First successful breeding record of Blyth's Reed Warbler in Britain
The first successful breeding record of Blyth's Reed Warbler in Britain is the headline from a bumper year for rare breeding birds in the Scottish Highlands, as detailed by the Scottish Ornithologists' Club (SOC):
Four rare bird species bred in the Scottish Highlands this year for the first time in decades, including a species which had never successfully bred in Britain before.
Despite poor summer weather, 2024 has been an unusual year for exceptionally rare breeding birds in the Highlands.
The Highland Bird Recorder for the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club (SOC), John Poyner, explains: “Highland’s wide range of habitats and unique position between northern Scandinavia and the milder south of Britain means it is superbly placed for new bird species colonising, as a result of range expansion or habitat and climate change. To have three new breeders as well as one returning after over half a century in a single season is unprecedented though and highlights the importance of this region for potential colonisation by new species.”
For the first time ever in Britain, a pair of Blyth’s Reed Warblers successfully reared young, representing a westward extension of their range. This small brown bird, best identified by its song, nests in scattered bushes and woodland clearings. Its breeding range has expanded westward from Russia through Scandinavia and stray migrants are increasingly recorded in Scotland so a breeding attempt here was not entirely unexpected.
Little Ringed Plovers colonised England from 1938 and Scotland from 1968 but nested in Highland for the first time this year, their northwards expansion perhaps a result of climate change. A summer visitor to Britain, this wading bird nests on the ground on river shingles and gravel pits, habitats where sudden rises in water level or mineral extraction often cause egg loss.
Although Common Cranes may once have nested, it is only recently that there are proven Scottish breeding records. A chick reared by a pair this year is a first for the Highland recording area.
European Nightjars formerly nested widely in open woodland across Scotland but for unknown reasons had disappeared as a breeding bird in Highland by the 1970s, so a nesting pair this year is a welcome return. Their nocturnal habits may mean they are being overlooked in areas of clear-fell forestry, which are attractive to them for only for a few years until they become too overgrown.
For security reasons, locations of these breeding attempts are confidential but it is hoped that these birds will return and become regular nesters here.
The SOC is a charity promoting the study, enjoyment and conservation of wild birds and their habitats across Scotland. The SOC manages the network of bird recorders in Scotland, relying on volunteers gathering vital, impartial information about our country's wild birds to track how they are faring and to inform conservation efforts.Visit the SOC website here.
Scottish Ornithologists' Club
28 Aug 2024
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