Great Knot: new to Britain and Ireland

Peter M. Ellis

n 15th September 1989, at about 11.20 GMT, I was walking south at OScatness, Shetland, looking for roosting at high tide. I saw a small group of waders about 150 m ahead, so I stopped near an old ruined building to examine them. There were three Grey Plovers, Pluvialis squatarola, two Dunlins aipina, a Knot C. canutus and, just beyond them, a of a species I had never seen before. I excitedly reached for my telescope to examine it more closely. The size, structure and the striking black breast band and black mantle with a pale band across the lower scapulars immediately suggested an adult Great Knot C. tenuirostris in worn summer plumage. I watched it for about five minutes before, to my horror, the group of waders took off. Fortunately, they flew towards me and landed at the edge of a small pool about 60 m away. The whiter rump and almost total lack of a wing-bar were very obvious as the Great Knot flew in. I was then able to watch it walk past the Knot and out of the pool, where it began feeding on the short turf. After a couple of minutes, a Redshank totanus flew close over the Great Knot and it flew off with the Redshank to the north, disappearing from sight. I walked the kilometre back to my car in a state of total euphoria and drove to a phone box in Toab, where I telephoned Martin Heubeck. I told him I had found a Great Knot and asked him to bring 'Shorebird/ (Hayman et al. 1986) down to the phone box, as I wanted to make certain that I had re­ membered the identification features of the species correctly, before I put the word out on the local grapevine. About ten minutes later, Martin arrived in Toab, together with Paul V. Harvey, and, after one brief look at the relevant plate in 'Shorebirds', I was able to confirm the initial identification. PVH and I returned to Scatness, where we failed to relocate the . We desperately hoped that, as the tide fell, the Great Knot would reappear on the mud flats on the Pool of Virkie. We went to the pool and, after about 15 minutes, PVH relocated the bird on the far side next to a Knot. Most of the local birders managed to get good views of the Great Knot in the next hour or so. It was photographed by Dennis Coutts (plate 169). The bird remained on the pool until 14.40 hours, when it flew off north, but, luckily for several visiting birders, it returned about an hour later, and re­ mained until about 17.30 hours, when it flew off north again with two

426 \Bril. 85: 426-429, August ] 9921 Great Knot: new to Britain and Ireland 427 Nurrwnius arquata. Shortly afterwards, a weather front arrived in Shet­ land, bringing southwesterly gales and rain for the next few days. About 30 birders flew into Shetland the following morning, but, despite much searching, the Great Knot was never relocated. Description SIZE AND SHAPE Similar in body size to Red­ for about one-quarter of length of exposed ter­ shank, but much shorter-legged. Considerably tials. Tertial tips fell at base of tail. In flight, larger than Knot, and much slimmer and wings looked exceedingly long. Bill was pro­ more attenuated in the body. In structure, portionately longer (about 1.3 X head-length) reminiscent of a giant, deep-breasted White- and slimmer than that of Knot, particularly rumped C. jusckollis with a long over distal two-thirds, with fine tip and gentle Dunlin-like bill. Head proportionately smaller downward curve towards tip, although at times and more rounded than that of Knot, but with there appeared to be distinct downward kink steeper forehead. Wings very long, primaries at tip. Leg length proportionately similar to extending beyond tertials for about half length that of Knot. of exposed tertials and beyond tip of the tail The whole plumage appeared to be very heavily worn and, as the bird did not allow a close approach, it was impossible to obtain individual feather detail. HEAD AND NECK Crown finely but clearly- WINGS Tertials brownish-grey with paler streaked blackish, forming capped effect. 'Face' fringes. Greater coverts had dark grey, lanceo­ pale brownish, but very plain, with only very late centres, with dark grey shaft streaks and faint dark eye-stripe, and very indistinct super- pale grey-brown fringes, with median and cilium, which extended from bill to eye, but lesser coverts similarly marked. Primary coverts for less than that distance behind eye. 'Cheeks' dark grey, almost black, contrasting with rest considerably paler than ear-coverts. Chin and of upperwing. Secondaries grey and primaries throat blackish. Nape finely streaked dark dark grey, with no obvious wing-bar in flight. brownish-grey, paler than crown on upper Underwing-coverts white. part, but darker on lower part, where almost same colour as mantle. UNDERPARTS Breast densely mottled black, mottles coalescing on lower breast to form UPPKRPARTS Mantle heavily blotched with complete breast band, and with a few more- black. Upper three rows of scapulars also very isolated black spots on lower breast. Flanks heavily blotched with black, so that, at a dis­ white, with large, heart-shaped black spots, ex­ tance, upperparts appeared to be almost uni­ tending from sides of breast to rear of flanks. form black. Fourth row of scapulars Belly and undertail-coverts white. creamy-buff on basal two-thirds, with black semicircular markings towards tip of each BARE PARTS Bill dark grey, probably slightly feather and with faint chestnut tinge on bases paler on proximal quarter. I^egs greenish-grey. of rear ones. Exact patterning of these feathers Eye dark. difficult to make out as feathers appeared to be quite worn and faded. Lowest row of scapulars BEHAVIOUR Feeding action very like that of black, with worn, narrow, creamy fringes. Pale Knot. Flight very buoyant, with very slow wing areas on two lowest rows of scapulars forming beats and almost a rowing action. Glided a lot, conspicuous pale bar. Rump white, contrasting particularly as descending to land. Very flighty with tail, which was mid grey at sides and and often took off and flew around pool for no darker grey in centre, whole tail being darker apparent reason, and did not allow particularly than on Knot. close approach. Distribution and vagrancy The Great Knot breeds in northeastern Siberia and winters from southern China south to Australia; it has been recorded as a vagrant in many countries (Marchant 1986). Considerable numbers have been discovered wintering in the Sultanate of Oman in recent years, the highest count being 1,193 between 25th December 1989 and 6th January 1990 (J. D. Utdey in litt), and records have become more frequent in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, including a flock of 107 there on 9th April 1991 [Birding World 4: 161). 428 Great Knot: new to Britain and Ireland There have been five previous records in the Western Palearctic: an adult in Spain on 7th April 1979 (Martinez Vilalta & Mods 1985), an adult in Mo­ rocco on 27th August 1980 (lister 1981), an adult in Israel on 24th October 1985 (Schckkerman 1986), an adult in eastern Germany on 1st August 1987 (Nchls & Schmeckebier 1988), and one of uncertain age in Norwav on 12th September 1987 (Bentz 1989)! There have been two subsequent occurrences: a juvenile in the Netherlands during 19th-25th September and 29th September to 6th October 1991 (Bcrlijn 1991; van der Burg et al. 1991; Eigcnhuis 1992 in press; Brit, Birds 85: plates 183 & 184) and a report of one of unstated age in Israel on at least 6th November 1991 (Birding World k 383).

Acknowledgments 1 should like to thank K. J. Eigcnhuis, P. V. Harvey and Dr A. G. Knox for commenting on the manuscript, and Dennis Coutts for providing tin- photograph.

Summary A summer-plumaged Great Knot Caiidris lenuirostm was present at Soilness and the Pool of Virkie, Shetland, on 15th September 1989. This was the (irst record for Britain and Ireland and the sixth record for the Western Palearctic of this Siberian long-distance migrant. The world distribution and other Western Palearctic records are summarised.

References Br.NT/., P. G. 1989. Sjeldne Fugler i Norge i 1987. Jar Fugle/awn 12: 101-108. BKRIJJN, M. 1991. Grote Kanoet onvcrwachte nieuwkomer. Dutch Birding IS: 19ft. EIGKNHUIS, K. j. 1992. Grote Kanoet in Oostvaardrrsplassen en De Putten in Scptembcr-Okto- bcr 1991. Dutch Birding 14; in press. HAVMAN, P., MARI:HANT,J. H., & l'RATKR, A.J. 1986. Shorelnrds: an identification guide to the waders oj the world. London. LlsTKR, S. \1. 1981. Ix' Grand Maubeche Calidris taniimstris notivcati pour 1'ouest dn Palearctique. Maudtt 49: 227-228. MARCHANI.J. H. 1986. Identification, habits and status of Great Knot. Brit. Birds 79: 123-135. .MARTINI,/, VIIALTA, A., & MOTIS, A. 1985. Aves nuevas para la avifauna Espaiiola, Calidm kmuimstris. hi (kircilM 65: 4-1-42. NKHI.N, H. W., & ScHMKCKKBlKR, I). 1988. Grosser Kiwtt i.Calidm leimiroslns] im August 1987 an der Ostseekiiste der DDR. Beitr. Vogelkd. 34: 194-196. SCHI'.KKI.RMAN, H. 19(i(i. Great Knot in Israel in October 1985. Dutch Birding 8: 99-101. VAN !>r,R BuR<;, !-',., VAN DoNtiKN, R. M, & DK Rouw, p. W. W. 1991. Recente meldingcn: September en Oktober 1991. Dutch Birding 13: 229.

Peter M. FMis, Seaview, Sandwich, Shetland ^K2 9HP

Peter Lansdowu (Chairman, British Birds Rarities Committee) and Alan Knox (Chairman, British Ornithologists1 Union Records Committee) have commented as follows: 'Although the bird was present for less than a day,, was seen by rather few observers, and did not allow a close ap­ proach, Peter Ellis's detailed description and Dennis Coutts's sharp photographs enabled the iden­ tification aspect of the record to gain the unanimous support of both the BBRC and the BOURC on a single circulation to each Committee. Categorisation of Great Knot presented no problems to the BOURC, whose members took into consideration the species' highly migratory habits, with breeding and wintering ranges not dissimilar to those of Red-necked Stint C. mficollh and Sharp- tailed Sandpiper C acuminata, the previous Western Palearctic records and the extremely slight es­ cape likelihood. Acceptance of this Great Knot as being of natural occurrence (Brit. Birds 84: 469; Ms 133: 438-439) results in the species being placed in Category A of the British and Irish list,' EDS

4'he inclusion of plates 169-174 in colour has been subsidised by a donation from Cart Zeiss Gennany. 169. Above, Great Knot Calidris temriroslris with Knot C. canutus, Shetland, September 1989 (Dennis Coults)

170 & 171. Juvenile Long-toed Stint Calidris subminuta, Cleveland, September 1982 (above, A. V. Moon; bebw, J. B. Dunnett) 172-174. Juvenile Long-toed Stint Calidris subminuta, Cleveland, September 1982 {top, P. A. Doherty; centre, A. V. Moon; bottom, David W. Bums)