Lesser Kestrel

Falco naumanni Fleischer, JG, 1818 (9, 14)

Photo © Joe Pender - Porth Hellick Down, St Mary’s, Isles of Scilly, male, 22 March 2020

STATUS

Southern Europe and north-west Africa to northern China. Monotypic.

OVERVIEW

Three individuals in Scotland and two in Yorkshire since 1950 are atypical from the normal English southern counties, with Scilly leading the way with five records overall.

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BBRC RECORDS

1). 1877 Kent Barton Farm, Buckland, near Dover, caught alive, May, now at Dover Museum.

(C. Gordon, Zoologist 1877: 298; BOU, 1883; Ticehurst, 1909; Witherby, 1920-24; Harrison, 1953; Taylor, Davenport & Flegg, 1981; BOURC (2005) Ibis 147: 246-250).

2). 1891 Isles of Scilly Tresco, adult male, shot, 3rd March, photo, now in the Isles of Scilly Museum.

(J. H. Jenkinson, Zoologist 1891: 153; Anon., Transactions of the Penzance Natural History Society 1888-92: 294; J. Clark & F. R. Rodd, Zoologist 1906: 300; N. B. Kinnear, Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 45: 122; Witherby, 1920-24; Penhallurick, 1978; Flood, Hudson & Thomas, 2007: plate 36).

3). 1892 Yorkshire Thirsk area, male, shot, 12th April, now at Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

(R. Lee, Field 23rd Apr., 1892: 585; Nelson, 1907; H. F. Witherby & N. F. Ticehurst, British Birds 1: 322; Witherby, 1920-24; Mather, 1986).

4). 1895 Isle of Wight Carisbrooke, male, shot, 25th November.

(Kelsall & Munn, 1905; H. F. Witherby & N. F. Ticehurst, British Birds 1: 322; Witherby, 1920-24).

5). 1897 North-east Scotland Boyndlie, Aberdeenshire, female, shot, 25th October.

(E. Lee, Field 6th Nov., 1897: 717; G. Sim, Annals of Scottish Natural History 1898: 51; Sim, 1903; Witherby, 1920-24; Thom, 1986; P. R. Gordon & D. L. Clugston, Scottish Birds 18: 135; Phillips, 1997).

6). 1901 Greater Manchester Chat Moss, near Manchester, Lancashire, shot, undated.

(A. W. Boyd, British Birds 35: 229-230; Oakes, 1953).

7). 1903 Isle of Wight Samborough Hill, near Shorwell, female, picked up dead, 11th April.

(Kelsall & Munn, 1905; H. F. Witherby & N. F. Ticehurst, British Birds 1: 322; Witherby, 1920-24).

8). 1909 Yorkshire Spurn, immature male, shot, 14th October.

(W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 25: 77; C. B. Ticehurst, British Birds 3: 375-376; W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 28: 243; Witherby, 1920-24; Eds., Naturalist 66: 120; Mather, 1986).

9). 1926 Isles of Scilly Tresco, adult male, shot, 24th February, photo, now at Isles of Scilly Museum.

(N. B. Kinnear, Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 45: 122; Saunders & Clarke, 1927; H. F. Witherby, British Birds 22: 46-47; Penhallurick, 1978).

10). 1968 Cornwall Treveal, Zennor, first-summer male, 30th May, photo.

(F. R. Smith and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 62: 466; J. E. Beckerlegge & N. R. Phillips, Cornwall Bird Watching & Preservation Society Report 1968: 20; M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 88: 505).

11). 1974 Kent Rainham Marshes, adult male, 31st July to 3rd August.

(F. R. Smith and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 68: 315; Wood, 2007; Self, 2014).

12). 1979 Yorkshire Fairburn Ings, adult male, 4th June.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 79: 540).

13). 1987 Fair Isle Houll, male, 23rd June, photo.

(A. Pitches, Twitching 1: 178-179; M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 81: 551; Forrester & Andrews et al., 2007: photo).

14). 1989 Kent Dover, male, dead, 20th April.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 84: 466).

15). 1992 Greater London Hampstead Heath, male, 31st May.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 88: 505).

16). 2002 Isles of Scilly Golf Course, St Mary's, first-summer male, 13th to 21st May, video, photo.

(Birding World 15 (5): 181, photo; R. L. Flood, Birding World 15 (5): 201-208, plates 1-6, 13; Birding World 15 (12): 509, photo; British Birds 95: plates 226 & 227; M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 96: 562, plates 342 & 343; Flood, Hudson & Thomas, 2007: plates 36 & 37).

17). 2010 Suffolk Minsmere RSPB, adult male, 28th to 31st March, photo.

(Birding World 23 (3): 90, photo; A. Davies & R. Miller, Birding World 23 (3): 106-107, plates 3 & 4; British Birds 103: plate 158; N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 104: 575, plate 302).

18). 2011 Orkney North Ronaldsay, first-summer male, 20th to 21st September, photo.

(Birding World 24 (9): 357, photo; N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 105: 571, plate 325).

19). 2013 Devon Hope's Nose, Torquay, juvenile, 28th October, photo.

(N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 107: 613).

20). 2017 Shetland Noss NNR, 2CY+ female, 1st May, photo.

(A. Denton & C. Nisbet, Scottish Birds 37: 363, plates 309 a-b; C. Holt and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 111: 589, plate 380).

21). 2019 Yorkshire Fraisthorpe, 1CY, 22nd October, photo.

(C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 115: 583).

22). 2020 Isles of Scilly Porth Hellick Down, St Mary's, 3CY+, male, 7th March to 1st May, photo.

(British Birds 113: plate 140; C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 114: 596, plate 401; Isles of Scilly Bird and Natural History Review 2020: photo).

23). 2023 Isles of Scilly Peninnis and roaming, St Mary’s, 23rd to 27th March, photo; same, Abbey Drive, Tresco, 24th and 27th March.

(BBRC - Web-WIP-11-3-24).