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The major part of the 2018 report is taken up with the Systematic list, covering the 251 species recorded in the county during the year. The book also contains regular papers including the Review of the Year and the Ringing Report and various appendices.
This year's report is unusual in including five obituaries. Next there are four main papers, one short paper and two notes. The first three papers provide new information on individual threatened breeding species. The first of these by Trevor Codlin presents the results of the Nightingale survey carried out in 2018 to assess the declining population in Hampshire. The second by Rob Clements summarises the results of the 2018 survey of Dartford Warblers, not just in the New Forest but across the county. This coincided with a significant drop in breeding numbers and illustrated the susceptibility of this species to adverse winter weather. The third paper by Pete Potts, Andrew Hoodless, Andy Page and Phil Atkinson describes the results of tagging and tracking of Curlews from the remaining breeding population in the New Forest, and gives fascinating insights into their movements. The last paper by John Eyre tracks the ups and downs of a colour-ringed Woodlark through its record-breaking long life and many breeding seasons on one of the Thames Basin heaths.
The short paper by Alan Lewis describes another Hampshire first – Thayer's Gull at Ibsley Water and Tidpit Down. This taxon has a complex history with BOURC and IOC now treating it as a subspecies of Iceland Gull whereas some other authorities have considered it to be a separate species. The two notes cover the exceptional Hawfinch invasion during winter 2018/2019 and the projects awarded HOS grants in 2017 for implementation in 2018, both by Marcus Ward.
