The Shell Guide (1983) and why I probably can't achieve my ambition

[RoyW]

Originally Posted by RKB

I had that book too, and it was my 'best' field guide for many years. The main criticism was that the illustrations were too washed out, and the rare/common sections were confusing if you opened the wrong part of the book.

One guide that is rarely mentioned in the Collins New Generation Guide to birds, edited by Chris Perrins (1987). It combined a so-so field guide with a really decent bookending of bird biology and ecology. Probably the single most influential bird book on me, as I've ended up being an ecologist (and know Perrins!).

There is a small feral flock of Snow Geese around the Wash, which is probably the source of many of the records along the east coast of England, and there used to be (still is?) a feral population in Scotland, and also at the University of York.

I agree with the comments from RKB about both the Shell Guide and the Collins New Generation Guide (and I've never met Chris Perrins!).

The feral Snow Geese in Scotland mainly breed on Coll, and can also be seen on nearby islands like Mull. The Scottish birds are now 'officially' countable as a self sustaining catergory C population I believe, not sure about the Norfolk ones (which almost certainly do account for most east coast birds).

[RoyW]

Originally Posted by david156

Wasn't there a change with redpolls too?

Yes, forgot about that one (then again perhaps it's best forgotten about - most other national authorities still treat Lesser and Mealy/Common as one species, which is why they are treated as one in the new edition of the Collins field guide).
Lesser and Common Redpoll are both regulars so now 302 - any others?

Arctic is included in the 37 no longer considered by the BBRC, which are:
White-billed Diver, Wilson's Petrel, Night Heron, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Great White Egret, Purple Heron, White Stork, Americn Wigeon, Ring-necked Duck, Surf Scoter, Black Kite, Red-footed Falcon, Common Crane, American Golden Plover, Ring-billed Gull, White-winged Black Tern, European Bee-eater, Alpine Swift, Red-rumped Swallow, Short-toed Lark, Richards Pipit, Tawny Pipit, Red-throated Pipit, Aquatic Warbler, Subalpine Warbler, Greenish Warbler, Pallas's Warbler, Dusky Warbler, Woodchat Shrike, Rose-coloured (Rosy) Starling, Serin, Arctic Redpoll, Common (Scarlet) Rosefinch, Parrot Crossbill, Rustic Bunting and Little Bunting.

Apologies if anything has been included, or omitted, in error. Obviously some of these remain very scarce, and if the guide was to be published today the authors may have chosen to leave some of these with the vagrants. They have all been dropped by the BBRC because the number of each of these being submitted each year was adding considerably to their workload - they all remain as species for which descriptions need to be submitted to county recorders.

Brent Geese have not been split (apart from by the Dutch, who consider them to be three, or four, valid species).

Edit:

Originally Posted by RobS

How does 263+37 = 301? Or even - LA Pheasant? What did I miss in your calcs?

263 + 37, but minus the two now treated as vagrants (Snowy Owl & Savi's Warbler), then add on the three species that come from 'spilts'.

The extra redpoll that I forgot then make it 302.

Originally Posted by RobS

, plus Hooded Crow

303.

[RoyW]

Another five that are no longer considered 'real' rarities by the BBRC;
Green-winged Teal (split from Common/Eurasion Teal), Buff-breasted Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper, and Radde's Warbler - and (of course) White-tailed Eagle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British...pecies_covered

The 263 from the Shell Guide was a more manageable number - it seems strange to think that you can potentialy see over 300 species in Britain without seeing an 'official' rarity!

[RobS]

I've seen 28 on your list - I've miles to go!

Thanks for that, most interesting.

Rob S

[RobS]

Seen three of you last post too.

Rob S