Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2020 i Bird Watching

We ask this month’s contributors: What’s your favourite seawatching species? Ruth Miller: Sabine’s Gull. A beautiful rare visitor from the Arctic. It’s been a good autumn in North Wales for them. Kieran Lynn: Perhaps I’m biased, but after having written about them in this very issue (p20), I’d have to say the Eider. Kate Priestman: It has to be the Gannet – superb birds that are supremely adapted to their environment. Tom Bailey: Manx Shearwater. Especially when seen from a ferry crossing over to one of the Scottish islands. ...and the Bird Watching team’s answers Matt Merritt: Gannets - they’re always exciting (and easy to recognise, too!). Mike Weedon: I have fond memories of Little Auks flying along breaking Norfolk waves. Mike Roberts: I have always had a soft spot…

twitter.com/BirdWatchingMag facebook.com/BirdWatchingMag 1 RING-NECKED PARAKEET No one living in the London area, or indeed much of the surrounding parts of south-east England, will need any encouragement to go out to see (or hear) these long-tailed green parrots. They are seemingly everywhere, down there, and make their presence known constantly, with their incessant squawking, whether in parks, gardens or even whizzing around central London. However, they have not (yet) colonised much of the rest of country, though have established populations in cities as far away from London as, say, Manchester. Learn the call, and you will know they are there. But, surprisingly for such seemingly obvious birds, they can be unobtrusive and disappear into trees, matching the leaves! So, in that case, they may need a bit of effort... DID YOU…

Formerly very regular Bird Watching contributor Stuart Winter had a useful tip for scanning habitats and flocks of birds, which occasionally needs repeating. His argument was that we all have a set direction with which we pan across the landscape with our binoculars or scopes. If, for instance, this is an anti-clockwise, left to right pan, then Stuart suggests that sometimes you ‘tell yourself’ to reverse the direction. In this way, forced out of your natural comfort zone, and with the extra concentration needed, the unusual is more likely to pop out and reveal itself. See if it works for you!…

QUAKING IN YOUR BOOTS? Autumn moths have an admittedly rather warranted reputation for being rather, well, brown. So it’s nice to come across species that modestly subvert the stereotype. As its name suggests, Red-lined Quaker does so through several crimson lines, notably one on the rear forewing, which is decurved like a downturned mouth. When combined with the eye-like black spots mid-wing, this creates a rather eerie impression of a displeased face. What, it makes me fear, “have I done wrong, now”? Nice to meet Yew Darkly compelling trees throughout the year, Yew come into their own from November until January, when their shadowy evergreen forms are heightened by glorious cerise fruits (the ‘aril’). These berry-like offerings are the only part of the tree that is not poisonous - and…

In my capacity as an opinionated loudmouth, I have several times lately been invited to the opening of new facilities at reserves. This follows requested diversity and disability provision input to plans… or simply because I’ve nagged and cajoled when nobody asked me to comment. Two decades ago, as my ability to walk further diminished, I selfishly called upon providers to take note of my needs. At that time, few had woken up to the fact that not everyone who loves nature is a six-foot tall, young man with the boundless energy to walk miles around the countryside, while having the strength to carry weighty optics. They had just figured out that there were a few young, strong, fit blokes who had to use wheelchairs. Despite the marches I went…

If you’re closing in on 200 species, you will need to do one of two things, or both. Firstly, take a last hard look at your list, and make a separate list of species which you can reasonably expect to see in the rest of the year. These will probably include winter visitors to your patch that you didn’t catch up with in the first three months of the year - everything from wildfowl, such as Wigeon or Pintail, through waders such as Snipe or Jack Snipe, to winter specialities such as Brambling (and Jack Snipe, again!). Having done this, you might even decide to plan a trip to a specific location (a seaside site, for example, or a reserve that features particular species, like the WWT’s Welney), to help…

1 BURGHEAD: Look for birds getting funnelled into the Moray Firth - it’s a great spot for sea-ducks and divers 2 CARNOUSTIE: This site has established a good record for skuas and Little Gulls, as well as sea-ducks 3 LOCH RYAN offers great possibilities in autumn, as birds passing down the west coast enter its narrow waters 4 FLAMBOROUGH HEAD, and other nearby clifftop sites, have logged rare petrels and shearwaters recently 5 HILBRE POINT, or Red Rocks, offer views out to sea, as well as of birds entering the Mersey and Dee Estuaries 6 LANDGUARD BIRD OBSERVATORY, near Felixstowe, also gets good falls of passerine migrants from the East 7 STRUMBLE HEAD, and other nearby headlands, are great spots during periods of strong westerly winds 8 PORTHGWARRA gets seabirds…

Autumn is always an exciting time to be out birdwatching, and if you like walking and birdwatching combined, then the Isle of Anglesey, or Ynys Môn to give it its Welsh name, off the North Wales coast, is a great place to visit. The Anglesey coastal path fringes this beautiful island for 125 miles, mostly along the very edge. In a few places the path cuts inland to avoid private property on the coast, such as the Bodorgan estate, where Prince William and Kate lived when he served at RAF Valley, on Anglesey, as part of the their Search and Rescue Force. It is no surprise that walkers weren’t able to traipse across their front lawn! But, overall, the footpath follows the ins and outs of the coastline, making navigation…

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 Lapland Bunting by Christine Cassidy Camera: Nikon D7500 Lens: 600mm, Shutter Speed: 1/2,000 sec Aperture: f/7.1 ISO: 800 2 Red Kite by Cheryl Cross Camera: Nikon D500 Lens: 390mm, Shutter Speed: 1/2,500 sec Aperture: f/5.6 ISO: 560 3 Glossy Ibis by Keith Roylance Camera: Nikon D500 Lens: 380mm, Shutter Speed: 1/400 sec Aperture: f/6.3 ISO: 200 4 Great White Egret by Kevin Bowers Camera: Nikon D500 Lens:600mm, Shutter Speed: 1/2,000 sec Aperture: f/6.3 ISO: 400 WE LOVE The subtle composition of Christine is Lapland Bunting, with the bird on a rock, rather than on a seedy foreshore.…

DAVID LINDO THE URBAN BIRDER To my shame, I have only been to the Czech Republic’s capital city once, for a week in August back in 2002, and while walking the night time streets, I was frequently bumping into drunken revellers. During the day, I was working on a commercials set in the famous Barrandov Studios, so once again my birding opportunities were incidental. Outside the studios, I would regularly see Black Redstart families quivering their tails from the top of walls and rooftops. I was also in Prague at the time of its worst flooding in 400 years. The banks of the Vltrava, the river flowing through the centre of the city, broke, resulting in several roads being impassable. This limited my already severely limited birding in the city…

Birds on the Brink is a conservation grant-awarding charity (Charity No: 1188009) that owns the competition Bird Photographer of the Year. Grants are awarded to projects that support bird conservation, typically offering between £200 and £1,000 to small groups or individuals carrying out grassroots conservation work that has measurable impact. It was borne of a passion for wildlife and in particular birds, and is a response to the seemingly unstoppable process of human environmental exploitation and biodiversity’s steady progression towards extinction. At its heart there is a recognition that all is not yet lost and Birds on the Brink aims to inspire people to care using striking imagery - to capture the imagination and thereby nurture interest and compassion. Bird Watching is proud to support conservation and money generated by…

LAND ROVER EXPLORER SMARTPHONE, £399 It’s waterproof, keeps dust and sand out, “thrives in extreme temperatures” and has been dropped repeatedly – to test it, that is. If it’s really dirty – scrub it with soap and water! The 5.7” HD+ screen is bright enough to read in sunshine, has a red filter in night mode, and works when wet and with gloves. 12MP rear camera, 8MP front. Android 9 (upgrade to 10). 4GB RAM, 64GB ROM, expandable. Battery lasts 1.5 days plus. Ideal for very clumsy birders. 159.4x76.8x11mm. landroverexplore.co.uk ALPKIT KANYO RECYCLED INSULATED JACKET, £99.99 All the fabric and all the insulation is recycled. You can pack it in its chest pocket, but not while you’re wearing it. For its weight, it provides plenty of warmth and it keeps…

SOUTH WEST Highlights In association with While the Scottish islands overflowed with headline rarities, Scilly ducked under the radar, though still producing the likes of Great Snipe and Western Bonelli’s Warbler, while Cornwall produced Semipalmated, Baird’s and Spotted Sandpipers, Pallid Harrier, and a reported Brown Booby. AVON CLEVEDON-WESTON-SUPER-MARE: Clevedon-Yeo had two Common Scoters (1st) and 250 Ringed Plovers. There were two Nightjar reports from Weston-super-Mare. SEVERNSIDE: Northwick Warth had a Pectoral Sandpiper (13th-25th), six Curlew Sandpipers, three Little Stints, Ruff, Knot, Sanderling, Golden Plovers and Grey Plovers. Avocets lingered along Severnside (to 11th). A Garganey and Little Ringed Plovers were at Pilning Wetlands throughout. THE RESERVOIRS: Chew and Blagdon held a few Garganeys. Chew logged 174 Pintails, 2,420 Teal, 110 Pochards, 2,360 Tufted Ducks, two Goldeneyes, two Black-necked Grebes, 3,000…

The coincidence of the Covid crisis and alarming events caused by climate change have undoubtedly made us all think hard about our travel habits, with sustainability very much on the agenda. It’s worth remembering, though, that responsible eco-travel often has a vital role to play in creating a sustainable future - it is very often crucial to providing local communities with a regular source of income that doesn’t involve causing large-scale degradation of the environment. The very presence of birders and wildlifewatchers can help conserve irreplaceable habitat and species. So, while we hope you’ll enjoy some of our ideas for memorable birding trips, both close to home and further afield, also take a minute to consider where and how your custom could do most good. Bird Watching…

Here is our monthly chance to predict something outlandish which will turn up this month. How about this three piece suite? ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK There have only been 30 accepted UK records of this large North American relative of the cardinals. But October into November is one of the best times to catch up with one, so, perhaps this month it could become 31. Nearly half of those UK records have come from the Isles of Scilly, and there is a distinctive south-westerly bias in records. WHITE-RUMPED SWIFT There has only been one definite White-rumped Swift in the UK (in mid-October, 2018 at Hornsea Mere, East Yorkshire). But there have been claims into November, so keep ‘em peeled. Any swift species is good in November, so there is no harm in…

Cambridgeshire is a county which, despite being inland, is blessed with some of the best birders around, living and birding within its confines. It is also the county which makes up the majority of my beloved Peterborough area (we also include a bit of south Lincolnshire, a soupçon of Rutland and a wee portion of Northants). And Peterborough has a decent handful of fine birders, too. One of these, at the weekend (the first Saturday of October), reported a Yellow-browed Warbler in his garden! These Siberian ‘sprites’ are highly prized in these here parts, and are pretty rare across Cambs. I have seen three, so spent a few hours on Sunday, trawling the pathways and cut-throughs near where the little warbler had been seen, but to no avail. Not long…

Eagles thriving A conservation charity aiming to boost the low numbers of Golden Eagles in the south of Scotland has revealed that the first eagles successfully translocated to the area in 2018 have thrived during lockdown, with one even flying as far south as the English Pennines. The iconic birds translocated by the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project have been seen from Eyemouth in the east to the Mull of Galloway in the west. visit: goldeneaglessouthofscotland.co.uk Stork research Scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) are tracking White Storks in a bid to find out about migratory habits that disappeared more than 600 years ago, following the release earlier this year of 19 captive-bred storks at Knepp Estate, West Sussex, as part of the White Stork Project, which…

The Bird Photographer of the Year team are continuing their challenge to photograph 150 species within the county of Hampshire over the course of 2020. Autumn is now definitely in control with low pressure systems sweeping in strong winds and heavy rain, on a regular basis. It is certainly time to break out the waterproofs and wellington boots! Species such as Brent Geese and Redwings are starting to appear in some bird reports around the county, overlapping with Swallows, martins and other summer breeding birds making their way south. Having exceeded their target of 150 species last month, the team started to turn their attentions to photographing species already on the list, attempting to obtain improved images, while keeping an eye out for some of those birds not yet encountered.…

Small to medium-small, seed-eating perching birds which betray their feeding habits with their various bill shapes and sizes, the finches are an attractive and moderately diverse part of our avifauna. In a British autumn and winter, finches form a significant proportion of the passerines that we encounter, often forming sizable flocks to forage for the various seeds on offer in a wide variety of habitats. They will be in gardens, parks, coniferous, mixed, or broad-leaved woodlands, open fields and coastal marshes. So, pretty much everywhere, really. Many are very familiar birds, others less so. Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to put a name to each of the finches on this page. Then turn over to see the answers and the reasoning behind the ID process. Turn…

COLLECT & KEEP Every month we bring you 10 more sites to build up your GO BIRDING collection ANGUS MAX MILES ON FOOT: 2 MIN TIME: 1.5 HOURS LOCH OF KINNORDY RSPB Expect the unexpected at this migrant hotspot The RSPB has managed the reserve here at Kinnordy for the Lyle Estate. It is set on one of Scotland’s fault lines, used by birds on migration, so anything can turn up, as the past records show. JOHN MILES WHERE TO WATCH 1 Kinnordy is a great place to start your visit to Angus. The car park here has a mixture of trees surrounding it, with the chance of warblers and even Crossbill. 2 The first two hides offer you the chance of a mix of species. Once noted for its 6,000 pairs…

Send all your birding questions to birdwatching@bauermedia.co.uk and our experts will give you the answers Seabird confusion Q My daughter-in-law took these photos at Caister-on-Sea in Norfolk. I thought it might be a Balearic Shearwater, but would like to hear what you say it is. Dave Gahan A Well, Dave, you are certainly right that the bird your daughter-in-law photographed was a seabird. But, it is certainly not a shearwater (which in common with other ‘tubenoses’ has quite a distinctive bill shape, with a relatively ‘blunt’, even hooked tip). This bird has a rather pointed, dagger-shaped bill. Also, the plumage is too black-and-white for a Balearic Shearwater, which are much browner-looking than this pied bird. What the bird is is a Guillemot, in winter plumage (or possibly a youngster in…

BLACK WOODPECKER This enigmatic species is Europe’s largest woodpecker. The size of a crow, it really is a bruiser. It is found throughout most of Europe although absent from the British Isles and Ireland. It is also native to parts of Asia and the Middle East. They love forested regions and is more likely to be seen in and around human habitations outside of the breeding season. Speaking of humans, they are occasionally deemed as pests in some parts of Europe due to their damage to power lines, communication poles and to housing. Some even manage to electrocute themselves! Despite being found so close to the UK they have never been recorded here despite being strong fliers and looking so obvious. Their population is expanding westwards so, perhaps it is…

FRAMING NATURE: CONSERVATION AND CULTURE LAURENCE ROSE, GRITSTONE PUBLISHING, SB £11.95 The success or failure of all conservation efforts depends on the connections that we form with the species or aspects of nature under consideration. That’s the basic thrust of this excellent, highly readable book, the first two-thirds of which comprises essays on some individual species that are facing or have faced existential threat – including White-tailed Eagle, Corn Crake, Willow Tit and Nightingale. In each case, Rose looks at the historical context of their relationship with man, and uses archaeology, poetry and other literature to demonstrate how this has changed, generally much for the worse. Sometimes, even though you think you know the story, you’re taken completely by surprise. Some well-chosen extracts from the novels of DH Lawrence, for…

The Santa Pola Wetlands In the south of the Valencia region and not far from Alicante airport, these wetlands offer some easy roadside birding. It brought us Crag Martins, Audouin’s Gulls, Purple Swamphen, Black-winged Stilt, Red-crested Pochard, about 900 Greater Flamingos, waders, Glossy Ibis, Spoonbill, Spotless Starling and more. El Hondo Visitor Centre Easy birding around the visitor centre produced Marbled Duck (introduced), Red-knobbed Coot, Gull-billed Tern, Water Pipit, Bluethroat, and a Spanish Sparrow amid the House Sparrows. Black Wheatear Black flashed white on the hilltop crags - Black Wheatear. We were near Barranco de Pilatos, a rocky gully. And there was a supporting cast of Griffon Vultures, BlueRock Thrush, Crested Tit and Short-toed Treecreeper. The closest village is Losa Del Obispo. Parque Natural del Prat de Cabanes-Torreblanca A natural…

The Bahamas is one of the most bird diverse countries in The Caribbean with over 330 species of birds recorded, with at least half a dozen species found nowhere else in the world! Also, it has six types of ecosystems - wetlands, coppice forests, rocky shores, pine woodlands, sandy shores, and scrublands. The Bahamas National Trust The Bahamas National Trust (BNT) manages the national park system of The Bahamas, which currently consists of 32 national parks and protects both marine and terrestrial environments. The BNT encourages Bahamians and visitors in an appreciation and protection of the environment that is key to the Bahamian way of life - its tourism, fisheries, food and ground water supply all depend on it. In the late 1950s the endeavours of two groups of conservationists…

Regular readers will know that certain parts of the UK – north Norfolk, the Suffolk coast, Scilly, East Yorkshire, the Lancashire and Cheshire coasts, and the Scottish Highlands and islands, to name a few – have a reputation as birdwatching hotspots. But as we’re all likely to be spending more time birding in the UK in the near future, why not try six of the best of the rest? In fact, they can be every bit as good, and you’ll be able to make your own discoveries, says Matt Merritt. Dumfries and Galloway Our regular contributor John Miles has long sung the praises of south-west Scotland – not just the well-known Barnacle Goose-fest that is Caerlaverock, but the many little estuaries and inlets right along the Solway Firth, that attract…

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) Herne Bay (-1:24) Southend-on-sea (-1:22) Clacton-on-sea (-2:00) EAST ANGLIA 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 Bewick…

Before you go any further, fetch that extra layer, put a hat and some gloves on, sit by the fire and be as warm as you possibly can. So warm that you have something to remember when you actually go seawatching, because believe me, you’re going to freeze… The bad news is: I’m no good at identifying seabirds, or at least birds at sea. The good news is: I know when I’m cold, so at least reading this, you’ll gain some useful advice on what to wear when you go birding by the sea (by the way, the answer is everything you own). Joking apart, I found my first proper seawatching trip an experience I hadn’t expected – in a good way, I mean. Like being given something you shouldn’t…

Starting early While heading out to the supermarket I was quite surprised to see this little fellow on the cheese aisle. He must have been getting an early start on his Christmas shopping. Harriet Day I’m disgusted At a time when raptor persecution is hitting the headlines and causing many of us great concerns, I was angry to come across an advert being carried by Amazon. The advert is for a ‘Megadream’ Telescope adaptor. Not a problem in itself, but once you go beyond the main image you find a close up showing a bird of prey in the cross hairs of a rifle. I complained to Amazon, an online ‘chat’ with one of their staff, who promised that I would receive a reply from the appropriate department in a…

SPECIES FACTFILE YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER Scientific name: Phylloscopus inornatus Length: 10cm UK numbers: 8 wintering birds/320 passage Habitat: Coast Diet: Insects Tswe-eep!’ For the keener birders among us, it’s one of the calls of autumn. ‘Tswe-eep!’ The prospect of seeing a Yellow- browed Warbler turns an ordinary birding day into a special one. The eyes suddenly focus on every leaf of the coastal scrub, hoping to catch a glimpse of this half-Chiffchaff, half-Goldcrest autumn sprite. Birders love Yellow-browed Warblers because few birds so completely capture the magic of autumn migration. Breeding no nearer than western Russia, virtually unknown in spring and always arriving when lots of other birds are moving too, the Yellow-browed is the icing on the migratory cake. Where Yellow-browed Warblers are, other great birds will be nearby. The Yellow-browed Warbler is a fixture…

• Five nights in Nethybridge at the comfortable Mountview Hotel, home of our hosts, Heatherlea, and two nights comfortable en suite hotel accommodation in Thurso. All rooms are en suite, with TV and hospitality tray. There is no single supplement, and guests are never expected to share.• Full Scottish breakfast, a substantial packed lunch, and a delicious dinner.• Six full days birdwatching.• All transport by comfortable PCV minibus. All estate access and ferry fees.• Guidance from a professional Heatherlea Group Leader• Checklist to record sightings and notes Please note: all itineraries are given as a guide only. Actual holiday content may vary according to the judgement of your guide, and elements beyond our control (eg weather).…

Perhaps more than any other species, the Honey Buzzard stands as an icon for the contempt that Man has for wildlife and the environment. A bird of woodlands, with a specialised diet of bee and wasp larvae, the Honey Buzzard is vulnerable to our impact on the environment both during winter months spent in Africa, and also across Europe and parts of Asia in summer. But it is on migration when the direct impact of human nature at its most repulsive is felt: these magnificent birds are slaughtered in large numbers, shot by men – and it is mostly men – who, put simply, enjoy killing things. They don’t merit the terms ‘hunters’ or ‘sportsmen’ because their pointless actions have no purpose and require no skill. This wilful and utterly…

I have been using Páramo Maui trousers and Katmai shirts for years. And earlier this year, I was sent a new Maui to try. THE TROUSERS The new Maui is different from my older version - most noticeably in not feeling as baggy on the legs, having two fewer pockets and no belt (it does have belt loops). None of that is a criticism and how many webbing belts does a man need, anyway? The Maui is made of “cool, protective and durable Parameta A Cotton+”, offers “unrestricted movement” thanks to articulated knees and a shaped gusset, and has five pockets. The fabric is designed to wick sweat - spreading it out and speeding evaporation. It has a UPF of 50+ so is a highly effective UV barrier and its…