed
on the Alder cones between September and
February, peaking at 40, while Lesser Redpolls
are extremely uncommon winter visitors.

30:2 (2010)

Plate 114. Comma and attendant hoverfly. © Norman Elkins

Articles, News & Views

There
continuous monitoring over many years. Patterns
reveal migration and changes in populations but
other taxa are counted, as the site is also excellent
for invertebrates. Thirteen species of butterflies
have been recorded, ten of these annually. The
most abundant species are the Small and Green-
veined Whites, Meadow Brown and Ringlet. The
Orange Tip is now seen annually after being first
noted in 2004 and | recorded my first Commas in
2009, fresh enough to suggest breeding locally.
Two species of damselfly (Common Blue and
Blue-tailed) and one dragonfly, the Common
Darter, breed in large numbers. With Red Squirrels
on the site and Otters occasionally recorded in the
loch, my patch is a fascinating one.

is a Satisfaction derived from the

The value of regular visits to a favourite site
cannot be over-estimated, but only if your
records reach the appropriate authority.
BirdTrack is an ideal online recording project
(www.birdtrack.net) where you can enter lists or
individual records and access them at any time.
All BirdTrack records automatically go into the
Atlas database. If you don't have access to the
internet, your lists will be welcomed by the
county bird recorders.

Norman Elkins

Scottish Birds

14]

Articles, News & Views

NOTES AND COMMENT

attack. By good luck, Clair Trethowan, a lady
visiting the reserve, observed from the hide
(Grid Ref. NO529509) and photographed the
whole intriguing incident. Greylags have been
known to nest in trees in the UK and on the
continent, but is this the first record of a Greylag
taking over an Osprey’s eyrie?

At the time of writing (late April), after a quiet
period, the Greylag is still sitting on eggs in the
eyrie nest and has lately been again dive-
bombed by the Osprey. It followed this
particular attack by circling the pine and then

Plate 115. Nest site at Balgavies Loch © Bob McCurley.

Osprey eyrie taken over by Greylag Geese
In 2009, at the SWT Reserve Balgavies Loch
near Forfar, Angus, a pair of immature Ospreys
went through the motions and built an eyrie on
the top of a Scots Pine on a small island known
locally as ‘Cormorant Island 2’ where
Cormorants roost daily. The pair obviously
intended returning this year and on 27 March
2010 they did come back to find their eyrie
occupied by a pair of the local feral flock of
Greylag Geese. The Osprey proceeded to dive-
bomb the Greylags in an attempt to remove the
intruders, but all to no avail. At one point the
Osprey were helped by a local Carrion Crow in
the dive-bombing exercise, but the Greylags did
not budge and showed their displeasure at this

Plate 116. Osprey attacking the Greylag nest © Clair Trethowan.

142 30:2 (2010)

settling on this other tree just below the nest.
We will watch with interest the final outcome of
this interesting series of events.

Bob McCurley, Tayside SOC Branch

A note from Bob Jaffray, local authority and
WeBS counter, gives some history of Greylags
in the area: “Currently the total national flock
of feral Greylags, which extends as far south
as Norfolk, numbers some 25,000. Apparently
the initial ‘placements’ of these Greylags
(hatched from eggs taken from the north-west
of Scotland where a limited flock was still to be
found in the 1930s) were in areas to suit
particular sporting needs, but they gravitated
to local wetland areas such as_ the
Forfar/Balgavies fault line where the local
flock appears to number some 170-190 birds.
Breeding at Balgavies Loch is limited to some
two or three pairs each year, although at
Rescobie Loch nearby there can be as many
ds 55 goslings in a season.”

Grant Balfour has drawn our attention to
British Birds July 2006 which contains a note
of a Greylag nesting 20 m high at the top of
qd pine tree in Kent.

Jeremy Greenwood also adds to the picture
with a mention of British Birds July 1988
where we read of the nesting of a Canada
Goose in a tree hollow. However, there Is
also a comment in it from Dr. M.A. Ogilvie
that in the USA “There is a report of a
[Canada Goose] nest 30 m up in the old
nest of an Osprey”.

Hunting wild birds with birds of prey

At a recent Clyde SOC meeting, there was a lot
of discussion after lan Thomson's talk to the
group on wildlife crime. It centered mainly on
various reports of hunting with falcons (flying
them at wild birds) and points were raised
about the licensing of this. Members were
expressing concern that, as falconry is obviously
increasing in popularity through displays etc and
many people are starting to buy and fly their
own birds, nationally threatened species, such
as Skylark and Grey Partridge for example, are
being regularly targeted and therefore may be
declining even faster.

30:2 (2010)

Articles, News & Views

| suspect that the law on these matters may be
under review, but have noted down a few
relevant statements found on the internet:

Naturenet - wild birds and the law
www.naturenet.net/law/birds.html

Mostly from The Wildlife and Countryside Act
1981, Part 1: “Falconers can obtain a quarry
licence to take wild birds with birds of prey, for
example taking a Skylark with a Merlin.”

Falconry and the Law in the UK
homepage.ntlworld.com/hamidk/falc_law.htm

Selling: “Owls and Birds of Prey that are native
to Europe (such as Barn Owls, Kestrels,
Peregrines and Goshawks), even if captive-
bred, must be registered before they can be
sold or used for commercial purposes, such as
photography or display to the public. Do not
buy a bird without an ‘Article 10’ certificate
issued by the D.O.E. - you could be breaking
the law. Non-native birds such as Red-tailed
and Harris Hawks are currently exempt.”

Hunting: “For hunting with birds of prey, the
laws are much the same as those for other
forms of hunting, e.g. shooting. These include
the requirement for licences to hunt wild
creatures (other than vermin). A game or quarry
licence normally limits the quantity of creatures
that may be taken and it also controls the times
when they can be hunted. Game Licences can
be obtained from main Post Offices.”

SOC members may have actually witnessed
hunting with falcons in the field and might be
able to comment on behaviour observed and
which wild birds were being taken. It seems to
me, perhaps due to my ignorance of falconry,
that a bird of prey flown after a particular bird
quarry or vermin, may not be all that particular if
another happens to appear and could quite
easily be taking Yellowhammers or Corn Buntings
etc. Whether for or against this practice, we would
be interested in hearing your views on this topic.

Jimmy Maxwell

143

mt
yr

144

2 a aes r
i. 40

Articles, News & Views

BOOK REVIEWS

While Flocks Last. Charlie
Elder, 2009. Bantam Press,
ISBN 978-0593061046,
hardback, 288 pages, £14.99.
Also published by Corgi
Books in paperback, ISBN
978-0552157544, £7.99.

Before he started his
quest to see, identify
and research the
status of all 40
species on the U.K’'s
‘Red List’ of bird
species in serious
decline, | Charlie
Elder, Chief Sub-
Editor of the Herald in
Plymouth had described himself as
a frustrated, armchair bird-watcher.

CHARLIE ELDER

IPAS ak

He gave himself a year and, both to
pacify his family and involve them
in the venture, decided to start with
a return to Eigg to see how much
things had changed there over a
period of 30 years. You will
understand now why this book held
such a personal fascination for me.
First my elder son, who also has
two daughters now aged 12 and 14,
likewise had to move with his job
when the Met. Office moved to
Exeter; and relished the change
from new-town Bracknell to rural
Devon. Secondly, in 1993 | also
took a family holiday to return to an
island, Foula in Shetland, to assess
how that island had changed over
the 38 years since | left my job as
teacher there in 1955. That visit also
led me to write a book, entitled
“Inspired by Islands”, though in my
case more concerned with the
changes in a human community
than bird numbers, though those
are inevitably part of my story.

Not surprising therefore that | feel a
strong affinity with the author of
“While Flocks Last’; nor perhaps
that my perspicacious grand-
daughter latched onto this book,
when she spotted it in a Sidmouth

bookshop, to send to her grand-
father when | was in hospital for a
hip replacement. It was an inspired
choice. | haven't had such a good
read for a long time. We all love a
good treasure hunt and the
twitchers among us will all enjoy the
determination with which the
author pursues his more difficult
subjects and sorts out the tricky
identification of Marsh from Willow
Tits or Sedge from Aquatic Warblers.

To the older generation who have
‘done’ most of the bird observa-
tories and know those secret places
in Norfolk in autumn or Suffolk in
summer where migrants are likely
to be found or rare breeding species
to lurk, the book ts full of nostalgia
and happy memories, perhaps of
successes, perhaps of near misses,
but all conveyed with delightful
touches of humour and vivid
descriptions of those long waits at
dawn, or agonising encounters with
midges which make the failures so
bitter and the successes so
triumphant. | relived endless
moments of joy and of frustration
over a lifetime of questing after birds
throughout U.K. In the process |
learned a great deal about the
problem Charlie decided to
research of why these forty species
are now so endangered, because
on his journey of discovery we are
introduced to exactly the right
people, scientists, reserve wardens,
civil servants, staff of charities like
the RSPB, who have done the
fieldwork and know the answers
and so prove themselves vital to his
particular treasure hunt.

He also gives us intimate insights
into the workings of such key
organisations as the BIO or field
researchers like Ron Summers with
his field recordings of Scottish
Crossbills, or Will Wagstaff Chairman
of the Isles of Scilly Bird Group who
failed to find him a Wryneck - for
the umpteenth time - but enabled

him to chalk up a brief but clear
view of a Balearic Shearwater. This
treasure hunt is enormous fun, gave
me new revelations about the way
twitchers work through their pagers,
but also in simple bird-watching
terms, gave me a new
understanding of intractable
problems like the sub-specific identi-
fication of crossbills, or how to find
Stone Curlews on Salisbury Plain or
Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers in the
wooded valleys of Dartmoor.

Charlie Elder is not just an enthusiast
and an endearing family man but
also has a racy descriptive style of
writing which in my case reflected
exactly my own reactions to such
events as entering a hide full of
twitchers on a sea-watch, or missing
by seconds the sighting of his most
elusive quarry - the disappearing
Wryneck. His carbon footprint must
be one of the worst in UK with his
300 mile road dashes to Spurn
Point or Land's End to achieve his
target of the 40 Red Data species in
a year. But we forgive him because
he gets there and gives us such a
thrilling and nostalgic ride in his
company. His subject is serious and
his treatment of it revealing: but it is
decidedly not doom and gloom.
Rather it is full of positive action and
successful field work, with uplifting
tales of the involvement of an army
of volunteers working to restore our
environment and halt the decline of
endangered species. Bird-watchers
have a lot to be proud of. And as the
reader follows Charlie's progress
from diffident beginner to
triumphant observer who finally
achieves his target, | can see this as
the ideal birthday present both for
anyone you want to introduce to the
lifetime satisfaction of becoming an
ornithologist, or to the bird-watcher
also on the trail of Stephen Fry's “last
chance to see” species before
they're gone from the UK for ever.

Christopher Mylne

30:2 (2010)

Peregrine Falcon
Populations - Status and
Perspectives in the 21st
Century. Edited by J. Sielicki
& T. Mizera, 2009. Turul,
Warsaw & University of Life
Sciences, Poznan, ISBN 978-
83-920969-6-2, hardback,
800 pages, £105.00.

This book is the
biggest collection
of papers related
to Peregrine
studies in Europe.
The book is
based on papers

presented at the

2nd International

Peregrine Conference 2007,

held on 19-23 September 2007 in
Piotrowo near Poznan, Poland. The
papers are divided into a number of
research themes, _ including
population dynamics across its
extensive world range, food and
feeding, Peregrines and man,
reintroductions, Peregrines in urban
landscapes and comparative
studies with it close cousin, the
Saker Falcon. Many of the papers
illustrate how this species is making
a welcome recovery since the
1980s, after wide scale environ-
mental poisoning by agricultural
chemicals throughout a large part of
its range. Its recovery has been so
marked in some areas that it is now
colonising a number of European
cities. | found a number of papers
particularly interesting including the
diet studies of Peregrines in Bath,
England and the PIT tagging
programme in southern Scotland
and north-east England.

PEREGRINE FALCON
POPULATIONS

a
I a

—

JANUSZ SIELICK}

TADEUSZ MIZERA

There are a number of papers
which review the relationship
between falconry and Peregrine
conservation, with the suggestion
that sustainable falconry can help
conserve wild populations. There is
also an interesting paper reviewing
the history of falcons in stamp
collections. The papers on
Peregrines and Sakers illustrate
how effective — conservation

30:2 (2010)

programmes in Hungary have
effectively assisted the recovery of
the endangered Saker Falcon.

This book is a testament to the
dedicated research on Peregrines
throughout the world and clearly
illustrates how this charismatic bird
of prey has captured the interest of
many people. It is wide-ranging in
its breadth of coverage, however |
was surprised to find that
Peregrine migration ecology was
not fully dealt with. The book also
contains a number of photographs
which effectively illustrate the
nesting biology of the species. This
book certainly provides an
important addition to the scientific
body of work on Peregrines and
will be an important reference for
many years to come.

Mike Thornton

Birds in Counties. Second

Supplement. David _ K.
Ballance, 2009. Published by
the author, Minehead,

Somerset, 100 copies, signed
and numbered, ISBN 978-
0955278754, soft back, 182
pages, £20.00 (see below for
availability).

NTIES Birds in Counties
al was first
ssae a. published in
1999 followed
by the First
Supplement. in
2002. They are
ornithological
bibliographies
for the counties
within England, Wales, Scotland, Isle
of Man and the Channel Islands.
This Second Supplement adds
further corrections and updates to
the end of 2008 and for the first
time extends coverage to the
counties of Northern Ireland and
the Republic of Ireland.

BIRDS IN COL

Bibliographies by their very nature
tend to be dry subjects to read page

Articles, News & Views

after page, but are essential
reference works for researchers and
collectors seeking out information,
in this instance, on local ornithology.
This is very much a labour of love
for the author who has travelled to
all the major British libraries holding
ornithological collections, including
our own Waterston Library. In
addition, in order to make the work
as complete as possible, he has
consulted with a network of people
who have specialist knowledge of
their county or region.

Copies of this Supplement can be
obtained for £20.00, including U.K.
P&P from the author at Flat Two,
Dunboyne, Bratton Lane,
Minehead, Somerset TA24 8SQ.
Copies of the original work, and the
First Supplement, can still be
obtained from Isabelline Books, 6
Bellevue, Enys, Penryn, Cornwall
TR10 SLB. For current prices, phone
014326 SVSSO2Z OF ~——S Emel
mikann@beakbook.demon.co.uk

David Clugston
Otters. An Artist's
Sketchbook. Derek

Robertson, 2009. Woodlands
Studios, Aberdeen, ISBN 978-
0953932412, paperback, 48
pages, £14.60.

This is a beautifully illustrated study
of Otters in Scotland in their natural
habitat which also includes some
sketches of other wildlife, particularly
birds. Derek Robertson is a
renowned Scottish wildlife and
landscape artist as well as an
enthusiastic, amateur scientific
researcher and bird ringer. His
observational skills bring us a study
of the one of Britain's most elusive
but well-loved
mammals at close
quarters, viewed
for hours at a
time over four
seasons; on land,
in the water and
even in the air!

Articles, News & Views

There are many full colour, double
pages of paintings interspersed with
vivid field notes and observations of
the Otter at close quarters. The text
is broken up with a collection of
smaller black and white drawings
and describes some remarkable
wildlife encounters with these
delightful creatures. Otters are swift
hunters of frogs, fish, eels and even
on occasion of birds such as Teal!

It is not just a whimsical, pretty field
diary but a serious, perceptive study
of over 20 years. The Otter's
behaviour, feeding and hunting skills,
playing and resting, its adaptation to
the environment and life cycle are all
drawn and described with every
attention to detail. There is plenty of
advice for the otter watcher on how
to view these lovely creatures in the
wild on coastal sites, lochs, ponds
even climbing trees; however, the
viewer would be wise to be well-
equipped with warm clothes and
infinite patience.

This is a book which would appeal
to anyone who has an interest in
wildlife and would understand the
amount of time which has gone
into observing any animal in its
natural habitat.

Karen Bidgood

Raptors: a field guide for
surveys and monitoring -
with CD-ROM of raptor
calls. Second edition. Jon
Hardey, Humphrey Crick,
Chris Wernham, Helen Riley,
Brian Etheridge and Des
Thompson, 2009. TSO (The
Stationery Office). ISBN
9780114973452, softback,
370 pages, £19.00.

The first edition of this book,
published in 2006, was a ground-
breaking piece of work. It was very
well received, by both raptor workers
and the general ornithological
community. It represented a valuable

standardisation of
best practice in
survey methods,
written by profes-
sional and
amateur experts, ¢
many of whom
have studied
these species for
decades.

This edition provides an updated
version, taking on board comments
from fieldworkers and reviewers of
the first edition. It includes a new
section, featuring colour
photographs of raptor feathers to
assist in their identification and it
also comes with a CD of raptor calls.

It is primarily aimed at people who
watch, survey and monitor raptors
and tt provides detailed descriptions
of survey methods for all species
that occur regularly in Britain and
Ireland. The changes made in the
short period since the publication of
the first edition, as well as the
introduction of the new
photographic section and the CD,
will ensure that this guide will
remain the ‘bible’ for all those
engaged in studies of our birds of
prey, and a valuable source of
information to anyone with an
interest in some of our most Iconic
species. The updates made in the
three intervening years are surely
testament to the authors’
commitment to the study and
conservation of these birds.

In the preface, the writers urge you
“to watch birds of prey and enjoy the
experience”. This guide will surely
assist any reader to do just that.

lan Thomson

Where to Watch Birds in
Kent, Surrey and Sussex.
Don Taylor, Jeffery Wheatley
and Paul James, 2009 (5th
edition). Christopher Helm.
ISBN 978-1-4081-05856,
paperback, 432 pages, £18.99.

This series will be familiar to most,
and this is the fifth edition of this
particular title. It contains 432 pages,
making it over 50% larger than the
first (published in 1987). There is a
short introductory section covering:
access for those with disabilities,
websites, bird clubs, geography,
climate, general features of the
region's birdlife and how to use the
book. The main section covers 68
sites In Kent, 43 in Surrey and 48 in
Sussex, and absolutely all those |
knew from growing up in the region,
and many more, are included.

The format now has sites organised
into ‘clusters’ each with an overview
map, and then each featured site
has its own more detailed map
which shows nearest towns/villages,
roads and railway lines, tracks and
paths together with basic habitat
details and services in the area. Each
entry follows the same _ order:
habitat, species and timing, access
and calendar, with the level of detail,
information and advice contained
comprehensive, up-to-date and
accurate but concise. All this is
interspersed by 47 line drawings,
only eight of which also appeared in
the first edition; many are excellent,
but several are poorly reproduced.
The very thorough species index
runs to nearly eight

pages, with each

entry keyed to

relevant sites, and

covers every

species seen in the eS =
region except en ee as
House Sparrow iin!

MOS: IFES) WISEAREY AND Pau pase

and a handful of
extreme rarities.

For those unfamiliar with the region,
or for anyone wishing to explore
less-well-known sites, this book
supplies everything you need to
make your visit successful. Highly
recommended.

Stuart L. Rivers

30:2 (2010)

Articles, News & Views

The influx of Quail to East

Lothian in 2009

S. WELCH

Producing accurate information on the
occurrence and distribution of Common
Quail Coturnix coturnix is a very challenging
task, due both to the often ephemeral nature
of their behaviour and the many practical
uncertainties affecting the efforts of surveyors
in recording them. Moreover, as a broad-front
migrant, Quail are ‘prone to... capricious
colonization and desertion or avoidance of
certain regions in certain years; apparently
frequently fails to occupy much suitable
habitat’ (Cramp & Simmons 1980). However,
one factor works in the favour of surveyors,
since Quail require an effective means to find
each other in these large areas of suitable
habitat and this is provided by the far-carrying
and distinctive song of the breeding males,
the repeated liquid ‘guicicic’ (or ‘wet my
lips’) advertising call. Delivered around the
clock following first arrival, this song is partic-
ularly easy to detect at night, when there is
less interference from the song of other
species. Thus, despite their otherwise
secretive nature, and the fact that they are
very rarely seen by human observers (other

| | 1 ick
Figure 1. Quail distribution in Lothian,

ve. 1 aa | ( 2s
1988-94 (Murray et al. 1998). Atlas tetrad map shown, with symbols

than during farming operations), it is possible
to get some sort of an insight into their
numbers and distribution through targeted
Survey effort to record calling birds.

This article is orientated around a series of maps
of lowland East Lothian on which estimates of
coverage and Quail occupancy are indicated at
tetrad level, together with an assumed
(cumulative) territory occupancy chart. Though
surveying did not follow a_ standardised
methodology, these approximate represen-
tations of coverage are considered to be
essential information for interpretation of the
distribution and territory occupation records.

Background

The initial motivation for this study was the
need to gather better data for the new Bird
Atlas 2007-11 project, encompassing both
the national BTO-led project (Bird Atlas
2007-11) and more particularly the revision
of the local tetrad atlas in Lothian and Borders
(South-east Scotland Bird Atlas) which is
running in parallel. In the original local tetrad

indicate possible (e), probable (@) and confirmed (@) breeding, according to Bird Atlas 2007-11 definitions.
Topography indicated by shading, sea coast in black, rivers in grey and location of the Lothian border in green.

30:2 (2010)

Articles, News & Views

atlas project (1988-94) Quail had been
found to be well distributed across Lothian
(Figure 1) though it should be noted that the
vast majority of these records were obtained
in 1989, which was deemed a ‘Quail year’
nationally, and a local record of 74 calling
males were reported (Murray et a/. 1998).
However, relatively few records of Quail were
gathered in the initial year of the new project,
l.e. spring and summer 2008 (Figure 2). It
was unclear whether this was simply due to
lack of coverage of whether the species really
was absent from much of its former range
that year. The author therefore decided to
visit the areas of former abundance in a more
systematic manner in the 2009 breeding
season, as described below. In parallel, Abbie
Marland was recording territorial occupancy
on the traditionally occupied sites in the
neighbourhood of her home located about 5
km from the coast, i.e. fairly centrally in the
main East Lothian study area, as described in
more detail in the sister article (Marland
2010). Sandy Rae also obtained records in
the vicinity of his home in Glenkinchie in the
upper Tyne valley. Due to the more
continuous nature of the monitoring at these
sites they are hereafter referred to as the
main and Tyne valley ‘constant effort’ sites,
respectively. Together, these are the main
sources of data used in the study, supple-
mented by records from a small number of
other dedicated atlas fieldworkers, farmland
residents and casual records (see
Acknowledgements).

Methods

The method adopted did not involve a strict
Standardisation of effort, though some Quail
were recorded during timed tetrad visits
(TTVs) for the Bird Atlas, but a more
qualitative description of coverage is
attempted. Limited coverage, i.e. a least a
single visit to a tetrad, typically for a duration
of a few minutes, or several shorter stops, Is
differentiated from more thorough coverage,
generally obtained via longer visits and/or
cycling/walking through a substantial part of a
tetrad (Figures 3—9). In the majority of these
cases, those covered by the author, a Quail
tape lure was used and this was typically
played every 100 m or so along a route.
Though these various procedures do not
provide a formal control of effort they were
deemed appropriate given the many other
uncertainties in recording Quail and the need
to be pragmatic in achieving reasonable
overall coverage.

In generating the maps and chart a number of
assumptions were required. Firstly, the
breeding category descriptors have been
matched to those of the BIO atlas work (Bird
Atlas 2007-11), and always taken to be those
reflected at the date of reporting, i.e. a singing
bird remains a ‘possible breeder’ (small dot)
until tts territorial presence is confirmed for a
period of seven days or more. Repeat visits
sometimes failed to refind birds in the same
locations, but this was generally not taken io
indicate that the birds had departed. There are
two exceptions to this rule - coastal birds

30:2 (2010)

Articles, News & Views

which apparently did disperse, so have not
been recorded as permanent territory holders,
and records that may represent the temporary
clustering of males thought to occur after
initial arrival (Cramp & Simmons 1980,
Murray et a/. 1998). Thus, in creating the
territory chart (Figure 11), continuing
occupation of all other territories has been
assumed, though in some cases there was no
further evidence to support that. Without this
assumption the picture of likely territory
occupation becomes very conservative, since
it was not possible to continuously revisit all
of the areas. However, it is recognised that the
cumulative territory information does become

Figure 3. Quail distribution and coverage on 20 May.
The first calls were heard at the main constant effort site
on 13 May and this first bird moved a short distance
and took up residence (Marland 2010). No other
coverage had been undertaken at this point. In Figures
3-9, light grey coloured tetrads (__) represent limited
coverage and dark grey tetrads (M)) indicate more
thorough coverage. M = Musselburgh, A = Aberlady,
NB = North Berwick and D = Dunbar. See Figure 1 for
a key to the red dots.

Figure 4. Quail distribution and coverage on 30 May.
By the end of May the author had used the tape lure
along c. 40 km of roads and tracks in the core region
in East Lothian, with most effort on 29-30 May, in the
hope of detecting Quail soon after arrival, when their
song output should be high. Sufficient coverage was
achieved in many tetrads to merit the high coverage
category designation, nevertheless, no Quails were
heard with the exception of those at the constant effort
site, with one new arrival there and a pair having now
been seen, and three reported calling in coastal
grassland at Aberlady on 30 May.

Figure 5. Quail distribution and coverage on 14 June
The first arrival at the Tyne valley constant effort site was
noted on 1 June, and a further casual record from a
location c. 5 km west of there on 6 June. By mid-June
reports of Quail were becoming more widespread in the
UK as a whole, for example 23 calling males reported
from one locality in South Yorkshire on 14 June. On the
same day Quail were now found on revisits to sites
covered earlier, these presumably having arrived since
30 May. Numbers of calling males at the main constant
effort site increased to two on 2June, three on 19 June
and four on 22 June.

Figure 6. Quail distribution and coverage on 26 June
Towards the end of June new areas were covered
further north and east but with only one new bird
found, and that being at a re-surveyed site. Numbers at
the main constant effort site increased to 7 on 30 June.

30:2 (2010) Scottish Birds | 149

Articles, News & Views

Figure 7. Quail distribution and coverage on 8 July
On 4 July, a survey of areas along the edge of the
ridge rising approximately 5 km inland from the
coast produced a total of 18 calling males; these
included 10 that were new, all at sites having
received coverage earlier, and seven still at the main
constant effort site.

Figure 8. Quail distribution and coverage on 26 July.
From mid-July onwards further coverage to the north
and west found more new birds - including three in
the areas of their historic stronghold nearer the coast
(where none had been found in June visits) and three
more at another traditional site on the higher ground
to the west. Calling birds at the Upper Tyne constant
effort site increased to two. However, light coverage
elsewhere along the Tyne valley failed to find new
birds. Numbers at the main constant effort site
increased to nine on 13 July and 11 on 18 July.

Figure 9. Quail distribution and coverage on 31
August. Limited survey effort was devoted thereafter,
but a three new birds were found at the south-west
extremity in August. Breeding was confirmed at the
main constant effort site with two parties of juveniles
seen on 16 and 3] August.

rather more uncertain towards the end of the
season, when some birds are moving off
territory and failed breeders may be departing,
and this should be taken into account.

Chronological summary

Figures 3—9 present a set of distribution maps
relevant to the period May to August 2009.
The distributions are cumulative. The choice of
dates reflects both steps in coverage and also
the observations of significant arrivals, this
apparently proceeding in a series of phases.

Figure 10. Quail distribution and coverage in Lothian, 2008-09.

Scottish Birds 30:2 (2010)

Figure 10 presents the final combined distri-
bution map for 2008-09. Outside the main
survey area to the south-east, further records
had come to light, with anecdotal reports, per
combine harvester operator, of Quail ‘all over
the place’. No attempt has been made to
include these in the current analysis, but
additional records submitted to the Atlas are
shown on the final map. Apart from these, and
a single new record for West Lothian, there were
no further atlas records submitted in the whole
of the Lothian area, though this fact may not be
representative of their true status in other areas.

Figure 11 shows the assumed _ territory
occupancy chart (the bands for the main
constant effort site are the lowest four, Le.
NT47S/T/X/Y). It requires careful interpretation
and must be read in conjunction with the above
coverage maps - i.e. the displayed increase in
occupied territories reflects both the arrival of
Quail and the progressive extension of coverage.
Nevertheless phases in arrival are apparent and
it seems that the peak arrival period, with the
sharpest increase, was in early July.

Very little can be surmised about final departures

but hints that this would have been underway in
August are provided as follows. A female or

50

N N =
oO oO oO

Number of territorial males by tetrad
)

BNT47S
M@NT47Y
@NT37V
@ NT46N
SNT47G
@ NT47L

NT47U

“ NT48W
= NT58F

BNT471
NT36Y
@ NT46l
“~NT47A
~ NT47H
= NT47M
= NT48Q
@NI57E
@NTI58K

~ NT47X
BS NT37Q
= NT46M
NT47F
§ NT47K
@NT47Q
BNT48V
BNT58A
~NT58L

6)
> > >
o so o = =
= = = = =
a) eo) ~ re) Ss
= N N

=
=
=
i
=

juvenile Quail was collected below a Peregrine
site in coastal East Lothian on 3 September,
judged to have been dead about a week (George
Hogg, pers. comm.) - possibly a departing
migrant taken over the sea? Further south, a Quail
ringed in June near Matlock in Derbyshire was
recovered shot at Aliud, Spain on 18 August.

Discussion

By the end of the season a minimum of 57
calling males had been recorded in 28
tetrads (112 km), all in East Lothian except
for one on the boundary with Midlothian. Of
these, seven are assumed to have
subsequently dispersed (coastal birds, and
post-peak count at main constant effort site)
and a number of other birds were also not
re-found on repeat visits. By comparison
there were 41 males reported from 27 East
Lothian ‘sites’ in the record ‘Quail year’ of
1989 (Smith & McGarry 1990). There was
no evidence that numbers were enhanced
by use of the tape lure, with only a single
response elicited during the whole season.
Nevertheless, the new figures will be an
underestimate of the true totals. As ever, the
new figures will be an underestimate of the
true totals, but the documentation of
coverage assists in the interpretation of the

= =: = = = =
= — — — _ _
<= _ (oe) ita) N oO)
N = N N

Figure 11. Assumed arrival and territory occupancy of Quail in East Lothian during spring—summer 2009.

30:2 (2010)

Articles, News & Views

progressive nature of the arrivals and in
emphasising the geographical limits of the
observations. However, apart from coverage
effects, there are a number of other potential
confounding factors to consider.

One of these is the known tendency of Quail
to cluster, particularly on initial arrival, with
subsequent dispersal to new areas. This is
attributed to the male's strategy of attracting
females, this being more effective via a
cluster than scattered, as documented
previously for south-east Scotland (Murray et
al. 1998) and also recorded in North-east
Scotland and Hertfordshire (Gill 1993). There
are indications that the main constant effort
site might be one such location (Marland
2010), being an area of consistently high
densities of calling birds which also displayed
a clear peak in early July. Nevertheless,
numbers remained reasonably buoyant
thereafter and it seems that many locations
in the extended region around this site are
attractive to them, whilst fewer birds were
detected in some adjacent areas.

It is also perhaps worth noting that the main
concentration of territories appears to be
along the edge of the ridge a few kilometres
inland from the coast, together with an area
of higher ground to the south-west and the
river valley to the south. Most of these
locations involve sloping ground, and while it
is noted in literature that either level or
undulating landforms are chosen (Cramp &
Simmons 1980), others have recorded Quail
on slopes, both at a Quail cluster
documented in North-east Scotland in 1992
(Gill 1993) and in French studies, specifically
‘at the top of slopes’ (Mur 1994). In the
current study there were some other adjacent
areas nearer the coast, with apparently
suitable habitat, in which no Quail were
found despite good coverage (Figure 9).
Distribution is also of course a function of
habitat, and as previously in south-east
Scotland (Murray et a/. 1998) the majority of
territorial birds were in spring cereals, though
roughly equally between wheat and barley,
and also in oil-seed rape (early season),
linseed and broad bean crops.

Further uncertainties in local status arise from
anecdotal evidence that a Quail breeder in
the upper Tyne valley is reported to ‘let all
surplus males go’. However, it is hoped that
any confounding effect of these would be
fairly localised, and there can be no doubt
that 2009 was truly an exceptional ‘Quail
year’ in this neighbourhood.

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Abbie Marland and Sandy Rae
for providing their site history records, and to
local atlas surveyors who made special efforts
to assist with Quail coverage, notably Jim
Nicholson and Mark Holling; Mike McDowall
provided valuable information from the
Gifford area and further casual records were
also submitted by lan Ebbage, Graham Clark,
Frank Hamilton, Peter Keightley and Tom
Gillies. An appeal was made for further
information on the /lothianbirdnews Yahoo!
Group (300+ subscribers), but no further
information was forthcoming.

References

Bird Atlas 2007-11. BIO. www.bto.org/birdatlas

Cramp, S. & Simmons, K.E.L. (eds) 1980. The
Birds of the Western Palearctic. Vol. 2. Oxford
University Press, Oxford.

Gill, D. 1993. Quail activity at Gowanwell 1992.
North-east Scotland Bird Report 1992.

Marland, A. 2010. East Lothian Quail - a study
in miniature. Scottish Birds 30: 153-156.

Mur, P. 1994. Contribution to the management
of the Palearctic populations of European Quail
in the European phase of tts annual cycle, PhD
Thesis, University of Rennes | - France

Murray, R.D., Holling, M., Dott, H.E.M. &
Vandome, P. 1998. The Breeding Birds of
South-east Scotland, a_ Tetrad Atlas
1988-1994. The Scottish Ornithologists’ Club.

Smith, G.D. & McGarry, O. 1990. Influx of Quail
in Lothian 1989. Lothian Bird Report 1989,
Lothian Branch, Scottish Ornithologists’ Club.

South-east Scotland Bird Atlas. www.the-
soc.org.uk/se-atlas

Stephen Welch, Longniddry, East Lothian

30:2 (2010)

Articles, News & Views

Quail - a study in minature

A. MARLAND

East Lothian often receives a share of
Scotland's migratory Quail. Whilst this
ephemeral species Is not easy to observe, it
does have the virtue of being faithful to certain
locations. The author has lived in one of these
‘traditional’ spots since 1982, and discovered
that what she had taken for granted over many
years was not common knowledge. So this is
an account of a particular patch during the
summer of 2009, perhaps of value and interest
to admirers of a very fine little bird. Welch
(2010) puts these records into an East Lothian
perspective, in what was clearly a ‘Quail year’.

Location and habitat

The study area lies at an altitude of 80 m,
roughly 5 km from the East Lothian coast. It
forms a shallow natural valley, with direct access
for both sight and flight to Aberlady Bay, and is
a traditional feeding ground for large numbers of
over-wintering geese, particularly Pinkfeet and
Barnacles. This location lends itself naturally to
the migratory passage of other birds, being a
first landfall south from the Firth of Forth. Aspect
Is open, with well drained slopes and little
shelter from prevailing winds (Plate 118).

The farm follows an intensive agro-chemical
regime of cereal cropping, mostly winter sown,
with large fields, minimal hedgerows and no

Forth coast and Aberlady Bay © A. Marland.

30:2 (2010)

Plate 118. The site lies in direct sight and flight of the

uncultivated headland margins or mature trees.
However, an access track and right of way,
together with a steep-sided burn, provide vital
feeding and breeding wildlife habitat. At its
lowest point, the track crosses a burn, creating
the ‘ford’ feature of permanent water with
weeds and grasses (Plates 119-121). Gardens
of adjacent cottages also add corridors and
islands of rich cover.

Confirmed breeding records include those of:
Linnet, Skylark, Reed Bunting, Yellowhammer,
Grey Partridge, Tree Sparrow, Dunnock,
Chaffinch, Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler and
Willow Warbler.

Arrivals

The first calling Quail was heard on 13 May in
winter wheat, quickly transferring itself to oil
seed rape. This bird ranged widely, before
selecting a preferred location, singing
throughout each 24 hours, falling silent for a few
days, but present at least until 16 July. On 31
May, a pair was flushed from beside the ford,
dropping back into wheat before returning to the
field of oil seed, giving reason to believe that the
earliest arrival had attracted a mate.

Between 2 and 18 June, two additional calling
males arrived, with a third and fourth staking

* of i

Plate 119. Junction of track, ford and field corners offered
key habitat for Quail to rest and feed © A. Marland.

Cpnttiaehkh Divde
SCOTtTISN Birds

154

Articles, News & Views

their claims in wheat and barley with flights and
song contests between 26 and 28 June. A fifth
individual announced its presence on 4 July, to
occupy what transpired to be the last available
niche in wheat.

Influx

The established pattern was disrupted by a
flurry of arrivals between 13 and 20 July, with a
peak of 11 calling males present on 18 July. This
event appeared to be part of a much wider
pattern across parts of East Lothian. Dispersal of
the unusual ‘overlay’ apparently then followed,
and numbers dropped back to birds singing
sporadically from the original five territories.
However, the influx caused a temporary rumpus
of agitated behaviour, particularly at the key
location where several territories converged.
This gave a unique opportunity to photograph a
calling male on 18 July (Plate 122). It was a
simply wonderful experience.

Late July enjoyed quiet weather. The large
number of Quail could be heard at dawn, with a
domino effect as adjacent males sparked each
other into voice. On one fine night, a neighbour's
musical party triggered a chorus of calls!

Breeding and departure

Several pairs were seen in flight during the
summer. After 4 August, calling fell to virtually nil.
However, birds were still present, and were
spotted during ‘roguing’ of crops. No nests were
found, but two parties of chicks (five and three
respectively) were observed on 16 and 31
August. Individual birds were also flushed during

divided three territories © A. Marland.

Plate 120. A grass track running parallel to the burn

harvest on 2 September. The last sighting of one
female and two young was on 6 September.

Songlines
The attached field plan is an attempt to ‘map’
the clutch of five territories (Figure 1).

How was this musical mapping achieved? Very
simply - by ear! After listening practice, each of
the five resident male Quail could be identified
by his call signature. The variance was significant
enough to recognize individuals over a consid-
erable distance. This led to the interesting
observation that males were ‘beating the
bounds ‘ during the day, with a tendency to call
most vigorously at a central position, and at the

road
grass track
field boundary
buildings

call centre
ford

500 m

> W\\\

Figure 1. Location of Quail territories in the East
Lothian study area, May—September 2009. Letters
refer to crop types: sb = spring barley, ww = winter
wheat, os=oil seed rape. Area of occupation sites
estimated at between 17.1 and 26.6 acres.

Plate 121. This sloping field, under spring barley in

20039, Is a traditional Quail haunt © A. Marland.

30:2 (2010)

junction with other occupied sites at dawn and
dusk. Boundaries seemed to align with physical
features such as hedgerows, track and burn.
Whilst the exact area of each occupied site is
obviously unknown, an estimate is as follows:
NW 26.6 acres, W 17.1 acres, NE 17.2 acres, E
19.3 acres and SE 20.2 acres.

Apart from the familiar ‘wet-my-lips’ tri-syllabic
call, which is often preceded by a_ nasal
vibratory twang, it was also possible to hear
lesser, or part-song of individuals. Windy
conditions rendered most of these quieter
calls inaudible beyond a few yards, but careful
listening on still days could result in recording
short ‘mews ‘ or chuckles, which (under
different circumstances) might not be
associated with birds at all. Most of the ‘fixed’
territorial calls appeared to be passive, without
overt response. However, on several occasions
it was possible to locate a pair in conversa-
tional mode. This was confirmed by hearing
short rhythmic rolling and low ‘wer-wau’ notes
being exchanged, then sighting a female

BO is PL Be 3)

Articles, News & Views

creeping across open ground to join the ‘wer-
wau’ bird (a male).

Perhaps the most charming discovery was that
local Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler and Skylark
had incorporated Quail notes into their own
songs! This did result in the quail equivalent of
a few wild goose chases, but gave much
pleasure to everyone who came to listen.

Social ecology

Throughout the summer, the most fruitful to
places to watch or listen for Quail were the
grassy track, the ford and cereal tramlines. The
latter were much travelled and provided singing
points. This fact did not go unobserved by local
raptors - Sparrowhawk, Buzzard and Peregrine all
having a shot at predation. Despite some
spectacular stooping, no success was actually
witnessed. However, an adult Quail carcass was
recorded from a Peregrine food cache elsewhere
in East Lothian during the summer (George
Hogg, pers. comm.) The oil seed crop, its
margins rich with Mayweed, also supported

2009 at a special ‘hot spot’ where several

ys £ ’ Rs, “a € : ae - a a >
+ 2x Dt ‘ eS ae -

Plate 122 a—d. This series of a calling male Quail was taken on 18 July

territories converge. I've previously had very fine encounters with Quail here. They do cruise around just above crop
level for unpredictable short bursts, and tend to sunbathe after poor weather. But trying to take photos is usually
fruitless. However, that windy evening I'd simply gone to listen to a particularly loud contest, and was lucky enough
to be sitting down when a Quail suddenly moved closer, calling only feet away. But still invisible! | froze...and waited.
Silence fell. and | was just on the point of giving up, when this beautiful tiny creature crept out of the barley and
into a patch of pineapple weed. It preened, fluffed up its plumage, then turned round to deliver a torrent of calls at
a rival. The effect was electric, with a wave of sound starting deep in the bird's belly and rocketing upwards until its
whole body was vibrating. Miraculous, really, though my nerves and eardrums are still ruined! (camera info: small
compact digital Lumix Pansonic FZ18) © A. Marland.

30:2 (2010) Scottisl

156

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numerous insect species, directly benefiting
many birds feeding young. Watching Sedge
Warblers catch butterflies and moths was a
lovely sight. The dense growth obviously
harboured less dense patches as the ‘oil seed!
Quail’s song was delivered unmuffled from its
core. This crop was sprayed off, losing all
vegetation before harvest. Such was the
dedication of Quail to its chosen site that the
male returned to a completely bare field to call
from the original position.

Quail were using the track for shelter during
bad weather and for dust baths when the sun
shone. The month of May was extremely dry.
Certainly the presence of shallow water was a
major attraction to other bird species for
drinking and bathing.

Individuals were also observed during late May
and June occupying the area round the ford
without exhibiting competitive activity - only
moving if disturbed. It appeared that Quail like
to socialize. Droppings (containing beetles and
seeds) and scrapes were present during this
early phase, but absent later.

During July, this ‘comfortable’ behaviour
seemed to change. An elevated weedy patch
overlooking the ford became hot property,
defended by one of the ‘barley’ birds, and a
focus of numerous calling spats with other
males challenging from under cover of the crop
edges. At the end of the season, with harvest
underway, this was also the place where both
parties of chicks were located.

Concluding thoughts

It is a mystery why this particular location should
be so valued by returning Quail. However, the
study has shown how some birds use their
summer haunt, so perhaps it would be safe to
suggest that certain elements may contribute to
a winning combination.

Firstly, the area has ecological integrity. It sports
discrete natural boundaries, and whilst lacking
most ‘obvious’ biodiverse features, does offer
what may matter (to Quail, at least). These
include deep cover round field margins
(indented by burnside and the path), permanent
water and patches of open weedy growth. The

latter provide essential social space and chick
feed. Local topography also offers a valuable
degree of slope for good drainage - something
which ‘traditional’ returners would be seeking.

Secondly, it is energy efficient. A strongly
demarcated pattern of corridors means sites can
be occupied with least dispute. The burn and
track, with their associated ‘goods’ are axial,
offering minimal distance travelled from each
core. Winter-sown crops provide necessary
shelter for May arrivals, and the open aspect
may serve to reduce predation by certain
raptors. Perhaps significantly, access to the land
is not encouraged, hence inadvertently lending
protection from disturbance to ground nesting
birds trom walkers and dogs.

Thirdly, the acoustics of the valley mean that the
birds can communicate with ease. It is contoured
to echo and resound to loud territorial calls, whilst
offering pockets of shelter for transmission of
what might be construed as more intimate vocal
exchange. The level of Quail conversation through
the season was far higher than might be expected
to the casual listener.

Lastly, an uncertain but interesting feature is that
the elements are all very obvious from an aerial
perspective - that is, highly visible to migrating
birds by day or night. The altitude and perhaps
also distance from the coast also appears to be
significant - East Lothian records for 2009 show a
distinct lowland ‘ridge’ for calling Quail (Welch
2010). Since the valley acts like a funnel from the
coast, migrating Quail could drop into the area
without having to negotiate any further barrier.

Acknowledgements

Many thanks are due to lan Andrews for
encouraging me to write this up, and for
converting the musical map into reality. And to
Stephen Welch, for advice and enthusiasm.
Lastly, to the Quail themselves, who patiently
shared their patch with a constant observer.

Reference
Welsh, S. 2010. The influx of Quail to East
Lothian in 2009. Scottish Birds 30: 147-152.

Abbie Marland, East Lothian

30:2 (2010)

Articles, News & Views

OBSERVATORIES’ ROUNDUP

Welcome to the first of what is hoped to be a regular bi-annual feature about our bird
observatories in Scotland. The intention is to publisize the work of the observatories, visiting
opportunities, as well as incidental snippets of news from the islands. This first ‘Round-up’
covers the recent major events on Fair Isle, preparing for the future with the completion of its

brand new observatory building.

A new Fair Isle Bird
Observatory

After three years of talks, negotiations and tough
decision making, the Trustees of the Fair Isle
Bird Observatory Trust reached the conclusion
that the 40 year-old observatory building had to
be replaced. On 28 August 2008 (FIBO’s 60th
birthday), an appeal was launched to raise £4
million. By April 2009, 75% of this had been
secured and the Directors of FIBOT gave the go-
ahead to proceed with the project. Warden,
Deryk Shaw, his wife Hollie (FIBO
Administrator) and family vacated the Fair Isle
Bird Observatory in early April 2009 and moved
to Burkle, a vacant croft house in the south of
the isle. Thanks to the National Trust for Scotland
(the owners of Fair Isle) the Assistant Wardens
were also housed in the Chalet and researchers
in the Puffinn Hostel (and later Taft).

The initial dismantling of the old building was
carried out by Fair Isle’s Northmen, who
salvaged as much of the fabric of the building as
they could, to be recycled on the isle - lots of
good building wood, doors, windows and block
work... and even more firewood! By early July,
the shell of the building was ready to be
demolished. All the B&Bs were filled with A.H.
Wilson's (the Orkney building firm who won the
building contract) workmen, and on 7 July,
Deryk shed a tear as he watched the old FIBO
being finally laid to rest. Ground works then
began and after several weather-induced false
starts, the first sections of the new observatory
arrived by barge from Orkney on 2 September
and two weeks later, all 20 pieces of the jigsaw
were in place. A team of up to 23 workmen
then set about securing the ‘pods’ and starting
fitting out the internal layout whilst also
landscaping the external environs.

Plate 123. The newly completed Fair Isle Bird Observatory © Deryk Shaw.

30:2 (2010)

158

Articles, News & Views

Building on an offshore island throws up many
logistical problems and Fair Isle perhaps throws up
more than most. The workforce have been
unprepared for how much the weather affects
transport to and from Fair Isle in autumn and
winter and thus they experienced frequent delays
in getting building materials and supplies to the
isle when they needed them. Consequently, the
initial handover date of 31 March came and went
with the building nowhere near ready to be
handed over. However, by mid-April the plush
new building is very nearly finished, it has power
from two brand new generators, supplemented
by a series of photovoltaic cells on the roof and ts
due to open in early May. Returning visitors to Fair

—

Plates 124-128. Fair Isle Bird Observatory, from the old to the new © Deryk Shaw.

Isle will not recognise the new Observatory Lodge
- it is a much larger building, entirely two-storey
with a high pitch roof. All rooms are more
spacious with brand new furniture and all
bedrooms are en suite. There are more research
facilities and a brand new interpretative room, but
the old welcoming family atmosphere wuill remain.
Bookings for the new season are already looking
healthy but there are still plenty of vacancies, even
for the peak autumn period. For further details
telephone 01595 760258, visit our website:
www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk or e-mail:
fibo@btconnect.com.

Deryk Shaw, Fair Isle Bird Observatory

30:2 (2010)

Articles, News & Views

The Great Shearwater passage off
Lewis, September 2007 - Scottish
and British record day counts

M.S. SCOTT

At the end of August 2007 Tristan ap Rheinallt
and | managed a couple of days of seawatching
from Labost on the north-west coast of the Isle
of Lewis, Outer Hebrides. We had seen 41 Great
Shearwaters on 25th and 19 on 26th - totals
that already vastly surpassed the usual handful
of annual records, and exceeded only by a total
of 190 flying west past Butt of Lewis we had
seen on 29 August 2006 - the (soon to be
exceeded) record day count for Scotland.

At the start of the second week of September
the wind had swung round from several days of
strong westerlies, arising from fast moving
Atlantic depressions, to a Force 5 northerly wind
and quite bright conditions. Many seawatchers
would have dismissed these conditions as poor,
but because they came on the back of a spate
of westerlies, which had clearly pushed birds
east from the Atlantic, birds were now re-
orientating out of the north Minch area. Early on
8 September Tristan and | were seawatching
from Butt of Lewis when, in quick succession,
an Orca and several Great Shearwaters were
visible. The intention had not been to do a
prolonged seawatch, but the sight of more
Great Shearwaters soon after these initial birds
meant that the all-day seawatch was on. Birds
passed in clusters, often in the teens, often a lot
more, but several groups involved flocks of over
400 birds. The largest groups were 630, 596
and 479 birds. Fortunately, | had my clicker
counter with me, which helped massively
during the six hours of observation. The final
total for the day was 7,114 - certainly a red-letter
day, and one that will remain at the fore of our
birding memories for years to come

Visibility was poor on 9 September, but | still
managed a total of 165 Great Shearwaters off

30:2 (2010)

Butt of Lewis (with Gerry Owens), plus three off
Brue in the afternoon. Conditions had improved
on 10 September, with 1,076 observed over
flying west past Butt of Lewis. On 12 September
| had one flying south-west off Labost, and on
14th a total of 12 off Butt of Lewis flying west. A
week later there were still birds offshore with five
noted passing Butt of Lewis on 21 September.

During our seawatches we were able to use our
experience to pick out Great Shearwaters at
considerable range by a combination of
features. They always gave the impression of
being large shearwaters, clearly bigger than
Manx Shearwater and with a gliding flight on
straighter wings than Cory’s Shearwater, with
the wings always held out at right angles to the
body. They were more direct and purposeful
than Cory's in flight lacking the lazy laid-back
feel so often portrayed by Cory’s.

2007 © Martin Scott.

Plate 129. Great Shearwater, off Lewis, September

159

160

Articles, News & Views

Plate 130. Great Shearwater, off Lewis, September
2007 © Martin Scott.

Plumage-wise, the darker primaries contrasting
with a paler saddle was evident at a distance, as
was the pale trailing edge to the wings, forming
a dusky ‘M’ pattern. As birds got closer, the
white collar became apparent and then the
black cap could be discerned. On more distant
birds this showed as a white wedge on the neck
- something that is never shown by Cory’s. The
white horseshoe rump could also be seen on
the best views. The black belly patch was not
evident on most birds as they were too distant,
but on closer individuals this, and the dusky
armpits on the underwing, could be seen.
Otherwise the underpants seemed white with
nothing else apparent at range.

This unprecedented passage was also
witnessed from headlands down the west coast
of Ireland, and to a far lesser extent in the North
Sea. An estimated 3,000 flew west past Tory
Island, Co. Donegal on 9 September 2007 (in
daylight hours based on timed counts), with
4,164 past Annagh Head, Co. Mayo on 10
September 2007 (08:00-11:00) and 6,000+
past Kilcummin Head, Co. Mayo on 14
September 2007 (07:15—16:30).

The total of 7,114 Great Shearwaters observed
from Butt of Lewis on 8 September is the
largest day count for any single site in Britain
and Ireland (and probably Europe) to date
(equivalent to a passage rate OF Mey
birds/hour). The previous highest day counts in
Britain had, unsurprisingly, all come from south-
west England, and Porthgwarra (Cornwall) in

particular. A total of 1,950 were seen off there
on 17 August 1999, with 1,553 birds noted on
14 September 1991 and 1,000+ on 23 August
1997. In addition, a count of 1,138 was made
from St Mary's, Scilly on 18 September 1999
(Brown & Grice 2005).

The most consistent site for observing Great
Shearwaters in Europe has been Cape Clear
Island, Co. Cork, where a small passage is noted
most years from August to October, but large
movement are occasionally observed, mainly
after south-westerly gales and in conditions of
poor visibility at sea. The single best day count
from there was 5,118 flying west in four hours
on 15 September 1965 (a passage rate of
1,280 birds/hour). This was part of a
phenomenal movement of birds, and the
largest documented passage of Great
Shearwaters in Europe, with well over 12,200
birds logged between 18 August and 21
September, including other day counts of 4,177
west in 6'4 hours on 14 September, and 1,432
west in 10 hours on 21st (Newell, 1968,
Sharrock 1973). Other notable counts were also
made from here in September 1973: with
4,487 on 3rd, 2,916 on 4th, 1,334 on 7th and
1,517 on 9th, whilst 1,014 were noted on 4
September 1980 (Hutchinson 1989).
Elsewhere in Ireland there have been peak day
counts of 2,350 off Kilcummin Head, Co. Mayo
on 19 August 2005, and 4,493 past Annagh
Head, Co. Mayo on 27 August 2006. In Europe
a total of 25,284 birds was counted past Porto
Moniz, Madeira between 24 August and 18
September 2006, with four outstanding peak
days: 4,472 on 24 August, 5,023 on Ist, 6,600
on 2nd and 3,200 on 11th September.

Martin S. Scott, Brue, Isle of Lewis
martin.scott @rspb.org.uk

References

Brown, A. & Grice, P. 2005. Birds in England.
T. & A.D. Poyser, London.

Hutchinson, C.D. 1989. Birds in Ireland. T. &
A.D. Poyser, Calton.

Newell, R.G. 1968. Influx of Great Shearwaters
in autumn 1965. British Birds 61: 145-159.
Sharrock, J.T.R. 1973. The Natural History of
Cape Clear Island. 1. \& VAD aRovser

Berkhamsted.

30:2 (2010)

J ae f= =
Outer Hebrides, 1

S. DUFFIELD

On the morning of 17 November 2008 | got a
rather excited phone call from John Kemp saying
that he was watching a very dark Black Tern in
North Bay, South Uist. Black Terns are rare in the
Outer Hebrides and after four years birding in the
islands | had not seen one here (having missed
one in spring 2008 that John had found at
Rubha Ardvule). The lateness of the occurrence
combined with John’s brief description of Its
appearance set the alarm bells ringing; this was
obviously not a time to hang around. Fifteen
minutes and 10 miles later | was at North Bay
where John was still positioned and _ flitting
through his digi-scoped images. Out in the bay
the tern was patrolling the shoreline with the
usual light, buoyant flight and dipping feeding
action of a Black Tern. Despite not having seen a
Black Tern for close on seven years (a
consequence of living in the far north), this bird
was immediately recognisable as something
rather different. The upper parts were strikingly

30:2 (2010)

fs) ‘i
r1i9dan ranrnnroa
| me FT oc a @ RT € i
L Sno (LULU

dark and the underwing was a dark, smoky grey.
The flanks showed a distinct grey wash whilst the
head pattern was more reminiscent of White-
winged Black Tern.

| positioned myself in the car so that the tern would
pass within a reasonably close distance to allow
me to obtain some images whilst trying to take in
all the details as the bird passed by. This was
obviously no normal Black Tern and documenting
the occurrence in an image was going to be the
best way of securing the record. After taking a few
photos the bird suddenly swung round as a gust of
wind took it along the shoreline before it veered off,
heading over land across the northern part of
South Uist. All too quickly this striking bird had
disappeared, never to be seen again.

Initially the most striking feature of this marsh
tern was the very dark appearance of the upper
parts compared with the juvenile Black Terns

Scottish Birds | 161

162

Articles, News & Views

that | had seen previously in Britain. The mantle
showed a very dark, brown saddle to otherwise
dark grey upper parts. The wings and tail were
much darker grey than you would expect for
one of ‘our’ birds and the rump although paler
than the mantle, tail and wings was still much
darker than the pale, grey rump shown by
(Palearctic) Black Terns Chiidonias niger niger.
The head pattern showed less extensive
markings, with the dark feathers more restricted
to the crown, extending onto the ear-coverts
and creating an impression that it was wearing
ear-muffs. Black Terns originating from the
Palearctic show more extensive dark head
markings with the black feathering reaching
onto the nape. The underparts were largely
white although a dark smudge was evident at
the shoulder, reaching towards the breast sides.
This large prominent smudge merged into dark,
grey flanks; the latter feature was very
noticeable on this individual. The underwing
was also completely grey and merged with the
grey flanks in contrast to ‘our’ Black Terns which
shows a much paler, largely white underwing
and white flanks.

The combination of features noted above left
the observers in no doubt that this was a classic
juvenile American Black Tern Chiidonias niger
surinamensis and a first for Scotland.

Steve Duffield, Drimsdale, Isle of South
Uist, Western Isles HS8 5RT

American Black Tern

- its status in Scotland

Black Tern Chlidonias niger is classed as a ‘marsh’
tern given its preference for breeding in
freshwater marshes and well-vegetated lakes,
dnd 1s divided into two subspecies: nominate
niger which breeds in the Palearctic and surina-
mensis which breeds in North America. Interest in
American Black Tern has increased for European
birders as it has recently been considered for
potential elevation to full species status.

The 2008 South Uist bird is only the second
ever bird of this race to have been recorded in
Britain, with the first a long-staying juvenile
which frequented Weston-super-Mare Water
Treatment Works, Avon, on 3—11 October 1999
(Andrews et al 2006). Subsequently a third

individual, also a juvenile, was found inland at
Farmoor Reservoir, Oxfordshire where it was
present from 28 to 31 August 2009.

There have been four records in Ireland up until
the end of 2008. Three of these were also
Juveniles: one, Sandymount Strand, Dublin, Co.
Dublin, 3-7 September 1999; one, Smerwick
Harbour, Co. Kerry, 14 September 2003; one,
Rahasane Turlough, Co. Galway, 2-5
September 2007, while the fourth bird was in
first-summer plumage - at Lady’s Island Lake
and Carnsore Point Co. Wexford, 16 July—1
August 2006. There are also three Icelandic
records of American Black Tern, all in June, from
1956, 1957 and 1970, and a fully summer-
plumaged adult at Funchal Harbour, Madeira in
mid-August 2007, which means the possibility
of a summer-plumaged bird turning up in
Britain should not be overlooked.

The western bias to these records is no real
surprise and observers of any Black Tern on the
west side of Scotland should be alert to the
possibility of a North American origin for the
bird, particularly for any notably late individuals.

The identification of the American race of Black
Tern is fully discussed in several useful papers
and publications:

References

Adriaens, P. 1999. The American Black Tern in
Co. Dublin. Birding World 12 (9): 378-379.

Andrews, R., Higgins, R. & Martin, J. 1999. The
American Black Tern in Avon. Birding World 12
(10): 416-418.

Andrews, R.M., Higgins, R.J. & Martin, J.P. 2006.
American Black Tern at Weston-super-Mare: new
to Britain. British Birds 99: 450-459.

Bradshaw, C. 2003. The American Black Tern in
County Kerry. Birding World 16 (10): 434.

Hallam, N. & Lewington, I. 2009. Identificaton
of American Black Tern. Birding World 22 (9):
483-388.

McGeehan, A. 2000. Identification of American
Black Tern. Birding World 13 (1): 37.

Mullarney, K. 2006. The American Black Tern in
Co. Wexford. Birding World 19 (7): 279-282.

Olsen, K.M. & Larsson, H. 1995. Terns of
Europe and North America. Helm, London.

30:2 (2010)

Bobolink. Foula, EheHand.

28 September 2008
the sixth Shetland record

P.R. GORDON & M.S. SCOTT

On 28 September 2008 we were birding at
Hametoun near the south end of Foula when
PRG flushed a bunting-sized passerine. He
called me (MSS) and said “Was that a yellow
passerine?” This was quickly followed by “Do
Bobolinks run?”

As we now know tt was, and they do, and soon
all the islands’ birders gathered to watch our
‘American’ passerine skulking in an_ iris-filled
ditch. That a ‘crowd’ of just 10 was enjoying
such a major prize pretty much sums up birding
on Scottish islands in autumn!

The bird continued to show well down to 10 m
or so, allowing us to get a really good
opportunity to study the bird and obtain video
clips and a full description. Unfortunately it was
not present the next day.

Description

A stripy, essentially yellowy-buff passerine - as
the accompanying images show. The bird had

30:2 (2010)

the jizz of a large finch, and had an especially
robust bill - this was no Yellow-breasted Bunting!

The main features of the bird were its streaked
mantle, with two pale mantle braces; an
‘Aquatic Warbler’ head pattern due to a very
noticeable pale yellowish median crown stripe;
upper breast washed yellow; ear-coverts open,
and not bordered in black, easing the
elimination of Yellow-breasted Bunting; the bill
was large, hefty and pink, with a slightly convex
upper mandible; the flanks were streaked dark
brown, with the streaks becoming finer and
paler on the breast; the rump was olivey and
slightly streaked; the nape was plain olive -
contrasting with the streaked crown and mantle;
the bird had a long primary projection in the
folded wing. The bird was heard to call in flight,
with this sounding like a sharp “blink”.

Peter Gordon, Nethybridge, Inverness-shire
Martin Scott, Brue, Isle of Lewis
Email: martin.scott@rspb.org.uk

163

Plate 136. Bobolink, Foula, Shetland, September

Articles, News & Views

Bobolink - its status in Scotland
This North American species breeds from
southern British Columbia south to
northernmost Nevada, and eastwards through
the Great Lakes and northern USA to southern
Quebec Province and Nova Scotia, and south to
New Jersey. The entire population is migratory
(actually undertaking one of the longest
migrations of any Nearctic passerine) and
passes through south-east USA and over the
Caribbean to wintering grounds in South
America from Peru and southern Brazil to
northern Argentina.

There have been 29 Bobolinks in Britain to the
end of 2008, with seven of these in Scotland
including the 2008 Foula bird. The previous six
Scottish records are: one on Out Skerries,
Shetland on 18 September 1971, one on St
Kilda, Outer Hebrides on 28 September 1986,
one on Fair Isle from 29 September to 2
October 1986, one at Durigarth, South
Mainland, Shetland from 28 September to 2
October 1998, a first-winter on Out Skerries,
Shetland on 21-22 September 2000, and one
on Foula, Shetland from 29 September to 4
October 2005. The near total monopoly on
records for Shetland is very obvious.

« a si OE sth j oe “eg
1) ‘i iy 4 >, Jn, d gv ’ e

2008 © Martin Scott.

The first British record was one on St Agnes, Scilly
on 19-20 September 1962, and remarkably the
Isles of Scilly have accounted for just under half
of all British records, the others being in 1968,
1975, 1976, 1979" I93i, (Sas ig eaaeee
1995, 1996 (2), 2003 and 2008. There are also
four records from Devon: Lundy, 1984; East
Soar, 1991; Prawle Point 2001; Hengistbury
Head, 2002. There are also single records from
Porth Joke, Cornwall (2008), Portland, Dorset
(1992), Skokholm, Pembrokeshire (1999) and
Easington, Yorkshire (2008).

All British records have been found in autumn
between the extreme dates of 2 September
(Scilly 1983) and 1 November (Devon 2002),
with most between mid-September and mid-
October. Interestingly the peak time for Scottish
records is slightly earlier than for those
elsewhere in Britain, while the average length of
stay for birds in Scotland is 3.28 days compared
to 5.5 for those elsewhere in Britain. The latter
figure is boosted by long-staying individuals on
St Mary's, Scilly in 1983 (probably 33 days) and
one at Hengistbury Head, Devon in 2002 (23
days). The geographical spread of records in
England and Wales shows a very marked bias
for the south-west, with only the 2008 Yorkshire
bird bucking this pattern, and perhaps
increasing the likelihood of ship-assisted
passage for this individual.

The slightly earlier peak for the finding date of
Scottish records compared to those elsewhere
in Britain may simply be a result of these birds
originally being at a more northerly latitude
when displaced across the Atlantic than birds at
slightly later dates which have travelled further
south by this time.

There have been three records in Ireland: one
at Hook Head, Co. Wexford from 12-14
October 1971; one on Cape Clear Island, Co.
Cork from 13-24 September 1982, and one
on Cape Clear Island on 10 October 2003.
Elsewhere in Europe there are Bobolink
records from Norway (6-8 November 1977),
France (15-16 October 1987; 17 August
1995; 25 September 2005), Italy (18
September 1989) and Gibraltar (11-16 May
1984), with the latter the only spring record
from the Western Palearctic.

30:2 (2010)

Plate 137. Franklin's Gull, Holm, Mainland Orkney, July 2009 © Keith Hague.

carnana
= Yala

Back in 1991 Th

= 2,eccCU

Observer had a front page
photo taking up a quarter of the top of the
paper entitled “It's called Larus pipixcan...”. It
was a lovely adult in full summer plumage, and
| immediately wanted to see one. Eighteen
years later | still hadn't seen one, but all that was
about to change.

It must have been about the turn of the
millennium that | started to spend the winter
afternoons looking through the gull roost on
Barassie Beach. Though looking regularly since
1980, when | moved to Troon, it wasn’t until
about then that | realised that many more gulls
appeared in the late afternoons, and particularly
within half-an-hour of sunset. They still continue
to arrive later on, of course, but it is just too dark

30:2 (2010)

to see them. It was probably my interest in
observing the returning adult Mediterranean
Gulls that | have to thank for that, as they
regularly come in to roost quite late. Working
shifts, there are only two afternoons out of ten
when | can't get to look.

On 16 January 2009 | had, as | frequently do,
arranged to give my daughter a lift home to her
flat giving me the excuse (as if | needed one)
to look at the gulls for a while. | arrived later than
normal, at about 4 o'clock, and immediately
picked out two adult Mediterranean Gulls sitting
on the water in amongst Black-headed and
Common Gulls with Herring Gulls in the
background, and a solitary Lesser Black-backed
Gull. There were no Great Black-backs that
evening, which was a bit unusual and gull
numbers were generally lower than normal,

165

166

Articles, News & Views

maybe just over a thousand with the majority
being Black-headeds. The wind was from the
south-west, which meant that when viewing
from the car park near Troon swimming pool,
the gulls were head on. However, this was
balanced by getting some shelter to prevent
telescope shake as the wind was 25 mph
gusting to 35 mph (the Internet is good for Met
Office weather records within 24 hours of a
sighting), and though It was dry, it was overcast
and the failing light was making observation
more and more difficult in the gloom. It wasn’t
a ‘thin cloud’ overcast either, but a heavy layer
with only a thin shaft of light from a red velvet
tear in the cloud on the sunset horizon.

The sea was at high tide, as high as it gets. A
disadvantage in not being able to see the birds’
legs as they all sit on the water, though they do
tend to come closer to you on a high tide. On a
lower state of the tide most stand on the beach.
| guess they know humans don't tend to go into
the water there. The sea state was slight, so
there were only little choppy waves that didn't
hide the gulls, which was useful.

| always scan flocks several times, even when
there aren't many birds. Partly because they are
never all side-on and have a tendency to sit or
stand behind one another, but also because as
numbers increase It becomes more and more
impossible not to overlook birds. That evening
the birds all had gaps between them. on the
water and it was easy to see individuals. It was
on the fourth scan at about 20 minutes into the
watch that | noticed a small gull, smaller than a
Black-headed Gull and with a black hood and
pencil-lead grey wings. That immediately
narrowed tts ID down to Franklin's or Laughing
Gull. | had seen two Laughing Gulls before. One
in Newcastle, that | visited several times as it
progressed from first-winter through to adult
plumage, the other just a couple of years ago in
Ardrossan. | had never seen Franklin’s Gull.

Thinking probably Franklin's, but none too sure
as | couldn't remember the sizes of the two, |
phoned Angus Murray and blurted out to him |
had one or the other. Thankfully he was also at
Troon, by the harbour, and within five minutes
was standing next to me saying “It's a first-
winter Franklin's, Bruce”. It was now very late on

and light was at a premium. A few frantic phone
calls got Paul Wheatland (Troon), Dave Given
(Prestwick), and Brian Orr (Irvine) there that
evening, but people from further away stood no
chance as It was now too dark to pick it out.

It was present at the evening roost the following
two nights, coming in just before dark and in
the most atrocious conditions with driving
squally rain. | saw it on the second night of Its
appearance, but not the third as | had to work.
During the day, nobody managed to locate its
whereabouts. After that, it was never seen again.

Description: Over the two days | saw it | took
the following notes: A small gull, smaller than
the surrounding Black-headeds, and about the
size of Little Gull or slightly larger. Black hood
extending up the nape as in Black-headed,
almost complete, but showing a white area
around the bill dotted with small black flecks.
Small, white eyelids (which were difficult to see
in the light conditions at times) above and
below the eyes, which were dark. The bill was
heavier-tipped looking than on a Black-headed,
and was darker in colour, looking black in the
available light. The chin, throat, neck, flanks,
belly, were all white. The neck had an extremely
faint grey wash, and this extended slightly onto
the sides, similar to Bonaparte’s Gull. The
mantle and scapulars were a cold, dark slate
grey somewhat similar to a Lesser Black-backed,
but lacked any warm tones with the coverts
being grey washed with dark brown. The
secondaries and tertials were blackish with mid-
brown running through the colour. The
primaries were black with tiny, barely visible,
white crescents to the tips. The wing tips looked
more rounded than on Black-headed Gulls. The
underside of the forewing was white, the rear
being dark-centred with pale edges so
individual feathers could be picked out but
looked dark overall. The secondaries had a
broad white trailing edge on both the upper and
underwing. The legs were black. | could not see
the tail as on the water the primaries covered It
and in the brief flights tt made | had enough
problems keeping up with it amongst other
gulls and did not note this feature with certainty.

It bobbed around like a cork on the choppy
water, more so than the larger surrounding gulls,

30:2 (2010)

Articles, News & Views

Plate 138. Franklin’s Gull, Holm, Mainland Orkney, July 2009 © Keith Hague.

and it was only seen briefly in flight for a few
seconds on three occasions, but could be
picked out by dark and rounded wings and a
flight similar to Little Gull, notably more buoyant
than Black-headed. On landing it held its wings
at such an angle and almost facing me so that
on the underside | could see the inner wing
clearly, but not the outer wing so | didn’t see the
underside of the primaries.

Bruce Kerr, Troon, Ayrshire

' al | RA | | j
“ ce Gaull Ahainlanc eIenav Jniw
C SS WUII, Vidihianad UrkKney, JUIY—
Yetrnhar DNNO tha fiect 1 rkn av rac
October 2009 - the first Orkney recorc

On 12 July 2009, | was taking a more than ae
interest in gull flocks in the parish of Holm, in
the East Mainland of Orkney, following the
report of a Laughing Gull in the area. After
studying several flocks close to the original
sighting, | had not found anything unusual and
decided to look further afield. On checking a
mixed gull flock at Wester Sand, one of my
favourite spots for gulls, | found a bird in the
middle of the flock which appeared to warrant
closer inspection. It seemed to be resting in a
small hollow and the only parts of the bird
visible were its crown and upper mantle.

30:2 (2010)

Although it was difficult to judge size on such a
restricted view, it appeared that the head was
slightly smaller than nearby Black-headed Gulls.
The crown was also darker and there were signs
of moult. The mantle looked darker than Black-
headed Gull and in fact looked a shade darker
than nearby Common Gulls) The bird was
resting and it was impossible to see the bill. |
was reluctant to flush the flock in case the bird
flew off and could not be relocated.

After what seemed like an eternity, the flock
became unsettled. The field adjoins a road that
is popular with local people, especially those
walking dogs, and many of the gulls flew further
back into the field. Luck was on my side as
some settled on fence posts including the
mystery bird, which was now standing next to a
Black-headed Gull. The view through the
telescope left no doubt as to its identity as a
Franklin’s Gull, so | put the news out.

The bird stayed in the area till the end of the
month and was seen by most local birders in that
time. This was not the end of the story however,
as | encountered the bird on three further
occasions - on 10 September at Grindigar,
Deerness, on 13 September at the Loch of

Articles, News & Views

Tankerness and on 16 October at Mill Sand,
Tankerness. On the latter date | noted that it had
completed its moult to adult winter plumage. This
is the first record of the species in Orkney.

Description: The bird was smaller than Black-
headed Gull, and both bill and legs were shorter
than that species. The bill was however decidedly
stouter, and had a blunter tip than Black-headed.
The bill was relatively much shorter and straighter
than two Laughing Gulls that | had seen
previously in Orkney, and lacked the drooping tip
to the bill of that species. In some ways the bird
reminded me of a Little Gull. The flight was lighter
and more buoyant than the two previous, larger
species. On the ground the bird had a waddling
gait strongly reminiscent of Little Gull.

It was a darker grey above than the other small
gull species, and could readily be picked out
from them on that feature alone. The tail was
mainly white, but the central feathers were pale
grey (difficult to see in the field). The white
underparts were strongly tinged pink, but this
gradually faded as the moult progressed. The
head was black with white feathering breaking
through on the forehead, lores, chin and throat,
and there were thick, white eye-crescents above
and below the eyes. The wings were dark grey
(as mantle) with outer primaries broadly tipped
black, and the extreme tips white, with a further
white band immediately behind the black. The
colour sequence along the outer primaries
therefore was dark grey - white - black - white.
After wing moult in autumn the bird acquired
much larger white primary tips. There was a red
tip to an otherwise blackish bill. Legs and feet
were blackish tinged red. The eye was dark.

| aged the bird as either an adult or second-
summer, as it had conflicting features. The very
small white primary tips suggested second-
Summer, whereas the grey-centred tail, | felt,
was indicative of adult. There is a good
possibility that this was the same individual that
was seen previously on Shetland on 11—12th
and 24-25 May 2009.

Keith Hague, West Heath, Holm,
Orkney KW17 2SA

168 | Scottish Birds

Franklin’s Gull

- its status in Scotland

This species breeds at inland freshwater bodies
in the prairies of North America from Alberta to
southern Manitoba in Canada and south into
the USA from northern Alberta through North &
South Dakota and north-west Minnesota, but
with isolated colonies in Oregon, Nevada and
eastern Idaho/westernmost Wyoming_ into
north Utah. The entire population is migratory,
wintering along the Pacific coast from Central
America south to Chile. and inland in smaller
numbers from the Andes of Peru and Bolivia
into central Argentina.

Its migration routes in North America are usually
along a narrow inland corridor trom west of the
Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, and then
through coastal areas of Central America
to/from the wintering areas. It is very scarce on
the east and west coasts of the USA.
Consequently it is far rarer in Britain and Europe
than its close relative, Laughing Gull, which
breeds along the Atlantic coast of the USA.

There have been 60 individuals recorded in
Britain up to the end of 2008, with 10 of these
in Scotland. The first British record was as recent
as 1970 when a presumed second-summer
bird was seen at Farlington Marsh, Hampshire
on 2] February, and present again from 1
March to 16 May. Since then this species has
been recorded with increasing frequency with
four birds in 1970s, 10 in 1980s, 22 in 1990s
and 24 already from 2000 to the end of 2008.
The first Scottish record was a probable first-
summer at Irvine, Ayrshire from 2—6 July 1980,
with further birds as follows: a second-summer
on Canna, Lochaber, Highland from 5—11 July
1981; an adult at North Boisdale, South Uist
Outer Hebrides from 6—14 August 1985, birds
on Shetland in 1990, 1991, 1996, 1998 and
2004; a first-summer at Musselburgh, Lothian
on 3—4 June 1992 and an adult on the Ythan
Estuary, North-east Scotland from 21-26
August 2006 (Bloor 2006, Forrester et al
2007).

In 2009, there were up to four further birds

recorded in Britain: the first-winter at Troon on
16-18 January, a second-summer/adult on

30:2 (2010)

Shetland on 11-12th and 24-25 May, the
second-summer/adult on Orkney from 12 July
to 16 October and a second-winter at Canvey
Island, Essex on 29-30 November. The
Shetland and Orkney sightings may well refer
to the same bird, but it is also (if remotely)
possible that the Essex record could relate to
this same individual.

The Troon bird was only the fourth record for
Mainland Scotland though the second for
Ayrshire, following the Irvine bird in 1980. It Is
also the first Scottish record to fall outside of
the ‘spring/summer’ period, with all others
found between 10 May (Shetland 1990) and
21 August (Ythan 2006), with the latter
remaining until 26 August. Elsewhere in Britain
birds have been found throughout the year
with three in January, four in February, four in
March, three in April, three in May, seven in
June, six in July, five in August, one in
September, two in October, nine in November
and four in December.

The ten Scottish records to 2006 included three
one-day birds, three two-day birds plus stays of
five, SIX, seven and nine days (average 3.6).
The Troon bird was seen for just three days but
in marked contrast the Shetland and Orkney
sightings span 15 days and 97 days respec-
tively (assuming different birds) and 159 days
if just a single bird was involved. By contrast,
the average sighting period in the rest of Britain
IS 16.6 days (to end 2008), with 22 one-day
birds balanced by several long-stayers
including: a probable second-winter bird
present in Suffolk for 139 days from 13
November 1977, a first-winter in Devon which
lingered for 106 days from 16 December 2000,
and a wandering bird in 1982 which was also
seen over a period of 106 days and visited sites
in Cornwall, Devon and Dorset.

Another difference between Scottish records
and those elsewhere in Britain is the low
proportion of adult birds, with only two in
Scotland to end 2008 (20%) compared to
over 60% in England and Wales. Similarly, the
distribution of records elsewhere in Britain
shows a strong bias to the counties of south-
west England (50%), with most others in
south-east England & East Anglia (21%), with

30:2 (2010)

Articles, News & Views

Just six in north-east England, four in north-west
England and three in Wales.

The pattern of occurrence of this species in
Britain and Ireland is notably different from that
of the other Nearctic gull species, probably as a
consequence of its normal migration route in
North America being inland. The initial lack of
records from Ireland (only eight to the end of
1999) and the lack of first-year birds in agutumn
and early winter in Europe had given rise to the
belief that birds arriving in north-west Europe
had more likely been displaced on northward
migration from the southern hemisphere
wintering grounds. However, the occurrence of
up to seven first-winter birds in southern Ireland
during winter 2005/06 and other individuals in
Carmarthenshire and Cornwall in November
2005 indicates that this is not always the case.
These birds were associated with the largest
influx of Laughing Gulls into south-west Britain
and Ireland recorded to date. and was a result
of Hurricane Wilma, which was the most intense
hurricane ever witnessed in the Caribbean and
Gulf of Mexico. It tracked up the eastern
seaboard of North America in the last week of
October 2005, and reached the Western
Approaches at the end of the month, dragging
qd large number of displaced gulls with it.

References

Bloor, P. 2006. Franklin’s Gull at the Ythan
Estuary - a first for North East Scotland. Birding
Scotland 9: 130-133.

Forrester, R.W., Andrews, I.J., MciInerny, C.J.,
Murray, R.D., McGowan, R.Y., Zonfrillo, B.,
Betts, M., Jardine, D.C. & Grundy, D.S. (eds)
2007. The Birds of Scotland. The Scottish
Ornithologists’ Club, Aberlady.

170

ay ol

< Sk

Plats 19. Browa-headed Combird Fair Isle, May 2008 @/Deryk Shaw

Brown-headed Cowbird,
Fair Isle, 8-10 May 2009
the second Scottish record

D. SHAW

On the afternoon of Friday 8 May 2009, |
noticed a message on my mobile alerting me to
a voice-mail. It had been left by Kenny Stout
who lives at Upper Stoneybrek, a croft about
one-third the way up the island, and west of the
school. While most of the islanders on Fair Isle
don't consider themselves to be particularly
knowledgeable about birds, they are aware
when something different appears in_ their
gardens, and every so often | get calls reporting
sightings of ‘strange birds’. The majority of times
it just turns out to be something common, a
brightly-coloured spring male or an oddly-
plumaged individual, but the Bird Observatory
staff always respond - because every so often a
prize awaits. In this case Kenny described the

bird as: “About the size of a Starling, with a
black, shiny body, a broon heid and a big bill,
kinda like a Hawfinch. | think you should come
right away as soon as you get this message” |
spent a few moments to take in this information
and my thoughts started to crystallize -
“Ammm, it sounds like a Brown-headed
Cowbird”. | hastily set off in the car and headed
Straight up the road. When | caught sight of
Kenny's croft the Observatory van was already
parked outside and as | drew up, my mobile
rang again. Simon Davies, one of my Assistant
Wardens, excitedly spoke to me: “Del, there's a
Brown-headed Cowbird at Upper Stoneybrek!” |
replied: “| know, and I'm right behind you!”

30:2 (2010)

| hastened inside, which immediately set the
dogs off barking. Kenny shouted at them to be
quiet and duly ushered me into the lounge and
then pointed out the window to the bird. | was
greeted by a view of a cracking male Brown-
headed Cowbird. Amazing! It was casually
strolling around the grassy part of the garden
amongst Kenny and Sue's collection of odd-
looking ducks. | immediately put the news out
on the Shetland Birders’ Grapevine and then
phoned several islanders who | knew would
want to see it. | also informed everyone that it
was only the second record for Britain. Jack
Ashton-Booth, my other Assistant Warden, then
arrived at Kenny's and added that a possible
Brown-headed Cowbird had been present
briefly in Norfolk the previous day! The locals
soon started to arrive to admire the bird, and
my mobile started to go into meltdown as
birders from Shetland and further south all
wished to congratulate me and learn more!
About an hour after | had got there the Cowbird
flew south and the locals headed back to their
respective homes. A few of us then set out on
foot to look for the bird. Some 20 minutes later,
my wife Hollie phoned to tell me that she had
just added Brown-headed Cowbird to our

me

30:2 (2010)

Plate 140. Brown-headed Cowbird, Fair Isle. May 2009 © Jason Atkinson.

Articles, News & Views

garden list! With the demolition and subsequent
rebuild of the observatory, our family had been
living at Burkle (the red and blue house in the
south-east corner of the isle) and | had started
keeping a garden list. It favoured our garden for
the rest of its three-day stay, but occasionally
strayed to Auld Haa and Schoolton.

On Saturday seven plane-loads of birders flew
in to Fair Isle to see it and all left successful.
Unfortunately one plane, from Benbecula
(Outer Hebrides) came in, flew over the airstrip
and departed without touching down. It
transpired that the pilot reckoned the airstrip
was too short for him to land the plane! | can
only imagine the frustration and language of the
birders on that journey home - and | certainly
would not have wanted to be the pilot! That day
the wind switched from a south-westerly to
north-westerly direction and strengthened
overnight, such that by Sunday wind conditions
at the Fair Isle airstrip were not suitable for the
small charters to land. By contrast, Monday
dawned bright, calm and sunny, but the bird
was nowhere to be seen - bad news for those
birders who had travelled to Shetland and then
chartered a boat to bring them over.

4 4

iva

172

Articles, News & Views

Plate 141. Brown-headed Cowbird, Fair Isle. May
2009 © Deryk Shaw.

Description

In its general gait and habits the bird was quite
starling-like, but was slightly smaller and slimmer,
with a more thrush-like shape. Its head was a
milk chocolate brown colour with a very slightly
darker colour on the cheeks, around the eyes
and on the lores. The rest of the bird was entirely
black with (apart from flight feathers) a glossy,
green sheen. One tail feather was in pin, about
1/3 grown. The bill was large and conical, similar
to a Hawfinch but not quite as strong, slightly
longer, more pointed and dark grey. The legs and
feet were starling-like, black with strong claws.

|, and all the others who saw the bird, owe a big
thanks to Kenny Stout and Sue Hutchison for
being so vigilant. The 40 or so birders who
came to see it were all well-behaved, and
mostly (but not including the editor of a well-
known birding magazine) contributed to the
observatory tick tin. It also allowed some island
regulars to say a fond farewell to the old
observatory. The new bird observatory building
Is now in place and open to visitors again.
Money is still to be required to help with the
refitting of the building, and to enhance the
library etc. PLEASE consider donating to this
very worthy birding cause. For more details visit
www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk.

Deryk Shaw, Fair Isle Bird Observatory

Brown-headed Cowbird

- its status in Scotland

This species breeds right across North America
from the Pacific coast of Canada eastwards
from south-east Yukon Territory to
Newfoundland and south through the entire
USA to southern Mexico. Much of the
population is resident, but birds in the northern
part of the breeding range, from California east
to the Great Lakes and New Hampshire, move
south for the winter, with some remaining along
the Pacific coast south from Vancouver Island.
This is an abundant species with numbers
estimated in excess of 20 million birds, but since
it is a relatively short distance migrant on the
Atlantic coast is less prone to trans-Atlantic
displacement than many less common birds.

The first record for Britain was a male seen at
Ardnave Point, Islay, Argyll on 24 April 1988, and
this was preceded by the only other record for
the Western Palearctic - an adult female, found
dead, in Telemark, Norway on I June 1987.

The male present on Fair Isle on 8-10 May
2009 was heard singing on the latter date, and
was the second record for Scotland and the
second, third or fourth individual to have
occurred in Britain depending on whether or not
sightings in England immediately prior to the
Fair Isle occurrence are viewed as relating to the
same individual or not by BBRC. These involve
one seen and photographed in a garden at
Belford, Northumberland on 1—2 May and one
present briefly at Weybourne, Norfolk on 7 May.
A subsequent report was made of a probable
male at West Runton, Norfolk on 3 June, while a
male was seen and photographed in a garden
in south Pembrokeshire on 13—15 July 2009.

30:2 (2010)

S.L. RIVERS

On 16 May 2009, David Clugston visited
Denburn Wood in Crail, Fife to check for any
spring migrants that may have dropped in.
Denburn has played host to many excellent birds
over the years, including a Swedish-ringed Black-
throated Dipper, Red-flanked Bluetail, Subalpine
Warbler, Arctic Warbler, Greenish Warbler, Hume’s
Leaf Warbler, numerous Yellow-broweds, several
Pallas’s Warblers, and Golden Oriole, and is
always worth a check during a trip to Fife Ness.
Reward for his decision came in the form of a
first-summer male Collared Flycatcher, a first for
mainland Fife and only the third ever to be found
on the Scottish mainland.

The bird favoured the south-east part of

Denburn Wood, an area of mature, mixed
deciduous trees with a good understorey of

30:2 (2010)

shrubs and ground vegetation. The contrast
between the black, freshly-moulted primaries
and the browner ones still retained from first-
winter plumage enabled it to be aged as a first-
summer bird. It remained a further three days
and proved very popular, attracting a large
number of admirers. The same weather pattern
which delivered this gem was presumably also
responsible for the White-winged Black Tern
which frequented the Eden Estuary, about 10
miles to the north-west, on 18-19 May.

This species is an endemic breeder within the
Western Palearctic, with the bulk of the
population found in Eastern Europe and

73

174

Articles, News & Views

eastwards from Estonia to the Ukraine into
Russia, mostly between 45° and 55°N, and
beyond the Volga as far as 53°E, but with
scattered breeding populations as far west as
easternmost France, southern Germany,
Switzerland and Italy. The entire population is
migratory, and winters predominantly in East
Africa, south of the equator, from Lake Victoria
to southernmost Mozambique, and in small
numbers in sub-Saharan West Africa.

There have been 30 individuals recorded in
Britain to the end of 2009 with 18 of these in
Scotland, including the Crail bird above. The
first British and Scottish record was an adult
male shot on Whalsay, Shetland on 11 May
1947. Since then most other Scottish records
have come from islands, with seven further
birds on Shetland (Out Skerries, 13 May 1975;
Out Skerries, 25 May 1976; Bressay, 23-24
May 1979; Tresta, 5 June 1995; Skaw, Unst, 13
June 1999; Muness, Unst 2 June 2004, and
Brow Marsh, near Loch of Spiggie, 9-10 May
2006), three on Fair Isle (8 October 1986; 28
May 1998; 9—12 May 2004), three on Orkney
(Newhill, Harray, 30 May 1963; Stronsay, 31
May 1980; North Ronaldsay, 31 May 1999),
and one on the Outer Hebrides (St Kilda, 24
May 1992).

There have been just three records from the
Scottish mainland, all from the east coast: a first-
summer male at Ethie Mains, Angus & Dundee,
from 31 May to 1 June 1997; a male at Cove,
North-east Scotland from 30 April to 1 May
1999, and the first-summer male at Denburn
Wood, Crail from 16-19 May 2009. Elsewhere
in Britain the majority of records are from south-
east England and East Anglia (7), with two from
south-west England, and singles in north-east
and north-west England and from Wales.

Birds found in Scotland have all been short-
stayers, with 12 one-day birds, four two-day
birds and just two lingering for four days - Fair
Isle 2004 and Fife 2009. Records elsewhere in
Britain are similarly brief, with most being one
or two-day birds and just single individuals
lingering for three and five days. The notable
exception is the male that was present at
Foreness, Kent on 24 May to 9 June 1984 - a
stay of 17 days.

The continuing rarity of this species in Britain,
despite breeding populations as close as France
and Germany, is shown in decade totals of one
in the 1940s, one in 1950s, three in 1960s, four
in 1970s, seven in 1980s, eight in 1990s, but just
six in the 2000s. There are two notable biases
with Collared Flycatcher records in Britain - the
domination of males (first-summer or adult) and
spring occurrences. Only two females have ever
been identified: one on Out Skerries in 1976 and
the other on North Ronaldsay in 1999. Similarly,
all but one of the 18 birds seen in Scotland have
been found between 30 April and 13 June, and
this is mirrored by the 12 records elsewhere in
Britain, which were all found between 28 April
and 20 June. The only autumn record in Britain
Is the first-winter trapped and ringed on Fair Isle
on 8 October 1986.

The bias towards males reflects the extreme
difficulty in separating first-winter and female
Collared Flycatchers trom similar-aged Pied
Flycatchers. It is also more likely that it would
be hormone-charged males that overshoot the
normal breeding areas in spring and become
prone to subsequent displacement to Britain by
existing weather patterns. An additional
suggestion is that migrants of this species in
Europe are strongly programmed to adopt a
strictly north-south flight direction in autumn.

Collared Flycatcher is much rarer in Britain than
Red-breasted Flycatcher, whose breeding range
overlaps much of the former but also extends a
lot further east, and which winters further east
into Asia. This observation is often cited as
support for the 180° reverse-migrant
mechanism of vagrancy in autumn (as
opposed to general vagrancy in all directions).
Any such genetically aberrant (180° reversed-
compass) Collared Flycatchers would be
expected to follow northerly to north-easterly
vectors, whereas similarly aberrant Red-
breasted Flycatchers are going to end up in
northern Europe on a westerly to north-westerly
displacement vector, and hence more likely to
reach British shores.

Stuart L. Rivers, Edinburgh
Email: sir.bee-eater @blueyonder.co.uk

30:2 (2010)

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cross; Highland, July 2009 © Ian Fulton.

Since 2004, my wife and | have visited
Applecross annually during the spring and
summer months, and on one occasion | made a
trip in late winter. Applecross is an isolated coastal
village on a peninsula flanked by Loch Torridon
on the north side and Loch Carron to the south.
Immediately to the west lies the Isle of Raasay
and behind that, Skye, with its distant snow-
capped peaks of the Cuillins, making a fine sight
from the village in winter and early spring.

There are two ways of approaching Applecross:
one Is to follow the coastal road from Shieldaig,
a distance of some 25 miles, or the more direct
route leading from Lochcarron via the mountain
road over Bealach na Ba. Over a distance of a
mile or so the road rises to 620 m (just over
2000 feet) with a few spectacular hairpin bends
near the top. From the car park on Carn Glas
there are panoramic views of the Outer
Hebrides, and to the north the impressive

30:2 (2010)

Beinn Bhan rises to 896 m. The higher ground
just to the north of the car park is the best place
| know to see Ptarmigan.

Like much of north-west Scotland, an isolated
locality such as Applecross is severely under-
watched and most bird records are sourced
from visiting birdwatchers. Fortunately,
Applecross Bay is shallow and sandy and only
about a kilometre across and therefore it is
possible to get a reasonable view of the whole
bay from a number of points.

Great Northern, Black-throated and Red-
throated Divers can be seen at any time of the
year and a few Black Guillemots and Long-tailed
Ducks are usually about, one of the latter was
present in June 2008. A mixture of waders
occurs during passage, a single Black-tailed
Godwit stayed for a couple of days in
September 2005, and occasionally a few Twite

175

176

Articles, News & Views

Plate 144. River Warbler, Applecross, Highland, July
2009 © Josh Jones.

and the odd Snow Bunting put in a brief
appearance. Perhaps the best find was one
evening in early March 2008, when a first-
winter (white form) Iceland Gull bathed at the
mouth of the River Applecross for at least ten
minutes, but unfortunately had left by the
following morning. Dippers are present on the
river, and further up the valley is a good place
to see Golden Eagle. In 2004, there was a Ring
Ouzel singing on the western slopes, but | have
not heard any since. Close to the village, there
is a large area of both coniferous and deciduous
woodland, together with some open heathy
ground. Common Crossbills are resident and
summer visitors include the odd Grasshopper
Warbler and Wood Warbler, and in the last two
years Garden Warblers appeared to have
moved in. A Pied Flycatcher singing outside the
village post office for a short time one morning
in 2007 was a real surprise. However, the find
of 2007 was on a June morning.

Around breakfast time a visiting fellow West
Midlands Bird Club member told me that he
had heard what he thought could be a Marsh
Warbler singing from a trackside behind the
village about a mile away, but had dismissed
the idea on the grounds that it could not
possibly occur in this part of the world and had
concluded the it must be a Garden Warbler with

an aberrant song. Within the hour | visited the
site and amazingly it was a Marsh Warbler,
singing from a boggy hollow with scattered
willows surrounded by Bracken. It sang
vigorously from early morning to about midday
each of the three following mornings that we
remained in Applecross. In view of the fact that
| provided much information and had pointed
out that for many years | had monitored the one
time population of Marsh Warblers in the Avon
Valley, Worcestershire | was surprised how long
it took the SBRC to accept this record.

However, even this record was surpassed in
2009. In the Applecross Inn on the evening of
30 June 2009, | had heard that a Barn Owl had
recently been seen hunting over a tract of
marshy ground adjacent to the heritage centre
and decided to go down there at dusk that
evening and have a look. As | walked along the
road beside the marsh, | heard a strange loud
mechanical sound coming from somewhere
close to the heritage centre. The sound was
more reminiscent of a cicada or something
similar rather than that of any bird familiar to me.
| approached carefully and stood for a few
minutes looking out into nearby scrub where the
sound seemed to be coming from. Eventually |
managed to obtain a brief but close view of a
small bird on the top of a fence post. Although
by now the light was fading fast it appeared to
be a warbler and similar to Grasshopper Warbler
and therefore | concluded that it must be an
unfamiliar Locustella species. | returned to the
Inn and having consulted the field guides
decided that the plumage was indeed that of a
Locustella warbler and the one species
described as having a song likened to the
sound of “a powerful sewing-machine” was the
River Warbler L. fluviatilis. The record of such a
rare bird, particularly on the western mainland
of Scotland, needed some confirmation. | rang
Al McNee (then Highland Recorder) and the
following evening he and two friends drove
across from Inverness. Unfortunately, it had
been raining during the day and although it had
stopped shortly before they arrived, the evening
was damp and murky. A recording of the song
was played for comparison and all agreed that
it was undoubtedly a _ River Warbler.
Unfortunately, no doubt owing to the poor
weather conditions, the bird was very retiring

30:2 (2010)

and only offered brief bursts of song and one
or two rather poor views.

However, during the early morning of the
following days the bird sang prolifically, often in
Uninterrupted bursts for minutes at a time, one
burst was timed at four minutes 15 seconds; on
one calm morning | was able to hear the song
clearly while standing on the edge of the bay at
least 400 m away. Surprisingly, the preferred
song perch was a prominent dead twig at the
top of a 15 m high Sycamore Acer pseudo-
platanus which was within 5 m of the wall of the
centre, and the bird appeared to only
occasionally wander into the immediate area,
consisting of damp areas of rush VUuncus sp.)
grassland and scrub mainly of Western Gorse
Ulex gallii. \t was very tame and allowed
approach right up to the tree. Apparently the bird
had been present at least two days earlier and
had originally been identified as a Grasshopper
Warbler with an unusual song, even though
there were two Grasshopper Warblers singing
close by for comparison. We left Applecross four
days later with the bird still singing his head off,
no doubt continuing to do so for the benefit of
many visitors during the following days. /t was
last reported on 14 July (eds).

Roger Maskew, Worcestershire

River Warbler

- its status in Scotland

This species breeds predominantly in the
Western Palearctic from southern Finland and
the south-east Baltic States south through
Poland, eastern Germany and Austria
eastwards through Europe and the Ukraine into
Russia from the White Sea to the Sea of Azor,
and through the Urals into westernmost Siberia.
The entire population is migratory and winters
in East Africa from Kenya and southernmost
Somalia south to Botswana and northernmost
areas of the Republic of South Africa.

There have been 35 River Warblers recorded in
Britain to the end of 2008, with 20 of these in
Scotland. The first British record was a _first-
winter on Fair Isle on 24—25 September 196].
Since then there have been two further British
records in the 1960s, none in the 1970s, nine

30:2 (2010)

Articles, News & Views

in the 1980s, and six from 2000 to 2008. In
addition to the Applecross bird, there were two
others in 2009, both on Fair Isle - one on 3]
May and one on 5—12 October.

The Scottish records to the end of 2008 have
virtually all been on the Northern Isles with five
on Shetland (Out Skerries on 9-10 October
1993, Foula on 14 September 1995, Lerwick on
14 September 1995, Sumburgh on 15-17
September 1995 and Foula on 15 June 2006),
12 on Fair Isle (24-25 September 1961, 16
September 1969, 23-24 May 1981, 22
September 1982 24-26 September 1982 7
June wSS4, 2Z5=xS IMIG “WSIS, AS=27/
September 1993, 27 May 1995, 21-25
September 2002, 15 June 2006 and 1] June
2007), and two on Orkney (North Ronaldsay
on 15 September 1995 and Burnbraes, Evie on
8-17 June 2008). The only exception was the
long-staying, singing male at Clatto Reservoir,
Fife on 16-25 July 1994. The find dates for
these fall into discrete spring (40%) and
autumn peaks (60%) peaks, and the average
length of stay is just 2.7 days, with nine one-
day birds and two lingering for 10 days. The
Applecross bird is therefore the longest staying
individual in Scotland by a margin of four days.

Elsewhere in Britain there have been 14 records
in England, mostly from east coast counties,
from Northumberland (two in 1996), Gtr
Manchester (1995), Yorkshire (1981, 1989),
Staffordshire (1996), Lincolnshire (1998),
Cambridgeshire (1992, 1995), Norfolk (1981,
1989), Suffolk (1984), Buckinghamshire (1997)
and Sussex (2008), with many birds found well
inland. There is also a single record from Wales
- Bardsey, Caernarfon on 17 September 1969.
Interestingly, and by contrast to Scotland, the find
dates for these records are spread from spring
through to autumn (4 in May, 5 in June, 3 in July,
2 in August and one in September), while the
average length of stay for these birds is 9.3 days,
with five individuals remaining for two weeks or
more - Pettistree, Suffolk from 13 July to 3 August
1984 (22 days); Boughton Fen, Norfolk trom
8-2] July 1989 (14); Scotsman’s Flash, Greater
Manchester from 11 June to 12 July 1995 (G2);
near Bellingham, Northumberland on 16—30
June 1996 (15); and Doxey Marshes,
Staffordshire from 20 June to 22 July 1996 (33).

- <a ‘ . %
e SS
wo ~ A *%
- —
-
4 ‘ WY]
i

Plate 145. Parrot Crossbill ‘licking’ seeds from ripe Scots Pine cone, North-east Scotland, May 2003 © Harry Scott.

178

”

Ta » * \ ‘ ?

Crossbills - some clues for their
identification in the field

R. RAE

Crossbills can be found throughout the world,
wherever cones are available on the various
species of conifer that occur within their
widespread range. This wide range has facilitated
the evolution of many species and sub-species.

In the UK, three breeding species are currently
recognised: Common Crossbill, Parrot Crossbill
and, the UK's only endemic bird species, the
Scottish Crossbill. In all three, numbers vary from
year to year according to the type and availability
of cones within the various regions and the
ranges of the three species. All species will
temporarily abandon areas when cones become
scarce or absent, only to reoccupy them again
when the cone crop becomes plentiful.

Correct identification of these birds has long
been an issue (e.g. Knox 1990) and the recent
trend towards further splitting these to different

‘types’ using sonagrams (e.g. Robb 2000) has
probably overcomplicated the issue. However,
there are just four species of Loxia recognised in
Europe (Iwo-barred Crossbill is not covered
here) and these can all be positively identified
in the field with careful observation and the use
of some fairly obvious clues.

| have never looked at crossbills in the UK
outwith Scotland so the following should be
applied only to Scotland, although | can see no
reason why the principles should not be sound
for the whole of the UK. The following guidelines
will not identify all birds conclusively, but they
will be helpful for the vast majority of birds
encountered in suitable conditions. It should be
stressed at the outset that these hints are no
substitute for competent fieldwork, familiarity
with the species and careful observation. Please
remember, we all regularly see birds we need

30:2 (2010)

second observations of to confirm their identifi-
cation, and some we Just never get the features
we need to make that conclusive identification -
crossbills are no different.

Range & habitat

At present, the full ranges of the three species
in the UK are only roughly known (Forrester et
al. 2007); this is probably the result of
observers being unwilling to positively identify
many birds they see (as Is apparent in the new
BTO/SOC atlas fieldwork). Published maps can
tell you what Is likely to be found in a given
area, but a word of caution and to reiterate, the
ranges of these species are not fully
understood, so do not rule anything out on
that basis alone.

The habitats described below are a far better
guide to what may be expected in any given area.
In fact, an understanding of the habitat is essential.
Crossbills have evolved bill sizes to exploit the
different cone types found on the various species
of conifer. This in turn can be used as an indication
to what species are likely to be found feeding on
them (Marquiss & Rae 2002).

Sitka and Norway Spruces are used primarily
by Common Crossbills and by Scottish Crossbills
if they occur within the species’ range.

European, Japanese and hybrid Larches are
used frequently by both Common and Scottish
Crossbills at all times of the year.

Lodgepole Pines are used by Scottish and
Common Crossbills, although sparingly by
Commons; Parrots do also occasionally also
use these trees.

‘Plantation Pines’ are used by Scottish
Crossbills and occasionally by Parrot Crossbills,
especially if the plantation is near to native
Caledonian Pine. Common Crossbills use both
plantation and native pine especially in spring
when the spruce crops are exhausted and the
pine cones are ripe and dropping their seed.

Native Caledonian Pines are used by both
Scottish and Parrot Crossbills throughout the
year. They can be used by Common Crossbill
(see above).

30:2 (2010)

Articles, News & Views

Time of year
Below are typical times of the year to expect
these species on the following trees.

Spruce. Cones of the year are used by
Common Crossbills from July, when the cones
are still green, until the last of the cones have
dropped their seeds during the following spring.
Scottish Crossbill will use these on occasions
when available up to January/February

Spruce JPL NAL TAN ILI a AN Se COPS IB)
Common EERE ae LE
Scottish og eee
Parrot

Larch. Larch cones, being vertical, hold their
seed for more than a year and are regularly fed
on by Scottish and Common Crossbills. They are
eaten from July/August onwards, when the
purple/green cones of the year appear. Scottish
Crossbills will feed on these, particularly if the
cone crop on pines is poor. | have never seen
Parrot Crossbills feeding on Larch.

Larch
Common

Scottish
Parrot

Eo MeAEM AeA eS OsNeD

Scots Pine. from August onwards when the
cones are still green, by both Parrot and Scottish
Crossbills. After the cones open in_ spring,
Common Crossbills may also be found feeding
on Scots Pine.

Scots Pine J FMAMJJ)AS OND
Common

Scottish
Parrot

Common Crossbills are of course migrants and
are regularly to be seen feeding on Thrift and
thistles on the islands that surround our coasts.
| have also watched Scottish Crossbills attacking
apples. None of these are regular food supplies,
but it does illustrate that food is what ts available
at the time - again caution should be exercised
when using this criteria.

180

Articles, News & Views

What are they eating?

Spruce. Common Crossbills feed on the green
cones from July onwards. They remove these from
the tree, hold them in their feet and extract the
seeds before discarding the cone. These discarded
sreen/purple cones may be found, often in great
quantities, below favoured feeding trees. From
autumn onwards, these cones begin to ripen to
the familiar brown, and as the cones ripen further,
they open them to discard their seed. The crossbills
can then simply extract the seed from the cones in
situ and quickly flit from cone to cone simply licking
out the ripe seeds that are ready to fall.

Larch. Fed on from late summer/early autumn
when the cones are still green/purple to the
following summer by both Common and
Scottish Crossbills. As already stated, larch cones
hold their seed for more than one year and birds
can often be seen foraging on cones that are
two or more years old.

Plate 146 A-D. (A) Green Sitka Spruce cones opened
only at the base by Common Crossbill; (B) Green Sitka
Spruce opened along the complete cone by Common
Crossbill; (C) Green Larch cone opened by either

Common or Scottish Crossbill; (D) Ripe Larch cone
again opened by either Common or Scottish Crossbill.

30:2 (2010)

Pine. Both Parrot and Scottish Crossbills are
capable of opening pine cones throughout the
year. When they feed on ripening green cones,
the different species can be identified with
certainty. Only Parrot Crossbill can access the
seeds by slicing through the cones with their
powertul bills. Scottish Crossbills can only pry
open the scales of the cones in a more conven-
tional manner (see Plate 146). By spring, when
the cones have ripened and opened, all three
species may be found feeding on pine, again
often just licking out the seeds from the open
cones without removing them from the trees.

30:2 (2010)

Articles, News & Views

| have seen Common Crossbills attempt to
open green pine cones in autumn. This they
can do, but not very efficiently; it is very
probable that these are generally just too hard
for them.

| have on occasion seen Parrot Crossbill feeding
from the ground on fallen pine seed; this has
always been in June/July.

Plate 146 E-H. (E) Open Scots Pine cone showing
heal when torn from tree by a crossbill; (F) Ripe Scots
Pine cones opened by Scottish Crossbills; (G) Green
Scots Pine cone prised open by Scottish Crossbill; (H)
Green Scots Pine cone ‘sliced’ open by Parrot Crossbill.

181]

Articles, News & Views

30:2 (2010)

What colour are they?

Common Crossbill

Generally Common Crossbills are more variable
in their colouration than Scottish or Parrot
Crossbills. Males often tend towards a lurid pink
or bright ‘Pillar Box Red’ all the way to an
orange/yellow/gold. Pink males can be identified
as Common Crossbills. Females are olive/grey
towards a lime colouration, sometimes with
lemon yellow rumps. Flocks of commons
frequently have birds showing juvenile streaky
plumage as late as December. Juveniles may be
expected from late January/February onwards.

Scottish Crossbill

These are less brightly coloured and are less
prone to the variation of colour found in
Common Crossbills. Males can be described as
being orange/red but not pinkish. Birds displaying
a variety of colours may be found but these
colours are never as lurid as Common Crossbills.
Gold coloured males are not uncommon.
Females are mostly dull olive in colour, often
with much grey around the head. | have handled
bronze/red females. Scottish Crossbill flocks
seldom have birds showing juvenile plumage
after September/October as juveniles are
generally to be expected from April/May.

Parrot Crossbill

These are similar in colouration to the Scottish
Crossbill, but generally less bright and frequently
with more of a grey hue to their plumage.
Juveniles may be expected from April /May.

It should be noted that plumage coloration is
dependant on the food supply during moult, so
again caution should be exercised. | have also
observed yellow/green males, gold males,
females with red overtones and almost every
variant of these in all the species described. This is
particularly true of Common Crossbills, although
Scottish Crossbills also show a similar, but not as
extensive a variation. Parrot Crossbills, probably as
a result of their less varied diet, display less of a
variation in their plumage coloration.

Plate 147 A-E. Variations and extremes in colouration
of Common Crossbills showing ‘gold’ and ‘red’ males
on the left with ‘gold’ and ‘red’ females (which can be
separated by dark spots on crown) on the right. Birds
‘B-E’ are adults caught in lower Deeside, North-east
Scotland in late September 2009 and bird ‘A’ was
caught in early November 2008 © Rab Rae.

30:2 (2010)

Articles, News & Views

Bill shape
Crossbill species are generally separated on bill
size (Plate 148 overleaf).

Common Crossbills have the smallest bill size
of the three UK species, the ranges of which are
described elsewhere (Cramp 1977), however, it
is not the size but the overall shape that is
important. In Common Crossbill the tips of the
mandibles always point forwards; — this
appearance Is created by the downward
curvature of the upper mandible, which in
Commons is the least of the three species. This
often, but not always, gives the bill a slender
appearance that can often appear small in
relation to the overall head size.

Scottish Crossbills have larger bills than
Common Crossbills. They are also generally
deeper, on both the lower and upper
mandibles, with the tip of the lower bill pointing
upwards rather than forward. The upper
mandible is steeply decurved, this gives the bill
a thick, stocky appearance. The bill appears
powerful and has a well balanced appearance
to the overall head shape.

Parrot Crossbills are probably the easiest to
separate, as their bills often appear to sprout
from the top of their head giving them a very
‘Roman nosed’, bulbous appearance. The lower
mandible in particular appears powerful and
deep, often almost the same depth as the
upper mandible. Again, the lower bill tip points
up and the upper down. The upper mandible
very steeply down curved and can often appear
to be almost too big for the head and almost
‘parrot like’ in appearance.

All crossbills show a great variation in their bill
shape and size, even between the individuals in
known pairs, let alone flocks. It is the general bill
shape in relation to the bird's head that is the
principle.

So to summarise, Common Crossbills have
small neat bills in relation to the head size, while
Scottish Crossbills have a bigger, stocky bill but
not excessively big for the head size. Only Parrot
Crossbills have a bill that starts from the top of
the skull, although not all Parrot Crossbills
display this feature.

183

Articles, News & Views

Plate 148. Differences in head and bill shape of live birds across the three crossbill species, all caught in
Deeside, North-east Scotland. Note all bills cross in the same direction to keep comparisons consistent. (C1—-5)
Common Crossbill, (S1-5) Scottish Crossbill and (P1-5) Parrot Crossbill © Rab Rae.

184 tish Bii 30:2 (2010)

Flight & flock contact calls

Common Crossbills have the most variable
flight calls. In general, they are best described as
high pitched, crisp and ‘cheepy’. Flocks can
often sound quite frantic. The alarm/contact call
is a similar tone and is given at the fastest rate
of the three species.

The call of the Scottish Crossbill is probably best
described as ‘chooky’ and is lower pitched than
that of Common Crossbill. The alarm/contact call
is noticeably lower and slower.

Parrot Crossbills have the deepest call of the
three species; the flight call also has a
resonating quality compared to that of the other
two species and a slower rhythm than the
Scottish Crossbill. The call is also less ‘crisp’. The
alarm/contact call is deeper and slower than
that of Scottish Crossbill.

Alarm contact calls are frequently given from the
very top of a tree by all species.

Much has recently been made of the calls of the
various Common Crossbills found across the UK
and Europe, with many observers trying to divide,
subdivide and categorise the various crossbills calls
into even more ‘types’ (Férschler & Kalko 2009).

However, as Common Crossbills are originating
from regions from Scandinavia to Siberia (Newton
2006) the fact that their calls differ is hardly
surprising. Common Crossbills caught for ringing
do show differences in their biometrics, indicating
that there are differences in the populations, but
this does not make them a different subspecies.

The Common Crossbill is an irruptive species
and, from ringing results, birds are known to
have bred one year in the UK and then abroad
in a subsequent year (Newton 2006). As such
behaviour is a regular feature of this species,
there is clearly great opportunity for
interbreeding across the wide ranges of
suitable habitat that exists for this species
within the Western Palaearctic. Such
behaviour is unlikely to lead to the species
evolving into separate subspecies.

Calls, as has been shown, can also be learned
as well as inherited (Groth 1993). Differing calls

30:2 (2010)

Articles, News & Views

can also be the caused by local dialects. After all
we have all heard the difference between Great
Tit and Chaffinch songs and calls within small
distances. These local dialects can often differ
between different glens, never mind countries,
but they are still Great Tits and still Chaffinches.
We should therefore always use calls for positive
identification with great caution.

With all that said, to the experienced observer
call is often the first indication of the presence
of crossbills and with practice, the species can
often be correctly identified on call alone.

In conclusion, there is no shortcut to the correct
identification of these species. Patient observation
and familiarity of the species is essential and this
comes with getting out into the habitats
described above and getting to know the species
through field-work on a regular basis.

Robert Rae,11 Millend, Newburgh,
nr Ellon, Aberdeenshire AB41 6DX
Email: rab.rae @wellheads.co.uk

References

Cramp, S. 1977. Birds of the Western
Palaearctic. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Forrester, R.W., Andrews, |.J., McInerny, C.J.,
Murray, R.D., McGowan, R.Y., Zonfrillo, B.,
Betts, M.W., Jardine, D.C. & Grundy, D.S.
(eds) 2007. The Birds of Scotland. The
Scottish Ornithologists’ Club, Aberlady.

Forschler, M.1. & Kalko, E.K.V. 2009. Vocal types
in crossbill populations (Loxia spp.) of Southwest
Europe. Journal of Ornithology 150: 17-27.

Groth, J.G. 1993. Call matching and positive
assortative mating in red crossbills. Auk 110:
398-401.

Knox A.G. 1990. Identification of Crossbill and
Scottish Crossbill. British Birds 83: 89-94.

Marquiss M. & Rae R. 2002. Ecological differen-
tiation in relation to bill size amongst sympatric,
genetically undifferentiated crossbills Loxia spp.
Ibis 144: 494-508.

Newton, I. 2006. Movement patterns of
Common Crossbills Loxia curvirostra in Europe.
Ibis 148: 782-788.

Robb, M.S. 2000. Introduction to vocalizations of
crossbills in north-western Europe. Dutch
Birding 22: 61—107.

185

Birdline Scotland Review

Birdline Scotland Review:
1 July to 31 December 2009

A. MURRAY & S.L. RIVERS

BIRDLINE
SCOTLAND

09068 700234

Bringing you all the latest bird
sightings from around Scotland

186

All records refer to the period 1
July-31 December 2009 unless
otherwise stated.

Records in Birdline Scotland
Reviews are published for
interest only. All records are
subject to acceptance by the
relevant records committee.

Records for inclusion’ in
future Birdline Scotland
Reviews should be phoned in
on the Birdline Scotland
Hotline 01292 611994.

The long-staying River Warbler
remained the headline bird into
July, but was temporarily
displaced by the discovery of
Scotland’s fifth Stilt Sandpiper,
heralding the start of Nearctic
wader occurrences for the
autumn. Typical August scarcities
and rarities were largely in short
supply this year, while
seawatching too was generally
disappointing. It was birds of
Nearctic rather than Eastern
Palearctic origin that were the
main talking points in September
- the Blackburnian Warbler and
Yellow-billed Cuckoo were only
seen by a lucky few, but the adult
Sandhill Crane on Orkney proved
a major draw. The first fortnight of
October saw the Northern Isles
and especially Shetland almost

totally dominant in respect of
rare birds, not just in Scotland but
also in the whole of the UK.
October also saw an unprece-
dented influx of Firecrests.
Wildfowl were the main feature
of November which otherwise
proved generally disappointing
except for an unprecedentedly
late Blyth’s Reed Warbler on
Shetland and a couple of long-
staying American waders in
Lothian. Waders continued to
dominate the headlines into
December rather than the
traditional midwinter rarities,
despite it being one of the
coldest Decembers in Scotland
for many years.

The following abbreviations for
the respective recording areas are
used within the text: Ang - Angus
& Dundee; Arg - Argyll; Ayrs -
Ayrshire; Bord - Borders; Caith -
Caithness; D&G - Dumfries &
Galloway; High - Highland; Loth -
Lothian; M&N - Moray & Nairn;
NES - North-east Scotland; Ork -
Orkney; OH - Outer Hebrides;
P&K - Perth & Kinross; Shet -
Shetland; UF - Upper Forth.

Bewick’s Swan: an adult was seen
briefly at WWT Caerlaverock (D&G)
on 8 December. Tundra Bean
Goose: a mini influx brought up to

nine birds to Shetland in
November. Snow Goose: four
were seen, all amongst the

returning Pink-footed Geese: in
North-east Scotland (2), Highland
and Lothian. At least three were
reported in November, including
the blue morph Lesser at
Gollanfield (High) on 15th, with
then possibly the same bird with
the Pink-footed Geese at RSPB
Loch of Strathbeg (NES) from 17th.

Up to five were noted in
December: the blue morph in
North-east Scotland, white morphs
in Argyll and Perth & Kinross and
then at the end of the month a
blue morph and a white morph
with Pink-footed Geese at
Coxtontower, near Elgin (M&N) on
24—28th. Canada Goose: at least
four presumed vagrant birds were
reported in October and
November, all on Islay (Arg). Up to
six small and medium race birds
were reported from Argyll during
December, all on Islay and Tiree.
Ruddy Shelduck: at least four were
seen in July - two at Montrose
Basin (Ang) on 1—30th, and two
on the Eden Estuary (Fife) on 3rd,
with then presumably the latter two
at Loch Leven (P&K) on 4th. Two
were seen off and on at Loch
Leven (P&K) throughout August,
with two birds again at Montrose
Basin (Ang) on 17—18th. American
Wigeon: two different drakes were
seen in Dumfries & Galloway from
13 October. Single drakes were in
Dumfries & Galloway and on
Shetland in November. Two drakes
were seen in December, both in
Dumfries & Galloway: at Castle
Loch, Lochmaben up to 14th and at
WWT Caerlaverock on 2-9th.
Green-winged Teal: a drake was at
Graemeshall Loch (Ork) on 2-5
July. Three were seen in October,
and seven drakes were seen in
November, including three in
Dumfries & Galloway. Two were still
in Dumfries & Galloway in
December with further drakes in
Moray & Nairn, on Islay (Arg) still
and at Vane Farm RSPB (P&K) on
31st. Blue-winged Teal: three
juveniles were at Howmore River,
South Uist (OH) on 14 September
- largest group ever in the UK. One
was reported briefly at South

30:2 (2010)

Nesting (Shet) on 31 October.
Ring-necked Duck: a drake was
present at Loch Gelly (Fife) from 28
July to 2 September with further
drakes in August at Kilconquhar
Loch (Fife) on 14—17th and Loch
Leven (P&K) on 25th; in
September two drakes were at
Loch Leven (P&K) on 20th, a
juvenile drake on Tiree (Arg) on
22—28th, and one at Loch Ryan
(D&G) on 29-30th. Four were
seen in October, and a female was
on North Ronaldsay (Ork) on 14
December. Ferruginous Duck: a
drake at Skinflats on 25 July was the
first record for Upper Forth, with
presumably the same bird then
relocating to Loch Gelly (Fife) the
next day where it remained
throughout August to the start of
September, with presumably the
same bird then seen at Loch Leven
(P&K) on 19 September. Lesser
Scaup: a drake was again at Loch
of Benston (Shet) on 16
September. King Eider: a drake
was between Burghead and
Hopeman (M&N) from 16
November into 2010, and a first-
winter drake at Haroldswick, Unst
(Shet) on 21 December. Surf
Scoter: up to two drakes were still
off Blackdog (NES) during July; two
drakes were off Kinnaber (Ang) on
2 August, with at least one still
present on 8th, up to three drakes
were between Murcar-Blackdog
(NES) on 8-Sth and a drake was at
Burghead Bay (IM&N) on 24 August
with two drakes there on 30th; in
September drakes were in NE
Scotland, Angus and on Orkney
(2). Eight were reported in October;
up to two drakes were in Largo Bay
(Fife) during November with a
returning female on Tiree (Arg)
from 23rd. At least six were seen in
December, all at usual areas: at
least one drake on Orkney, two
drakes at Sound of Taransay (OH),
a female still on Tiree (Arg) and a
drake and a female at Largo Bay
(Fife). Smew: only five were
reported in November - three of
these at Loch Leven (P&K). Seven
were reported in December, with
three still on Loch Leven.

30:2 (2010)

Quail: July saw the best showing
in Scotland since 1997 with c 120
singing males reported, mainly
from east coast counties, with the
largest numbers reported from
Lothian. White-billed Diver: an
adult was off Burray (Ork) on 5
October. One in Bluemull Sound,
Yell/Fetlar (Shet) on 16
November was presumably the
regular returning bird. The only
report in December was an adult
again off Sound Gruney, Fetlar
(Shet) on 11th. Red-necked
Grebe: numbers at Gosford Bay
(Loth) peaked at 51 birds on 17
August. Black-browed Albatross:
an adult was reported from Fife
Ness (Fife) on 17 October. Cory’s
Shearwater: a very late bird was
reported past Marwick Head
(Ork) on 29 October. Great
Shearwater: the first of the
autumn was one flying past North
Ronaldsay (Ork) on 31 August;
around 35 were logged in
September, mainly from North
Ronaldsay and Lewis (QOH),
though 11 were seen from
Oban-—Lochboisdale (South Uist,
OH) ferry on Ist. One was
reported from Tarbat Ness (High)
on 10 October Sooty

Plate 149. Cattle Egret, Islay, Argyll, October 2009 © Jim Dickson.

Birdline Scotland Review

\

Shearwater: small numbers were
noted from 21 July, while the
largest count reported in August
was of 37 past the Brough of
Birsay (Ork) on 28th. Balearic
Shearwater: in July two flew past
Dunbar on 7th and one past
Barns Ness on 15th (both Loth).
In August 13 were reported - all
from Ayrshire and Argyll between
11—23rd.

Bittern: two were seen in
December - one near Craobh
Haven (Arg) on 8—9th (the first in
Argyll since 1999) and at Aberlady
Bay (Loth) on 20th. Cattle Egret:
one present on Islay from 23
October to 6 November was the
first record for Argyll. Little Egret:
four were reported during July; 17
in August, mostly in Dumfries &
Galloway, and over a dozen in
September, including a_ long-
staying bird on the Eden Estuary
(Fife). Thirteen were seen in
Scotland in October; at least 12
were noted in November, all in
western Scotland between
Dumfries & Galloway and the
Outer Hebrides. At least nine were
reported in December: three each
from Outer Hebrides, Argyll and

187

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Birdline Scotland Review

a/ i Nica ae oO? 4

Plate 150. Glossy Ibis, Loch of Strathbeg, North-east

October 2009 © Chris Gibbins.

Dumfries & Galloway. Great White
Egret: two were noted in July -
singles on the Ythan Estuary (NES)
on 3-6th and Graemeshall Loch
(Ork) on 5-19th. One was on
Mainland Shetland at the start of
August, at Tirsa Water on 4th, then
nearby at Sand Water on 6-8th.
One was seen flying south in the
Sound of Islay (Arg) on 16
October. At least two were seen in
November, with a_ series. of
sightings in North-east Scotland
and Moray & Nairn. A single bird
could have been responsible for all
sightings in December: at
Kilconquhar Loch (Fife) on 6—12th
- third county record, Miltonhaven
caravan park (NES) on 13th, at
Monikie CP and then Forfar Loch
(both Ang) on 14th - only second
county record, over Inchgarth
Reservoir (NES) on 21st and in
flight near Loch Spynie (M&N) on
24th. Glossy Ibis: the influx of c
50 birds into Britain in September
produced just a single bird in
Scotland - a juvenile on Mull (Arg)
on 16—17th with (presumably) the
same bird at Loch Sween (Arg) on
24—27th. A first-winter was near
RSPB Loch of Strathbeg Reserve
(NES) on 9-26 October, and one

> Sa
\ S

Scotland,

was seen briefly on the River Forth
near Dunmore (UF) on 9
November. Spoonbill: two were at
Tullibody Inch (UF) on 3 July, then
Loch Leven (P&K) the next day,
with one or other then perhaps
responsible for sightings at Dundee
(Ang) on 5th, Kinneil (UF) on 12th,
Montrose Basin (Ang) on 14—18th
and at RSPB Loch of Strathbeg
(NES) on 16 July.

Rough-legged Buzzard: the only
report was one at Blackdog (NES)
on 7 November. Hobby: three
were seen in July - all on Shetland
between 7—2I1st, and seven were
reported in August. Gyrfalcon: an
adult white morph _ bird,
photographed on a fencepost at
Glen Clova (Ang) on 2 August was
presumed to be of suspect origin. A
grey morph bird flew in over the
sea near Stromness (Ork) on 8
December. Common Crane: in
August one was Tyninghame on
25-29th and then over Aberlady
Bay on 30th (both Loth), with
another bird again at Mid Walls
(Shet) on 24th; three birds were
near Tain (High) on 24-27
September. Sandhill Crane: one
was on South Ronaldsay (Ork) -

the fourth UK record and first since
the well-watched bird at Exnaboe
(Shet) in September 1991. Present
on at least 22—29th in the Burwick
area (though almost certainly first
seen at least 10 days prior to this)
this year's bird proved a very
popular draw indeed. On the
morning of 29th it flew out to sea
to the south-east and was then
remarkably tracked offshore along
the Caithness and then Sutherland
coasts for the rest of that morning
by two observers before it was last
seen circling inland of Brora just
after 12.15 pm that afternoon.

American Golden Plover: an adult
was at Bornish, South Uist (OH) on
29-31 August. At least 15 birds
were logged between the start of
September and the first week of
October, all on Scottish islands, and
all bar one being adults including
four different on Tiree (Arg) and
three birds together at Deerness
(Ork). Nine were reported in
October. ‘Lesser’ Golden Plover:
an indeterminate bird was on Tiree
from 30 August to 1 September.
Semipalmated Sandpiper: a
juvenile was at the South Ford,
South Uist (OH) on 20 August.
Little Stint: following one at
Musselburgh (Loth) on 23 July, just
eleven were reported in August.
After a few in September, the last
was on 10 October. White-
rumped Sandpiper: an adult was
trapped on 1 August at Montrose
Basin (Ang) during a wader ringing
session, and was still present on
3rd at least (a Pectoral Sandpiper
has also been ringed here before).
One was present at RSPB Loch of
Strathbeg Reserve (NES) on 1-9
October. Baird's Sandpiper:
during September two juveniles
were seen on the Outer Hebrides -
at Loch Paible, North Uist on 6th
and South Uist on 10—-12th, with
another juvenile on Tiree (Arg) on
19—28th. One was at Kilpheder,
South Uist (OH) on 2 October. A
juvenile was at Belhaven Bay
(Loth) on 7-11 November with the
bird then relocated nearby at White
Sands Bay on 30th where it

30:2 (2010)

remained into January. This
appears to be only the second ever
over-wintering record in the UK -
the other a juvenile at Staines
Reservoir, Surrey in 1982/83.
Pectoral Sandpiper: an adult was
present at RSPB Loch of Strathbeg
Reserve (NES) on 9-11 July, with a
second there on 30-31 July, with
further birds on North Ronaldsay
(Ork) on 17th and 24th and one
briefly at Cramond (Loth) on 26
July. Five were seen in August -
two at RSPB Loch of Strathbeg
(NES), on Orkney (2) and at Loch
of Houll, Whalsay (Shet) on
20—27th; up to 20 birds were seen
in September including three in
Dumfries & Galloway, four on Tiree
(Arg) on 26th and at least two in
North-east Scotland. Eleven were
seen in October. Stilt Sandpiper:
an adult at RSPB Loch of Strathbeg
Reserve (NES) on 9-11 July was
only the fifth record for Scotland
and only the second ever for the
Mainland. Buff-breasted
Sandpiper: at least 12 birds were
seen in September, all on islands,
and three were noted in October.
Long-billed Dowitcher: a juvenile
was at Howmore River, South Uist
(OH) on 12 September, with
another juvenile at Ballo Reservoir
(Fife) on 13-19 September. One
was on South Uist then North Uist
(OH) on 2—26 October, and one
was reported at Loch Gruinart, Islay
(Arg) on 28 December.
Hudsonian Whimbrel: a juvenile
was at Bornish, South Uist (OH) on
12 September. Upland Sandpiper:
one was at Quoys of Reiss, near
Wick, on 28 September - the first
record for Caithness. Spotted
Sandpiper: a juvenile was at
Heylipol, Tiree (Arg) on 31 August
and juveniles were on Orkney on 5
October and Shetland on 11-18
October; an adult was on the
Endrick Water, near Killearn (Clyde)
ion 28 Novemocr io 7
December. Green Sandpiper:
good numbers were reported in
August. Greater Yellowlegs: one
was seen briefly at Kinneil Lagoon
(UF) on 24 December. Lesser
Yellowlegs: one was on the Eden

30:2 (2010)

Estuary (Fife) on 21-22 July -
second for Fife, and an adult at
Aberlady Bay (Loth) from 22 July to
20 December - fourth record for
Lothian and the longest staying bird
ever in Scotland. Another was at
RSPB Loch of Strathbeg (NES) on

16-18 September. | Wood
Sandpiper: at least 20 were
reported in August. Wilson's

Phalarope: one was present at
Musselburgh Lagoons on 14-26
November - fourth record for
Lothian. Grey Phalarope: one in
non-breeding plumage was at
RSPB Loch of Strathbeg Reserve
(NES) on 17 July.

Pomarine Skua: only low
numbers were reported in August,
with 15 past Kinghorn Harbour
(Fife) on 30th the peak count.
Long-tailed Skua: six were
reported in July - three in Highland,
singles in Lothian and Shetland,
and an adult past RSPB Loch of
Strathbeg (NES) on 11th - the first
record fof the feserve:
Disappointingly low numbers were
noted in August. Sabine’s Gull:
two were reported in July - singles
off Gairloch (High) on 23—25th
and from the Ullapool-Stornoway

Birdline Scotland Review

ferry on 29th. There was a
remarkable series of reports from
Highland from 11 August when a
first-summmer was at Balchladich
Bay, with then at least three
different birds seen from whale-
watching trips out of Gairloch on
seven dates between 12th and
27th and finally an adult was
reported from Tarbat Ness on 25th.
An adult spent the evening of 29
August on the Eden Estuary (Fife).
Laughing Gull: an adult was at
Eoligarry, Barra (OH) on 13
September. Franklin’s Gull: a
second-summer on Holm,
Mainland Orkney from 12 July was
the first record for Orkney, but
became elusive and was last
reported at Mill Sand, Tankerness
on 16 October. Ring-billed Gull:
an adult at Dunstaffnage Bay (Arg)
on 11—12 October was presumably
a regular returning bird. The only
report in November was the
regular adult at Oban (Arg); five
were reported in December: adults
still at Oban (Arg) on 8th at least,
and Kinneil (UF) on 10th, and
others at Findhorn (M&N) and
Ormsary (Arg) both on 29th, and a
second-winter was at Strathclyde
Loch (Clyde) on 28-31st. Iceland

Plate 151. Lesser Yellowlegs with Redshank, Aberlady Bay, Lothian,

November 2009 © Mike Thrower.

Birdline Scotland Review

Gull: about 12 were still being
reported in July. The adult at Ayr
(Ayrs) returned in October for its
19th winter. Just 10 were reported
in November, and only 19 in
December. Glaucous Gull: around
12 were still present during July.
Just seven were noted in
November, and only 13. in
December. Caspian Tern: one was
at the Ythan Estuary (NES) on 4
July - the first in North-east
Scotland for 33 years. Black Tern:
14 were noted from 22 August,
including five off Hound Point
(Loth) on 24th, and three at Loch
Leven (P&K) on 25th. White-
winged Black Tern: a juvenile was
at RSPB Loch of Strathbeg (NES)
from 29 August to 2 September.

Turtle Dove: late birds were at
Waternish, Skye (High) on 18-19
October and at Collieston (NES)
on 14-15 November. Yellow-
billed Cuckoo: an exhausted
juvenile was discovered at

Deerness (Ork) on 25 September;
it remained up until dark but
unsurprisingly was not seen the
next day. Remarkably a second bird
freshly dead, at

was found,

Cromwellpark, near Perth (P&K) on
4 October. The only bird out of the
previous 10 Scottish records to
have been seen alive by several
observers was at Montrose Basin
(Ang) in 1953. Snowy Owl: two
different birds were on St. Kilda
(OH) up to 13 July at least, and the
male was again at Mangurstadh,
Lewis (OH) on at least 12-14
September. The male was noted
again, at Crowlista near Uig, Lewis
(OH) on 24 December, whilst a
probable was reported near
Scalloway (Shet) on 29th.
Nightjar: one was on North
Ronaldsay (Ork) on 6-14 July.
Hoopoe: in October singles were
on Lewis (OH) on 7—18th, Portree,
Syke (High) on 16—18th and South
Ronaldsay (Ork) on 22nd.
Wryneck: eight were reported
from Shetland in August from 15th.

Short-toed Lark: three were
reported in October, all on the
Northern Isles, one was on North
Ronaldsay (Ork) on 1-4
November, with another on Unst
(Shet) on Ist. Wood Lark: four
were reported in October, all on
the Northern Isles - three

remained on Fair Isle until at least
2 November, with one nearby on
North Ronaldsay (Ork) until 7
November. Shore Lark: one was
on Fair Isle on 28 October until at
least 4 November. Red-rumped
Swallow: one was at Kilminning
(Fife) on 28 October - the third
county record (all found this
year). Others were at Aberlady
(Loth) on 3-5 November,
Balblair, Ross & Cromarty (High)
on 8th and Eyemouth (Bord) on
18—24th. Richard’s Pipit: four
birds were on Shetland from 18
September; 16 birds were
reported in October, including the
first record for Caithness, at
Dounreay on Ist. Four were
noted in the first week of
November - singles on Shetland
and in North-east Scotland still
and two on the Outer Hebrides.
Tawny Pipit: one was reported at
Deemness™ (@ig amon 13
September. Olive-backed Pipit:
at least 10 were seen on
Shetland in October, and one was
at Grutness (Shet) on 4
November. Pechora Pipit:
singles were on Foula (Shet) and
Fair Isle on 30 September, with
then a further nine birds seen on
Shetland in October. Water Pipit:
up to seven were reported in
November, including four in
Lothian and one at Vane Farm
RSPB from 24th - the first record
for Perth & Kinross. Up to four
were reported in December: one
in Lothian, two in Ayrshire and
one still at Vane Farm RSPB (P&K)
on 2nd. Buff-bellied Pipit: one
was on Foula (Shet) on 29-30
September. Citrine Wagtail: a
juvenile was seen briefly at RSPB
Loch of Strathbeg Reserve (NES)
on 28 August; in September a
first-winter was on St. Kilda (OH)
on 13th—16th with two others on
Shetland from 19th, and a late
bird was on North Ronaldsay
(Ork) on 18 October. Waxwing:
a very poor showing with four on
the Northern and Western Isles
from 11 October, the only birds
reported in November were nine
at Skelpick, Sutherland (High) on

30:2 (2010)

15th, and the only confirmed
sighting in December was one on
Fair Isle on 6th.

Bluethroat: eight were seen in
September from 14th to 28th, two
on Fair Isle and six elsewhere on
Shetland: 19 were reported in
October, all on the Northern Isles.
Three late birds were seen on
Orkney and Shetland between
1-8 November, and a female at
Errol (P&K) on 8-15 November.
Red-flanked Bluetail: in
September two were found on
Shetland: at Sandgarth on 12—14th
and Quendale on 15th. Pied
Wheatear: a first-winter male was
at Fife Ness (Fife) on 26-31
October - the second county
record after one in 1992. White’s
Thrush: one was on Fair Isle on 10
October. Veery: two _ individuals
were found on Shetland in
October - on Foula on 1—8th and
at Symbister, Whalsay on 2—5th
(second and third county records).
Eye-browed Thrush: a first-winter
female was on North Ronaldsay
on 5-6 October - the second
record for Orkney.

Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler:
two were reported in October: on
St. Kilda (OH) on 4th and Foula
(Shet) on 21st. Lanceolated
Warbler: one was on Shetland on
7-15 October and one on North
Ronaldsay (Ork) on 12th - only
the fourth for Orkney. River
Warbler: the singing male at
Applecross, Wester Ross (High)
was last reported on 14 July. One
was on Fair Isle on 5—12 October.
Savi’'s Warbler: one was on Fair
Isle on 4 October. Blyth’s Reed
Warbler: five were seen on
Shetland between 2-11 October.
One at Quendale (Shet) from 29
November to 1 December was
the latest ever found in the UK.
Marsh Warbler: one was on
Fetlar (Shet) on 28 August;
singles in September — at
Northdale, Unst on 5th and Skaw,
Unst on 26th (both Shet), and
one at Quendale (Shet) on 11
October. Great Reed Warbler:

30:2 (2010)

‘*

one was on Fair Isle on 15-25
July. Booted Warbler: one was at
Channerwick (Shet) on 11-12
September. Icterine Warbler: the
first four of the autumn appeared
on the Northern Isles in the first
week of August, with 18 noted by
the end of the month, all on
Orkney and Shetland; only five
birds were seen in September,
including one in Fife. Barred
Warbler: the first of the autumn
was at Skaw, Whalsay (Shet) on 5
August with around 23 further
birds seen by the end of the
month, all on the Northern Isles;
about 35 were seen in
September, mainly on _ the
Northern Isles. About 30 were
reported in October, and late
singles were at Rattray Head
(NES) on 2 November and
Tingwall (Shet) on 9 November.
Greenish Warbler: only two were
noted in August - both on Fair
Isle, on 17-19th and 26th. One
was at Loch of Strathbeg on 4
September. Arctic Warbler: in
September five were noted from
16th, all on Shetland, and five
were seen on Shetland between
4—15 October. Pallas’s Warbler:
four were seen between 21-26

~ _ ; - ~
WES Sen SRD

Plate 153. Veery, Foula, Shetland October 20

Birdline Scotland Review

O09 ©/Jason Atkinson
October - on Orkney, in Fife and
two in North-east Scotland. One
at Gobhaig, Harris on 7-8
November was only the third
record for the Outer Hebrides.
Yellow-browed Warbler: only
around a dozen birds were noted
in September following the first on
Shetland on 14th. By contrast,
142 were reported in October,
with 86 on Shetland whilst
elsewhere four different birds
were seen on Tiree (Arg) and one
was at Troon (Ayrs) on 28th—29th.
Two were noted in November: at
Fife Ness (Fife) still on 1st and at
South Glendale, South Uist (OH)
on 10th. Radde’s Warbler: three
were seen in October between
22nd and 28th: in North-east
Scotland, Angus and Fife. Dusky
Warbler: one was on Whalsay
(Shet) on 5 November. Western
Bonelli’s Warbler: one was near
Bigton (Shet) on 10—18 October.
Firecrest: in a record-breaking
Scottish showing at least 37 were
reported in October, including 14
in Angus, at least nine in North-
east Scotland and at least eight in
Fife. Just two were reported in
November: at Lerwick (Shet) on
5th and Lairg, Sutherland (High)

192

Birdline Scotland Review

est

weer ere

so eet

a

Plate 154. Blackpoll Warbler, Fair Isle. October 2009 © Deryk Shaw.

on 22nd. Three were reported in
December: in North-east
Scotland, Outer Hebrides and
Dumfries & Galloway.

Red-breasted Flycatcher: only
two were logged in September -
singles on the Outer Hebrides
and Borders; 11 were reported in
October including two in North-
east Scotland. Taiga Flycatcher:
one was on Fetlar (Shet) from
22 September then relocated to
Gloup, Yell on 9 October,
remaining to 17th - the second
for Shetland, but only the third
record for Britain. Golden
Oriole: a male was reported
near Alemill (Bord) on 4 July,
and singles were on the Outer
Hebrides and Shetland in
September. Brown Shrike: a
first-winter was at Geosetter
(Shet) on 11 October. Red-
backed Shrike: five were
reported in July: two different
males on Fair Isle, two different
females on Orkney and a male
at St. Abbs Head (Bord) on

18-22nd: two were seen in
August - at Stornoway (OH) on
30th and Fair Isle on 30—31st,
and just four birds were reported
in September. One was on Fetlar
on 14-24 October and one at
Portuisk, Ardnamurchan (High)
on 20th. Lesser Grey Shrike:
one was at Laxobigging (Shet)
on 27 July. Great Grey Shrike:
six were reported in October
from 10th. The only report in
November was the bird at Glen
Feshie, Strathspey (High) still on
6th, and the only bird reported
in December was at Slockavullin
(Arg) on 7—16th. Woodchat
Shrike: a juvenile was at Skaw,
Unst (Shet) on 18 September.
Rose-coloured Starling: three
were reported on Orkney during
October with an adult on
Shapinsay (Ork) remaining until
the first week of December, and
juveniles were reported from
Peterhead (NES) on 28 October,
and briefly near Dunphail (M&N)
on 19 November.

Arctic Redpoll: three birds (all
hornemanni) occurred on the
Northern Isles in late September -
one on Foula (Shet) on 27th, two
there on 28th and one on North
Ronaldsay on 29-—30th. This
developed into a mini_ influx
(associated with a small arrival of
Greenland Redpolls), with around
30 more noted in October, all in
the Northern or Western Isles -
almost all of the form
hornemanni. Two-barred
Crossbill: a male was on Fair Isle
on 23-24 July, and a male was at
Levenwick (Shet) on 26 August.
Common Rosefinch: in July
singles were on North Ronaldsay
on 3rd and Fair Isle on 23—25th;
in August one was seen briefly at
Girvan Mains (Ayrs) on 16th and
three on Shetland from 18th;
about 17 were seen in September
- all on the Northern and Western
Isles; 23 were reported in
October, mainly on Shetland.
Blackburnian Warbler: a female
was on St. Kilda (OH) on 12-13
September - only the third British
record (second — Scottish).
Blackpoll Warbler: one was on
Fair Isle on 15-16 October - the
second island record.

Lapland Bunting: in December
up to three were at Dowlaw
(Bord) on 13—20th, two at
Balemore, North Uist (OH) on
5th, with one still there on 24th,
and one was also reported at
RSPB Mersehead (D&G) on 16th.
Ortolan Bunting: one was seen
between Arbroath and
Auchmithie (Ang) on 17 October
with another at Virkie (Shet) on
19 October. Rustic Bunting: the
only bird of the autumn was on
Fair Isle on 14-16 October. Little
Bunting: just four birds were
seen in September, all on the
Northern Isles from 14th; 15 were
reported in October - 12 on
Shetland, and three on Orkney.
One was found in a garden at
Dunnet (Caith) on 20 December,
and remained well into 2010 (the
same garden held a Rufous Turtle
Dove in winter 2003/04).

30:2 (2010)

SOC Branch Secretaries

Ayrshire: Anne Dick
Rowanmyle House, Tarbolton, Mauchline KA5 5LU.
Tel: 01292 541981
Email: Anne.Dick@sac.ac.uk

Borders: Graham Pyatt
The Schoolhouse, Manor, Peebles EH45 9JN.
Tel: 01721 740319
Email: d.g.pyatt@btinternet.com

Caithness: Stan Laybourne
Old Schoolhouse, Harpsdale, Halkirk KW12 6UN.
Tel: 01847 841 244
Email: stanlaybourne@talk21.com

Central: Roger Gooch
The Red House, Dollarfield, Dollar FK14 7LX.
Tel: 01259 742 326
Email: roger@dollar11.plus.com

Clyde: Hayley Douglas
Top Right, 35 Church Street, Lochwinnoch PA12
AAE. Tel: 07715 634079
Email: h.a.douglas@hotmail.co.uk

Dumfries: Pat Abery
East Daylesford, Colvend, Dalbeattie DG5 4QA.
Tel: 01556 630483
Email: eastdaylesford@onetel.com

Fife: Karen Dick
South Lodge, St Michaels, St Andrews KY16 ODU.
Tel: 01334 848278
Email: fifesoc@sky.com

SOC Local Recorders

Angus & Dundee: Jon Cook
01382 738495
1301 midget@tiscali.co.uk

Paul N. Collin
01671 402861

Argyll: Paul Daw
01546 886260
monedula@globalnet.co.uk

Ayrshire: Fraser Simpson
recorder@ayrshire-birding.org.uk

Borders: Ray Murray 01506 825101

01721 730677
raymurray | @tiscali.co.uk

Caithness: Stan Laybourne
01847 841244
stanlaybourne@talk21.com

Clyde: lain Gibson
01505 705874
c/o wilsonval@btinternet.com

Clyde Islands: Bernard Zonfrillo
0141 557 0791
b.zonfrillo@bio.gla.ac.uk

Dumfries & Galloway:

pncollin@live.co.uk

Fair Isle: Deryk Shaw
01595 760258
fairisle. birdobs@zetnet.co.uk

Fife: Rab Shand

rabshand@blueyonder.co.uk

Forth (Upper): Chris Pendlebury
07798 711134
chris@upperforthbirds.co.uk

Highland: Kevin Davis
01381 600545
kjdshoebill@live.co.uk

Isle of May: lain English
01698 891788
i.english@talk21.com

Grampian: Graham Cooper
Westbank, 72 Beltie Road, Torphins, Banchory
AB31 4JT. Tel: 01339 882706
Email: grm.cooper@btinternet.com

Highland: Ann Sime
Upper Flat, 3 Blackwells Street, Dingwall IV15 9NW.
Tel: 07751 352771
Email: ann@drumrunie.fsnet.co.uk

Lothian: Doreen Main
Seatoller, Broadgait, Gullane EH31 2DH.
Tel: 01620 844542
Email: doreen.main@yahoo.com

Orkney: Colin Corse
Garrisdale, Lynn Park, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1SL.
Tel: 01856 874 484
Email: ccorse@aol.com

Stewartry: Joan Howie
60 Main Street, Dalry, Castle Douglas DG7 3UW.
Tel: 01644 430 226

Tayside: Brian Boag
Birch Brae, Knapp, Inchture PH14 9SW.
Tel: 01828 686 669

West Galloway: Geoff Sheppard
The Roddens, Leswalt, Stranraer DG9 OQR.
Tel: 01776 870 685
Email: geoff.roddens@btinternet.com

Lothian: David Kelly
01875 614072
dj_kelly@btinternet.com

Moray & Nairn: Martin Cook
01542 850296
martin.cook99 @btinternet.com

NE Scotland: Hywel Maggs
OMSPSTS79S
hywelmaggs@hotmail.com

Orkney: Jim Williams
01856 761317
jim@geniefea.freeserve.co.uk

Outer Hebrides: Brian Rabbitts
01876 580428
rabbitts@hebrides.net

Perth & Kinross: Mike Martin
017438 633948
mwa.martin@btinternet.com

Shetland: Mark Chapman
01806 242401
msc.] @btinternet.com

Mixed Sources

Product group from well-managed
forests and other controlled sources
www.fsc.org Cert no. SGS-COC-004586
© 1996 Forest Stewardship Council

PhotesPo1

Plate 155. On a wintery day in March 2010 | dro
to the Cairngorms to record any birds | m
There was snow at 1000 feet, and the mountain
decided to climb was not far from thousands of
skiers. | encountered Red Grouse at 1500 feet and
just a little bit higher at c. 2000 feet | came across
my first Ptarmigan. There was also a pair slightly
higher at c. 2900 feet.

On my climb | also found foot prints of Mountain
Hare and more grouse. I'm sure the Ptarmigan had
been forced lower down the hill to feed, as there
was so much snow cover and on the tops it must
have been -15°C the night before.

2 pair of Ptarmigan were roosting either sideofa =
ulder, and observing them for a while, they didn’t
move. | decided to move a little bit closer to try and
capture a picture and | did this every five minutes or
so until | got to a decent distance for the 400 mm
lens. The picture | believe gives a real feeling to the
extreme habitat in which Ptarmigan exist. | backed
off and left them to roost in peace.

For people who are interested in camera tl /
used a Canon 40D, 400 yer In
shoulder mount.

John Chapman a
(www. johnchapmanphaEeeaanee co.uk)

™

nes

Featuring the best images posted on the SOC website each quarter, PhotoSpot
will present stunning portraits as well as record shots of so

ing unt
ccompanied by the story behind the photograph and the is oh
nd in otos now - it’s open fo all.