MANCHESTER BIRDING

BIRD RECORDING AND COUNTY RARITIES

 

BIRD RECORDING

 

ADDRESS FOR ALL RECORDS AND QUERIES, OTHER THAN COUNTY RARITIES:

Mrs. A.J. Smith,               
12 Edge Green Street,
Ashton-in-Makerfield
Wigan WN4 8SL

Tel. 01942 712615 or 07970 778024

Email: judith@gmbirds.freeserve.co.uk

Greater Manchester, contrary to popular belief, is infact rich in bird life and supports a wide variety of habitats, enjoying a mild climate attractive to many wintering birds. On average, around 200 species are recorded each year and the total number recorded in the county currently stands at 305.

It is VERY important that observers further the knowledge of the avifauna of the county and help conservation by contributing their records for the annual County Bird Report and this page is intended to assist observers in doing just that!

FOR DETAILS OF PAST AND PRESENT COUNTY BIRD REPORTS AND HOW TO OBTAIN A COPY, CLICK HERE

From August 2004, we are asking birders with computer facilities to utilise the Excel spreadsheet available below to record their bird sightings. These can then be easily incorporated directly into the county database. The spreadsheet has a list of sites and observers attached to it and I would urge all those intending to use the spreadsheet to download the instruction booklet which you will find very useful.

If your computer does not have Excel but uses another spreadsheet then please contact the County Recorder here for advise, as it will almost certainly be possible to accommodate it.

Click here for the downloadable Excel spreadsheet recording form *IMPORTANT NOTE* On clicking to open this document a dialogue box will appear asking for a username and password. Do not enter anything, simply click the cross in the top right corner of the box to close it and the document will appear, which can then be saved to your own computer. *Updated 26.12.07**

Click here for the instruction booklet *IMPORTANT NOTE* On clicking to open this document a dialogue box will appear asking for a username and password. Do not enter anything, simply click the cross in the top right corner of the box to close it and the document will appear, which can then be saved to your own computer.
 

For birders without computer facilities (who may be reading this at their local library, internet cafe or elsewhere) please send your records in by post, arranged by site if possible. Send your records to the address below as soon as possible after the year end and certainly before the end of March.


THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME AND TROUBLE TO SEND IN YOUR RECORDS

              

COUNTY RARITIES

 

ADDRESS FOR ALL RECORDS AND QUERIES OF COUNTY OR NATIONAL RARITIES:

 

Ian McKerchar (Assistant County Recorder, Rarities).

42 Green Avenue,

Astley,

Greater Manchester.

M29 7EH

 

Tel: 01942 701758 or 07958 687481

 

Email: ian@mckerchar1.freeserve.co.uk

 

THE COUNTY RARITY REPORT FORM CAN BE FOUND AND DOWNLOADED HERE

 

Simply open the document and save it to your computer by clicking 'file' then 'save as', placing a title in to the 'file name', then click 'save'. The document is then saved to your computer and can be used over and over again if necessary, simply fill it in as thoroughly as possible (see the 'guidelines for submissions' below for assistance if necessary) and email the completed form to me as an attachment at ian@mckerchar1.freeserve.co.uk. Alternatively, upon request, I can send a rarity report form to you by email (as an attachment) or send a paper rarity form to your home address, in both instances please contact me here or by telephone on 01942 701758, mobile: 07958 687481.

 

GUIDELINES FOR SUBMITTING COUNTY AND NATIONAL RARITIES CAN BE FOUND HERE

 

AN ARTICLE DEALING WITH DOCUMENTING RARITIES CAN BE FOUND HERE

 

 

CURRENT RARITIES COMMITTEE MEMBERS (with effect from January 2007)

 

Rob Adderley

Adam Davidson

Andy Isherwood

Pete Hines

Ian Mckerchar (Assistant County Recorder, Rarities)

 

Gulls Sub-committee members:

 

Robert Adderley 

Ian Mckerchar

Roy Travis

 

 

COUNTY RARITY LIST

 

The following species and sub-species are county rarities and require a description to be provided to the County Rarities Committee (as of 15.06.07).

 

Bewick’s Swan; Bean Goose; Brent Goose; American Wigeon; Green-winged Teal; Ring-necked Duck; Ferruginous Duck; Long-tailed Duck (female/immature plumages); Velvet Scoter; Smew (female/immature plumages); Quail (non-calling birds); all Divers; Red-necked Grebe (other than breeding plumage); Slavonian Grebe; Fulmar; Manx Shearwater; Storm Petrel; Leach's Petrel; Gannet; Shag; Night Heron (other than escapes); Little Egret; Great White Egret; Purple Heron; Spoonbill; Honey Buzzard; Black Kite; Red Kite; Montagu's Harrier; Goshawk; Rough-legged Buzzard; Red-footed Falcon; Spotted Crake; Corncrake; Common Crane; Kentish Plover; Dotterel; Little Stint; Temminck's Stint; Curlew Sandpiper; White-rumped Sandpiper; Pectoral Sandpiper; Purple Sandpiper; Red-necked Phalarope; Grey Phalarope; all Skuas; Sabine's Gull; Ring-billed Gull; Roseate Tern; White-winged Black Tern; Black Guillemot; Turtle Dove; Nightjar; Alpine Swift; Bee-eater; Hoopoe; Wryneck; Woodlark; Shore Lark; Red-rumped Swallow; Richard's Pipit; Tawny Pipit; Nightingale; Bluethroat; Aquatic Warbler; Marsh Warbler; Yellow-browed Warbler; Red-breasted Flycatcher; Bearded Tit; Marsh Tit; Golden Oriole; all Shrike species; Chough; Hooded Crow; Serin; Common/Mealy Redpoll (except in influx years); Arctic Redpoll; Common Rosefinch; Hawfinch; Lapland Bunting; Cirl Bunting; Ortolan Bunting; Little Bunting.

 

SUBSPECIES:

 

White-fronted Goose- "Greenland" A.a.flavirostris - away from Rochdale MBC
Herring Gull:- Observers who have previously successfully submitted rarity forms for adult Yellow-legged Gulls L. michahellis will not be required to do so in future. However, rarity forms are required for all immature Yellow-legged Gulls, all Caspian Gulls and any other race other than L. argentatus and L. argentatus argenteus.
Lesser Black-backed Gull- L.f.fuscus and L.f.intermedius
Iceland Gull- "Kumlien's Gull" L.g. kumlieni
Rock Pipit- "Scandinavian" A.p.littoralis
Yellow Wagtail- races M.f. flava (Blue-headed) and M.f. thunbergi (Grey-headed). M.f. feldegg (Black-headed) is a national rarity.
Chiffchaff - races other than P. collybita
 

In addition the following species, not yet recorded in Greater Manchester, but not national rarities, would also require a description to be provided to the County Rarities Committee.

 

Cory's Shearwater, Sooty Shearwater, Mediterranean Shearwater, Wilson's Petrel, Black Grouse, American Golden Plover, White-rumped Sandpiper, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Red-throated Pipit, Barred Warbler, Cetti's Warbler, Icterine Warbler, Melodious Warbler, Dartford Warbler, Subalpine Warbler, Greenish Warbler, Dusky Warbler, Radde's Warbler, Pallas's Warbler, Rose-coloured Starling, Rustic Bunting.

 

If observers are in any doubt as to what constitutes a county or national rarity they should not hesitate to contact the Assistant County Recorder (Rarities) here or tel. 01942 701758 / 07958 687481.