Notes & abbreviations

Abbreviations:  

Directions: Cardinal compass points are shown as N,S,E &W etc. and are often used to indicate a direction of flight, especially during sea-watching, e.g. 2E, 3W and 1N, and also wind direction, e.g. SW gale.

General: The following may be used in the text, for the sake of brevity - 

BBRC = 'British Birds' Rarities Committee - the national committee dealing with the authentication of rare bird records
o/s = offshore/on sea, as appropriate

sp = species (as in diver sp or auk sp, when a bird cannot be fully identified to actual species)

SOS = Sussex Ornithological Society

SOSRC = Sussex Ornithological Society Records Committee - the county committee dealing with the authentication of scarce bird records, which are not subject to BBRC adjudication

WeBS = Wetland Bird Survey (= a monthly national count of wetland waders & wildfowl)

WTW = Water Treatment Works (=sewage works)

WWT = Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust  (e.g. Arundel WWT)

YbW or YBW = Yellow-browed Warbler

Plumage: Whilst not wishing to appear over-scientific to the uninitiated on this subject, inevitably this can be an important feature. The following may sometimes be used:

ad = adult

fem = female

m = male

juv = juvenile

1st w = first winter 

1st s = first summer....and so on

Colour coding: The text that appears in the sightings reports is colour-coded for ease of reference, as follows:-

Sites in the Parish of Middleton-on-Sea (M-o-S), including Ancton and Elmer, are coloured blue.

All other sites not within the parish are coloured green.