West Midland Bird Club Canada Goose by M C Wilkes West Midland Bird Club Annual Report No 48 1981 Being the Annual Bird Report of the West Midland Bird Club on the birds in the counties of Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire and West Midlands. Contents 2 Officers and Committee 3 Editor's Report 7 Treasurer's Report and Financial Statement 10 Secretary's Report 11 Membership Secretary's Report 11 Field Meetings Secretary's Report 11 Research Committee's Report 12 Branch Reports 13 Belvide Reserve 13 Ladywalk Reserve 14 The Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981 18 1981 Bird Record Localities 21 Classified Notes 95 Ringing in 1981 106 Key to Contributors 107 Species requiring descriptions Price £2.00 2 Officers and Committee 1982 President C A Norris, Brookend House, Welland, Worcestershire Vice-President G C Lambourne, Melin Dan-y-rhiw, St. Davids, Dyfed Chairman ARM Blake, 102 Russell Bank Road, Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands Deputy Chairman G M Lewis, 9a Plymouth Road, Bamt Green, Birmingham B45 8JE Secretary A J Richards, 1 Lansdowne Road, Studley, Warwickshire B80 7JG Membership Miss J M Nicholls, 296 Olton Boulevard West, Secretary Birmingham B11 3HH Treasurer J H W Ridley, 33 Blakedown Road, Halesowen, West Midlands Editor G R Harrison, "Bryher", Hatton Green, Hatton, Warwickshire CV35 7LA Field Meetings S H Young, 32 Carless Avenue, Harborne, Secretary Birmingham B17 9EL Ringing Secretary P L Ireland, 27 Hainfield Drive, Solihull, West Midlands B91 2PL Permit Secretary Miss M Surman, 6 Lloyd Square, 12 Niall Close, Birmingham B15 3LX Chairman G R Harrison, "Bryher", Hatton Green, Hatton, Research Warwickshire CV35 7LA Committee Kidderminster Branch Secretary Staffs Branch D Emley, 127 Harpfields Road, Stoke-on-Trent Secretary Solihull Branch Mrs D Dunstan, 4 Blossomfield Road, Solihull, Representative West Midlands Main Committee Miss E Corbett, A R Dean, P K Dedicoat, Mr & Mrs A F Jacobs, R Normand and K A Webb 3 Editor's Report Steve Welch agreed to fill the vacancy in the editorial team left by Alan Dean and I should like to thank him, Pete Dedicoat and Dave Smallshire for their substantial contribution^ to this Report. I should also like to thank Rob Hume for more of his excellent drawings, Bret Westwood for his drawing of the Spanish Wagtail, and everyone who contributed records. During the year the Records Committee was enlarged to five, and rare or unusual records now require at least four supporting votes to be accepted. This brings our procedure in line with British Birds' Rarities Committee, but it is likely to lead to more rejections. This is because too many records are still inadequately substantiated and contributors are urged to remedy this, especially those who submit records on behalf of others. For everyone's guidance a note on the submission of rare or unusual records is being prepared for inclusion in a future Bulletin. Rare birds certainly add spice, but their pursuit ought not to be at the expense of proper behaviour. The birds' welfare should always come first, yet contributors are increasingly asking for records to be kept confidential because they fear disturbance. Such requests are always respected— indeed I sometimes withhold information myself—but it is surely self- defeating when over-zealous pursuit of rarities leads to their whereabouts being suppressed. On the other hand, not enough interest is shown in the commoner species, yet it is essential that we know what is happening to them. Finally, too little information is received away from the well- watched localities. In Warwickshire, especially, practically every record comes from one of half-a-dozen sites. It would be nice to know what occurs elsewhere I G R Harrison Birds in 1981 In a year that again produced 211 species, 1981 will be remembered for the heavy snow of late April and the unprecedented December freeze. Both seriously affected bird-life. Otherwise the first six months were the dullest and wettest for forty years. Winter was mild, spring cold, summer cool and wet and only autumn produced seasonal weather. The year began with six mild weeks and mainly westerly winds. Of the 1980 birds. Barnacle Geese, Smew, Red-breasted Merganser, Ruff, Spotted Redshank and Great Grey Shrike all stayed into February at least. They were joined in January by Hen Harrier on the second, Kittiwakes on the first and tenth, and two Little Gulls on the latter date. Black Redstart and Lapland Bunting both appeared on the seventeenth. Bittern the next day and Long-eared Owl on the twenty-fourth. At this time almost half the British population of Ruddy Ducks were at Blithfield. The month closed with a Shag on the twenty-ninth and another Smew two days later. February opened with Peregrine and a gaggle of White-fronted 4 Geese on the first, and closed with two Long-tailed Ducks on the twenty- first. In between it was a month for gulls, with two Icelands (part of an influx of Arctic Gulls into Britain), a Mediterranean on the seventh and further Kittiwakes on the next two days. March was the wettest this century, as a series of depressions tracked across the country. Their westerly winds helped winter visitors to depart and wandering Barnacle Geese, two Hooded Crows, two more Iceland Gulls, another Smew and a Red-breasted Merganser might all have been returning to their breeding grounds. One or two Firecrests also appeared. Better weather between the thirteenth and seventeenth brought a strong influx of Sand Martins and Chiffchaffs, the first Wheatear and a small Kittiwake passage. Green Sandpipers were unusually plentiful for spring, with a party of eight on the twenty-second. A second mild, calm spell from the twenty-sixth lasted three days and produced the first Willow Warblers and a party of four Black-tailed Godwits. A cool, easterly airstream dominated April, which began quietly enough with two Little Gulls and the first Swallows. Between the eighth and twelfth, however, warm, unsettled weather from the south brought more interest. Three more Black-tailed Godwits on the seventh were followed by Black-necked Grebe on the ninth, two Marsh Harriers onltheleleventh and thirteenth, and a passage of Little Gulls and Sandwich Terns that was to last into early May. Passage of Arctic Terns began on the nineteenth and lasted a week and a Firecrest was in song on the twentieth. From the twenty-second the weather changed dramatically. A northerly airstream brought very cold, unstable conditions, culminating in severe blizzards and ice-storms on the night of the twenty-fifth/sixth. Many early nestlings and migrants perished, whilst the inland displacement of seabirds was quite unprecedented for spring. The twenty-fifth alone brought several Kittiwakes and Arctic Terns, accompanied by both Arctic and Great Skuas. Also seen on this day were Marsh Harrier, Osprey and Wryneck! A Fulmar appeared on the twenty- sixth, hotly pursued by a Great Skua, and the next two days saw a Hoopoe and a Hen Harrier. By May 5 pressure had dropped and a southerly wind brought warmer weather. Seabird surprises in the aftermath of the storms continued, however, with Great Skua on the third. Red-breasted Merganser next day, Arctic Skua on the ninth and another Great Skua on the tenth. The milder weather also brought a flood of migrants. The first Swifts appeared on the third—equalling their latest ever arrival—a Spoonbill on the sixth. Little Tern and an influx of Bar- tailed Godwits next day and the first Quail on the ninth. By the fourteenth the wind had turned to the south-west and the rest of the month was just right for overshooting or displaced migrants, with southerly winds and overcast skies. Kentish Plover and Temminck's Stint appeared on the sixteenth. Marsh Harrier the next day and Kentish Plover again the day after. A ring-tailed harrier, Osprey and Wood Sandpiper enlivened the 5 nineteenth, but the bird of the spring was a Bluethroat, which appeared on the twenty-fourth. This was one of several in the country about that time. An exciting month finally closed with Night Heron on the twenty- sixth and Red-necked Phalarope on the thirtieth. June was a month of successive depressions and cool, north-westerly winds. Highlights were Osprey on the fourteenth, several calling Quails, Wood Sandpiper on the twenty-sixth and a splendid White-winged Black Tern in full breeding plumage the next day. Breeding success was mixed. Little Ringed Plovers were down to two-thirds of their record 1980 level, three pairs of Oystercatchers could raise only one young and Common Sandpipers were down to just one pair. On the other hand. Common Terns raised a record 37 young, up to three pairs of Ringed Plover nested and four pairs of Hobbies raised nine young. Merlin, Water Rail and Crossbill all bred. Black-headed Gulls expanded into new areas and Firecrests promised to recolonise. The biggest surprise of all, though, was the nesting of Cormorants in Staffordshire—a singularly unusual event inland. July continued unsettled and cool, with the early return of waders perhaps indicative of a poor breeding season. A Little Gull appeared on the first, Whimbrel passage began on the seventh, an adult Little Stint arrived on the eleventh. Wood Sandpiper on the sixteenth and Sanderling on the twentieth. A Hoopoe was also seen during the month. The first week of August was warm and dry, but the rest of the month was cool with heavy rain. Another Wood Sandpiper appeared on the third, the seventh brought a small influx of Black Terns and the start of a Little Gull passage, and a few Little Terns followed in the next two days.