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AMERICAN PECTORAL SANDPIPER (See page 39) SPOTTED CRAKE (See page 41) TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Preamble ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 The Weather of 1957 ... ... ... ... ... 4 List of Contributors ... ... ... ... ... 5 Cornish Notes ... ... ... ... ... ... 7 Ringing Recoveries ... ... ... ... ... 28 Arrival and Departure of Cornish-Breeding Migrants ... 28 The Brisons ... ... ... ... ... ... 30 The Cornish Seas ... ... ... ... ... 30 The Isles of Scilly ... ... ... ... ... 32 Arrival and Departure of Migrants in the Isles of Scilly ... 41 Migration in the Isles of Scilly ... ... ... ... 43 A First Guide to Gulls ... ... ... ... ... 45 The Macmillan Library ... ... ... ... ... 51 The Society's Rules ... ... ... ... ... 52 Balance Sheet ... ... ... ... ... ... 53 List of Members ... ... ... ... ... 54 Committees for 1957 and 1958 ... ... ... ... 66 Index ... ... ... ... ... ... 67 TWENTY-SEVENTH REPORT OF The Cornwall Bird-Watching and Preservation Society 1957 Edited by B. H. RYVES, H, M. QUICK and J. E. BECKERLEGGE (kindly assisted by R. H. BLAIR and A. G. PARSONS) Thirty-eight members joined the Society in 1957. We regret the loss by death of seven members, nine have resigned, thirteen have had their names removed from the members list on account of non payment of subscription. This makes a total of 598 ordinary members. The twenty-sixth Annual Meeting was held in the Museum, Truro, on May 4th. The speaker was Dr. Bruce Campbell, of the British Trust for Ornithology, showing photographs of the birds of the West Highlands. The Autumn meeting was held jointly with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, on October 5th. The speaker was Mr. Philip Brown (Secretary of the R.S.P.B.) who showed colour films of Birds of Britain. One Executive Committee meeting was held during the year. Our thanks are due to Mr. Wills for kindly auditing the accounts. Four successful Field Days were held during the year. There was little or no shooting on Hayle Estuary up to the end of December. The more unusual records for the year include: Hooded Crow, Waxwing, Kite, Osprey, Little Egret, Ferruginous Duck, Balearic Shearwater, American Pectoral Sandpiper, Killdeer Plover and Sabine's Gul. The breeding of Redstarts in Cornwall was of special interest, and the invasion of Tits in the Autumn was particularly noticeable in the Scilly Isles. Members are asked to send their records for the year, before January 15th, to the Rev. J. E. Beckerlegge, St. Crowan Vicarage, Praze, Camborne. They are BEGGED to send their subscriptions to the Treasurer, and NOT to any of the Secretaries. Mr. Parsons is still prepared to answer queries about telescopes and field glasses. We are most grateful to Colonel and Mrs. Bertram for their hospitality after the two Field Meetings in the Hayle and St. Ives area. THE WEATHER OF 1957 By B. H. RYVES A somewhat uneventful year so far as any notable phase of weather is concerned. There were no " cold spells " in January and February. March provided some pleasantly warm days and many birds busied them selves in nesting operations. In late April and early May a drought had crippling effects on vegetation. June was a delightful month producing as it did true summer conditions. July was variable— periods of wet weather and of warm sunny days. September was kind to the safe harvesting of crops and fruit. November and December were cheerless with some sharp frosts and gales in the last month. January. Very little frost was experienced, but most of the month was dull and cheerless. February. A dull and rather " drizzly " month with some light frosts. March. The first week brought us days of pleasant warmth. No cold conditions intervened and birds were able to make a good start in breeding activities. April. On the 4th, a brood of Blackbirds safely left their nest in my garden. In the later part of the month a relentless drought set in and lasted well into May. Most crops were delayed or injured. May. After the drought ended there was sufficient rain and conditions were pleasant. June. A pleasant month with conditions of true summer. July. A very variable month, wet periods were followed by dry periods, and warm days by cool ones. August. A fairly nice month with odd spells of abnormal conditions. September. Can best be described as consisting of weather favourable to the safe harvesting of crops. October. A generally sunless month with a wet period about the middle of the month. November. A cheerless month—mainly dry and wintry. December. A wintry month with some sharp frosts and a gale or two. 4 LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS G.A. Dr. G. Allsop. W.E.A. Lt.-Col. W. E. Almond. P. & R.A. Misses P. and R. Aspinall. J.E.B. The Revd. J. E. Beckerlegge. R.H.B. Dr. R. H. Blair. R.W.B. R. W. Bufford (non-member). E.M.C. E. M. Cock. P.E.C. Mrs. P. E. Carter. H.J.C. H. J. Chipman. H.C. H. Clare (non-member). H.P.O.C. H. P. O. Cleave. M.C. Mrs. M. Cuddy. R.K.C. R. K. Clarke. R.M.C. R. M. Curber. A.M.D. Miss A. M. Davies (non-member). R.H.D. R. H. Dennis (non-member). J.J.W.E. J. J. W. Everett (non-member). R.F. R. Fiddick. D.H. Miss D. Hicks (non-member). N.H. N. Higman. R.H. R. Hosken. M.J.J. Miss M. J. Jones. R.J.J. R. J. Jackson (non-member). B.K. B. King. J.R.K. J. R. King (non-member). J.L. J. Lawry. R.H. & M.J.M. Mr. R. H. and Mrs. M. J. Meares. K.N. K. Nash. J.L.P. J. L. Palmer. M.T.P. M. T. Parry. A.G.P. A. G. Parsons. E.M.P. Miss E. M. Paynter. N.R.P. N. R. Phillips. E.P. Mrs. E. M. Powell. H.M.Q." Miss H. M. Quick. P.H.R. P. H. Richards. C.R.R. C. R. Roseveare. H.B.S. H. B. Sargent. A.C.S. A. C. Sawle. A.R.S. A. R. Smith. 5 F.R.S. F. R. Smith. F.S. F. Smithies. J.B.S. J. B. Southern. T.J.S. T. J. Stephens. C.J.S. C. J. Stevens. A.N.S. A. N. Sykes. R.S. R. Symons. S.M.T. Mrs. S. M. Turk. N.A.W. N. A. Wesley (non-member). E.M.W. Miss E. M. Whelan. T.J.W. T. J. Willcocks. K.O.W. Miss K. Orr-Wilson. 6 CORNISH NOTES FOR 1957 It is understood that the status of common birds is not normally recorded in the Report. From members' records received over a number of years it is now realised that certain of our less common birds occur regularly each year, if only in small numbers (list given below). Therefore, records of their normal appearance will no longer be printed in the Report, though notes of unusual num bers, dates, or localities will still be published. Please continue to send records of these birds so that fluctuations in status and locality may be noted. White Wagtail. Bar-tailed Godwit. Chiffchaff (wintering). Black-tailed Godwit. Garganey. Knot. Pochard. Curlew Sandpiper. Tufted Duck. Ruff. Goldeneye. Green Sandpiper. Common Scoter. Greenshank. Red-breasted Merganser. Grey Plover. Slavonian Grebe. Sandwich Tern- Black-necked Grebe. Common Tern. Great Northern Diver. Little Tern. Red-throated Diver. Puffin. Members or visitors wishing to study these and others, such as Guillemot, Razorbill, Kittlwake and Cormorant, which are common, but very local, in the breeding season, should apply for information to the Secretaries. 1 RAVEN. August 21st. At Porthkidney Beach, one eating bread left behind by picnickers. J.E.B. 2 HOODED CROW. December 17th. At Lelant, one. A.C.S. N.A.W. 10/11 JAY. September 20th. A noticeable influx of migratory birds near Bude. F.E.C. 13 CHOUGH. At one locality a pair nested, and on May 31st the evidence indicated that the young were hatched with both adults in and out of the nesting fissure all day. But within a week they had again lost interest in the nest apart from the normal periodical visits, suggesting that the young birds had perished. Both the adults were still about in November. F.R.S. 14 STARLING. At St. Ives, not a great many Starlings seen migrating this year; but on October 27th a flock of at least two thousand flew out W.N.W. from Clodgy. N.R.P. 7 Cornish Notes 21 SISKIN. November 2nd. Heard at Beliake, near Camborne. A.G.P. November 3rd. Two left Godrevy Head and flew out over the sea, west-north-west. A.G.P. November 24th. Nine over St. Erth Woods. A.G.P. H.M.Q. 25 LESSER REDPOLL. September 20th. At Tamar Lake, a small flock. F.E.C. 33 BULLFINCH. At Mawgan-in-Meneage a marked increase in numbers noted. T.J.S. 40/41 CHAFFINCH. April 4th. Despite lateness of date and mildness of weather, a flock of about 20 at Crowan. J.E.B. 42 BRAMBLING. January 9th. In Penlee Park, Penzance, two. H.J.C. November 16th. Heard at Beliake, near Camborne. A.G.P. December 15th. At Tregorden, several in a kale-field with hundreds of Chaffinches, Greenfinches and Linnets. T.J.W. 43 CORN BUNTING. In September, at Mawgan Porth, a flock of up to 60 birds roosting in the reeds. F.R.S. 44 YELLOWHAMMER. April 4th. Despite lateness of date and mildness of weather, a flock of about 20 at Carne, Crowan. J.E.B. 59 SNOW BUNTING. October 9th. At Godrevy, one adult. A.G.P. October 20th. At St. Ives Island, one.