My first Christmas Birding Card of the Year

And very topical - from Lee and Roy at SUFFOLK BIRDING

The WAXWING invasion reaches CORNWALL

Check out Steve Rogers' superb website images - http://www.swopticsphoto.com/

Some nice summaries for Cornwall

WAXWINGS streaming South

With temperatures plunging over much of this past week, scores of BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS have been moving south, with large numbers reaching the South Coast and infiltrating the Midlands and central Wales.


As far as vagrants are concerned, Conwy's female DESERT WHEATEAR remains the highlight, still showing well on the north side of Rhyl Golf Course today, with 1 of 2 LITTLE BUNTINGS in with 60 or so Reed Buntings at Rosenannon Downs (Cornwall) and a newly-discovered DUSKY WARBLER along the coastal track west of the West Bexington (Dorset) car park, midway between the nature reserve entrance and the Mere. A further DUSKY WARBLER, initially seen on Monday, was again seen and heard at Swanvale NR today, at the north end of Swanpool, Falmouth (Cornwall).

A LESSER YELLOWLEGS was still to be found at Alkborough Flats (North Lincs) this morning, with the other wintering birds remaining at Aldcliffe Marsh (Lancs) and in Ernesettle Creek, Plymouth (South Devon). Meanwhile, the LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER was again on the Tack Piece at Slimbridge WWT (Gloucs)

The adult drake Blue-winged Teal of likely captive origin was again at Lamb Island, on the River Dee, near Threave (Dumfries & Galloway) in recent days, the same bird that spent the summer in Clyde and Kinross.

A first-year Glossy Ibis was present for at least its 4th day at Ham Wall RSPB (Somerset).

Long-tailed Ducks include the juveniles at Rutland Water (Leics) and on Lade GP (Kent) and Queen Mother Reservoir (Berks), the female at Pugney's Country Park (South Yorks) and the drake at William Girling Reservoir (London).

The first-winter Red-necked Grebe remains on Queen Mother Reservoir (Berks), with Slavonian Grebes at Rutland Water (Leics), Carsington Water (Derbyshire), Scotney GP (East Sussex) and Priory Country Park, Bedford (Beds). A juvenile Black-throated Diver was new in at Dungeness New Diggings (Kent) whilst Great Northern Divers continue at Chasewater (Staffs), Shustoke Reservoir (Warks) and Horrock's Flash, Wigan (Gtr Manchester).

Portland Harbour (Dorset) was very productive today with a Black Guillemot seen, 10 Great Northern Divers, 14 Black-necked Grebes and a Red-necked Grebe, whilst Shell Bay near Sandbanks, Poole, yielded an astonishing 52 wintering Black-necked Grebes.

In IRELAND, the AMERICAN COOT remains for a fourth day at Murloch, just south of Ballyconneely (County Galway), with the juvenile drake SURF SCOTER off Dungarvan (County Waterford) and BLUE-WINGED TEAL at Ballylongford.

Additionally, a very late BAIRD'S SANDPIPER was seen today at Black Rock Strand (County Kerry).

AMERICAN COOT in Galway

Within days of one on South Uist, today sees another AMERICAN COOT in western Ireland in County Galway, just south of Ballyconneely at Murloch.


In the Outer Hebrides, the PIED-BILLED GREBE continues on Loch na Bagh, just NE of Smerclate, with 2 SNOW GEESE at Knockintorran and a Ring-necked Duck on Loch Aeval.

In North Wales, the female DESERT WHEATEAR is still surviving between Rhyl and Prestatyn on the north side of Rhyl Golf Course on the beach and sea wall at SJ 034 826, whilst a GREY PHALAROPE was seen in Holyhead Harbour (Anglesey) briefly.

The juvenile ROSY STARLING remains in gardens in St Columb Major (Cornwall)

STEVE SEAL'S the man...

What a fabulous collage: Rhyl's DESERT WHEATEAR

Didn't South Uist do well...

Rhyl's DESERT WHEATEAR, captured excellently on film by Jason Stannage

On South Uist (Western Isles) this afternoon, a PIED-BILLED GREBE then an AMERICAN COOT were found: the grebe was on Loch Smerclate whilst the Coot was showing well at Eilean nan Ramh, opposite the Co-op shop. The latter represents the 443rd species of the year.


Elsewhere, in North Wales, the female DESERT WHEATEAR was showing well (see photos above) north of Rhyl (Conwy), on the north side of the golf course on the beach opposite where the cycle path reaches from the golf course.

In Norfolk Breckland, the BLACK-BELLIED DIPPER is still to be found on the River Thet, in central Thetford

and a nice video of Denbighshire's DESERT WHEATEAR.

Click link http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=451334711569606

Nice bot of footage from JASON STANNAGE

It has been an excellent year for DESERT WHEATEARS in Britain, with 2 during January and this the most recent of 7 birds this November

DESERT WHEATEAR in Conwy

Nothing new today of any note but the female DESERT WHEATEAR still showing well in North Wales adjacent to Rhyl Golf Course (Conwy) - see Tim Vaughan's nice shot above.

Apparent BLYTH'S REED WARBLER in Cambs

See images here:


http://peterboroughbirdclub.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/warbler-ferry-meadows.html

An apparent BLYTH'S REED WARBLER, albeit a warm-toned individual photographed today in the Peterborough area

The Birdwatcher's Yearbook 2013

For 33 consecutive years, The Birdwatcher's Yearbook has been an essential companion for those with a more than passing interest in birds and every piece of information is checked and updated to ensure each new edition is relevant to the needs of all those who watch birds, either as a hobby or professionally - and it is all conveniently packed into a 328-page pocket-sized book for use in the field or at home. This 2013 edition, once again sponsored by Swarovski Optik and edited by David Cromack, has much to offer including........

1) A fully updated Checklist of Birds recorded in Britain, as well as of butterflies and dragonflies;

2) Comprehensive details of 395 nature reserves - perhaps the most up-to-date national guide;

3) A diary element for readers to record their own personal records;

4) National tide-table information through to April 2014;

5) A birding events calendar for 2013;

6) An updated survey of the most useful birding websites;

7) Contact information for every county, national and international birding group; bird hospitals; bird artists; photographers; lecturers and leading tour companies

This new edition is now published and can be obtained, priced £18.50 (including p & p), from: Buckingham Press Ltd, 55 Thorpe Park Road, Peterborough, PE3 6LJ. However, if ordered prior to 31 December 2012, you can SAVE £2. For further information, email editor@buckinghampress.com

The Friday Review

Well we have had some torrential rain in recent days, with parts of Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Wales being hit the hardest; the Environment Agency has no less than 112 flood warnings in operation and huge areas of the west country are under water.. Gale force winds accompanied the rain too, causing structural damage and numerous fallen trees in their wake.


Both LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS remain in situ: at Slimbridge WWT (Gloucs) and Alkborough Flats (North Lincs) respectively, as do the two LESSER YELLOWLEGS - on the Wildfowler's Pool at the end of Railway Crossing Lane at Aldcliff Marshes (Lancs) and in Ernesettle Creek, Plymouth (South Devon), whilst a GREY PHALAROPE was this afternoon on the Yeo Estuary, Clevedon (Avon) in the Blake's Pool vicinity. In Staffordshire, a WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER is at Drayton Bassett GP.

Rare wildfowl include drake Ring-necked Ducks at Chew Valley Lake (Avon), Eyebrook Reservoir (Leics), Helston Loe Pool (Cornwall) and on St John's Loch (Caithness), 3 drake Surf Scoters still offshore of Llandulas (Conwy), the drake American Wigeon still at Wintersett Reservoir (West Yorks) and the adult RED-BREASTED GOOSE at Farlington Marsh Deeps (Hants).

No less than 20 Great White Egrets are wintering in the UK, including 4 at Dungeness RSPB (Kent) with the GLOSSY IBIS still surviving at Marloes Mere (Pembs)

Freshwater displacements include a first-year Red-necked Grebe on Queen Mother Reservoir (Berkshire), Slavonian Grebes at Priory Country Park, Bedford (Beds) and Thorpe Park (Surrey), Great Northern Divers at Chasewater (Staffs), Chelmarsh Reservoir (Salop) and Blithfield Reservoir (Staffs).

Still perhaps 5,000 Bohemian Waxwings in the UK, sizeable flocks including 600 on the south side of Ullapool (Sutherland), 400+ on Skye (Highland), 80 in Aberdeen, 64 in Broome Road, Dumfries (D & G), 60 still by the entrance to Bielside Gardens, West Barns (Lothian), 86 in Milner St, Warrington (Cheshire), 180 on Arnott Crescent, Hulme (Gtr Manchester), 55 in Lenton (Notts), at least 200 in Denbigh (Clwyd), 52 in Birkenhead (Cheshire), 50 at Fairburn Ings RSPB (West Yorks), 380+ in Sheffield (South Yorks) and 200 in Hunslet (West Yorks).

Wintering Great Grey Shrikes include singles on Cannock Chase (Staffs), Thursley Common (Surrey), Beaulieu Road Station, New Forest (Hants), Morden Bog (Dorset), Santon Warren (Suffolk), Therfield Heath (Herts) and near Colchester at Hardy's Green (TL 942 234) (Essex)

A RICHARD'S PIPIT was seen briefly at Long Nanny Burn (Northumberland) with just wintering SHORE LARK at Gramborough Hill, Salthouse (Norfolk) whilst up to 8 HORNEMANN'S ARCTIC REDPOLLS remain on Unst (Shetland). In West Cornwall, a first-winter SUBALPINE WARBLER remains in suburban gardens in St Just - generally at the rear of 41 Princess Street, whilst in Scotland, the EASTERN OLIVACEOUS WARBLER at Kilminning (Fife) was last reported on 20 November.

In IRELAND, 12 Waxwings are at the Albert Bridge Road/Short Strand junction in Belfast (County Antrim), with a further 55 at the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre in Clondalkin, Dublin (County Dublin).

A BLUE-WINGED TEAL is at Ballylongford, with the long-staying GLOSSY IBIS at Timoleague (County Cork).

Just 3 places left

Still 3 places remaining on my January 2013 Round Britain tour, whilst places also on the February trip to see Spanish Lynx, Spanish Imperial Eagles and Bustards in Spain - please email me at LGREUK400@aol.com for details

More on the plight of the WESTERN HEDGEHOG in the UK - could its demise really be down to the increase in Badgers

After processing Richard Broughton's comments and trying to understand the science behind his arguments, I phoned up one of the organisations charged with looking after many hundreds of injured, sick or poisoned Hedgehogs to see what they had to say. Having not the time nor the inclination to do an in-depth study before I put pen to paper unlike Richard, I have to admit that my statements were based on conjecture and a falasy of what I had come to believe was the key factor in their decline. It does look as though my comments were baseless - and I commend Richard for quickly pointing this out in a highly reasonable fashion. I raised the issue of slug pellets and was surprised at how little affect they do seem to be having on the UK Hedgehog population. I cannot thank the organisation highly enough and they spent some 40 minutes discussing the plight with me, and emailed me a lot of literature on the subject. This is a summary of the key points that were raised and gleaned from the respective information -:


The Mammal Society and the British Hedgehog Preservation Society now believe the UK population of Hedgehogs has crashed in recent years and it has even been suggested that they could become extinct in many places before the end of the decade. Little work has been done on the reasons for this steep decline, but it is very likely that loss of habitat, combined with the relentless toll of accidents, is a major factor in their decline. A number of reasons are put forward for the alarming and steep decline. One is intensive farming, with the loss of hedgerows and the increase in pesticides, depriving hedgehogs of their prey of slugs and insects. Another is increased vehicle numbers leading to increased road kills, and a third is urban development, with tidier gardens and better fences meaning urban populations of hedgehogs cannot move about, become fragmented and die out.

And there could be another reason...........

Contrary to popular belief, Western Hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) are more common in towns and villages than they are in the open countryside. The reasons for this are not fully understood, but perhaps, as Richard intimated (and somewhat a revelation to me and could explain why my own Hedgehogs have gone), their natural enemy, the Badger, tended (until recently) to steer clear of human habitation, offering it some protection, while much of the persecution they formally suffered at the hands of farmers and game keepers, would have been largely absent in these places. Badgers are the hedgehog's only British predator – their powerful front claws can uncurl the hedgehog's tight defensive ball of spines – and in recent decades their numbers have increased enormously, almost certainly because of the warmer winters brought about by climate change. Badgers eat hedgehogs readily, and hedgehogs are terrified of them.

Ironically though, this protection comes at a price, as being in such close proximity to humans, has left them vulnerable to our destructive and wasteful activities. Animal charities in the UK in a typical year see a hugely disproportionate number of Hedgehogs bought to their door compared to other species of wild animal (or certainly did so in the first decade of the New Millenium).

Hedgehogs are, by the nature of their structure, somewhat ungainly and although they can climb well and are good swimmers, they cannot climb out of broken drains or uncovered post holes and trenches, while their swimming skills are quickly defeated by steep-sided ponds and uncovered swimming pools. They are also often the victims of entanglement in plastic garden netting, while attacks by domestic dogs are an increasing problem (and their spines offer very little protection, especially when terrier breeds are involved). Additionally, burning in bonfires, garden pesticides, broken glass and litter and discarded games netting, all take their toll on the population.

During their breeding season (which begins in April and extends right through until October) many nests are dug out by dogs or destroyed by gardeners. A typical hedgehog nest comprises a football-sized ball of woven grasses, leaves, plastic bags and litter, situated just below the surface and they can be difficult to spot.

Electric strimmers, too, are a common cause of injury and death, as many hedgehogs, especially in very warm weather, will sleep in the open, usually in long grass and undergrowth.

In many areas of the Southeast, unprecedented house building has taken place in the past few years, with large gardens often being sold off to developers, who then squeeze three or four new houses into the one space, removing at a stroke, much prime hedgehog habitat. Hedgehogs it seems do not like such disturbance and often, soon afterwards, disappear completely.

Amazingly, hedgehogs enjoy very little legal protection. The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 makes it illegal to catch, trap or kill them without a licence and The Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996 protects them from cruelty, but that’s about it.

The facts relating to this decline are frightening and of major concern. In the past 20 years or so, Hedgehogs have disappeared from much of Britain. This has not really registered yet in the public consciousness, but it is an astounding phenomenon. There were an estimated 30 million Hedgehogs in Britain in the 1950's, but now it is believed that less than half a million survive, and recently the rate of decline has grown even steeper.

Lee G R Evans

Catastrophic declines in Bird Populations

This is a response I published recently addressing Steve Dudley (BOU) and Richard Broughton (ecologist)......it sums up my feelings........

Steve and Richard may point towards 'reasonings' behind the declines in some species but lest remember, we are seeing something in the magnitude of 44 million birds lost from the equation, in a relatively short time span (50 years). This is catastrophic, and talks of a 24% increase on a vastly reduced Song Thrush population is glossing over the situation

I really cannot see how bird populations can sustain long-term such devastating effects on population indices, especially when one considers the continual carnage in the Middle East (Kuwait and the UAE mainly, but also in Turkey and Egypt), Malta and other countries still intent in murdering each and every migrant they can get their hands or guns on. They are killing literally millions of birds per annum, wiping out entire flocks of birds such as Black Storks and White Pelicans. Vast numbers of migrating raptors are slaughtered, and passerine numbers are just too frightening to comprehend. If you spent just four weeks in Kuwait, you would see the magnitude of the killing.

And look what has happened in China in recent years - entire populations of the likes of Yellow-breasted Bunting, Tree Sparrow, Mongolian Lark and an assortment of Rosefinches virtually wiped out - and a frightening increase in markets trading in small wild birds for food

Just look at the recent slaying of 160,000 migrating Amur Falcons in India - it just does not bear thinking about, the scenarios bird populations have to put up with

Pressure needs to be placed on the door of these countries supporting such devastating slaughters with not just idle threats. In the case of Malta, they continually flout EU directives on wild bird protection, so why have they not been thrown out. Just like Israel I suppose, nobody really cares who has the power to do anything about it. Another old boys club

I believe we are going to see Turtle Dove become extinct as a breeding bird in Britain in some of our lifetimes' - and this was once a very common bird of our countryside. Likewise, Willow Tit's days must surely be numbered.

Red-backed Shrike was still locally common when I took up birdwatching in 1968 but where is it now, some 44 years on. Gone - and a fading memory.

Velvet Scoter was once a common sight on a trip to Scotland in winter, particularly in the Moray Firth, with huge diving flocks of 6,000 birds or more - but now, Scottish wintering population now possibly as low as 650 birds in total; Long-tailed Duck and Greater Scaup gone the same way too. And it's not just a case of them reorienting north to winter in the Baltic or elsewhere, I struggle in Varanger Fjord (Arctic Norway) now to record the numbers. The RSPB recently found that horrendous numbers of seabirds (including wildfowl) were being caught in fishing nets and drowned off of the NE coast of Britain - and in just two days of secret filming, revealed the deaths of over 400 birds in just one small area. Just extrapolate those figures over an entire winter and over a vast stretch of coastline and see how much carnage that would cause - and these often being species that perhaps fledge just one young in 7 years. Catastrophic

Defining potential causes of steep declines is one thing but actually taking measures to counteract them is another - and I see far too few signs in this happening. The reason that the story is not entirely bleak and has some plusses is that many households in the UK are bird-friendly nowadays and feed them throughout the year - but could this too play catastrophic as birdtable-borne diseases strike hard. And the rise in many Mediterranean species to our shores is only resultant upon changes in climate and the effects drought-like conditions are having in countries such as Spain and Portugal.

ASIATIC DESERT WARBLER in East Kent

What an incredible find. When walker Roger Card walked in to the kiosk at Samphire Hoe Country Park and showed Paul (the resident birder on site) these images on his camera screen, he could not believe it - especially as the bird had been showing down to just feet in the grass besides the main footpath that runs between the overflow car park and the beach. Several people raced down there but like these things happen, there was no further sign of the bird after Roger last left it at around 0955 hours. What an amazing find.

The PINE GROSBEAK invasion in Scandinavia

FINLAND

There has been 42.000 Pine Grosbeaks in Finland between 15th October and 18th November. Vast majority have been recorded in Southern Finland and the migration was peaking from 20th October to 5th November. Source is BirdLife Finlands Tiira-database (Petteri Mäkelä)

DENMARK

So far almost 200 Pine Grosbeaks (at 20 sites) have reached Denmark during 30th October to 18th November 2012. The biggest flocks were 13 and 14 birds at Skagen and Nordmandshage respectively (Nordjylland).

62 birds migrating south at Nordmandshage east of Aaborg on 12th was a new Danish record count. The Skagen og Nordmandshage birds had probably flown in from sea (Kattegat) from Sweden shortly before being discovered. Following the first records in the far NE, birds have migrated to central and even western Denmark but still there are no records from southernmost Denmark. Most records are along the Kattegat coasts including several birds that have finally also reached northern Sjælland despite just three Skåne (Sweden) records this year.This is by far the biggest invasion ever recorded in Denmark (Rolf Christensen)

ASIATIC DESERT WARBLER briefly in East Kent

An ASIATIC DESERT WARBLER was seen this morning along the track besides the railway at Samphire Hoe Country Park, south of Dover, but was lost at around 0945 hours, whilst in the north of the county, a first-winter male DESERT WHEATEAR was discovered on Harty Marshes along the sea wall west of the hide between Harty Church and Shell Ness.


Also newly found today were a DUSKY WARBLER in Winspit Valley (Dorset) and a white morph GYRFALCON on South Uist (Outer Hebrides), whilst a probable SUBALPINE WARBLER was in a garden in St Just (West Cornwall)

Two new RING-NECKED DUCKS included a drake at Eyebrook Reservoir (Leics) and a female at Siblyback Reservoir (Cornwall)

Not a lot new turning up

Same old, same old......


Not much on offer today I am afraid, so little to target for at the weekend

Pick of the bunch perhaps, a relatively new-ish GREAT WHITE EGRET in Cambridgeshire - 2 miles east of Whittlesey amd SE of Eastrea at Wype Doles favouring fenland ditches north of Wypemere Farm, whilst up to 4 (of the 5) still remain in the Dungeness RSPB reserve area.

Both LESSER YELLOWLEGS' remain present with that at Aldcliffe Marsh (Lancs) and the other at Ernesettle Creek, Plymouth (South Devon), with the LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS still at Long Nanny Burn (Northumberland) at Slimbridge WWT (Gloucs) and a WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER at Drayton Bassett Pits (Staffs) on the new workings just south of the North Pit (park sensibly by Middleton Hall and take the muddy track to the conveyor belt and canal).

An adult COMMON CRANE is a good bet at Amberley Wild Brooks (RSPB (West Sussex), having been present all week, whilst a LITTLE AUK has survived swimming back and forth along the beach between Cley and Salthouse (North Norfolk) for a second day. In West Sussex also, the first-winter female HOODED MERGANSER remains faithful to the tidal creek at the north end (North Wall) of Pagham Harbour (park in Church lane and walk to the sluice).

In the Southwest, Chew Valley lake (Avon) offers both LESSER SCAUP and RING-NECKED DUCK, whilst in Hampshire, the adult RED-BREASTED GOOSE continues to graze The Deeps fields amongst 2,500 Dark-bellied Brent Geese at Farlington Marshes HWT. All 3 of this autumn's RING-NECKED DUCKS still remain on Tresco Great Pool (Scilly), as does the female on Slapton Ley (South Devon)..

Other RED-BREASTED GEESE include single adults ESE of Anthorn at Whitrigg (Cumbria) and on Islay (Argyll), where on the latter island, up to 9 different vagrant CANADA GEESE remain with Barnacle Geese.

In Breckland Norfolk, a BLACK-BELLIED DIPPER has started to get more reliable, showing up more frequently just north of the bridge over the River Theyt in central Thetford

A PALLAS'S LEAF WARBLER present for its third day in the old lighthouse garden at Dungeness (Kent) (with the ever-present GLAUCOUS GULL nearby on the beach) whilst in Scotland, the EASTERN OLIVACEOUS WARBLER that has no plans to leave still lingers in the Rose bushes within the lower car park at Kilminning (Fife Ness, Fife).

Up to 6,000 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS remain in Britain, still largely in northern England and Scotland - the largest single gathering of which being the flock of 1,000 or so birds in the Kyle of Lochalshe and Kyleakin areas (Highland).

A few snippets from IRELAND where the 5 COMMON CRANES and at least one juvenile NORTHERN HARRIER remain at Tacumshin (Co. Wexford), the female SURF SCOTER and VELVET SCOTER offshore at Glenbeigh (Co. Kerry) and pair of SURF SCOTERS at Gowlane, a RICHARD'S PIPIT in stubble fields near Forgotten Corner (Tacumshin), a SIBERIAN CHIFFCHAFF for a second day in Churchtown (Tacumshin), the adult FORSTER'S TERN in Galway Harbour (Co. Galway) and a LESSER SCAUP (one of three recent birds) near Castlegregory (Co. Kerry) at Lough Gill.

Irish invaders and special offer on large format COLLINS BIRD GUIDE

In addition to the large numbers of apparent IRISH COAL TITS that made it to the Isles of Scilly and West Cornwall, it now appears that an IRISH RED-BILLED CHOUGH may have immigrated and made landfall in the region. A Chough sadly died there at the beginning of November and DNA is being tested on the bird's feathers to see if it can be linked to the Irish population


Also, just in case anybody has not purchased the following, Amazon are offering an exceptional deal on the large format Collins Bird Identification Guide at the moment - just £15 post free - a saving of £35

Congratulations - we have 4 winners

The first four observers to email me with the correct answers of female DESERT WHEATEAR, Abberton Reservoir Car Park and Peugeot 406 Estate were -:

1) Robin Edwards at 1153 hours
2) Pete Kinsella at 1218 hours
3) Tony Wells at 1715 hours
4) Geoff Williams at 1721 hours

Frustratingly, Geoff publicly blew the gaffe and the competition had to be suspended

However, Chris Parnell was so close with his answer that I am giving him the complimentary membership anyway

Well done guys

Identify this car, bird and location

The first 5 correct answers at LGREUK400@aol.com will receive a free year's subscription to the UK400 Club's newly launched Premium Rare Bird News information, saving them £24 per year.

In West Sussex, both the first-winter drake HOODED MERGANSER and adult BLACK BRANT remain at Pagham Harbour North Wall, whilst COMMON CRANES continue at Pulborough Brooks RSPB and Scotney GP (in fields inland of the extreme west end).

The adult RED-BREASTED GOOSE can still be found along the East Bank at Farlington Marshes Deeps (Hants) feeding with Dark-bellied Brent Geese, whilst nearby, the regularly wintering adult RING-BILLED GULL is at Walpole Boating Lake, Gosport.

A DUSKY WARBLER was seen briefly by Portland Castle (Dorset) whilst Chew Valley Lake (Avon) harbours both LESSER SCAUP and RING-NECKED DUCK.

In Kent, PENDULINE TITS remain at Grove Ferry and Dungeness ARC Pit (both highly elusive), with GREAT GREY SHRIKES at Thursley Common (Surrey) and near Colchester (Essex)

Lots of GREAT WHITE EGRETS about, including 4 in the Dungeness Area (Kent), a colour-ringed bird in Ringwood (Hants) and 2 at Burton Mere (Cheshire).

In Scotland, both the EASTERN OLIVACEOUS WARBLER and BARRED WARBLER remain at Fife Ness at Kilminning (Fife).

There was no sign of the Bee-eater in County Durham today

Lots more PINE GROSBEAKS moving south

Following none seen during the weeekend, a new Danish record 62 PINE GROSBEAKS flew south during 1100-1300 hours today at Nordmandshage, Nordjylland (a coastal site near the Kattegat sea east of Aalborg).

Also very surprisingly one flew north past Blåvands Huk, Vestjylland (the westernmost Danish point, near the Waddensea) - a new species here, and some 10-12 were at Skagen, Nordjylland including 3 ringed by me at Grenen.

Surely they are Russian and Finnish birds leaving Sweden coming in from the sea of Kattegat heading SW (and some NE to Skagen)?

Rolf Christensen

PINE GROZZERS still moving south

Denmark today has seen more PINE GROSBEAKS arrive in Skagen suggesting that the southerly exodus is picking up, whilst in North America, large numbers of RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES, PINE SISKINS and EVENING GROSBEAKS are irrupting.


Here in Britain, the westerly winds have put paid to arriving vagrants and we are left with a paucity of birds of wider interest.....the total remains at 440 species.....

Highly popular is a first-winter female HOODED MERGANSER in West Sussex, present for just over a week in Pagham Harbour. The bird is favouring the tidal creek by the sluice at the North Wall and is concentrating its efforts at catching Crabs and other crustaceans. An hour either side of high tide should provide the best views, otherwise the bird swims down the creek and is very distant or out of view. Park sensibly at the end of Church Lane and walk 200 yards to the sluice bridge to view. As there is nothing to suggest that this bird is an escape (unringed and fully-winged) and its appearance in November mirrors that of the majority of recent records of this species in the UK, it is considered by the UK400 Club to be most likely a genuine vagrant.

In Kent in the Stour Valley, the PENDULINE TIT flock at Grove Ferry NR (Stodmarsh) increased to four birds first thing this morning, showing well pulling Bulrush heads apart from the David Feast Hide. However, with an increasing westerly wind, they were not seen again despite searching (at least one bird has been present all week).

After several weeks, the EASTERN OLIVACEOUS WARBLER continues to survive at Kilminning, Fife Ness (Fife), showing well in Rose bushes close to the green building on the seaward side of the lower car park at NO 631 088. At the same site also is a very long-staying juvenile BARRED WARBLER. Further north on Shetland, no less than 8 HORNEMANN'S ARCTIC REDPOLLS remain, with 5 in crops around Baltasound School on Unst. Shetland also yielded a late ARCTIC WARBLER in Helendale on Wednesday and Thursday. Also managing to survive and find suitable food is the EUROPEAN BEE-EATER in County Durham, favouring properties and gardens along Dartford Road in Seaham (SR6 8HF for those of you with Sat-nav's)

A RICHARD'S PIPIT remains on the clifftop SE of the church at Covehithe (Suffolk) whilst a late juvenile RED-BACKED SHRIKE was trapped and ringed in Denmark House garden, Weybourne (Norfolk), this afternoon. In Breckland Norfolk, an elusive BLACK-BELLIED DIPPER is frequenting the River Thet in Thetford.

An adult BONAPARTE'S GULL continues in South Devon at Dawlish Warren NNR, ranging along the beach between the Lifeboat lookout and Groyne 1, whilst the influx of CASPIAN GULLS continues with perhaps 45 birds recorded from Derbyshire to Buckinghamshire.

The adult LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER remains with Icelandic Black-tailed Godwits at Slimbridge WWT (Gloucs) on South Lake, whilst a first-winter was still present yesterday at the Long Nanny Burn in Northumberland. An adult AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER still retaining partial breeding plumage remains for a second day with 850 European Golden Plovers on mudflats at Pickerings Pasture NR (Cheshire).

A fair number of wintering GREAT WHITE EGRETS are to be found, with 4 in the Dungeness Area (Kent), the regularly-reappearing French-ringed adult at Ringwood (Hants), a bird at Willington GP (Derbyshire) (at SK 284 275), the usual bird at Leighton Moss RSPB (Lancs), up to 3 at ham Wall RSPB (Somerset) and 2 at Burton Mere Wetlands (Cheshire). Contrastingly, just one GLOSSY IBIS remains - at Marloes Mere (Pembs).

This time of year always sees a scattering of rare wildfowl with the adult RED-BREASTED GOOSE grazing with Dark-bellied Brent Geese and Canada Geese on The Deeps, Farlington Marsh (Hants), RING-NECKED DUCKS including a female in Ireland Bay, Slapton Ley (South Devon), a drake at Chew Valley Lake (Avon),one on Skomer (Pembs) and a young drake on Alvie Loch, near Aviemore (Speyside), a drake LESSER SCAUP in Villice Bay, Chew Valley Lake (Avon) and the drake AMERICAN WIGEON remaining at Wintersett Reservoir (West Yorks).

There continue to be large numbers of arriving BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS into the UK, from Shetland to Scilly, although individual flock sizes are generally small (less than 25) when compared to recent influxes of the species. A flock of 112 however is to be found in Blaydon (County Durham), 330 in Hull (East Yorks), 200 in Morrison's Car Park in Stirling (Forth) and 150 on Euston Street in Preston (Lancs). At least 150 Waxwings have been colour-ringed in Orkney in recent weeks and if you see any of these birds, please email alan.leitch@rspb.org.uk with details.

The largest flock of BRAMBLING I have heard of so far is of 125 birds in Beech in Screetham Lane, Beeley Moor (Derbyshire)

Just one freshwater GREAT NORTHERN DIVER has been reported (on the Main Pit at Theale, Berkshire), whilst inland LONG-TAILED DUCKS can be found at Stocks Reservoir (Lancs) and at Dungeness RSPB (Kent).

Very little in the way of news from IRELAND but the regularly-reappearing adult SABINE'S GULL is back at the Kennedy Pier in Cobh (County Cork), the adult FORSTER'S TERN is once more at Nimmo's Pier, Galway Harbour (County Galway), a young drake LESSER SCAUP is on Lough Gash and at least 2 RICHARDSON'S SMALL CANADA GEESE are in the Lissadell Area. A party of 5 COMMON CRANES have been present at Tacumshin (County Wexford) in recent days, as have 2 juvenile AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVERS on the Myroe Levels, whilst the regular blue morph LESSER SNOW GOOSE is back at Lower Lough MacNean (County Fermanagh). Highlight though, was news of a BLACKPOLL WARBLER late this afternoon, feeding in a private garden on the Mullet at Blacksod (County Mayo), whilst on Sunday 4 November, this year's only PIED-BILLED GREBE remained near Louisburgh at Lough Baun (County Mayo).

Shocking, disgraceful annual massacre of AMUR FALCONS in INDIA

See link here - http://www.conservationindia.org/campaigns/amur-massacre

New Service from the British Birding Association

See http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PremierBirdNewsForTheUKandWP

The first 100 members will be eligible for a 50% discount whilst regular contributors will receive free alerts. Please email LGRE on LGREUK400@aol.com for membership details

New KENT BIRDING email group - please join

Due to the demise of Kosnet and other Kent news dissemination email groups, I have set up a new one here which will concentrate on wildlife sightings. Please feel free to join

Click below and press Join This Group Now
http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/search?query=KentBirdingNews

Lee Evans

New Petition: Stop the carnage in CHINA

Dear All


I recently saw some very interesting posts from Terry on his Birding Beijing blog about a campaign, led by Chinese birders, to tear down illegal mist nets used to trap birds in China. I've just recorded a podcast with him which I've uploaded to Talking Naturally (it's just 18 minutes long and very encouraging!).

If podcasts are not of interest to you, then please do have a look at the website highlighting the problem. It's at http://www.chinesecurrents.com/baohuniaolei.html

As Terry says in the podcast, if overseas birders/conservationists leave a message of support (using the field at the bottom of the page) to encourage the activists it will make a great difference to them - a really easy and quick way to support their efforts.

Charlie Moores
http://www.talking-naturally.co.uk

First twitchable AGP for Oxfordshire but make sure you see the right bird

The real McCoy (upper 3 images) and the imposter (grey bird in the middle of flock) (taken by Jason Coppock) Check out and Bookmark Jason's 'Oxon Bird Log' for all the latest Oxfordshire Bird News.

Having not seen the previous AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER in Oxfordshire, I was very keen to get my eye on to this one and hence a visit this morning...

The Golden Plover flock today were particularly flighty and difficult to pin down but eventually landed long enough to enable a proper perusal. There were a total of 699 birds all told, give or take perhaps 3% error. What soon became apparent was that there were two very interesting birds in the flock - the juvenile AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER and a very striking and eye-catching pale (grey) Golden Plover which, when it revealed its white underwing, was a particularly grey adult European Golden Plover with an obvious white eye-stripe. Adam Hartley (the AGP finder and Port Meadow obsessive) had seen this bird within the flock several times previously but it did cause major problems with those twitching the flock.

The real AGP was nothing like as distinctive as this bird, being overall very beige-grey in colouration but with distinctively longer legs, a much smaller and slimmer body, diagnostic tapered primaries with long projection and dark smoky underwing coverts/axillaries. It was a much smaller bird compared to the European Goldies but make sure if you visit that you see the correct bird......

Port Meadow also held 5 Dunlin and 35 Common Snipe, along with a large number of wildfowl, including 460 Common Teal, 128 Wigeon, 42 Gadwall and 18 Shoveler.

At nearby FARMOOR RESERVOIRS, I could only find one of the SLAVONIAN GREBES and one of the female GREATER SCAUPS, along with 45 Great Crested Grebes and 2 female Common Goldeneyes. Fabulous new hide on the main causeway but shame that the door doesn't fit !

ROUND BRITAIN TOURS FOR 2013

I am just putting together my 2013 Trips Itinerary. I have places available on many at the moment. First off, there are a few places on my very popular ROUND BRITAIN tours - 19-27 January 2013 and 16-25 May 2013. These are exhaustive trips taking in Scotland, Wales, East Anglia and the South Coast, this year's trips respectively recording 192 and 189 species respectively, including ALL of the UK's wintering and breeding specialities bar Lady Amherst's Pheasant and Quail. For more details and to make a reservation, simply email Lee Evans at LGREUK400@aol.com

Also planned for 2013 are trips to Thailand (January), Spain (February, for Spanish Lynx, Bustards & Imperial Eagles), Egypt (March), Israel (March), Cape Verde Islands (April), Georgia/Turkey (April), Spain (May), Morocco & Western Sahara (May), Finland/Sweden/Norway (late May/June for Owls, Great Snipes, Steller's Eiders, etc), and Sicily (June), with more trips to be announced later. Please email me if you fancy joining me on any of the above.

But please remember, these are hard-core birding trips, birding from dawn until dusk and concentrating on seeing ALL of the specialities possible in the shortest time

Surprise meal for a BARRED OWL

BARRED OWL captures pet cat


See

http://travel.aol.co.uk/2012/10/29/amazing-picture-owl-catches-cat-for-lunch-minnesota/

HORNEMANN'S ARCTIC REDPOLL in North Norfolk - and I missed it

On Friday (26 October), Josh McCallum-Stewart located a large fluffy redpoll feeding alone in the dunes at Holkham Beach, some 800 yards west of the Gap. The fact that it had a striking, clear white rump immediately led Josh to realise he had an Arctic Redpoll - but which one? An hour later, local birders Si Dennis and Steve Hack independently stumbled across it and phoned it in to the Information Services. As soon as the pager reported a redpoll feeding in the dunes, I was concerned - and telephoned Neil Alford, Mark Golley and a number of other North Norfolk birders - in the hope that it would quickly get checked out. With very strong northerly winds bathing Norfolk in recent days and with an unusual number of Hornemanni about the Northern Isles, I was really worried about this bird. In fact, Steve and Simon even reported it as a Hornemanni but it seems this message was ignored - just Arctic Redpoll being relayed.

What made matters worse was the bird's insistence to remain elusive and although a lot of people searched for it later, only Peter Glute connected briefly at 1700 hours. Nobody was any wiser.

Anyway, Saturday dawned and a few diehard observers ventured out into the dunes and eventually located it. A considered Redpoll expert was amongst those looking at it and frustratingly his choice of id was exilipes (aka as Coues' or Scandinavian Arctic Redpoll). Seeing this come up on the pager, I contacted Mark Golley and after listening to the description of the bird MAG had been given by observers, I decided it was not worth persuing and drove off in the direction of Somerset for a showy Hoopoe - what a disastrous and catastrophic decision that turned out to be.

At around 1500 hours, RBA took some worrying phone calls relating to the appearance (and tameness) of the Holkham Redpoll - and getting hold of Neil and Mark it was clear that a major cock-up had been made. This was no ordinary Arctic Redpoll but a HORNEMANN'S ARCTIC REDPOLL - the rarest of them all and a real Shetland speciality - and the first-ever UK Mainland individual. I was mortified - suicidal - absolutely numb - 290 miles away at Weston-Super-Mare !

Incredibly, even after RBA had highlighted its presence as a true snowball, interest was slight - just 35 observers joining Richard Millington, SJMG, Jim Lawrence, Mark and Neil during the late afternoon. Incredible.

I drove home deeply depressed, knowing full well the enormity of my mistake and mis-judgement - after all, hornemanni is a £300 plus bird to get. It has been a real bogey bird of mine for years and at last I had the opportunity to grip back a bird. Fat chance of that I thought. The weather forecast depressed me even further - the strong Northerly winds were to drop overnight and veer WSW.

Anyhow, Allan Stewart and I arranged to meet at 0500 hours and arrived at Lady Anne's Drive at 0715 hours. It was bleak and from the word go, I admitted defeat - Starlings were pouring west at a rate of over 1,000 an hour - it was clear migration was in full swing. I joined James McCallum, Andy Bloomfield, Neil Bostock, Alan Lewis and Graham Ekins in the dunes and walked aimlessly for miles and miles of dune-slack. After three circuits, I was tired - and despite back-up in the form of Chris Batty, Andy Clifton, Malcolm Goodman, Phil Rhodes and others later, the Arctic wanderer was nowhere to be found - we had all mostrously dipped !

And the beast itself - just look at Jim Lawrence's mouthwatering shots above. Showing down to just a few feet, this was a Hornemanni from the start. Just look at the bulk of the bird and its heavily feathered thighs and deep-based bill. Although not as white as many, this first-winter showed all of the traits associated with this mega-rare - large size, large head and steep forehead, long tail, long primary projection. honey-buff face and frontage extending onto the upper breast, broad-fringed tertials, obvious tramlines, indistinct narrow streaking on the flanks, restricted crimson forecrown, massive bulging unstreaked white rump and spartan undertail-covert streaking.

Unsurprisingly, this represents the first record for Norfolk, although there is a video of a late September 'Arctic Redpoll' seen by Dick Bagnall-Oakley in Wells in 1966 (from 28 September to 10 October) which may have related to this species.

SCILLIES - October 2012 - A photographic review from leading photographer GARY THOBURN

This juvenile AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER commuted between the Airfield on St Mary's and Porthellick Beach, after being initially located on St Agnes. This species is annual on Scilly in September and October and are always a beautiful bird to see.

This gorgeous juvenile DOTTEREL moved over from West Cornwall (Polgigga) and made friends with a vagrant Buff-breasted Sandpiper. The two birds stayed together at the end of Peninnis Head on St Mary's for nearly a week and afforded incredibly close views.

Following a deep Atlantic depression, these three birds appeared on Porthellick Pool, St Mary's - a drake and two females (all juveniles) (the drake is the darker headed bird with the golden-yellow eye).

The jewel in the crown this October was this very confiding juvenile SOLITARY SANDPIPER that spent three days feeding on a manure spoil heap close to Hell Bay on Bryher. Again, stunningly confiding and a real photographer's dream. It then relocated to St Mary's. where Geoff Goater and Dave Johnson relocated it on a tiny puddle opposite the Pottery

No Scilly October is complete without its juvenile ROSE-COLOURED STARLING and this year was no different - this particular individual favouring the bracken and Blackberry scrub on the Loop Trail at Porthellick for several days before moving to St Agnes Coastguard Cottages

Gary did well photographing this GREATER SHORT-TOED LARK at Carn Friars - it only showed briefly on two separate days

HOODED CROW on Bryher - a real one for a change. The last 10 years has seen the presence of hybrids but this new arrival was the real deal. One also reached West Cornwall at Sennen.

Another big talking point was the arrival of COAL TITS to the islands - up to 10 in number. This was one of 3 birds on Bryher that even I twitched, these being of the green-backed and yellow-cheeked IRISH variety - the first of this form to be fully documented on the islands. This autumn has seen a huge irruption of COAL TITS, particularly in Ireland, but a large proportion of deep blue-backed Continental birds are also involved in the movement.

Although West Cornwall saw an influx of over 50 of these sprites, Scilly only attracted one or two FIRECRESTS this October

This HUME'S LEAF WARBLER spent three days in the Dump Clump but was generally elusive

This cracking male RING OUZEL was a great attraction as this species always is with birders

Tame Greenland LAPLAND BUNTINGS are another of Scilly's specialities and this juvenile showed well for several days on Peninnis

As predicted - monster rare makes landfall in UK

PALE-LEGGED LEAF WARBLER ON PORTLAND (DORSET)


This Monday past (22 October), Pete & Debbie Saunders noticed an odd Phylloscopus warbler inhabiting shrubs in their back garden at Southwell on Portland (Dorset) late morning. Confused by its appearance, they quickly engaged in conversation with other Portland birders and invited several round to have a look at it. The bird showed reasonably well and was photographed and concensus on site was that it was an EASTERN CROWNED WARBLER - the first record for Dorset and only the third occurrence for the UK. Sadly, due to the nature of the site and the actions of the bird and the fact that the garden was private and parking was likely to pose a problem if the bird's presence was released nationally, it was decided to withhold news and invite just locally-based observers (and locally meaning only those residing on Portland). By about 1500 hours, everyone had departed, although one Weymouth birder happened upon the information by sheer fluke and managed to get in and see and photograph the bird. He was less inclined to believe it was an Eastern Crowned and felt it more likely to be an Arctic Warbler. Darkness then befell the garden, at which time it was estimated that as many as 27 people had seen the bird.

Martin Cade amongst others had obtained pretty decent photographs of the bird and it soon became clear that this was no Eastern Crowned or Arctic Warbler - it was in fact a PALE-LEGGED LEAF WARBLER - the first record for the Western Palearctic ! Martin spent virtually the entire day on Tuesday in the garden with a full suite of mistnets but it had departed.

Pale-legged Leaf Warbler has a fairly similar distribution as Chestnut-eared Bunting, a first-winter of which is still present today (2nd day) at the south end of Shetland Mainland just north of the Pool of Virkie at Eastshore midway between the A970 and the Ness Boating Club in long grass by the road between the lilac house and the garden with the abandoned bus.

Autumn hitting new highs

The foggy and drizzly conditions being currently experienced along much of the East Coast south of Spurn Point is currently grounding many thousands of migrants, particularly Ring Ouzels, Fieldfares, Redwings, Common Blackbirds, Continental Song Thrushes, Robins, Chaffinches, Bramblings and Common Starlings, as well as numerous Long & Short-eared Owls, Coal, Blue & Great Tits and other day-flying migrants. The first wave of Waxwings are also arriving, as well as a few Pallas's Leaf Warblers, many Yellow-browed Warblers and the odd PENDULINE TIT....


However, amongst all of this action, area host of rarities headlining on Shetland where today a CHESTNUT-EARED BUNTING appeared at Virkie Willows and a SIBERIAN RUBYTHROAT on Fair Isle - these two new additions furthering the list to 439. A LANCEOLATED WARBLER regrowing a lost tail also remains on Fair Isle (at Field) whilst at least 3 of the 5 recent OLIVE-BACKED PIPITS remain. A first-winter male PIED WHEATEAR was also newly found at Quendale

Further south, the EASTERN OLIVACEOUS WARBLER remains for a sixth day at Fife Ness (Fife) with a number of DUSKY WARBLERS and LITTLE BUNTINGS appearing at coastal sites, a RUSTIC BUNTING at Marsden Quarry, a BLUETHROAT at Easington Lagoons (East Yorks) and a number of RICHARD'S PIPITS.

OLIVE-BACKED PIPITS are occurring in ever-increasing numbers (following the influx in the Northern Isles last week) with 'new' birds at Holme Firs and Holkham Pines (North Norfolk), Corton Church (Suffolk) and in Gunners Park, Shoeburyness (Essex), with a confiding RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL in Stiffkey Meals (Norfolk) and the SIBERIAN STONECHAT still at Birling Gap, Beachy Head (East Sussex).

Along the South Coast, a dapper adult male ISABELLINE SHRIKE is in Portland Top Fields (Dorset), whilst on the Isles of Scilly, the AMERICAN BUFF-BELLIED PIPIT remains with LITTLE BUNTING and OBP on Bryher, a RADDE'S WARBLER is on St Agnes, PENDULINE TIT still on Tresco Great Pool and the 3 first-year RING-NECKED DUCKS on St Mary's at Porthellick.

An adult BONAPARTE'S GULL on Dawlish warren Beach (South Devon) is an excellent local record, with LESSER YELLOWLEGS' in South Devon and Lancashire and LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS on North Uist and still at Slimbridge WWT (Gloucs)

The efforts of Hugh Delaney continue to impress on Inishmore Island (County Galway), his recent haul of finds including an OLIVE-BACKED PIPIT and DUSKY WARBLER there. A truly emerald isle.

HAMPSHIRE birder ARTHUR BETTS bales out after 91 years of service

Arthur (left) with partner-in-crime and long-time best birding-pal Chris Holt and Brian Fletcher

It is with very great sadness and many fond memories to learn of the passing away of ARTHUR BETTS, an unassuming but outstanding birder of his generation. He died peacefully in hospital; on 11 October at the grand old age of 91 years - a fantastic innings.

Arthur was a real gentlemen and one of life's great treasures. He was one of those born of the Golden Days of Scilly and served many an October on that outstanding archipelago. He was a life-long friend of mine, after I was first introduced to him whilst birding at Portland Bill in 1975. Portland was, in fact, one of his favourite birding sites in the UK and I was to spend many hours passing the time of day away with him there in my many visits on weekends throughout the early 1980's. He was an incredibly keen UK and WP lister and visited the majority of countries within the region and made it into the Top 100 of my lists as way back as 1985. Latterly, as mobility became an issue, he became keener on butterflies and orchids but maintained his passionate clinch on his local patch - Tweseldown near Church Crookham - near where of course that most famous of rares Dark-eyed Junco lingered for some considerable length of time.

Arthur was a wise mentor, a great friend, a true inspiration and a wonderful companion and I expect many of you will cherish the fond memories you had of him. Goodbye Arthur

Lee Evans

Coalition, just leave those BADGERS alone.....

The epidimology of Bovine Tb and its vectors are complex and mired with political and emotional input and I certainly do not want to bring those factors into this group but I would make the following points:


1) Bovine TB has natural reservoirs in some parts of the country and they are not exclusively in badgers. It is a disease that can affect and be carried by all mammals including us. Culling a single species seems strange when it is well known that deer, foxes, hares, domestic cats and dogs etc etc also carry BTb.

2) Following restocking post F&M BTb made a huge stride north. This may have been as a result of a unrecognised movement of wildlife carrying the disease but is more likely to have been a result of farmers restocking with infected animals from the south west.

3) The constant shuttling of animals around the country does not help, but farmers love their marts (see the current "The mart's the heart" campaign being run by Farmer's Weekly).

4) None of the research that has been done on culling has ever involved free shooting which is what is now being proposed. It is very likely the the perturbation effect noted in the RBCT will be even worse with this method. In the RBCT it was found that the slight reductions in BTb in the cull area were substantially outweighed by increases in neighbouring zones appaently caused by dispersing animals.

5) The cost of the cull is increasing day on day and will mostly be born by the taxpayers.

6) Finally, Scotland which is officially BTb free has achieved that status by enhanced levels of testing, biosecurity and movement controls. Not a single badger or any other wild mammal was killed to achieve this.

I am afraid that the proposed cull will be a waste of time, money and wildlife brought to us by the department that was wanting to experiment with buzzard control a few weeks ago.

Andy Riches
Scottish Badgers Advisory Group

Panic ensues along North Norfolk coast as immature EGYPTIAN VULTURE flys in off the sea at Cley

A third-year Egyptian Vulture that escaped from a private raptor breeding centre in Wales on 25 September created pandemonium yesterday after it was watched flying in off the sea at Cley NWT (North Norfolk). The bird followed the coastline along and was quickly intercepted over Blakeney, Stiffkey, Holkham Park and Burnham Norton before it eventually made landfall in a field near Burnham Thorpe. Sharp-eyed observers Richard Millington and Mark Golley almost immediately realised all was not right with the ''under-carriage'' as it soared around with 2 Marsh Harriers and it soon became apparent that it was bearing a bell and metal rings.


It then transpired that the same bird had been present on The Lizard at St Keverne (Cornwall) for at least two days and had presumably got caught up in the deep Atlantic depression that tracked eastwards across the country and had somehow been swept with the tightening isobars to Norfolk.

The bird's owners are keen to recapture it so any updates on its location will be welcomed

BLACK SKIMMER in SOUTH AFRICA

Ralph Hobbs has very kindly provided me a link to Trevor Hardaker's account of the finding of the first-ever BLACK SKIMMER in South Africa -

http://birdingafricacapetownpelagics.wordpress.com/2012/10/05/black-skimmer-new-for-africa-found-at-rietvlei-cape-town/

It is perhaps very likely that this record relates to a BLACK SKIMMER seen flying south past Annagh Head on the Mullet Peninsular (County Mayo, Ireland) on 10 August

EASTERN KINGBIRD in IRELAND

A North American EASTERN KINGBIRD was found and identified by Hugh Delaney this lunchtime as it was flycatching from a stone wall on Inishmore Island (County Galway). It was very close to Kilmurvey Wood and showed well until early evening. It is the first record for Britain and Ireland.


On the Isles of Scilly late this afternoon, a SYKES'S BOOTED WARBLER was identified on Tresco, in vegetation and bushes by the workers' chalets at the far end of Back Lane in Old Grimsby, whilst in west Cornwall, no less than 7 RED-RUMPED SWALLOWS were together feeding over Marazion Marsh

PALLID HARRIER in South Yorkshire

Last night, Joan, Anna and I travelled north to FIRSBY RESERVOIR, just NNE of Ravenfield (South Yorkshire), to see a ringtail harrier that had been roosting each evening in setaside adjacent to the reservoir for three weeks. We joined about 35 predominantly Yorkshire birders and at 1740 hours, we enjoyed excellent views of the bird as it flew in to roost. It paraded in front of us for about five minutes before dropping out of sight onto the ground. Doncaster birder JUSTIN CARR, who was standing beside me, obtained this excellent series of flight shots as it wheeled round, enabling a detailed examination of the bird.

In terms of jizz and structure, the bird fitted PALLID HARRIER to a T and from the plainness of the general plumage, it had to be a female of at least three years old. At the time, I was concerned about the underwing pattern (seemed rather Hen Harrier-like), but Dick Forsman put my mind at rest later after I sent him the images.

Although we can never be sure that this female has not got some second or third generation Hen Harrier genes, the fact that it has just FOUR fingered primaries and a wing point formed bu just three primaries immediately suggest PALLID HARRIER. It has a neat, thin, pale collar extending from the nape to the throat, fine streaking on the breast-sides, saturated streaking on the upper breast and streaking on a white base.

It has strongly marked secondaries with no prominent dark trailing edge, some clear 'boomerang' like pale areas at the primary bases and primary barring concentrated along the middle section of the feather tract. the dark tips to the primaries are also much reduced.

A great local find and a great bird, departing the roost-site at 0720 hours this morning (but not returning this evening)

I would like to thank Dick Forsman, Chris Heard, Andrew Holden, John Hewitt, Dave Hirsthouse, Andrew Stoddart, Mark Golley and Dani Velascuo for invaluable help in assessing the plumage and identification.

DIRECTIONS: In Ravenfield village,walk east along Garden Lane for 600 yards to the sharp corner before heading north along Arbour Lane for about three quarters of a mile to the end. Skirt the south side of the reservoir to watch from the gate on the east side.

Another fast-tracking depression and another mega

Following yet another fast-tracking depression across the Atlantic, a MYRTLE WARBLER has made landfall in IRELAND at Dursey Island in County Cork - the 420th species to be recorded in Britain and Ireland this year - just 2 below par of last year's record-breaking total


More to follow I'm sure

''The Badger Cull'' from a respected farmer's point of view

Badger cull: not in this farmer's name


I farm in the cull area, and I know that killing badgers will not stop bovine TB -- the answer lies in better farming practices

Steve Jones
guardian.co.uk

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/sep/28/badger-cull-bovine-tb

Friday 28 September 2012

The government justifies a badger cull by claiming it's to help farmers.

I have 35 years' livestock management experience, and I live in the heart of the Forest of Dean -- the cull area -- and I disagree. Killing badgers isn't the long-term or sustainable solution to bovine TB control that farmers so desperately need. Shooting badgers is politically motivated, not scientifically driven, and farmers need to realise they're being sold a lame duck.

Over the years, I have managed some of the highest-yielding dairy herds in the world with consistently high levels of hygiene and disease resistance. Meticulous biosecurity and sympathetic animal husbandry are the key to stamping out TB in cattle, not shooting British wildlife.

Farmers vilify badgers but TB is mainly transmitted cow to cow. So the solution to eradicating TB lies with farmers themselves who must accept responsibility for a disease that is all too easily spread back and forth within and between herds due to poor management, lax biosecurity and substandard animal care. A slow response in tackling the disease compounds the problem, which can therefore soon reach epidemic proportions. I have seen it many times with mad cow disease, foot and mouth and now bovine TB. Alas, the farming industry prefers to scapegoat badgers rather than tackling these fundamental problems.

Water troughs are a reservoir for TB because they are rarely cleaned out. It's not uncommon for trough water to be left stagnating through the winter, collecting dead birds, rodents and various bacteria, only to be drunk by cattle in the spring. Badgers also use these troughs but it's unfair to isolate badgers when the culprit is the bacteria soup itself. Making troughs badger-proof is not rocket science, but more fundamental is the adoption of better hygiene standards by the agricultural industry.

Lax biosecurity on farms is also a major factor. Cows infected with TB should be quarantined immediately, but they rarely are. Every farm should have isolation areas to separate these animals and prevent cross-infection, but they rarely do. Biosecurity is often ignored by farmers and poorly enforced by Defra. Infected cows can be left unquarantined on farms for weeks. Before a single badger is shot, the farming industry should get its house in order.

We also need to improve cattle welfare. Farm animal stress caused by pain and suffering can reduce an animal's immunity and make it more susceptible to diseases like bovine TB. On too many farms, there are high levels of lameness, mastitis and rough animal handling. The average incidence of lameness in our national herd is a shameful 22%.

This is lazy husbandry. We have a wealth of veterinary knowledge to eradicate disease, and in countries with more advanced control measures there are very low incidences of bovine TB.

So as Defra ministers sign the death sentence for thousands of England's badgers, my message to them is this. Not in my name. Not in my name should you hoodwink the public into thinking that killing badgers will help struggling farmers, because you are betraying farmers with this unscientific policy. If you really wanted to help farming, you would help it reform and modernise, you'd actively support rather than hinder badger vaccination, you'd take the fight to Europe to green-light cattle vaccination. But instead, it's far cheaper and easier to just let farmers kill badgers.

More than 120,000 people so far have signed an e-petition calling for the government to kill the cull. For the sake of democracy, science, animal welfare, conservation and farming, I hope they listen.

E-petition at: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/38257

190 comments so far on the Guardian website

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