Letters

01 November 1988
Comments Letters 'Breeding status of the Gad wall in Britain and Ireland' Since the publication of this paper (Brit. Birds 81: 51-66), a number of inaccuracies and sources of additional information have been brought to my attention. Gadwalls Anas strepera did in fact bree...
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Letters

01 June 1986
Comments Letters British rarities in a foreign perspective. In a letter (Brit. Birds 78:51 -52), Norman Elkins hypothesised on the possible route of a single Yellowbrowed Bunting Emberiza chrysophrys which arrived on Fair Isle, Shetland, in October 1980. Contrary ...
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Letters

01 January 1985
Comments Letters How many bird species in the world? In a recent book review (Brit. Birds 77: 280) mention is made of the '8,500-odd species' of birds in the world. A similar figure is quoted by the late Leslie Brown in his foreword to A Complete Checklist of the ...
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Letters

01 August 1980
Comments Letters Importance of Ireland's Brent Geese In his account of 'Ireland's winter visitors and passage migrants', C. D. Hutchinson (Brit. Birds 73: 72-80) noted that the Brent Goose Branta bernicla is now the most numerous goose in Ireland and concluded ...
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Letters

01 May 1979
Comments Letters A symbol for individuals not adult males The present biological symbols ♂ and ♀ indicate the two sexes, male and female. The suggested introduction of a third symbol {Brit. Birds 71: 544-545) seems strangely illogical. If the...
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Letters

01 January 1979
Comments Letters Thermal soaring of raptors I read D r C. J . Henty's paper on thermal soaring of raptors (Brit. Birds 70: 471-475) with interest, and not a little surprise. I t has long been known by ornithologists that raptors use thermals for soaring, a...
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Letters

01 December 1975
Comments Letters The origin of British Aquatic Warblers In his letter (Brit. Birds, 67: 443-444), Dr J. T. R. Sharrock made the hypothesis that the autumn records of Acrocephalus paludicola in Britain and Ireland are probably to be explained by a reverse migrat...
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Letters

01 May 1946
Comments Letters SIRS,--Mr. N. D. Pullen, Mr. H. G. Hurrell and Miss N. C. Hicks (antea, Vol. xxxviii, pp. 206, 300 and 360) have drawn attention t o an interesting problem of behaviour. I have observed t h e " digging " in the bottom of the nest, as described by the abov...
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Letters

01 September 1929
Comments Letters SIRS,--May I confirm M. Jacques Delamain's Observation of HedgeSparrows (antea, p . 19). I saw a similar " display " take place on April gth, 1928, in north Northumberland. The courtship took place on a countryroad and was in progress when I arrived. Thea...
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