NATURAL ^ On \ ivlUSEUM -2 JAN 1996 EXCHANGED GENERAL LIBRARY Norfolk Bird Report - 1994 3 Editorial 3 Review of the Year »Cff 3 Birds on set-aside 3 Breeding Lapwing & Redshank at Welney 3 Siberian Chiffchaffs in Norfolk 3 The Yarmouth Citril Finch 3 Pallid Swift - A First for Norfolk Red-flanked Bluetail - A First for Norfolk Wetland Bird Survey - The Wash Siskin Ringing in Norfolk Contributors Systematic List Ringing Report Norfolk Mammal Report - 1994 assisted by EDDIE BOOSEY Editor : REX HANCY l Editorial Protect & Survive Viral Haemorrhagic Disease of Rabbits Pox Virus Infection of Squirrels Contributors Classified List SOCIETY, Castle Museum, Published by the NORFOLK & NORWICH NATURALISTS Volume 30 part 4 December 1995) in conjunction with Norwich NR I 3JU ( Transactions NORFOLK ORNITHOLOGISTS ASSOCIATION, Holme-next-Sea. Hunstanton PE36 6LP. ISSN 0375 7226 Road, Hethersett NR9 3HH. Keepsake back numbers are available from Mrs. M. Dorling, 6 New (reproduced by courtesy T. Andrewartha). Front cover painting: White-fronted Geese by J.C. Harrison (R. Tidman). Back cover photographs: Fallow Deer and Red Deer stag with hinds NORFOLK BIRD REPORT - 1994 ditorial he Council of the Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists Society, in conjunction with Norfolk rnithologists Association, presents the annual report on the birds of Norfolk. Following publication of the 1993 issue and after discussions with Norfolk Bird Club, it as been agreed that the Club will assume responsibility for compiling the annual county i i -/stematic list commencing with the events of 1994. Readers will have noticed that the amount of space in the 1993 Norfolk Bird Report jvoted to the species list has almost trebled during the last three issues in an attempt to icet criticism that Norfolk was publishing insufficient information on the more abundant id widespread species. This increase in the size of recent classified lists has placed a ibstantial burden on the recording team. At the same time Norfolk Bird Club has been uplicating some of this effort in its two-monthly Bulletins. The new arrangements, itirely amicable ones, will enable the Club to devote more space in its Bulletins to articles id allow topical publication of ornithological highlights. An explanation of the changes and an introduction to those now involved appears below: enior Editor: Michael J. Seago esponsible, on behalf of the Society as publishers, for editing the Report as a whole, ommissioning articles and illustrations, organising the layout, style and size of the ublication and liaising with the printers. iditor of Systematic List and County Recorder: Michael E.S. Rooney and compilers, producing the final edited . .esponsible for assembling a team of recorders ystematic List and liaising with the Senior Editor. ystematic List Authors and Compilers: Peter Allard, Peter Clement. Keith Dye. ,'emon Eve, Mick Fiszer, Phil Heath, John Kemp, Neil Lawton. Michael Rooney. Richard /alker and John Williamson. Continuity should be an important feature of this team with idividual members acquiring specialist knowledge of their own species groups. teview of the Year: Giles Dunmore and Phil Heath. 3 -ontributors List: Mike Young-Powell. rarities Recording: All systematic list records including those relating to county and Recorder ational rarities should be submitted at the end of each month to the County Recording Michael E.S. Rooney, The Old Bakery. High Street, Docking PE31 8NH). Observations will not normally be acknowledged, f arms are available from the Recorder. should be listed in the ut names of all contributors will be published. All observations rder appearing in this issue of the Norfolk Bird Report. photographs and All articles for consideration, the Ringing Report and artwork, Road, 'ansparencies should continue to be forwarded to Michael J. Seago (33 Acacia ’horpe St Andrew. Norwich NR7 OPP). Holman and bounty Records Committee: Vernon Eve, Mick Fiszer. Steve Harris. Dave 2 3QR). Records vndy Stoddart. Secretary: Giles Dunmore (49 The Avenues, Norwich NR it accompanied by a description accepted by >f the under-mentioned will only be published 1 lie Committee: 351 ' Cory’s Shearwater Tawny Pipit Great Shearwater Flava Wagtail Continental races Storm Petrel except Blue-headed and Grey-headed Purple Heron Bluethroat (White-spotted only) White Stork Savi’s Warbler Black Brant Aquatic Warbler Green-winged Teal Marsh Warbler Ring-necked Duck Melodious Warbler Ferruginous Duck Dartford Warbler Surf Scoter Pallas’s Warbler ,nrual Goshawk (except Brecks) Chiffchaff ( tristis race) : Spotted Crake Woodchat Shrike Corncrake Raven Buff-breasted Sandpiper Serin Hari'li Sabine’s Gull Common Rosefinch ; " Ring-billed Gull Ortolan Bunting Bee-eater Little Bunting Short-toed Lark alien off Hi National Rarities: If the record has already been submitted to the County Recorder, tl tk description should be forwarded to the Secretary of the County Records Committee (wh M will provide recording forms) as soon as possible and not left until the year-end. dedii 1 fed Acknowledgments teto: Thanks are due to the following artists and photographers: N. Arlott, J. Bhalerao, Mrs Sarafcierp Bhalerao, A. Bloomfield, N. Bowman, N. Borrow, R. Chittenden, N. Clayton, C. Donne The e: Dr K. Elsby, B.W. Jarvis, P. Jones, C.R. Knights, D. Nye, the late R.A. Richardson an fserlv R.C. Wilson. MOD A record total of over 140 prints and transparencies was received. It was no easy tas Her making the selection which appears in this Report. For the first occasion we are delighted tA^m welcome a lady photographer. It is anticipated that by the date of publication all the raritie featured in colour will have been officially accepted. Acknowledgement is also due to Birdline East Anglia, BTO, Cley Bird Club, Englis kins Nature, Gt Yarmouth Bird Club, Nar Valley Ornithological Society. National Trust, Norfo Bird Club, Norfolk Wildlife Trust, Rare Bird Photographic Library. RSPB. Stanforc Training Area Bird Club, Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, PR. Allard (county archivist). Mr: M. Dorling, Mrs S.F. Seago and all other contributors. Regular readers will know that since the 1982 issue, the Norfolk Bird Report has beer published by the Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists Society in conjunction with Norfolk Ornithologists Association. Throughout this period the Society has enjoyed the ready co operation of Peter Clarke who, since the publication of the last Report, has retired as Warden of Holme Bird Observatory and Secretary of NOA. We take this opportunity to wish both Peter and his wife, Margaret, a long and happy retirement. Looking to the future the Society looks forward to working with the new team at Holme and welcomes its decision to continue the association whereby members of NOA receive copies of the annual Bird & Mammal Report. Sponsorship We are grateful to the following Trusts for generous support: Christopher Cadbury Charitable Trust, C. James Cadbury Trust, Timothy Colman Charitable Trust and Samia Charitable Trust. 352 Review of the year Stilt at Titchwell. Other long-stayers in . e year started (and ended) with a Black-winged unuary included 2 Little Egrets at Stiffkey, an unseasonal Hoopoe at Taverham, 3 Dippers, Feltwell j an often elusive Raven at Horsey. A Great White Egret also remained at ichor, with another Hying past Cley on 21st. In contrast to huge numbers of Pinkfooted were only low numbers of Shorelarks, Twite . ese in the north-west of the county there j Lapland Buntings. month ornithologically speaking, with signs I February was, as January, generally a quiet the coming spring limited to coastal movements of Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails at : month's end. March was generally mild allowing early spring migrants to appear in good numbers, .'hiding plenty of Sand Martins. Compared to 1993 April did not live up to expectations. Following a well watched Grey spell which alarope at the beginning of the month, spring ‘ended' on 4th with a cold occurred in this period with a fly-by Sabine's . ;ted nearly three weeks. Some compensation weather changed on 20th and ill off Hunstanton and an Arctic Redpoll at Brancaster. The Dotterel appeared at Sheringham, i; kremale Bluethroat (was it a White-spotted?) and two migrants llowed by a Sardinian Warbler at Burnham Overy the next day. Common rarities appeared, with ioded in from the 23rd and towards the month’s end a flurry of at Beeston. Black Kite mrtford Warblers at Weybourne and Winterton, an Alpine Swift Beeston/Glaven Valley and undoubtedly, and unexpectedly, the bird of the month, a at Pentney GP on 28th. arat 'miner plumaged Long-billed Dowitcher generally uneventful, but a lengthy spell of east/north- iner. The early part of May was from 10—21st produced an interesting and ivsterly winds over much of Northern Europe 10th. a singing Great Reed .lection of rarities. Following a brief sighting of a Bee-eater on the next day, with a Blue-winged Teal also ask arbler commenced a long stay at Cley the place to be on 13th when a Lesser Yellowlegs dto v.pearing at the same locality. Cley was 15th close to the main coast road tor the next five days. The nie> rived, mainly haunting a pool Lake in at Rockland Broad (which were later seen at Widen i w two Whiskered Terns rain and Sardinian Warbler at Holme. Widespread low cloud with lish uucki nghamshire) , and a Whiskered Terns (N. Arlott) 353 drizzle crossed the county overnight on the 19/20th and easterly winds, and rain, continue rM until the early hours of the 22nd. Blakeney Point produced an Icterine Warbler on 20th $ being joined by a Subalpine Warbler and Red-breasted Flycatcher next day, when Bluethroa numbers increased from three to four. A Serin was at Bacton on 21st, followed the next da; p by a Great Reed Warbler at Rockland Broad, together with a Rustic Bunting and Siberia] ' Stonechat at the two Whiskered Terns appearei Salthouse.