Welsh Journals

ORNITHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN WALES, 1967-1971 P. E. DAVIES and P. HOPE. JONES This paper is intended to be the first of a series, to appear at intervals of several years, which will review the recent changes, in the status of birds in Wales. The categories to be considered are species new to Wales and new to the counties; species breeding for the first time in Wales and in the counties; and marked increases or decreases in the numbers of breeding or visiting species. This first review is based primarily upon the annual summaries of Welsh records in the Welsh Bird Report, though a few additional records which came forward too late for inclusion in WBR have been noted. In the absence of any published county avifaunas for five counties in North Wales, or of recent ones for several South Wales counties, there must be a slight element of uncertainty about some county firsts.' We are indebted to regional recorders, notably A. J. Mercer and J. W. Donovan, for commenting on several records. 1. NEW BIRDS TO WALES Twenty full species were added to the Welsh List during the five years under review. They included eleven North American birds and nine of Old World origin. Twelve of these records were in Pembroke (ten at Skokholm Bird Observatory), six in Caernarfon (all at Bardsey Bird Observatory), one in Carmarthen, one in Glamorgan. The details are as follows: Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris. (N. America). Male, Bosherston Pools, Pem., 12 February to 8 March 1967. Surf Scoter Melanitta perspicillata (N America). Male, found freshly dead, Ginst Point, Carm., 15 January 1971. Baird's Sandpiper Calidris bairdii (N. America). One Gann estuary, Pern., 2-10 October 1967. Buff-breasted Sandpiper Tryngites subruficollis (N. America). One Bardsey, Caern., 21 September 1968. Olive-backed Thrush Hylocichla ustulata (N. America). One Skokholm, Pem., 14-19 October 1967. Black-eared Wheatear Oenanthe hispanica (S. Europe, N.W. Africa, S.W. Asia). Male Bardsey, Caern., 18 April 1970. Pied Wheatear Oenanthe pleschanka (S.E. Europe, S.-Central Asia). Female Skokholm, Pem., 27-29 October 1968. River Warbler Locustella fluviatilis (Central and E. Europe, W. Asia). One Bardsey, Caem., 17 September 1969. Savi's Warbler Locustella luscinioides (Europe, W. Asia., N.W. Africa). One Skokholm, Pem., 31 October 1968. Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus (Europe, A.Asia). One Skokholm, Pem., 13-14 May 1967.