Dutch Birding volume 31 (2009) no 1

30 years Dutch Birding: 2008, additions and corrections

This paper looks back at the Dutch birding year 2008 (which was only briefly dealt with in the previous issue) and gives some additions and corrections to the series of six papers describing 30 years of Dutch Birding.

2008 was an average year with c 358 species but for the first time since 1969 (!) no new taxon was added to the Dutch list. The best bird of the year was a Eurasian Pygmy Owl Glaucidium passerinum in February (third and first twitchable, followed by the fourth (found dead) in October). Other good records were two successful breeding records of Boreal Owl Aegolius funereus (five young, of which at least three did not survive), European Scops Owl Otus scops (eighth, second twitchable), Audouin's Gull L audouinii (second), Alpine Accentor (fifth), three Paddyfield Warblers Acrocephalus agricola (two in spring and one in autumn), Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola, Booted Warbler A caligatus, two Pied Wheatears Oenanthe pleschanka, three Olive-backed Pipits Anthus hodgsoni, three Red-flanked Bluetails (two trapped and one found dead), Siberian Stonechat Saxicola maurus, Gyr Falcon Falco rusticolus (third twitchable), Snowy Owl Bubo scandiacus and the largest invasion since 1991 of Spotted Nutcrackers Nucifraga caryocatactes, with a few 10s of birds. The year ended with an escaped (ringed) Oriental Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis (not yet on the Dutch list)...

The year list attempt failed to set a new record, which still stands at 339. Alwin Borhem reached at least 337 and could reach 339 depending on decisions to be made by the Dutch rarities committee. On 1 January 2009, the number one position of the Dutch ranking was shared by Klaas Eigenhuis, Gerard Steinhaus and Aart Vink, each with 453 species, thanks to the upgrading of Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler Sylvia subalpina (formerly S cantillans moltonii) to species level (seen by Klaas and Aart).

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