The Rare Breeding Birds Panel has just published updated Guidance on the reporting of rare breeding birds during the breeding season. It covers the reporting of such birds to bird news information services, both nationally and locally (which will include media such as Twitter, Facebook and the Society’s Latest Sightings Forum), which is suggestive of breeding or potential breeding. Most of the birds listed are obvious rarities.  The list, which is not definitive, is as follows

Capercaillie
Common Scoter
Baillon’s Crake
Common Crane
Red-necked Grebe
Slavonian Grebe
Black-necked Grebe
Stone-curlew
Ruff
Purple Sandpiper
Red-necked Phalarope
Green Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper
Black-throated Diver
Spoonbill
Little Bittern
Night Heron
Cattle Egret
Great White Egret
Purple Heron
Osprey
Honey-buzzard
Hen Harrier
Montagu’s Harrier
White-tailed Eagle
Snowy Owl
Long-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Bee-eater
Wryneck
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Red-backed Shrike
Golden Oriole
Marsh Warbler
Savi’s Warbler
Fieldfare
Bluethroat

The list should be read in conjunction with the guidance notes. Note that Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, which is now a rare bird in Somerset, is on the list.

Full details of the RBBP Guidance are set out here.

General information from the Society on the welfare of birds is contained here.