News and comment Compiled by Adrian Pitches Opinions expressed in this feature are not necessarily those of British

Golden Eagle poisoning at record levels Four Golden Eagles Aquila chrysaetos were among managed for driven grouse shooting, particularly 29 birds poisoned illegally last year, according to in the eastern and central Highlands and the the latest annual report by RSPB Scotland. This is southern uplands. In 2010 there was also an the highest number of eagle poisonings since increase in the confirmed use of banned agricul- records began in 1993. tural pesticides, such as aldicarb and carbofuran. Thirteen Common Buzzards Buteo buteo, seven Both chemicals have been previously linked with Red Kites Milvus milvus, two Peregrine Falcons illegal poisoning cases involving birds of prey. Falco peregrinus and one White-tailed Eagle Hali- Stuart Housden, Director of RSPB Scotland, aeetus albicilla were among those also confirmed said: ‘The criminal practice of illegally killing birds by Scottish Government testing to have been poi- of prey remains a most serious conservation issue. soned. A further eight birds of prey were logged as Following welcome new measures to tackle this victims of shooting, trapping or nest destruction. crime, we are working hard with the authorities However, as many of these crimes were discovered and responsible land managers to see how we can purely by chance, by walkers or birdwatchers, in use both intelligence and scientific information to remote areas of countryside, it’s likely that these better target enforcement against the perpetrators. figures represent the tip of the iceberg. We look forward to this yielding the visible results As in recent years, the majority of incidents of an increase in the population and range of vul- involving banned poisons took place in areas nerable [raptor] .’

Norfolk Spoonbill colony expands

The Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia 40 adult and immature birds summering along the breeding colony at Holkham NNR in Norfolk, north Norfolk coast. established in 2010, has had another successful Regular monitoring of the colony by Natural season. The six pairs that nested last year, fledging England staff revealed that six different birds this ten young, comprised the first Spoonbill colony in year were sporting colour-rings, traced back to Britain for more than 300 years. In 2011, the first natal sites in the Netherlands, Germany and Spain. returning adult was seen on 11th March and eight None of these colour-ringed birds was seen at the breeding pairs went on to fledge 14 young. The colony during the 2010 breeding season. breeding Spoonbills are part of a group of around Despite recent increases in the Netherlands, Spoonbills have suffered a long- term decline in Europe as a result of the loss and degradation of wetland . Indeed, there could be as few as 8,900 pairs remaining in Europe, which holds the bulk of the global popula- tion. For this reason, the is recognised as a Species of Conser- vation Concern at David Tipling David European level. 340. Eurasian Spoonbills Platalea leucorodia, Cley, Norfolk, July 2009.

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Bitterns are booming

The Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris population important county for booming Bitterns in England, topped 100 booming males in England in 2011 – after Suffolk with 33; Norfolk follows with 23. and Somerset has now become such a stronghold The survey also recorded the number of that it has more breeding Bitterns than Norfolk. nesting Bitterns. A minimum of 63 nests were con- In total, 104 booming males were recorded, a dra- firmed in England at 26 sites, compared with the matic increase from the 11 logged in 1997. In the low point of six nests at four sites in 1996. With 21 Somerset Levels, surveyors found 25 males, up from confirmed nests, Suffolk was the top county for 14 in 2010. Following an intensive period of nesting Bitterns in 2011, ahead of Somerset with management, Somerset is now the second most 19 and Norfolk with 11.

More taxonomic changes

A new set of taxonomic recommendations for the Plover Charadrius nivosus (a potential vagrant) British List was published in the October issue of from Kentish Plover C. alexandrinus. Black-capped Ibis by the Taxonomic Sub-committee of BOURC Petrel Pterodroma hasitata (already on Category A) (Sangster et al. 2011; Ibis 153: 883–892). has been split from Bermuda Petrel (Cahow) The recommendations will be adopted for- P. cahow – itself an unlikely vagrant, though an mally in the 40th report of the BOURC, which will individual carrying a geolocating data logger be published in Ibis in January 2012. Three species apparently reached the northeast Atlantic in spring splits will result in new additions to Category A. 2009. Other splits involving extralimital taxa were Two of these were widely anticipated: the recogni- Brown-cheeked Rail Rallus indicus, separated from tion of Hudsonian Whimbrel Numenius hudson- Water Rail R. aquaticus, Pale Martin Riparia diluta icus, separate from Whimbrel N. phaeopus; and separated from Sand Martin R. riparia, and Azores maurus, separate from Bullfinch Pyrrhula murina separated from African Stonechat S. torquatus and Eurasian Bullfinch P. pyrrhula. Stonechat S. rubicola. The third is the recognition One change is recommended: syn- of a cryptic tern – splitting Sandwich Tern S. sand- onymising the northern subspecies of Guillemot vicensis from its Nearctic counterpart Cabot’s Tern Uria aalge hyperborea with nominate U. a. aalge. S. acuflavida, based substantially on genetic data There are several changes to names that showing that these species are not each other’s will lead to some reordering of the British List. closest relatives. Cabot’s Tern has perhaps never Tufted Puffin becomes Fratercula cirrhata. been seen alive in Britain (the sole record was one found dead in Herefordshire in 1984), but a putative Cayenne Tern S. a. eurygnatha on Anglesey in 2006 remains in limbo with several other records of orange-billed terns. Also in the recom- mendations, the split of Great Skua Stercorarius skua, South Polar Skua S. maccormicki, Brown Skua S. antarcticus and Chilean Skua S. chilensis may lead in Richard Richard Stonier future to new additions 341. First-winter Blackpoll Warbler Dendroica striata, St Mary’s, Scilly, to Category A (two October 2007. Not the most glamorous but the most realistic Dendroica unidentified southern for British birders to stumble across. With the imminent demise of the skuas have been genus Dendroica, however, we shall have to get used to dreaming about accepted already), as the idea of westerly gales in October delivering a Setophaga to the coastal may the split of Snowy headland closest to home…

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Thick-billed Warbler, Booted and Sykes’s Warblers the North American wood-warblers (Parulini), (previously Acrocephalus aedon, Hippolais caligata based on a number of genetic studies, has led to and H. rama respectively) and Eastern and the transfer of Northern Waterthrush to Parkesia Western Olivaceous Warblers (previously H. (neither Northern Parkesia noveboracensis nor pallida and H. opaca respectively) are now all Louisiana Waterthrush P. motacilla is very closely placed in the genus Iduna (to be listed before Hip- related to Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapilla). Tennessee polais), and Siberian (previously Zoothera Warbler becomes Oreothlypis peregrina. More dis- sibirica) is now a Geokichla (to be placed before tressing for a generation of birders brought up to Turdus). Genetic studies have led to the recom- dream of finding a Dendroica in a belt of mendation that the genus should be split windswept October Sycamores, the genus is no up – and Rufous-tailed Robin more. All species formerly in Dendroica are now in therefore become cyane and Larvivora Setophaga with American Redstart S. ruticilla, as sibilans respectively, whereas Siberian Rubythroat are Northern Parula, now S. americana, and becomes Calliope calliope. The new sequence for Hooded Warbler, now S. citrina. That legendary flycatchers and chats on the British List is: Cer- blocker Wilson’s Warbler becomes Cardellina cotrichas, Muscicapa, Erithacus, Larvivora, Irania, pusilla. Canada Warbler, with no British records Luscinia, Calliope, Tarsiger, Ficedula, Phoenicurus, but a single Irish record, is also now a Cardellina, Monticola, Saxicola, Oenanthe. Cardueline finch C. canadensis. phylogeny is in flux, but several publications have Details of the rationale for these changes and led to the recommendation that greenfinches the relevant references are included in the full revert to genus Chloris, hence Chloris chloris for paper, which is available as an Open Access pdf file European Greenfinch (to be listed before Serinus). at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ Last but not least, a comprehensive revision of j.1474-919X.2011.01155.x/pdf Name the 600th species on Birds of South and Middle the British List America – recent advances With the latest recommendations of the BOURC in knowledge Taxonomic Sub-committee, the addition of three There will be a joint British Ornithologists’ new species to Category A will take the British List Club/Neotropical Bird Club/Natural History to 595 species. So our light-hearted N&c competi- Museum one-day symposium on Saturday tion to name the 600th species is now entering the 29th October 2011 at the Flett Theatre, Natural final straight. Previous nominees have included History Museum, London SW7 5BD. The full Ménétries’s Warbler Sylvia mystacea and Willet programme is available on the BOC website Tringa semipalmatus. Siberian Stonechat was www.boc-online.org and the NBC website another suggestion – but it’s already crossed the www.neotropicalbirdclub.org finishing line following its upgrade to specific There is no charge for attending the meeting, status. With the wild westerlies blowing as BB went but those planning to are requested to notify the to press, we could already have a handful of Amer- BOC chairman (Helen Baker, 60 Townfield, ican candidates waiting in the wings… Send your Rickmansworth, Herts WD3 7DD, tel. 01923 nominations to the N&c e-mail address. 772441, [email protected]) by 20th October. New Channel Islands List A new bird list for the Channel Islands (updated to A species is what I say it is… end of 2010) is now available through the islands’ … is the title of the Bernard Tucker Memorial local birding websites: www.jerseybirds.co.uk/ lecture on 7th November 2011 (at 7.45 pm at index.shtml and www.guernseybirds.org.gg Exeter Hall, Kidlington, near Oxford). Bernard The list has increased by one, courtesy of a Tucker was the editor of BB for seven years until Pacific Diver Gavia pacifica on Guernsey, but there his untimely death in 1950, and this memorial were also two island firsts: a Grey-headed Wagtail lecture is sponsored by BB. If you can’t make it to Motacilla flava thunbergi on Guernsey and a Red- Oxford to hear Nigel Collar’s presentation, you can flanked Bluetail Tarsiger cyanurus on Alderney. enjoy the next best thing by reading his forth- Note also that Alderney now has a dedicated bird coming article in BB based on the talk. site at www.alderneybirds.org

(Contributed by Glyn Young)

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