Dorset Bird Report 2008 Dorset Bird Club Blank Page Dorset Bird Report 2008 Published August 2010 © 2010 Dorset Bird Club 2008 Dorset Bird Report 1 We offer Tailor-made birding & wildlife tours Specialists in out-of-print Themed birding and wildlife walks NATURAL HISTORY BOOKS Local guides for groups Books bought & sold Illustrated wildlife talks UK & overseas wildlife tours and guides Log on to our website for a full stock list or contact us for a copy Check out our website or contact us of our latest catalogue for further details www.callunabooks.co.uk www.dorsetbirdingandwildlife.co.uk [email protected] [email protected] Neil Gartshore, Moor Edge, 2 Bere Road, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 4DD 01929 552560 What next for Britain’s birds? • Buzzards spread, Willow Tits disappear... • What about House Martins... or winter thrushes? • Who will hit the headlines in the first National Atlas since 1991? Be prepared, get involved! • Survey work starts in November 2007 • Over £1 Million needed for this 5-year project ? Visit www.bto.org/atlases to find out more! The 2007-2011 Atlas is a joint BTO/BWI/SOC Project Registered Charity No. 216652 House Martin by M S Wood 2 Dorset Bird Report 2008 DORSET BIRD REPORT 2008 CONTENTS Report Production Team . .5 Current Committee of the Dorset Bird Club . .5 Notes for Contributors . 6-7 Review and Highlights of 2008 . 8-13 The Dorset List . 14-18 Systematic List for 2008 . 20-183 Notes to Systematic List . 19 Escapes . 184-185 Pending and Requested Records . 186-187 Dorset Bird Ringing Summary and Totals for 2008 . 188-191 Dorset Bird Ringing – Selected Recoveries in 2008 . 192-193 Article 2008 National Rarity Accounts . 194-206 : The Status of the Osprey in Dorset and Poole Harbour . 207-208 County Map . 209-211 Gazetteer . 212-216 List of Contributors . 217-218 Photographic Credits . Inside Back Cover Acknowledgments . Inside Back Cover 2008 Dorset Bird Report 3 Mark S. Andrews F.C.C.A. CHARTERED CERTIFIED ACCOUNTANT Worried about Self-Assessment? Need help with your Tax Returns or Accounts? With over 20 years experience of Accounts and Tax for small businesses and individuals, why not let me ease your worries? I will deal with the Inland Revenue on your behalf and ensure that all forms are completed correctly and on time, thus avoiding fines and penalties. I will also advise you how to keep your tax bill as low as possible. Evening or weekend appointments welcome Willing to visit you, at work or at home For a free initial consultation, please call on 01202 398923 email: [email protected] 4 Dorset Bird Report 2008 DORSET BIRD REPORT 2008 PRODUCTION TEAM Editor: Species Accounts: Kevin Lane Mute Swan to Mallard John Down Pintail to Ruddy Duck Jol Mitchell Gamebirds to Spoonbill Michael Darke Raptors to Coot Geoff Upton Waders Daragh Croxson Skuas to Terns Ian Stanley Auks to Woodpeckers Clive Cottrell Larks to Wheatears Nick Hopper Thrushes to Sylvia Warblers Shaun Robson Phylloscs to Starlings Kevin Lane Sparrows to Buntings Durwyn Liley RingingEscapes Information: Kevin Lane Map: Steve Hales & Kevin Lane Gazetteer: Nick Hull Dorset Records Panel: Nick Hull Dave Chown, Dave Smith, Dave Taylor, Ian Stanley, Paul Harris, Shaun Robson CURRENT COMMITTEE OF THE DORSET BIRD CLUB Neil Gartshore (Chairman), Moor Edge, 2 Bere Road, Wareham BH20 4DD Jol Mitchell (Conservation), 4 Gover Close, Ridge, Wareham BH20 3BU Kevin Lane (County Recorder & Report Editor), 42 Twin Oaks Close, Broadstone BH18 8JF Ian Lewis (Indoor Meetings), 20 Heights Road, Upton, Poole BH16 5QL Diana Dyer (Membership), 3 Osmay Road, Swanage BH19 2JQ Nick Hull (Newsletter Editor), 11 Pealsham Gardens, Fordingbridge SP6 1RD Andy Humber (Outdoor Meetings), 3 Bassett Road, Parkstone, Poole BH12 3BZ Trevor Thorpe (Outdoor Meetings), 31 Harness Close, Colehill, Wimborne BH21 2UF Chris Chapleo (Publicity), 103 Broadway, Southbourne, Bournemouth BH6 4EJ Phyl England (Secretary), Amberley, Russell Drive, Swanage BH19 2HD Paul Levey (Treasurer), 43a Symes Road, Poole BH15 4PR 2008 Dorset Bird Report 5 NOTES FOR CONTRIBUTORS The Dorset Bird Report is an annual publication by the Dorset Bird Club of records and papers on all aspects of Dorset ornithology . All contributions, from both residents and visitors to the county, in the form of records, papers, drawings and photographs are welcomed . All contributors are acknowledged in the report . These notes should assist you WHATif you wish RECORDS to contribute DO WE to WANT? the report . Due to the volume of records received, it is not possible to list every one in the report . The report is an edited summary of these records, aimed at highlighting the occurrence and status of each species in a particular year . All records, however, are valuable and are archived in the DBC database, managed through the Dorset Environmental Records Centre, where they can be accessed by groups or individuals for future studies . Please refer to ‘The Dorset List’, on pages 14 - 18, which lists the type of records requested for each species . Species requiring a full written description are marked with either (*) for national rarities, or (D) for birds which are rare or scarce in Dorset . Descriptions of national rarities will be forwarded to the British Birds Rarities Committee (BBRC), whilst records of locally rare or scarce birds will be assessed by the Dorset Records Panel (DRP) . The Dorset Records Panel reserves the right to request further information in order to assess records, if necessary . This may include records of species not usually requiring a full written description if they are, for example, reported from an unusual location or time of ANDyear . WHEREUnsubstantiated FROM? records will not be published . all Records are welcomed from parts of the county . There is a natural bias towards coastal sites and nature reserves as they are excellent places to see birds . Many of these sites produce their own reports, which are incorporated into the Dorset Bird Report . Records away from these sites are often thin on the ground, so ‘local patch’ records and casual recording from less well-watched areas are very important . These enable us to gain as full a picture as possible of what is happening to Dorset’s birds . Many national surveys are carried out annually in the county as part of a wider picture of the UK’s bird life . A copy of any Dorset results would be greatly appreciated – the information will be added to our HOWdatabase SHOULD . I SEND MY RECORDS IN? Casual records and descriptions of rare and scarce birds can be e-mailed to the DBC at the dorsetbirdclub@hotmailfollowing address: .com This is also the correct address to send any local patch bird reports to, as well as any completed DBC spreadsheets . If you do not have access to e-mail, please send your records by post to the County Recorder . The address can be found on page 5 of this report . 6 Dorset Bird Report 2008 WHEN SHOULD I SUBMIT MY RECORDS? as soon after the sighting as possible Recordswww.bbrc.org.uk of birds requiring full written descriptions should be submitted . National rarity formswww.dorsetbirdclub.org.uk can be downloaded from the BBRC website ( ) . DRP forms are downloadable from either the ‘Dorset List’ or ‘Dorset Decisions’ pages of the DBC website ( ) . Both forms are also available from the County Recorder . If possible, individual records should be sent to the County Recorder periodically throughout the year to enable them to be logged on to the database over a period of time . This will help to ensure that there will not be a backlog of data inputting to be done at the last minute (and so hold up production of the report) . end of January Please, at the latest, send records in by the the following year . Late records WHOwill be SHOULD accepted, I SUBMITbut it may MY not RECORDS be possible TO? to include them in the report for that year . to their recorders The following sites publish their own reports and request that records are submitted directly • Christchurch . Once Harbour collated theseOrnithological reports are Group: included in the Dorset Bird Report . • Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre: Mr DN Smith, 11 Moffat Road, Purewell, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 1HQ . Mr M Cade, Portland Bird All otherObserv recordsatory, should Old Lowerbe submitted Light, Portland directly Bill, to Dorset, the County DT5 2JT Recorder . Please note that all records requiring a full written description at either county or national level should be sent directly to the County Recorder . Records of rare and scarce birds in Dorset will only be entered onto the official Dorset totals after acceptance by either BBRC or DRP . Excel An spreadsheet is available for listing your sightings and is transferable directly into the database, therebyExcel saving a lot of time . If anyone wishes to receive a copy (instructions will be given on its use), please contact the County Recorder . Likewise, if people wish to use their own spreadsheets, these can be copied into the database with the greatest of ease . 2008 Dorset Bird Report 7 REVIEW AND HIGHLIGHTS OF 2008 Kevin Lane and Phyl England (records marked * are subject to acceptance by the relevant committee) An excellent year, with 277 species recorded in the county . This is the highest total since 1996, when 280 species were recorded . The table below shows the annual totals for the last 10 years . 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Grey-cheeked271 275 Thrush269 267 275 269 269 268 258 277 412 was the only addition to the Dorset list in 2008, with an individual trapped and ringed at PBO in October . The Dorset list now stands at species . ApartEastern from Olivaceousthat, the year Warbler will be well rememberedThrush Nightingale for the quantityLesser and Grey quality Shrike of rare andFranklin’s scarcerd birdsGull thatWhiskered were recorded Tern .