News and comment

271© British Birds 101 • May 2008 • 271–274

Cormorants targeted on Lake Constance

The Nature And Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU –BirdLife in Germany) is protesting vehemently against theplanned destruction of Lake Constance’s only colony of GreatCormorants Phalacrocorax carbo. Freiburg local authorityplanned to use searchlights to drive breeding birds from theirnests during April. This would leave eggs to grow cold, andchicks to freeze to death. Experience in Brandenburg with suchmassive disturbance has shown that the Cormorant offspringhave no chance of survival.

‘It is hard to believe that Freiburg local authority intends tocommit such a destructive act, not only in a National NatureReserve but especially within a European Special Protection Area(SPA),’ said Dr Andre Baumann, chairman of NABU’s Baden-Württemberg branch. ‘This… contravenes European bird pro-tection legislation and is morally unjustifiable.’

The Cormorants at Lake Constance will also be shot, from1st August onwards. At that time of year many of the youngchicks will still be dependent upon their parents. Cormorantsbecame locally extinct at Lake Constance in the 1970s. Strictconservation laws enabled the populations to re-establish. Atpresent, over 90 pairs breed in the Radolfzeller Aachried NatureReserve, in the western area of Lake Constance. The colony is acause of concern for local anglers and commercial fishermen,who have put pressure on the Freiburg local authority to drivethe birds away.

NABU is currently considering legal steps in order to stopdestruction of the colony and has launched a protest petition onits website www.NABU-BW.de

Now entire Ibis archive is available

The BOU has followed BB and is celebrating amilestone in its history with a fully digitisedarchive of its journal Ibis. Compared to Ibis,BB is a mere stripling at just 100 years old; theBOU is celebrating 150 years of academicornithology. All issues of Ibis back to 1858 arenow available online at www.ibis.ac.uk

Access to Ibis online is for BOU memberswho have opted for online access as part oftheir membership. Alternatively, it can beaccessed via an institute that has subscribed toIbis online.

Artwork in BBThe splendid cover painting on this month’sissue by Paschalis Dougalis is the first artworkon the cover of BB for over four years. We are,however, keen to feature occasional artworkcovers for the journal, and details ofour requirements are available ath t t p : / / w w w . b r i t i s h b i r d s . c o . u k /contributorguidelines.htm Readers are alsoreminded that artwork used in BB is often for sale; if you are interested in buying a particular item, contact us at editor@britishbirds.co.uk

Compiled by Barry Nightingale and Eric Dempsey

Recent reports

This summary of unchecked reports coversearly March to early April 2008.

Red-breasted Goose Branta ruficollis Easton(Cumbria), long-stayer, 21st March. Black DuckAnas rubripes Marloes Mere(Pembrokeshire), 16th Marchto 10th April. Lesser ScaupAythya affinis Loch Leven (Perth& Kinross), 13th March; Alve-cote Pools (Warwickshire),14th March; Blagdon Lake15th–19th March, then BarrowGurney Reservoir 21st Marchto 5th April, then Chew ValleyLake (all Somerset), 7th–9thApril; Quarry Loch (Forth),19th March to 6th April;

Swithland Reservoir (Leicestershire), 23rd–29thMarch. Long stayers: Clea Lakes (Co. Down), to15th March; Soulseat Loch/Loch Magillie/Auchenreoch Loch (Dumfries & Galloway), to8th April; Benbecula, to 28th March, perhaps

142. Female Black Duck Anas rubripes, Marloes Mere,Pembrokeshire, March 2008.

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same North Uist (both Outer Hebrides), 1stApril; Lough Arrow (Co. Sligo), to 15th March;Lough Ennell (Co. Westmeath), two, to 16thMarch. King Eider Somateria spectabilis Troon,11th–13th March, presumed same Girvan (bothAyrshire), 27th March to 8th April; Girdle Ness(North-east Scotland), 24th March to 2nd April;Rudden’s Point (Fife), 27th March; NorthRonaldsay (Orkney), 3rd April. Long-stayers:Northam Burrows area (Devon), to 10th April;Mousa Sound (Shetland), 23rd March. Buffle-head Bucephala albeola Leyland (Lancashire & NMerseyside), 23rd March. Barrow’s GoldeneyeBucephala is landica Quoile Pondage (Co.Down), long-stayer to 15th March.

Pacific Diver Gavia pacifica St Austell Bay (Corn-

wall), 28th–29th March at least, pos-sibly in the area since February.White-billed Diver Gavia adamsii InShetland, singles off West Burra andin Mousa Sound, both 30th March,off Wester Quarff 10th April andlong-stayer off Fetlar to 15th March;Lewis (Outer Hebrides), 4th April.

Night Heron Nycticorax nycticoraxFar Ings (Lincolnshire), 5th April;Fair Isle (Shetland), 5th–9th April,and another found dead on 9th;Darlton (Nottinghamshire), 7thApril; Mere Sands Wood (Lan-cashire & N Merseyside), long-stayerto 17th March. Cattle Egret Bubulcusibis Numbers in southern/southwestEngland and southern Ireland

remained high after the influx in late 2007;most if not all of the following are long-stayersor birds relocating to new sites. During theperiod, significant concentrations included: inCornwall, up to 18 in the Drift/Sancreed area,and five at Ladock; in Devon, five at Bideford,six at Warleigh Point, five at Tamerton Foliot,and up to four at the Kingsbridge Estuary; inSomerset, five at Bridgwater; in West Sussex,four at East Lavant; in Co. Cork, up to nine nearClonakilty, five at Ballincarriga, Dunmanway,four at Roscarberry, and six at Youghal, with upto three at various other sites; in Co. Waterford,eight at Clashmore; and, in Co. Wexford, sevenat Killinick. Elsewhere, there were (at least) fivein Dorset, three in both Hampshire and EastSussex, two in both Cambridgeshire and

Gloucestershire, and singlesin Ceredigion, Cheshire &Wirral, Cumbria, Co. Kerry,Lancashire & N Merseyside,Co. Limerick, Lincolnshireand Norfolk.

Great White Egret Ardea albaBirstall (Leicestershire),13th–14th March; WalthamBrooks (West Sussex), 14thMarch; Howden’s Pullover(Lincolnshire), 16th March;Bintree Mill, 17th March,presumed same Guist (bothNorfolk), 7th April; SouthUist (Outer Hebrides),23rd–27th March; St Mary’s

272 British Birds 101 • May 2008 • 271–274

Recent reports

143. Adult male Barrow’s Goldeneye Bucephala islandica,Quoile Pondage, Co. Down, March 2008.

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144. Little Crake Porzana parva, Exminster Marshes, Devon, April 2008.

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(Scilly), 25th March;Humberston (Lin-colnshire), 5th April;North Warren (Suffolk),5th and 9th April;Sheepy Parva (Leicester-shire), 6th–10th April.Long stayers: OuseWashes (Cam-bridgeshire), to 17thMarch, perhaps sameDownham Market(Norfolk), 18th March;Thornham (Norfolk),25th March; ShapwickHeath, to 2nd April,then Ham Wall (bothSomerset), 5th–7thApril. Glossy Ibis Ple-gadis falcinellus Long-stayers: Howden’sPullover area, to 19thMarch; Warton Marsh/Marshside RSPB (Lancashire & N Merseyside),to 9th April.

Black Kite Milvus migrans Regent’s Park (GreaterLondon), 30th March; Long Valley (Hamp-shire), 1st April; Capel Fleet (Kent), 5th April;Sidestrand and Burnham Overy (both Norfolk),two birds, 8th April; Boyton (Suffolk), 8th–9thApril; Sandwich Bay (Kent), 10th April. White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla Porton Down(Hampshire), presumed long-stayer, again 24thMarch; Prescott, 27th March, presumed sameSeaforth (both Lancashire & N Merseyside),29th March and Dolwyddelan (Conwy), 28thMarch. Gyr Falcon Falco rusticolus Mullet Penin-sula, 31st March, probably same, InishkeaIslands (both Co. Mayo), 6th April.

Little Crake Porzana parva Exminster Marshes(Devon), 9th–10th April. Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopus Windmill Farm (Corn-wall), three, 7th–9th April. Killdeer Charadriusvociferus Long-stayer, Virkie, to 9th April, alsoMousa (both Shetland), 2nd April. ‘Wilson’sSnipe’ Gallinago gallinago delicata St Mary’s,long-stayer to 11th March. Long-billed Dow-itcher Limnodromus scolopaceus Bowling GreenMarsh (Devon), long-stayer to 29th March.Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius Long-stayers at Kinneil Lagoon (Forth) and LisvaneReservoir (Glamorgan), both to 8th April.

Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes Rosscarberry(Co. Cork), long-stayer to 25th March.

Franklin’s Gull Larus pipixcan Long-stayer,various locations in Somerset, 15th to 28th

273British Birds 101 • May 2008 • 271–274

Recent reports

145. Adult Ross’s Gull Rhodostethia rosea, Marton Mere, Lancashire & N Merseyside, March 2008.

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146. First-winter Bonaparte’s Gull Chroicocephalusphiladelphia, Cheddar Reservoir, Somerset,

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274 British Birds 101 • May 2008 • 271–274

Recent reports

March, presumed same Newnham (Gloucester-shire), 7th April. American Herring Gull Larussmithsonianus Cloghaun Lough (Co. Clare), 29thMarch; Nimmo’s Pier (Co. Galway), two long-stayers to 15th March, one to 5th April. Ross’sGull Rhodostethia rosea Seaton Sluice (Northum-berland), 25th March; Marton Mere (Lancashire& N Merseyside), 31st March. Bonaparte’s GullChroicocephalus philadelphia Loch of Strathbeg(North-east Scotland), 16th March; CheddarReservoir (Somerset), 22nd–28th March; SouthUist, 4th–7th April; Ugie Estuary (North-eastScotland), long-stayer, 22nd–23rd March.

Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida Kilcolman(Co. Cork), 5th April. Forster’s Tern Sterna

forsteri Long-stayers: Killyleagh(Co. Down), to 20th March;Nimmo’s Pier, to 31st March.

Snowy Owl Bubo scandiacusTarmon Hill, Mullet Peninsula,26th–27th March. Alpine SwiftApus melba Newquay (Cornwall),15th March; Dungarvan (Co.Waterford), 4th April. Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis dauricaThorpeness/North Warren thenMinsmere (all Suffolk), 7th April;Kelling Quags, 8th April, perhapssame Salthouse and then BlakeneyPoint (all Norfolk), 9th April;Winterton Dunes (Norfolk), 9thApril. Buff-bellied Pipit Anthusrubescens Red Barn, Youghal,long-stayer to 21st March*.

Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceusSt Mary’s, 23rd March to 4th April (and pos-sibly since 20th March). Pallas’s Leaf WarblerPhylloscopus proregulus Weymouth (Dorset),12th March to 10th April. Hume’s Warbler Phyl-loscopus humei Long-stayers at Norton (Cleve-land), to 26th March and Tehidy Country Park(Cornwall), to 1st April.

Penduline Tit Remiz pendulinus Minsmere, 22ndMarch to 4th April, then two 24th–26th March;Oulton Broad (Suffolk), two, 4th and 8th April.Rose-coloured Starling Sturnus roseus Pendeen(Cornwall), 23rd March; Haverfordwest (Pem-brokeshire), long-stayer to 27th March. Euro-pean Serin Serinus serinus Beachy Head (East

Sussex), 3rd April; Portland (Dorset),9th April; Nanjizal (Cornwall), 9thApril. Arctic Redpoll Carduelis horne-manni Fair Isle, 8th April. Dark-eyedJunco Junco hyemalis Dungeness(Kent), 7th–9th April. Little BuntingEmberiza pusilla Jackhouse Reservoir(Lancashire & N Merseyside), 30thMarch.

* Correction: in the last two reports,the wintering Buff-bellied Pipit inCo. Cork has been erroneouslyreferred to as a Blyth’s Pipit – weapologise for the error, which was aneditorial mistake, not the fault of ourIrish compiler, Eric Dempsey.

148. Hume’s Warbler Phylloscopus humei, Norton, Cleveland,March 2008.

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147. White-spotted Bluethroat Luscinia svecica cyanecula, Lune Estuary,Lancashire & N Merseyside, April 2008.

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