Scottish Birds 44(1) March 2024

PhotoSP

Plate 67. Just occasionally, good shots fall into your lap.

On 20 November 2023, I got lucky. I was sitting in our conservatory, when a Sparrowhawk landed at our bird feeders. It had a good look around, before it dropped to the ground behind a low wall and out of sight - that gave me the opportunity to fetch my camera. I returned to find the Sparrowhawk perched on the wall, looking up at an ornamental sculpture of a ‘frog on a lily pad’. I didn’t go further than the door of the conservatory, to avoid flushing it, and from here I captured one shot before it flew up to land next to the ‘frog’. The next shot, presented

here, was taken just as it landed - the exchanged, somewhat puzzled, looks between the Sparrowhawk and the ‘frog’ amused me. I managed to capture a few more shots of the Sparrowhawk, giving the ‘frog’ several inquisitive looks, before it flew off a few seconds later.

Steve Buckland, St Andrews, Fife.

Email: steve@st-andrews.ac.uk Equipment used: Nikon Z7 II camera, Sigma 500mm lens, Shutter Priority, 1/1,250 second, ISO 1,600, f4.

SCOTTISH BIRDS Volume 44 (1)

©T

March 2024

Featuring the best images posted on the SOC website each quarter, PhotoSpot will present stunning portraits as well as record shots of something interesting, accompanied by the story behind the photograph and the equipment used. Upload your photos now - it’s open to all.

Scottish Birds published by the SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGISTS’ CLUB

V O L U M E 4 4 ( 1)

MARC H 2024

Contents

Scottish Birds 44:1 (2024) 2

Foreword R. Briggs

PAPERS & SHORT NOTES 3

Roosting and feeding Greylag Geese in Fife, 1991/92 to 2020/21 A.W. & L.M. Brown

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Changes in the distribution and abundance of wintering birds in East Lothian between 2007–13 and 2020–22 based on tetrad atlas methodology R. Filipiak, I.J. Andrews & M. Holling

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The rise and fall of a population of Buzzards in south-west Perthshire 1987–2022 M.V. Bell

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Observations at north-west Scottish Gannet colonies in 2023 in the context of an outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in 2022 L.J. Wilson, M.P. Harris, N. Morley, D. Fox, D.J.F. Russell, D. Thompson & S. Wanless

CLUB ARTICLES, NEWS & VIEWS 44

SOC Annual Conference and AGM, 24–26 November 2023, Atholl Palace Hotel, Pitlochry

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NEWS AND NOTICES

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OBITUARIES Brian Neath (1938–2023) B. McMillan Michael Philip Harris (1939–2023) M. Tasker, K. Taylor & F. Daunt John Alexander Love (1946–2023) N. Buxton, L. Campbell, R. Summers, I. Taylor, J. Ferguson, D. Thompson & R. Tingay Susan (Sue) Haysom (1971–2023) A. Douse, K. Haysom & D. Thompson

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The South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project 2018–23: an update C. Barlow & K. Innes

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Breeding Little Ringed Plovers in the Scottish Borders, 2023 S. Turnbull

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Felix finds a White-billed Diver in Lothian, 22 October 2023 F. Urwin

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BOOK REVIEWS compiled by N. Picozzi

BIRDING ARTICLES & OBSERVATIONS 74

RINGERS' ROUNDUP

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Cory’s Shearwater in the Firth of Forth - the changing status of a formerly very rare seabird C.J. McInerny, A.W. Lauder & K.D. Shaw

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Breeding Mediterranean Gulls at Forvie NNR, Newburgh, North-East Scotland in 2023 D. Short

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Hudsonian Godwit, Grutness, 30 July–20 August 2023 - first Shetland record R. Riddington

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Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Montrose Basin, 10–12 September 2023 - first Angus & Dundee record D. Pointon

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Ovenbird, Kilmory, Isle of Rum, 23 September 2023 - first Highland record S. Morris

PHOTOSPOT BC

Sparrowhawk S. Buckland

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Foreword

Making birding more meaningful I suggest that, like me, the majority of SOC members who watch, observe or record birds do so purely out of interest and enjoyment, gaining a sense of achievement when we experience, note or learn something new. That’s to say, we do it as a hobby, voluntarily and as amateurs.

Having said that, I’m sure the pros among us who are fortunate enough to include ornithology in their job descriptions also gain similar satisfactions, with some financial reward for the greater responsibilities they have to carry.

The following pages of Scottish Birds illustrate, once again, great scientific strengths among our membership (even if you don’t normally identify yourself as a scientist). They never fail to inspire me, Plate 1. Ruth Briggs at the Black Spout, Pitlochry, whether as your current President or as an November 2023. © David Palmar ordinary member with a lifelong interest in our wild birds and their wellbeing. In this issue, we stay in winter mode for two reports - on changes in Greylag Geese populations in Fife and a county-wide survey of East Lothian - before shifting our focus to an emphasis on breeding Buzzards in Strathallan, Perthshire, entirely in tune with the new spring season. I’m both envious and in awe of the individuals and groups of members who commit years to consistent study of one or more species in discrete areas, and fascinated by their results and how these contribute to bigger pictures of trends in population numbers and distributions. What important contributions they make to ornithological knowledge!

I participated in the more recent of the two East Lothian county-wide surveys reported in this issue. The citizen science (‘member science’) approach is an excellent tool for assessing wider species diversity and trends and can highlight instances where we need to look further and deeper to better understand reasons for changes over time. It’s also a brilliant way of making your birdwatching benefit others, and birds themselves. I certainly felt even more motivated and diligent knowing that I’d committed to specific, enjoyable and purposeful walks around my patch.

I understand the full results better too. Look out for similar opportunities near you.

Changing subject, there are some ‘in-house’ updates for you to note. At November’s AGM, members elected George Ross and Brian Cox on to our Council - a warm welcome to them. George is also appointed as our new Vice-President Management & Infrastructure. Significantly, among our staff, our Club Administrator, Wendy Hicks, will be leaving to pursue new opportunities at the end of May. As described in the ‘Notices’ pages in the middle of this issue, Wendy’s been both the heart and the lead of the team since 2007. At this stage we’re still wondering how to manage without her energetic, friendly, thorough and knowledgeable approach, and taking some time to review overall current staffing needs. Recruitment is under way. A more fulsome appreciation and thanks to Wendy will follow in the next Scottish Birds.

Ruth Briggs, SOC President

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Roosting and feeding Greylag Geese in Fife, 1991/92 to 2020/21

Roosting and feeding Greylag Geese in Fife, 1991/92 to 2020/21 A.W. BROWN & L.M. BROWN The roosting and feeding sites of Greylag Geese in Fife were monitored over 30 years from winters 1991/92 to 2020/21. In addition to data gathered for national coordinated counts in October and November, four roost sites were monitored on a regular basis and a further 19 sites recorded roosting birds on a variable number of occasions. Three of the well-monitored sites showed a distinct decline or abandonment in use by Greylags after the mid-2000s whilst the fourth site showed increasing use by re-established birds. A similar pattern of decline was noted at other sites which were regular roost sites in the early years of the study. By the end of the study, most roosting birds were considered to be re-established in origin, mainly in areas in east central and west Fife.

The average November count of Icelandic birds as a percentage of the national count fell from 2.4% from 1991 to 2000 to 0.3% by 2011 to 2020. A contraction in the feeding range and number of birds also occurred as the study progressed with birds concentrated in areas used by reestablished birds throughout the year. Although ringing has shown that some Icelandic birds still used Fife, the numbers are probably small. However, it is important that monitoring continues in order to assess the expansion of the re-established birds throughout the year, identify the potential for conflict with agricultural interests and assess the need for any management requirements.

Introduction In Fife, only one site has statutory designations (SSSI, SPA and Ramsar) which specifically include Greylag Geese Anser anser, namely the Firth of Tay and Eden Estuary. Three other sites - Cameron Reservoir, Carriston Reservoirs and Kilconquhar Loch - previously included Greylag Geese as a feature in their SSSI designations, but these were removed during the study period. This paper on the status, numbers and distribution of Greylag Geese in Fife presents the results of monitoring goose roosts and feeding distribution during the winters 1991/92 to 2020/21, how this varied within and between winters, the changes that occurred and the overlap between wintering and reestablished resident populations. Such data can inform both the site management and designation process (Brown & Brown 2023).

Greylag Geese in Scotland comprise three populations - the wintering population of Icelandic breeding birds found mainly in the north and east of the country, the native resident population restricted to the Outer Hebrides and the Highlands and an increasing re-established population expanding its range from southern Scotland, including into Fife (Forrester & Andrews 2007). The overlapping of the latter two populations resulted in them being regarded as a single British Greylag Goose population (Mitchell et al. 2012). However, although Icelandic Greylag Geese have tended to contract their range further north in Scotland (Trinder et al. 2010), the potential for overlap with re-established birds was another complicating factor.

Limited data were available on the wintering population of Greylag Geese prior to the 20th century (Hearn & Mitchell 2004). Within the Tay faunal area (including north Fife), it was considered to be uncommon until there was a rapid increase from about 1900, being especially abundant in the Newburgh area, until abandoned owing to shooting pressure (Berry 1939). Rintoul & Baxter (1935) stated that fewer geese frequented the Forth compared with the mouth of the Tay, but that some Greylags were found in west Fife. Within the Forth faunal area (which included west and south Fife), it was regarded as ‘plentiful’ (Berry 1939). Baxter & Rintoul (1953) reported their substantial

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Scottish Birds: 3–16

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Changes in the distribution and abundance of wintering birds in East Lothian

Changes in the distribution and abundance of wintering birds in East Lothian between 2007–13 and 2020–22 based on tetrad atlas methodology R. FILIPIAK, I.J. ANDREWS & M. HOLLING The East Lothian Winter Atlas 2020–22 was a citizen science project which repeated a winter tetrad survey in 2007–13 in order to determine any changes that might have taken place in the East Lothian area over a period of about ten years. Across both tetrad surveys, a total of 143 species was recorded in winter. No species are considered to have been lost as wintering birds in East Lothian, and one, possibly two, have been gained. Expansions and contractions of species ranges in winter are discussed.

Figure 1. The East Lothian study area.

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Scottish Birds: 17–24

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The rise and fall of a population of Buzzards in south-west Perthshire 1987–2022

The rise and fall of a population of Buzzards in south-west Perthshire 1987–2022 M.V. BELL A population of Buzzards was monitored from the start of the eastwards recolonisation of the catchment of the River Allan in 1987 through to 2022. There was a rapid increase in breeding pairs through the 1990s, plateauing in the 2000s, then a steady decline since 2012 back to population levels of the early 1990s. Breeding productivity declined through the study period and the decline of the population appears to be linked to a large decrease in the number of Rabbits.

Introduction The Buzzard Buteo buteo is presently Scotland’s most widespread and abundant raptor (Balmer et al. 2013). The situation a hundred years ago was very different and in the early 20th century Buzzards in Scotland were largely confined to the western Highlands from Skye southwards through Argyll to Ayrshire and Galloway (Moore, 1957), following intense persecution by game preserving interests since the 1830s. The resulting contraction in range was reversed during the 1914–1918 war due to the reduction in the number of gamekeepers and Buzzards began to return to their former range. The range expansion and recolonisation continued throughout the 20th century, so that Buzzards occurred across the whole of Scotland again by the mid-2000s (Sharrock, 1976; Thom, 1986; Gibbons et al. 1993; Forrester & Andrews, 2007; Balmer et al. 2013).

However, persecution remained a major constraint on numbers in many parts of Scotland into the 1970s and early 1980s (Weir & Picozzi 1983; Thom, 1986).

Figure 1. The study area overlain with a 1 km grid.

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Scottish Birds: 25–32

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Observations at north-west Scottish Gannet colonies in 2023 in the context of an outbreak of HPAI in 2022

Observations at north-west Scottish Gannet colonies in 2023 in the context of an outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in 2022 L.J. WILSON, M.P. HARRIS, N. MORLEY, D. FOX, D.J.F. RUSSELL, D. THOMPSON & S. WANLESS Opportunistic photos taken in 2023 (mainly in August) at the six poorly monitored gannetries in the north and west of Scotland of Sule Skerry, Sule Stack, Sula Sgeir, the Flannan Isles, Ailsa Craig and Scar Rocks were used to help understand the status of these colonies following the 2022 outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. Our observations suggest that all except Scar Rocks may have undergone population declines since they were last surveyed 5–9 years ago and that this is most likely due to the 2022 HPAI outbreak. Only a few dead birds were observed which was in line with the virus having a much-reduced impact in 2023. Productivity appeared to be reasonable, although some chicks appeared to be unattended. The median hatch date (derived from chick plumage characteristics) was earlier at the northernmost compared to southernmost colonies, which was opposite to what was expected based on previous work, though this may be unrelated to HPAI. Introduction Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) was first detected in UK seabird populations in July 2021, initially in a small number of Great Skuas Stercorarius skua in the north and west of Scotland (Falcheri et al. 2022). The disease spread rapidly to other species over the 2022 breeding season, causing an unprecedented number of mortalities at seabird colonies across the country (NatureScot 2023). Northern Gannets Morus bassanus (hereafter Gannet) were one of the most visible casualties in 2022, with a minimum loss of 11,175 individuals in Scotland and tens of thousands across its north-east Atlantic range (NatureScot 2023, Gremillet et al. 2023). Information collated on HPAI outbreaks across UK Gannet colonies in 2022 indicated an approximately clockwise spread beginning in May at Noss and Hermaness (Shetland) and St Kilda (Outer Hebrides) then progressing down the east coast before arriving in Grassholm (Wales) in July and at several Irish colonies in August and September (Lane et al. 2023). However, apart from St Kilda, no outbreak information was available during the 2022 breeding season for the Gannet colonies in the north and west of Scotland of Sule Skerry, Sule Stack, Sula Sgeir, the Flannan Isles, Ailsa Craig and Scar Rocks (Figure 1). Aerial photos of Sule Skerry taken in October 2022 showed unusually high mortality indicating that HPAI had likely spread to this colony at least (Harris & Wanless 2023), but it was still unknown to what degree the other colonies might have been affected. Collectively these unobserved colonies hosted over 60,000 Apparently Occupied Sites (AOS) for Gannets at the time of their last survey, approximately 20% of the UK population and 25% of the Scottish population (Wanless et al. 2023).

The lack of HPAI information from these colonies in 2022 was largely due to their remoteness.

Visiting them can require expensive boat charter and landing is subject to the vagaries of the weather, so traditionally they have been surveyed by photography from fixed-wing aircraft (e.g.

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Scottish Birds: 33–42

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Club articles, news & views

Plate 4. The SOC Annual Conference audience, Pitlochry, November 2023. © Rosie Filipiak

SOC Annual Conference and AGM, 24–26 November 2023, Atholl Palace Hotel, Pitlochry A little over 100 people - members and nonmembers alike - travelled to Pitlochry to attend this year’s annual conference at the Atholl Palace Hotel. A further 35 people, mostly members, attended online via the live Zoom webinar. The turnout for both the in-person and the virtual experience was much lower than expected, particularly given that members had free online access.

SOC President Ruth Briggs opened the event on the Friday evening, introducing staff member Rosie Filipiak, who would give the audience an illustrated taster of the kind of material held in the Club’s Archive. Rosie’s presentation neatly set the scene for Steve Urquhart’s talk on his innovative project, ‘Doing Bird’, which used material from the SOC Sound Archive.

Among the in-person attendees were 30 young naturalists, who were able to attend thanks to the Club’s discounted attendance fee for students and young birders. We are extremely grateful to this year’s conference sponsor, Wildlife Acoustics, and to the generous legacy left to the Club by Dorothy Wainwright (SOC Stewartry Branch), and to those individuals who made a donation alongside their conference booking, all of which went towards covering these subsidised places for young people.

Rosie Filipiak, Librarian, SOC A whirlwind tour of the SOC Archive As a valuable historical resource, the SOC Archive is held in a secure customised room in the Library at the Club’s headquarters and is managed by the Library Committee with expert assistance from Michael Hughes, our volunteer archivist. The contents of the Archive vary widely from ‘Lighthouse Records’ of 100 years ago, to meticulously kept personal records of bird sightings; from Donald Watson’s art sketchbooks to censuses of Rook nests; and we continue to accept items. The best way to search our catalogue is using the JISC Archives Hub, which includes the SOC alongside nearly 400 other UK institutions listed. Cataloguing of SOC-held material is ongoing, we’re currently adding

This year’s theme explored the fascinating world of bird sounds, with particular focus on the mechanics and applications of acoustic recordings - a topic inspired by the Club’s own audio material having been digitised in recent years.

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Plate 34. Golden Eagle ‘Merrick’, site confidential, 28 September 2022. © Gordon Mcpherson

The South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project 2018–23: an update In the last number of Scottish Birds, we reported on the hitherto excellent progress of this awardwinning project to restore a healthy Golden Eagle population to the south of Scotland (Scottish Birds 43: 342–345). Since then, however, there has been very bad news concerning a female Golden Eagle named Merrick, with Police Scotland confirming they believe the bird has come to harm and are treating its disappearance as suspicious. Named after the highest peak in the Southern Uplands, Merrick was translocated in 2022 from the Rottal estate near Kirriemuir in the Angus Glens. Before her disappearance, the Project team’s round-the-clock surveillance of the satellite-tagged bird had shown that Merrick was thriving, and exploring all over the south of Scotland and Northern England. She disappeared in an area of the Borders dominated by driven grouse shooting.

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Dumfriesshire farmer Michael Clarke, Chair of the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project, said: “The disappearance of any Golden Eagle is extremely upsetting, but particularly when there is evidence to suggest that they have come to harm under suspicious circumstances.

The project’s translocated eagles have captured the hearts and minds of many people, including children, who will all share in our utter shock, disappointment and sadness at the nature of Merrick’s disappearance.” He urged anyone with information to assist Police Scotland by contacting them on 101, quoting incident number 1193 of 18 October 2023.

Cat Barlow & Kirsty Innes, SSGEP

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Club articles, news & views

Breeding Little Ringed Plovers in the Scottish Borders, 2023 Little Ringed Plovers were first confirmed breeding in the Borders in 2007 (Birds in Southeast Scotland 2019) and they appear to be returning there increasingly early each spring, with expected arrival in mid-March if the weather is favourable. The species is now found throughout the Borders, although their density and presence varies: some rivers, for example, appear to have none. River shingle, the key habitat to potential success in terms of presence and breeding, is an ever changing habitat, with each breeding season being different, particularly if there were significant river floods following the preceding winter. Shingle can appear and disappear very quickly: in 2023, a significant number of existing shingles were taken over by Willow and have now become unsuitable as breeding sites. No incidents of unlawful shingle removal were identified.

As anticipated in Birds in South-east Scotland, the number of recorded breeding pairs of Little Ringed Plovers has continued to increase. This is due partially to greater surveying effort, since casual sightings of the species continue to be scarce. In 2023, the weather and river levels during the breeding season were relatively benign in terms of their impact upon breeding success. However, a rise in river levels during late June resulted in the loss of five nests with eggs, and some independent young that were unable to fly were on low-lying nest sites surrounded by water. Overall, there were 19 breeding pairs at 17 locations. Of the 29 nests, 13 were successful and 16 failed; 108 eggs were laid and 30 independent young hatched (32.4%). The breeding success rates were slightly down on the previous year, although not significantly. A greater number of clutches of four eggs subsequently only had one single young successfully hatch.

This is an area for future monitoring.

Plate 35. Little Ringed Plover nest, site confidential, Borders, 24 June 2022. © Steve Turnbull

In 2023, the first two Borders records of already successful breeding pairs attempting a second clutch in the same breeding season were

Steve Turnbull, Mounthooly, Jedburgh, Roxburghshire TD8 6TJ. Email: rivergreta@icloud.com

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documented. One failed due to predation, but the other attempt was successful. The pair in question raised a single young from their first clutch, followed by three from their second clutch.

Surprisingly, the successful pair use a breeding site which is arguably the most disturbed in the Borders. An element of habituation appears to have reduced the impact of human intrusion.

References Murray, R.D., Andrews I.J. & Holling, M. 2019.

Birds in South-east Scotland 2007–2013: a tetrad atlas of the birds of Lothian and Borders.

The Scottish Ornithologists’ Club, Aberlady.

Turnbull, S. 2023. Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius), Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula).

Scottish Borders Breeding Records Survey, 2023.

To obtain a copy, email: rivergreta@icloud.com.

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Plate 36. Felix Urwin, Port Seton, Lothian, 22 October 2023. © Peter Urwin

Felix finds a White-billed Diver in Lothian, 22 October 2023 After the wildness of Storm Babet, quite a few Storm Petrels had turned up in the Forth near my home, particularly at Cockenzie/Port Seton. My family and I decided to go there a day later, hoping some were still around. When we arrived at Cockenzie, it was a beautiful, clear, and crisp morning, and the sun was shining. I was delighted to find a Rock Pipit, first on the sands and then at the harbour mouth, five Little Gulls, and a Kittiwake flying back and forth past us and sitting on the sea as we lent on the harbour wall. I found this captivating - I love Little Gulls, and haven’t seen them in ages. We had already seen some cool birds, and we hadn’t even left the harbour!

We strolled down the seaside path towards Port Seton, seeing Pied Wagtail, Starling, and even a lovely adult winter Red-throated Diver on the sea, quite close in. There were rocks thrown up all over the path - the storm had really hurled everything about. And then my dad said: “I think I’ve seen a Storm Petrel!” I rushed to him, and yes, he was right, although it was quite difficult to identify because it was sitting on the sea about 100 m out. Sometimes, birds can look very different to the photographs you see in books -

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you just have to trust your instincts, and be patient, to get a view of the identifying features. It was small and almost looked brown in the dazzling light that morning. We watched it for about half an hour - it was so cool. When you actually see a Storm Petrel for the first time, you realise how small they are.

As we walked on, we saw a giant flock of Blackheaded Gulls chasing each other, and then we saw why - hundreds of thousands of bivalves thrown up on the beach by the storm. One shock after another! Then suddenly, as I was scanning the sea for petrels, a monster of a diver appeared in my view. My first thoughts and words to my family were “summer-plumaged Great Northern Diver!” which was exciting - and then it dived, and I lost its position. Scanning proved fruitless, but I knew it was out there, and we all kept looking.

Our attention was drawn to the Black-headed Gulls which had suddenly gone up in the air like fireworks. The reason? A dark and more acrobatic bird chasing and harrying them - an Arctic Skua!

The display was amazing because they are such persistent birds, almost doing backflips and barrel

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Birding articles & observations

RINGERS' ROUNDUP Thank you very much to the many ringers, ringing groups, birders and the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) who provided the information for this latest roundup. Thanks also to the many bird watchers and folk who take the time and trouble to read rings in the field or find dead ringed birds and report them.

If you have any interesting ringing recoveries, articles, wee stories, project updates or requests for information which you would like to be included in the next issue, please email to Raymond Duncan at: rduncan393@outlook.com.

For lots more exciting facts, figures, numbers and movements log on to: www.bto.org/ volunteer-surveys/ringing/publications/online-ringing-reports Interesting ringing movements Chk = chick, Juv = juvenile, Im = Immature, Ad = adult, Unk = unknown, M = male, F = female, Dead = dead, Sghtd = ring(s) read in field, Rtpd = retrapped Barn Owl GR20718 Chk 22/07/13 Ballochgair, Kintyre, Argyll Rtpd 15/06/23 Billeaford Hall, Suffolk 591 km SE, 3,615 days GR93315

Chk 19/07/19 Torinturk Forest, Argyll Rtpd 06/05/23 Scotmill, Argyll 15 km S, 1,387 days

An interesting difference between breeding areas of two Argyll and Bute chicks.

read it and the font looks slightly different, so you start to read the address and it isn’t British!

The ultimate, in ringing excitement, is when you catch a foreign ringed bird in your garden three months in a row! Well that’s what happened to Kenny Bruce at Bridge of Don in Aberdeen (see also Chiffchaff!). We still don’t fully understand the wintering strategy of our Goldfinches! Both a juvenile and an adult female presumably have gone to the continent for the winter whilst plenty others remain on our garden feeders throughout.

Herring Gull GC02126 Chk 27/06/05 Sanda Island, Kintyre, Argyll Dead 11/08/23 Carskey Bay, Argyll 8 km WSW, 6,619 days

Chiffchaff ASN140

Juv 12/10/22 Burgh-Haamstede, Zeeland, Netherlands Rtpd 14/08/23 Shielhill, Bridge of Don, North-East Scotland 717 km NNW, 306 days

Dunlin BT34249

Ad 07/06/22 Lecht, North-East Scotland Rtpd 05/08/23 The Wash, Lincolnshire 509 km SSE 424 days

Good age at over 18 years old.

Oystercatcher 4120779

Chk 02/07/21 Ásgarður, Miðnes, Gullbringusýsla, Iceland Sghtd 02/09/23 Camas Cuil an t-Saimh, Argyll 1,240 km SE, 792 days

Goldfinch 17980283 JuvF 18/01/23 West Luxembourg, Belgium Rtpd 11/07/23 Shielhill, Bridge of Don, North-East Scotland 923 km 173 days 8647916

AdF 17/02/23 Montmorillon, Vienne, France Rtpd 15/09/23 Shielhill, Bridge of Don, North-East Scotland 1,214 km 210 days

It’s always exciting when you catch a ringed bird and you don’t recognise the number or it’s not one of yours. Doubly exciting when you start to

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Plate 40. Pied Wagtail (AXX4291), Lucan, Dublin, Ireland, 28 December 2023. © Shay Conolly

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Plate 49. Cory’s Shearwater, Kinghorn, Fife, 25–30 July 2022. © Nigel Voaden

Cory’s Shearwater in the Firth of Forth - the changing status of a formerly very rare seabird C.J. MCINERNY, A.W. LAUDER & K.D. SHAW Introduction In most years, small numbers of Cory’s Shearwater are seen in Scottish marine waters during the late summer and autumn and more rarely in spring, although in some years the species is not observed at all, and there have been larger influxes with, for example, 83 in 1965 (McInerny 2023, McInerny & McGowan 2023). However, in recent years the species has been occurring more frequently, with increasing numbers observed in the Firth of Forth, particularly from Fife. In this short paper, we describe the incidence of Cory’s Shearwaters in the Firth of Forth and explore reasons why the observed recent increases have been noted, which has resulted in the change in the Scottish recorded status of this seabird species.

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Cory’s Shearwater international status Cory’s Shearwaters nest on islands in the mid-Atlantic Ocean, mostly on the Azores, Madeira, the Salvages and the Canary Islands (Onley & Scofield 2007, Howell & Zufelt 2019). Post-breeding, they disperse to the North and South Atlantic (Goméz-Díaz et al.

2006, González-Solís et al. 2007, Dell’Ariccia et al. 2018, De Felipe et al. 2019), with birds seen regularly off south-west England and Ireland in the summer and autumn and, more occasionally, as far north as Scotland, even entering the North Sea around the north side of the country (McInerny et al. 2023, McInerny & McGowan 2023). In some years, it can be a common non-breeding visitor to off-shore areas south and west of England

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Plate 51. Displaying Mediterranean Gulls, Forvie NNR, North-East Scotland, 2 May 2023. © NatureScot

Breeding Mediterranean Gulls at Forvie NNR, Newburgh, North-East Scotland in 2023 D. SHORT Mediterranean Gull has long been regarded as a casual visitor to Forvie NNR, with one or more records occurring here in most years since the turn of the century. Records chiefly involve lone birds on the Ythan Estuary or mingling with the Black-headed Gulls at their large breeding colony in the south of the reserve. Long-staying birds and multiple occurrences have been recorded in the past, e.g. three first-summer birds present in the summer of 2019, but prior to 2023 no breeding behaviour was ever noted.

In 2023, Mediterranean Gulls were first noted at the Black-headed Gull colony on 4 April, when an unprecedented five birds were present: a single adult and four second-summers, the latter forming two discrete pairs. In addition, a

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first-summer bird was present on 11 April, bearing a German Darvic ring (Yellow A3JZ).

While the adult and first-summer each appeared to move on rapidly, both pairs of second-summer birds remained in the area and settled within the Black-headed Gull colony. Display behaviour was noted, and one pair in particular (hereafter Pair A) appeared faithful to a certain spot within the gullery. They were watched closely by reserve staff during the daily wardening routine, and on 24 April a nest containing a single egg was discovered. A remote camera was quickly installed overlooking this nest. The second pair (hereafter Pair B) remained in the same general area, but at this stage did not appear to have a nest of their own.

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Scottish Birds

Plate 56. Hudsonian Godwit, Grutness, Shetland, 30 July 2023. © Rebecca Nason

Hudsonian Godwit, Grutness, 30 July–20 August 2023 - first Shetland record R. RIDDINGTON Sunday 30 July 2023 was a pleasant summer’s day in Shetland - warm, with light south-east winds and intermittent sunshine. Given the wind direction, some people were already starting to think about early passerine migrants, but most of us were taking time to enjoy the unusually good summer weather as well. Unexpectedly, however, a relaxed Sunday afternoon was interrupted by a message on the Shetland rarity WhatsApp group, with the unlikely news that a Hudsonian Godwit had been photographed by Larry Dalziel at the Pool of Virkie! Really? A major transatlantic rare

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Scottish Birds

on gentle south-easterlies? I made some hasty excuses to our non-birding guests and left the house in a hurry, pausing to grab a couple of wader ID books on my way out.

As I arrived at the one parked car on the north side of Virkie, Rob Fray was approaching from the opposite direction. ‘Where is it?!’ we yelled at Larry Dalziel, sitting quietly in the aforementioned parked car. Hoping for directions to the bird, it was disconcerting that he appeared completely baffled by the news. And then we

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PhotoSP

Plate 67. Just occasionally, good shots fall into your lap.

On 20 November 2023, I got lucky. I was sitting in our conservatory, when a Sparrowhawk landed at our bird feeders. It had a good look around, before it dropped to the ground behind a low wall and out of sight - that gave me the opportunity to fetch my camera. I returned to find the Sparrowhawk perched on the wall, looking up at an ornamental sculpture of a ‘frog on a lily pad’. I didn’t go further than the door of the conservatory, to avoid flushing it, and from here I captured one shot before it flew up to land next to the ‘frog’. The next shot, presented

here, was taken just as it landed - the exchanged, somewhat puzzled, looks between the Sparrowhawk and the ‘frog’ amused me. I managed to capture a few more shots of the Sparrowhawk, giving the ‘frog’ several inquisitive looks, before it flew off a few seconds later.

Steve Buckland, St Andrews, Fife.

Email: steve@st-andrews.ac.uk Equipment used: Nikon Z7 II camera, Sigma 500mm lens, Shutter Priority, 1/1,250 second, ISO 1,600, f4.

SCOTTISH BIRDS Volume 44 (1)

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March 2024

Featuring the best images posted on the SOC website each quarter, PhotoSpot will present stunning portraits as well as record shots of something interesting, accompanied by the story behind the photograph and the equipment used. Upload your photos now - it’s open to all.

Scottish Birds published by the SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGISTS’ CLUB

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