Search

Points of view. 17. Will suppression become the norm?

01 March 1989 Comments Main paper Unfortunately, birdwatching is becoming the victim of its own success. The advent of a telephone information service has meant that news of rarities no longer travels in slowly increasing concentric circles. Previously, news was disseminated in su...

Mystery photographs

01 March 1989 Comments Main paper The shape of last month's mystery bird (plates 46 & 70) suggests either a chat or a small thrush. None of the warblers shows the combination of long legs, long tail, bland head pattern and stout bill; and the pot-bellied look is so typical of chats...

Identification of Arabian Warbler

01 March 1989 Comments Main paper The Arabian Warbler Sylvia leucomelaena was originally placed in the genus Parisoma. Meinertzhagen (1949), Williamson (1960) and others placed it in the genus Sylvia owing to its morphological similarities to this genus. Afik (1984) was convinced that ...

Squeal call of the Hen Harrier at winter roost

01 March 1989 Comments Main paper Cramp & Simmons (1980) stated for the Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus that the vocalisations are 'confined largely to the breeding season', but with 'quick chattering-type calls heard occasionally, however, at or near communal night-roost in winter; usu...

Special review of The Palaearctic-African Bird Migration Systems

01 April 1973 Comments Main paper The Palaearctic-African Bird Migration Systems. By R. E. Moreau. Academic Press, London and New York, 1972. xiii + 384 pages; 31 photographs; 187 distribution maps, 9 other figures. £7.80. It is with real emotion that I read Reg Moreau's last ...

The colonisation of England by the Firecrest

01 April 1973 Comments Main paper There seems little doubt that the Firecrest Regulus ignicapillus has become a more regular visitor to Britain during this century. Bannerman (1953) stated, 'formerly considered an irregular visitor to our shores, the Firecrest is now recognised as an a...

More examples of the best recent work by British bird-photographers

01 April 1973 Comments Main paper This is the fourteenth annual selection of contemporary photographs, keeping on permanent record some of the finest current work. As birdwatching and photography become more and more popular so many more photographs are being taken and, although most a...

A winter roost of Grey Herons

01 April 1973 Comments Main paper Gatherings of Grey Herons Ardea cinerea at traditional standing-grounds during the breeding season have been noted by several authors (Beetham 1910, Huxley 1924, Lowe 1954, Milstein et al. 1970), and the behaviour of the birds at these standing-grounds...

The prey of Short-eared Owls wintering on the Berkshire Downs

01 April 1973 Comments Main paper Short-eared Owls Asio flammeus have wintered on the Berkshire Downs for at least 19 years (Reading Ornithological Club reports). Every winter they are present in the area around their favoured roosting site. The numbers fluctuate, but the annual maximu...

Manx Shearwaters on Skomer: Population and mortality due to gull predation

01 April 1973 Comments Main paper Skomer Island, lying off the south-western tip of the rocky Pembrokeshire coast, has long been recognised as an important breeding site for Manx Shearwaters Puffinus puffinus. The breeding biology and winter migrations of this species are now well know...

Stay at the forefront of British birding by taking out a subscription to British Birds.

Subscribe Now