records of species recorded on the Scottish mainland on 0 to 20 occasions
This is a part-completed draft, largely based on a listing produced by Keith Naylor. It should not be considered as an 'official' SOC/SBRC listing of accepted records.
It includes all records of birds that have occurred on the Scottish mainland up to 20 times, excluding those included in Records of species and subspecies recorded in Scotland on up to 20 occasions. It thus excludes records from Shetland, Fair Isle, Orkney, the Outer Hebrides, Inner Hebrides, Clyde Islands and Isle of May.
Corrections and comments are welcomed and should be addressed to Ian Andrews.
Stone-curlew Burhinus oedicnemus (10)
- 1858 Fife Stravithie, St Andrews, shot, 27th January
- 1897 Upper Forth Muirhouse, West Stirling, immature f, shot, 12th August
- 1965 Fife Tentsmuir Point, 12th January
- 1966 Clyde Near Abington, Lanarkshire, 21st April
- 1971 Borders West Linton, Peebleshire, picked up and kept overnight, 26th to 27th October when released at Aberlady Bay, Lothian
- 1974 Angus & Dundee Duns Dish, Angus, 16th September
- 1986 Borders Baddinsgill, 14th March
- 1987 Moray & Nairn Dunphail, near Forres, Moray, 4th to 7th June
- 1988 Lothian Barns Ness, 16th April
- 1989 Borders Northfield Farm, St Abbs, 20th May
Baird's Sandpiper Calidris bairdii (12)
- 1974 Lothian Gladhouse Reservoir, 14th to 17th September
- 1975 Lothian Aberlady Bay, 11th to 12th August
- 1979 Lothian Gladhouse Reservoir, 8th September
- 1982 Moray & Nairn Findhorn Bay, juvenile, 5th to 6th October
- 1982 Northeast Scotland Rattray Head, juvenile, 26th September
- 1984 Caithness Wick, juvenile, 12th to 15th September
- 1984 Lothian Gladhouse Reservoir, juvenile, 8th September
- 1990 Caithness Dunnet Bay, juvenile, 23rd to 25th September
- 1990 Northeast Scotland Annachie Lagoon, Peterhead, juvenile, 6th to 17th September
- 1990 Northeast Scotland Annachie Lagoon, another, juvenile, 15th to 18th September
- 1994 Caithness Sandside Bay, juvenile, 8th October
- 2001 Northeast Scotland Loch of Strathbeg, juvenile, 15th to 26th September
Laughing Gull Larus atricilla (8)
- 1968 Clyde Endrick Mouth, Loch Lomond, Dunbartonshire, adult, 2nd April
- 1978 Dumfries & Galloway Loch Ken, Kirkcudbrightshire, probably second-winter, 22nd September to December
- 1983 Ayrshire Troon, adult, 8th to 9th January
- 1986 Ayrshire Stevenston Point, adult, 20th November
- 1991 Lothian Musselburgh, adult, 26th May
- 1994 Angus & Dundee Kinnaber, juvenile moulting to first-winter, 16th October
- 1996 Highland Dornoch, Sutherland, first-summer to second-winter, 13th August to 12th October
- 1997 Lothian Musselburgh, adult, 27th April
Ross's Gull Rhodostethia rosea (13)
- 1976 Caithness Thurso, adult, 26th January
- 1983 Caithness Wick, adult, 26th February to 6th March; presumed same, 2nd to 10th April
- 1983 Caithness Thurso, adult, 20th November to 16th May 1984; same, 12th November to 20th January 1985
- 1985 Ayrshire Ayr Harbour, adult, 2nd to 3rd February
- 1987 Northeast Scotland Girdleness, adult, 26th to 28th September
- 1993 Angus & Dundee Tay Estuary, off Monifieth, adult, 31st December
- 1993 Highland Inverness, first-winter, 30th January to 25th March
- 1993 Northeast Scotland Fraserburgh, adult, 17th to 26th January
- 1993 Northeast Scotland Fraserburgh, a second adult, 23rd to 26th January
- 1993 Northeast Scotland Fraserburgh, a third adult, 24th to 30th January
- 1997 Northeast Scotland Kinnaird Head, adult, 31st January to 10th February
- 1999 Caithness Wick, 8th to 11th February
- 2001 Northeast Scotland Peterhead, adult, 4th March
Brünnich's Guillemot Uria lomvia (13)
- 1908 Lothian Craigielaw Point, f, picked up dead, 11th December, now at National Museum of Scotland
- 1969 Argyll Loch Caolisport, Knapdale, found dead, 11th October
- 1976 Caithness Reay Beach, Thurso, found dead, 31st January, now at National Museum of Scotland
- 1978 Northeast Scotland St Cyrus, Kincardine, newly dead, 14th July, now in Montrose Museum
- 1979 Northeast Scotland Rattray Head, found dead, 25th February
- 1980 Lothian Kilspindie Beach, freshly dead, 9th February, now at Glasgow Museum
- 1980 Lothian Ferry Ness, freshly dead, 9th February
- 1981 Northeast Scotland Johnshaven Beach, Kincardine, dead, 25th January, now at Dundee Museum
- 1982 Highland Brora, Sutherland, dead, 3rd February
- 1988 Caithness Dunnet Bay, m, freshly dead, 9th March, now at National Museum of Scotland
- 1993 Lothian Musselburgh, 27th March
- 1994 Lothian Seafield, 6th February
- 1996 Highland Kilchoan Bay, Ardnamurchan, formerly Argyllshire, 27th March
Eurasian Scops Owl Otus scops (6)
- 1854 Highland Morvich, near Golspie, Sutherland, shot, May
- 1864 Perth & Kinross Scone, Perthshire, pair, shot, May
- 1891 Northeast Scotland Near Kintore, Aberdeenshire, f, found dead, 2nd September
- 1908 Fife Lundin Estate, Montrave, near Largo, f, shot, 16th May
- 1944 Dumfries & Galloway Gillhead, Kirkbean, Kirkcudbrightshire, caught, late April
- 1998 Clyde Near Kilmacolm, Renfrewshire, found injured, taken into care at Beith, 20th May, released in good health, 12th June
Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla (4)
- 1973 Lothian Musselburgh Lagoons, 16th September
- 1995 Northeast Scotland Rattray Head, 25th May
- 1996 Lothian Aberlady, 21st May
- 1998 Lothian Torness, 30th May to 3rd June
Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica (9)
- 1987 Northeast Scotland Girdleness, 16th May
- 1987 Lothian Cammo Park, Edinburgh, three, 6th November
- 1987 Angus & Dundee Broughty Ferry, 7th to 8th November
- 1988 Northeast Scotland Aberdeen, 17th November
- 1990 Caithness St John's Loch, 18th May
- 1990 Lothian Tyninghame, two, 27th October
- 1995 Moray & Nairn Loch Spynie, 12th to 14th May
- 1997 Lothian Tyninghame, 18th to 20th May
- 1998 Lothian Skateraw, 30th May
Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris (6)
- 1952 Lothian Aberlady Bay, 10th May
- 1972 Lothian Musselburgh Lagoons, 15th September
- 1979 Fife Leuchars, 1st June
- 1980 Lothian Aberlady Bay, 19th to 22nd July
- 1987 Northeast Scotland Foveran, 24th to 25th October
- 1988 Moray & Nairn Spey Bay Golf Course, 22nd August
- 1981 Northeast Scotland Newburgh, 14th May - in SBR and Phillips (1997), but not BBRC
Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni (4)
- 1990 Northeast Scotland Cruden Bay, 20th October
- 1991 Borders Coldingham Bay, trapped, 12th October
- 1993 Lothian Barns Ness, 3rd October
- 2001 Lothian Thorntonloch, 15th October
Pechora Pipit Anthus gustavi (1)
- 1993 Northeast Scotland St Fergus, 11th October
Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus (3)
- 1981 Lothian Musselburgh, 15th September
- 1983 Dumfries & Galloway Whithorn, Kirkcudbrightshire, 19th April
- 1998 Fife Fife Ness, 5th September
Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola (7)
- 1972 Highland Inverness, first-winter, 3rd September
- 1981 Lothian Aberlady Bay, first-winter, 14th to 16th September
- 1983 Lothian Drem Pools, first-winter, 2nd to 7th October
- 1985 Lothian Tyninghame, juvenile, 31st August
- 1985 Lothian Musselburgh, first-winter, 10th to 12th October
- 1998 Northeast Scotland Girdleness, first-winter, 22nd to 25th September
- 2001 Lothian Musselburgh, first-summer m, 22nd to 24th June
Thrush Nightingale Luscinia luscinia (7)
- 1981 Caithness Noss Farm, Wick, trapped, 11th May
- 1981 Caithness Noss Farm, Wick, another, trapped, 12th May
- 1981 Northeast Scotland Newburgh, found dead, 12th May
- 1985 Fife Crail, 15th May
- 1994 Lothian Gullane, heard in song only, 25th to 26th May
- 1996 Caithness Wick, 22nd May
- 1996 Angus & Dundee Fishtown of Usan, 17th to 28th August
Common Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos (14)
- 1952 Upper Forth Near Stirling Castle, in song, 14th May to 22nd July
- 1973 Northeast Scotland Girdleness, 19th to 20th May
- 1977 Northeast Scotland St Cyrus, 23rd May
- 1980 Dumfries & Galloway Stoneykirk, Wigtownshire, in song, 29th May
- 1983 Lothian Pefferside, trapped, 24th April
- 1984 Dumfries & Galloway Leswalt, Wigtownshire, in song, 16th May
- 1988 Moray & Nairn Loch Spynie, juv, trapped, 10th August
- 1989 Northeast Scotland Bullers of Buchan, 12th May
- 1990 Northeast Scotland Girdleness, 3rd May
- 1990 Fife Balcomie, 5th May
- 1993 Northeast Scotland Girdleness, 12th May
- 1994 Highland Errogie, Loch Mhor, Inverness-shire, 11th May
- 1996 Northeast Scotland Balmedie, 20th May
- 1998 Northeast Scotland Cruden Bay, sang, 12th May
- 1977 Borders St Abb's Head, 21st August -- not in Murray (1986)
- 1982 Fife Fife Ness, 13th to 14th October - nightingale sp. in FBR
- 1993 Highland Errogie, Loch Mhor, Inverness-shire, 11th April - wrong date
- 1989 Argyll Rhu House, West Loch Tarbet, in song, 25th May - not submitted to SBRC?
- 1991 Fife Fife Ness, 12th October - nightingale sp. in FBR
White's Thrush Zoothera dauma (7)
- 1878 Borders Hardacres, Berwickshire, shot, last week of December, now at Kelso Museum
- 1913 Northeast Scotland Castlehill, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, flew into window and died, 6th October
- 1956 Perth & Kinross Pitcarmick, Strathardle, Perthshire, m, shot, 3rd January
- 1979 Clyde Libberton, Lanarkshire, 2nd January
- 1990 Borders St Abbs, freshly dead, 26th September
- 1991 Highland Brora, Sutherland, 27th to 29th September, possibly since 23rd
- 1998 Lothian Ormiston Hall, first-winter m, recently dead at window, 12th October
Dark-throated Thrush Turdus ruficollis atrogularis (2)
- 1879 Perth & Kinross Near Perth, Perthshire, immature m, shot, February
- 1989 Lothian Prestongrange, first-winter, 25th December
Lanceolated Warbler Locustella lanceolata (0)
- None
Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola (1)
- 1977 Borders St Abb's Head, 22nd to 23rd August
Paddyfield Warbler Acrocephalus agricola (0)
- None
Blyth's Reed Warbler Acrocephalus dumetorum (2)
- 2000 Highland Nigg Ferry, Easter Ross, in song, 7th to 22nd June
- 2001 Fife Fife Ness, trapped, 28th September
Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus (8)
- 1964 Highland Insh Marshes, Inverness-shire, in song, 8th to 20th June
- 1970 Fife Kilconquhar Loch, in song, 17th June
- 1979 Borders St Abb's Head, 29th to 30th May
- 1981 Caithness Noss Farm, Wick, 12th to 13th May, trapped 13th
- 1985 Northeast Scotland Girdleness, 19th May
- 1990 Lothian Aberlady, in song, 17th May
- 1997 Angus & Dundee Loch of Kinnordy, intermittently in song, 30th May to 30th June, possibly to 24th July
- 1997 Borders St Abb's Head, 1st to 6th June
Booted Warbler Hippolais caligata (2)
- 1993 Northeast Scotland Newtonhill, 23rd October to 19th November
- 1994 Northeast Scotland Sand Loch, Collieston, 11th to 13th November, trapped 11th
Melodious Warbler Hippolais polyglotta (3)
- 1973 Caithness Castletown, 8th September
- 1979 Caithness Noss, 7th October
- 1993 Northeast Scotland Girdleness, 1st October
Arctic Warbler Phylloscopus borealis (7)
- 1958 Northeast Scotland Sands of Forvie, Aberdeenshire, 2nd September
- 1978 Caithness Wick River, 7th to 8th September
- 1979 Northeast Scotland Foveran Links, Aberdeenshire, 19th August
- 1983 Caithness Wick River, 17th September
- 1985 Caithness Wick, 30th September to 2nd October
- 1988 Lothian Skateraw, 21st to 23rd October, trapped 22nd
- 1995 Lothian Barns Ness, 29th to 30th August, trapped 30th
Radde's Warbler Phylloscopus schwarzi (10)
- 1979 Fife Fife Ness, trapped, 5th October
- 1979 Northeast Scotland Cruden Bay, Aberdeenshire, 7th October
- 1988 Angus & Dundee Fishtown of Usan, trapped, 23rd October
- 1988 Borders St Abb's Head, 15th October
- 1990 Lothian Barns Ness, 15th October
- 1991 Angus & Dundee Auchmithie, Castlesea Bay, 11th October
- 1991 Northeast Scotland Girdleness, 11th October
- 2000 Northeast Scotland Balmedie Country Park, first-winter, trapped, 26th September
- 2000 Northeast Scotland Peterhead, 12th October
- 2000 Borders Mire Loch, St Abb's Head, 13th to 15th October
Dusky Warbler Phylloscopus fuscatus (9)
- 1976 Borders St Abb's Head, Berwickshire, 26th September
- 1982 Borders St Abb's Head, 11th to 14th October; possibly another, 12th
- 1988 Northeast Scotland Rattray Head, 13th October
- 1991 Lothian Scoughall, 30th October
- 1995 Lothian Barns Ness, 11th to 14th November
- 1997 Lothian Thorntonloch, 6th November
- 1999 Northeast Scotland Rattray Head, 27th September
- 2001 Northeast Scotland Foveran, trapped, 20th October
- 2001 Fife Fife Ness, trapped, 23rd October
Radde's/Dusky Warbler P. schwarzi/fuscatus (1)
- 1989 Northeast Scotland Cruden Bay, 12th November
Lesser Grey Shrike Lanius minor (13)
- 1952 Northeast Scotland Aberdeen, found alive down a chimney but died later, first-winter m, 15th October; now at University of Aberdeen Museum
- 1958 Fife Wormiston, m, 8th June
- 1961 Ayrshire Blairbowie Farm, near Dalrymple, 15th to 24th June
- 1967 Lothian Near Whitekirk, 10th June
- 1969 Highland Kentra Moss, Acharacle, Ardnamurchan, formerly Argyllshire, 1st June
- 1971 Highland Kinloch Glen, Rhum, Inverness-shire, 12th September
- 1971 Lothian Aberlady Bay, 29th August to 11th September
- 1972 Highland Kinbrace, Sutherland, adult, 21st June
- 1973 Angus & Dundee Montrose Basin, 3rd to 19th July
- 1988 Borders Dowlaw Dean, 22nd May
- 1994 Fife Elie, adult, probably m, 15th to 20th September
- 1996 Fife Crail, 5th September
- 1999 Fife Wormiston, first-winter, 17th to 18th October
Two-barred Crossbill Loxia leucoptera (9)
- 1841 Borders Near Jedburgh, Roxburghshire, shot, February
- 1889 Borders Staneshiel, Berwickshire, shot, 19th December
- 1890 Dumfries & Galloway Dardarroch Woods, Dumfriesshire, pair, shot, 1st March
- 1959 Highland Newtonmore, Inverness-shire, adult m, freshly dead, 21st August, now at Aberdeen University
- 1968 Dumfries & Galloway Forest of Ae, Dumfriesshire, m, 17th February; m and f, 19th, 23rd February
- 1973 Moray & Nairn Dores, Moray, m, 4th April
- 1985 Upper Forth/Clyde Carron Valley Forest, m, 13th October
- 1985 Upper Forth/Clyde Carron Valley Forest, juvenile to first-winter f, 14th October to 31st March and 19th April 1986
- 1991 Dumfries & Galloway Loch Dee, m, 3rd April
Parrot Crossbill Loxia pytyopsittacus (4+)
- 1975 Lothian Gladhouse, at least seven, 22nd November to 3rd January 1976, some to 27th
- 1982 Caithness Wick, immature m, trapped, 17th October
- 1983 Highland Speyside, m and two ff, 11th April - in BB paper, but not BBRC
- 1987 Highland Loch Garten, first-winter m, 11th to 22nd March, trapped 11th
Whilst this species appears on the BBRC List and they have not published any British records for several years, Ron Summers, Senior Biologist with RSPB, says that it is the commonest species of crossbill nesting in Abernethy Forest
Pine Bunting Emberiza leucocephalos (1)
- 1976 Highland Golspie, Sutherland, 6th to 8th January
Rustic Bunting Emberiza rustica (11)
- 1905 Northeast Scotland Torphins, Aberdeenshire, pair, obtained, late March
- 1906 Highland Cape Wrath, Sutherland, m, 11th May
- 1979 Borders St Abb's Head, Berwickshire, m, 7th April
- 1984 Borders St Abb's Head, m, 23rd May
- 1986 Northeast Scotland Drums, 5th October
- 1987 Lothian Skateraw, f, 26th May
- 1991 Highland Baligill, Sutherland, in song, 16th to 18th May
- 1993 Borders St Abb's Head, m, 11th to 14th May
- 1993 Caithness Achremie, 13th November
- 1993 Northeast Scotland Rattray Head, m, 1st June
- 1997 Borders St Abb's Head, f, 21st May
Yellow-breasted Bunting Emberiza aureola (4)
- 1979 Fife Fife Ness, 29th August
- 1982 Highland Black Isle, Easter Ross, in song, 14th June
- 1997 Fife Fife Ness, 18th October
- 2000 Fife Balcomie, f, probably adult, 21st September
Black-headed Bunting Emberiza melanocephala (13)
- 1886 Fife Near Dunfermline, m, caught, 5th November
- 1988 Ayrshire Irvine, m, 4th to 5th June
- 1988 Highland Near Dundonnell, Wester Ross, m, 13th to 19th June
- 1988 Highland Loch Droma, Wester Ross, m, 2nd July
- 1989 Argyll Kilmore, m, 27th to 30th May
- 1989 Highland Red Point, Wester Ross, m, 24th May
- 1990 Highland Scourie, Sutherland, m, 23rd to 28th June
- 1994 Highland Durness, Sutherland, m, 30th July
- 1994 Highland Brora, Sutherland, m, 1st to 4th October
- 1995 Highland Kinlochbervie, Sutherland, m, 19th August
- 2000 Argyll North Connel, m, 15th June
- 2000 Highland Glencoe, Inverness-shire, m, 27th to 30th September
- 2001 Highland Creag Meadgaith Nature Reserve, Badenoch & Strathspey, m, 15th June