Docmartin
Thought Police
In the April issue of British Birds:
Roosting behaviour of wintering Eurasian Bitterns in the Lee Valley
Alan Harris describes the main results of a long-term study of the roosting
behaviour of wintering Bitterns . The paper contains photographs and
drawings of Alan's, and a fascinating account of how Bitterns fashion a
suitable roosting perch out of a series of reedstems by using their neck as
a crook.
Taxonomy of the Scoters Melanitta
On behalf of the BOU Taxonomic Subcommittee, Martin Collinson explains the
reasoning behind recent species splits in the scoters. Fully illustrated,
with detailed appendices which bring together all the known information
concerning distribution, display, breeding habitat and behaviour, and diet
of the various taxa.
Conservation research news
Topics covered this month include the evidence for an eastwards shift in
wintering waders in the UK, which looks likely to be a response to climate
change, together with grassland management and its effects on birds.
Shorter contributions include: the results of a recent, European-wide survey
of wintering Golden Plovers; a discussion of a breeding record of Ross¹s
Gull from Greenland in 1885; a fascinating account of a nestling
dark-breasted Barn Owl in Devon; and a description of the recent marked
decline in Corn Buntings numbers in Essex.
Regular features include book reviews, news and recent reports and, to end
on a sad note, the obituary of Andreas Helbig, who died recently, and who was a co-author of the aforementioned scoter paper.
See the British Birds website at britishbirds.co.uk for full
details of current and back issues, and to download a sample copy of BB
Roosting behaviour of wintering Eurasian Bitterns in the Lee Valley
Alan Harris describes the main results of a long-term study of the roosting
behaviour of wintering Bitterns . The paper contains photographs and
drawings of Alan's, and a fascinating account of how Bitterns fashion a
suitable roosting perch out of a series of reedstems by using their neck as
a crook.
Taxonomy of the Scoters Melanitta
On behalf of the BOU Taxonomic Subcommittee, Martin Collinson explains the
reasoning behind recent species splits in the scoters. Fully illustrated,
with detailed appendices which bring together all the known information
concerning distribution, display, breeding habitat and behaviour, and diet
of the various taxa.
Conservation research news
Topics covered this month include the evidence for an eastwards shift in
wintering waders in the UK, which looks likely to be a response to climate
change, together with grassland management and its effects on birds.
Shorter contributions include: the results of a recent, European-wide survey
of wintering Golden Plovers; a discussion of a breeding record of Ross¹s
Gull from Greenland in 1885; a fascinating account of a nestling
dark-breasted Barn Owl in Devon; and a description of the recent marked
decline in Corn Buntings numbers in Essex.
Regular features include book reviews, news and recent reports and, to end
on a sad note, the obituary of Andreas Helbig, who died recently, and who was a co-author of the aforementioned scoter paper.
See the British Birds website at britishbirds.co.uk for full
details of current and back issues, and to download a sample copy of BB
