Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2023 i Bird Watching

Dominic Couzens: “I have connections to Australia and still love the sight of wild cockatoos flying about.” David Lindo: “My home, Extremadura, Spain. Full stop! Seeing fantastic birds, like Eurasian Eagle Owls, is always a real privilege!” Ruth Miller: “It has to be Uganda. Any destination where you can see 400 species of bird in just two weeks is pretty special!” Amanda Tuke: “Le Touquet estuary, near Calais. I’m itching to go back to look for Bluethroats, Black and Middle Spotted Woodpeckers.”…

twitter.com/BirdWatchingMag facebook.com/BirdWatchingMag RARITY RATINGS Common, widely distributed Localised - always a treat Very scarce or rare SPOONBILL Once upon a time, the Spoonbill was an amazing-looking dream bird of field guides, which we were promised would one day start to colonise the UK as a breeder. Well, that day has come and there is now an established breeding population, especially in north Norfolk (but also elsewhere). The bird is no less amazing-looking, though! Spoonbills are real beauties, eccentric beauties, but beauties all the same. Yes, they spend a lot of time sleeping, but when not sleeping they are truly wonderful; and this is especially so in the height of the breeding season. At this time, adults have striped, yellow-tipped, spatulate bills, long drooping mullet-crests and yellow patches on their breasts.…

Fireweed Known in the United States as Fireweed, what we call Rosebay Willowherb is a plant success story whose dense stands full of metre-high pink, pyramidial spikes catch the eye. In the early 20th century, it was scarce, but subsequent land clearance - partly connected with the two World Wars provided the opportunity it needed to establish itself, widely. Given a roothold, Rosebay Willowherb readily colonises disturbed ground such as woodland clearings, road verges, dunes and grassy brownfield sites. BEETLE Beetle's about Venture into damp, willow-rich habitats this month and check out flowering umbellifers for a chance of the spectacular, metallic-green Musk Beetle. Adults are long, slender-bodied insects with preposterously protracted antennae (even for a longhorn beetle), that are freshly emerged after three years developing inside willow trees. Although widespread,…

House Sparrow holds top spot House Sparrow topped the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch charts for the 20th consecutive year, but the charity has described the widespread decline of the species in the UK countryside as “startling” - while 1.5 million individuals were counted during 2023’s BGBW, that’s 60% down on the first survey 44 years ago. Longtailed Tit rose five positions in the rankings this year, with numbers 39% higher than in 2022, but as it’s vulnerable in harsh winters, its numbers often fluctuate a great deal. Bid to track albatrosses South Georgia’s Black-browed Albatrosses are being monitored by a satellitetagging programme, with 26 young birds fitted with satellite transmitters in April so that they can be tracked across the South Atlantic Ocean. The project will offer crucial data to…

When we came up with a list of Britain’s best birdwatching locations last year, we got plenty of suggestions, some very detailed, as to places we’d missed out. After all, birders love a list, but they also love arguing about a list! So, we decided to compile our list of 100 great birdwatching locations worldwide. They’re all places that boast iconic species, or incredible migration movements, or some other wow factor that sets them apart. Here are our top 30 — to read about the other 70, download our app, or go to: members.birdwatching.co.uk Read, enjoy, then tell us where you think we’ve missed out! Svalbard This island in the Arctic Circle is a magnet for birders because of species such as King Eider, Ivory Gull and Brünnich’s Guillemot, among…

In association with MAX MILES ON FOOT: 3 MIN TIME: 3 HOURS Mixed habitats make for outstanding coastal birding Alnmouth has an amazing selection of habitats and attracts a vast range of species. The newly restored saltmarsh on the western side of the estuary is paying immense dividends with large flocks of Lapwing and Golden Plover. The river section holds wintering ducks and sawbills with three species of goose present while the scrubland between the dunes and the beach is good for finches and Stonechats. There is a heronry by the side of the stone bridge as you enter the village with some 10 pairs present. STEVE NEWMAN WHERE TO WATCH 1 The high viewpoint offers excellent seawatching and views of waders on the beach and offshore rocks. Look for…

In association with MAX MILES ON FOOT: 2 MIN TIME: 3 HOURS A wetland walk on the edge of the Chiltern Hills Apart from the open water here, other habitats include a reedbed, mature woodland, arable farmland, paddocks and hedgerows. All the usual common wildfowl are present while Common and sometimes Black Terns drop in on autumn passage. Black-necked Grebe has been recorded along with the occasional passing Osprey. The reedbed is a notable location for Water Rail, a scarce bird locally, and a few warblers pause awhile on migration from late summer onwards. Adjacent paddocks can sometimes attract a migrant Yellow Wagtail, Wheatear or Whinchat. PAUL TRODD WHERE TO WATCH 1 From the reservoir bank scan the water for common wintering waterfowl such as Great Crested and Little Grebes,…

DOMINIC COUZENS ON THE… WHERE TO SEE THEM East and south coasts of England. Most of the breeding population nest at coastal wetlands. They are more widespread in winter on beaches in Norfolk and Kent Who on earth gave names to gulls? I mean, they had one job — just give an appropriate name for the bird, based on something relevant. So, what did they do? They named a gull with a brown hood a Black-headed Gull; they named a gull less numerous the Common Gull; they named a gull that breeds in Greenland the Iceland Gull. If they wished to sow confusion, they undoubtedly succeeded. And then they went and named the Mediterranean Gull after the wrong sea. Although the Mediterranean Gull does winter and now breed around its…

Send your snaps to birdwatching@bauermedia.co.uk to be in with a chance of seeing your photo in print. All images should be high resolution JPEG files. 1 Peregrine Marc Freebrey Camera: Nikon Z 9 Lens: 400mm Shutter Speed: 1/1,000 Aperture: f/5.6 ISO: 500 2 Kestrel Martin Yelland Camera: Canon EOS 7D Mkll Lens: 800mm Shutter Speed: 1/1,000 Aperture: f/5.6 ISO: 1,250 3 Coal Tit Doug Jarvis Camera: Pentax K-1 Lens: 400mm Shutter Speed: 1/1,250 Aperture: f/5.6 ISO: 4,000 4 Nuthatch Trevor Burch Camera: Nikon D500 Lens: 500mm Shutter Speed: 1/2,500 Aperture: f/6.3 ISO: 2,500 5 Black-winged Stilts Steve Benton Camera: Nikon Z 7_2 Lens: 500mm Shutter Speed: 1/2,000 Aperture: f/6.3 ISO: 1,400 WE LOVE… Trevor Burch’s Nuthatch - gorgeous!…

DAVID LINDO THE URBAN BIRDER FACT FILE Waxwing (aka Bohemian Waxwing) Bombycilla garrulus • Size: 18-21cm • Relatives: Silky-flycatchers, Palmchat & Grey Hypocolius • Conservation status: IUCN Least Concern • Known urban locations to find it: potentially at a supermarket car park near you during the winter • Fact: Waxwings are the only birds outside of the tropics to feed their young on fruit. Indeed, they are more reliant on fruit than any other bird in the Northern Hemisphere. To take your mind off the heat of summer, let’s look at the Waxwing, a bird that epitomises a classic winter’s day of urban birding. It is a species that, whenever flocks appear within our urban areas, has pulses racing and cameras raised. But let me say this: roll over Robin,…

BIRD WATCHING COFFEE BREAK GIFT HAMPER, £37.98 This hamper includes buggy nibbles, dried mealworms and a ceramic Robin feeder. You might not have expected that. Those are for the birds you get to watch. While you’re watching, you drink RSPB medium roast organic coffee from an RSPB garden bird mug. The whole lot comes in an RSPB bag made from sustainable jute. You will have to provide your own hob-nobs. Or Garibaldis perhaps - buggy nibbles for people. You choose. rspb.org.uk OBOZ MENS KATABATIC LOW WATERPROOF, £150 The soles are tough and have “superior slipresistance”. The uppers are abrasion-resistant mesh with TPU for protection. The insoles feature eco this and eco that. The 25% post-industrial waste B-DRY, breathable, waterproof membrane is recyclable. It’s their lightest midsole yet. Your feet will…

AT LAST! AN ENCOUNTER WITH A SUPREME SONGSTER MADE FOR A DAY TO REMEMBER I had once previously gone looking for Nightingales — in 2022. The battle to find them was already lost in my head, as I didn’t expect my skills to be adequate to find these cover-hugging, scarce birds. Of course, with an attitude like that, I proved myself right. A year later, and with renewed confidence and optimism, I headed out to a local site, not far from my central Bedfordshire home. Knowing that there had been Nightingales sighted this year. By the time I got there, the weather had turned, and my ever-unsuitable outfit, from the top of my cotton hoody, to the bottom of my socks in sliders, were drenched. “Well, I can’t get wetter”,…

IN ASSOCIATION WITH BIRDFY If you looked through state of the art, top of the range binoculars at the turn of the Millennium, you would have been impressed. They felt good in the hand and the optics were so good that it seemed impossible that they could ever be any better. Fast forward nearly quarter of a century and the optics companies seem to have defied the laws of physics. The ‘best’ (and yes, the most pricey) binoculars in the 2020s give unbelievably good performances, both in terms of ergonomics and in terms of what you see through them. So, what should you look for when buying the best? Value for money Birdwatching is not really an expensive hobby. Almost all you need is a pair of binoculars and you…

IN ASSOCIATION WITH BIRDFY If top of the range binoculars have made great strides forward in the last quarter of a century, then the best birding scopes have made giant leaps. The level of performance from the finest modern telescope is truly amazing, with degrees of brightness and detail in the image of (for instance) distant birds which could not have been dreamt of a couple of decades ago. Birders have never had it so good, at least in available optics. Put a high-level telescope on a good quality tripod and you are all set for birding Nirvana. (Put the scope on a wobbly support, however and the image will only ever be wobbly, regardless of its potential to amaze!). When choosing a telescope from the top price bracket, the…

We all have our own favourite places to birdwatch, both close to home and further afield, and while environmental considerations mean we all need to think carefully about every journey we make, responsible travel is still possible. We hope you could also enjoy our look at some of the world’s most iconic birdwatching locations, on page 29, without ever leaving your front room — they’re a reminder of the astonishing variety and beauty of the natural world. And while we’re talking about birding locations, I have a challenge for you all. Please tell us about your ‘hidden gems’ – birdwatching locations that never seem to get the credit they deserve, or that get overlooked, but that you can’t stop going back to. Or, if you don’t have any at the…

Rarities can turn up in any month. So, we are going to have a ‘wishful thinking’ prediction about which rarities may turn up this July. Here goes… RED-NECKED STINT The first accepted records of this Asian stint was in 1973 (at Minsmere, Suffolk). Since then, there have been a further eight individuals, with the most recent being at Blyth, Northumberland, in summer 2021. Most have been found in the June to August period, when they are most likely to have a lovely red neck to make ID easier… LESSER CRESTED TERN There have been nearly 50 accepted records of this orange-billed tern. But, these numbers are falsely boosted by a returning individual to the north Sea coast of England, particularly the Fame Islands of Northumberland, in the 1980s and 1990s.…

It is a good thing I make notes, proper, physical handwritten notes, in a notebook, in ink (or whatever that stuff is in biros). Otherwise, my befuddled brain would only a have blurry, hazy idea of what went on in the first week or so of May. The last week of April and the first week of May are my favourite time of year, birding-wise, so I naturally took that opening May week off, with the express intention of birding. I was hoping to at least make some progress with my Peterborough area year list (standing at 156 species at the start of my week off). The trouble is I did a bit too much birding: distorted chronology and twisted time dilation messed with my memory. Without that notebook, I…

I have no birding rivals, so I’ve no idea why I set myself birding targets. Maybe it’s because the older I get, the harder it is to motivate myself to do the things I most enjoy - what is that contradiction all about? The quiet observation of the beauty of birds reduces my blood pressure, raises the winter gloom and reinforces what is actually of importance in and for the world. I have two targets… to see 200 species each year and to have seen 100 by the end of January. These days, my self-imposed rules of environmental care, coupled with my mouldy old bones, makes the target just that - a hope not an easy goal. It’s more than a decade since I achieved it. Its three decades since…

PEREGRINES Merton Civic Centre, London, UK www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqyZenOlOwo LITTLE OWLS Stow Maries Aerodrome, Essex, UK www.wildlifekate.co.uk/stowlittleowlcam BARN OWLS BirdWatch Ireland www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kwtc7jFqvPE OSPREYS Loch of the Lowes Wildlife Reserve, Scotland, UK www.youtube.com/watch?v=RN2wb_hOazk RED-TAILED HAWKS Cornell University, US www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndnr3bwdRzE…

In association with MAX MILES ON FOOT: 2 MIN TIME: 1 HOUR Wildfowl and more close to the Welland Valley As summer draws on and slips into autumn, this sizeable lake starts to attract good numbers and variety of wildfowl, plus a few waders, and some scarcer and even rare species have been known to drop in. MATT MERRITT WHERE TO WATCH 1 Start in the village, looking for common garden birds, but in autumn and winter be aware that species such as Crossbill, Siskin, Lesser Redpoll and Brambling can all drop in from the nearby woods. This end of the lake usually gets the commoner birds - Canada and Greylag Geese, Mallards, Coots, Moorhens and Egyptian Goose. 2 The wider expanses of the lake are the place to look…

UK conservation status: Amber Mediterranean Gull was a very rare visitor in the UK until the 1950s, and since then it is breeding here in increasing numbers (currently 1,200 pairs) and becoming more widespread in the winter (c. 4,000). It can mainly be found on the east and south coasts of England and its range is expanding northwards from its stronghold in the Black Sea and eastern Mediterranean. Ukraine hosts the largest breeding population, and it is feared local extinction has occurred due to shelling and pollution where breeding colonies exist, particularly around the Black Sea and Azov Sea coasts. Like most coastal species, large river systems facilitate its movement, so maintaining safe and healthy habitats along its transit routes are important. It’s an opportunistic omnivore, which is helpful in…

Unusual dove Q Can you identify this small dove with a yellow beak? It appeared in the garden on 22 April, and again today. It is slightly smaller than the Collared Doves. Roy France A Roy, the simple solution to the curious appearance of your mystery dove is that it is not a dove at all. Instead it appears to be a Blackbird. Obviously, it is not a typical Blackbird, but the structure and shape are unmistakably that of a thrush, as is the shape of the bill (which is pretty un-dove-iike). This individual appears to have a plumage pigmentation aberration making it appear almost white (or at least very pale grey). ‘Partial albinism’ or ‘leucism’ is not uncommon in Blackbirds, perhaps a result of some kind of ‘genetic switch’…

We all love birds with a passion and, for some of us, there is nothing more satisfying than to take beautiful photographs of them, whether you take a more literal approach or, like me, have an artistic bias. The advancement of camera technology has led to an exponential growth in the popularity of bird and other forms of wildlife photography. How many telephoto lenses and top-end cameras do you see these days? The growth in the number and quality of the images has undoubtedly had its benefits, such as raising awareness of the plight of many of our species and aiding conservation messages. However, the passion for birds and bird photography can become obsessional at times, and we must always be mindful that our desire to obtain the best photograph…

THE BIODIVERSITY GARDENER PAUL STERRY PRINCETON, HB, £25 This is a very personal book by Paul, as he sets out to show the benefits for wildlife of transforming his own garden, near Basingstoke, Hampshire, over a 36-year period. Paul covers all the aspects of what was right and what was wrong to start with, and what he got right and wrong subsequently, especially when picking the species that he used in the garden and pond. Size emerges as a big issue - he was working with half an acre, but the key thing is choosing species that suit the space that you have. All the potential species you’re likely ot encounter in your garden, from birds to soil organisms, are clearly defined. A great book for the gardener who wants…

IN ASSOCIATION WITH BIRDFY At this time of year, with Global Bird fair just around the corner, a lot of us start thinking about updating our birding gear, whether that’s in terms of new optics, or perhaps something to help your garden birds feed and breed successfully. In this guide, we take a look at some of the products that you might want to take a look at, as well as what you need to do if you’re looking to buy new optics. Our step-by-step guide will help you make the right choice, but if there’s one piece of advice I’d always give, above all else, it’s to go out and try the binoculars or spotting scope you’re thinking of buying, because no matter what they look and sound like…

IN ASSOCIATION WITH BIRDFY ADVICE BUYING SCOPES Price Birdwatching spotting scopes vary between a few hundred pounds to a few thousand pounds, with most price brackets covered in between. As with binoculars, more expensive spotting scopes will deliver better performance, but there are fine margins between different price categories. Only you can decide how much you want to spend on your spotting scope. Straight vs angled scopes There are two main styles; angled and straight. Straight scopes where the eyepiece is parallel with the main body; angled ones have the eyepiece at an angle. Straight ones can make locating birds easier. Many birdwatchers find angled scopes more relaxing to use and they don’t require such a tall spotting scope, so are not quite as susceptible to tripod ‘wobble’. Fixed magnification vs…

Find the location closest to your destination and add or subtract the hours and minutes from the high tide time at London Bridge, below. SOUTH WEST Weston-Super-Mare (+5:05) Barnstaple (+4:30) Newquay (+3:32) Falmouth (+3:30) Plymouth (+4:05) Torquay (+4:40) Bournemouth (-5:09)* Portland (+4:57) St Peter Port (+4:53) Swanage (-5:19)* Portsmouth (-2:29) Southampton (-2:53) SOUTH EAST Ryde (-2:29) Brighton (-2:51) Eastbourne (-2:48) Dungeness(-3:05) Dover (-2:53) Margate (-1:52) Heme Bay (-1:24) Southend-on-sea (-1:22) Clacton-on-sea (-2:00) EAST ANGUA Felixstowe Pier (-2:23) Aldeburgh (-2:53) Lowestoft (4:23) Cromer (+4:56) Hunstanton (+4:44) WALES Colwyn Bay (-2:47) Holyhead (-3:28) Barmouth (-5:45) Aberystwyth (-6:11) Fishguard (+5:44) Swansea (+4:42) Milford Haven (+4:37) Cardiff (+5:15) NORTH WEST Whitehaven (-2:30) Douglas (-2:44) Morecambe (-2:33) Blackpool (-2:50) NORTH EAST Skegness (+4:29) Grimsby (+4:13) Bridlington (+2:58) Whitby (+2:20) Hartlepool (+1:59) Blyth (+1:46) Berwick (+0:54)…

NEWSWIRE ALL THE BIGGEST BIRD NEWS & EVENTS PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION Our search to find the best outdoor photography of the year is underway for 2023 — and this year we’re making our competition bigger and better than ever. For the first time we’re combining our ever-popular Outdoor Photo of the Year and Mountain Photo of the Year awards into one all-encompassing competition, with winners and runners-up for three key categories. Now heading into its ninth year after being launched for the first time in 2014 by BW’s sister title Trail, the Best Nature Photo will be chosen, and the standard will have to be very high to match David Atkinson’s winning image from 2022 (above) — a gorgeous close-up of a Kingfisher doing what it does best. The prestigious title…

Bird Watching BROUGHT TO YOU IN PARTNERSHIP WITH Long, hot, lazy summer days are with us (well, we hope), and both birds and humans will be trying to avoid doing anything too energetic in the heat. But how can you keep your #My200BirdYear list ticking over at the same time? Here are a few ideas… Join us on Birda! You can track your progress in #My200BirdYear by joining us on the Birda app, as featured in our recent Gear Guide. Download the app, sign up for the #My200BirdYear challenge, and log your sightings as you make them. While you’re at it, Birda’s monthly and geographicallybased challenges are a great way of motivating yourself towards the bigger target, too, and by interacting with other users you can develop your ID skills.…

In their 2022 research paper The digital peregrine: A technonatural history of a cosmopolitan raptor, Adam Searle, Jonny Turnbull and Bill Adams explore the impact digital technologies are having on our relationship with, and knowledge of, a bird which is increasingly urban in the British Isles yet unnoticed by most city-dwellers. Through conversations with a wide range of professionals and amateurs involved with Peregrine urban nestcams, they learn how this technology impacts on the individual’s relationship with the species, how it can support nest protection and how it is enabling researchers to study detailed behaviour which has never been seen before. Nestcams enable an ecologist to monitor large numbers of nests simultaneously, and build up detailed records of the relationship between pairs, nesting behaviour, egg development and diet. Observations of…

In association with MAX MILES ON FOOT: 2 MIN TIME: 3 HOURS Seabirds and passage migrants on a bird-packed coast Old Hunstanton makes the perfect setting for starting or ending a birding trip to north Norfolk, and some days you don’t have to use the car to enjoy a great fall of birds! As with most of Norfolk’s coastline, anything is possible. JOHN MILES WHERE TO WATCH 1 As so many birdwatchers stay at the hotel here, it is a great place to start as it has a car park as well. There is plenty of open space to check out the wagtails and pipits and as you approach the sea there are many bushes around the beach huts. Both in spring and autumn check out the warblers and flycatchers…

In association with MAX MILES ON FOOT: 4 MIN TIME: 3 HOURS Well-hedged farmland around a meandering river In a tucked-away area of Devon between Exeter and Barnstaple is a region of undulating, small-field farmland laced with tree-flanked streams. This is the homeland of Buzzard and Skylark. Thick hedges and patches of scrub provide good habitat for passerines, while the water, with its plentiful overhanging branches, enriches the landscape and tempts species such as Dipper, Grey Wagtail and, if fortune is with you, a Kingfisher. Although rarities are unlikely, this is rich countryside for general birding. SIMONE STANBROOK-BYRNE WHERE TO WATCH 1 The road bridge in the village spans the attractive River Yeo. Pause here to look and listen - the riverside and hedges here can be alive with birds,…

GET IN TOUCH Bird Watching, Media House, Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6EA Steel City Stunners! The exciting night life at Sheffield for me is watching these mischievous birds come to roost! Now, I know that Ring-necked Parakeets sometimes ruffle a few feathers when it comes to the non-native subject. However, it is through no fault of their own, and I accept and appreciate watching these beautiful birds. I feel spoiled being able to watch over 50 of them, settling down in the heart of one of our largest cities. I remember looking up at the tree, their green appearance, heads tucked in swaying on the branches trying to shelter from the wind. Looking like apples! Such an amazing encounter. To think our nature is adapting to cope with our over-polluted…

It is a shame that the members of the order Galliformes are known as the ‘gamebirds’. There is an implication that these birds only really exist to be shot. Galliformes means ‘chicken-like birds’ (or ‘rooster-like birds’) which is at least a bit preferable to providing the bird with an unpleasant destiny. The subjects of this month’s ID Challenge are members of the pheasant, partridge and grouse family and/or perhaps from the quail family. We have not included some unrelated species which are considered ‘game’, for shooting, such as Snipe and Woodcock or even some plovers and pigeons. Your task is to try to identify the birds featured in the six photographs on this page, giving each a name. Once you are happy with your answers, turn the page to see…

In association with www.mpb.com Q What exactly does a teleconverter do? I understand it will give my lenses greater reach, but will image quality suffer a lot? B Dunn, Thetford A Teleconverters are really valuable tools, providing increased reach and flexibility. By attaching a teleconverter to your lens, you increase its focal length, so a 2x converter on 300mm lens will make it 600mm. This enables you to fill the frame with your bird and capture more detail in your images. Teleconverters also offer flexibility with lens choice, as they extend the reach of your lenses without the need for buying new ones. They’re also lightweight and portable ideal for outdoor photography. It’s important to remember they result in a loss of light, can impact autofocus performance and may require…

ASSOCIATION WITH BIRDFY ADVICE BUYING BINS Price Birdwatching binoculars vary between less than £100 to a few thousand pounds, with every price bracket covered in between. Top of the range bins will offer exceptional optics and comfort of use, but at a price, and it may not be a price you can either afford nor feel is justified for your birding. More expensive bins will deliver better performance, but there are fine margins between price categories. Only you can decide how much you want to spend. Porro vs roof prisms Birdwatching binoculars come in two main types (based on the arrangement of the prisms within them): porro prisms and roof prisms. Porro prism binoculars are like ‘old school’ binoculars with the bit you look through (the eyepieces) narrower than the big…