Annual report of Scarce & Rare Birds in Wales
Welsh Ornithological Society
Working with the Welsh Rare Birds Committee (WBRC), the Society produces annual reports on rare and scarce birds in Wales. These are only published online and printed copies are not produced. The most recent two reports are available for reading and downloading for WOS members only. Earlier years are also available for non-members to read and download.
WOS does not provide instant rarity news as BirdGuides and Rare Bird Alert do, but we occasionally publish news reports on exceptional events outside the annual report.
The most recent report is for 2024 and is available for reading and downloading for WOS members only. The 2023 report is also restricted to WOS members only; the 2022 report will shortly be moved to the public download section.
Members Only Annual Reports
Public Annual Reports for 2017-22 (earlier years are available on request)
Monthly Reports
November/December 2023: ‘Storm’ Wigeon on Anglesey and Waxwings galore
Wildfowl, unsurprisingly, took to the fore across Wales during the winter months, with a stunning-looking ‘Storm Wigeon’ on Anglesey a particular highlight.
September & October 2023 – the most extraordinary influx of extreme rarities for Welsh birders
Autumn 2023 will go down in the history books as the greatest ever period of scarcities and rarities for Welsh birding, with the largest arrival of American landbirds in recorded history. WOS strongly condemns the behaviour of a small number of twitchers which was in breach of the birdwatchers’ code.
‘The most remarkable week in Welsh birding’
We normally publish a Scarce & Rare report after the end of each month, but the past week has been so exceptional that, if you don’t know already, it’s worth summarising now.
August 2023 – seabirds centre stage again
For the second month in a row, seabirds took centre stage, with the first UK Bridled Tern for ten years the star,
June 2023 – a good mixture of scarcities in both north and south Wales
It was a brilliant June for one lucky Glamorgan patch birder, with the discovery of not one but two Welsh rarities.
July 2023 – an impressive month for seabirds and seawatching
Little passerine interest, but a splendid month for off-shore and coastal sea-watching