Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2024 i Bird Watching

We asked this month’s contributors what their favourite UK raptor is, and why… Sophie Atherton: “I'd have to say the Kestrel, because of its iconic windhovering, but mostly because its hunting skills include being able to see mouse wee!” Jen Jones: “Buzzards are my favourite raptor, simply because I can see them regularly in parks and woodlands around my urban home environment.” David Lindo: “The Honey Buzzard is my favourite UK raptor, and is up there in my global faves!” Jane Adams: “The Osprey! From its beguiling looks to its captivating gaze, and from its haunting call to its unparalleled fishing prowess.”…

twitter.com/BirdWatchingMag facebook.com/BirdWatchingMag RARITY RATINGS Common, widely distributed Localised – always a treat Very scarce or rare SLAVONIAN GREBE With fewer than 50 nesting pairs (all in the Scottish Highlands), the spectacular little Slavonian Grebe is one of our rarest breeding birds. Understandably, most nesting lochs remain more or less secret (to minimise disturbance), but luckily a few pairs (i.e. a substantial proportion of the entire UK breeding population!) nest at the RSPB’s Loch Ruthven reserve, where they can be observed in action from within a hide. They are slightly larger than Little Grebes, with red-and-black plumage, including lovely black flared cheeks, with glorious golden tufts behind the ruby-red eyes. RED-RUMPED SWALLOW The Red-rumped Swallow is a southern European species which is a regular, yet rare visitor to the UK, mainly in…

St George and the damsel Around the time of St George’s Day, which venerates the soldier who – legend has it – defeated a dragon, I find myself looking for the first airborne dragonfly of the year. Admittedly, the first-comer actually tends to be a damselfly. Large Red Damselfly frequent all manner of watercourses bar fast-flowing rivers, but also readily visit gardens away from water. Its fiery tones always gladden the heart. PLANT First orchid As well as yearning for the first dragonfly of spring, I am always keen to get my orchid summer going in April. Although not usually the first orchid to open its blooms (that accolade usually goes to Early Spider-orchid), the woodland-loving Early Purple Orchid is much more widespread and is thus the orchid that typically…

UK Cranes hit new high Survey results show 2023 was another successful year for Cranes in the UK, with a record 80 pairs confirmed and 36 young known to have fledged. Driven to extinction in the UK during the 16th Century, the population is now at its highest level since the species returned in 1979. Alongside a reintroduction project, where hand-reared Cranes were released on the Somerset Levels and Moors, conservation efforts to restore and protect the UK’s wetlands have been key to turning around the birds’ fortunes. Birds at centre of major new exhibition London’s Natural History Museum has a new exhibition – Birds: Brilliant and Bizarre – opening on 24 May, and running until January 2025. There will be more than 120 specimens on display, telling the story…

• Loch Garten, Perth and Kinross, Scotland www.rspb.org.uk/days-out/reserves/loch-garten-abernethy • Loch of the Lowes, Perth and Kinross, Scotland scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/reserve/loch-of-the-lowes • Loch of Kinnordy, Angus, Scotland www.rspb.org.uk/days-out/reserves/loch-of-kinnordy • Findhorn Bay Local Nature Reserve, Moray, Scotland fblnr.org/ • Cors Dyfi Reserve, Powys, Wales www.dyfiospreyproject.com • Llyn Brenig, Conwy, North Wales www.northwaleswildlifetrust.org.uk/days-out/ospreys-llyn-brenig • Bassenthwaite Lake, Cumbria, England www.keswick.org/explore/lakes/bassenthwaite • Rutland Water, Lyndon Reserve, Rutland, England www.lrwt.org.uk/lyndon-visitor-centre • Kielder Forest, Northumberland, England www.visitkielder.com/play/discover/kielder-ospreys • Poole Harbour, Dorset, England bookings.careyssecretgarden.co.uk…

In association with os.uk/osm MAX MILES ON FOOT: 3 MIN TIME: 1 HOUR Once you get away from the M1 and the A14, Northamptonshire has a wealth of superb countryside – gently rolling, and of course greatly given over to agriculture, but quiet and unspoiled. This rural walk is at a site that regularly records Ring Ouzel, Wheatear and other migrants in spring, as well as commoner resident species. WHERE TO WATCH 1 The footpath overlooks a deep natural bowl, whose grassy sides are dotted with gorse and scrub. Check these for Whitethroats in spring and summer, while passage Whinchat is a possibility, and Stonechat, too. Look overhead for Buzzard and Red Kite, plus Kestrel and Sparrowhawk. The hedgerows here should hold the commoner tits and finches, plus Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Garden…

OM SYSTEM OM-1 MARK II BODY, £2,199 Is it better than Mk I? The auto focus is. Subject detection (which includes birds) locks on and maintains focus ”more accurately and reliably”. The Mk II can deliver 8.5 stops of IS. Its wizardry includes live graduated ND filters, high-res shooting – 50MP handheld, 80MP on a tripod – and focus-stacking. It shoots 50fps with continuous AF in RAW, and up to 500 pics per charge. It’s weather-sealed and has rubbery dials for “better grip and feel”. And it costs less than some scopes. explore.omsystem.com OBOZ COTTONWOOD LOW, £140 Oboz’s “most planet-friendly line to date”, with 100% recycled polyester in the lining, recycled laces and trim, bio-based EVA in the midsole (30% sugarcane, for sweet smelling feet…), and leather made with significantly…

SOUTH WEST Highlights Baikal Teals are very rare ducks, and having two individuals in the same county in a single month is exceptional. Somerset was the county (and January the month, of course). A drake was at Greylake RSPB (from 1st) and a female at Catcott Lows NR, on 6th. In association with AVON CLEVEDON-WESTON-SUPER-MARE: Three Brent Geese roamed the area. The Blind Yeo held 33 Goosanders, with more scattered across the North Somerset Levels. Sand Point had 35 Avocets, 18 of them moving to Clevedon-Yeo, with smaller groups along the River Severn, all the way to Oldbury. There were 30 Grey Plovers at Sand Point and Clevedon-Yeo, 60 Sanderling at Uphill, and 70 Knot plus thousands of Dunlin at Clevedon-Yeo. Portishead had 10 Purple Sandpipers, and a Gannet (1st).…

1 Swift The decline in the UK’s Swift population in recent decades is probably down to two main factors. Firstly, a decline in the amount of insect prey (so-called ‘aerial plankton’) available to them, and secondly, the reduction in the amount of nest sites. The birds use cavities under the eaves of houses and other buildings, but replacement and repair of older structures mean these are in short supply. You can put up Swift nest boxes, and also encourage the use of Swift bricks in new buildings – these have cavities in them that can be used for nesting. Otherwise, anything that encourages insects to your garden will help. 2 House Sparrow Once ubiquitous in urban areas, this familiar species has suffered partly for the same reasons as Swifts – through loss…

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR 2024? #My200BirdYear challenge Raptors and owls are often among the first species to capture the imagination of new birdwatchers, perhaps not surprisingly, given that they’re often large and easier to identify than many species, and generally fly with power, grace, panache, or a combination of all three. In this issue, we look at the successful project to get Ospreys breeding around Poole Harbour, marking their permanent return to the south coast for the first time in almost 200 years. As with previous reintroduction projects, I think it’s worth repeating that the value of such a project lies as much in the enthusiasm and passion it can kindle in non-birders, as in those of us who are already hopelessly hooked on birdwatching. Seeing these glorious birds…

Here is our regular semi-educated stab in the dark as to which extreme rarities may be the next to appear in the UK. AMERICAN BITTERN This North American equivalent of the (Great) Bittern is a very rare vagrant, with only about 40 accepted British records, including just four this century and only 17 in the last 100 years. Many birders ticked the long-staying, flirtatious, booming male at Carlton Marshes SWT, Suffolk, which was first seen on 7 April 2018. High time we had another spring bird. BLACK-WINGED KITE It was just last April (2023) that the first Black-winged Kite appeared in the UK. The first photographed/filmed one was on 18 April near Newtown, Powys. But two days previously, one was reported near Kirton, Suffolk. Will we see further Black-winged Kites…

PATCH DIARY You may have gathered over recent months that I am a little obsessed with Waxwings. I love them. Well, as it happens, for the past couple of weeks, we have a had a very obliging bunch of five of these crested beauties only 10 minutes from our home. They came to light through the modern phenomenon of photos posted on a Facebook group (Nature of the Fens), and were soon found to be in the newish community of Cardea, in the south-east corner of Peterborough. And it soon became clear that the Cardea Five were extremely loyal to the vicinity of the Hawthorn hedge lining the south of the housing, next to a busy east-west dual carriageway. The Hawthorns, as well as nearby Guelder Roses, are providing a…

NEWS & OPINION With spring around the corner, I’d like to ask myself, you, and the powers that be, a question: should we tidy up open space or respect nature? Travelling in North America, Europe and Australasia, one is often struck by the neat gardens in suburbia, smart yards in the countryside, and even the pristine window boxes and flora-enhanced porches of cities. In other parts of the world, like North Africa and Asia, much of this careful husbandry of flora is in hidden courtyards and behind walled villas. Elsewhere, even in the rich western world, urban poverty is apparent from untended plots and refuse-strewn curtilages. Californian yards are often manicured patches with bleached drives and concreted paths. We Brits pride ourselves on having snooker table lawns and rose gardens,…

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is the requirement to make sure that a natural environment is in a measurably better state after development and/or land management. Since February 2024, developers and land managers have had to evidence 10% BNG secured for at least 30 years in planning applications for major projects in England. This will be extended to small projects (residential developments less than 0.5 hectares and commercial developments less than one hectare) from April 2024. Exhaustively recording all of the organisms in a habitat clearly isn’t practical, so a baseline ‘biodiversity metric’, combined with a ‘biodiversity gain plan’, has been designed by Natural England as a proxy for assessing changes in biodiversity value. Nationally Significant Infrastructure projects, where planning is given by the Secretary of State, rather than local councils,…

• Ham Common Lookout, Ham Common Nature Reserve, Poole This fully accessible, purpose-built Osprey observation platform overlooks the Wareham Channel in Poole Harbour and is a hotspot for observing Osprey and White-tailed Eagle. Built in partnership with BCP Council, Haven Rockley Park and Birds of Poole Harbour, it is also the venue for free pop-up Osprey watches throughout the season, when experts are on hand with telescopes and information about the birds likely to be seen. Free. Parking on site (charges apply): bcpprojects.net/ham-common-lookout Information about pop-up Osprey watches available at: www.birdsofpooleharbourbookings.co.uk/ • Poole Harbour Osprey Cruises These cruises scour the otherwise inaccessible areas of Poole Harbour in search of birds. Experts on board guide and help with useful information. Booking required. Embark boat at The Quay, Poole. Parking nearby. Multiple…

This month, we return to a group of birds, the waders or shorebirds which are ever-present around the UK’s coasts, but feature strongly during spring and autumn passage. Though some waders breed in the UK, most nest in the arctic region, and are seen as passage birds in April, often in the glorious colours of their breeding plumage. It is one of the most exciting aspects of birding at this time of year, especially for inland patch birders who have an area with muddy margins on a gravel pit, wetland or scrape. Here are six waders which are wearing the colours we may see in spring in the UK. All you have to do is put a name to each of them. Then, as is always the case, we will…

In association with os.uk/osm MAX MILES ON FOOT: 1 MIN TIME: 2 HOURS Killington Lake was created to store water to keep the Lancaster Canal operating, and is ideal for birds as well as boating. The surrounding area can also be good for birds and wildlife. WHERE TO WATCH 1 This is an area you can scan from a service station heading south only from the M6. The advantage is that you are up high, looking down on the lake, with islands to your left which can hold mixed gulls in summer along with breeding geese, ducks and corvids. Several birds come for food in the actual service station, so look out for Black-headed Gulls, Rooks, Jackdaws and Pied Wagtails. 2 Turn off the M6 at junction 37 taking the…

In association with os.uk/osm MAX MILES ON FOOT: 3.5 MIN TIME: 3 HOURS High above the Teign Valley, the countryside surrounding the village of Christow is a mosaic of habitats threaded with small, fast-tumbling streams. The area has numerous pockets of mixed, broad-leaved woodland, and the fields are mostly well hedged. The latter stage of the walk takes in a fairly young woodland of native trees – planting for the future. Although within the Dartmoor NP there is no open moorland to negotiate.,the route offers some panoramic views, and although it may not throw up rarities (unless you’re lucky), the variety of habitat offers a wealth of ‘nice-to-sees’. WHERE TO WATCH 1 This quiet village is well-provided with gardens and an ancient churchyard, all of which attract species such as…

The Marsh Tit is a candidate for having the most unhelpful name of any British bird, and there is plenty of competition – Blackheaded Gull, anyone? The simple fact is that the Marsh Tit doesn’t occur in marshes. You might as well call the Blackbird the Bluebird. It’s absurd. The confusion originally arises from the Marsh Tit’s body double, the Willow Tit. This latter species can sometimes be found in damp places, including the edges of marshes, although it’s hardly a wetland bird itself. But it is, of course, famously similar to the Marsh Tit. Indeed, it was only as late as 1897 that people realised that the Willow Tit occurred in Britain at all, when two German ornithologists found mislabelled Willow Tit skins among a group of British Marsh…

Auto focus can seem daunting, especially with so many camera models offering varying levels of performance, dictated by the technology offered by the camera body, the lens you are using, the light that is available, the subjects you are shooting, and the behaviour they are displaying. But getting to grips with a few key elements is a good place to start, helping you select and refine the right settings for each situation encountered to get the best out of your kit. As with everything in life, you get what you pay for, and the best auto focus performance is generally found in pro-level camera bodies, especially true when combined with high-end prime lenses that can cost as much as a family car. But consistent results can be achieved with far…

BIRDS OF SPAIN BY JAMES LOWEN & CARLOS BOCOS HELM WILDLIFE GUIDES, SB, £16.99 This series of books contains what you might call great ‘companion books’, covering a wide range of species but not the full complement. Bird Watching’s own James Lowen joins Carlos Bocos to cover Spain, including an introduction, a section on bird conservation, and of course the birds themselves. There is a section on the best sites at which to see the species, plus more than 300 species in glorious colour, and the book finishes with a section on further reading and resources. If you haven’t seen this series yet, and you are going to Spain, then this is for you. BOOK OF THE MONTH THE SECRET LIFE OF BIRDS OF PREY BY CHLOE HARMSWORTH PEN &…

IN ASSOCIATION WITH If you’re hoping to make your garden or green space wildlife-friendly, it’s probably going to be essential that you plant at least some areas accordingly (unless you’re lucky enough to already have a matured and diverse garden). The good news is that just a relatively few key plants can make a big difference. Follow these tips for best results. Birds love berries Berry-bearing shrubs and bushes are probably the quickest and easiest way to attract birds to your garden in autumn and winter. Trees such as Rowan, and bushes such as pyracantha and cotoneaster are a magnet to thrushes, including the winter visitors Redwing, Fieldfare and (in a winter like this one), maybe even Waxwing. Mistle Thrushes love them, too, as well as smaller birds. Holly, Ivy…

BIRD OF THE MONTH RED-THROATED DIVER We are lucky to have two species of diver breeding in the UK (or Scotland, to be more precise). And both species are magnificent looking birds, particularly in their breeding finery. The shy Black-throated Diver is a very scarce breeder, with about 200 nesting pairs, and prefers larger, undisturbed lochs on which to breed. The Redthroated Diver nests on the edges of smaller lochs or lochans, and numbers 1,300 breeding pairs. One reason they are happy with smaller water bodies on which to nest is that the adults will leave the area to feed elsewhere, either at sea or on larger lochs. As a result of lack of competition for food on the nesting loch, multiple pairs can occur on the same water body.…

SET A TARGET OF SEEING 200 BIRDS IN ONE YEAR! 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. 1 START EARLY, FINISH LATE The key thing about birding in April is that birds are on the move, with winter visitors heading back north and east, and summer visitors arriving from the south. Dawn and dusk are the best times to look for grounded migrant birds such as Ring…

In association with os.uk/osm MAX MILES (ONE WAY BY CAR): 10 MIN TIME: 6 HOURS The Glen Affric National Nature Reserve is run by Nature Scot, along with Forestry and Land Scotland. It is still home to one of the largest remnants of the ancient Caledonian Pine Forest that once covered much of the Highlands. This part of Scotland is not just about wildlife, but landscape, too, and been described as the most beautiful glen in Scotland. WHERE TO WATCH 1 The first thing you have to remember about this site is the size of it. Amazingly, it covers 56 square miles. There are a number of car parks which allow you to wonder around the area and hope that feeders are drawing one of the special birds – the…

In association with os.uk/osm MAX MILES ON FOOT: 4 MIN TIME: 4 HOURS The landscape to the south of Lydd is dominated by the vast shingle rampart of the Army Ranges that stretches from Camber in the west, eastwards towards the Dungeness peninsula with its redundant nuclear power stations. Much of the open shingle land is peppered with thickets of gorse scrub, drainage ditches and old gravel pits, plus adjacent arable and sheep pasture, chicken sheds and dung heaps. A wide variety of species are assured along the way, while Galloways Road has a history of scarce passage migrants such as Wryneck, Red-backed Shrike and Pied Flycatcher. WHERE TO WATCH 1 Scan the watersports lake for Common Tern, Great Crested and Little Grebes and a variety of common wildfowl. Surrounding…

GET IN TOUCH birdwatching@bauermedia.co.uk facebook.com/BirdWatchingMag twitter.com/BirdWatchingMag Bird Watching, Media House, Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6EA Wingtagged Marsh Harrier On 1 February 2024, I photographed a wingtagged young Marsh Harrier at Titchwell Marsh RSPB, Norfolk. I found the relevant ringing project online, and contacted them. I received an email back from Anny Anselin, a Belgium wingtag project coordinator, reporting how the bird was tagged (by Jeroen Arnoys) in a nest at Booitshoeke, West Flanders on the Belgian west coast, last July. I don't know how often Belgian Marsh Harriers pop up in the UK, but I am pleased to have observed it! Stephen Baird-Parker Bird names No.1 Far be it for me to take issue with Bo Beolens over his assertion (BW, February 2024) that “the truth is an uncomfortable mixture…”…

I have always been interested in birds, their behaviour, and relationships with other species. I was also fascinated by who was related to whom and why one species was completely different from another, despite looking superficially similar. My early quasi-scientific studies involved Dunnocks. As a child, when I first started to notice these small brown birds shuffling under the bushes in my north London garden, I thought they were shy Robins without red breasts. They were similar sized although with a different carriage. Even though I knew they were different from our national bird, because I had no mentor, I was on my own when it came to placing them in the avian order of things. Eventually, I got acquainted with the Hedge Sparrow, as they were referred to then,…

IN ASSOCIATION WITH Now is the time of year when our gardens are coming to life – not just with respect to flowering plants and thickening foliage, but also with the concentration of bird life flocking to our plots. To help you make the most of these visitors, and attract even more of them (as well as other wildlife), we’ve created this guide to creating your own oasis – whatever the size of your garden. Inside, you’ll discover which birds most need our help (and how to provide it), everything you need to know about improving your garden’s biodiversity, which plants to introduce, and – crucially – how to maintain your garden. Follow our guide and you’ll not only be helping wildlife, but also giving a massive boost to your…