SCOTTISH BIRDS

THE JOURNAL OF THE SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGISTS' CLUB

VOLUME 18 1995-96

Editors A-M SMOUT (18.1) then OR S R 0 OA PRATO

Editorial Panel I BAINBRIDGE, D JENKINS, J B NELSON AND P J B SLATER

ISSN 0036 9144

Index compiled by R C Oickson with assistance from E 0 Cameron Scottish Birds, the official journal ofthe Scottish Ornithologists' Club, publishes original material relating to ornithology in . Papers and notes should be sent to The Editor, Scottish Birds, 21 RegentTerrace, Edinburgh EH? 5BT.

Two issues of Scottish Birds are published each year, in June and December. Scottish Birds is issued free to members of the Scottish Ornithogists' Club, who also receive the quarterly newsletter Scottish Bird News and the annual Scottish Bird Report and Raptor Round Up.

The Scottish Ornithologists' Club was formed in 1936 to encourage all aspects of ornithology in Scotland. It has local branches which meet in Aberdeen, Ayr, the Borders, Dumfries, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, New Galloway, Orkney, St Andrews, Stirling, Stranraer and Thurso, each with its own programme of field meetings and winter lectures. The Waterston Library at the Club's headquarters at 21 Regent Terrace, Edinburgh EH? 5BT is one of the most comprehensive ornithological libraries in Britain, and is available for reference during office hours (Monday to Friday 0930 to 1630). A stock of Scottish local bird reports is held at headquarters and may be purchased by mail order.

Published by the Scottish Ornithologists Club, 21 Regent Terrace, Edinburgh EH7 SBT

Printed by Douglas Gauld & Co Limited, 22 Tannadice Street, Dundee DD3 7QH SCOTTISH BIRDS

Contents of Volume 181995-1996

Number 1 June 1995 Page

Main papers The status of the Eider on the and other Forth Islands J Calladine, M P Harris, S Taylor & S Wanless Lek habitats of Capercaillie at Abernethy Forest, Speyside R W Summers, R Proctor and S I H Shah 11 Nest reliefs and feeding rates of Merlins R C Dickson 20 The status and distribution of wintering Pink-footed and Greylag Geese in east central Scotland M V Bell & S F Newton 24

Short notes Diurnal and tidal activity patterns of Purple Sandpipers on the Isle of May, Fife 51 Little Ringed Plover attempt breeding in Dumfriesshire R Mearns 55 Numbers and breeding success of Manx Shearwaters on the Isle of Canna 1973-94 R L Swann 56 Buzzard's interaction with stoat J M Duncan & G F A Cooper 57 Spread wing posture by a juvenile Peregrine Falcon in winter RC Dickson 58 Magpie's nest - with a difference R Sutcliffe 59 Wheatear's mountain top roost HEM Dott 60

Items of Scottish Interest W G Harper 61

Advice to Contributors 64 Erratum Vol 17.4 Breeding seasons and nesting success of Snow Buntings in north-east Scotland 64

Number 2 December 1995

Main papers Occupation patterns of lochs by Slavonian Grebes in Scotland R W Summers & R A Mavor 65 Winter diet of Ravens in Perthshire W A Mattingley 71 Seabirds of Handa Island J G Stoneman & N A Willcox 78 An analysis of prey taken by Merlins within the Lammermuir Hills 1984- 1994 A Heavisides, I R Poxton & A W Barker 88 Yellow-legged Gulls in Scotland R W Forrester 95

Short Notes Raptor evasion and defensive behaviour by Barnacle Geese D J Patterson 101 Sparrowhawk forced to land in sea X Lambin, J Lambin & B Scott 103 Feeding rates of Hen Harriers in West Galloway R C Dickson 104 Aspects of the breeding biology of the in D Sargent 107 Arctic Skua incubating own egg and Common Gull eggs in Common Gull nest PAT Doyle & S J Gough 110 Roseate Terns return to the Isle of May M P Harris & N Harding 111 Presumed feeding movements of auks offshore from Portnahaven on the southwest coast of Islay J Dawson 112 Successful breeding of Bluethroat in Scotland S Benn 114 Juvenile Bluethroat in Inverness-shire M I Harvey 115 Polyterritoriality in a population of Corn Buntings on North Uist M Shepherd & I R Hartley 116 Goldfinch feeding on seaweed B Hay 117 Red-backed Shrike breeding in Perthshire A M Barclay & B R S Morrison 118 Willow Warbler feeding Mistle Thrush nestlings P W Gossip 120 Carrion Crows roosting on ground with Black-headed Gulls J G Young 121

Correspondence Roosting behaviour of Wheatear J Boswall 121

Obituaries GM Dunnet D Jenkins 122 W G Harper D Clugston 126

Advice to Contributors 128

Erratum Vol. 18.1 Wintering Pink-footed and Greylag Geese in east central Scotland 128

Editorial changes 128

Number 3 June 1996

Main papers Amendments to the Scottish List R W Forrester 129 Records of species recorded in Scotland on 5 or fewer occasions P R Gordon & D Clugston 132 Changes since 1890 in the size of Pink-footed Geese wintering in Britain H Boyd & J Berry 144 A census of the St Kilda gannetry in May 1994 S Murray & S Wan less 152 Ravens nesting on buildings in Orkney C J Booth 159 The hunting behaviour of Merlins in winter in Galloway R C Dickson 165 Numbers, distribution and habitat associations of Corn Buntings on the Outer Hebrides and Tiree in 1995 P F Donald, P Hines, P Jackson J Dustow, I Hepburn, G F Albon & S Jervis 170

Short Notes Hunting times of Hen Harriers in winter R C Dickson 182 Oystercatchers nesting in clear cut forestry plantations G Shaw 183 Oystercatcher apparently rearing Lapwings T Dougall 184 Dunnock feeding in Spruce canopy G Shaw 185

Obituaries Dr Norah Armstrong R T Smith 186 lan Munro I Balfour-Paul & J Arnott 188

Correspondence Density of breeding Crows in Argyll R Hewson 190 Density of breeding Crows in Argyll H Dott 190 Red-backed Shrike breeding records in Scotland R Proctor 190 Yellow-legged Gulls in Scotland I J Stenhouse 190 Cormorants on Handa I D Pennie 191

Advice to Contributors 192

Number 4 December 1996

Main papers Numbers of Whim brei breeding in Shetland in 1989-1994 and previously C P Dore, P M Ellis & E M Stuart 193 Breeding waders in the Straths ESA in 1995 N Picozzi, D C Catt & R P Cummins 197 Human induced increases of Carrion Crows and gulls on Cairngorms plateaux Adam Watson 205 The Troup Head gannetry S Wanless, J Matthews & W R P Bourne 214 The feeding behaviour of Greylag and Pink-footed Geese around the Moray Firth, 1992-93 I J Stenhouse 222 The numbers of breeding waders in lowland Scotland Mark O'Brien 231 A winter survey of Goldeneyes on the River Deveron, north east Scotland Peter J Cosgrove 242

Short Notes Feeding association of Dunnock and Blackbird in snow C J Henty 247 Decline of Sutherland rookeries D M Bremner & D Macdonald 248 Probable first breeding record of Brambling in Britain represented in a museum collection H A McGhie & S A Moran 248 Mobbing of Waxwing by Chaffinches and Blue Tits J M & V A Harrison 250 Nestling predation by Merlins RC Dickson 251 Black-throated Diver feeding on Common Frogs T D H Merrie 253

Obituary Ritchie Seath Andrew T Macmilian 254

Advice to Contributors 256 INDEX TO VOLUME 18

Compiled by R C Dickson

The Scottish Bird Reports for 1993-94 (nos 26-27) and the 1995 Raptor Round Up are treated as supplements to Volume 18 but with separate pagination. Species mentioned in general articles and the species lists of the Scottish Bird Reports and the Raptor Round Up are not indexed.

Abernethy Forest 11 Accipiter nisus 103 ALBON, G F see DONALD, P F 170 Anseranser 24, 222 Anser brachyrhynchus 24, 144, 222 Auks 112

BARCLA Y, A M & MORRISON, B R S Red-backed Shrike breeding in Perthshire 118 BARKER, A W see HEAVISIDES, A 88 BELL, M V & NEWTON, S F Status and distribution of wintering Pink-footed and Greylag Geese in east central Scotland 24,128 BENN, S Successful breeding of Bluethroat in Scotland 114 BERRY, J see BOYD, H 144 Blackbird 247 Bluethroat, Red-spotted breeding in Scotland 114, 115 BOOTH, C J Ravens nesting on buildings in Orkney 159 BOSWELL, J Correspondence 121 BOURNE, W R P see WANLESS, S 214 BOYD, H & BERRY, J Changes since 1890 in the size of Pink-footed Geese wintering in Britain 144 Brambling 248 Branta leucopsis 101 BREMNER, 0 M & MACDONALD, 0 Decline of Sutherland rookeries 248 Bucephala clangula 242 Bunting, Corn polyterritoriality in a population in North Uist 116 Bunting, Corn numbers, distribution and habitat on the Outer Hebrides and Tiree in 1995 170 Buteo buteo 57, 107 Buzzard interaction with stoat 57 Buzzard aspects of breeding biology in Glen Roy 107

Cairngorms 197, 205 Calidris maritima 51 Capercaillie lek habitats 11 Carduelis carduelis 117 CATT, 0 C see PICOZZI, N 197 Chaffinch mobbing of Waxwings 250 Charadrius dubius 55 Circus cyaneus 104, 182 CLl:JGSTON, 0 see GORDON, P R 132 COOPER, G F A see OUNCAN, J M 57 Correspondence BOSWELL, J Roosting behaviour of Wheatears 121 OOTT, H Density of breeding Crows in Argyll 190 HEWSON, R Density of breeding Crows in Argyll 190 PENNIE, I 0 Cormorants on Handa 191 PROCTOR, R Red-backed Shrike breeding records in Scotland 190 STENHOUSE, I J Yellow-legged Gulls in Scotland 190 Corvus corax 71, 159 Corvus corone 121,190,205 COSGRAVE, P J A winter survey of Goldeneyes on the River Deveron 242 Crow, Carrion roosting on ground with Black-headedLGulls 121 Crow, Carrion human induced increases on Cairngorms plateaux 205 CUMMINS, R P see PICOZZI, N 197

OAWSON, J Presumed feeding movements of auks offshore from Islay 112 OICKSON, R C Nest reliefs and feeding rates of Merlins 20 OICKSON, R C Spread wing posture by a juvenile Peregrine Falcon in winter 58 OICKSON, R C Feeding rates of Hen Harriers in west Galloway 104 OICKSON, R C The hunting behaviour of Merlins in winter 165 OICKSON, R C Hunting times of Hen Harriers in winter 182 OICKSON, R C Nestling predation by Merlins 251 Diver, Black-throated feeding on Common Frogs 253 OONALO, P F, HINES, P, JACKSON, P, OUSTOW, J, HEPBURN, I, ALBON, G F & JARVIS, S Numbers, distribution and habitat associations of Corn Bun- tings on the Outer Hebrides and Tiree in 1995 170 O~RE , C P, ELLlS, PM & STUART, E M Numbers of Whimbrel breeding in Shetland, 1989-94 193 OOTT, HEM Wheatear's mountain top roost 60 OOTT, HEM Correspondence 190 OOUGALL, T Oystercatcher apparently rearing Lapwings 184 OOYLE, PAT & GOUGH, S J Arctic Skua incubating own egg and Common Gull eggs in Common Gull's nest 110 OUNCAN, J M & COOPER, G F A Buzzards interaction with stoat 57 Dunnock feeding in Spruce canopy 185 Dunnock feeding association with Blackbird in snow 247 OUSTOW, J see OONALD, P F 170

Editorial changes 128 Eider status on Isle of May and other Forth Islands ELLlS, P M see DORE, C P 193 Erratum The status and distribution of wintering Pink-footed and Greylag Geese in east central Scotland 128

Fa/co co/umbarius 20,88, 165, 251 Fa/co peregrinus 58 Forth Islands 1 FORRESTER, R W Yellow-legged Gulls in Scotland 95 FORRESTER, R W Amendments to the Scottish List 129

Galloway 20, 104, 165 Gannet 152,214 Gavia arctica 253 Glen Roy 107 Goldeneye a winter survey on the River Deveron 242 Goldfinch feeding on seaweed 117 Goose, Barnacle raptor evasion and defensive behaviour 101 Goose, Greylag feeding behaviour round the Moray Firth 1992-93 222 Goose, Greylag wintering status and distribution in east central Scotland 24,128 Goose, Pink-footed wintering status and distribution in east central Scotland 24, 128 Goose, Pink-footed changes in size in Britain since 1890 144 GORDON, P R & CLUGSTON, D Records of species recorded in Scotland on 5 or fewer occasions 132 GOSSIP, P W Willow Warbler feeding Mistle Thrush nestlings 120 GOUGH, S see DOYLE, PAT 110 Grebe, Slavonian occupation pattern of lochs in Scotland 65 Gull, Black-headed Carrion Crows roosting with 121 Gull, Common Arctic Skua incubating own egg in Common Gull's nest 110 Gull, Yellow-legged status in Scotland 95 , 190

Haematopus ostra/egus 183, 184 Handa 78, 91 HARPER, W G Items of Scottish Interest 61 HARRIS, M P see CALLADINE, J HARRIS, M P Roseate Terns return to the Isle of May 111 HARRISON, J M & V A Mobbing of Waxwings by Chaffinches and Blue Tits 250 HARTLEY, I R see SHEPHERD, M 116 HARVEY, M I Juvenile Bluethroat in Inverness-shire 115 HAY, B Goldfinch feeding on seaweed 117 HEAVISIDES, A, POXTON, I R & BAXTER, A W An analysis of prey taken by Merlins in the Lammermuirs, 1984-94 88 HEWSON, R Correspondence 190

Isle of Canna 56 Isle of Islay 112 Isle of May 1,51 , 111 Items of Scottish Interest 61

JACKSON, P see OONALD, P F 170 JAR VIS, S see OONALO, P F 170

LAMBIN, X, LAMBIN, J & scon, B Sparrowhawk forced to land in sea 103 LAMBIN, J see LAMBIN, X 103 Lammermuir Hills 88 Lanius collurio 118, 190 Larus cachinnans 95, 190 Larus canus 110 Larus ridibundus 121 Luscinia svecica 114, 115

MACOONALO, 0 see BREMNER, 0 M 248 MCGHIE, H A & MORAN, S A Probable first breeding record of Brambling in Britain represented in a museum collection 248 Magpie nest with a difference 59 MATTHEWS, J see WANlESS, S 215 MATTINGLEY, W A Winter diet of Ravens in Perthshire 71 MAVOR, R A see SUMMERS, R W 65 MEARNS, R Little Ringed Plover attempt breeding in Dumfriesshire 55 Merlin nest relief and feeding rates 20 Merlin prey taken in the Lammermuir Hills 89 Merlin hunting behaviour in winter 165 Merlin nestling predation 251 MERRIE, T 0 H Black-throated Diver feeding on Common Frogs 253 Miliaria calandra 116, 170 MORAN, S A see MCGHIE, H A 248 Moray Firth 222 MORRISON, B R S see BARCLAY, A M 118 Morus bassanus 152, 215 MURRAY, S & WAN LESS, S A census of the St Kilda gannetry in May 1994 152

NEWTON, S F see BELL, M V 24 North Uist 116 North east Scotland 242 Numenius phaeopus 193

Obituary Or Norah ARMSTRONG 186 George Mackenzie DUNNET 122 William Gerald HARPER 126 lan MUNRO 188 Ritchie SEATH 254 O'BRIEN, M The numbers of breeding waders in lowland Scotland 231 Oenanthe oenanthe 60 Orkney 159 Outer Hebrides 170 Oystercatcher nesting in clear cut forestry plantations 183 Oystercatcher apparently rearing Lapwings 184

PAnERSON, DJ Raptor evasion and defensive behaviour by Bamacle Geese 101 PENNIE, I D Correspondence 191 Peregrine Falcon spread wing posture by a juvenile 58 Perthshire 71, 118 Phylloscopus trochilus 120 Pica pica 59 PICOZZI, N, CATT, DC & CUMMINS, R P Breeding waders in the Caringorms Straths ESA in 1995 197 Plover, Little Ringed attempted breeding in Dumfriesshire 55 Podiceps auritus 65 POXTON, I R see HEAVISIDES, A 88 PROCTOR, R see SUMMERS, R W 11 PROCTOR, R Correspondence 190 Prunella modularis 185, 247 Puffinus puffinus 56

Raptor Round Up supplement Raven winter diet 71 Raven nesting on buildings 159 Rookeries 248

Sandpiper, Purple tidal activity patterns 51 SARGENT, D Aspects of the breeding biology of the Common Buzzard in Glen Roy 107 scon, B See LAMBIN, X 103 Scottish Bird Reports 1993 and 1994 Supplements SHAH, S I H see SUMMERS, R W 11 SHAW, G Oystercatchers nesting in clear cut forestry plantations 183 SHAW, G Dunnock feeding in Spruce canopy 185 Shearwater, Manx numbers on the Isle of Canna 1973-94 56 SHEPHERD, M & HARTLEY, I R Polyterritoriality in a population of Corn Bun­ tings on North Uist 116 Shetland 193 Shrike, Red-backed Breeding in Perthshire 118 Skua, Arctic incubating own eggs in Common Gull's nest 110 Somateria mollissima 1 Sparrow hawk forced to land in sea 103 St Kilda 153 STENHOUSE, I J Feeding behaviour of Greylag and Pink-footed Geese around the Moray Firth 1992-93 222 STENHOUSE, I J Correspondence 190 Stercorarius parasiticus 110 Sterna dougallii 111 Stoat interaction with Buzzard 57 STONEMAN, J G & WILLCOX, N A Seabirds of Handa Island 78 STUART, E M see DORE, C P 193 SUMMERS, R W, PROCTOR, R & SHAH, S I H Lek habitats of Capercaillie at Abernethy Forest, Speyside 11 SUMMERS, R W Diurnal and tidal activitiy patterns of Purple Sandpipers on the Isle of May, Fife 51 SUMMERS, R W & MAVOR, R A Occupation patterns of lochs by Slavonian Grebes in Scotland 65 SUTCLlFFE, R Magpie's nest with a difference 59 Sutherland 248 SWANN, R L Numbers and breeding success of Manx Shearwaters on the Isle of Canna 1973-94 56

TAYLOR, S see CALLADINE, J 1 Tern, Roseate return to the Isle of May 11 Tetrao urogallus 11 Thrush, Mistle nestlings being fed by Willow Warbler 120 Tiree 170 Tits, Blue mobbing of Waxwings 250 Troup Head 215 Turdus viscivorus 120

Vanellus vanellus 184

Waders 197, 231 WAN LESS, S, MATTHEWS, J & BOURNE, W RP The Troup Head Gannetry 214 WANLESS, S see CALLADINE, J 1 WAN LESS, S see MURRAY, S 152 Warbler, Willow feeding Mistle Thrush nestlings 120 WATSON, A Human induced increases of Carrion Crows and gulls on Cairngorms plateaux 205 Waxwing mobbed by Chaffinches and Blue Tits 250 Wheatear mountain top roost 60 Whimbrel numbers breeding in Shetland 193 WILLCOX, N A see STONEMAN, J G 78

YOUNG, J G Carrion Crows roosting on ground with Black-headed Gulls 121