British birds

2007·35.4 MB·English

British Birds
Established 1907,incorporatingTheZoologist,established 1843
PublishedbyBB 2000 Limited,tradingas‘British Birds’
RegisteredOffice:4HenriettaStreet,CoventGarden,LondonWC2E8SF
British Birds is owned and published by BB 2000 Limited,the directors ofwhich areJohn Eyre (Chairman),
Jeremy Greenwood, Ian Packer,Adrian Pitches, Richard Porter, Bob Scott and Terry Smeeton.
BB2000 Limited is wholly owned byThe British Birds CharitableTrust (registered charity No. 1089422),
whosetrustees are Richard Chandler,Jeremy Greenwood,PeterOliverand Bob Scott.
British Birds aims to be the leadingjournal forthe modern birderin theWestern Palearctic
Weaimto:> provideaforumforcontributionsofinteresttoallbirdwatchersintheWesternPalearctic;
> publishmaterialonbehaviour,conservation,distribution,ecology,identification,movements,statusandtaxonomy;
<• embracenewideasandresearch; maintainourpositionastherespectedjournalofrecord;and
•> interpretgoodscientificresearchonbirdsfortheinterestednon-scientist.
British Birds Notes Panel
Editor RogerRiddington WillCresswell,IanDawson,JimFlegg,IanNewtonFRS,
AssistantEditors CarolineDudley&PeterKennerley MalcolmOgilvie,AngelaTurner(Co-ordinator)
EditorialBoard DawnBalmer,lanCarter,
Annual subscription rates
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RobinPrytherch,NigelRedman, Librariesandagencies - £87.00
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PhotographicConsultants RobinChittenden
Back issues
&DavidTipling
Singlebackissues-£6.50
Rarities Committee AWvoariklahboluesferLoamneBr,itIicskhleBsihrdasm,,UEnaistt3S,usTsheexATpNpl3e6st4oBrJe,
Chairman CohnBradshaw
RaritiesIssue-£12(availableasabove)
ChrisBradshaw,PhilBristow,LanceDegnan, PleasemakeallchequespayabletoBritishBirds
MartinGarner,PaulHarvey,JamesLidster,
lohnMartin,AdamRowlands, Guidelines for Contributors
BrianSmall,JohnSweeney FulldetailsareavailableontheBBwebsite.
www.britishbirds.co.uk
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British Birds HISTORY MUSEUM
1 0 JAN 2007
Volume 100 • Number I - January 2007 TRPIRNEGSLEINBTREADRY
2 Editorial: The first 100 years RogerRiddington
A
historyofBritish Birds Malcolm Ogilvie, JamesFerguson-Lees and
Richard Chandler
16 Pm.mA.ReFproasretr,oMn.raJ.reRobgierrdss ainndGrtehaetRaBrriittiaeisnCionm2m0i0t5t-eePart 1: non-passerines
Regular features
62 Letters 67 News and comment
Calls of‘Northern Bullfinches’ AdrianPitches
JamesMcCallum
Join us-and adopt thevice-county 70 S3 Rarities Committee News
system StephenMorrison
TheCambridge‘MoustachedWarblers’
W.R. R Bourne
64 Obituary
MichaelJohnRogers (1932-2006)
©
British Birds 2007
Editorial
The
first 00 years
1
Strictly speaking, this editorial should have straight. I am delighted that James has also co-
appeared in the June 2007 issue, when authored the first article in this volume (along
British Birdswillbetruly 100yearsold. For with Malcolm Ogilvie and Richard Chandler,
practical purposes, however,we have decided to formerandpresentmembersofthe BBeditorial
celebrate BB’s centenary throughout 2007 and boardrespectively),which takesa moredetailed
Vol. 100ofthejournal.Thereareso manythings look back at the historyof BB, and its develop-
to look back on during the first 100 years, a mentduringthepastcentury.
mixture of milestones and watersheds, high Looking to the future, the'History ofBritish
points andlow, newdawns and false dawns. For Birds’ article is the first in a series ofpapers to
many years, BB has used the occasional series mark our centenary; there will be one in most
'Looking back’ to give readers a flavour of the issues in the coming year, from a range of
journal 25, 50 or 75 years ago. Both the differ- renowned authors, and I feel certain that it will
ences and the similarities between the British be a series that readers will relish. This will not
ornithological scene at those earlier times and affect the flow of regular papers (although it is
now are thought-provoking. Fifty years ago, likelyto mean more than an average number of
the June 1957 issue, as well as containing an pages in some issues!), nor ofregular reports.
editorial entitled 'The First FiftyYears’, included With regard to the latter, the slippage in pub-
a paper (by R. A. Richardson, M. J. Seago and lishing schedule of some key reports will not
A. C. Church) describing a new species for the have gone unnoticed, with part 1 of the BBRC
British List in Norfolk, Collared Dove Strep- report for 2005 appearing only now, in January
topelia decaocto and another paper, by A. W. 2007, and no Rare Breeding Birds Panel (RBBP)
,
Boyd, entitled 'Sewage-farms as bird-habitats’. report since October 2004, the report for 2002.
GivenwhathashappenedsincetobothCollared In both cases, this has reflected a changeover in
Doves and sewage-farms, these events seem secretary/compiler and, also in both cases, the
trulyfromanotherage. replacement of a long-serving incumbent has
Yet not everything changes so dramatically, not been easy. Nonetheless, it is fully intended
and going back to the very first issue of BB, in that the schedule for both reportswill return to
June 1907, it is reassuring to discover a format normal thisyear. The BBRC report for2005 will
of main papers, notes, letters and reviews that be split into two parts to facilitate a more
has both stood the test oftime and served this detailedsummaryofall 17speciesforwhichthis
journal well. The topics covered are by no willbethelastreport;the2006 reportshouldbe
means so outdated that their only value is in published towards the end ofVol. 100, and will
historical terms either- a note by J. H. Gurney once more appear in a single issue.A combined
on the numbers of birds (mainly wintering 2003/04 RBBP report is planned for June 2007,
Pink-footedGeeseAnserbrachyrhynchus) struck anditishopedtopublisha2005 reportlaterthis
by lightning during a severe storm in north year too. As for the Scarce Migrants report, it is
Norfolkin February 1906 would merit publica- intended to combine the 2004 and 2005 reports
tion today. The June 1907 issue began with an and publish them together in 2008, partly to
account by Howard Saunders of a number of prevent a surfeit ofannual reports dominating
recent additions to the British List, another thepagesofBBthisyear.
format with which regular BB readers will be Whether or not, in due course, a future BB
familiar. The unmasking of the ‘Hastings editor will be chewing a pencil and drafting
Rarities’affairremovedmanyofthespeciesthat ‘Thefirst200years’remainstobeseen-butthe
Saunders described, however, and this provides quality and quantity of material that is now
a neat link with both June 1957 and the first being submitted to BB certainly bodes well for
article in this issue. James Ferguson-Lees was theimmediatefutureofthejournal.
executive editorofBBin 1957,and a significant
contributor to setting the Hastings affair RogerRiddington
2 ©British Birds 100 •January 2007 • 2