CHESTNUT-EARED BUNTING in SWEDEN

The past days have seen a remarkarkable influx of eastern species in Sweden with two desert wheatears, one isabelline wheatear, dusky warbler, siberian stonechat, three black redstarts possibly ssp phoenicuroides, a probable siberian thrush etc. But the crown jewel was found today when a CHESTNUT-EARED BUNTING was found on small island in the Stockholm archipelago. The island is a military area with very limited access so it can be a delicate problem for tomorrow. images of the bird can be found at http://www.artportalen.se/birds/gallery_imageinfo.asp?imageID=348703

Anders Eriksson, Stockholm, Sweden

AMERICAN PURPLE GALLINULE on MADEIRA

Just received a phone call from Madeira. An adult AMERICAN PURPLE GALLINULE (Porphyrio martinica) is occassionally showing well in the dense vegetation of Ribeiro Machico (E Madeira), only about 50 m upstream of the coast. The bird was found by a Finnish birdwatcher Heikki Vasamies (per Sami Tuomela)

INDIAN HOUSE CROW - first record for CYPRUS

Berkshire birder Dave Carter photographed this ungainly INDIAN HOUSE CROW at the entrance to the Zafer Burma Monastery, on the Cypriot Karpas Peninsular, on 19 September 2011 - the first record of this ship-assisted vagrant on Cyprus.