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July 2008 • Vol. 0 • 339-392 I I TRiMG U ^Herring Gull taxonomy Recording areas of Great Britain British Birds Established 1907, incorporating The Zoologist, established 1843 Published by BB 2000 Limited, trading as ‘British Birds’ ISSN 0007-0335 RegisteredOffice: 4 HenriettaStreet,Covent Garden,LondonWC2E8SF British Birds is owned and published by BB 2000 Limited, the directors of which are John Eyre (Chairman), Jeremy Greenwood, Ian Packer, Adrian Pitches, Richard Porter and Bob Scott. BB 2000 Limited is wholly owned by The British Birds Charitable Trust (registered charity No. 1089422), whose trustees are Richard Chandler,Jeremy Greenwood, Peter Oliver and Bob Scott. British Birds aims to be the leadingjournal for the modern birder in the Western Palearctic Weaimto: > provideaforum forcontributionsofinteresttoallbirdwatchers intheWestern Palearctic; •> publish materialon behaviour,conservation,distribution,ecology,identification,movements,statusandtaxonomy; •> embrace newideasand research; > maintain ourpositionastherespectedjournal ofrecord;and interpretgoodscientificresearchonbirdsfortheinterested non-scientist. British Birds Notes Panel Editor Roger Riddington WillCresswell,Ian Dawson, Jim Flegg,IanNewton FRS, Assistant Editors Caroline Dudley& Peter Kennerley Malcolm Ogilvie, Angela Turner (Co-ordinator) Editorial Board Dawn Balmer, Ian Carter, Annual subscription rates Richard Chandler, Martin Collinson,Chris Kehoe, Robin Prytherch, NigelRedman, Librariesandagencies - £89.00 RogerRiddington,SteveVotier Individual subscriptions: UK - £48.00 ArtConsultants RobertGillmor&Alan Harris Overseas surfacemail - £54.50 PhotographicConsultants RobinChittenden Back issues &. David Tipling Singlebackissues-£6.50 Rarities Committee Available from British Birds,4 Harlequin Gardens, St Leonards on Sea, East SussexTN37 7PF Chairman Adam Rowlands RaritiesIssue-£12 (availableasabove) Secretary NigelHudson PleasemakeallchequespayabletoBritish Birds ChrisBatty,ChrisBradshaw,PhilBristow,LanceDegnan, Paul French,Martin Garner,JamesLidster, Guidelines for contributors MikePennington, BrianSmall,JohnSweeney Full detailsareavailable on the BBwebsite. www.britishbirds.co.uk EDITORIAL CIRCULATION & PRODUCTION Spindrift, Eastshore, Virkie, Shetland ZE3 9JS 4 Harlequin Gardens, Tel: 01950 460080 St Leonards on Sea, Papers,notes,letters,illustrations,etc. East Sussex TN37 7PF Roger Riddington Tel & fax: 01424 755155 E-mail: [email protected] & Design Production ‘News 8tcomment’information MarkCorliss Adrian Pitches,22 Dene Road, E-mail: [email protected] Tynemouth,Tyne 8c WearNE30 2JW E-mail: [email protected] & Subscriptions Administration Raritydescriptions Hazel Jenner Nigel Hudson, Post Office Flat, E-mail: [email protected] St Mary’s,ScillyTR21 (ILL E-mail: [email protected] Printed by Hastings PrintingCompanyLtd ADVERTISING: forall advertisingmatters,pleasecontact: lan Lycett,Solo Publishing Ltd, B403ATheChocolate Factory, 5 Clarendon Road, London N22 6XJ Tel: 020 8881 0550 Fax: 020 8881 0990 E-mail: [email protected] Front-coverphotograph: Red-breasted Merganser Mergussenator. Rebecca Nason Kowti The No.1 choice for in Hampshire | | PROMINAR TSN-880 AND TSN-770 superior adj. greater in quality, quantity, or merit; higher in position or rank. ;tcrrtru TSN-883 or884 with 20-60xZoom RRP£1996.18 Price Promise OUR PRICE UK Mail Order tosa-bjarMknAWhdTaeCrdHbtbuoooryktBeqhEepAuTpoaaualrrrittpftr-lfwjcejeicxscqccuiohnmiatpphenitmsgeemteanigvteaz&inweill wiTtShN207-7630xorZ7o7o4m Po£Ns8etxfatogrDema&oysIDtnesliiutvreemarsny.ce Conditionsapply.Asttrordetails. RRP£1726.95 Open9am-5.30pmMon-Sat. OUR PRICE [email protected]&7O..E5.%A.llPprriicceesssquubojtecetdtioncclhuadnege. 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