Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2023 i Bird Watching

30-MINUTE BIRDER I look up at the old red brick wall. Along the top are wooden numbers: one to eight, each around half a metre tall, and today topped with snow. A Wren is working its way along the wall from eight to one, methodically exploring each hole and crevice, of which there are plenty. London birdwatchers will probably have already worked out that I'm at RSPB Rainham Marshes, near what I think of as ‘Reedling Corner’. And a small flock of Bearded Reedlings (or Bearded Tits, if you prefer) show nicely for 20 minutes or so as they feed on the flower heads in the reedbed. They're joined by a couple of female Reed Buntings, which strip the seeds with markedly more efficiency and a lot less twittering than…

MAX MILES ON FOOT: 2 MIN TIME: 2 HOURS Mixed habitats which will benefit from rewilding The National Trust for Scotland have a large estate here, which includes the famous gardens, but the big news is that part of the estate is moving into rewilding, with fences removed, scrapes dug and footpaths improved – the birds will benefit. JOHN MILES WHERE TO WATCH 1 A mixture of habitats offer you good birding, with mixed trees and grassland when you arrive off the A75. Look out for Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Jackdaw and Rook to start with. Walk past the visitor centre, with great views to the River Dee and surrounding countryside. 2 Melkie Wood offers you Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Treecreeper, with two hides situated looking over the wetlands.…

MAX MILES ON FOOT: 2.5 MIN TIME: 2 HOURS A fine area of lowland heath with extensive views This SSSI site encompasses some rich lowland heath habitat and offers a good array of fauna and flora. Notable for the area are Bog Asphodel and Round-leaved Sundew with Common Lizard to look out for and Green Hairstreak butterfly in spring. Stonechats are present in good numbers and appear to be doing very well at present. Heathland specialities such as Nightjar and Wood Lark, although scarce, may be chanced upon. PETE HACKETT WHERE TO WATCH 1 Winter brings flocks of Lesser Redpoll and Siskin to areas of birch. Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Chaffinch and tits are present in good numbers. Spring sees the arrival of warblers with willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Blackcap easily heard, being…

MAX MILES ON FOOT: 3.5 MIN TIME: 4 HOURS Well-hedged farmland and mature trees near the River Yarty Entirely off the beaten track, Membury is a remote East Devon village nestled between an Iron Age hillfort and the River Yarty. The route follows ancient green lanes with tree cover, and ambles through meadows beside the River Yarty. Old mature trees offer good sites for species such as Nuthatch and Treecreeper, while Buzzards ride thermals above the wooded hillsides. In 2021 the village had a startling visitation from one of the Isle of Wight's White-tailed Sea Eagles: ‘Number G463’ dropped by and decided to stay a while – the villagers named him Phantom. SIMONE STANBROOK-BYRNE WHERE TO WATCH 1 A quiet village with little traffic but well-supplied with gardens and associated feeders.…

TRAVEL OFFER READER HOLIDAY Spring in Scotland means rich wildlife potential amid rugged beauty, and you can join us there for an exclusive trip from 6 April to 11 April 2023 Bird Watching magazine editor Matthew Merritt and assistant editor Mike Weedon will be joined by Scottish birding aficionado and UKBS editor Gordon Hamlett, to lead a week of wildlife watching, based at the lovely Grant Arms Hotel in Grantown-on-Spey. The hotel boasts high quality en suite rooms and traditional Scottish fare prepared with local ingredients, and while it takes care of bed, breakfast and dinner, we'll provide optional guided walks, expert tips, bird quizzes, films and evening talks. From our Highland location, we'll be within easy reach of sites such as Glenmore Forest Park, for Crested Tits and Crossbills; the…

Maven's B1.2 binoculars impressed us greatly when we looked at them back in the autumn. So, what about their scopes? Their C Series is mid-priced, but still comes with ED glass, and a lightweight magnesium/aluminium frame keeps weight to a minimum. In fact, it felt so light, and looked so compact, that after taking it out of the box I had to double-check that it actually was a 65mm scope. So, first impressions are good. It's small enough that it slips very easily into a day-pack, and even a large coat pocket, making it perfect for the traveling birder, and despite the lack of weight, it feels very solid and robust. There's dark-grey rubber armouring all over that looks like it could stand plenty of wear and tear, and although…

ID TIP! Most inland geese in England are Greylags or Canadas. Rule these out before claiming any other species. BIRD 1 We start with a familar scene: a goose being chased off by an angry, territorial Mute Swan. There are no prizes for identifying the swan (there are no prizes at all!). But what is the fleeing goose? It is a sizeable goose, judging by the swan for scale. The head and neck appear largely black, suggesting it is one of the Branta geese (or ‘black geese’). The breast is whitish, not black, which immediately rules out the smallish Brent and Barnacle Geese. So, straight away that narrows it to a Canada Goose. The white patch on the throat and the brown body/wing feathers (plus its large size) confirm this…

MAX MILES ON FOOT: 3 MIN TIME: 2 HOURS Woodland and water birds in a scenic setting Loch of Butterstone is part of the Cardney Estate, and is one of five lochs in an area called the Lunan Lochs. It is designated as a Special Area of Conservation, especially for its flora, but there's plenty of interesting birdlife too. JOHN MILES WHERE TO WATCH 1 When you arrive off the A923, you have already passed the Loch of Craiglush. It's well worth a look to see the possibilities. 2 You can walk down the track towards the fishing car park and view the loch from there. It is best with a scope, with summer views of Osprey, Black-headed Gulls and Goldeneye. It is great to see this duck this far…

MAX MILES ON FOOT: 2 MIN TIME: 1 HOUR Wildfowl, waders and more at an upland lake Scout Dike Reservoir is part of a trio of reservoirs north of the market town of Penistone. This mediumsized reservoir is managed by Yorkshire Water, and is also home to Barnsley Trout Club. With shallow and deep waters fed by a babbling brook and paths surrounded by a mixture of fields, meadows, ancient woodland and a conifer plantation, the reservoir attracts a wide range of bird species. The waters are home to a variety of waterfowl including Great Crested Grebe and Cormorant, with Lapwing round the edges. Owls hunt the bordering fields and meadows and woodpeckers, Whitethroat and Redstart are regular woodland visitors. CAROLE TIDBALL WHERE TO WATCH 1 The path from the car-park…

MAX MILES ON FOOT: 2 MIN TIME: 2 HOURS Make your own discoveries at this secluded spot This canal-feeder reservoir, tucked away in the rolling countryside between Leicester and Market Harborough, is probably rather under-watched compared to larger and better-known sites such as Pitsford Reservoir, Eyebrook Reservoir, Rutland Water, and Stanford Reservoir. Its great attraction is that it's quiet, so you can find your own birds, and relatively quick and easy to cover. MATT MERRITT WHERE TO WATCH 1 Walk up the steps from the parking spots, and you've got a good view over most of the lake. Common waterbirds such as Mallard, Tufted Duck, Gadwall and Moorhen are a given, with Great Crested and Little Grebes also likely. In winter, expect plenty of Wigeon, a few Teal, and good numbers…

MAX MILES ON FOOT: 3 MIN TIME: 3 HOURS A woodland walk in Nightingale country Goldfinch The woodlands around Hamstreet are fragments of the old wildwood that once extended across the Low Weald of Kent and Sussex. Today much of the woodland to the north of Hamstreet is designated a National Nature Reserve, with an emphasis on Ash, Hazel and Hornbeam beloved by Nightingales, of which there remains a small population. Mature Oak and Ash harbour a few Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers and Marsh Tits, although both are difficult to find and in decline. The most abundant summer migrants are Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps, along with a few pairs of Willow and Garden Warblers in plantation scrub, while Spotted Flycatchers are few and far between, as are Turtle Dove and Cuckoo. You could…

This fabulous trip to the ‘Kingdom of the Polar Bear’ takes place in July and August 2023, and is organised by Bird Watching magazine in partnership with Heatherlea. We join a cruise which will seek out Polar Bear, Walrus and many arctic birds, and also enjoy the culture and history of this unique environment in the frozen far north. We have a particular focus on Polar Bear, and hope for a number of excellent sightings! We travel around the entire archipelago, beginning and ending in the picturesque capital, Longyearbyen. We travel in late-July to give the best opportunity to see many bears, and the wonderful summer scenery and varied wildlife guarantee a fascinating tour. We take advantage of long daylight hours: be sure at the end of the day to…

BIRD OF THE YEAR Blackburnian Warbler What a year for rare birds 2022 turned out to be. Things started slowly, but the year eventually delivered a mass of extreme rarities, including at least four new bird taxa for the country (and potential additions to The British List, pending acceptance). These were Cape Gull, Homeyer's Grey Shrike, Least Bittern, and Stejneger's Scoter, which arrived just in time to be included in this report! What was your bird of the year? One of these ‘newcomers’, or perhaps the magnificent Blackburnian Warbler on Scilly, one of the two twitchable Eleonora's Falcons, the Oxfordshire Common Nighthawk, Turkestan Shrike in East Yorkshire, or perhaps a Myrtle Warbler, or three, or something completely different? Anyhow, here is a month-by-month guide to the top rare birds of…

FEBRUARY BIRD OF THE MONTH BUZZARD The rise and soaring rise of the Buzzard has been one of the country's avian highlights of recent decades. Formerly a bird associated with the west and the north, Buzzards have spread like an unstoppable force eastwards and southwards to now be familiar sights across just about the whole country. Indeed, they have overtaken Kestrels as our most abundant diurnal raptors, with about 80,000 breeding pairs. When once they were birds seen circling on shallow ‘V’ wings, they are now commonly encountered on fence posts, or even in the middle of fields, looking for worms and the like. They still soar, of course, (as well as hover, especially in strong winds) and keep an eye out for carrion from the air, but we get…

Bird Watching's own John Miles is heading a campaign to replace a public hide on Bassenthwaite, which was washed away during the 2015 floods there. The hide was a popular place from which to watch the lake's Ospreys, without having to go to the visitor centre at Dodds Wood, and Otters were regularly seen there too. The lake also plays host to the likes of Great Crested Grebes, and winter visitors such as Goldeneye. John said: “There are some good shallow areas which are suitable for dabbling ducks, and we have had one or two rare ducks seen. The south end of Bassenthwaite Lake is the Leighton Moss of the national park, drawing in a wide variety of birds.” He added that there are a number of wildlife organisations prepared…

#MY200BIRDYEAR On the coldest winter days (as we write, the country has been frozen for a week), or during spring and autumn gales, or even during the long, lazy, sweltering hot days of summer, we all occasionally need a little bit of extra encouragement to get out there and start birdwatching. And that's what #My200BirdYear is all about – essentially, the only person you're ‘competing with’ is yourself. Because it's really very simple – we challenge you to see 200 species of bird in 2021. The rest is entirely up to you. Good luck and enjoy it! As long as it you're up for the challenge, and enjoy the sort of birding you've set yourself, go for it! • You can set whatever geographical restrictions you like – on your…

FEATURE BALMORAL Like so many of us, it was with sadness that I heard of the death of Queen Elizabeth II after such a long reign. She had been able to travel the world while fulfilling her duties, of course, but the place she always wanted to return to was the wonderful estate of Balmoral, in the Scottish Highlands. The estate was bought from the Farquharson family in 1852 by Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert. The present day castle was added later. The acquisition of the estate back in the 19th century kickstarted the demand for sporting estates in the Highlands, offering ‘driven’ Red Grouse shooting and Red Deer stalking. The estate itself is within the Cairngorm National Park and is 50,000 acres, containing a wide variety of landscapes, from…

ID TIP! Even on flying birds, it is usually possible to see the belly barring on (adult) Whitefronted Geese Four ‘variations’ of white-fronted goose Greenland White-fronted Goose • Medium-sized orange bill • Darker head and neck • Bold, random, black belly bars • White ‘front’ behind bill base European White-fronted Goose • Medium-sized pink bill • Paler head and neck • Bold, random, black belly bars • White ‘front’ behind bill base Juvenile White-fronted Goose • Medium-sized pink bill • Paler head and neck • Lacks black belly bars • Limited or no white ‘front’ behind bill base Lesser White-fronted Goose • Small, ‘cute’ bill pink bill • Distinctive yellow eye-ring • Usually restricted black belly bars • White ‘front’ behind bill base SNAP IT! Have you taken a great…

MAX MILES ON FOOT: 3 MIN TIME: 2 HOURS Discover your own birds at an overlooked spot This is an area often missed by birders using their cars as they travel to some of the Northumberland coast's well-known hotspots, but if you want a good walk and the possibility of finding something new, this is for you. JOHN MILES WHERE TO WATCH 1 This is a walk I did this year, as I have always wondered where this path went to when birding Cresswell. You start by crossing the causeway (occasionally flooded so use the path at NZ 285 941 instead) and enter a double hedge with views into nearby fields. Scan the Lapwing flocks for signs of Golden Plover in winter or the Starlings for feeding Sky Larks and…

A lake, vast dunes and a splendid coastline MAX MILES ON FOOT: 3 MIN TIME: 3 HOURS Sky Lark The dunes, extending for almost two miles from Lyn Coron to the sea at Traeth Mawr, are one of the most extensive mobile dune habitats in Great Britain, and recently the subject of a Sands of LIFE project. A major task has been to control the non-native Japanese Rose, which if left unchecked will quickly dominate the dunes to the exclusion of native species. One at Aberffraw is the Sand Lizard, which became extinct in Wales during the 1960s then was rediscovered here in 2010 and at nearby Newborough Warren two years later – probably unauthorised releases, but good news for Sand Lizards. DAVID SAUNDERS WHERE TO WATCH 1 Llyn Coron,…

MAX MILES ON FOOT: 3.5 MIN TIME: 2 HOURS Waders and farmland birds at a working pit Brambling This site comprises a mixture of active and restored gravel pits, plus the surrounding fields. The lakes attract a wide range of waders, passing migrants, and an important Tree Sparrow colony. Due to the nature of the site, a spotting scope is recommended. Also bear in mind that this is still a working gravel pit, so expect some noise. ABIGAIL HAMILTON-THOMPSON WHERE TO WATCH 1 Between the two lakes, look out for terns, Snipe, Little Ringed Plover, and Redshanks. ©CROWN COPYRIGHT 2023 ORDNANCE SURVEY. MEDIA 007/23 Rarer sightings here have included Avocet and Stonecurlew. Grey Herons reared young here a few years ago. Over the gravel conveyor belt is a pine woodland…

I'd always wanted to go to Namibia, so when my employer offered me the chance to visit for a week's work, with free flights and accommodation, I was delighted. I decided to add a few days onto the end of the trip at my own expense, and started to look at the various options. I soon realised that, because the dates were fixed, I couldn't join a fully organised birding trip. I briefly looked at doing a bespoke tour with a guide, but the costs were prohibitive. So instead, I went for the cheaper option: a self-drive, self-guided, tour, lasting six days. Namibia has good roads, and is very safe, but even so, I was delighted when two of my colleagues decided to come along for the ride. I've birded…