Common Rock Thrush

Monticola saxatilis (Linnaeus, 1766) (5, 27)

Photo © Pierre Dalous, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

STATUS

Eurasia and north Africa. Monotypic.

OVERVIEW

There have been six autumn individuals (Sept-Nov). One in July and a winter record in February are outside of the norm. The earliest spring record was on 9th April 2017 on the Isles of Scilly.

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BBRC RECORDS

1). 1843 Hertfordshire Therfield, adult male, shot, 19th May, now at North Hertfordshire Museums, Baldock.

(Yarrell, 1845; Gould, 1862-71; Newman, 1866; J. H. Gurney, jun., Transactions of the Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists' Society 4: 629; Saunders, 1899; Witherby, 1920-24; Sage, 1959; James & Sawford, 1983; Gladwin & Sage, 1986).

2). 1910 Orkney Pentland Skerries, adult male, shot, 17th May, now at National Museums of Scotland (NMSZ 1910.87).

(W. E. Clarke, Annals of Scottish Natural History 1910: 148-149; Annals of Scottish Natural History 1911: 135; H. F. Witherby, British Birds 4: 117; Witherby, 1920-24; BOU, 1971).

3). 1931 Fair Isle No locality, seen, 8th November.

(G. Stout, Scottish Naturalist 52: 38; Eds., British Birds 26: 27; Williamson, 1965; BOU, 1971; Dymond, 1991).

4). 1933 Kent Dungeness, adult male, seen, 23rd June.

(H. G. Alexander, British Birds 27: 303; Taylor, Davenport & Flegg, 1981).

5). 1936 Fair Isle No locality, male, seen, 16th October.

(G. Waterston, Scottish Naturalist 57: 75; Eds., British Birds 31: 124; Thom, 1986; Dymond, 1991).

6). 1962 Outer Hebrides Hirta, St Kilda, female, 17th June.

(J. Morton Boyd & W. E. Waters, British Birds 56: 66-67; D. D. Harber & C. M. Swaine and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 56: 403; W. E. Waters, Scottish Birds 2: 299; D. G. Andrew, Scottish Birds 2: 347).

7). 1963 Devon Eddystone Lighthouse, male, 30th to 31st May.

(D. D. Harber and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 57: 272).

8). 1968 Isles of Scilly Samson, male, 21st April.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 78: 572).

9). 1969 Norfolk Salthouse Heath, male, 9th May.

(F. R. Smith and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 63: 284).

10). 1969 Yorkshire Sutton Bank, Thirsk, male, 17th May.

(F. R. Smith and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 68: 333).

11). 1970 Fair Isle Single Dyke trap, first-year male, trapped, 30th June, released Observatory.

(F. R. Smith and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 64: 358; R. H. Dennis, Scottish Birds 6: 336-337; Birding World 5 (4): 139, photo).

12). 1979 Isles of Scilly Peninnis Head, St Mary's, female, 19th May, photo.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 73: 520; R. W. Allen & D. B. Hunt, Isles of Scilly Bird Report 1979: 51; Flood, Hudson & Thomas, 2007: plate 113).

13). 1981 Ceredigion Ynyslas, male, 21st June.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 75: 517).

14). 1983 Kent Minster, Sheppey, male, 5th February to 1st April, photo.

(British Birds 76: plate 74; M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 77: 550; British Birds 77: 571).

15). 1983 Hertfordshire Graveley, male, 8th May.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 77: 550).

16). 1984 Yorkshire Beacon Lane, Kilnsea, male, 3rd to 4th May when trapped, released Spurn.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 78: 572; J. E. Dale, Yorkshire Naturalists' Union Ornithological Report 1984: 67).

17). 1984 Isles of Scilly Peninnis and Giant's Castle, St Mary's, probably first-winter male, 16th to 18th October.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 78: 572).

18). 1985 Devon Ernesettle, Plymouth, male, 3rd May.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 79: 570).

19). 1986 Anglesey Llyn Alaw, female, 4th to 6th June.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 80: 558).

20). 1988 Dorset Portland, male, 16th to 24th April.

(S. J. M. Gantlett, Birding World 1: 124-125; M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 82: 541).

21). 1989 Norfolk Horsey, male, 30th April.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 83: 481).

22). 1989 Dorset Portland Bill, male, 6th May.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 83: 481).

23). 1995 Norfolk Hunstanton Golf Course, male, 22nd to 25th May, photo.

(R. Millington, Birding World 8 (5): 173, photos; Birding World 8 (12): 476, photo; M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 89: 515, plate 196; Norfolk Bird & Mammal Report 1995: photos).

24). 1996 Sussex Inland locality withheld, female, 19th to 20th May.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 90: 496; M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 92: 592).

25). 1996 Isles of Scilly Shipman Head Down, Bryher, 28th September to 2nd October, photo.

(Birding World 9 (10): 383, photo; M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 90: 496; Isles of Scilly Bird Report 1997: photo; Flood, Hudson & Thomas, 2007: plate 113).

26). 2004 Devon River Erme, male, 25th May, photo.

(Birding World 17 (5): 179, photo; M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 98: 673; Dartmoor Bird Report 2004: 48; Devon Bird Report 2004: photo).

27). 2013 Yorkshire Spurn, female, 25th to 26th April, photo.

(British Birds 106: plate 228; N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 107: 636, plate 325).

28). 2013 North-East Scotland Scotstown, St Fergus, Peterhead, female, 18th to 22nd July, photo.

(M. B. Cowie, Scottish Birds 33: 371-373, plates 348-352; N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 107: 636).

29). 2017 Isles of Scilly Little Arthur Farm and Chapel Down, St Martin's, 3CY+ male, 9th to 15th April, photo.

(British Birds 110: plate 205; C. Holt and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 111: 606).

30). 2017 Gwent Pwll Du quarry, 1CY+ male, 12th October to 3rd November, photo.

(British Birds 110: plate 407; C. Holt and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 111: 606, plate 394).

31). 2020 Shetland Gallow Hill, Fetlar, 1CY+, 10th October, photo.

(C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 114: 613).

32). 2021 Isles of Scilly Airfield, St Mary's, 2CY+, female, 26th April, photo.

(C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 115: 599; R. L. Flood, Isles of Scilly Bird and Natural History Review 2021: 156, photo).