BOAT TAILED GRACKLE-CALSHOT-HAMPSHIRE

I received news today while travelling to work in Oxfordshire that a male Great-tailed Grackle had been found around the RNLI station car park just north of Calshot Castle in Hampshire. I drove for an hour to see the bird and joined a small group of birders, enjoying great views.

The bird's location suggests that it is likely a vagrant that was assisted by a ship. It was enjoyable to see, but it clearly won't be added to my list. This morning, upon reviewing the photographs, it has been reidentified as a Boat-tailed Grackle, marking the first ship-assisted record for Britain.

The British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee's current policy regarding ship-assisted vagrants is not to admit port-to-port or coast-to-coast transportees onto the British List. Suspected ship-assisted birds should only be admitted to the List if the species is considered capable of making an unassisted transatlantic crossing under favourable circumstances.