Today is Wednesday, 22nd February 2012

First records for Western Palearctic seen in Winter where precise date is unknown:

Winter, 1995 - Cape Gull

Jardin des Plantes Zoo, Paris, France.
Race of Kelp Gull. Found in January and remained until the following month
Jiguet, F. 2003. Brieven (Kelp Gull in France in January 1995). Dutch Birding 25(5):327

Winter, 1975 - Cotton Pygmy-goose

Hammar Marshes, near Basrah, Iraq.
2 live birds observed in a Basrah market reported to have been captured at Hammar Marshes the previous day
Snow, D.W. and Perrins, C.M. (eds) 1998. BWP Concise 1. Oxford University Press

Winter, 1968 - Falcated Duck

Lake Van, Turkey.
Probable genuine vagrant. The location of an earlier 1916 claim could possibly be from Isfahan Province in Iran which is outside the WP and not Iraq as reported
Cramp, S. and Simmons, K.E.L. (eds) 1977. BWP 1. Oxford University Press

Winter, 1947 - African Fish Eagle

Abu Handel, near Aswan, Egypt.
Shot during November
Snow, D.W. and Perrins, C.M. (eds) 1998. BWP Concise 1. Oxford University Press

Winter, 1937 - American Herring Gull

480km off the coast of Spain, At sea.
Caught on board a ship in the Atlantic Ocean. Had been ringed as a chick on Kent Island, New Brunswick, Canada, August 1936
Gross, A.O. 1940. The migration of Kent Island Herring Gulls. Bird Banding 11:129-155

Winter, 1936 - Scarlet Tanager

Leifsstaðir, Kaupangssveit, Eyjafjarðarsýsla, Iceland.
Found dead at the end of November or early in December
Mitchell, D. and Young, S. 1997. Rare Birds of Britain and Europe. New Holland

Winter, 1905 - Gabar Goshawk

River Nile at El Shallal, south of Aswan, Egypt.
2 pairs observed flying along the river during January and February
Snow, D.W. and Perrins, C.M. (eds) 1998. BWP Concise 1. Oxford University Press

Winter, 1901 - American Kestrel

Birkendegaard, Kalundborg, Denmark.
Sometime near the end of the year
Alexander, W.B. and Fitter, R.S.R. 1955. American Land Birds in Western Europe. British Birds 48(1):1-14

Winter, 1897 - Broad-billed Roller

Ilha do Maio, Sotavento Islands, Cape Verde Is..
Collected during November
Cramp, S. (ed) 1985. BWP vol. 4. Oxford University Press

Winter, 1889 - Collared Petrel

Between Borth and Aberystwyth on the coast, Wales.
Shot during November or December. Treated by some as a race of Gould's Petrel. Sold as a Sooty Shearwater to a taxidermist in Aberystwyth. Removed from the British list 1971
Palmer, P. 2000. First for Britain and Ireland 1600-1999. Arlequin Press

Winter, 1878 - Hooded Merganser

East Ferry, Cobh Harbour, Co. Cork, Ireland.
A pair shot. Earlier records from Britain and Ireland not considered to be adequately documented for acceptance
Ussher, R.J. and Warren, R 1900. The Birds of Ireland. Gurney and Jackson, London

Winter, 1867 - Striped Crake

Near Biskra, Algeria.
Collected during January
Heim de Balsac, H. and Mayaud, N. 1962. Les Oiseaux du nord-ouest de l'Afrique. Paris

Winter, 1860 - Parakeet Auklet

Lake Vattern, Jonkoping, Smaland, Sweden.
Collected during December
Var Fagelvarld 19:344

Winter, 1852 - Eskimo Curlew

Near Woodbridge, Suffolk, England.
2 birds shot during November
Palmer, P. 2000. First for Britain and Ireland 1600-1999. Arlequin Press

Winter, 1837 - American Wigeon

unknown location, England.
Discovered in Leadenhall Market, London and purchased sometime during the winter of 1837-38. A female was reported also but it was not purchased and the record was never confirmed
Palmer, P. 2000. First for Britain and Ireland 1600-1999. Arlequin Press

Winter, 1836 - Baikal Teal

Saône Valley, Burgundy, France.
5 birds obtained during November
Mayaud, N. 1936. Inventaire des Oiseaux de France. Paris

Statistics compiled
by Joe Hobbs

E&OE.