Notes

01 August 1990 Comments Notes Oystercatchers incubating on closely adjacent nests. In early spring 1987, in a quiet corner of Blackpool Airport, Lancashire, soil, sand and chippings were dumped and then levelled. Later, the area became partly covered by vegetation and up to five Oy...
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Mystery photographs

01 August 1990 Comments Main paper Perched conspicuously on a prominent vantage point, this mystery bird shows a fairly substantial bill, relatively long tail and black mask, a combination which quickly shows it to be one of the shrikes Lanius. The blackness of the wings and '...
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Seventy-five years ago

01 August 1990 Comments Other 'LAND-RAILS IN STAFFORDSHIRE. I am pleased to report that the Land-Rail (Crex crex) turned up this year in quite average numbers in the district of Cheadle, Staffordshire . . . This very dry season is bringing on a very early hay harvest, and this...
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Seasonal reports: winter 1989/90

01 August 1990 Comments Main paper The weather during this winter period was milder and wetter than average everywhere, with temperatures 2.5ºC above normal in much of southern and eastern England Unsettled westerly weather in early November changed to warm anticyclonic southeasterlies...
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Notes

01 December 1989 Comments Notes Distinguishing characters of American/East Asian race of Common Scoter. The Common Scoter Melanitta nigra has an Holarctic distribution, and has been divided into two races on the basis of differences in bill pattern and bill shape. The nominat...
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Monthly marathon

01 December 1989 Comments Other The bird in plate 285 was named as: Skylark Alauda arvensis (72%) Calandra Lark Melanocorypha calandra (7%) Lesser Short-toed Lark Calandrella rufescens (6%) Bimaculated Lark M. bimaculata (5%) Short-toed Lark C. brachydactyla (4%) Woodlark Lullula arb...
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Diary dates

01 December 1989 Comments Editorials 5th-7th January BTO RINGING AND MIGRATION CONFERENCE. Hayes Conference Centre, Swanwick, Derbyshire. Details from Chris Mead, BTO, Beech Grove, Tring, Hertfordshire HP23 5NR 16th January BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS' Cl.UB. Jeffery Boswall. Film 'Mov...
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Mystery photographs

01 December 1989 Comments Main paper The group of birds in the photograph are, of course, godwits Limosa. Their general proportions, together with their long, ever-so-slightly upturned, gently tapering bills, distinguish them from other superficially similar waders such as snipes Gal...
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