Sponsored by Report on rare birds in Great Britain in 1982 Michael J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee with comments by K. E. Vinicombe his is the twenty-fifth report of the Rarities Committee. Excluding Cory's TShearwater Calonectris diomedea, about 880 records have been accepted for 1982, an acceptance rate of 86%. About 100 records for 1982 are still under consideration, as well as a few for earlier years, including American Wigeons Anas americana in autumn 1981, several Gyrfalcons Fako rusticolus, and Blyth's Reed Warbler Acrocephalus dumetorum in Norfolk in October 1979. The Committee is also currently completing reviews of the records of Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola, Yellow Wagtails M. flava of the black- headed race jeldegg, Greenish Warblers Phylloscopus trochiloides and Two- barred Crossbills Loxia leucoptera. The large number of reports of Ring- billed Gulls Lams delawarensis in 1981 and 1982 has resulted in delays in assessment: this species is held over until next year's report. One batch of records, all from northwest England, has been inadvertently subject to delay during circulation to the Committee, and we apologise to the obser­ vers concerned for the omission of their records this year. The year 1982 will be well-remembered for the exceptional number of additions to the British and Irish List. Of records for 1982 and previous years, three have already been accepted by the BOURC, Hudsonian Godwit Limosa haemastica, Little Whimbrel Numenius minutus and Pacific Swift Apus pacificus, and several other claims are still under consideration, including Oriental Pratincole Glareola maldivarum, Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis, Long-toed Stint C. subminuta, Grey-tailed/Wandering Tattler Heteroscelus, South Polar Skua Stercorarius maccormicki, Chimney Swift Chaetura pelagica, Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos, White-crowned Black Wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga. Varied Thrush Zoothera naevia, Marmora's Warbler Sylvia sarda and Savannah Sparrow Ammodramus sandwichensis. D.J. Britton, who conceived the idea of including running species-totals, and who compiled them in our last six reports and wrote the species comments for the last two, has this year handed over both these tasks to K. E. Vinicombe. We are very grateful to DJB for his past contributions, and to KEV for agreeing to take over these responsibilities. Irish records are adjudicated by the Irish Records Panel and the Northern Ireland Bird Records Committee, and we are grateful for permis­ sion to include details of accepted records in the species comments, and to the respective secretaries, Kieran Grace and Mrs P. M. Vizard, for sup­ plying them, thus providing a complete review of rare birds in Great Britain 476 {Brit. Birds 76: 476-529, November 1983] Report on rare birds in 1982 477 and Ireland. Roger Long and Trevor Copp have liaised over Channel Islands rarity records, which are now adjudicated by the Rarities Commit­ tee, and we are grateful for their co-operation: details of accepted records are listed in the species comments, but not included in the running totals, which are for the geographical unit of Britain and Ireland. We are again grateful to photographers who have submitted pictures of rarities, a selection of which enhances this report. Any photographs, even those of insufficient quality for publication, are invariably of great assis­ tance in the speedy assessment of records: we urge that they are always submitted along with written evidence; indeed, for some tricky cases, inclusion of photographic evidence is essential. We again wish to encourage observers to submit drawings of the rarities which they observe. These need not be artistically expert to be of great value in the assessment process. Some examples of sketches submitted with records are included here, not merely as decorations, but to illustrate their usefulness. We wish to express our gratitude for the ready support given to the Rarities Committee by observers, county and regional recorders, and bird observatories, without which this report would not be as complete and accurate as it is. We also acknowledge the co-operation of the BTO, the RSPB and the Nature Conservancy Council. For readily given assistance and advice on various topics, we thank the Bolton, British, Coventry, Norwich and Royal Scottish Museums, as well as P. R. Colston, A. R. Dean, Jon Dunn, Peter Harrison, Robert Hudson, Guy McCaskie, John Marchant, Killian Mullarney, Dr M. A. Ogilvie, A.J. Prater, A. Pym, Lars Svensson and Pierre Yesou. The sponsorship of the work of the Rarities Committee by Zeiss West Germany (see page 475) is a very welcome new development. Records should be sent to the Secretary, MichaelJ. Rogers, 195 Vicarage Road, Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex TWlfi 7TP, preferably via the appropriate county or regional recorder. A copy of the list of species considered by the Committee (note that ten species were removed from the list at the end of 1982, see Brit. Birds 75: 337-338), copies of the Rarities Committee Record Form (which should be used, or its format followed, when submitting reports), and a fact sheet setting out the constitution and aims of the Committee, and the procedures followed when considering records, can all be obtained from the Secretary. PJG Systematic list of accepted records The principles and procedure followed in considering records were explained in the 1958 report (Brit. Birds 53: 155-158). The systematic list is set out in the same way as in the 1980 report (75: 482-533). The following points show the basis on which the list has been compiled. (i) The details included lor each record are specimen is stored, if known; (5) date(s); and (1) county; (2) locality; (3) number of birds if (6) observer(s) up to three in number, in more than one, and age and sex if known (in alphabetical order. In accordance with our the case of spring and summer records, how­ declared policy (see Brit. Birds 68: 1-4), the ever, the age is normally given only where the new county names have been used, and bird concerned was not in adult plumage); observers are asked to bear this in mind when (4) if trapped or found dead, and where submitting records. 478 Report on rare birds in 1982 (ii) In general, this report is confined to and released) are normally referred to as records which are regarded as certain, and 'showing the characters' of the race 'probables' are not included. In-the ease of concerned. the very similar Long-billed Limnodromus (iv) The three numbers in brackets after scohpaceus and Short-billed Dowitchers L. each species' name refer respectively to the griseus, however, we are continuing to publish totals in Britain and Ireland (excluding those indeterminable records, and this also applies 'At sea') (1) to the end of 1957. (2) for the to observations ol pratincoles Glareola and of period since the formation of the Rarities such difficult groups as albatrosses Dwmedea Committee in 1958, but excluding (3) the and frigatebirds Fregata. current year. A detailed breakdown of the (iii) The sequence of species, vernacular figures for previous years is held by the names and scientific nomenclature follow The honorary secretary. 'British Birds' List oj Birds of the Western (v) The world breeding range is given in Palearctic (1978). Any sight records of brackets at the beginning of each species subspecies (including those of birds trapped comment. White-billed Diver Gavia adamsii (18, 61, 4) Shetland Bunidale, Mainland, 14th February (B. P. Walker), possibly same as individual off VVhalsay to 24th March (see 1981 Shetland below). OffWedder Holm, Unst, adult, 13th May (R.J. fulloch), possibly same as Unst individual, 17th May 1981 (Brit. Birds 75: 484). Quendale, possibly immature, 18th May (DrJ. N. Darroch, Sir R. Krskine-Hill, Mrs A. North Lewis). Yorkshire, North Scarborough, adult, 3rd January (R. H. Appleby, M. Williams et al.). 1981 Shetland Off VVhalsay, 21st December to 24th March 1982 (Dr B. Marshall. N. Poleson, W. Simpson), possiblv same as Bunidale. Mainland, individual. 1982: see above, and winter 1980/81 individual (Brit. Birds 75: 484). (Arctic Russia, Siberia and Alaska) Some typical records, though it is difficult to be sure exactly how many individuals were involved in Shetland. Black-browed Albatross Diomedea melanophris (2,21,0) Shetland Hermaness, Unst, 14th February to 10th September (per D. C'.outts) (plate 199). (Southern oceans) An October record off St Ives, Cornwall, is still under consideration. Another early arrival by the Hermaness bird. It is now 11 years since it took up residence there among the Gannets Sula bassana. 199. Adult Black-browed Albatross Diomedea melanophris, Shetland, June 1982 (Dennis Coutts) Report on rare birds in 1982 479 Cory's Shearwater Calonectris diomedea (a few, 20,464, 41) Cornwall Porthgwarra, eleven, 10th July; one, 11th August; two, 12th (H. P. K. Robinson). Humberside Spurn, 10th July (N. A. Bell, J. Cudworth, C. & Mrs J. Massingham). Kent Foreness, 9thJanuary (D. C. Gilbert, F. Solly, M. P. Sutherland). Norfolk Cley, 5th September (N. Borrow, C. Wilkins). Holme, 6th September (K. B. Shepherd). Orkney Brough of Birsay, 27th August (E.J. Williams). Scilly St Mary's, 26th September (D. N. Bakewell, Dr R. C. Brace et at.). St Martin's, 11th October (G. G. Williams). 1981 Humberside Flamborough Head, 15th August (K. Rotherham). 1981 Norfolk Hunstanton, 22nd August (A. R. Kitson, R. F. Porter). 1981 Strathclyde Ailsa Craig, AyrJ 1th July (I. P. Gibson, B. Zonfrillo). 1981 Sussex, West Worthing, 3rd May (G.J. Fox, DrJ. A. Newnham). 1981 Yorkshire, North Filey Brigg, 9th August (P. J. Dunn, M. J. Grunwell, H. J. Whitehead). (East Atlantic and Mediterranean) Also, 21 off Cape Clear, Co. Cork: two on 5th August, one on 9th, five on 10th, one on 12th, two on 17th, four on 18th, one on 28th, one on 29th and four on 10th September.