Dutch Birding volume 30 (2008) no 6

30 years Dutch Birding, part 6: 2004-08

This paper describes the sixth and most recent five-year period of Dutch Birding and the DBA. This period was characterized by stability in some fields (board's memberships and activities, editorial memberships and activities, content and quality of Dutch Birding) and by rapid developments in other fields, especially regarding the electronic information system but also by the rapidly growing number of young, eager and competent birders. Although the number of pages of each volume of Dutch Birding grew only slightly, the average number of photographs per page increased further to a maximum of 1.50, reflecting the growing number of well-equipped photographers and the growing quality of digital and digiscoped images. Interesting book publications published by the DBA or strongly linked to members of the Dutch Birding team included one discussing the etymology of Dutch bird names by Klaas Eigenhuis, a pocket guide to identify and get to know the c 250 most active Dutch birders, The birds of Kazakhstan, and books with CDs by The Sound Approach (The Sound Approach to birding by Mark Constantine et al and, recently, Petrels night & day by Magnus Robb et al). Arnoud van den Berg completed a 30-year period of (almost) continuous involvement as chief editor of Dutch Birding, and was active in many other ways (photographer, sound recordist, author, taxonomic guardian of Dutch and WP species lists, traveler etc). The other diehard to hold the same position for 30 years was René Pop as photographic editor of Dutch Birding. The most important developments (apart from the already mentioned advances in quality and 'accessibility' of photographic equipment) were the innovations in the information service. The Dutch Bird Alert systems became available for mobile phones and PDAs and this is still in a process of improvements and elaborations.

New taxa for the Dutch list were, in chronological order: 'white-throated wagtail' M cinereocapilla/iberiae, Rock Bunting Emberiza cia (not twitchable), Marbled Duck (first acceptable), Grey-necked Bunting E buchanani (trapped, not twitchable) and Buffle-head Bucephala albeola (first acceptable) in 2004; Kumlien's Gull Larus glaucoides kumlieni, Asian Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca (seen by eight birders), Killdeer Charadrius vociferus and Daurian Starling Sturnus sturninus (first acceptable) in 2005; Ashy-headed Wagtail M cinereocapilla (first and second), Green Heron Butorides virescens (returning in 2007), Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia (seen by c 10 birders), Slender-billed Gull Chroicocephalus genei (seven birds within two days), Solitary Sandpiper T solitaria, Pallid Swift Apus pallidus, Eurasian Crag Martin Ptyonoprogne rupestris (six birds within two weeks) and Little Swift A affinis (recently surpassed by the acceptance of a record in 2001) in 2006 (which was the best year ever in the Netherlands with 368 species); Spanish Imperial Eagle A adalberti (still under con­sideration) and Eastern Crowned Warbler Phylloscopus coronatus (and possibly Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus) in 2007; and none (by late November) in 2008!

Other noteworthy records were, among others, Stilt Sandpiper Calidris himantopus (third), Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca (third), Red-necked Stint C ruficollis (fourth), Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus (third), Franklin's Gull L pipixcan (fifth), Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler Locustella certhiola (fifth, trapped like previous four), White's Thrush Zoothera aurea (first twitch­able), Western Black-eared Wheatear Oenanthe hispanica (second, first twitchable), Gyr Falcon Falco rusticolus, four Pine Grosbeaks Pinicola enucleator (including first twitchable), Ross's Gull Rhodostethia rosea and two Dartford Warblers Sylvia undata in 2004; Calandra Lark Melanocorypha calandra (third), Trumpeter Finch Bucanetes githagineus (second), Red-necked Stint (fifth), Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler (sixth, trapped), nine Desert Wheatears O deserti (one in spring and eight (!) in autumn), Lesser Spotted Eagle A pomarina (first twitchable since 1984), Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus (eighth, second twitch­able), Blyth's Pipit Anthus godlewskii (fourth and fifth), Northern Hawk Owl Surnia ulula (third, first twitchable), White-throated Robin Irania gutturalis (fourth, trapped), Isabelline Wheatear O isabellina (fourth) and Glaucidium passerinum (second) in 2005; Great Spotted Cuckoo Clamator glandarius (first twitch­able since 1995), Sardinian Warbler S melanocephala (first since 1995), Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus, Baikal Teal (first twitchable), Daurian Shrike L isabellinus (fifth) and Isabel­line Wheatear (fifth) in 2006; two Great Shearwaters Puffinus gravis (one videoed), Red-flanked Bluetail (first in winter, second twitchable), Blyth's Pipit (first in winter, second twitchable), Slender-billed Gull, Long-legged Buzzard (fourth), 112 Griffon Vultures (of which 111 within two days), two Sharp-tailed Sandpipers C acuminata (seventh and eigth), Isabelline Shrike (sixth), the return of Laughing Gull L atricilla 'Atze', the first breeding record of Paddyfield Warbler Acrocephalus agricola, a small invasion of Parrot Crossbills Loxia pytyopsittacus, two 'Pleske's Tits' Cyanistes cyanus x caeruleus (second and third) and Black-faced Bunting E spodocephala (third, trapped like previous two) in 2007; and two Eurasian Pygmy Owls (third and fourth, including first twitchable), two successful breeding records of Boreal Owls Aegolius funereus, European Scops Owl Otus scops (second twitchable), Audouin's Gull L audouinii (second, not twitchable), Alpine Accentor (fifth), two Red-flanked Bluetails (both trapped), Gyr Falcon (third twitchable), Snowy Owl Bubo scandiacus and a small invasion (but largest since 1991) of Spotted Nutcracker Nucifraga caryocatactes in 2008.

The Big Day record remained at 187 although three consecutive attempts in 2005-07 reached over 180. Two year list record attempts failed to set a new record (still at 339), with 334 or 335 in 2007 and at least 333 (by 20 November) in 2008. The number one position of the Dutch ranking was taken over again by Gerard Steinhaus, who stood at 453 species by late November 2008. Depending on the rate of new species per year (3.2 in the last five-year period, but strongly influenced by the very good year 2006) and on the number of future splits, the first Dutch birder may reach 500 species between 2023 and 2032. An inventory has shown that c 100 species can conceivably be expected as future additions to the Dutch top listers' lists, including a few 10s that are already on the Dutch list but have never been twitchable.

G J (Hans) ter Haar, Hollandse Hout 127, 8244 GD Lelystad, Nederland
(hterhaarplanet.nl)