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 less than 20 times, excluding those to be found on the less than 20 list. 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.

Last modified:

Stone-curlew Burhinus oedicnemus (10)
Mainland only
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)
Mainland only
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)
Mainland only
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)
Mainland only
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)
Mainland only
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)
Mainland only
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)
Mainland only
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)
Mainland only
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)
Mainland only
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)
Mainland only
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)
Mainland only
1993 Northeast Scotland St Fergus, 11th October

Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus (3)
Mainland only
1981 Lothian Musselburgh, 15th September
1983 Dumfries & Galloway Whithorn, Kirkcudbrightshire, 19th April
1998 Fife Fife Ness, 5th September

Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola (7)
Mainland only
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)
Mainland only
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)
Mainland only
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)
Mainland only
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)
Mainland only
1879 Perth & Kinross Near Perth, Perthshire, immature m, shot, February
1989 Lothian Prestongrange, first-winter, 25th December

Lanceolated Warbler Locustella lanceolata (0)
Mainland only
None

Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola (1)
Mainland only
1977 Borders St Abb's Head, 22nd to 23rd August

Paddyfield Warbler Acrocephalus agricola (0)
Mainland only
None

Blyth's Reed Warbler Acrocephalus dumetorum (2)
Mainland only
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)
Mainland only
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)
Mainland only
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)
Mainland only
1973 Caithness Castletown, 8th September
1979 Caithness Noss, 7th October
1993 Northeast Scotland Girdleness, 1st October

Arctic Warbler Phylloscopus borealis (7)
Mainland only
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)
Mainland only
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)
Mainland only
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)
Mainland only
1989 Northeast Scotland Cruden Bay, 12th November

Lesser Grey Shrike Lanius minor (13)
Mainland only
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)
Mainland only
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+)
Mainland only
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)
Mainland only
1976 Highland Golspie, Sutherland, 6th to 8th January

Rustic Bunting Emberiza rustica (11)
Mainland only
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)
Mainland only
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)
Mainland only
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