A Guide to Recording Birds in Suffolk

Introduction

the foundation stone of any report is the data upon which it is based. unless we all submit our records diligently, and in a usable form, then the Suffolk Bird Report will not be a comprehensive account of the birds recorded in Suffolk.

The system

the recording of the county’s avifauna is the responsibility of the Suffolk Naturalists’ Society, working in close co-operation with the Suffolk Bird Group. the linchpins of the system are the Recorders, who are the initial point of contact for all records. Because of the volume of records in Suffolk the county has been divided into three areas. See the inside front cover for a map and addresses. observers are reminded that Suffolk works to Watsonian vice-county boundaries, taking in areas that are now administered as Norfolk, cambridgeshire or essex. the most significant area affected is that of Lothingland, the northern limits of which follow the River yare and include the south side of Breydon Water. We have retained these original boundaries as we feel that sensible comparison of data can only be made from year to year if the recording area is kept constant.

Submission of records

All observers are requested to submit their records monthly. We also suggest that the following format be followed: (a) Location (precise place name from the ordnance Survey map plus parish if ambiguous). oS grid reference should be added if in any doubt or if reporting breeding locations. (b) Species (c) Date (d) Name and address of observer (e) Sex/age – male, female, juvenile etc. (f) Abundance – count numbers, frequency, etc. (g) type of record – dead, ringed, etc. (h) other comments considered relevant – behaviour etc. in particular see the list below for particular information required for each species. All claims of national rarities should, of course, be accompanied by a full description. the Recorder will automatically forward this to the British Birds Rarities committee (BBRc). if submitting a list of records for one particular site, please put all details at the top of the list and annotate with sex and/or frequency. Remember, if in any doubt as to the value of any record, please send it in!

A spreadsheet is available for submitting records and can be downloaded from the SBG website. this can be sent electronically to the Recorders and is a much easier and quicker method for them. Whilst this is not essential, we would encourage all those who can to use this method of submitting their records.

Assessment of records

All records come under the scrutiny of the Suffolk ornithological Records committee (SoRc) and for rare or scarce species, verification is sought – i.e. photographs, field sketches, witnesses, sound recordings (for calling or singing birds) and (most importantly) written descriptions. the SoRc’s policy for vagrants, classified as national rarities, is clear; records should be channelled through the county Recorder to be considered by the British Birds Rarities committee (BBRc), whose decisions are accepted by SoRc. A full list of species that are considered by the SoRc follows. the committee may also request further details regarding any other species that, in the opinion of the committee, is out of context in terms of season, habitat or numbers.

A list of records which have not been accepted for publication can be found in Appendix iii and includes those which have been circulated to the respective committees but were considered unacceptable due to either the identification not being fully established or, more rarely, a genuine mistake having been made. it does not include records still under consideration.

Guide to species

the following list shows all the species recorded in the county and thus this is also a checklist for Suffolk. for any species not listed, a full description will be required. the list shows those species accepted into categories A, B and c, as per the British ornithologists’ union (see the introduction to the Systematic List for more details). Note that a large number of species included can also fall into categories D and e (basically as escapees); a description of such a bird may be requested but will be essential if it is believed that the bird is of wild origin.

A reminder that turtle Dove, yellow Wagtail, Nightingale, Spotted flycatcher, Marsh tit and corn Bunting have all been moved from category 4 to category 3 – records of all of them would be appreciated.

A reminder that Black-throated Diver and Grey Phalarope have been moved from 3 to 2, especially for those seen flying at sea. this seems to have been a little contentious but is necessary for inclusion in the Suffolk Birds. Senior observers have even struggled to identify them at distance.

SBG/SoRc would also like to receive any breeding records for the following species: Kestrel, Ringed Plover, Lapwing, Common Snipe, Curlew, Redshank, Common Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Common Swift, Sand and House Martin (colonies), Mistle Thrush, Willow Warbler and Reed Bunting. there have been a number of changes in categories from BBRc. So no longer BBRc, but records and descriptions still required by SoRc, the following have moved from 1 to 2: Surf Scoter, Whitebilled Diver, Black-winged Stilt, Lesser yellowlegs, Penduline tit, Arctic Warbler, Blyth’s Reed Warbler, Red-flanked Bluetail and citrine Wagtail. Moving in the opposite direction from 2 to 1 are the following: Lesser Scaup, ferruginous Duck (again!), kentish Plover, Subalpine Warbler, Ashyheaded Wagtail, Red-throated Pipit, Arctic Redpoll and Rustic Bunting.

As a reminder, having moved from category 3 to 2, are Golden oriole and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (away from the Brandon/Santon Downham area). unusually, as in 2020, there were no additions to the Suffolk list in 2021.

Bittern & Marsh Harriers  Richard Allen

Red-legged Partridge Grey Partridge common Quail common Pheasant

4 3 3 4 Golden Pheasant 3 Brent Goose - Dark-Bellied 4 Brent Goose - Pale-Bellied 3 Brent Goose - Black Brant 2 Red-breasted Goose 1 canada Goose 4 Barnacle Goose 3 Snow Goose 1 Greylag Goose 4 taiga Bean Goose 2 Pink-footed Goose 3 tundra Bean Goose 3 Greater White-fronted Goose 3 Mute Swan 4 tundra (Bewick’s) Swan 3 Whooper Swan 3 egyptian Goose 3 common Shelduck 4 Ruddy Shelduck * 1 Mandarin Duck 4 Baikal teal 1 Garganey 3 Blue-winged teal 1 Northern Shoveler 4 Gadwall 4 eurasian Wigeon 4 American Wigeon 2 Mallard 4 Northern Pintail 4 eurasian teal 4 Green-winged teal 2 Red-crested Pochard 3 common Pochard 3 ferruginous Duck 1 Ring-necked duck 2 tufted Duck 4 Greater Scaup 3 Lesser Scaup 1 common eider 3 king eider 1 Surf Scoter 2 Velvet Scoter 3 common Scoter 3 Long tailed Duck 3 Bufflehead 1 common Goldeneye 4 Smew 3 Red-breasted Merganser 3 Goosander 3 Ruddy Duck 2 european Nightjar 3 Alpine Swift 2 common Swift 4 Pallid Swift 1 Pacific Swift 1 Great Bustard 1 Macqueen’s Bustard 1 Little Bustard 1 Great Spotted cuckoo 1 Pallas’s Sandgrouse * feral Pigeon

1 4 Stock Pigeon 4 common Wood Pigeon 4 european turtle Dove 3 oriental turtle Dove 1 eurasian collared Dove 4 Water Rail 3 corncrake 2 Little crake 1 Baillons crake* 1 Spotted crake 2 Western Swamphen 1 common Moorhen 4 Allen’s Gallinule* 1 eurasian coot 4 Sandhill crane 1 common crane 3 Little Grebe 4 Red-necked Grebe 3 Great crested Grebe 4 Slavonian Grebe 3 Black-necked Grebe 3 eurasian Stone-curlew 3 eurasian oystercatcher 4 Black-winged Stilt 2 Pied Avocet 4 Northern Lapwing 4 Sociable Plover 1 european Golden Plover 4 Pacific Golden Plover 1 American Golden Plover 2 Grey Plover 4 common Ringed Plover 4 Little Ringed Plover 4 killdeer 1 kentish Plover 1 Greater Sand Plover 1 eurasian Dotterel 2 Whimbrel 4 eurasian curlew 4 Bar-tailed Godwit 3 Black-tailed Godwit 4 Ruddy turnstone 4 Great knot 1 Red knot 4 Ruff 3 Broad-billed Sandpiper 1 Stilt Sandpiper 1 curlew Sandpiper 3 temminck’s Stint 3 Sanderling 3 Dunlin 4 Purple Sandpiper 3 Baird’s Sandpiper 1 Little Stint 3 White-rumped Sandpiper 2 Buff-breasted Sandpiper 2 Pectoral Sandpiper 3 Semipalmated Sandpiper 1 Long-billed Dowitcher 1 Jack Snipe Great Snipe 3 1

common Snipe 4

terek Sandpiper

1 Wilson’s Phalarope 1 Red-necked Phalarope 2 Grey Phalarope 2 common Sandpiper 3 Spotted Sandpiper 1 Green Sandpiper 3 Lesser yellowlegs 2 common Redshank 4 Marsh Sandpiper 1 Wood Sandpiper 3 Spotted Redshank 3 common Greenshank 3 Greater yellowlegs 1 cream-coloured courser * 1 collared Pratincole 1 oriental Pratincole 1 Black-winged Pratincole 1 Black-legged kittiwake 4 ivory Gull 1 Sabine’s Gull 2 Slender-billed Gull 1 Black-headed Gull 4 Little Gull 3 Ross’s Gull 1 Laughing Gull 1 franklin’s Gull 1 Audouin’s Gull 1 Mediterranean Gull 3 common Gull 4 Ring-billed Gull 2 Great Black-backed Gull 4 Glaucous Gull 3 iceland Gull 3 european Herring Gull 4 American Herring Gull 1 caspian Gull 3 yellow-legged Gull 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull 4 Gull-billed tern 1 caspian tern 1 Lesser-crested tern 1 Sandwich tern 4 Little tern 4 Sooty tern 1 Roseate tern 3 common tern 4 Arctic tern 3 forster’s tern 1 Whiskered tern 1 White-winged tern 2 Black tern 3 Great Skua 3 Pomarine Skua 3 Artic Skua 3 Long-tailed Skua 3 Little Auk 3 common Guillemot 3 Razorbill 3

Black Guillemot Atlantic Puffin Red-throated Diver Black-throated Diver 2 3 3 2

Great Northern Diver

3 White-billed Diver 2 Black-browed Albatross 1 european Storm-petrel 2 Leach’s Storm-petrel 3 Northern fulmar 4 cory’s Shearwater 2 Sooty Shearwater 3 Great Shearwater 2 Manx Shearwater 3 Balearic Shearwater 2 Black Stork 1 White Stork 2 Glossy ibis 3 Northern Gannet 3 european Shag 3 Great cormorant 4 eurasian Spoonbill 3 eurasian Bittern 3 American Bittern 1 Little Bittern 1 Black-crowned Night-heron 2 Squacco Heron 1 Western cattle egret 3 Grey Heron 4 Purple Heron 2 Great egret 3 Little egret 3 Western osprey 3 european Honey Buzzard 2 Greater Spotted eagle 1 eurasian Sparrowhawk 3 Northern Goshawk 2 Marsh Harrier 3 Hen Harrier 3 Pallid Harrier 1 Montagu’s Harrier 2 Red kite 3 Black kite 2 White-tailed eagle 2 Rough-legged Buzzard 2 common Buzzard 3 Western Barn owl 3 european Scops owl * 1 Snowy owl 1 tawny owl 3 Little owl 3 tengmalm’s owl* 1 Long-eared owl 3 Short-eared owl 3 eurasian Hoopoe 3 european Roller 1 common kingfisher 3 european Bee-eater 2 eurasian Wryneck 3 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker 4 Green Woodpecker 4 Lesser kestrel 1 common kestrel Red-footed falcon eleonora’s falcon Merlin 4 2 1 3

eurasian Hobby Gyr falcon Peregrine falcon Ring-necked Parakeet

3 1 3 3 Red-backed Shrike 3 isabelline/Daurian Shrike 1 Lesser Grey Shrike 1 Great Grey Shrike 3 Southern Grey Shrike 1 Woodchat Shrike 2 Red-eyed Vireo 1 eurasian Golden oriole 2 eurasian Jay 4 eurasian Magpie 4 Nutcracker 1 Red-billed chough * 2 Western Jackdaw 4 Rook 4 carrion crow 4 Hooded crow 2 Northern Raven 3 Bohemian Waxwing 3 coal tit 4 crested tit 2 Marsh tit 3 Willow tit 2 eurasian Blue tit 4 Great tit 4 eurasian Penduline tit 2 Bearded Reedling 3 Woodlark 4 eurasian Skylark 4 crested Lark 1 Shore Lark 3 Greater Short-toed Lark 2 Sand Martin 4 Barn Swallow 4 House Martin 4 Red-rumped Swallow 2 cliff Swallow 1 cetti’s Warbler 3 Long-tailed tit 4 Wood Warbler 3 Western Bonelli’s Warbler 1 Hume’s Leaf Warbler 1 yellow-browed Warbler 3 Pallas’s Leaf Warbler 2 Radde’s Warbler 2 Dusky Warbler 2 Willow Warbler 4 common chiffchaff 4 (Siberian chiffchaff) 2 iberian chiffchaff 1 two-barred Warbler 1 Greenish Warbler 2 Arctic Warbler 2 Great Reed Warbler 1 Garden Warbler 4 Aquatic Warbler 2 Paddyfield Warbler

1 Blyth’s Reed Warbler 2 eurasian Reed Warbler 4 Marsh Warbler 2 Booted Warbler 1 eastern olivaceous Warbler 1 Melodious Warbler 2 icterine Warbler 2 Lanceolated Warbler 1 Grasshopper Warbler 3 River Warbler 1 Savi’s Warbler 1 Blackcap 4 Garden Warbler 4 Barred Warbler 3 Lesser Whitethroat 4 common Whitethroat 4 Dartford Warbler 3 Marmora’s Warbler 1 Spectacled Warbler 1 Subalpine Warbler 1 Sardinian Warbler 1 common firecrest 3 Goldcrest 4 eurasian Wren 4 eurasian Nuthatch 3 eurasian treecreeper 3 Short-toed treecreeper 1 Rosy Starling 2 common Starling 4 White’s thrush 1 Ring ouzel 3 common Blackbird 4 fieldfare 4 Redwing 4 Song thrush 4 Mistle thrush 4 Spotted flycatcher 3 european Robin 4 Siberian Blue Robin 1 Bluethroat 2 thrush Nightingale 1 common Nightingale 3 Red-flanked Bluetail 2 european Pied flycatcher 3 collared flycatcher 1 Red-breasted flycatcher 2 Black Redstart 3 common Redstart 3 Whinchat 3 european Stonechat 3 Siberian Stonechat 1 Stejneger’s Stonechat 1 Northern Wheatear 3 isabelline Wheatear 1 Desert Wheatear 1 Pied Wheatear 1 White-crowned Wheatear 1 Dipper 2 House Sparrow 4 Spanish Sparrow 1 eurasian tree Sparrow 3

Alpine Accentor

1 Dunnock 4 Western yellow Wagtail 3   Blue-headed Wagtail 3   Grey-headed Wagtail 2   Black-headed Wagtail 1   Ashy-headed Wagtail 1 eastern yellow Wagtail 1 citrine Wagtail 2 Grey Wagtail 3 Pied Wagtail 4   White Wagtail 3 Richard’s Pipit 2 Blyth’s Pipit 1 tawny Pipit 2 Meadow Pipit 4 tree Pipit 3 olive-backed Pipit 2 Red-throated Pipit Water Pipit Rock Pipit chaffinch Brambling Hawfinch eurasian Bullfinch trumpeter finch common Rosefinch european Greenfinch twite common Linnet common Redpoll Lesser Redpoll Arctic Redpoll Parrot crossbill Red crossbill two-barred crossbill 1 3 3 4 3 3 3 1 2 4 3 4 3 3 1 2 3 1 european Goldfinch european Serin european Siskin Lapland Bunting Snow Bunting corn Bunting yellowhammer 4 2 4 3 3 3 4

Pine Bunting

1 ortolan Bunting 2 cretzschmar’s Bunting 1 cirl Bunting 2 Little Bunting 2 Rustic Bunting 1 yellow-breasted Bunting 1 Black-headed Bunting 1 Reed Bunting 4 White-throated Sparrow 1 Lark Sparrow 1

* not recorded as wild since at least 1949

Key:

1 National Rarity – detailed description required. 2 county Rarity – notes detailing observation will always be required. 3 All records requested – supporting notes may be requested. 4 Specific records – records of breeding, large counts, earliest/latest dates, unusual inland records or migration/weather-related movements requested.