Additions to the IOC Western Palearctic list

Nick that’s spot on but why would you choose a list for a particular area ie: British and put on birds from another country! One person has even put something on from the USA!
Put on what you like but stick to the rules of the particular list you are on or it doesn’t make sense
I personally keep myown list on a spreadsheet but my published lists obey the rules of that particular list. ie: British = BOU only.

There are two separate things here. On geography, it is clear that you should only include sightings for the relevant geographic area. It amused me tremendously seeing people who had lectured me on twitching foreign countries and lists actually twitching the Isle of Man Calandria Lark when they had always been 'Britain only'.

But otherwise, the recent taxonomic changes where the restrictive approach to identification or knowledge of diagnostic characters is limited has left many of us feeling out of kilter with BBRC and BOURC approaches. Every split seems to produce positions where notwithstanding that I had previously endeavoured to satisfy myself on the (sub)specific status of birds that I had seen, the official position is indecision, confusion, restrictive criteria and constant amendment.

In such circumstances, people who get excited about other people's personal views and lists just look a bit daft!

The Fea's Petrel removal is an interesting example. I had seen a Fea's/Zino's indeterminate well from a boat that seemed an obvious Fea's to me as well as an accepted Fea's Petrel. It bothered me not a jot that others counted 'official' indeterminates as Fea's Petrels as indeed I ticked my 'official' indeterminate. My money is on our birds being Fea's Petrels not Desertas in any event.

I am happier that the Llandudno bird was a West African Crested Tern and the Kerry bird was an (American) Royal Tern than I am that I have seen wild Canvasback and Redhead.....

Apologies to Graeme for the hijack and thanks to both him and Andy/Bubo. Now updated my lists.

All the best

Paul

No less than 6 additions to the IOC Western Pal list added recently:

Short-tailed Shearwater - Ireland and France
White-chinned Petrel - Scotland
Audubon's Shearwater - specimen from Denmark
Bay-backed Shrike - Kuwait, Sept 2020
Preuss's Cliff Swallow - Cape Verde, Sept 2020
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher - Scotland, Sept 2020

Not many will be able to tick most of them though!

Cheers, Graeme Joynt