V 14 No.4 - The Scottish Ornithologists' Club

1987
Scottish Bird Report 1986 251
on usual. Migration showed lowest nos for many
years in both spring and autumn: Shetland, very
light passage 18 Mar-24 May, extremely poor in
autumn 26 Sep-31 Oct, max 12 Fair Isle 8 Oct;
Orkney, influx 21-22 Apr with 42 birds at 4 sites.
-Firecrest Regulus ignicapillus Only one: Borders,
1 St Abbs 27 May (RDM) .
Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata Breeding:
Orkney, 2 prs bred; local increases Highland and
Grampian, little change suggested in S Scotland,
continues to colonise clearfell areas in SW
Scotland. Migration: Shetland, 11 May-25 Jun,
max 8 Fair Isle 11 Jun, last one Sumburgh 24 Oct;
Highland, 1st Roybridge 4 May; Fife, 30 Isle of
May 26 May; Lothian, 1st Blackford Pond 5 May;
Strathclyde, 2 Lamlash, Arran 1 May; main arrival
was later than usual, from around 18-22 May.
Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva A poor
year with four in spring, and only 11 in autumn:
Shetland, singles Fair Isle 8-10 May, Whalsay 15
May, 1 Lerwick 8 Oct, 2 on 16 Oct, 2 Kergord 11
Oct, 1 Quendale 2 Nov; Orkney, 1 North
Ronaldsay 10-12 May, 4 singles 27 Sep-25 Oct plus
an extraordinary record of one Orphir 9 Dec; Fife,
1 Isle of May 7-8 May.
-Collared Flycatcher Ficedula albicollis One:
Shetland, 1st yr trapped Fair Isle 8 Oct (NJR)III.
Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca Breeding:
Highland, 14 nests Aviemore, mes 6.1 , mbs 4.7,
only 1 nest failed; Tayside, 8 prs bred Killiecrankie;
Strathclyde, 2 prs bred Inveraray, 12
territories Inversnaid-Cailness 25 May, another
good year in SW; Dumf & Gall, good year with 13
nests Wood of Cree. Migration was very poor with
few places reporting more than 10: Shetland, small
nos in spring 9 May-12 Jun, in autumn 9 Aug-25
Oct, max 11 Fair Isle 28 Aug; West Isles, 2
Grogarry, South Uist 4 Oct, 1 Horgabost, Harris
13 Oct; Borders, 1st St Abbs 3 May.
Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus Breeding:
reported as very scarce in E Lothian Dist but this
may represent a local decline since Borders nos
appear healthier than feared in 1985; Strathclyde,
good season Argyll, suggestion of good season in
SW. Counts: Strathclyde, clOO in 3 flocks Troon 16
Jan , 60 Brodick 7 Sep, 70+ Culzean Dec.
Marsh Tit Parus palustris Information on
distribution remains scarce, with SE Scotland
continuing to be the stronghold. Lothian, 2
Woodhall Dean 10 May; Borders, up to 10 prs
reported with min 3 prs Hirsel, most records come
from Eyemouth-Coldstream-Melrose areas.
Willow Tit Parus montanus Like Marsh Tit, the
distribution is local but a bit more widespread,
principally in SW Scotland, records in SE Scotland
coming under increasing scrutiny. Strathclyde,
single prs reported Jerviswood and Possil L, 3-4 prs
probably bred Dalmellington; Dumf & Gall,
population stable.
Crested Tit Parus cristatus Breeding: Highland, 4
prs Garten CBC (6 in 1985), pr with min 1 young
Ardochy 29 Jun, 1 Fort Augustus 10 Feb;
Grampian: only 5 prs in boxes Culbin Forest (8-9
most years) , good fledging success, ave 5.8 young/
pr, 7-8 prs Lossie Forest.
Coal Tit Parus ater Migration: no remarkable nos
as in 1985 with the only notable records being
Orkney, 1 South Ronaldsay 14 Oct; Strathclyde, 4
Ailsa Craig 12 Mar.
Blue Tit Parus caeruleus Breeding, a very poor
year throughout Scotland with high chick mortality
mainly due to bad weather: Grampian, population
at low level Culbin Forest where 4 prs in nestboxes
(25 in 1985), 6 prs in nestboxes Lossie Forest (19 in
1985), fledging success poor due to cold weather;
Tayside, low nos Killiecrankie where 7 prs in
nestboxes (30 in 1985); Lothian, 27 territories
Roslin CBC; Dumf & Gall, very poor season with
many young dead in nestboxes Jun. Migration:
Orkney, ! Kirkwall5 May.
Great Tit Parus major Breeding: Grampian, very
poor season Lossie Forest where 19 prs in
nestboxes (49 in 1985), high mortality due to bad
weather with ave 1.8 fledged young/pr, 7 prs in
nestboxes Culbin Forest (11 in 1985); Highland, 8
prs Garten CBC (5 in 1985); Dumf & Gall, poor
success Glentrool. Migration: Shetland, 1 Mid
Walls 1 May; Orkney, 2 Stromness 8 Feb; Fife, 1
Isle of May 19 Mar.
-Nuthatch Sitta eurapaea Two: Borders, 1
Longformacus 4, 18 Apr (RRE), 1 Kelso 17 Jul
(WI)III.
Treecreeper eerthia familiaris No obvious change
in breeding population suggested from few
reports.
-Golden Oriole Orialus arialus Migration:
Shetland, singles Mid Yell 7-14 May, 5 Jun, Quarff
9-13 Jun, Fair Isle 11 Jun, Walls 13 Jun; West Isles,
! North Rona 21 Jun; Borders, 1 St Abbs 10 May,
2 on 14 May, singles Bummouth 22 May, Ayton 22
May.
Red-backed Shrike Lanius calluria Migration:
Shetland, c35 birds from 5 May-13 Jun , main
movement early, max 5 Fair Isle 9 May, only 4 in
autumn from 25 Aug, last one exceptionally late
Fair Isle 4 Nov; Orkney, 5-6 singles 8-13 May, 1
Eday 27 Sep; Highland, singles Wick 8-11 May, 9
May; Grampian, 1 Ythan 15 May; Tayside, 1