? Humes Leaf Warbler P. humei, which has never Colley accompanied the group. Tony & Carol b&een recorded in Africa (Urban et al. 1997, Snow Spencer kindly supplied video footage. Perrins 1998). The observers are also familiar with Greenish Warbler P. trochiloides, Arctic References Warbler P borealis and Pallass W^arbler Pproregu- van den Berg, A. B. 2003. WP reports. Dutch Birding lus. This observation, with photographic substan- 25: 400-421. tiation (the videograbs permit positive identifica- van den Berg, A. B. 2004. WP reports. Dutch Birdin tion but are of insufficient quality to reproduce 26: 56-68. here), constitutes the first record ofYellow-browed Cramp, S. (ed.) 1992. The Birds of the Western Warbler in The Gambia. Palearctic. Vol. 6. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Yellow-browed Warbler breeds at high and Cruse, R. 2005. Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus middle latitudes of the Palearctic in Siberia, with inornatus in Senegal in December 2003. Bull. ABC the main wintering grounds in south-east Asia 12: 147-146. (Cramp 1992). In recent decades it has occurred Gantlett, S. 2006. The Western Palearctic year. Birding World 19: 21-40. increasingly in Europe, with exceptional numbers in autumn 2003 (van den Berg 2003, 2004). In Golley, M. 2005. The birding review of2005. Birding World 18: 505-516. October 2005, 1,250 were recorded in Britain Snow, D. W. & Perrins, C. M. (eds.) 1998. TheBirds of (Golley 2005). It is a rare vagrant to North Africa the Western Palearctic. Concise Edition. Oxford: and the first documented observation in sub- Oxford University Press. Saharan Africa was made on 6 December 2003 in Urban, E. K., Fry, C. H. & Keith, S. (eds.) 1997. The northern Senegal (Cruse 2004). Birds ofAfrica. Vol. 5. London, UK: Academic Press. Acknowledgements Tony Armstrong, Neil Marshall, John Rayner, Doug Birds ofThe Gambia, POB279, Banjul, The Gambia. Smith and Fred Wake observed the bird and submit- E-mail: [email protected] ted a full description. I thank them for the courtesy Received 6 March 2006; revision accepted 28 May ofthis and for responding to further queries. Modou 2006. First record of Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana for Ghana Steve M. Lister Premiere mention du Bruant ortolan Emberiza hortulana pour le Ghana. Un male adulte du Bruant ortolan Emberiza hortulana a ete observe et enregistre sur magnetoscope au Parc National de Mole, Ghana, le 23 mars 2006. Ceci constitue la premiere donnee documentee pour le pays. O n 23 March 2006, an adult male Ortolan Description Bunting Emberiza hortulana was observed in Typical bunting shape, similar in size to a Mole National Park, Ghana, by seven members of Cinnamon-breasted Rock Bunting E. tahapisiseen a Rockjumper Birding Tours group. The bird was a few minutes earlier and clearly larger than Pin- perched atop a small thorn tree below the small tailed WTiydahs Vidua macroura perched nearby. escarpment immediately in front of the lodge, at The head was grey with a slight blue tone, except c.80-90 m from the observers, permitting excel- for a pale yellow moustachial stripe and throat. lent unobstructed views through telescopes. It The bill was pale pink and there was an obvious remained there for c.5 minutes, from 17.05 to pale yellow eye-ring. The blue-grey colour of the 17.10 hrs, and was video-taped. It was not seen head extended to the breast as a broad curving again during our two-day stay at Mole. band, clearly demarcated from the dull chestnut- orange ofthe rest ofthe underparts. The chestnut First recordofYellow-browed Warblerfor The Gambia : Badow BullABCVol 14 No 1 (2007)-75 upperparts and wings were streaked black. There References & were two pale wingbars formed by the tips of the Borrow, N. Demey, R. 2001. Birds ofWesternAfrica. coverts, that on the greater coverts being more London, UK: Christopher Helm. obvious. No calls were heard. Borrow, N. & Demey, R. 2004. Field Guide to the Birds ofWesternAfrica. London, UK: Christopher Helm. & Ortolan Bunting has not been recorded in Fry, C. H. Keith, S. (eds.) 2004. The Birds ofAfrica. Ghana previously, nor has it been observed in Vol. 7. London, UK: Christopher Helm. neighbouring countries (Grimes 1987, Borrow & Grimes, L. G. 1987. The Birds ofGhana: An Annotated Demey 2004, Fry & Keith 2004). In West Africa Check-list. BOU Check-list No. 9. London, UK: the species is a rare to uncommon and local British Ornithologists’ Union. Palearctic visitor, which winters mainly in upland 6 Albert Promenade, Loughborough, Leics. LEI1 IRE, Guinea and northern Sierra Leone and, less com- UK. & monly, in north-central Nigeria (Borrow Demey 2004, Fry & Keith 2004). Received 18 June 2006; revision accepted 23 November 2006. 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 ofthis note. aw^on^ Birding Tours Specialists in Birding Tours to South Africa We • specialize in tailor-made tours throughout South Africa We • are ground operators for Ornitholidays, Naturetrek and Avian Adventures Tours to South Africa and Namibia We • offer ‘set departure' tours throughout the year to exciting birding hotspot areas in South Africa • All our guides are qualified professionals with many years of birding experience. We • pride ourselves on our tour planning skills, to ensure that you have a most enjoyable and memorable holiday Contact us to plan a wonderful birding holiday to exciting destinations within South Air\ca. ®+ [email protected] 27(0)13 741 2458 www.lawsons.co.za 76-BullABC Vol 14 No 1 (2007) First recordofOrtolan Buntingfor Ghana: Lister