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British Counties and their National Firsts (1 Viewer)

Himalaya

Well-known member
Which counties bagged which British Rare, Scarce Firsts? How expected were they? I know rarities turn up in unexpected locations.

As far as I know my county Lancashire has the first recorded Sociable Plover and First recorded Eleonara's Falcon for Britain. That was a surprise in my eyes as I thought it would most likely have been an American Wader.
 
Inland counties have to be the most impressive in terms of unexpected national firsts?

Notts has had the first 'accepted' Cedar Waxwing and Redhead, plus, even more remarkably, Egyptian Nightjar.
 
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Northumbs has quite a few, including some old records like the 1st Bluethroat (1826), 1st Yellow-browed Warbler (1838) and 1st (and still only!) Red-necked Nightjar (1856), as well as more recent ones like Aleutian Tern (1979). Don't know if it's a UK first or not, but there's also a 1760s record of Great Auk.

Also of course a World first on Bewick's Swan (1829) :t:
 
Northumbs has quite a few, including some old records like the 1st Bluethroat (1826), 1st Yellow-browed Warbler (1838) and 1st (and still only!) Red-necked Nightjar (1856), as well as more recent ones like Aleutian Tern (1979). Don't know if it's a UK first or not, but there's also a 1760s record of Great Auk.

Also of course a World first on Bewick's Swan (1829) :t:

I feel obliged to counter that with County Durham's contribution...

Long-tailed Duck (1661-71); Sooty Shearwater (1828); Pine Grosbeak ('before 1831'); Great Reed Warbler (1847); Arctic Redpoll (1855); Double-crested Cormorant (1989); Amur White Wagtail (ssp. leucopsis) (2005); Eastern Crowned Warbler (2009).

Information from 'A Short History of Durham Ornithology in The Birds of Durham
 
I feel obliged to counter that with County Durham's contribution...

Long-tailed Duck (1661-71); Sooty Shearwater (1828); Pine Grosbeak ('before 1831'); Great Reed Warbler (1847); Arctic Redpoll (1855); Double-crested Cormorant (1989); Amur White Wagtail (ssp. leucopsis) (2005); Eastern Crowned Warbler (2009).

Information from 'A Short History of Durham Ornithology in The Birds of Durham
I'll hit back with Common Eider (St. Cuthbert, Farne Islands, c.670) o:D
 
It was accepted before the Shetland bird AFAIR which was retrospectively added after the Notts birds hence the emphasis on 'accepted' so yes, it does count.

I am not sure what point you are trying to make Andy. It isn't the first for Britain, the OP was asking about national firsts and it's utterly irrelevant what order they get accepted in.
 
I am not sure what point you are trying to make Andy. It isn't the first for Britain, the OP was asking about national firsts and it's utterly irrelevant what order they get accepted in.
Not sure on that - if this were so, then recent archaeological finds from e.g. Roman or pre-Roman times would take precedence over 'traditional' recorded historical firsts. Would you agree with that?
 
I am not sure what point you are trying to make Andy. It isn't the first for Britain, the OP was asking about national firsts and it's utterly irrelevant what order they get accepted in.

Beg to differ.

Abstract from BB re the Notts bird.

' That much twitched bird stayed for almost a month, and was seen by huge numbers of observers. Peter Smith gave an account of his discovery in Birding World (9:70-73).The Nottingham waxwing’s identification and status as a wild bird were accepted by the British Birds Rarities Committee (Brit. Birds 90: 495) and the British Ornithologists’Union Records Committee (Ibis 140: 182), which led to the reconsideration of the status of the earlier individual, on Noss.

Argue all you like, this was the first accepted bird and certainly the first twitchable, without which, the Noss bird might still be languishing in the 'unproven', box.
 
See First For Britain and Ireland 1600-1999 by Philip Palmer. Not noticed a table in it but there is probably one in it somewhere. Otherwise just add up the county records.....

All the best
 
Can't believe we are discussing what a 'first' is - surely it's simply the earliest accepted record for a given species, regardless of the order the records were accepted? ie not the Notts Cedar Waxwing or the South Stack Black Lark.
 
Buckinghamshire has two: Lesser Whitethroat (1787) and Reed Warbler (1785). Philip Palmer's account of the latter contains an error. Essex should be Middlesex.
 
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