Cirl Bunting

Effectively extinct locally, the last record was in 1991, on Wavering Down. It last bred in 1985, at an undisclosed site, and prior to that in 1976 at Wrington. 

Kemp (1983) provides a useful summary of the former breeding sites and all published records since 1930 are included as Appendix 1 to this checklist. 

Wheeler (1874) gave it as ‘rare, occurs occasionally, has occurred at Wrington’ while Charbonnier (1899) said ‘resident. Not common’ but Munro Smith (1911) mentions seeing a nest on the embankment of the R. Avon, at the bottom of the Gully. The 1925 SBR lists it as ‘local and uncommon. Compton Martin and East Harptree district in 1907 but not recently. Backwell district. Formerly frequent and nesting near Westonsuper-Mare’. Davis (1947) calls it ‘resident. Local, but not uncommon in some parts of the district. In recent years has frequently been found nesting in close proximity to Bristol and breeding has been reported from the Weston-super-Mare area and elsewhere’. Palmer and Ballance (1968) mention ‘breeds locally along coastal strip between Portishead and Mendip and around Bath; more commonly on lower slopes of NW Mendip and outlying hills (Bleadon, Banwell, Shute Shelve, Winscombe); from Uphill to Burnham.’