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Bitterns and Bittern Conservation in the UK

Once widespread and even locally numerous across the lowlands of the UK, the Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris had been extirpated by a combination of habitat loss and persecution by the late 1880s. After the species returned, at the start of the second decade of the twentieth century, numbers increased to a peak in the 1950s…

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Eagle Owls in Doñana: a conservation dilemma or not?

he recent increase in the numbers of Eagle Owls in Britain has led to widespread concern about the potential impact of this top predator on populations of other birds and mammals…

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The <i>BB</i>/BTO Best Bird Book of the Year 2011

British Birds and the BTO announce the winner of the Award for Best Bird Book of the Year 2011.

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Madeiran Storm-petrel off Scilly: new to Britain

A Madeiran Storm-petrel was seen and photographed from a boat approximately 12–14 km southeast of Scilly on 28th July 2007…

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From the Rarities Committee’s files: Moult and ageing of male Falcated Duck in autumn

A male Falcated Duck in Devon in winter 2006/07 was a subject of much debate in terms of the bird’s age. Research on the subject involving the study of captive birds and museum specimens concluded that the Devon was a first-winter male. The wider results of that research, concerning the moult and ageing of this species in autumn, are presented in this paper…

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Honey-buzzards in southern England

An amateur study of the breeding Honey-buzzards of the New Forest area, in southern England began in 1954 and continues today. Over that 58-year period, at least 214 breeding attempts were recorded…

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Amur Falcon in Yorkshire: new to Britain

A small falcon, initially thought to be a first-summer male Red-footed Falcon was discovered on 14th September 2008 at Tophill Low nature reserve, in Yorkshire…

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From the Rarities Committee’s files: Identification of Caspian Gull

Variability in large gulls creates problems for field observers, not least because of the possibility that hybridisation might be responsible for the appearance of what are perceived to be atypical individuals…

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A double century for Bitterns

The year 2011 has been a double-century year for the Eurasian Bittern: not only did the number of booming males in England top 100, but it is exactly 100 years since the species was rediscovered breeding after a long absence from the country…

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Eurasian Bittern distribution and abundance in the UK during the 2009/10 winter

By collating records from a number of sources, primarily via BirdGuides, BirdTrack and county bird recorders, it was found that there were a minimum of 600 wintering Eurasian Bitterns in the UK during the 2009/10 winter…

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