2014 Annual Report

Report on rare birds in Great Britain in 2014 Nigel Hudson and the Rarities Committee Chairman’s introduction 5th & 6th ‘Eastern Black Redstart’ This is the 57th annual report of the British Phoenicurus ochruros Birds Rarities Committee, covering the year phoenicuroides/rufiventris/xerophilus 2014. It was, overall, a below-average year for 6th & 7th Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler rarities, but a quick check through the report Phylloscopus orientalis soon reveals some eye-catching records. The 7th Pacific Diver Gavia pacifica, ‘Northern headline event is the inclusion, from 2012, of Harrier’ Circus cyaneus hudsonius, the Portland Pale-legged Leaf Phylloscopus Audouin’s Gull Larus audouinii and tenellipes/Sakhalin Leaf Warbler P. bore- Scarlet Tanager Piranga olivacea aloides. This is an extraordinary record, of a 7th & 8th American Coot Fulica species pair from the Russian Far East that americana was not seriously considered likely to occur 8th Spectacled Warbler Sylvia conspicillata in Britain. The separation of these two closely 9th Crag Martin Ptyonoprogne rupestris related species is possible only by using and Siberian Thrush Geokichla sibirica vocalisations, although the record’s accep- 10th Slender-billed Gull Chroicocephalus tance here as an ‘either/or’ will be reviewed if genei progress is made in field identification. Also 10th (& 11th) Hermit Thrush Catharus making its first appearance in this report guttatus after a green light from BOURC is ‘Thayer’s A Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche Gull’ Larus glaucoides thayeri, a long overdue melanophris in sea area Portland just sneaked vagrant from the Canadian High Arctic that into British waters, and highlighted some is already on the national lists of Denmark, small discrepancies regarding the limits of Ireland, Norway and Spain. British at-sea recording areas, which we shall In terms of other highlights, the rarest review in more detail as a result of this bird. species in this report, those with ten or fewer Two Fea’s Petrels were specifically identified, records, are as follows: equalling the numbers of Zino’s P. 1st Pale-legged Leaf Phylloscopus madeira/Fea’s Petrels this year, one of the tenellipes/Sakhalin Leaf Warbler latter being a well-watched bird that was P. borealoides tracked along the east coast from Flambor- 1st & 2nd ‘Thayer’s Gull’ Larus glaucoides ough Head in Yorkshire to Holy Island in thayeri Northumberland. 2nd White-winged Scoter Melanitta The hard work by the RSPB in Somerset deglandi continued to draw in the rarities, with an 3rd Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus, astonishing four territorial male Little Bit- Masked Shrike Lanius nubicus and Eastern terns Ixobrychus minutus. The highlight of Crowned Warbler Phylloscopus coronatus 2014 for many was the Short-toed Eagle that 4th Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris and toured southern areas in May–July, allowing Moltoni’s Warbler Sylvia subalpina most observers several bites of the cherry, 4th & 5th Fea’s Petrel Pterodroma feae unlike Britain’s second male ‘Northern 5th Cretzschmar’s Bunting Emberiza Harrier’ Circus cyaneus hudsonius, which flew caesia straight through Portland, Dorset, and was © British Birds 108 • October 2015 • 565–633 565 Hudson et al. identified retrospectively from photographs. becomes the first accepted record of this An influx of Black-winged Stilts Himan- taxon. BBRC will now be able to assign sub- topus himantopus resulted in three breeding sequent records of Isabelline Shrike to sub- pairs, while other wader highlights included species whenever possible (there are several an inland Great Snipe Gallinago media, two accepted records of ‘Turkestan Shrike’ L. i. Stilt Sandpipers Calidris himantopus, five phoenicuroides since the first, at Snettisham, Terek Sandpipers Xenus cinereus, two mobile Norfolk, in 1995). Collared Pratincoles Glareola pratincola and a Four species feature in this report for the wandering Black-winged Pratincole G. nord- last time, as we bid a fond farewell to Lesser manni. Conversely, it was a poor year for Scaup Aythya affinis, Citrine Wagtail other waders, including Semipalmated Sand- Motacilla citreola, Penduline Tit Remiz pen- piper Calidris pusilla, Marsh Sandpiper dulinus and Blyth’s Reed Warbler Acro- Tringa stagnatilis and Long-billed Dowitcher cephalus dumetorum. More details on these Limnodromus scolopaceus. The returning four species can be found in their respective Bridled Tern Onychoprion anaethetus added species comments (and see also Brit. Birds itself to a further two county lists, while a 108: 287–292). It is worth repeating the cri- twitchable American Herring Gull Larus teria by which BBRC defines a national rarity. smithsonianus tempted many to make the The starting point is either 100 or fewer indi- surprisingly long journey down the Kintyre viduals in the most recent ten-year period, or peninsula. The only Laughing Gull L. atricilla ten or fewer individuals in at least seven of of the year was on Fair Isle, yet there was an the ten most recent years. Any taxon that above-average showing of Franklin’s Gulls L. meets, or is close to, either of these criteria, pipixcan. will then be considered for inclusion as a A remarkable double bill of Black-billed BBRC rarity. Removal from the BBRC list Cuckoo Coccyzus erythropthalmus and will follow similar guidelines – so those with Yellow-billed Cuckoo C. americanus involved more than 100 individuals in the last ten two individuals that arrived on the same day years, or more than ten individuals in at least but at opposite ends of Britain, with the seven of the last ten years, will be considered much rarer Black-billed avoiding all but its for removal. Before finalising any changes, original finders. A good showing of (three) particularly for taxa that are hovering close to Great Spotted Cuckoos Clamator glandarius the threshold, the Committee will also con- made it five rare cuckoos in one year. It was a sider other factors, such as population trends, very poor year for Thrush Nightingale Lus- changes in distribution and identification cinia luscinia, formerly touted as a potential issues; in other words, the statistical criteria colonist, with only a single record (and, should be treated as guidelines rather than unusually, from the south coast). This con- hard and fast rules. We also propose that trasts with the ever-increasing fortunes of decisions about species coming on or off the Red-flanked Bluetail Tarsiger cyanurus, again list will then remain in place for at least ten putting in an above-average showing. years, to try and smooth out any short-term Those who thought it was all over by mid fluctuations and to avoid a situation where November were surprised and dismayed by species ‘yo-yo’ on and off the list. The for- the arrival of an all-too-brief Little Bustard tunes of the species removed will continue to Tetrax tetrax in Dorset followed by a similarly be monitored, since they will appear in the brief second bird in Sussex, Happily, a third Report on scarce migrant birds in Britain. bird, this one in Yorkshire, stayed long An increasing part of BBRC’s work enough to enable a new generation of birders involves the consideration of rare subspecies, to enjoy this charismatic vagrant. and a perennial problem is that we are unable Also published here is a record of an to assess claims of some taxa owing to a lack Isabelline Shrike Lanius isabellinus from of solid field criteria. A good example of Fetlar, Shetland, in September 2002. This this is the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker adult male has now been accepted by Dendrocopos minor in Scalloway, Shetland, in BOURC as being of the nominate race L. i. October 2012. Although it is a first for Scot- isabellinus or ‘Daurian Shrike’, and thus land, in a classic location for Scandinavian 566 British Birds 108 • October 2015 • 565–633 Report on rare birds in Great Britain in 2014 migrants and with a fine supporting cast, the If this proves workable and useful, we hope lack of biometrics and DNA evidence means to extend this to cover all not proven records that confirming it as the first British record for 2015. Simply because of the time of D. m. minor (which breeds in Scandinavia) involved, it is intended to be an explanation is not currently possible. Our ongoing review of the decision rather than an invitation for of Elegant Tern Sterna elegans records is also further correspondence, particularly given on hold, awaiting the results of molecular that the answers to most questions can be research. The confirmed occurrence of found in our updated constitution at hybrids that closely resemble Elegant Tern www.bbrc.org. uk/about/constitution The has posed challenges for assessing birds BBRC Twitter account (@_BBRC) has observed in the field in western Europe; we proved very popular and you can follow the feel that continuing to hold these records is latest decisions as they happen as well as currently the only safe course of action as we keeping up to date with BBRC news on our wait for further information and also assess website (www.bbrc.org.uk). We are grateful the consistency of our approach to potential to all the observers who have submitted hybrids. By publishing records such as these records via the online form on our website in the new Appendix 4 of this report, cov- and we encourage all observers to submit ering records held until taxonomy or identifi- their records in this format. cation criteria are resolved (see p. 629), we aim to highlight gaps in knowledge and Acknowledgments encourage new research; and we hope to BBRC continues to be supported financially by Carl revisit many of these records in the future Zeiss Ltd. This, along with the support of RSPB, is when knowledge of identification criteria invaluable in enabling BBRC to function and we remain extremely grateful to both sponsors.

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