Spectacled Warbler in North Yorkshire: New to Britain and Ireland Craig C

Spectacled Warbler in North Yorkshire: new to Britain and Ireland Craig C. Thomas, Richard E. Harbird and Peter J. Dunn ABSTRACT A Spectacled Warbler Sylvia conspicillata watched and trapped at Filey, North Yorkshire, during 24th-29th May 1992 is the first incontrovertible record of this Mediterranean species in Britain and Ireland. Mid to late May 1992 was dominated by settled anticyclonic conditions with prevailing easterly winds and coastal mist. Conditions at Filey, North Yorkshire, were therefore near perfect when CCT and REH decided to 'work' the Long Hedge towards the Tip at 08.15 GMT on 24th May. After 400 m with nothing of note, CCT spotted a movement in the hedge 20 m ahead. Although largely obscured, the bird was clearly a warbler with dark lores, but initial thoughts of Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca were quashed when it hopped onto an exposed branch. CCT's heartbeat quickened as he immediately switched to the telescope before shouting over to REH that he had found 'an interesting Sylvia'. Within seconds, REH had ploughed through a hole in the hedge so small that a Goldcrest Regulus regulus would normally have struggled to get through, and together they watched the warbler feeding out in the open. Several features fitted Spectacled Warbler S. conspicillata, notably the small body size, blackish lores, bright rufous wings, pale lower mandible, white throat contrasting with salmon-pink underparts, bright legs and small [Brit. Birds 91: 225-230, June 1998] © British Birds Ltd 1998 225 226 Thomas el al: Spectacled Warbler in North Yorkshire AT 80 & 81. Male Spectacled Warblers Sylvia conspicillata: above, Mallorca, Spain, April 1993 (David M. Cottridge); below, Filey, North Yorkshire, May 1992 (Robin Chittenden) British Birds, vol. 91, no. 6, June 1998 227 primary projection. After studying the bird for a further five minutes, the suggestion was made, via the CB radio, to PJD, who was ringing in the Country Park, that he should bring the nets to trap 'an interesting Sylvia'. He arrived in no time at all. Within seconds, the bird started to call and sing briefly and, as the initial scepticism of a gathering crowd waned, all present soon agreed, but could not really believe, that it had to be a Spectacled Warbler. PJD put up the net and, with almost military precision, the first attempt netted a Common Whitethroat S. communis and then the Spectacled Warbler. As they were extracted and held side by side, the size difference caused euphoria. Both birds were taken back to the Country Park to be processed; the Spectacled Warbler was held for 30 minutes before being released— unringed—into Arndale, ahead of advancing rain clouds (PJD had concentrated on getting a full in-hand description and biometrics, but forgot to ring it before release). The bird was released well away from crop fields to eliminate potential damage, and Arndale, with its easy access, seemed ideal. The Spectacled Warbler thought otherwise, however, and it was not seen again that day. To everyone's relief, it was relocated in the field hedges the following morning and, despite crowd pressure, was seen well by 1,500 visitors over the next five days, with no crop damage; it was last seen at dusk on 29th May. Description SIZE AND STRUCTURE A typical Sylvia WINGS Primaries brown with heavily warbler structurally, approximately abraded fringes. Two innermost secondaries two-thirds the size of a Common brown, relieved by bright chestnut edges. Whitethroat. Distinctly shorter-winged, with Rest of secondaries duller, but nevertheless a primary projection one-third the length of forming bright chestnut wing-panel in the exposed tertials. Wing length = 58 mm. combination with broad-edged greater In flight, combination of short wings and coverts. Tertials heavily abraded, with relatively long tail produced distinctive sharply demarcated dark centres and appearance, not unlike that of a Long- chestnut edges. Alula dark brown, edged tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus. Tail length = buff. 52.7 mm. TAIL Dark brown with conspicuous white HEAD Medium grey in tone, with subde centres to outer feathers, decreasing on brownish suffusion on nape contrasting with inner tail feathers. blackish lores which extended to just above UNDERPARTS Breast, flanks and upper belly and below eye. White eye-ring broader salmon-pink contrasting with demarcated above, with small break at rear of eye. Chin white throat. Lower belly and and throat pure white. undertail-coverts buff. UPPERPARTS Mantle, back and scapulars BARE PARTS Bill appeared thinner and warm brown, though not so rufous as on relatively longer than that of Common wings, with contrasting greyish-brown Whitethroat. Dark horn upper mandible rump. with yellowish cutting edge. Lower mandible 228 Thomas el al: Spectacled Warbler in North Yorkshire yellowish-pink at base, with distal one-third VOICE Song quieter and more melodic than dark horn. Iris rich chestnut and orbital ring that of Common Whitethroat, interspersed dark brown. Legs and feet bright with sweeter notes. Call a very distinctive, orange-yellow. even 'trrr', uttered frequently. Over the duration of its stay, the Spectacled Warbler gradually became easier to see and, indeed, appeared to have set up territory in one particular stretch of hedge, where it could be watched and photographed (plate 81). Its departure, on the night of 29th/30th May, coincided with the arrival of a weather front. Status in the UK The Spectacled Warbler has had a rough passage onto the British List. The first accepted record, at Spurn, East Yorkshire, during 21st-31st October 1968 {Brit. Birds 71: 53-58), was subsequently proved from in-the-hand photographs to have been a first-winter female Subalpine Warbler 5. cantillans. Subsequent records had been accepted, of a male at Porthgwarra, Cornwall, on 17th October 1969 (Brit. Birds 71: 84-85), and a male on Fair Isle, Shetiand, on 4th-5th June 1979 (Brit. Birds 73: 523), but, following the rejection of the Spurn bird, the burden of proof which fell upon these records increased, since either could now have to stand alone as the first British record. In the event, a review judged that, although it was by no means certain that either bird had been misidentified, the amount of detail supplied in support of the two records was not sufficient for either to remain on the British List, and both were rejected (Brit. Birds 83: 482-483; 84: 431-432; Ibis 133: 219-223). The identification criteria of Spectacled Warbler have been discussed by Shirihai (1988), Shirihai et al. (1991) and Small (1996). Status in Europe Spectacled Warbler is a Mediterranean species with two distinct breeding populations. The much larger western population breeds on the Atlantic Islands (except the Azores), and in the western Mediterranean from Morocco and Iberia in the west to Italy and Libya in the east. The eastern component occupies Cyprus, southwestern Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, and possibly some southern and western parts of Turkey. Although there is little evidence concerning population trends, there has been a small-scale northward expansion of the population in Spain, France and Italy. The total European breeding population is considered to be between 157,000 and 319,000 pairs (Hagemeijer & Blair 1997). The western population appears to be far more migratory than those in the east. The Iberian, Corsican, Sardinian and Italian birds practically all disappear in winter, but the species is considered resident or only partially migratory in Malta and Northwest Africa. The southern extent of its wintering distribution is poorly known, owing to the relatively small size of the population, but appears to be as far south as Senegal, southwestern Mauritania, southeastern Algeria, and northern Niger. By contrast, the species is common on its breeding grounds in Cyprus and Israel tiiroughout British Birds, vol. 91, no. 6, June 1998 229 the winter, although it is a scarce winter visitor to Egypt as far south as Luxor, indicating that at least a few migrate a short distance (Cramp 1992). Origins The origin of the Filey bird can never be known for certain, but the larger population size and higher degree of migratory movement shown by the western population would lead one to suppose that this is more likely to be the source. One piece of evidence which supports this supposition is the presence in Britain of an impressive list of rarities during the late spring of 1992, including eight Subalpine Warblers during 20th-28th May, a Marmora's Warbler S. sarda at Spurn on 8th-9th June, and a Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni in Greater London on 31st May {Brit. Birds 86: 513-515; 88: 505), all of which could also have originated in the western Mediterranean. References CRAMP, S. (ed.) 1992. The Birds of the Western Palearciic. vol. 6. Oxford. HAGEMEIJER, W. J. M., & BLAIR, M. J. 1997. The EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds. London. LANSDOWN, P. G., & THE RARITIES COMMITTEE. 1991. Status of Spectacled Warbler in Britain. Brit. Birds 84: 431-432, SHIRIHAI, H. 1988. Iris colour of Sylvia warblers. Brit. Birds 81: 325-328. , HARRIS, A., & COTTRIDGE, D. 1991. Identification of Spectacled Warbler. Brit. Birds 84: 423-430. SMALL, B. 1996. Identification of Spectacled Warbler. Brit. Birds 89: 275-277. Craig C. Thomas, Flat 6, 31 Westboume Grove, Scarborough YOll 2DN Richard E. Harbird, Flat 4, Buckley Court, 16 Woodfield Road, Moseley, Birmingham B13 9UJ Peter J. Dunn, 43 West Garth Gardens, Cay ton, Scarborough YOll 3SF EDITORIAL COMMENT Dr Colin Bradshaw, Chairman of the British Birds Rarities Committee, commented as follows: 'Given the past history of Spectacled Warbler on the British List, it was imperative that the first to be accepted should be beyond all doubt in both the identification and circumstances of the record.

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