TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Preamble ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 The Macmillan Library ... ... ... ... ... 6 The Weather of 1950. B. H. Ryves ... ... ... 7 List of Contributors ... ... ... ... ... 8 General Bird Notes for 1950 ... ... ... ... 9 Arrivals and departures of Cornish-breeding migrants ... 31 The Walmsley Sanctuary, Tregorden and Camel Estuary. T. J. Willcocks ... ... ... ... ... 33 The Cornish Seas ... ... ... ... ... 33 The Scilly Isles ... ... ... ... ... ... 35 The Breeding Habits of the Spotted Flycatcher ... ... 37 Observations of Two Pairs of Spotted Flycatcher in 1950 ... 44 Roseate Terns in the Isles of Scilly. R. H. Blair ... ... 51 Balance Sheet ... ... ... ... ... ... 52 List of Members ... ... ... ... ... ... 53 TWENTIETH REPORT OF The Cornwall Bird Watching and Preservation Society 1950. Edited by B. H. RYVES, A. G. PARSONS and H. M. QUICK (kindly assisted by Dr. R. H. BLAIR). Fifty-six new members joined the Society during the year, bringing the number up to 426. The sad loss to the Society through the death of Mr. Macmillan, in April, 1950, was noted in the 1949 Report. Mrs. Macmillan wishes to convey to all members her sincere thanks for the flowers sent in memory of her husband and in sympathy to herself. She has very kindly presented to the Society, in his memory, his library of bird books for the use of members. A list of these appears below. We are further indebted to Mrs. Macmillan for a very generous gift of £30. The Society is grateful to Mr. Stuart Martyn (who has acted for many years as Auditor) for consenting to take on the work of the Hon. Treasurer. He was elected at the Annual Meeting on October 28th. Our thanks are due to Mr. F. Palmer for kindly auditing the accounts, and to Mr. Penrose and the Museum staff for the use of a room for Committee Meetings. Towards the close of the year, Ornithology suffered a severe loss by the death, at a comparatively early age, of Mr. B. W. Tucker, an Honorary Member of this Society. Since the death, in 1942, of Mr. H. F. Witherby, the senior Editor of the " Handbook," Mr. Tucker had been recognised, both at home and abroad, as the leading British authority. By profession a Zoologist, he was as well versed in field lore as in the purely scientific aspects of birds, and had, but relatively recently, been appointed to the first University post to be created in Ornithology in Great Britain, at Oxford. The oft repeated initials " B.W.T." throughout the " Handbook " will long stand as a monument to his immense experience. Mr. Tucker leaves a widow and young son, to whom our deep sympathy is extended. The Annual Meeting was held in the Women's Institute, Truro, on March 25th, about 60 members being present. In addition to the routine business, Mr. A. G. Parsons was elected as a third Joint Honorary Secretary. After the meeting, Dr. Blair showed his own films, mostly in colour, of bird life in the Isles of Scilly. 4 The second General Meeting was held in the Women's Institute, Truro, on October 28th, about 60 members being present. At the conclusion of business, Mr. Parsons gave a talk on his visit to Sweden, illustrated with his own lantern slides. There were two meetings of the Executive Committee during the year. Two police prosecutions under the County Bird Protection Order were successfully undertaken during the year. Officers of the Society being consulted regarding them. Both were in respect of the shoot­ ing of Herring Gulls, one near Polzeath and the other at Hayle Estuary; the offenders were fined £1 and 10/- respectively. Two complaints of the infringement of the Protection Orders have been received during the year, but full and prompt information was not given. Protection can only be effective if members are prepared to come forward unreservedly with accurate information as soon as they are aware of offences; if this is not done no action is practicable. The Home Office have granted their sanction to the setting aside of Tamar Lake as a bird sanctuary, and a copy of the official order giving effect to the decree has been forwarded to the Hon. Sec­ retaries by the Clerk of the County Council. A new section, " The Cornish Seas," appears in this Report. It is intended to contain records (previously rather difficult to classify as to location) of birds seen at sea from boats. The majority of these notes have been made from R.M.S. " Scillonian." It is hoped that this section may become a permanent feature. Any freshly dead birds will continue to be received by Mr. Parsons, who will defray postage and can also supply suitable tins. Oiled sea birds are not required, but can be sent if any member is uncertain as to their identification; this also applies to any bird remains, where the species is uncertain. In view of the large amount of information which has been col­ lected about certain species of especial interest, the Editors have decided that it is no longer necessary to publish every record; this applies to such regular winter residents as Black Redstart and Goldeneye. All available records should continue to be sent in, but it now appears only necessary to publish autumn arrival and spring departure dates, as well as notes of unusual numbers, display, etc. Special mention of the Tamar-St. Germans rivers as a wintering area should be made; it is evident from the careful notes of Mr. R. M. Curber and others for a few seasons past that wintering of Spoonbills, Avocets and Black-tailed Godwits in some numbers is well established there; for many of us there must be some regret that wintering of Spoonbills in West Cornwall, which looked like be­ coming regular on the Tresillian and Ruan-Fal rivers a few years ago, has ceased. Members are asked to supply information about the following species, on which comprehensive up-to-date information is lacking:— 1. The number of breeding House-Sparrows, House-Martins, Starlings and Reed-Buntings in areas known to them. 5 2. The sites used for nesting, together with any information as to increase or decrease. 3. Accurate counts of Choughs, with localities; a census of these birds is wanted. 4. The sites of Starling roosts, and the nature of the roost, whether in reeds or shrubs, etc. The number preceding each species is the check-list number taken from the official list of British Birds printed at the end of Vol. V of " The Handbook of British Birds." It will be found useful by those wishing to look up particulars of any species in the standard work. Many members have remarked that the value of the Report would be doubled if it could be issued before the breeding season of the next year. Members are, therefore, again begged to send their records in good time in order to make this possible. For the benefit of new members, the Editors repeat their request that those who send in complete annual reports should do so in the following manner: 1. Use one side of the paper only. 2. Follow the order in the list of species, which can be supplied to anyone asking for it. 3. Send, not later than January 15th (and sooner if they like), to Miss Quick, Priglis Cottage, St. Agnes, Isles of Scilly. Letters are welcome at any time from those who do not care to compile annual records. In view of Miss Quick's change of address, it is requested that any letters requiring a speedy answer be addressed to Mr. Parsons, c/o Redruth Hospital. There is a constant request by new members for back numbers of the Report, which are now becoming very scarce. If any member has old copies which they can spare, the secretaries would be most grateful. The bad weather of 1949 handicapped observers very much; nevertheless, some very rare visitors have been seen, the most remark­ able of which were the Desert Wheatear (the first record for Corn­ wall), the Yellow-browed Warbler, Night-Heron, American Pectoral Sandpiper, Greater Yellowshank and Scandinavian Herring-Gull. Other uncommon visitors included Crossbills, Woodchat Shrike, Rough-legged Buzzards, wintering Marsh Harrier, Barnacle Geese and Kentish Plover. An unusual number of Snow Buntings and Grey Phalaropes are recorded, and there was a sad " wreck " of Little Auks, comprising in all, about 70 birds. A field meeting will be held (regardless of weather) on Hayle Estuary on Saturday, May 26th. The assembly point will be the Old Quay House Hotel on Hayle Causeway, at 2 p.m. All members and friends who can get to it will be very welcome. THE MACMILLAN LIBRARY (books, the property of the late Mr. J. M. Macmillan, kindly presented to the Society by Mrs. Macmillan). The Handbook of British Birds. H. F. Witherby, et al. (5 vols.). Morris's British Birds. (8 vols.). Manual of British Birds. Howard Saunders. British Birds. Kirkman. Birds of the British Isles and their Eggs. T. A. Coward. (3 vols.). How to Study Birds. Stuart Smith. Birds of the Grey Wind. Edward Armstrong. Wild Exmoor. E. W. Hendy. Somerset Birds and some other folk. E. W. Hendy. A Naturalist on Lindisfarne. Richard Perry. Shetland Sanctuary. Richard Perry. British Sea Birds. C. A. Gibson Hill. A Naturalist on Rona. Fraser Darling. Island Farm. Fraser Darling. The Birds of Britain. James Fisher. Watching Birds. James Fisher. (2 copies). Bird Recognition, Sea Birds and Waders. James Fisher. Birds at Sight. Vere Benson. Natural History in the Highlands and Islands. Fraser Darling. World of Birds. Eric Parker. Rare, Vanishing and Lost British Birds. From notes by W. H. Hudson, compiled by Linda Gardiner.