British Isles Birding

by Richard Bonser

Richard Bonser's 2004 year list

The following is a list of BOU/IRBC accepted Category species recorded by Richard Bonser in 2004. Iberian Chiffchaff is included within the BOU/IRBC list due to its fully accepted Category A status. Although I am not fully confident of the identification of the individual seen, it is included for the sake of uniformity (with the UK400 Club accepting this record). The American Herring Gulls recorded in Ireland are only included as UK400 Club species as the split of this species was only endorsed by the IRBC on 1st January 2005. Scottish White-tailed Eagles are classed as Category E by the BOU with British breeding populations (if any) thought not to be self-sustaining. Therefore this species must only be recognized as a UK400 Club species. A decision as to whether Masked Shrike, Purple Martin and Chestnut-eared Bunting satisfy the conditions for BOU acceptance onto Category A had obviously not been made by the year end and, as such, retain status as UK400 Club species only.

 

1)              Red-throated Diver

2)              Black-throated Diver

3)              Great Northern Diver

4)              Little Grebe

5)              Great Crested Grebe

6)              Red-necked Grebe – Thorpe Park, Surrey 1/2 (nw), Wraysbury GP, Berks 21/3 (uw)

7)              Slavonian Grebe

8)              Black-necked Grebe

9)              Fulmar

10)           Great Shearwater – 1 Bridges of Ross, Co.Clare 27/8 (FM)

11)           Sooty Shearwater

12)           Manx Shearwater

13)           Balearic Shearwater – 6 Bridges of Ross, Co.Clare 27-31/8 (FM), Porthgwarra, Cornwall 11/9 (AC)

14)           Storm Petrel

15)           Leach’s Petrel – 23 Bridges of Ross, Co.Clare 27-31/8 (FM), The Range, South Uist 25/9 (JB)

16)           Gannet

17)           Cormorant

18)           Shag

19)           Bittern

20)           Night Heron – Barnes, Gtr London 5/5 (LE), Weirwood Reservoir, West Sussex 24/7 (ACl)

21)           Squacco Heron – Dengemarsh, Kent 3/6 (JP)

22)           Little Egret

23)           Cattle Egret – Fairburn, North Yorks 10/7 (ML), Firsdown, Wilts 20/11 (JP)

24)           Great White Egret – Mockbeggar Lake, Hants 11/1 (JP) and 20/11 (JP)

25)           Grey Heron

26)           Purple Heron – Horsey, Norfolk 1/5 (JP)

27)           White Stork – Kilrenny, Fife 3/4 (AC), Barnton, Cheshire 8/5 (AH), New Denham, Bucks 2/7 (MF) and 3/7 (LE)

28)           Black Stork – Fingringhoe, Essex 19/8 (SB)

29)           Glossy Ibis – Bowling Green Marsh, Devon 3/1 (ML), 14/3 (JP) and 17/4 (JP), Charlton All Saints, Wilts 2/5 (ML)

30)           Spoonbill – 1 Bowling Green Marsh, Devon 3/1 (ML), 2 Lodmoor, Dorset 20/3 (JP)

31)           Mute Swan

32)           Bewick’s Swan

33)           Whooper Swan

34)           Taiga Bean Goose – 2 Higham, Kent 12/3 (nw)

35)           Pink-footed Goose

36)           Eurasian White-fronted Goose

37)           Greylag Goose

38)           Snow Goose – Baleshare, North Uist 2/4 (AC)

39)           Canada Goose

40)           Barnacle Goose

41)           Pale-bellied Brent

42)           Egyptian Goose

43)           Shelduck

44)           Mandarin Duck

45)           Eurasian Wigeon

46)           American Wigeon – Holkham, Norfolk 6/3 (ML), Wick, Highland 22/12 (JB)

47)           Gadwall

48)           Teal

49)           Green-winged Teal – Craigluscar Reservoir, Fife 31/3 (AC), Coalhouse Fort, Essex 9/4 (SB), Hayle Estuary, Cornwall 3/11 (LE)

50)           Mallard

51)           Black Duck – New Pitsligo, Aberdeenshire 11/12 (AC)

52)           Pintail

53)           Garganey

54)           Blue-winged Teal – Trimley, Suffolk 18/7 (uw)

55)           Shoveler

56)           Red-crested Pochard

57)           Pochard

58)           Redhead – Kenfig Pool, Glamorgan 16/10 (GB)

59)           Ring-necked Duck – Foxcote Reservoir, Bucks 15/2 (uw), Collard’s Lake, Kent 28/3 (AL), Long Eaton, Derbys 14/12 (AC) and 18/12 (JP)

60)           Ferruginous Duck – Minsmere, Suffolk 25/1 (uw), Elstow, Beds 15/2 (nw)

61)           Tufted Duck

62)           Scaup

63)           Lesser Scaup – Studland Little Sea, Dorset 11/1 (ML), Exminster Marshes, Devon 17/4 (JP), Scotney GP, Kent/East Sussex 21/11 (JP)

64)           Eider

65)           King Eider – Methil, Fife 21/2 (JR) and 31/3 (AC)

66)           Harlequin – Col Uarach, Lewis 21/2 (JR)

67)           Long-tailed Duck

68)           Common Scoter

69)           Surf Scoter – pair East Wemyss, Fife 31/3 (AC)

70)           Velvet Scoter

71)           Goldeneye

72)           Bufflehead – Pugney’s CP, West Yorks 12/4 (MF)

73)           Smew – 2 Dungeness, Kent 17/1 (JP), 3 Belhus Woods CP, Gtr London 18/1 (nw), 1 Alton Water, Suffolk 25/1 (MD), 14 Thorpe Park, Surrey 1/2 (nw), 3 Lade GP, Kent 8/2 (uw), 1 Lea Valley, Herts/Essex 15/2 (uw), 1 Connaught Water, Essex 7/3 (uw)

74)           Red-breasted Merganser

75)           Goosander

76)           Ruddy Duck

77)           Red Kite

78)           Marsh Harrier

79)           Hen Harrier

80)           Montagu’s Harrier – pair southern England 3/7 (ML)

81)           Sparrowhawk

82)           Goshawk – 1 Derbys 10/4 (AC)

83)           Buzzard

84)           Rough-legged Buzzard – Massingham Heath, Norfolk 13/3 (ML), Harty Ferry, Kent 5/11 (uw)

85)           Golden Eagle – 1 Lewis 22/2 (JR), 1 Aberdeenshire 31/3 (AC), 1 South Uist 1/4 (AC), 1 South Uist 4/10 (MG), 1 Benbecula 4/10 (MG)

86)           Osprey

87)           Kestrel

88)           Merlin

89)           Hobby

90)           Peregrine

91)           Red Grouse

92)           Ptarmigan – 2 Cairngorm, Highland 2/4 (AC)

93)           Black Grouse – 6m Co.Durham 31/3 (AC)

94)           Capercaillie – 3 Abernethy, Highland 3/4 (AC), 1 Abernethy, Highland 11/12 (AC)

95)           Red-legged Partridge

96)           Grey Partridge

97)           Quail – Sedlescombe, East Sussex 13/6 (nw)

98)           Pheasant

99)           Golden Pheasant – 1m Waylands Wood, Norfolk 6/3 (JP)

100)        Water Rail

101)        Spotted Crake – Grove Ferry, Kent 4/9 (JP)

102)        Sora – Attenborough, Notts 14/12 (AC) and 18/12 (ML)

103)        Little Crake – Marazion, Cornwall 3/11 (LE)

104)        Corncrake – 1 Lewis 15/5 (AH)

105)        Moorhen

106)        Eurasian Coot

107)        American Coot – West Loch Ollay, South Uist 1/4 (AC)

108)        Common Crane – 2 Horsey, Norfolk 30/3 (nw), 6 Horsey, Norfolk 1/5 (JP)

109)        Oystercatcher

110)        Black-winged Stilt – Titchwell, Norfolk 31/1 (JP), 6/3 (ML) and 18/12 (MF)

111)        Avocet

112)        Stone Curlew

113)        Cream-coloured Courser – St.Martin’s, Scilly 1/10 (PH), St.Mary’s, Scilly 26/10 (MF)

114)        Little Ringed Plover

115)        Ringed Plover

116)        Killdeer – Cnoc an Torrain, North Uist 28/12 (AC)

117)        Kentish Plover – Upware, Cambs 1/5 (JP)

118)        Greater Sand Plover – Snettisham, Norfolk 4/7 (MF)

119)        European Golden Plover

120)        American Golden Plover – Old Hall Marshes, Essex 1/8 (uw), The Range, South Uist 25/9 (JB) and 26/9 (JB)

121)        Grey Plover

122)        Lapwing

123)        Knot

124)        Sanderling

125)        Semipalmated Sandpiper – Drift Reservoir, Cornwall 18/9 (JP)

126)        Western Sandpiper – Brownsea Island, Dorset 2/10 (AC)

127)        Little Stint

128)        Temminck’s Stint – Grove Ferry, Kent 2/5 (JP)

129)        White-rumped Sandpiper – Poulnasherry Bay, Co.Clare 28/8 (nw)

130)        Baird’s Sandpiper – Marazion, Cornwall 11/9 (AC) and 18/9 (JP), Davidstow, Cornwall 11/9 (AC) and 18/9 (JP), Minsmere, Suffolk 19/9 (JP)

131)        Pectoral Sandpiper – Colliford Lake, Cornwall 8/8 (MF), Cliffe, Kent 5/9 (ML), Davidstow, Cornwall 11/9 (AC), Hayle Estuary, Cornwall 3/11 (LE)

132)        Sharp-tailed Sandpiper – Drift Reservoir, Cornwall 7/8 (AH)

133)        Curlew Sandpiper

134)        Purple Sandpiper

135)        Dunlin

136)        Buff-breasted Sandpiper – 1 The Range, South Uist 25/9 (JB), 2+ The Range, South Uist 26/9 (JB), 3 St.Mary’s, Scilly 29/9 (ML)

137)        Broad-billed Sandpiper – Titchwell, Norfolk 18/8 (uw)

138)        Ruff

139)        Short-billed Dowitcher – Lady’s Island Lake, Co.Wexford 3/7 (ML)

140)        Long-billed Dowitcher – Gibraltar Point, Lincs 10/7 (JP)

141)        Snipe

142)        Jack Snipe

143)        Woodcock

144)        Black-tailed Godwit

145)        Bar-tailed Godwit

146)        Whimbrel

147)        Curlew

148)        Spotted Redshank

149)        Redshank

150)        Marsh Sandpiper – Fobbing Marshes, Essex 1/8 (uw)

151)        Greenshank

152)        Lesser Yellowlegs – Hayle Estuary, Cornwall 3/1 (ML) and 14/3 (JP), Drift Reservoir, Cornwall 1/10 (JP), Stiffkey, Norfolk 4/12 (MF)

153)        Common Sandpiper

154)        Spotted Sandpiper – Sandbach Flashes, Cheshire 12/6 (ML)

155)        Green Sandpiper

156)        Wood Sandpiper

157)        Turnstone

158)        Red-necked Phalarope – Oare Marshes, Kent 24/5 (ML)

159)        Grey Phalarope – 1 Bridges of Ross, Co.Clare 29/8 (FM), Vange, Essex 23/10 (JP)

160)        Pomarine Skua – 8 Dungeness, Kent 2/5 (ML), 1 Bridges of Ross, Co.Clare 27/8 (FM), 1 Butt of Lewis, Lewis 6/9 (FM)

161)        Arctic Skua

162)        Long-tailed Skua – 15 Bridges of Ross, Co.Clare 27-31/8 (FM)

163)        Great Skua

164)        Little Gull

165)        Sabine’s Gull – 2 Bridges of Ross, Co.Clare 28/8 (FM)

166)        Mediterranean Gull

167)        Franklin’s Gull – 1w Radipole Lake, Dorset 20/3 (ML)

168)        Black-headed Gull

169)        Bonaparte’s Gull – 1w Marazion, Cornwall 14/3 (JP), ad Peninerine, South Uist 1/4 AC)

170)        Common Gull

171)        Ring-billed Gull – 2w Helston Boating Lake, Cornwall 3/1 (ML) and 14/3 (JP), ad Par Beach Pool, Cornwall 3/1 (ML), ad Walpole Boating Lake, Hants 7/2 (JP), ad and 1w Nimmo’s Pier, Co.Galway 28/2 (JP), ad Radipole Lake, Dorset 20/3 (JT), 1w Peninerine, South Uist 1/4 (AC), Westcliffe-on-sea, Essex 10/11 (nw)

172)        Lesser Black-backed Gull

173)        Herring Gull

174)        Iceland Gull – 2w (possibly of the race kumlieni) and 1w Stornoway, Lewis 21/2 (JR), 2 1w Nimmo’s Pier, Co.Galway 28/2 (JP), 1w Cartrum Bay, Co.Sligo 28/2 (JP), ad and 2 1w Killybegs, Co.Donegal 29/2 (JP), 1s Dungeness, Kent 11/4 (uw), 1w North Ford, Benbecula 28/12 (AC)

175)        Glaucous Gull – 1w Brogborough Lake, Beds 15/2 (LC), 1w Stornoway, Lewis 21/2 (JR), 1w Nimmo’s Pier, Co.Galway 28/2 (JP), 3w and 5 1w Killybegs, Co.Donegal 29/2 (JP), 3s Stewartby Lake, Beds 12/4 (MF), 2w Peninerine, South Uist 26/9 (JB)

176)        Great Black-backed Gull

177)        Kittiwake

178)        Ivory Gull – Coldbackie, Highland 22/12 (JB)

179)        Sandwich Tern

180)        Roseate Tern – 1 Rye Harbour, East Sussex 13/6 (uw), 23 Gormanstown, Co.Meath 31/8 (FM)

181)        Common Tern

182)        Arctic Tern

183)        Forster’s Tern – Silver Strand, Co.Galway 28/2 (JP)

184)        Little Tern

185)        Whiskered Tern – Shapwick Heath, Somerset 25/4 (JA)

186)        Black Tern

187)        White-winged Black Tern - Cliffe, Kent 24/5 (ML)

188)        Little Auk – Swanpool, Cornwall 3/11 (LE)

189)        Black Guillemot

190)        Puffin

191)        Guillemot

192)        Razorbill

193)        Stock Dove

194)        Rock Dove

195)        Woodpigeon

196)        Collared Dove

197)        Turtle Dove

198)        Ring-necked Parakeet

199)        Cuckoo

200)        Barn Owl – including guttata race bird – Weybourne, Norfolk 18/10 (AC)

201)        Snowy Owl – Eilean Cuithe Nam Fiadh, South Uist 1/4 (AC)

202)        Little Owl

203)        Tawny Owl

204)        Long-eared Owl – 4 Lower Holbrook, Suffolk 25/1 (MD)

205)        Short-eared Owl

206)        Nightjar

207)        Alpine Swift – Crowlas, Cornwall 14/3 (JP), Abbot’s Worthy, Hants 21/3 (JT)

208)        Swift

209)        Pallid Swift – Spurn, East Yorks 21/10 (AC)

210)        Kingfisher

211)        Hoopoe – Eldroth, North Yorks 10/4 (AC)

212)        Wryneck – Spurn, East Yorks 15/8 (MF), Landguard, Suffolk 12/9 (JP)

213)        Green Woodpecker

214)        Great Spotted Woodpecker

215)        Lesser Spotted Woodpecker – Cassiobury Park, Herts 21/3 (nw though JP heard it calling)

216)        Short-toed Lark – St.Mary’s, Scilly 1/10 (uw), Whitley Bay, Northumbs 21/10 (AC)

217)        Woodlark

218)        Skylark

219)        Shorelark – 10 Donna Nook, Lincs 4/1 (FM), 1 Pett, East Sussex 8/2 (nw)

220)        Sand Martin

221)        Barn Swallow

222)        Red-rumped Swallow – 1 Swithland Reservoir, Leics 27/3 (JP), 2 Hay-a-Park GP, North Yorks 10/4 (AC), 1 Abberton Reservoir, Essex 18/4 (ML), 2 Grove Ferry, Kent 23/4 (ML)

223)        House Martin

224)        Richard’s Pipit – Kilnsea, East Yorks 10/10 (AC), Mereclough, Lancs 12/12 (AC)

225)        Meadow Pipit

226)        Red-throated Pipit – Weybourne, Norfolk 18/10 (AC)

227)        Tree Pipit

228)        Olive-backed Pipit – Kilnsea, East Yorks 10/10 (ML), Porthgwarra, Cornwall 3/11 (LE)

229)        Rock Pipit

230)        Water Pipit

231)        Grey Wagtail

232)        Citrine Wagtail – Bawdsey, Suffolk 9/5 (JP), Marazion, Cornwall 11/9 (AC)

233)        Pied Wagtail

234)        Yellow Wagtail

235)        Waxwing – 21 Pitsea, Essex 2/1 (GR), 1 Pyewipe, Lincs 4/1 (FM), 5 Croxton, Norfolk 6/3 (ML), 2 Fair Isle, Shetland 17/10 (ACl), 23 Wick, Highland 24/10 (CB), 20 Berriedale, Highland 24/10 (CB), 13 Brora, Highland 24/10 (CB), 10 Leven, Fife 31/10 (FM), 1 Easington, East Yorks 11/11 (AH), 6 Norwich, Norfolk 4/12 (MF), 1 Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire 11/12 (AC), 25 Ruthin, Denbighshire 24/12 (uw), 550+ Renfrew, Clyde 28/12 (JP), 120 Ewloe, Flintshire 29/12 (nw)

236)        Dipper

237)        Winter Wren

238)        Dunnock

239)        Robin

240)        Nightingale

241)        Bluethroat – Pagham, West Sussex 4/4 (JP), Fair Isle, Shetland 17/10 (SK)

242)        Redstart

243)        Black Redstart

244)