Transactions of the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists' Society
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HrSTORY 9 DEO 2004 CXCHANGEt) GENERAL LIBRARY THE NORFOLK & NORWICH NATURALISTS’ SOCIETY (Reg Charity No 291604) www.nnns.org.uk The county’s senior natural history society. It has for its principal objectives the practical study of natural science, the conservation of wildlife, the publication of papers on natural history, especially those relating to the county of Norfolk, arranging lectures and meetings and the promotion of active field work, Specialist groups cover most aspects of the county’s flora and fauna. Annual Subscription Rate: Publications: Individual/Family £12 Transactions Affiliated Groups £15 Bird & Mammal Report Overseas Members £18.50 Quarterly newsletter “Natterjack” Secretary: Membership Secretary: Dr R Carpenter D L Pauli 33 Low Street 8 Lindford Drive Wicklewood Eaton Wymondham NR 18 9QG Norwich NR4 6LT © Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists’ Society. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written pemiission of the copyright owner, except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Application for permission should be addressed to the publisher, the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists’ Society, Castle Museum, Norwich NRl 3JU. Front cover photograph'. Sardinian Warbler. {Nigel Blake) Back cover photograph'. Brent Geese at sunset. (Tony Howe.s) NORFOLK BIRD REPORT - 2003 Editor: Giles Dunmore Editorial 102 Review of the Year 105 Wetland Bird Survey 2003 - The Complete Wash 109 Wetland Bird Survey 2003 - North Norfolk Coast 110 Maximum Monthly Counts 2003- Breydon and Bemey Ill Norfolk Bird Atlas 112 Systematic List 114 Introductions, Escapes, Ferals and Hybrids 252 • Earliest and Latest Dates of Summer Migrants 257 Latest and Earliest Dates of Winter Migrants 258 Non-accepted and non-submitted Records 259 Contributors 260 Ringing Report 262 Sample Census and Observations of Breeding Rooks in south-east Norfolk 274 Black-browed Albatross - an addition to the county list 278 Sykes’s Warbler at Deadman’s Wood, Sheringham - an addition to the county list • 279 The Whooper Swan in Norfolk 281 Pallid Harrier on Blakeney Point - the second county record 283 Bonaparte’s Gull at Hickling Broad - the third county record 285 The Serin - its History in Norfolk and the first county breeding records 287 NORFOLK MAMMAL REPORT - 2003 Editor: Mike Toms Editorial 292 Systematic List 293 Mammal Monitoring in Norfolk THE r^TLffiAL ii^TORYMUSSUM 9 DEC 2004 tXCHANGEO GENERAL UBRARY {Transactions Volume^ part 2 October 2004) Please note that the pt^e numbering in this report follows on from part 1 of the Transactions published in July 2004 Keepsake back numbers are available from David & Iris Pauli, 8 Lindford Drive, Eaton, Norwich NR4 6LT 101 NORFOLK BIRD REPORT - 2003 Editorial On behalf of the Society I am pleased to present the annual report on the Birds of Norfolk. Apart from the Review of the Y ear, Systematic List, Ringing Report etc a variety of articles are included. The first relates to breeding Rooks in south-east Norfolk with a request for help in undertaking a full county-wide census in 2006. Two relate to birds new to the county but seen in 2002 - Black-browed Albatross and Sykes’s Warbler - which have been accepted by the British Birds Rarities Committee, bringing the county list to 415 species. Another updates the status and habits of the Whooper Swan in Norfolk. Two articles are included relating to 2003 county rarities - the second Pallid Harrier and the third Bonaparte’s Gull. Last, but not least, is a detailed paper describing the history of the Serin in Norfolk and the first county breeding records. Acknowledgements The Report continues to be very much a team effort and my special thanks go to: • Neil Lawton - co-recorder, • Julian Bhalerao - co-ordinating photographs, • Justin Lansdell - commenting on and proof-reading articles, • Peter Lindsley - for his major role in the actual production of the Report. Particular thanks must also go to Peter Allard who has ‘retired’ from the Norfolk Bird Report team after 40 years involvement. Peter became an editorial assistant in 1 964 extracting material from the Scolt Head diary on behalf of Michael Seago. Over the years he has written many articles, compiled sections of the Systematic List, and been county recorder. He has also helped Michael and subsequently myself in many other ways. Fortunately he has no intention of hanging up his binoculars and I look forward to continuing to receive his copious records. However, without the help of many other people the Report in its present format would not be possible. My thanks also go to: • the inputters of the monthly records into the computerised recording system - Dave and Jacquie Bridges, Megan Crewe, Judy Dunmore, Vince Hanlon, Neil Lawton, Christine Stean and Pat Wileman; • those who drafted sections of the Systematic List - Peter Allard, Andy Benson, Dave and Jacquie Bridges, Andy Brown, Pete Clement, Keith Dye, Mark Eldridge, Mick Fiszer, Vince Hanlon, Phil Heath, Gary Hibberd, Ian Johnson, John Kemp, Justin Lansdell, Neil Lawton, Ben Murphy, Mick Saunt, Enid Stanford, Peter Wilson and John Williamson; • members of the County Records Committee; • authors of the articles in the Report, who all responded favourably to my requests on particular subjects; • the artists and photographers who have made their work freely available; • The Sarnia Charitable Trust for its continued assistance towards the cost of colour photographs; • Moss Taylor for supplying details of the ongoing Norfolk Bird Atlas; • Steve Wakeham for the meteorological infonnation; • Mike Rogers, Secretary of the British Birds Rarities Committee; 102 • all the many individual contributors and clubs/societies, and in particular Birdline East Anglia, Rare Bird Alert and Birdguides, who have contributed records; • Pat Wileman for her major help in the computerisation process; • finally my wife Judy without whose help, support and time the whole process would never happen. As I am computer illiterate she spends more and more time dealing with the electronic receipt of records and receiving and answering e-mails on my behalf 1 also have to thank her for her work with the typing and layout of the actual Report, particularly with working on the consistency of both writing and display style throughout. The County Records Committee (Mick Fiszer, John Kemp, Justin Lansdell, Richard Millington and John Williamson) considered a total of 124 records in the year; only 8 of these were rejected, mostly as a result of insufficient detail and not owing to an incorrect identification. At its previous annual meeting, relating to 2002 Records, the Committee discussed the problem of identification of Rose-winged Parakeets (previously called Ring-necked). Following a note to this effect in the 2002 Report there was not one 100% acceptable record in 2003 and hence records of parakeet sp are included in the Appendix, not the main Systematic List. At its recent meeting the Committee gave detailed consideration to the recording of rare forms, races and sub-species. The British Birds Rarities Committee is at present trying to determine which are diagnosable and the criteria necessary to identify them. Accordingly the County Records Committee felt that such records should be published in case they become Tost in the mists of time’ but that a caveat be included that they may not be considered acceptable by BBRC in due course. The Committee also reviewed the list of species needing submission of a written description or photographic evidence (and subject to acceptance) prior to publication and decided to retain the present list which is as follows: Taiga Bean Goose (away from Yare Rose-winged Parakeet Valley) Dark-breasted Bam Owl Greenland White-fronted Goose Bee-eater ‘Vagrant’ Canada Goose Short-toed Lark American Wigeon Tawny Pipit Ring-necked Duck Flava Wagtail (continental races except Surf Scoter Blue-headed and Grey-headed) Black-necked Grebe (at sea) Bluethroat (White-spotted only) Cory’s Shearwater Aquatic Warbler Great Shearwater Marsh Warbler Balearic Shearwater Melodious Warbler Storm Petrel Dartford Warbler Night Heron Pallas’s Warbler Purple Heron Chiffchaff {tristis race) White Stork Woodchat Shrike Spotted Crake Raven Corncrake Rose-coloured Starling Buff-breasted Sandpiper Serin Grey Phalarope (in flight at sea) Common Rosefinch Sabine’s Gull Ortolan Bunting Ring-billed Gull Little Bunting Caspian Gull 103 With regard to the submission of details, obviously the Committee would expect a far more detailed description of a species such as Ring-billed Gull (which is not only rare in the county but difficult to identify) than a species such as a White Stork. Written descriptions should consist of a brief note of the circumstances of the observation (weather, distance from bird, any other observers, etc), followed by a description of the actual bird(s) and details of any other species nearby for comparison. Written notes should state clearly how a bird was identified. Observers are also requested to include a note of their previous experience of the species and, if relevant, a brief outline of how any confusable species were eliminated. Copies of field sketches (however poor artistically) are often invaluable together with written field notes. It should be noted that on occasions observers may be asked for further details of species not contained in the above list - if records relate to unusual dates, localities, etc. Editorial Material: Articles for consideration, artwork, photographs and transparencies should continue to be submitted to me at 49 Nelson Road, Sheringham, Norfolk NR26 8DA. Submission of Records All records for the Systematic List should be submitted on a monthly basis to me at 49 Nelson Road, Sheringham, Norfolk NR26 8DA. Records can be sent as MsWord or Excel attachments by e-mail to giles.dunmore@,tiscali. co.uk but no photographs or sketches please - these must be sent by ordinary mail.