Birds R200305 - Page 1
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Account of Purley on Thames Fauna - Birds R200305 - Page 1 Subsection R200305 Natural History Fauna - Birds Introduction Coraciiformes (kingfishers) Purley is particularly rich in bird life. It possesses a wide Piciformes (woodpeckers) variety of different habitats which attract both permanent Passeriformes (perching birds) residents and regular visitors and a host of transitory The orders marked * will not usually be found in the wild migrants as well. in Purley, although a few examples have been seen which Birds form the class Aves distinguished solely by the have escaped from captivity. The numbers refer to pages possession of feathers. They are placed in 28 orders in the field guide (ref c) although not all orders are represented in Britain, let Wherever possible sightings of species in and around alone the Purley area. Purley are recorded. In the lists which follow only those species which have Note that the Latin names for many of the species has been recorded or are likely to be seen in and around the changed over the years. This article was produced Purley area are included. The comments on rarity are originally using the 'old' system but it has gradually been taken from Birds of Berkshire and Oxfordshire by M C revised to include 'new' names. Where this has happened Radford and updated from Birds of Berkshire by the the old names are shown in ( ) brackets after the new Berkshire Atlas Group (1996) name in [ ] brackets. The 28 orders are:- * Struthioniformes (ostriches) Bibliography * Rheiformes (rheas) a Birds of Berks and Oxon (M C Radford 1966) * Casuariiformes (emus and cassowaries) b Larousse Encyclopaedia of Animal Life * Apterygiformes (kiwi) c Field Guide to the Birds of Britain (John Gooders 1986) * Tinamiformes (tinamous) d Annual reports of Berks & Oxon birds * Sphenisciformes (penguins) Gaviformes (divers and loons) e John Loveday of Caversham Podicipediformes (grebes) f The Birds of Berkshire (Berkshire Atlas Group, 1996) Procellariiformnes (albatrosses, shear- --------------------oooOOOooo--------------------------- waters and petrels Struthioniformes (ostriches) Pelecaniformes (pelicans and allies) None found in Purley, although John Loveday reported in Ciconiiformes (Herons, storks and 1749 that two ostriches had been seen strutting around allies) Purley but no explanation could be offered. (ref e) * Phoenicopteriformes (flamingos) --------------------oooOOOooo--------------------------- Anseriformes (ducks, geese and swans) Rheiformes (rheas) Falconiformes (birds of prey) None found in Purley Galliformes (fowls, pheasants etc) --------------------oooOOOooo--------------------------- Gruiformes (cranes and rails) Charadriformes (waders and gulls) Casuariiformes (emus and Columbiformes (sandgrouse and pige- cassowaries) ons) None found in Purley * Psittaciformes (parrots and parakeets) --------------------oooOOOooo--------------------------- Cuculiformes (cuckoos and turacos) Strigiformes (owls) Apterygiformes (kiwi) Caprimulgiformes (nightjars and allies) None found in Purley Apodiformes (swifts and humming --------------------oooOOOooo--------------------------- birds) * Coliiformes (colies) * Trogoniformes (trogons) c:\data\purley\account\m\mdo8 11/12/97 Account of Purley on Thames Fauna - Birds R200305 - Page 2 Tinamiformes (tinamous) known as dabchick - very common resident of Thames. However, in 12 years of a waterways bird survey from None found in Purley 1979 to 1990 on the Thames at Purley it has been proven --------------------oooOOOooo--------------------------- to breed there only once. Sphenisciformes (penguins) --------------------oooOOOooo--------------------------- None found in Purley Procellariiformnes (albatrosses, --------------------oooOOOooo--------------------------- shearwaters and petrels) Gaviformes (divers and loons) Fulmar Black throated diver 28 [fulmarus glacialis] - rare vagrant [Gavia arctica] (colymbus arcticus) very rare winter Leaches petrel 41 visitor (oceanodroma leucorrhoa) - rare vagrant Great northern diver 29 Storm petrel 40 [gavia immer] (colymbus immer) rare winter visitor. An example was recorded as ‘shot on the Thames between (hydrobates pelagicus) - rare vagrant Pangbourne and Maidenhead in 1794) Manx shearwater 39 Red throated diver 27 [puffinus puffinus] (procellaria puffinus) - rare wanderer. [Gavia stellata] (colymbus stellatus) rare winter vistor. One noted at Pangbourne 10/9/83 which had been Seen on Thames at Purley in cold weather in early 1897, released at Cardiff. also 11th March 1970 at Purley. --------------------oooOOOooo--------------------------- Gannet 44 Podicipediformes (grebes) [morus bassanus] (sula bassana) - very occasional visitor. Juvenile found at Basildon 22/9/71 Great crested grebe 30 --------------------oooOOOooo--------------------------- [podiceps cristatus] resident but leaves in winter. Denizen Pelecaniformes (pelicans and of lakes and gravel pits. Seen on Thames near River allies) Gardens by JMC 29/7/89. In 1979 NJB reported seeing a pair on the Thames with 3 young on May 15, 2 further Cormorant 42 young on July 25 and a small young on Oct 13th. All together 5 nesting pairs were seen between Purley and (phalacrocorax carbo) - regular visitor. Seen on Thames Streatley. at lock by JMC 29/7/89. In 1979 NJB reported a juvenile bird with an orange leg tag at Purley on Aug 28. Red necked grebe 31 Shag 43 [podiceps griseigena] - very rare winter visitor. In 1979 JJB reported a regular sighting between Feb 17 and Mar (phalacrocrax aristotelis) - uncommon visitor - recorded 17. MO reported they were often seen on theThames at at Pangbourne in 1794 Purley. --------------------oooOOOooo--------------------------- Horned grebe (Slavonian grebe) 32 Ciconiiformes (Herons, storks and allies) [podiceps auritus] - uncommon winter visitor. Black necked grebe 33 Grey heron 46 (ardea cinera) - resident and quite common [podiceps nigricollis] (podiceps caspicus) - very uncom- mon visitor Purple heron 47 Little grebe 34 (ardea purpurea) - very rare visitor [tachybaptus ruficollis] (podiceps ruficollis) - commonly c:\data\purley\account\m\mdo8 11/12/97 Account of Purley on Thames Fauna - Birds R200305 - Page 3 Little egret female on the Thames at Purley on 25 Dec. [egretta garzetta] rare vagrant Wigeon 62 Great white heron (anas penelope) - regular winter breeder, common in winter but rare in summer. In 1979 NJB reported up to 20 (egretta alba) - very rare visitor on Thames at Purley between Feb 8 and 10. Night heron American wigeon (nycticorax nycticorax) - very rare visitor. [anas americana] rare vagrant. Most observation proba- bly of cross breeds. Little bittern (ixobrychus minutus) - very rare visitor to the Thames. Pintail 63 Nocturnal and sits among reeds with bill pointing (anas acuta) - scarce winter visitor upwards making it very difficult to see. Ruddy duck Bittern 45 [oxyura jamaicensis] introduced scarce winter visitor and (botaurus stellaris) - occasional visitor. Used to be very rare breeder. common on marshes in the area. Nocturnal. Shoveler 68 Spoonbill (spatula clypeata) - regular winter visitor. [platalea leucorodia] Mandarin duck 61 Glossy ibis (aix gelericulata) - introduced species, now fairly (plegadis falcinellus) - very rare visitor, usually in common on Thames. autumn. --------------------oooOOOooo--------------------------- Red crested pochard Phoenicopteriformes (flamingos) (netta rufina) - occasional visitor. Not found in Purley --------------------oooOOOooo--------------------------- Scaup 71 Anseriformes (ducks, geese and (aythia marila) - occasional winter visitor swans) Eider DUCKS [somerateria mollissima] - rare vagrant Mallard 67 Tufted duck 70 (anas platyrhynches) - resident on Thames and very (aythia fuligula) - resident and winter visitor. Now common.124 counted on river by Neil Bucknell breeding on Thames. 15/1/1989, 145 on 16/9/89 and 101 on 8/10/1989 Pochard 69 Teal 64 (aythia ferina) - resident in small numbers. Common (anas cracca) - resident on Thames and winter visitor winter visitor. Prefers open water. One seen on Thames at Pangbourne. Garganey 65 (anas querquedula) - uncommon passage migrant, usually Ring necked duck in springtime. [aythya collaris] - rare vagrant Gadwall 66 Ferruginous duck (anas strepera) - was scarce winter visitor but now (aythia nyroca) - rare visitor. increasingly breeding in Berks. In 1979 NJB reported a c:\data\purley\account\m\mdo8 11/12/97 Account of Purley on Thames Fauna - Birds R200305 - Page 4 Goldeneye 76 January 1939. (bucephala clangula) - common winter visitor usually arriving in September. Snow goose [anser caerulescens] occasional escapee which now Long tailed duck 73 breeds in wild. (clangula hiemalis) - very rare visitor Bean goose 52 Velvet scoter 75 (anser arvensis) - rare winter visitor (Melonitta fusca) - very rare visitor Pink footed goose 53 Common scoter 74 (anser brachyrhyncos) - rare winter visitor. In 1979 NJB reported seeing one in a flock of Canada Geese at Purley (melonitta nigra) - rare winter visitor April 15. Red breasted merganser 78 Brent goose 58 (mergus serrator) - rare winter visitor (branta bernicla) - rare winter visitor Blue winged teal Canada goose 56 [anas discors] rare vagrant (branta canadensis) - resident breed freely. Can be seen in great numbers near the Thames in Purley. Goosander 79 (mergus merganser) uncommon winter visitor, seen occa- Red breasted goose sionally in summer in recent years. [branta ruficollis] rare vagrant Smew 72 Egyptian Goose 59 [mergus albellus] (merganser albelliis) - uncommon (Alopochen aegyptiacus)