OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE 1997/98 President Steve Madge, Seawinds, Lower Trerieve, Downderry, Torpoint PL 15 3LZ Chairman Graham Sutton, Westering, Elm Drive, Bude EX23 8EZ Vice-Chairman Andy Pay, Salena Cottage, Wendron, Helston TR13 OEA General Secretary Michael Lord, Gue Gassel, Church Cove, The Lizard TR12 7PH Treasurer Roger Jones, 25 Trevarrick Road, St Austell PL25 5JW Membership Secretary Debbie Melarickas, 20 Midway Drive, Truro TR 1 1NQ Recorder and Editor 'Birds in Cornwall' Greg Conway, Tregenna, Cooksland, Bodmin PL31 2AR Assistant Editor 'Birds in Cornwall' Andy Pay, Salena Cottage, Wendron, Helston TR13 OEA Conservation Officer Martin Rule, 2 Trussal Row, Treloquithack, Wendron, Helston TR13 ONT Newsletter Editor Steve Rogers, Roseland, Cyril Road, Truro TR1 3TA Field Meetings Officer Dave Thomas, Mirador, Whitecross, Newquay TR8 4LW Editor 'Isles of Scilly Bird Report' Peter Robinson, Riviera House, The Parade, St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly TR21 OLT Recorder: Isles of Scilly Will Wagstaff, 42 Sally Port, St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly TR21 OJ Public Relations Officer Tony Langford, Miango, Trewirgie Road, Redruth TR 15 2SX Committee Members: Francis Couch, Dr John Ryan - retire 1998 Brian Craven, Richard James, Matt Southam - retire 1999 Royston Wilkins, Adrian Langdon - retire 2000 Records Committee: Greg Conway, Andy Pay, Steve Madge, Steve Roger, John Ryan, Graham Sutton & Vic Tucker. Photographs Front Cover: Laughing Gull, (The Castle Grounds), Bude, Sep 23rd 1996 - Graham Sutton Back Cover: Grey Herons, Camel Estuary, May 1996 - Adrian Langdon CORNWALL BIRD-WATCHING & PRESERVATION SOCIETY SIXTY-SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT 1996 The Society gratefully acknowledges a generous donation from HRH The Duke of Cornwall toward the production of this report. l BIRDING SOUTH WEST WHERE THE REGION'S NEWS BREAKS 0891 884 500 THE PREMIER SOUTHWEST INFORMATION LINE Run from the heart of the region by West Country birders. Up to the minute bird news from Cornwall and the rest of the Southwest; including brief national headlines. Hotline to report your sightings : 01426 923 923 Calls charged at 50p/min at all times. COBRA BIRD RECORDING SOFTWARE • UK or World species file • UK or World gazetteer • Lists include site, county, nation, year, month and many more • Rapid entry of records • Export records to recorders • Mapping facilities available • 50% discount for CBWPS members USED THROUGHOUT SOUTHERN ENGLAND Runs under DOS,Windows 3.1 or 95 • Write: 12 Redland Court Rd, Bristol, BS6 7EQ • Phone: 0117 924 6255 e-mail [email protected] 2 CONTENTS Page Review of the Year 1996 Andy Pay 4 Editorial Greg Conway 10 Submission on Records 10 Systematic List for 1996 13 Divers to Eurasian Spoonbill & Raptors to Gamebirds Greg Conway Wildfowl Dave Conway Water Rail to Plovers John Ryan Red Knot to Godwits & Warblers to Starlings Andy Pay Whimbrel to Phalaropes & Pigeons to Woodpeckers Steve Rogers Skuas & Gulls Mashuq Ahmad Terns to Auks & Sparrows to Buntings Stuart Jack Larks to Thrushes Matt Southam Exotica 144 BBRC Decisions 145 Pending Records 145 First & Last Dates of Summer Migrants 146 Contributors 146 Gazetteer 148 Ringing Report 1996 151 Report Backnumbers 157 A Study of the Breeding Success of the Kittiwake Colony at Land's End Dr Sarah Money 158 CBWPS Breeding Corn Bunting Survey 1996 Greg Conway 163 Pentire Farm Common Bird Census Derek Lord 166 The Black-necked Grebe in Cornwall Roger Lane 169 CBWPS North Coast Seabird Survey 1996 Andy Pay 171 Isabelline Wheatear at Church Cove John Martin 172 Lesser Scaup at Drift Reservoir Dave Flumm 174 Paddyfield Warbler at Marazion Marsh RSPB Reserve Dave Flumm 176 Chairman's Report Richard Hooton 178 Conservation Officer's Report Martin Rule 179 1996 Accounts 181 The Society's Rules 183 Printed by B.J Press Ltd, Unit 29 Threemilestone Ind Estate, Truro, Cornwall TR4 9LD Copyright: 1997 Cornwall Bird-Watching & Preservation Society 3 REVIEW OFTHEYEAR 1996 Approximately 55,000 records were submitted for 1996, a figure far in excess of that for any previous year. A total of 281 species and 14 recognised sub-species were recorded in the county. Lesser Scaup, Isabelline Wheatear and Paddyfield Warbler occurred for the first time so, with official acceptance of the previous year's Bay-breasted Warbler, the mainland county total moves on by four. A review of previous records of American/Pacific Golden Plovers has led to the acceptance of a 1978 record as the county's first Pacific Golden Plover; the 1994 bird thus becomes the second. A second Lesser Scaup was also recorded in 1996, as were the county's second and third Pied-billed Grebes. Also occurring were the third Killdeer Plover and Pechora Pipit, fourth Laughing and Ross's Gulls, fifth Great White Egret, sixth Sardinian and Dusky Warblers and the first Little Bustard for 76 years. It was a record year for Great Crested Grebe, Gadwall, Hobby, Avocet, Little Ringed Plover, Little Stint, Yellow-legged Gull, Black Guillemot, Hoopoe, Pallas's and Yellow-browed Warblers, Firecrest, European Serin and Snow Bunting. Also recorded in very good, and in some cases, exceptional numbers were Leach's Storm-petrel, Great Bittern, Tundra and Whooper Swans, Garganey, Marsh Harrier, Osprey, Jack Snipe, Grey Phalarope, Little and Sabine's Gulls, Spotted Crake, Little Auk, Wood Lark, Bohemian Waxwing, Cetti's Warbler and Siskin. On the downside, it was a poor year for Hen Harrier, Red Knot, Little Tern and Cirl Bunting. After a few days of mild south-easterlies, January's weather soon settled into a traditional pattern of Atlantic gales, mild temperatures and frequent, heavy rain. From 23rd, high pressure introduced a very cold, dry, easterly airstream, which only moderated in the last few days. Birds present from the end of the previous year included good numbers of Little and Black-necked Grebes, Red-breasted Mergansers and other waterfowl, the regular Eurasian Spoonbill, single Tundra Swan and Pink-footed Goose, a Green-winged Teal, four each of Velvet Scoter and Ruddy Duck, 32 Jack Snipe, nearly 50 Wood Lark at four sites, a dozen Water Pipits, 80 Black Redstarts and record numbers of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs. First winter Little Gull (Ren Hathway) • «f/ On 2nd, a local wandering Dartford Warbler appeared at Predannack and the first of the year's 18 Iceland Gulls was at St. John's Lake. The following day a new Green-winged Teal was on Hayle Estuary. The stormy conditions soon had an effect, with probably the year's most bizarre record on 6th: an almost fully summer-plumaged Black Tern virtually grounded in a car-park at Helston. The next few days brought the year's first new Tundra Swan, Ring-billed and Glaucous Gulls and, on 11th, the first major rarities of the year in the shape of a Bonaparte's Gull at Sennen and a long overdue Killdeer Plover on the small lawns at Lamorna Cove. Both unfortunately failed to materialise the following morning, but dispersing birders found the first of some 96 Little Gulls forced inshore by the continuous gales. A major 'wreck' of 62 Leach's Storm-petrels occurred over the next few day, along with eight Grey Phalaropes and six Little Auks. Two more Tundra Swans and a Whooper dropped in from 18th. A Lesser Whitethroat at Carbis Bay on 21st was the precursor to an unprecedented variety and number of wintering warblers at both ends of the year. The third errant American of the month, a Long-billed Dowitcher, was found at 4 Copperhouse on 24th, followed by another Dartford Warbler in the west and the first of a good run of Black Guillemots. How single Sand and House Martins managed to arrive in a cold, cloudy north­ easterly on 30th is a mystery. Far less surprising, in fact, eagerly anticipated by all those who were aware of the situation up-country, was the first Bohemian Waxwing, at Latchley on the last day of the month. The cold weather continued into February, with mainly light easterlies strengthening and veering south-easterly from 5th, bringing heavy rain. However, the county missed the large helpings of snow suffered by much of the rest of the country. From 8th, the wind switched around to the north-west bringing somewhat milder conditions, with some sunshine and showers, until the end of the month, when a cool, but bright, easterly became re-established. A Bohemian Waxwing in a Helston garden on 1st was to become the most visited of the rather disappointing winter's total of 27 (there were 10,000 in the country at the time!). It remained until 29th, but whether it left of its own accord or finally fell victim to the cat which spent much of the month patiently waiting for it to make a mistake, is not known. On 2nd a remarkable count of 90 Chiffchaffs was achieved at the nearby sewage-works. They included at least seven grey eastern race birds. Red-throated Divers arrived in good numbers early in the month, as did Great Bitterns, with three discovered on 3rd/4th, including a booming male on the Amble Marshes. A Smew was found at Stithians, also on 3rd. A flock of 11 Bohemian Waxwings at Gwallon on 6th could not be tied down. More unusual wintering birds found over the next few days included a Long-eared Owl, five Ring Ouzels, a Common Redstart and a Common Whitethroat. An American Golden Plover was identified at Copperhouse on 24th and a fine adult Ross's Gull was found on the Lynher on 27th. The month drew to a close with a confused Great Bittern discovered in a St. Buryan pig-sty! March started quietly, with a light northerly breeze and sunshine. It veered north-east from 5th, then south-east, with a brief warm spell.