Cover Picture SNOWY EGRET Balvicar, Sei1 Island, Argyll, November 2001 (seepp 28 and 109-114) Photograph kindly provided by Bill Jackson \ The Eighteenth ARGYLL BIRD REPORT ~. With Systematic List for the year 2001 Edited by J.C.A. Craik Assisted by Paul Daw Systematic List by Paul Daw Published by the Argyll Bird Club (Scottish Charity Number SCO 008782) 0 Argyll Bird Club I Argyll Bird Club W Qurity Numbn SCO 005782 Founded in 1985, the Argyll Bird Club aims to promote interest in and conservation of Argyll's wild birds and their natural environment. The rich diversity of habitats in the county Supports an exceptional variety of bird life. Many sites id&gyll are of international importance. The Club brings together people with varied experience, from complete beginners to experts, and from all walks of life. New members $rcparticularly welcome. Activities Every spring and autumn there is a one-day meeting with illustrated !alks and other features. These meetings are held in conveniently central locations on the'mdjnland. Throughout the year there are field trips to I@ and more &stant.$ites of interest. d. , i -- Publications The annual journal of &e Club is the A?& Bid ripdon containing Shesystematic List of all species recorded in the 'county duhg the previous year, toge+er with other reports and articles,The less formal quarterly newsletter, TheEider, gives details of forthcoming events and activities, reports of recent meetings and field trips, and articles and shorter items by' members and others. Webile llonorary Secretary John Anderson, AdBeag, Connd, Oban, Argyll PA37 1FT Tcl:01631710630 To apply fop rncmbership, plearc (photooqpy and) complcrc the fam below and send to out hlcmbership sarer;uy: Bill Slaley, 16 Glengilp, Ardrishaig, Argyll PA30 811T Tcl: 01546606601 Email: [email protected] Wewish to apply for membership of the Argyll Bird Club. Name(s): Address: Postcode: Telephone number($): E-mail: PI- msl;c cheques payable to "Argyll Bird Club", If you wish to pay by swndlng opder. which reduces OUT 3drmnimtion and AM& please ask the hlembership Smetary to send you the aealcfam. Annual subscription @lease tick box): Ordinary EIO~~Junior (under 17) E3 59 Family E~SBCorporate 225 a Argyll Bird Club Officials and Committee (2003) \ Chairman: David Wood, Drovers House, Bellanoch, Lochgilphead PA3 1 8SN. Vice Chairman: Nigel Scriven, 2 Allt na Blathaich, Loch Eck, Dunoon PA23 8SG Secretary: John Anderson, Ard Beag, Connel, Oban PA37 1PT. Treasurer: Prof. Bob Furness, The Cnoc, Tarbet, Loch Lomondside G83 7DG. Committee: Roger Broad, Tom Callan, Paul Daw, Mike Gear, David Merrie, Katie Pendreigh, Dr Steve PeiIy. Membership Secretary: Bill Staley, 16 Glengilp, Ardrishaig PA30 IHT Argyll Bird Records Committee: Dr Tristan ap Rheinallt, Roger Broad, Paul Daw, David Jardine, Alan Leitch, Dr Malcolm Ogilvie. Editor of Argyll Bird Report: Dr Clive Craik, Grendon, Barcaldine, Oban PA37 1SG. Editor of The Eider (newsletter): Dr Steve Petty, Craigielea, Kames, Tighnabruaich PA21 2AE. OTHER USEFUL ADDRESSES S.O.C. Recorder for Argyll: Paul Daw, Tigh-na-Tulloch, Tullochgorm, Minard, Inveraray PA32 SYQ Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) Organiser for Argyll: Dr Malcolm Ogilvie, Glencairn, Bruichladdich, Isle of Islay PA49 7UN. B.T.O. Representatives for Argyll area: Mull, CO& Tiree & Morvern: (vacant) Islay, Jura C Colonsay: Dr Malcolm Ogilvie (address above). Mainland Argyll, Elite, Giglta & Arran: David Wood (address above). R.S.P.B. Conservation Officer, Argyll & Bute: Roger Broad, 6 Birch Rd, Killearn, Glasgow G63 9SQ. 3 Contents Editorial 5 J.C.A. Craik Systematic List for 2001 6 Paul Daw Divers & grebes 22-23 Fulmar, shearwaters, petrels 24-26 Gannet, cormorants, egrets, heron 26-28 Swans 29-30 Geese 30-34 Ducks 34-44 Raptors 44-45 Game birds 49-50 Rails 50.5 1 Waders 52-64 Skuas, gulls, terns 64-72 Auks 72-74 Pigeons & doves 74-76 Cuckoo & owls 76-77 Nightjar, swift, kingfisher, woodpeckers 77-79 Skylark, swallows, pipits, wagtails 79-83 Waxwing to wheatears 83-87 Thrushes 87-89 Warblers 89-92 Goldcrest, flycatchers, tits, treecreeper 92-95 crows 95-97 Starling, sparrows, finches 98-103 Buntings 103- 105 Escapes & introductions 105-106 Snowy Egret at Balvicar: the first British Record 109 Bill Jackson Arctic Redpoll on Islay 22 September 2001: the first Argyll record 115 Tristan ap Rheinallr Breeding of Red-throated Divers on Islay in 2002 121 Aubrey & Edith Colling Increasing numbers of Greylag and Canada Geese breeding in mainland sealochs 123 J.C.A. Craik Once again the Argyll Bird Report consists mostly of the Systematic List, and once again we are all very grateful to Paul Daw, the County Recorder, who has written it with little or no help from anyone else. In doing so he has had to overcome many obstacles and difficulties. Paul deserves many thanks and congratulations from all of us for again producing an excellent and remarkably detailed Systematic List. I have just received a copy of the latest Hantpshire Bird Report. Their Systematic List (for 2002) was written by no fewer than twenty-five contributors who each wrote up a group of birds - more or less one person for each of the bird groups on p 4 (opposite)! Yet Paul has been doing them all single-handedly for many years. Publication of the Argyll Bird Report has already slipped more than two years behind its original schedule. This long delay greatly reduces the topicality and impact of all the interesting records in the Systematic List, some of them of great significance. It’s generally , agreed that this delay is now the greatest problem facing the club. Very recently, Paul has started to receive help from a small number of people in tasks such as dealing with rarities and processing records. This is most encouraging. However, more help is needed if the backlog is to be broken. If you would like to restore the much-lamented status qtro ante and help to make this journal as punctual and timely as it once was, please get in touch with Paul Daw (contact details on page 3). On behalf of the club, I’d like also to thank the other contributors - Bill Jackson for his enthusiastic article on the Snowy Egret and, especially, for the superb pictures (cover and inside) of that remarkable visitor, the first record for the British Isles, Tristan ap Rheinallt for his description of the first Argyll record of an Arctic Redpoll, Aubrey and Edith Colling for an update on their continuing important work on the Red-throated Divers of Islay, and Margaret Staley for her drawings on p 114. I am most grateful to The Printshop, especially to Dee Rudiger and Andy Bruce for their speedy and efficient service in the production of this report. If you have done any work on birds in or around Argyll, why not think about writing your results up and sending them for publication in this journal? If you don’t put them on record, others will never know what you discovered. Just think - publication, even in this local context, will bestow a kind of immortality on your work. Otherwise it will sink into oblivion and all your time and effort will have been for nothing. Even if you have published (say) your PhD results (and there have been plenty of those in Argyll!) in a national journal, why not send a suitable version of your findings to the Argyll Bird Report? It would reach an interested audience who know the area and can well appreciate what you did. J. C. A. Craik Editor (Jarwary 2004) 5 Argyll Bird Report (2002) 18: 6-108 Systematic list for 2001 Paul Daw Tigh-na-Tulloch, Minard, Inveraray, Argyll, PA32 XYQ Tel: 01546 886260 e-mail: [email protected] INTRODUCTION The systematic list below includes entries for 216 species recorded in Argyll during 2001 (cf revised totals of 215 in 2000,222 in 1999,215 in 1998,209 in 1997,213 in 1996,204 in I995 and 213 in 1994), making this a slightly better-thansaverage year for numbers of species. Four of the 216 species, Snowy Egret, Red-breasted Goose, American Black Duck and Arctic Redpoll. are additions to the Argyll list, which now totals 325 species. The following species were not recorded in Argyll during 2001 and SO have been omitted from the list below: Capercaillie Tetrao retrix, Grey Partridge Perdix perdix, Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus and Hoopoe Upupa epops. ORNITHOLOGICAL HIGHLIGHTS OF 2001 January was mainly dry and cold at first with SE winds but it became milder later in the month. The influx of Bohemian Waxwings continued from the end of 2000: no flocks exceeded 30 birds and most records were in the first two weeks of Jan. Most were on the mainland with relatively few birds reaching the islands. The first recorded Lapland Longspur for Colonsay appeared on Oronsay on 1' Jan and stayed until 14' Jan. In Oban Harbour the Mute Swan flock peaked at 63 on 2* Jan; and the count of Longtailed Duck in the Sound of Gigha reached 18 on 5. Jan. Eurasian Siskins were more numerous than usual in Jan and records included a flock of 100 or more nr Rhugarbh Croft (Appin) on 5O Jan. Sanderling numbers on Tiree were at their greatest on 9" Jan when a total of 255 were found in Balephetrish, Gott and Salum Bays. There were several reports of wintering Blackcaps including a pr at a bird table at Peninver from 6'-10m Jan. The first-winter Red-necked Grebe at Port Lunna i.L Sween), first seen in 2000, was still there on 14'Jan. A single Black-billed Magpie at Lingerton Tip (Lochgilphead) on 2.5' Jan was well outside the normal ranee.