This monthly listing of the most-recent decisions by the British Birds Rarities Committee is not intended to be comprehensive or in any way to replace the annual 'Report on rare birds in Great Britain'. The records listed are mostly those of the rarest species, or those of special interest for other reasons. All records refer to 1997 unless stated otherwise.
ACCEPTED: Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus At sea, sea area Sole, 11.3 km SW of St Agnes (Scilly), 24th August. White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla Chelford (Cheshire), 28th October. Broad-billed Sandpiper Limicola falcinellus Cliffe (Kent), 31st May. Brünnich's Guillemot Uria lomvia Fetlar (Shetland), 26th-30th December. Little Swift Apus affinis Brading Marsh area (Isle of Wight), 5th-6th May. European Roller Coracias garrulus New Forest (Hampshire), 25th May. Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni Tresco (Scilly), 23rd October. Red-throated Pipit A. cervinus Dungeness (Kent), 19th October. Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola Sumburgh (Shetland), 21st August; St Agnes, 5th September; North Ronaldsay (Orkney), 26th-28th September; North Ronaldsay, 28th September. Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti Girdleness (Northeast Scotland), 7th November; Holy Island (Northumberland), 20th & 30th November; Bamburgh (Northumberland), 10th-15th December. Dark-throated Thrush Turdus ruficollis of race atrogularis Fetlar, 8th October; Bressay (Shetland), 10th October. Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler Locustella certhiola Sumburgh, 27th September; Kergord (Shetland), 28th-30th September. M. J. Rogers, Secretary, BBRC, 2 Churchtown Cottages, Towednack, St Ives, Cornwall TR26 3AZ.
