Scarce and rare in 2005

Introduction p1

Systematic List of Accepted Records p4

Green Heron – new species for Wales p31

Chimney Swift – new species for Wales p32

Blyth’s – new species for Wales p33

Dark-throated Thrush – new species for Wales p37

Northern Bullfinch – new race for Wales p38

Front cover photo, Green Heron by Kit Day Back cover photo, 1st w Laughing Gull by DG Carrington

Published in November 2006 by The Welsh Ornithological Society Charity No. 1037823 Price - £4.00 1 Introduction This is the ninth annual report of the Welsh Records Panel (WRP) covering the occurrence of rare and scarce species in Wales in 2005. Earlier reports can be found on the Welsh Ornithological Web Site (welshornithologicalsociety.org.uk) under Publications, Newsletters. The report includes many digital photos and WRP welcomes the submission of any photographic evidence but this should be accompanied by supporting evidence.

This report follows the and systematic sequence of the new BOU British List (2003) and includes all those records assessed by WRP along with those accepted by BBRC (shown in italics). In total WRP processed over 100 records, most of which were for 2005. Descriptions of scarce species were received from the County Recorders of all Welsh Counties and occasionally directly from the observers. Occasionally the Panel also receives descriptions of other species to assess from County Recorders and Editors. These are not detailed in this report.

Scarce species (assessed by WRP) are defined as those occurring on average 5 times or fewer annually in Wales. As of Jan. 1st 2005 the full list of species which the Panel considers is as follows:

Bean Goose, American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Surf Scoter, Cory’s Shearwater, Great Shearwater, Night Heron, Purple Heron, White Stork, Montagu’s Harrier, Rough-legged Buzzard, White-tailed Eagle, Golden Eagle, Corncrake, Spotted Crake, Crane, Stone-Curlew, Kentish Plover, Temminck’s Stint, Pectoral Sandpiper, Buff- breasted Sandpiper, Red-necked Phalarope, Short-toed Lark, Wood Lark, Shore Lark, Bee-eater, Richard’s Pipit, Tawny Pipit, Nightingale, Bluethroat, Aquatic Warbler, Marsh Warbler, Icterine Warbler, Melodious Warbler, Barred Warbler, Pallas’s Warbler, Red- breasted Flycatcher, Rose-coloured Starling, Red-backed Shrike, Woodchat Shrike, Bearded Tit, Serin, Common Redpoll, Common Rosefinch, Corn Bunting, Cirl Bunting, Ortolan Bunting and Little Bunting.

Due to the number and frequency of occurrence of Great Shearwater in , WRP does not request descriptions of this species from that county if the record has been accepted by the Pembrokeshire Records Committee.

Scarce races are considered on the same basis (ie. all those occurring on average 5 times or fewer annually). However, it is acknowledged that the status, and in some case the identification, of some races is very uncertain. WRP welcomes well documented submissions of races that observers consider to be scarce in Wales. Through this process we hope to establish the occurrence of these forms but submissions will probably in most cases require detailed descriptions, photographic evidence and in some cases biometrics or a specimen.

2 BBRC have requested submission of rare races and WRP will forward any claims that are considered sufficiently rare for BBRC to assess. Examples of races for which WRP would like to receive reports are Black Brant Goose – nigricans, Iceland Gull – kumlieni, “Caspian Gull” – cachinnans, Common Guillemot – hyperborean, Razorbill – torda, Little Auk – polaris, Great Spotted Woodpecker – major, Grey-headed Wagtail - thunbergi, Chiffchaff – tristis, Treecrepper – familaris, Coal Tit – ater, Jay – glandarius, Jackdaw – monedula, Redpolls – islandia / rostrata, and Bullfinch –pyrrhula.

As of January 1st 2006 17 species have been added to the WRP list, due to the re- classification by BBRC. These are: Ferruginous Duck, Wilson’s Petrel, Great White Egret, Black Kite, Red-footed Falcon, American Golden Plover, White-rumped Sandpiper, White winged-Black Tern, Alpine Swift, Red-rumped Swallow, Red- throated Pipit, Subalpine Warbler, Greenish Warbler, Dusky Warbler, Radde’s Warbler, Arctic Redpoll and Rustic Bunting.

Also as of January 1st 2006, Richard’s Pipit has dropped off the WRP list, as there have been 102 records over the past 10 years and it no longer fits the WRP criteria of being a scarce in Wales.

Over the last year the data-base of Welsh Rarities has been reviewed taking into account work carried out by Keith Naylor and therefore the figures published this year may differ for some species to those published in the past. The figures following each species refer to the number of accepted individuals in Wales up to 1991, since 1991 but not including 2005 and finally the number this year. Where two records probably relate to the same bird then only one is added to the total, while if two records are only possibly of the same bird, then both are added into the totals. In some cases the figures suggest changes in occurrence in the last twenty years, although it should be noted that some of these changes may be due, to some extent, to the decline in the habit of observers submitting descriptions. One of the objectives of this report is to try and reverse this trend.

The names that appear after individual records are of those observers who sent in descriptions (if the finder is known then his /her name is included in italics) and are included here to show recognition of the time taken to produce a description and also the observer’s commitment to the nationally recognised system of rare bird record assessment, unless the submitted specifically requests that their name is not shown.

The Panel consists of five voting members, in 2005 they were: Reg Thorpe (Chairman) – Caernarfon, Phil Bristow – Glamorgan, Chris Jones - Gwent, Arfon Williams - Ceredigion and Simon Hugheston-Roberts - Caernarfon and a non-voting Secretary, Jon Green - Ceredigion. The longest serving member of the Panel retires and a new member is elected annually by the Welsh County Recorders and the Council of the Welsh Ornithological Society. WRP is always on the look out for new members, anyone who is interested should contact their County Recorder or the WRP Secretary.

3 Descriptions, photos, videos and any other relevant evidence of WRP species should be submitted as soon as possible after the sighting (WRP description forms are available from the Secretary / County Recorders and downloadable from the WOS Website), preferably via the County Recorder or alternatively direct to the WRP Secretary: Jon Green, Crud yr Awel, Bowls Road, Blaenporth, Cardigan. Ceredigion. SA43 2AR. (01239 811561). The Panel are keen to receive any descriptions or photographs of electronic form, either on disc or by e-mail: [email protected]

No acceptable records of the following species were received by the Panel in 2005: Bean Goose, Great Shearwater, Rough-legged Buzzard, White-tailed Eagle, Golden Eagle, Stone-Curlew, Bee-eater, Tawny Pipit, Bluethroat, Aquatic Warbler, Marsh Warbler, Serin, Corn Bunting and Cirl Bunting. Races: Black Brant Goose – nigricans, Iceland Gull – kumlieni, “Caspian Gull” – cachinnans, Common Guillemot – hyperborean, Razorbill – torda, Little Auk – polaris, Great Spotted Woodpecker – major, Grey-headed Wagtail - thunbergi, Chiffchaff – tristis, Treecrepper – familaris, Coal Tit – ater, Jay – glandarius, Jackdaw – monedula, Redpolls – islandia / rostrata.

Systematic List of Accepted Records

American Wigeon ( 6, 11, 0) Anas americana Chwiwell Americana Breeds North America, winters south to Panama. Pembroke: male, Angle Bay Feb. 2nd – 18th (DJ Astins), then returned Oct. 23rd remaining until 2006 (C. Hurford, et al). It is probably the same as the bird that seen further up the Cleddau Estuary at Lawrenny & West Williamson in February 2004.

Male Green-winged Teal, Skomer, November. JG Brown

American Wigeon, Angle Bay, February. L. Lomax

4 Green-winged Teal ( 10, 21, 3) Anas carolinensis Corhwyaden Asgell - Werdd Breeds in North America. Pembroke: 3 different males on Skomer, one on Nov. 26th and 2 on the 28th (JG Brown). Male, probably one of the Skomer birds, at Newgale Marsh, Dec. 2nd – 12th (S. Devonald, per J. Green).

Blue-winged Teal ( 4, 2 , 1) Anas discors Corhwyaden Asgell-las Breeds North America. Anglesey: female, Malltraeth Cob Pool, Apr. 12th - 24th (S. Culley, KG Croft, M. Hughes).

The only other recent records were of a male at Point of Air in October 1997 and a female at Penclacwydd in March 2000. Previous to this record there have been 2 records on Anglesey, both of males, one shot at Holland Arms in 1919 and one at Cemlyn in March 1983. Blue-winged Teal, Malltraeth, April. M. Hughes

Ring-necked Duck (12, 21, 0) Aythya collaris Hywaden Dorchog Breeds North America, winters south to Costa Rica. Gwent: returning male, NWR Uskmouth Feb. 3rd – 18th (K. Jones, M. John) then at Goldcliff May 31st (G. Jones). Photo. opposite, NWR, February. M. John.

This male has been in the Gwent / Glamorgan / Bristol area since 2001. Usually being seen during the winter in Wales and in in the spring.

5 Black Scoter ( 0, 2, 0) Melanitta americana Mor-hwyaden ddu Breeds northern North America, winters on the Atlantic coast, south to North Carolina. Caernarfon: off Llanfairfechan, 2004 – Apr. 1st at least, returning Oct. 4th onwards into 2006. Photo opposite by S. Young.

This bird has spent the last seven winters in the same area. The only other Welsh record was off Newgale, Pembrokeshire, December 1991 – February 1992.

Surf Scoter ( 22, 18, 2) Melanitta perspicillata Mor-hwyaden yr Ewyn Breeds northern North America, winters on the Atlantic coast, south to North Carolina. 2005 Pembroke: off Newgale, a male & female on Nov. 26th, with the female also there on the 27th (DJ Astins). 2003 Carm./ Pemb. 2 males, Amroth / Telpyn Point Dec. 23rd (NP Fairney). A male was seen annually from the latter site 1997 – 2000.

Black-browed Albatross ( 1, 0, 1) Thalassarche melanophris Albatros Aelddu Breeds on islands in S. Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Outside the breeding season, disperses north throughout southern oceans as far as Tropic of Capricorn. Anglesey: adult, off South Stack, Feb. 12th (KG Croft). This record was one of only two in the UK in 2005, only the 23rd record for the UK and the 2nd for Wales. Quite possibly this individual was the same that was found summering amongst Gannets on Sula Sgeir, Outer Hebrides. The only other Welsh record was from Skokholm, Pembroke on Aug. 19th 1990, while there was an accepted record of Albatross sp. off Bardsey on May 1st 1976.

Cory’s Shearwater ( 34, 51, 7) Calonectris diomedea Aderyn-Drycin Cory A temperate to tropical species, nesting in colonies and rocky islands in the Canaries, Madeira and Azores and through the Mediterranean. Pembroke: at sea off Porthgain, June 19th (L. Lomax). 3 off St. Govan’s Head, Aug. 19th (C. Hurford). off Strumble Head, Aug. 25th (SL Murray). off Strumble Head, Sept. 17th (S. Berry, R. Wilkinson) Anglesey: off Point Lynas, July 20th (D. Powell). The Porthgain individual was seen, from a Cetacian survey vessel, amongst a flock of Manx Shearwaters. The Anglesey individual was the tenth seen from that county, others have been off South Stack (3), North Stack (1), Porth Penrhyn (1), Fedw Fawr (1), Cemlyn (2) and once off Point Lynas (in August 1999).

6 Frigatebird sp. ( 0, 1, 1) Frigata sp. Ffrigad sp. A vagrant which breeds on tropical and subtropical islands in all oceans. Glamorgan: male, Flatholm, Nov. 6th (J. Tatton-Brown). This bird appeared in the wake of Hurricane Wilma, one of the most ferocious storms ever recorded in the Atlantic and responsible for reports of Magnificent Frigatebird along the eastern sea-board of North America as far north as Nova Scotia in the last week of October 2005. It also came a day before a Magnificent Frigatebird was discovered in a field in Shropshire. The Shropshire bird, if accepted by BOU is the first definite record of Magnificent for UK. Quite possibly the Flatholm bird was the same as the Shropshire one, but it was not pinned down to Magnificent and therefore could not be accepted as a “first” for the UK. The only other record of this genus in Wales, was of a female, probably Magnificent, over Skomer, Pembroke on June 4th 1995.

Great White Egret ( 5, 15, 0) Ardea alba Creyr Mawr Gwyn Breeds Netherlands in small numbers and from Hungary eastwards to Japan and south Australia, Africa south of the Sahara also southern North, Central and South America. European population winters mostly in the north Mediterranean. Carmarthen: at Penclacwydd Mar. 23rd (photo. per Surfbirds) Glamorgan: presumed same as above, at Llanrhidian Marsh Mar. 25th – 27th and at Whiteford on Aug. 23rd.

The Burry Inlet bird (Carms & Glamorgan) was a colour-ringed individual and had been first seen there in 2004.

This species has dropped off the BBRC list of rare birds, onto the WRP list as of Jan. 1st 2006.

Little Bittern ( 29, 5, 0) Ixobrychus minutus Aderyn-bwn Leiaf A dispersive migrant from temperate to tropical zones, western and central Europe. 2004 Montgomery: juvenile, Welshpool, Oct. 29th, photos. below (P. Grassi) An amazing find at the bottom of someone’s garden. The last Welsh record was in 1995, when one was found dead at Castle Martin, Pembrokeshire and a female was seen along the River Teifi in Cilgerran Gorge, Ceredigion/Pembrokeshire. In fact of the 34 Welsh records only 18 have been found alive, the rest were shot or found dead.

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Night Heron ( 31, 7, 3) Nycticorax nycticorax Creyr y Nos Dispersive migrant, from warmer temperate to tropical zones, southern Europe and America. Carmarthen: adult, Pentre Dafis, Apr. 14th – 23rd (J. Friese, per J. Lloyd). Pembroke: adult, Freshwater West, Apr. 16th (M. Sutton). Anglesey: sub-adult, Malltraeth, June 23rd onwards (C. Smith, per RI Thorpe). These were the first accepted Welsh records since April 2000, when one was seen at Cors Caron. The last year when more than one was seen in Wales was 1994, when a total of 3 were seen.

Green Heron ( 0, 0, 1) Butorides virescens Creyr Gwyrdd Resident of sub-tropical to tropical zones and the southern Red Sea. Anglesey: 1st w, Red Wharf Bay, Oct. 30th – Nov. 20th (A. Bowdin, A. Davies et al per Birding World).

The first Welsh record and only the 5th for Britain, previous records coming from Cornwall in 1889, East Yorkshire in 1982, Lothian in 1987 and Lincolnshire in 2001. It is thought to be the same individual that was recorded in Co. Cork, Ireland, Oct. 11th – 13th, based on Photo. opposite by M. Hughes. plumage and moult similarities.

8 Purple Heron ( 38, 10, 1) Ardea purpurea Creyr Porffor Dispersive migrant, from warmer temperate to tropical zones, southern Europe. Glamorgan: Kenfig, May 14th (M. Cram). The last accepted Welsh record also came from this site, in April 2002.

White Stork ( - , 11, 1) Ciconia ciconia Ciconai Gwyn Migrant in warmer Boreal to warm temperate zones, USSR, China and central Europe. Glamorgan: West Monkton, May 15th (RG Smith). Gwent: probably the same bird then seen at Caerleon, on the same day (C. Jones).

Glossy Ibis ( 11 , 1 , 1) Plegadis falcinellus Crymanbig Ddu Migrant from warm temperate and tropical zones, Greece, Turkey, North Africa and the Middle East. Caernarfon: Porth Neigwl, Oct. 27th – 30th (M. Hughes).

The last Welsh record was at Marloes Mere, Pembroke on June 16th 1996. The Porth Neigwl bird was a county first, of the others 4 have been seen in Pembroke, 3 in Carmarthen, 2 on Anglesey and singles in Flint, Gwent and Glamorgan. Glossy Ibis, Caernarfon, October. R. Jones.

Montagu’s Harrier ( - , 9, 1) Circus pygargus Bod Montagu Rare summer visitor and passage migrant which formerly bred in small numbers. Pembroke: male, Skomer May 3rd (JG Brown et al) then at Marloes Mere on the 7th – 9th (B. Alexandre, PK Grennard). The fifth Pembroke record since 1991.

Gyr Falcon ( 12, 1, 0) Falco rusticolus Hebog y Gogledd Within Europe, most numerous in Iceland and Norway, with smaller populations breeding in N Sweden, Finland and Arctic Russia. To E, breeds across Arctic Siberia, and to W across Greenland, N Canada and Alaska. European birds mostly resident but high Arctic breeders from N Canada and Greenland migratory, occasionally wintering S to NW Europe. 2002 Anglesey: South Stack, Mar. 8th (video) (per RI Thorpe, P. Wheeler). Not as printed in last year’s report.

9 Spotted Crake ( - , 25+, 1) Porzana porzana Rhegen fraith Scarce breeding bird in Britain. Passage migrant. Glamorgan: Kenfig, May 11th (AJ Messinger, SJ Moon). One had been calling at Trefeiddan, Pembroke for the last two summers running, but there were no records received from that area this year.

Corncrake ( -, 38, 1) Crex crex Rhegen yr Yd Very scarce breeding bird in Britain, mainly in north & western Scotland and Ireland. Last bred in Wales in 1994. Caernarfon: Bardsey, May 9th – July 15th (photo and record SD Stansfield).

Common Crane ( 19, 14, 2) Grus grus Garan Glamorgan: Cwm Cerwyn, Maesteg Jan. 26th (M. Hnatiuk, P. Parsons). Montgomery: Derwenlas, Nov. 7th (R. Squires). Carmarthen: juv. Banc y Felin, Nov. 17th (G. Lewis, per D. Moore). Ceredigion: juv., Felinfach, Nov. 23rd (I. Morris). It is probable that all three November records relate to the same roving juvenile.

Collared Pratincole ( 2, 0, 1) Glareola pratincola Cwtiadwennol Dorchog Migrant from warm temperate zone, breeding around the Mediterranean Sea and Middle East and wintering in Africa south of the Sahara. Carmarthen: at Penclacwydd June 14th – July 13th (F. Cross, per B. Stewart).

The only previous Welsh records were across the Burry Inlet at Penclawdd, Glamorgan on May 27th 1973 and at Rhosneigr, Anglesey on June 6th 1983. There is also an accepted Pratincole sp. record from Bosherston, Pembroke on Apr. 13th 1981. Interestingly there have also been 3 records of Black-winged Pratincole in Wales – the same as the Collared total !

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Collared Pratincole, Penclacwydd June. S. Evans

Kentish Plover ( 28, 10, 1) Charadrius alexandrinus Cwtiad Caint Formerly bred in the UK. Now a scarce migrant from the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe. Caernarfon: female, Conwy RSPB, May 4th (A. Davies per M. Hughes). This was a county first. Of the 39 accepted Welsh individuals, 9 have been seen in Ceredigion, 8 in Gwent, 5 in Pembroke, 6 in Glamorgan (plus there is a record of 2 pairs at Sker Point in 1888) and 3 in both Flint and on Anglesey.

American Golden Plover ( 2, 2, 1) Pluvialis dominica Corgwtiad Aur Breeds on coastal tundra from extreme NE Siberia, E across N Alaska and Canada to Baffin Island. Migrates over W Atlantic to wintering grounds in S South America. Anglesey: Cemlyn, May 22nd – 26th (RI Thorpe, S. Hugheston-Roberts). The only four previously accepted records were from Skokholm, Pembroke, on Sept. 26th 1981 and at Cemlyn, Anglesey, on Apr. 3rd 1983, Garreg Lwyd, Carmarthen May 3rd– 4th 2004 and an adult on the Alaw Est., Anglesey on Oct. 8th 2004. This species has dropped off the BBRC list of rare birds, onto the WRP list, as of Jan. 1st 2006. It remains a great rarity in Wales however.

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American Golden Plover, Cemlyn, May. M. Hughes

Temminck’s Stint (26, 19, 2) Calidris temminckii Pibydd Temminck Breeds northern Scandinavia eastwards across northern Siberia. Winters west and central Africa and south Asia. Ceredigion: Cors Caron, May 11th (A. Williams) Glamorgan: Kenfig, May 14th (P. Parsons, N. Donaghy, M. Cram, D. Carrington). Sketches below are from P. Parsons’ description. This record constitutes the first for that county since 1982, when 2 were at Blackpill on May 9th. The only other record for Glamorgan was of one at Aberthaw during August 1970.

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Pectoral Sandpiper (65, 30, 3) Calidris melanotos Pibydd Cain Breeds northeast Siberia and northern North America. Winters in southern South America. Gwent: juv. NWR Goldcliff, Aug. 4th (V. Picken). juv. NWR Goldcliff, Sept. 7th – 10th (C. Jones). Pembroke: juv. Bosherston Pools, Aug. 25th – 28th (S. H. Linington et al Photo opposite L. Lomax).

Buff-breasted Sandpiper ( 31, 10, 2) Tryngites subruficollis Pibydd Bronllwyd Breeds in Alaska and North-west Canada, winters in northern Argentina and Uruguay. 2005 Pembroke: juv. Castle Martin Ranges, Sept. 11th (photo opposite R. Ellis). 2005 Anglesey: Sept. 11th, Cemlyn (J. Dyda, RI Thorpe).

2003 Montgomery: Llyn y Tarw, Oct. 19th (G. Sandilands).

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Terek Sandpiper ( 0, 1, 1) Xenus cinereus Pibydd Terek Migrant, breeding in the Boreal zone, Russia and wintering in the sub-tropics and Asia. Anglesey: Cemlyn, June 21st – 23rd, (KG Croft, D. Powell).

Photo. M. Hughes.

The second record for Wales, the first was at RSPB Conwy, Caernarfon, Apr. 29th – May 3rd 1999.

Red-necked Phalarope (37, 10, 2) Phalaropus lobatus Llydandroed Gyddfgoch A very scarce and declining breeding bird in Scotland. Breeds in Scandinavia and winters in the Indian and Persian Gulf. Caernarfon: 1st w / juv. Bardsey, Sept. 5th (SD Stansfield). Carmarthen: at Carmarthen Sept. 27th for about a week.

The Bardsey bird was a first for that island and only the second for Caernarfon, the other at RSPB Conwy in June 2003. The Carmarthen bird was the first for that county since 1957. Photo of the Carmarthen bird, September. B. Stewart.

14 Laughing Gull ( 3, 0, 12) Larus atricilla Gwylan Chwerthinog A transatlantic vagrant, breeding in North America and the Caribbean. Pembroke: 1st W, Fishguard Harbour, Nov. 4th – 21st (PK Grennard, A. Rogers) Adult, Gann Nov. 6th – 11th (DJ Astins, PK Grennard et al). 2nd W, Pembroke Dock, Nov. 10th – Dec. 9th (E. Hunter et al), also seen at Llanstadwell on Nov. 19th and at Neyland on Dec. 4th. 1st W, Gann, Nov. 10th (R. Royale) & Dec. 4th (S. Sutcliffe). 1st W, Nevern Estuary, Nov. 11th (same as Fishguard), (C. Pierpoint), with two 1st W there on Nov. 21st (E. Hunter) Adult Haverfordwest, Nov. 28th – Dec. 6th (T. Theobald et al) Carmarthen: 1st W, Pentre Dafis, Drwslyn Nov. 6th – 8th (J. Friese, D. Moore et al). 1st W, Sandy Water Park, presumed the same as in Swansea Docks, (photo. B. Stewart). Glamorgan: 1st W, Sker Point and Ogmore, Nov. 4th – Jan. 13th 2006 (DG Carrington et al). Adult, Port Eynon Nov. 11th (B. Stewart). 1st W, Swansea Docks, Nov. 15th (A. Lucas et al). Meiri./ Caern.: adult, Porthmadog and Glaslyn from Nov. 14th until Apr. 4th 2006 (E. Lewis) Ceredigion: 1st W, Tanybwlch, Aberystwyth, Nov. 12th – 14th (S. Cox, M. Williams)

As reported in the February WOS Newsletter, up to this mass arrival on the back of hurricane Wilma, there had only been 3 accepted Welsh records, in Ceredigion in May 1978, at Colwyn Bay, Denbigh in December 1981 and at Newton Point, Glamorgan in September 1988. It has been suggested that up to 12 individuals were seen during the late autumn in Wales and at least 52 accepted records in the UK during 2005.

1st W at Dryslwyn, November. B. Stewart. 1st W at Dryslwyn, November B. Stewart.

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2nd W at Pembroke Dock, November, in flight by DG Carrington and sitting by L. Lomax.

Adult, Gann, November by DJ Astins.

Adult at Glaslyn, December. S. Round.

st Adult, Haverfordwest, November. 1 w, Swansea, November. B. Stewart. L. Lomax.

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1st w, Sandy Water Park, November. B. Stewart

Franklin’s Gull ( 0, 2, 1) Larus pipixcam Gwylan Franklin Transatlantic vagrant. Carmarthen: 1st W, Pentre Dafis, Dryslwyn Nov. 6th & 7th (J. Friese, D. Moore et al).

Franklin’s Gull, Dryslwyn by B. Stewart.

An amazing turn of events. The finder reported an odd Gull, it was identified as Laughing, then disappeared. The arriving twitchers found the Franklin’s in the same field causing much discussion as you can imagine before the original Laughing Gull was relocated. The only other Welsh records were from Gower of adults at Eglwys Nunydd Res. October 1998 and at Blackpill in June 1999. The record of a 2nd S at Aberdysynni, Meirionnydd in March 1986 has been withdrawn. There were 4 other accepted records in the UK in 2005.

17 Sooty Tern ( 1, 0, 1) Onychoprion fuscata Morwennol Fraith A vagrant which breeds on tropical and subtropical islands in all oceans and the Red Sea. Anglesey: Ynys Feurig, July 5th, then at the Skerries 7th – 10th, then Cemlyn 10th – 26th (C. Bingham et al per Birding World).

Photo. opposite by J. Malloy and below by A. Webb.

Pembroke: Strumble Head, Aug. 23rd (A.Rogers, GH Rees).

The second record for Wales of this species caused great excitement among twitchers in July. It was first seen at Ynys Feurig on the 5th and thought to be this species, but the views were not sufficient to confirm the ID. It was then found on the Skerries on the 7th and was here on and off until the 10th, seen by a good number of admirers thanks to boat trips arranged from Holyhead & Amlwch. The bird was then at Cemlyn on most days from the 10th to 26th, though sometimes returning to the Skerries (many observers) and also turning up at Rockabill, Dublin on the 12th. It disappeared out into the Irish Sea and two lucky observers picked it up, whilst sea-watching off Strumble Head as it finally left the Irish Sea. The only other Welsh record was of one at Barmouth Aug. 17th 1909.

18 Caspian Tern ( 6, 3, 1) Hydroprogne caspia Morwennol Fwyaf Isolated and declining European population breeds on the Baltic coasts of Estonia, Sweden and Finland. European birds winter in west Africa to the Gulf of Guinea. Caernarfon: immature, Bardsey Oct. 12th (SD Stansfield). The second record for the island, the first on May 28th 1998. Of the other eight Welsh records, 2 have been at Kenfig, one on Skomer, 2 at Cemlyn, one on the Dyfi estuary, one at Blackpill and one at Llangorse Lake.

Chimney Swift ( 0, 0, 1) Chaetura pelagica Coblyn y Simddu Breeds in southern Canada and throughout the USA, east of the rockies to the Gulf of Mexico. Winters on the upper Amazon basin, Peru and elsewhere in South America. Anglesey: Penmon, Nov. 2nd (DJ Latham) . The remnants of Hurricane Wilma that tracked up the eastern sea-board of North America and out over the Atlantic in late October was responsible for an unprecedented influx of Chimney Swifts into Europe, with hundreds on the Azores and several in SW Britain and Ireland. The Penmon bird is the first Welsh record of this species.

Little Swift ( 1, 1, 0) Apus affinis Gwennol Ddu Fach A rare vagrant which breeds in Africa and southern Asia. 2004 Gwent: one, Skirris Fawr, June 6th (W. Davies). The other Welsh record was of one at Skokholm, Pembroke on May 31st – June 1st 1981. The 1973 Denbigh record of one picked up (and released the next day) at Llanrwst on Nov. 6th has recently been re-assessed and deemed insufficient to stand as the 1st British Record and therefore has been removed from the Welsh list.

Bee-eater sp. Merops apiaster Gwybedog y Gwenyn Breeds in drier temperate to warm tropical zones (southern Europe), wintering in savannah regions south of the Sahara. Two records were submitted of Bee-eaters in Wales this year but neither were good enough to, in the view of the WRP, clearly separate from Blue-cheeked. They were therefore accepted as Bee-eater sp. Pembroke: Strumble Head, May 15th (J. Moore) Anglesey: 2 or 3, Penmon, June 26th (J. Millett).

19 Roller ( 6, 1, 1) Coracias garrulus Rholydd Vagrant from Iberia, southern France, north Africa, Germany and Italy. Pembroke: near St. David’s, July 1st – 16th (photo L. Lomax). Unfortunately this bird was on private land and therefore only a handful of birders were able to enjoy it’s splendour.This species is now a great rarity in Britain, indeed this was the only one recorded in the UK in 2005. The last two Welsh records also came from this county, at Skokholm in October 2001 and near Fishguard in August 1991.

Short-toed Lark ( 12, 9, 1) Calandrella brachydactyla Ehedydd Llwyd Rare visitor. Breeds from Iberia, southern France and NW Africa east to Manchuria. Denbigh: Towyn, May 31st (S. Morris).

One was also at this site in May 2002. Up to 1991, all bar one Welsh record came from the islands of Skokholm or Bardsey. Since then there have been only 2 on Skokholm, one on Bardsey and all the rest on the mainland. Short-toed Lark, Towyn, May. R. Adderley

Woodlark ( - , 118, 3) Lullula arborea Ehedydd y Coed Now widespread in Southern and Eastern England. 2005 Caernarfon: Great Orme, Oct. 31st (P. Alderson, M. Hughes). Waunfawr, Dec. 28th – 29th (S Hugheston-Roberts et al). 2005 Pembroke: Bosherston, (DJ Astins). 2004 Glamorgan: Point, Oct. 30th (W. Strong).

20 Numbers of accepted Woodlarks in Wales 1992-2005 35

15 30

25 number of records

20 number of individuals

15

12 5 10

26 63 5

0 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Shorelark ( -, 69, 2) Eremophila alpestris Ehedydd y Traeth Irregular winter visitor from the northern Arctic. Pembroke: 2, Marloes Mere, Jan. 11th – 22nd, with one there on Feb. 19th (M. Sutton per J. Green). The total of 69 individuals since 1991 is grossly inflated by the flock of 35 at Gronant in 1999.

Richard’s Pipit ( 86, 89, 13) Anthus richardi Corhedydd Richard Breeds from western Siberia east to Mongolia and south-east to New Zealand, also Africa. Northern population winters in Pakistan and India, east to south-east Asia. Denbigh: Kinmel Head, from Dec. 12th 2004 – Apr. 17th 2005. Caernarfon: Great Orme, Sept. 24th (C. Jones, M. Hughes). 4 singles on Bardsey, Sept. 22nd, Oct. 14th, 27th and another on 28th (SD Stansfield). Glamorgan: Kenfig, Oct. 11th (DG Carrington). Pembroke: Pembroke River, Oct. 20th (R. Ellis). Goodwick, Oct. 22nd (A. Rogers). Anglesey: Soldier’s Point, Oct. 16th (S. Culley). Richard’s Pipit, Kinmel Head, M. Hughes 4 singles at Carmel Head, on Oct. 9th, Oct. 23rd and Nov. 19th (all RI Thorpe, S. Hugheston-Roberts) and on Nov. 1st (J. Dyda). 21 2003 Anglesey: 3, Llyn Traffwll, Dec. 17th, at least one remaining to Jan. 20th 2004 (I. Sims, RI Thorpe).

Number of accepted Welsh Richard's 1992-2005

18 11 1 2 16 16

31 2 14

12

5 10

8 16 6 8

5 1 4 4 2

0 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

The map above shows the number of accepted individuals for certain sites and for each county, for the period 1992-2005. The totals for Pembroke have been split into Mainland, Skokholm and Skomer, while those for Caernarfon have been split into the totals for Bardsey and the mainland. Since Birds in Wales (1991) there have been over 90 accepted records of Richard’s Pipits in Wales, with more than 5 a year in all bar 3 years, as shown by the chart below. Therefore this species cannot be considered as a Scarce Bird in Wales anymore and has dropped off the WRP list as of Jan. 1st 2006.

Blyth’s Pipit, ( 0, 0, 1) Anthus godlewskii Corhedydd Blyth Breeds from S. Transbikalia and N. Mongolia to extreme NE China and south to Tibet. Winters locally throughout the Indian sub-continent. Caernarfon: Bardsey, Oct. 16th & 17th (SD Stansfield et al). The first Welsh record of this extremely tricky species. The Bardsey bird was well watched and photographed, and though not trapped, presented BBRC with little difficulty. An account of the bird is produced at the end of this report.

Red-throated Pipit ( 4, 7, 1) Anthus cervinus Corhedydd Gyddfgoch Rare vagrant. Caernarfon: Bardsey, Oct. 16th - 21st (SD Stansfield). The previous records came from Skokholm October 1970, September 1989, two in September 1992, Kenfig May 1992, Bardsey October 1988, May 2002 and October 2002, Skomer September 1991, October 2000 and April 2002. This species has dropped off the BBRC list of rare birds, onto the WRP list as of Jan. 1st 2006. It remains a great rarity in Wales however. 22 Common Nightingale ( - , 27, 1) Luscinia megarhynchos Eos Population declining in SE England. Caernarfon: Bardsey, May 2nd (record and photo. SD Stansfield).

Of the 28 records since 1991, only 12 have been on the mainland, of the rest, 4 on Skokholm, 2 on Skomer and 10 on Bardsey.

Dark-throated Thrush ( 0, 0, 1) Turdus ruficollis Brych Gyddfdywll Western, black-throated form T. r. atrogularis breeds in Central and Northern Urals, east across SW Siberia and east Kazakhstan to NW China. It winters in Iraq to northern India, east through Himalayan foothills to Bhutan. Glamorgan: male, of the race atrogularis, (Black-throated Thrush), Swansea Dec. 29th – Mar. 15th 2006 (W. & A. Woodward et al). The first Welsh record of this Siberian gem. Although first discovered in late December, the identification was not confirmed until January 2006, allowing many hundreds to enjoy this special thrush. Thanks must go to all those involved in organising the access, particularly the residents of the area.

Dark-throated Thrush, Swansea, January. B. Stewart. 23 Great Reed Warbler ( 7, 2, 1) Acrocephalus arundinaceus Telor Mawr y Cyrs Vagrant from North Africa and continental Europe. Caernarfon: Conwy, June 10th – 18th (A. Davies, per RI Thorpe, M. Hughes). The only records since 1991 were at Skomer, Pembroke on May 21st 1998 and May 16th 2002.

Icterine Warbler ( 65, 31, 2) Hippolais icterina Telor Aur Breeds from northeast France north to Norway and Sweden and east to western Siberia, also northern Iran. Winters in Africa south of the Sahara. Caernarfon: single 1st w on Bardsey Sept. 8th (SD Stansfield) and another on the 12th (D. Wright). Yet another island speciality. Of the 33 records since 1991 Bardsey has entertained 15, Skokholm 6 and Skomer 8.

Melodious Warbler ( 142, 37, 6) Hippolais polyglotta Telor Per Breeds northeast Africa, Iberia, France, Switzerland and Italy. Winters in Africa, south of the Sahara. Pembroke: Skomer, Aug. 15th and another Aug. 30th (JG Brown). Anglesey: Cemlyn, Aug. 30th (A. Davies per S. Culley). Caernarfon: Bardsey, Aug. 30th (SD Stansfield). Bardsey, Aug. 30th – Sept. 1st (SD Stansfield). 1st w, Bardsey, Sept. 4th (SD Stansfield).

Melodious Warbler, Skomer, Aug. 30th, JG Brown. Melodious and Willow Warbler, Bardsey, Aug. 30th, SD Stansfield

Barred Warbler (41, 29, 2) Sylvia nisoria Telor Rhesog Breeds from north Italy, Germany and south Sweden eastwards to Mongolia. Winters northeast Africa south to Kenya and southern Arabia. Caernarfon: 1st w, Bardsey, Sept. 1st (SD Stansfield). Anglesey: Breakwater Country Park, Oct. 14th (KG Croft). 24 Pallas’s Leaf Warbler ( 9, 19, 1) Phylloscopus proregulus Telor Gwyrdd Breeds from south central Siberia, east to Sea of Okhotsk, also Himalayas. Winters Himalayan foothills, northern southeast Asia. Caernarfon: Bardsey, Oct. 23rd (SD Stansfield).

Hume’s Leaf Warbler ( 0, 2, 0) Phylloscopus humei Telor Hume Breeds in Altai Mountains to W Mongolia, S through Tien Shan and Pamirs to NE Afghanistan, NW Himalayas and mountains in NW China. Winters in S Afghanistan to N India, E to W Bengal. Another race breeds in C China from Shanxi to S Yunnan, W to lower slopes of Tibetan plateau. The individual at Soldiers Point, Anglesey in November 2000, although printed in last year’s BBRC report, still is awaiting acceptance and therefore cannot be added to the Welsh total. The only two so far accepted records are at Strumble Head, Pembroke Nov. 20th 1993 and the wintering individual at Caernarfon, winter 2003-4.

Red-breasted Flycatcher ( 126, 33, 4) Ficedula parva Gwybedog Brongoch Breeds from southern Sweden south to Austria and Bulgaria eastwards across Siberia. Winters in Pakistan, India and southeast Asia. Pembroke: 1st w, , Sept. 17th (S. Sutcliffe). 1st w, on a drilling rig off St. David’s, Oct. 5th – 6th (C. Pierpoint) Anglesey: 1st w, Breakwater Country Park, Oct. 8th (KG Croft). Caernarfon: 1st w, Bardsey, Oct. 8th – 9th, another Oct. 9th and a third Oct. 17th Photo below of the bird on Oct. 9th & 10th (all SD Stansfield).

25 Bearded Tit ( - , - , -) Panurus biarmicus Titw Barfog Resident in the UK (mainly the south East). Erruptive. Bred in Wales in one’s or twos mid 1960’s – 1980. Rare since. 2005 Gwent: birds present at NWR Goldcliff all year. A pair bred and 6 – 9 juvs. were seen on July 10th (D. Hutton, RI Thorpe et al).

2004 Glam.: 2 Kenfig, Oct. 14th (DG Carrington).

Red-backed Shrike ( - , 43, 10) Lanius collurio Cigydd Cefngoch Breeds throughout most of mainland Europe. Meirionnydd: female, Aberdyfi, May 25th (M. Shrubb). Caernarfon: 1st w, Bardsey, Sept. 20th (SD Stansfield). 1st w, Bardsey, Sept. 25th – Oct. 7th (SD Stansfield). Anglesey: 1st w, Penmon Pool, Oct. 12th & 13th (B. Robinson per S. Culley). Pembroke: male, Skomer, May 28th (MJ Pilsworth per D. Boyle). male, Strumble Head, Oct. 18th (S. Berry). 1st w, St. David’s Airfield, Oct. 22nd – 27th (J. Bennett per J. Green). Glamorgan: 1st W, Broughton Burrows, Gower Sept. 22nd – 27th (T. Adams, photo B. Stewart). South Wales: a pair bred, fledging 2 young. Site and observers withheld.

1st w, Gower, September. B. Stewart.

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Number of accepted Red-backed Shrikes 1992-2005

12 7

2 10

12 1 8

1 6 3 1 4 6 1 12 2 2 1 2 0 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

A bumper year for records of this species in Wales plus the first breeding since 1985, although a pair summered in Glamorgan in 1990. WRP is aware of other reports of breeding pairs / summering pairs since 1985 but these have never been submitted.

1st w St. David’s Airfield, October. L. Lomax.

This species only just fits the WRP criteria as a scarce bird in Wales. The chart above shows the number of accepted records each year in Wales (not including the 2005 breeding record), since 1991, while the map shows totals for each county, or in some cases sites within a county (e.g. Pembroke is split into the individual islands and the mainland, Caernarfon is split into Bardsey and the rest).

27 Rose-coloured Starling ( 26, 44, 4) Sturnus roseus Drudwen Wridog Breeds from Hungary and Balkans east to Kazakhstan and southern Iran. Occasionally erupts west in summer. Winters in the Indian region. Meirionnydd: adult, Dyfryn Ardudwy, June 25th (Mr. & Mrs. R. Pitman, per RI Thorpe). Caernarfon: juv., Bardsey, Sept. 5th – 7th (SD Stansfield et al). Ceredigion: juv., Ty Gwyn Pool, Oct. 7th (A. Williams). Anglesey: juv. Llangrisiolus, Nov. 30th (R. Thomas). The Meirionnydd bird was unfortunately found dead on the next day.

Common Redpoll ( 10, 122, 3) Carduelis flammea Llinos Bengoch Breeds in Scandinavia. Scarce wintering species. Caernarfon: male + female / imm., Great Orme, Mar. 19th (M. Hughes). male, Bardsey, May 12th – 13th male, Bardsey, Oct. 4th. Both records and photo. opposite, October by SD Stansfield.

The grand total of 125 since 1991 is inflated by the flock of 60 at Marford Quarry, Denbigh in March 1996 and the Bardsey records of up to 29 on May 6th 1999 and 15 there between May 8th & 14th 2000.

Common Rosefinch (39, 58, 1) Carpodacus erythrinus Llinos Goch Breeds from Germany and southern Sweden eastwards to Kamchatka and from Georgia eastwards to central China. Has bred in Britain on a few occasions. Winters in India, southeast Asia and southern China. Caernarfon: 1st w, Bardsey, Sept. 15th – 16th (SD Stansfield).

Cirl Bunting ( - , 1, 0) Emberiza cirlus Bras Ffraninc Resident in the warm temperate and western temperate zones of southern Europe. 2004 Caernarfon: 1st summer female, Bardsey, Apr. 23rd (SD Stansfield). Not as printed in last year’s report.

28 Ortolan Bunting ( 105, 45, 2) Emberiza hortulana Bras y Gerddi Breeds continental Europe and Fenno-Scandia eastwards to northern Iran and Mongolia. Winters south Arabia and Sahel zone of the south Sahara. First Welsh record now attributed to DH Meares, on the Berwyn Mountains, Llanrhaiadr-ym Mochnant on May 20th 1907. Caernarfon: 1st w, Bardsey, Sept. 3rd and another Sept. 22nd (both SD Stansfield).

rd Ortolan, Bardsey Sept. 3 . Little Bunting, Glamorgan, November. SD Stansfield Barry Stewart.

Little Bunting ( 11, 10, 2) Emberiza pusilla Bras Lleiaf A rare visitor to Wales, Caernarfon: Bardsey, Oct. 27th & 30th (SD Stansfield). Glamorgan: Mewslade, Nov. 1st (DC Bolt, NP Roberts, B. Stewart). The second county record for Glamorgan, with the first at Oxwich on Sept. 28th 1957.

Little Bunting, Mewslade, November. DC Bolt. 29 Races

Northern Bullfinch ( 0, 1, 1) Pyrrhula pyrrhula pyrrhula 2004 Caernarfon: male, Bardsey, Dec. 11th – 16th (SD Stansfield). 2005 Meirionnydd: female, Lake Vyrnwy, Feb. 15th (J. Dustow). These represent the first and second documented occurrence of this race in Wales. Several other individuals were claimed during this influx into the UK but these are the only ones so far documented. The influx in Britain in autumn 2004 was focused on the northern isles and east coast, though a few penetrated inland as far west as Wales. A paper detailing the influx and identification of this taxon appears in British Birds (January 2006 – Vol. 99, 2-24).

APPENDIX I - List of records that were deemed NOT PROVEN

Many of the records were not accepted because the Panel were not convinced, on the evidence before us, that the identification was fully established. Only in a very few cases were the Panel satisfied that a mistake had been made.

Cory’s Shearwater Off Skerries, Anglesey July 9th 2005 Rough-legged Buzzard Welshpool, Montgom January 2005 Rough-legged Buzzard, juv Caerleon, Gwent Feb. 20th 2005 Golden Eagle, sub-ad Llandegfedd Res July 9th 2005 Corncrake St. Brides – Old Magor sawmills, Gwent May 2004 Yellow-legged Gull, ad Bardsey Mar. 23rd 2005 Nightingale Coed Bryndansi, Clwyd 2004 Rosy Starling, adult Welsh St. Donat’s, Glam. May 5th 2005 Red-backed Shrike Gwent June 3rd 2005 Northern Bullfinch 2 pairs, Glangrwyney, Brecon Jan. 26th 2005

APPENDIX II - List of records that have been PENDED for more information or more time.

Bean Goose, rossicus Cors Caron, Ceredigion 24/1/05 Red-breasted Flycatcher Skerries, Anglesey 12/10/05 Grey-headed Wagtail, m Bardsey, Caernarfon 11/5/87

30 Green Heron, Red Wharf Bay, Anglesey - a new species for Wales

Red Warf Bay on Anglesey is an area that is not a regular haunt of North Wales birders. Apart from the occasional Water Pipit and reported Great White Egrets, there has been little to encourage the rarity-minded local to visit. However, for the non—birder it is a nice place to spend a holiday and that was what Andy Bowdin was doing in late October 2005. On his regular walks he found an unusual Heron species and fortunately armed with a digital camera he managed to get some excellent shots and to his eternal credit he contacted the RSPB Bangor Office as soon as he returned home, sending on the pictures. Natalie Thomas, one of the Office co-ordinators was well aware of what to do in these circumstances – she contacted me immediately (unfortunately I was on the Twyi watching the Franklin’s Gull!) and sent on the photos and details to Alan Davies. The quality of the photos left no doubt that it was a Green Heron and Alan was able to take an extended lunch break and dashed to Red Wharf Bay. On arrival he headed east from the car park and saw nothing, but never one to give up easily he returned to the car park and tried to the west – within 30 mins. he was watching the Heron! The news was put out on the local grapevine and Birdline Wales and by dusk most of those birders within easy reach and seen it. The bird remained faithful the salt-marsh until Nov. 20th and performed well for many hundreds of visitors each day – although it could hide in some of the deeper creeks at times. Remarkably the photos showed that it was the same immature that has spent 3 days in Ireland during October. Reg Thorpe

Photo P. Round. 31

Chimney Swift, Penmon, Anglesey - a new species for Wales

The following account is taken from the observers hand-written notes, taken immediately after sighting on Nov. 2nd 2005, at Ty’n-y-caeau, Penmon, Anglesey. This was one of seven accepted records in the UK during 2005, previous to this there had only been 13 accepted records.

Weather: wild south/south westerly winds, showery with alternate downpours and bright sun, mild (19oC).

Bird seen flying around and over house (!). Good views between 15.00 and 15.30. Weather showery and windy, but bird seen in periods of bright sunlight from as close as 5m from below.

Behaviour: Flight fast, fluttery, and bat-like at times, actively hunting insects within a radius of about 50m (centred on the house). Sound: None heard. Size and shape: General wing-shape of swifts, but smaller than common swift. Body compact, head relatively large, tail very short, square, rounded when fanned; no sign of a forked tail. Colour: Black from a distance, dark brown in bright sunlight. Throat/upper chest lighter brown, underside slightly lighter than upper. No sign of white rump or other obvious markings. Identification: The bird was definitely a swift, but too small and tail wrong for common swift. Only other species that seems to fit is North American Chimney swift.

Jim Latham

32

Blyth’s Pipit on Bardsey - a new species for Wales

On the morning of 16 October 2005, I had been to the to check out a warbler that had been found by my Assistant Warden Adrian George. Having seen and then trapped the bird, I identified it as a Eurasian Reed Warbler. Adrian and I then set off back to the Observatory while Jesse Wilkinson went to the south hide to count seabirds.

On our way off the South End we flushed a bird from our left side. I did not hear the bird call, but glanced quickly at it and called ‘Richard’s Pipit’. Just as I got my binoculars on the bird it landed. I was immediately struck by three things: the fact that I had not heard the bird call, the short-tailed and slender appearance of the bird and the general pale appearance of the bird. My reaction to what I was looking at was to yell one or two expletives and say to Adrian “that is a very pale bird!” Adrian’s response was to ask why it was not a Tawny Pipit. I responded by saying “The lores are pale and the bird is too dark. The question is, why is it not a Blyth’s Pipit?”. After stalking the bird to get within 20 metres of it, I heard it call. The bird gave a short shrill ‘speew’, not the classic ‘schreep’ call generally associated with Richard’s Pipit.

I was now convinced that I was watching Wales’s first Blyth’s Pipit. I asked Adrian to make a wide circle of the bird and to fetch Jesse who had his camera with him. A few minutes later Jesse and Adrian returned. Our attempts to obtain pictures were however, in vain, as, when I approached the bird it appeared suddenly from behind some gorse, took flight and flew north and landed somewhere on the narrows about ¾ of a mile away. After a search of a couple of fields Jesse heard the bird call, and thought it had flown east towards the Observatory. We set off in that direction and within minutes we had managed to relocate the bird on the stone wall outside the Observatory. Thankfully the bird began to settle down and allow us to approach again. I ran into my house, grabbing my camera and my partner’s Leica scope (mine was at the other end of the island in the seawatching hide!) and yelling upstairs to Emma “Blyth’s Pipit by Plas, get there quickly”. The bird was thankfully still where I had left it, feeding on a grassy wall. Jesse was taking some photographs and I began to do the same. I spent the next 30 minutes making notes and taking pictures. I then went to telephone the news out. I got into the house and picked up the phone and was about to telephone Birdline Wales’ Alan Davies but then put the telephone down. The enormity of the find then hit me and I told myself to take a step back and slow down! I had not really considered up to now, whether I was making an enormous error and the bird was just an unusual Richard’s Pipit. I decided to go back and have another look at the bird before making the call. After all I had found a ‘Blyth’s-type’ pipit before in Orkney which many observers agreed with the identification, however, when the bird was trapped biometrical data suggested that the bird was in fact a small Richard’s Pipit. So, this time, I wanted to be doubly cautious. I returned to the field and I looked at the bird with a very critical eye and spent the next hour watching it, checking and double-checking all the salient features.

33

The bird was small, short tailed, had a short hind claw, and was calling similar to a flava wagtail ‘speew’ and giving a quiet ‘chep’ call. The bird was very pale looking, had very buff under parts, a very weak malar stripe, very little streaking on the breast, and a very fine pointy bill. I tried and tried to convince myself the bird was not a Blyth’s Pipit but could not. From the moment I looked at the bird through my bins I had suspected the bird was a Blyth’s and was now ready to phone out the news as I was 99% sure I was right. At midday I called Simon Hugheston-Roberts and Reg Thorpe who both decided to make a dash from Caernarfon to Aberdaron to get on a supply boat that was sailing at 1400hrs. I also told Alan Davies, but asked him not to release the news until others had seen the bird and agreed with my identification. Having made the call I was then worried that the bird would disappear. Adrian and I then began looking at recent pictures in birding magazines and listening to calls of Richard’s and Blyth’s on CD. I became a little happier, but had to ask Adrian what he thought. He said he thought the bird sounded like a Blyth’s, but it wasn’t him putting his neck on the line!

I then returned to the bird and took more notes, but after about an hour a Merlin flushed the bird and it flew off to the South End. I also managed to make two recordings of the bird’s call during this hour. At about 1420hrs Reg Thorpe and Simon Hugheston-Roberts arrived and we looked all over the south end of the island. I showed Reg my pictures and played him a recording of the bird’s call. He was gutted, especially as we had lost the bird. During a search of the fields near the Observatory we managed to re-locate the bird and both Reg and Simon agreed that the bird was a Blyth’s Pipit. The bird continued to be very approachable, difficult to flush and continued to skulk through the grass, never strutting about in the manner of a Richard’s Pipit.

The following day I spent a further two hours watching the bird and made more notes on plumage, behaviour etc.

Photo. SD Stansfield Photo. J. Wilkinson

34

Shape, size, structure, jizz and behaviour. My initial impression of the bird was a big pipit, though this was not so when the bird landed and was seen well. The bird did not show the large bulk and give the fat wagtail impression of Richard’s Pipit. The bird was much shorter tailed and fairly slender, though was larger than nearby Meadow Pipits with which it was associating. The whole structure of the bird was obviously different from Richard’s Pipit. There was no ‘gutsy’ feel to the bird and the whole jizz never shouted Richard’s Pipit. The bird always looked daintier and lighter than Richard’s Pipit and the bird crept furtively through the long grass in the manner that a Locustella warbler would. The bird never strutted around or stood upright like a Richard’s Pipit and had a much more horizontal stance even when out in the open on grass/earth walls. The bird regularly moved away from us with its head held low in a very unobtrusive way.

In flight the bird did not look long and pot-bellied like a Richard’s Pipit (ie ‘fat wagtail’ like). It had a very short tailed appearance and looked most unlike a large pipit. When the bird flew it looked very compact and sleek and not too dissimilar to Tree Pipit. The bird’s flight was not as strong and undulating as Richard’s Pipit. When the bird flew, it never hovered before landing, it always dropped into the grass like a stone! The bird was very tame and approachable and at times difficult to flush. Almost all Richard’s Pipits I have seen on the island have been very ‘skittish’ and do not allow close approach.

Plumage The upperparts were a mid- to dark brown, with fairly heavy, even dark blackish/brown streaks, along with pale streaks between them, running the length of the mantle, giving a fairly contrasting look. The nape was greyish brown and lightly spotted slightly darker, (but not as obvious as crown or mantle) and gave a rather plain looking effect. The un-streaked nape broke up the streaking of the mantle and the crown. The crown was rather neatly and uniformly, but strongly and heavily, streaked in the same way as the mantle, but the streaks were much finer than the mantle. There was no obvious streaking on the sides of the crown giving the bird an ‘eyebrowed’ effect which I have sometimes seen in Richard’s Pipit. Because of the plain looking, un-streaked nape contrasting with the dark streaked crown, the bird at times looked almost ‘capped’.

The face pattern was fairly striking, but very open looking. The bird had a pale buffish supercillium (which extended very weakly from in front to just behind the eye where it was a little more obvious), pale lores (eliminating Tawny Pipit) and a pale area below the eye. The ear coverts were a pale, un-streaked, tawny/buffish brown colour, bounded by a short, indistinctly fine, but dark moustachial stripe curving below the eye. There was also a very short fine dark eye-stripe.

The Malar stripe was very weak and indistinct. It never appeared bold as in Richard’s Pipit, and was not ‘club-ended’, forming the triangular patch as seen in Richard’s Pipit. It was broken, very fine and quite pale, terminating with a few indistinct streaks on the sides of the upper breast which then faded rapidly. The sub-moustachial stripe was creamy and the throat was white.

35

The underparts were wholly a creamy-buffish colour, and slightly warmer on the flanks and vent, almost becoming peachy. There was no contrasting white area as normally noted on the underside of Richard’s. The streaking on the upper breast was very fine and indistinct and at certain angles almost non-existent.

The wings were fairly fresh. The bird’s tertials were dark brown with a narrow pale creamy buff fringe. The tips of the longest two tertials were closer together then the upper and central tertial. The primaries and tertials were of equal length. The primaries and secondaries were dark with a very narrow buffish brown fringe. The greater coverts were blackish brown becoming darker towards the tip. They were slightly paler than the median coverts and showed a buffish fringe and a white tip forming an obvious pale wing bar. The median coverts were all juvenile type with a dark pointed centre, and an even whitish fringe forming another obvious neat pale wing bar.

The tail was short. This was most noticeable in flight and when the bird was stationary. The tail extended about the same distance from the wing tip as the exposed length of the tertials. On several occasions whilst watching the bird the pattern of the outer tail feathers was seen when the bird was preening or stretching. The outer tail feather was completely white. The second outermost tail feather showed a restricted area of white at the tip forming a triangular/oval shaped wedge extending to about one third of the length of the tail on the outer web.

The bill on the bird was fairly pointed and lacked the thrush-like qualities associated with Richard’s Pipit. The culmen was very slightly de-curved towards the tip but in general the bill looked short, weak and pointy; not too dissimilar to that of a . The colour of the bill was fleshy orange with a dark horn culmen and a dark tip to the lower mandible.

The legs never looked long and gangly like those of Richard’s Pipit. The tibia were fairly short and indistinct and not noticeably long. The width of the legs looked finer than Richard’s Pipit. The legs were a fleshy-straw colour, with the hind claw being slightly greyer. The length of the hind claw (which was seen when the bird was perched in bushes and on walls) was short. I noted at the time, the claw length appeared to be about the same length as the hind toe and was slightly curved. The claw did not appear long and lark-like as in Richard’s Pipit.

Calls The bird was heard to give four distinct types of call. The most common was a quiet short shrill, but weak ‘shpew’ or ‘spiw’. This call was the most common call given when flushed. The bird did also give a soft ‘chep’ or ‘pep’ call which was the second most frequent call. There was also a ‘flava’ wagtail type call ‘psheoo’ which was sometimes joined with a ‘chep’ call (psheoo-chep-chep). When flushed by a Merlin the bird gave a buzzier ‘Bdzzzzz’ call, not too dissimilar to Red-throated Pipit but much shorter (one was present in the same field!).

Steven Stansfield.

36 Dark-throated Thrush, Swansea - a new species for Wales

"It was the phone call that you can only dream about. Here was Martin Humphries of the RSPB asking me to check out what would be the first ever Dark-throated Thrush for Wales. Martin had been approached in a garden centre as he emptied a charity box. Wanda and Alan Woodward had told him that the bird had been feeding in their Townhill, Swansea garden for over a fortnight. They had identified it from a field guide and although thinking it to be a rare find they did not know who to tell. The meeting with Martin was purely accidental and fortunately for me Martin did not have the time to follow up the sighting. Now we've all been told by non-birders about mega rarities they have seen which always turn out to be something very common. But the difference here was that the Woodwards had sent Martin two photographs and there staring back at me was a Dark-throated Thrush of the Black-throated variety and a male at that !

I phoned Wanda at once and quickly learned that she was nervous about the news being made public. She had seen a programme about how badly behaved twitchers could be and she was rightly concerned. The Woodwards were about to go away for a few days so any decision had to be made in their absence. But, firstly the bird had to be verified so I arranged to meet on site with Barry Stewart, and my birding partner Andrew Lucas. Of course I also notified the County Recorder, Rob Taylor.

January 18th 2006 mid-morning: Male Black-throated Thrush feeding on Cotoneaster lacteus – brilliant !!

After listening to good advice from Barry and Andrew I had little hesitation in deciding that the news had to be broadcast. A risk assessment (so to speak) allowed us to believe that little or no invasion of privacy would ensue despite this being a "back garden" bird. The three main factors were :- 1) Viewing would be from a public open space 2) Access would be from a road (not the Woodwards') where there was ample room for parking 3) The bird regularly fed from a bush overhanging the field so no-one had to peer into a garden nor look directly at the back of houses.. Over the next 8 weeks the bird was enjoyed by many coming from near and far including Eire and Holland.

It transpired that the thrush was first seen on 29 December 2005 and departed after 15 March 2006 making it the longest staying Dark-throated Thrush of the 50 or so that have occurred in Britain. Many residents took great interest in the proceedings and some even invited birders into their homes and gardens to get better views. As has become customary this latest "first" for Glamorgan was celebrated by the commissioning of a painting. An informal ceremony was held and Wanda and Alan are now the proud owners of a marvellous portrait of "their" bird."

Barry Weston

37 Northern Bullfinch – new race for Wales

Birds in Wales quote that there hasn’t been a fully documented record of this race in Wales, although there have been occasional claims in the past.

A record invasion of “Northern Bullfinches” Pyrrhula pyrhulla pyrrhula occurred in Britain in autumn 2004. It also affected many other parts of Europe, with birds being recorded as far a field as Iceland, Ireland, Italy and Bulgaria. As well as in Britain and Ireland, record numbers were seen in parts of Scandinavia and several countries in central and Eastern Europe. A paper in British Birds (Pennington & Meek) speculated that the birds’ origin was widespread and research has suggested that European Russia was the most likely source.

Birds arrived in the northern Isles of the UK from early October, peaking mid month on Unst and mainland Shetland but followed by a larger influx at the end of the month on Fair Isle and Orkney. On mainland UK, birds arrived about the same time but in smaller numbers and mainly on the North - East Coast. There appears to have been few arrivals after mid November and most wintered in mainland Scotland – smaller flocks in Cumbria, Buckinghamshire and Essex. Few birds ventured to the west, although 20 made it to Ireland, where there had only been one previous record (in February 1964).

During this period there were a few records in Wales. BB quotes 2 at Ruthin on Dec. 2nd, up to 6 at another site in Clwyd and up to 7 at three sites in Brecon – none of these have as yet been substantiated. If anyone has details then WRP would be interested to receive them. The only two records WRP has received are from Bardsey on Dec. 11th – 16th 2004 and from Lake Vrynwy on Feb. 15th 2005. The accounts of both are printed below and at present they form the 1st and 2nd Welsh records of this race.

A male on Bardsey, Caernarfon, Dec. 11th – 16th 2004.

Having spent most of November off the island I had seen a few bullfinches on the mainland. Upon my return to the island in early December, I was informed by Dave Barnden that a very bright male Bullfinch was present in the back garden of Cristin.

The following morning I eventually saw the bird and heard it calling. The bird immediately struck me as being large and when the bird called the call was more buzzy and more like a toy trumpet than the bullfinches I had heard a week before. I was therefore convinced that the combination of large size, (almost ½ bigger again than the greenfinches and chaffinches it was with) the bright vivid red of the underside (not the paler powdery red of P.p.pileata). and the rather buzzy and nasal call the bird was constantly giving was enough to identify the bird as a Northern Bullfinch. This identification was supported by the fact the UK had seen its largest ever influx of this race of Bullfinch and that Bullfinches are very rare on Bardsey during the winter months and are scarce migrants during peak migration times. Steven Stansfield.

38 A female at Lake Vyrnwy, Meirionnydd, Feb. 15th 2005

Whilst carrying out a farmland bird survey on at Lake Vyrnwy with Susanna Clerici, a volunteer, we heard a very distinct different call coming from scrub in the corner of the field SH973228. Neither Susanna or I had a clue what the species was, let alone family. I have been a serious birder for 30 years and had heard nothing like it.

On approaching the scrub we could make out two male Bullfinches in the dense Blackthorn/Hawthorn and three other birds. The noise appeared to originate from that area occasionally. Still puzzled, but relating the call to the proximity of the Bullfinch, I realised it could be a Northern Bullfinch cline bird calling. I was aware of Lars Johnson's letter to BW and the influx into Britain that winter. On checking the BW issue concerned I later came to the conclusion that it was a north eastern Bullfinch calling, on call. It had a vaguely “Bullfinchy” timbre to it(once I was aware it was a Bullfinch type) and as Lars Johnson describes it in Birding World Vol 17 No 12, p 526 sounds like a Disney cartoon car horn. My transcription would be a parp parp parp, sounding very much like the Disney horn. Very distinct and it instantly attracted my attention. I have not heard Trumpeter finch call or Northern Bullfinch.

Plumage details were very scant due to the extreme skulking behaviour of the bird(s), but made out that the bird was a female as it flew away with two other female and also appeared bulkier and perhaps slightly slower and more lumbering in flight than the other 2 birds. The bird did call in flight. It is not thought that the other birds were of this race/cline as only the one bird was calling but I am not ruling it out. The males seen earlier were not noticeably bright or bulky and did not arose my suspicions, though I did not get particularly good views. Presumably though these birds become paler in winter than their normal bright colouration noted in autumn. I have seen several Northern Bullfinch in Norfolk and Suffolk over the years.

So I am claiming at least one female as a North eastern cline Bullfinch, the others possibly. I am not saying that the other birds were not of this race/cline but did not get enough details on them to point to the fact that they were. Only the one bird was heard calling, though a vague recollection is just coming to mind of hearing a standard Bullfinch call coming from one of the birds. Despite much searching the birds were not seen again. The birds flew up across the field and into dense woodland. Would a lone bird join a flock of "British Bullfinch" It is possible of course that all these birds were of the North eastern cline. The other thing to note here is that the birds were extremely skulking in this scrub. There are often Bullfinch in this area on other survey dates but these normally show quite well and have the standard call and did not have the extreme skulking ability akin to a Dusky Warbler in a bramble patch habit. Jim Dustow

39 Comment from BBRC Race paper (in prep).

'Northern' Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula pyrrhula. Occasional large scale invasions of this periodically irruptive species are well known but some numbers of birds, often less easily detectable outside irruption events unless supported by biometrics, are known to occur in at least most years. An attempt will be made to clarify the status of this taxon through the monitoring of locally published records. The Sound Approach book states that the trumpet call is diagnostic of Northern Bullfinch as it does not occur in other populations. Assuming that the call is diagnostic then any record of a large Bullfinch making this call would be considered acceptable.

Photo. From Norfolk by S. McElwee.

On behalf of the Welsh birding community the WRP wishes to acknowledge the enormous contribution of Mike Rogers (BBRC secretary) to the rarity recording scene in Wales over the past 25 or so years. Sadly, Mike past away in October 2006 after a period of ill-health. He played an instrumental part in the ensuring the accuracy and completeness of these annual WRP reports since their inception. He will be sorely missed.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would like to take the opportunity of thanking all the observers for producing descriptions and the County Recorders for sending them on to WRP. We would also like to thank county recorders for their helpful comments on this document. We would also like to thank all those who contributed photographs and articles on “Firsts for Wales”. We hope that more be send in and included next year. Jon Green, on behalf of the Welsh Records Panel. 40