Ornithological Observations in the Faroes, 1966

By R. G. GrnBs and P. J. MAWBY (Med et Dansk resume: Ornithologiske iagttagelser på Færøerne, 1966.)

INTRODUCTION

Two expeditions from Britain visited the D. WARD. Parties from the Brathay Ex­ in J uly and August 1966. ploration Group, including P. J. MAWBY, The City of Leicester Y outh Service Ex­ A. MAWBY, K. BLACKBURN, J. HULSE, pedition had two ornithological parties in A. LAURIE, K. RIGBY, P. 0LIFF and P. the field, mainly on and Suouroy, TATE, visited , Vagar and My­ and led by R. G. GrnBs and Dr. DAPHNE kines. Since several papers on the bird-life WATSON. Other members of these parties of the Faroes have appeared recently, we were M. CHERRY, S. LUND, S. MoRBEY, only include our more original observa­ K. EvANS, W. NoBLETT, F. RussELL and tions.

ITINERARY

30 June-6 July Torshavn. 30 July-1 August Parties on Svinoy, 7-22 July Parties on Sandoy and Suouroy. Streymoy and Mykines. 22-24 July Sandoy. 1-10 August Parties on Vagar, Streymoy 25-26 July Skuvoy. and Mykines. 27-30 July Torshavn.

SYSTEMATIC LIST

MANX SHEARW A TER (Puffinus puffinus). on the east side of Salthovdi, where two nests with Sandoy : Reported breeding near Skalavik by islan­ eggs were found. A bird caught at the latter colony ders. on 23 July had been ringed at a breeding colony N6lsoy: A party of about 50 gathered on the sea on Poula (Shetland) in 1965. off the island, in the evening of 5 July. Mykines: No significant differences in distribution Mykines: The population on Mykinesh6lmur was were observed from that described by NøRREVANG estimated to be about 100 pairs; none were seen (1950). on Mykines itself. LEACH'S PETREL (Oceanodroma leucorrhoa). STORM PETREL (Hydrobates pelagicus). Mykines: Over 100 were caught and ringed on Sandoy: The species was seen at night on the slopes Mykinesh6lmur, but no evidence of breeding on of Raettin opposite Trollhovdi, and was breeding the main island was obtained. 138 Observations in the Faroes, 1966

GANNET ( Morus bassanus). breeding on Sk.uvoy in 1960. In addition, there is Mykines: 1081 occupied nests on 1 August. Five a nesting record for Mykines about 1949 (NIELS a nests were seen on the main island where NØRRE• BoTNI, unpublished, per K. WrLLIAMSON). VANG found seven pairs in 1960. We were told that the number of young Gannets taken by the islan­ REDSHANK ( Tringa totanus). ders has fallen from 800 or more to about 200 per Sando_y : Single birds were seen on several occasions, year, and that all these are now taken from the but the only pair seen in a suitable breeding habi­ stacks Pikardrangars and Flattidrangar rather than tat, at Lomatjorn on 9 July, had departed two the north-western ledges, because of the shortage days later. of man-power. Streymoy: A single anxious bird was seen at Myrar­ nar on 2 August.

WHOOPER SWAN (Cygnus cygnus). CURLEW ( Numenius arquata). Sandoy : One on the lakes at on 4 and 7 Suouroy: Six at Orevik on 20 July. July had gone by 14 July. Sandoy: One at Saltvig on 9 July, with three there Vdgar: A pair on Sørvagsvatn on 30 June. One on 23 July. on Fjallavatn on 8 August. Vagar: One near Sørvagur on 9 August. Streymo_y : Three on the sea lake at Saksun on 31 J uly. This species may be on the increase in the \i\Thile it is possible that some of these observations Faroes, as a result of the climatic amelioration dis­ refer to the same individuals, previous records of cussed by WrLLIAMSON ( 1945). No proof of breeding this species in summer are few (NøRREVANG 1950). has yet been obtained in the Faroes, nor did any of the hirds recorded above appear to be nesting. SHELDUCK (Tadorna tadorna). Sandoy: One was seen on St6ravatn on 13 July. RED-NECKED PHALAROPE (Phalaropus loba­ tus). TUFTED DUCK ( Aythyafuligula). Sando_y: Nine pairs were located: five on Gr6thus­ Suouroy: A duck with five ducklings was found on vatn, two around Lomatjorn, one at the north end a hill lake between Hov and on 16 July. of Sandsvatn, and one on the Skopun lakes. A This appears to be the first published breeding single male was seen at St6ravatn. record for the Faroes. G. R. PoTTS (unpublished) recorded about a dozen pairs on Sandoy in 1961, so numbers appear MERLIN ( F alco columbarius). not to have changed appreciably. Recent reports indicate that this species may have decreased considerably in the Faroes, so we include GREAT SKUA (Stercorarius skua). all our observations. The distribution of the Great Skua in the Faroes Suouroy : One seen on the mountain ridge between was studied by BAYES et al. (1964). Table 1 com­ Hov and Famjin on 15 July. pares our results with their figures for 1961. Sandoy: A female flying over the dip between Endin and Tindur on 10 July. Table 1. The number of pairs of Great Skuas Svinoy: Singles seen three times over the village ( Stercorarius skua) in some breeding places in 1961 tern colony on 30 and 31 July. and 1966. Streymoy : A female seen on two occasions near Tabel 1. Antallet afpar af Storkjove (Stercorarius sk.ua) Nugvan, at the head of Kaldbaksfjor5ur. på nogle ynglepladser i 1961 og 1966.

PURPLE SANDPIPER (Calidris maritima). 1961 (pairs) 1966 (pairs) Sando;1 : Two pairs were proved to be breeding, and a third probably bred. A pair with one young, SANDOY: just able to fly but with down still showing on the Eirik.sfjall 10 13-14 head, was seen on 8 July. This was on Vordan, on Reynsendi ...... "a few" 2 the south side of Eiriksfjall, at about 300 m. above Sk.uvoyarfjall...... 3 ( 1960) 7 sea level. On 10 July, at a similar altitude, another SKUVOY: ...... 40-45 about 20-25* bird was found with two young also just on the SO UTH STREYMOY: wing on Reynsendi, the northern end of the main Kirk.jubøreyn . . . . . 2-3 2 island ridge. The third record was of an adult NORTH STREYMOY: which tried to decoy observers away from the top Svinask.6radalen . . . 180 100 of Skuvoyarfjall on 19 July. MYKINES: ...... single bird These appear to be the first published breeding V AGAR: Fjallavatn . 1-2 single bird records for Sandoy. The only other published breeding records for the Faroes since 1948 are * About 30 pairs were reported to have been shot those of JOENSEN ( 1963), who found the species on Skuvoy this year. Observations in the Faroes, 1966 139

ARCTIC SKUA (Stercorarius parasiticus). WHITE WAGTAIL ( Motacilla alba). Sandoy: An estimate of the population on the island Suouroy: One flew over the camp on 17 July. was made: pairs Mykines: A pair were present around the harbour Skuvoyarfjall...... 90 throughout our stay. Eiriksfjall - Vordan (W side) ...... 60 Eiriksfjall - Vordan (E side) ...... 30 ROSE-COLOURED STARLING(Sturnusroseus) *. Scattered pairs ...... 30+ Suouroy: An adult, first seen on 21 J uly feeding in a newlycut hayfield in Hov with 80 Starlings ( Stur­ Thus the total population on the island was at nus vulgaris), was last seen on 25 July. least 210 pairs, but was thought not to exceed 300 pairs. Of 172 counted, 2 7 were pale phase. Two CROSSBILL ( Loxia curvirostra). dark phase skuas on Skuvoyarfjall, Sandoy, showed Streymoy: Five in the Torshavn plantation on 4 July. partial albinism with white patches on the lesser coverts at the bend of the wing, one bird having TWO-BARRED CROSSBILL (Loxia leucoptera)*. two such patches on each wing. These variants, Mykines: A juvenile was found exhausted near the previously reported from the Faroes and elsewhere, lighthouse on 5 August, but soon recovered and are discussed by W1LLIAMSON (1965). flew away. This is the third record for the Faroes, but the first since 1903. GOLDCREST ( Regulus regulus). Streymo_y: A single bird was heard in the Torshavn SNOW BUNTING (Plectrophenax nivalis). plantation on 29 July. Vagar: An adult male was seen near the summit of Snaedansfjall on 8 August. MEADOW PIPIT ( Anthus pratensis) HOUSE SPARROW (Passer domesticus). On Sandoy, this species was confined to the infield This species continues to spread in the Faroes. We (or bour) and the area around the lakes. found it breeding in Kvalvik, where it has arrived since 1960 (PoTTS 1961). However, it was not seen ROCK PIPIT ( Anthus spinolett:i). at Saksun nor at where there are The distribution was found to differ from island several new houses. to island. On Mykines and Sandoy they were distributed throughout the islands, except that on TREE SPARROW (Passer montanus). Sandoy they were absent from low-lying meadows Streymoy : A pair was seen in the Hoydala plantation and the summit plateaus of the hills. On Su5uroy near Torshavn on 6 July, but could not be found and Streymoy they were mainly seen on the coast, there at the end of July. but at Saksun (North Streymoy) they were common around farm buildings, apparently occupying the * Approved by the rarity-committee. Godkendt af niche of the absent House Sparrow (Passer domesti­ sj ældenhedsudvalg et. cus).

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors would like to thank KENNETH Faroese, too numerous to mention indi­ WrLLIAMSON for his assistance in the plan­ vidually, who gave us invaluable assistance ning of these expeditions and for his help­ in every way. ful comments on this paper, and all those

REFERENCES

BAYES, J. C., DAWSON, M. J., JOENSEN, A. H., and Færøerne, deres udbredelse og antal. Dansk PoTTs, G. R., 1964: The distribution and Ornith. Foren. Tidsskr. 57: 1-18. numbers of the Great Skua breeding in the NøRREVANG, A., 1950: Nogle ornithologiske iagt­ Faroes in 1961. - Dansk Ornith. Foren. Tids­ tagelser fra Færøerne. Dansk Ornith. Foren. skr. 58: 36-41. Tidsskr. 44: 192-199. JOENSEN, A. H., 1963: Ynglefuglene på Skuvoy, POTTS, G. R., 1961: Observations on Birds of the 140 Observations in the Farnes, 1966

Farnes, 1960. Dansk Ornith. Foren. Tidsskr. WrLLIAMSON, K" 1965: Fair Isle and its Birds. 55: 152-160. London. WrLLIAMSON, K" 1945: Same new and scarce breeding species in the Farne Islands. Ibis 87: 550-558.

DANSK RESUME Ornithologiske iagttagelser på Færøerne, 1966.

I juli og august 1966 besøgte to grupper ornitho­ Odinshane (Phalaropus lobatus) : 9 par fandtes på loger Færøerne. I artiklen omtales kun de mere Sandoy. - Storkjove ( Stercorarius skua): En række interessante iagttagelser, og her skal kun få omtales kolonier blev besøgt, se tabel 1. -Almindelig Kjove kortfattet. ( Stercorarius parasiticus) : Bestanden på Sandoy blev Sule ( Morus bassanus): Kolonien på Mykines anslået til 210-300 par. - Rosenstær ( Sturnus roseus) : Holm og Mykines rummede 1081 besatte reder den 1 ad. set på Su5uroy 21.-25. juli. - Hvidvinget 1. august (heraf 5 reder på selve Mykines). - Sang­ Korsnæb (Coxia leucoptera): 1 juv. fundet på My­ svane (Cygnus cygnus): Iagttaget på Sandoy (1 fugl), kines 5. august. Get er den tredie record fra Fær• Vagar (2 fugle) og Saksun, Streymoy (3 fugle). - øerne, men den første siden 1903. - Snespurv Gravand (Tadorna tadorna): 1 på Sandoy. - Trold­ (Plectrophenax nivalis): 1 ad d' set på Vagar 8. august. and ( Aythya fuligula) : 1 hun med ællinger på - Skovspurv (Passer montanus): 2 set på Streymoy Su5uroy den 16. juli. Sortgrå Ryle (Calidris mari­ 6. juli. tima) : Enkelte par fundet ynglende på Sandoy. -

MS received 5th August 1967

Authors' addresses: R. G. GrnBs, Department of Agricultural and Forest Zoology, University College of North Wales, Bangor, Caernarvonshire, Great Britain. - P.J. MAWBY, St.John's School, Leatherhead, Surrey, Great Britain.