Scottish Birds ~~.. :~"."~ '''·;;;i;:;U;jU-_ . .. _ _.u.::,-::": _• .••• :.".;U.... ~ . ... ~. " .- :, .. ~~.~;;:;~~;~~;:.~::::::;:'~ The Journal of The Scottish Ornithologists' Club Vol. 4 No. 1 Spring 1966 FIVE SHILLINGS Zeiss Binoculars of entirely new design: Dialyt 8x30B giving equal performance with or without spectacles This delightfully elegant and compact new model from Carl Zeiss has an entirely new prism system which gives an amazing reduction in size. The special design also gives the fullest field of view-1 30 yards at 1 ODD-to spectacle wearers and to the naked eye alike. Price £53.10.0 fl1 h dt Write for the latest camera. binocular !Ul ~ egen ar and sunglass booklets to the sole , U.K. Importers. DEGENHARDT & CO lTD CARl ZEISS HOUSE 20/22 Mortimer Street· london, W.1 ?-.IUS 8050 (9 lines) CHOOSING A BINOCULAR OR A TELESCOPE EXPERT ADVICE From a Large Selection ... New and Secondhand G. HUTCHISON & SONS Phone CAL. 5579 OPTICIANS 18 FORREST ROAD, EDINBURGH Open till 5.30 p.m. Saturdays : Early closing Tuesday COLOUR BIRD BOOKS SLIDES of BIRDS Please support Incomparable Collection of THE S.O.C. British, European and African birds. Also views and places BIRD BOOKSHOP throughout the world. Send by buying all your new stamp for list. Sets of 100 for hire. Bird Books from THE SCOTTISH CENTRE BINOCULARS FOR ORNITHOLOGY AND BIRD PROTECTION Our "Birdwatcher 8 x 30" 21 Regent Terrace, model is made to our own specifications-excellent value Edinburgh 7 at 15 gns. Handy and practical to use. Ross, Barr and Stroud, Zeiss, All books sent post free Bosch Binoculars in stock. Terma-StrilCrly cub. W. Cowen - Keswick Ask for Price List. ICELAND AN ORNITHOLOGICAL TREASURE HOUSE - Some of the Spend the long summer 200 species days in this intriguing which have country. The enormity been observed of the landscapes and in Iceland:- the ever-recurring con­ trasts of the scenery are LITTLE AUK only now being discov­ PuRPLE SANDPIPER ered by the tourist. Its GREY PHALAROPE wealth in birdlife, not BRUNNICH'S GUILLEMOT only in numbers but in SEA-EAGLE the variety of the SNOWY OWL species has caused it to ARCTIC TERN be described as "a real BARROw'S GOLDENEYE paradise for birdwatch­ IIARLEQUTN l)UCK ers." Fly direct from Renfrew by ICELANDAlR VISCOUNT in only 3 hours Daily Services Throughout the Summer REDUCED RATES for Group Travel Special 13-Day Tours for Naturalist. accompanied by qualiGed Guide Consult your Local Travel Agent, any Office of B.E.A, or ~CELANDAlR 33 ST, ENOCH SQ., GLASGOW, C.I. Telephone. CITar 3838 Scottish Birds THE JOURNAL OF' THE SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGISTS' CLUB Contents of Volume 4, Number 1, Spring 1966 Page Editorial ... .. ... ... 61 Scottish Ornithologists. 2. Martin Martin c. 1056-1719. By Ian D. Pennie (plates 10-11)... ... ... ... 64 Isle of May Bird Observatory and Field Station Report for 1965. By Nancy J. Cordon ... ... ... .. 74 Short Notes Autumn notes from the Isle of Iona (W. M. Kerr, J. A. D. Hope) 80 Purple Heron at Fair Isle (R. H. Dennis) 81 Little Bitterns in Ayrshire and Shetland (D. & A. B. ]ohnstone, G. A. Richards; G. D. Joy) 82 Harlequin Ducks at Fair Isle and in Caithness (G. Barnes; R. S. Shand, G. Gunn) 83 Gyr 'Falcons in East Inverness-shire and Shetland (c. c. I. Murdoch; W. G. Porteous) 86 Capercaillie x Black Grouse hybrid in Perthshire (V. M. Thorn) (plate 9) 88 Temminck's Stint in East Lothian (T. Boyd, E. M. Smith, R. W. J. Smith) 88 Pratincole in Orkney (E. Balfour) 90 The Green Woodpecker in Clackmannanshire (A. Tewnion) 95 Nesting of a nearly white hen and a normal cock Blackbird (R. W. Pickford) (plate 12) 96 Abnormally plurnaged Willow Warblers (W. M. M. Eddie; P. J. Sellar, P. J. B. Slater) ... ... ...... 97 Firecrest in Shetland (D. Coutts, W . G. Porteous) 99 Scandinavian Rock Pipits in Scotland in spring Cl. L. S. Cobb; M. F. M. Meiklejohn) 100 Woodchat Shrikes in Fife and East Lothian (D. W. Oliver; A. Macdonald) 101 Black-headed Bunting in Shetland (R. J. Tulloch) 103 Rustic Bunting in Outer Hebrides (W. ] . Eggeling) 104 Cu rrent Notes 106 Reviews Birds of Town and Village. By Basi l Ede and W. D. Campbell. Reviewed by R. Seath ... 117 The Woodpigeon. By R. K. Murton. Reviewed by ]. D. Lockie 118 The Bird Table Book. By T. Soper. Reviewed by M. ] . Everett 119 The Young Specialist Looks at Birds. By H. Frieling. Reviewed by T . C. Smout 120 The Birds of the Isle of Lewis : 1963-1965. By N. Elkins 121 Letter Notes on the birds of Berneray, Mingulay and Pabbay (K. G. Walker) 121 Request for Information 121 The Scottish Ornithologists' Gub 122 Edited by Andrew T. Macmillan, 12 Abinger Gardens, Edinburgh 12. Assisted by D. G. Andrew, T. C. Smout and P. J. B. Slater. Business Editor T. C. Smout, 93 Warrender Park Road, Edinbur2'h 9. HOLIDA YS in IRELAND Cliff House tf Residential Club An ideal centre for bird lovcrs and o rnithologists close to Dunwich Lough Corrib. Boat trips may be arranged to some of the Lough's 365 islands or you can walk in Irish country lanes In walking distance of and enjoy the wild flowers and superb scenery. Free fishing, Minsmere Bird Sanctuary and within easy reach of all the Connemara sea trout and Open from Easter ti1l the salmon fisheries. end 0.£ September Rough shooting, Hesting, Home Cooking, Packed Lunches ... Book now for 1966. Limited Good food Packed lunches accommodation. Comfortable rooms, H. & c. \,vrite for Brochure to: Club Licence M... Pauline Joyce, Telephone : Westleton 282 St Michael'a, Oughtel'ard, Connemara THE BOAT HOTEI.J Highland & Overseas Field Holidays Set amidst mountain* and moor­ land scenery, the Boat Hotel, with Bird-watching and gel1!!ral its reputatio n for comfort and good Natural History holidays and food, is an ideal centre for study­ expeditions in Scotland and ing birds-the Ospreys at Loch on the Continent. Garten are only three miles away, 1966 programme includes and this is the country for Crested Scandinavia, Iceland, Por­ tugal, Austria and 'Francc. Tit, Crossbill, Capercai1lie and much besides. Also ideal for photography, pony-trekking, fishing and climb­ ing. 18-hole golf course Z minutes For full details, write to: from hote!' Now under new owner­ COLlN MURDOCH, ship of Mr and Mrs James Ha.rris. Pitmain Beag, Reduced rates for children. KINGUSSIE, Invernes. -.hire BOAT OF GARTEN Te!. Kingussie 300, Inverne.. -ahire Scottish Birds THE JO URNAL OF THE SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGISTS' CLUB Volume 4 No. 1 Spring 1966 ~d i ted by A . T . M A OMILLAN with the assistance of D. G. ANDBEW, T . C. S HOUT a nd P. J . B. SLATER. Bu siness Editor, T. C. S MOUT. Cover Desig n (G reensha nks) by LEN F ULLERT ON. Editorial Protection of Birds Bill. The new Protection of Birds Bill was given an unopposed second reading in the House of Commons on 28th January 1966. It was introduced by Col. Sir Tufton Beamish. Earlier it had received a third reading in the House of Lords, where it was introduced by the President of the R.S.P.B., Lord Hurcomb. The purpose of the Bill is to strengthen the 1954 Act. It takes away the power of the Secretary of State to deprive the eggs of certain common birds of the normal protection given to all species. This removes one of the obstacles that has prevented Great Britain signing the International Con­ vention for Bird Protection-an ironic situation for a people internationally famous as animal lovers. It will also mean that the law is less easily thwarted by a glib talker passing off rare eggs as those of a common species to an unornitho­ logical policeman. The Bill also makes it harder for a known egg collector to escape under the frustrated noses of the police for lack of a search warrant. He, and his car, may be stopped and searched on reasonable suspicion that he has been aft~r the eggs of rare birds. The Bill prohibits the import or sale of Lapwings' eggs and the sale of wild geese throughout the year. Power is taken for the Secretary of State, after suitable consultation, to im­ pose a temporary ban on shooting in seVere weather. It is also made an offence wilfully to disturb rare birds at their nests. A point of special interest in Scotland is that the Sec­ retary of State will have power to allow the traditional har­ vesting of gugas (young Gannets) on Sula Sgeir to start two weeks earlier-from 14th August instead of the 31st. It is to be hoped that these pro~sions will be ratified ~y Parliament. They are generally deSIrable. Our one regret IS that if we want a tasty young Grey Lag for dinner it see~s we must either take up wildfowling or rely on the gOOdWIll and generosity of our shooting friends. This looks like a 62 ElJlTOlUAL 4(1 ) subtle way of encouraging good relations between bird­ watchers and wildfowlers-at least to birdwatchers. The R.S.P .B. and 'Birds'. The Royal Society for the Protec­ tion of Birds has come a long way since the days of the plume trade. 'Protection' is a word tinged with emotional overtones, and the society has done well in recent years to opt for a policy of positive conservation and education rather than a sterile 'hands off' approach. To prosecute egg collectors and bird catchers helps to dis­ courage their activities and is therefore worthwhile, but it is favourable and informed public opinion that will do more good for wild birds.