As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Saturday, 6 October 2012

Birdwatch News Archive



Rare birds in Britain in 2011
The much-anticipated review of rare birds in Britain last year, just published by the Rarities Committee, includes acceptance of several second and third national records, but as yet none of the four potential firsts that were submitted.

Report on rare bird in Great Britain in 2011, the committee's annual summary of its accepted and rejected records published in the journal British Birds, also contains a shock 'Not Proven' decision on last year's Long-toed Stint at Weir Wood Reservoir, Sussex, from 15-21 September.

Many birders had considered this last record a shoo-in due to the calibre of some of the observers, the documentation and video footage taken of the bird, though this has not been publicly released. It is now apparent that the evidence needed to unequivocally accept this potential third record for Britain was either not available or not presented to the committee, resulting in the unexpected decision to reject the claim. This could be overturned in due course, however, should new evidence such as confirmatory footage be submitted.

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