Hume's Leaf Warbler P Aumei, which has never been recorded in Africa (Urban et al 1997, Snow & Perrins 1998). The observers are also familiar with Greenish Warbler P trochiloides, Arctic Warbler P borealis and Pallas’s Warbler P proregu- lus. This observation, with photographic substan- tiation (the videograbs permit positive identifica- tion but are of insufficient quality to reproduce here), constitutes the first record of Yellow-browed Warbler in The Gambia.

Yellow-browed Warbler breeds at high and middle latitudes of the Palearctic in Siberia, with the main wintering grounds in south-east Asia (Cramp 1992). In recent decades it has occurred increasingly in Europe, with exceptional numbers in autumn 2003 (van den Berg 2003, 2004). In October 2005, 1,250 were recorded in Britain (Golley 2005). It is a rare vagrant to North Africa and the first documented observation in sub- Saharan Africa was made on 6 December 2003 in northern Senegal (Cruse 2004).

Acknowledgements

Tony Armstrong, Neil Marshall, John Rayner, Doug Smith and Fred Wake observed the bird and submit- ted a full description. I thank them for the courtesy of this and for responding to further queries. Modou

Colley accompanied the group. Tony & Carol Spencer kindly supplied video footage.

References

van den Berg, A. B. 2003. WP reports. Dutch Birding 25: 400-421.

van den Berg, A. B. 2004. WP reports. Durch Birding 26: 56-68.

Cramp, S. (ed.) 1992. The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Vol. 6. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Cruse, R. 2005. Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus in Senegal in December 2003. Bull. ABC 122147146.

Gantlett, S. 2006. The Western Palearctic year. Birding World 19: 21-40.

Golley, M. 2005. The birding review of 2005. Birding World 18: 505-516.

Snow, D. W. & Perrins, C. M. (eds.) 1998. The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Concise Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Urban, E. K., Fry, C. H. & Keith, S. (eds.) 1997. The Birds of Africa. Vol. 5. London, UK: Academic

Press.

Birds of The Gambia, POB 279, Banjul, The Gambia. E-mail: clivebarlow@gambianet.gm

Received 6 March 2006; revision accepted 28 May 2006.

First record of Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana for Ghana Steve M. Lister

Première mention du Bruant ortolan Emberiza hortulana pour le Ghana. Un mâle adulte du Bruant ortolan Emberiza hortulana a été observé et enregistré sur magnétoscope au Parc National de Mole, Ghana, le 23 mars 2006. Ceci constitue la premiére donnée documentée pour le pays.

n 23 March 2006, an adult male Ortolan

Bunting Emberiza hortulana was observed in Mole National Park, Ghana, by seven members of a Rockjumper Birding Tours group. The bird was perched atop a small thorn tree below the small escarpment immediately in front of the lodge, at c.80-90 m from the observers, permitting excel- lent unobstructed views through telescopes. It remained there for c.5 minutes, from 17.05 to 17.10 hrs, and was video-taped. It was not seen again during our two-day stay at Mole.

Description

Typical bunting shape, similar in size to a Cinnamon-breasted Rock Bunting £. tahapisi seen a few minutes earlier and clearly larger than Pin- tailed Whydahs Vidua macroura perched nearby. The head was grey with a slight blue tone, except for a pale yellow moustachial stripe and throat. The bill was pale pink and there was an obvious pale yellow eye-ring. The blue-grey colour of the head extended to the breast as a broad curving band, clearly demarcated from the dull chestnut- orange of the rest of the underparts. The chestnut

I I

First record of Yellow-browed Warbler for The Gambia : Barlow

Bull ABC Vol 14 No 1 (2007) - 75

upperparts and wings were streaked black. There were two pale wingbars formed by the tips of the coverts, that on the greater coverts being more obvious. No calls were heard.

Ortolan Bunting has not been recorded in Ghana previously, nor has it been observed in neighbouring countries (Grimes 1987, Borrow & Demey 2004, Fry & Keith 2004). In West Africa the species is a rare to uncommon and local Palearctic visitor, which winters mainly in upland Guinea and northern Sierra Leone and, less com- monly, in north-central Nigeria (Borrow &

Demey 2004, Fry & Keith 2004).

Acknowledgements

I thank Richard White, who first noticed the bird and drew our attention to it, Adrian Hayward, who made video grabs available, and the referees and edi- tors, who improved the draft of this note.

We apettalize i in tailor- We are ground operato

References

Borrow, N. & Demey, R. 2001. Birds of Western Africa. London, UK: Christopher Helm.

Borrow, N. & Demey, R. 2004. Field Guide to the Birds of Western Africa. London, UK: Christopher Helm.

Fry, C. H. & Keith, S. (eds.) 2004. The Birds of Africa. Vol. 7. London, UK: Christopher Helm.

Grimes, L. G. 1987. The Birds of Ghana: An Annotated Check-list. BOU Check-list No. 9. London, UK: British Ornithologists’ Union.

6 Albert Promenade, Loughborough, Leics. LEI] IRE, UK.

Received 18 June 2006; revision accepted 23 November 2006.

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76 - Bull ABC Vol 14 No 1 (2007) First record of Ortolan Bunting for Ghana: Lister