Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2023 i Bird Watching

Bo Beolens: “There's something about Grey Partridge that lifts the spirits. On New Year's Day, I saw parties of six or seven birds sometimes disappearing in ruts and hollows in the pasture.” David Lindo: “I encountered 320 gorgeous Golden Plovers nervously feeding in a field near Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain. What a sight!” Ruth Miller: “That's an easy one, I was up in Scotland on New Year's Day and saw two Waxwings at Elgin. Great start to the year!” Dominic Couzens: “The Australian Raven, part of the Oz dawn chorus along with Kookaburras and Sulphurcrested Cockatoos. Later in the day I watched them disturb and catch singing male cicadas.”…

twitter.com/BirdWatchingMag facebook.com/BirdWatchingMag GARGANEY There are a famous handful of summer visitors which first turn up in March. The pretty little Garganey is among the scarcest and most desirable of these. They are essentially birds of the southern half of the country, thinly scattered (about 100 pairs, nationally) at suitable shallow wetlands. Catch them while you can, as shortly after arrival, the female-Teal-like ducks disappear behind flooded vegetation to nest and raise a family, leaving only the more handsome males on show. And these lovely drakes, with their long, bold, white supercilia (‘eyebrows’) and grey-and-brown plumage are pretty shy birds which need a bit of seeking out. The drakes have an amazing, dry, croaking rattle for a call. Always a treat to hear! DID YOU KNOW? Green Woodpeckers don’t drum (at…

On a sunny October morning, I join the London Bird Club — the ornithology section of the London Natural History Society — at the southern tip of Hampstead Heath. With a mixed-age group of about 20, including some beginner birdwatchers, we set off north past the ponds. Almost immediately, I spot a Kestrel flying low over the trees and the first-timers who see it, too, are delighted. Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne, our Club chair and renowned Sri Lankan birder and all-round naturalist, is here with his wife Nirma. I notice that, over the course of the walk, he works his way around the group, making a special effort to chat to new people. He tells me that he hopes it makes them feel welcome. While Nirma and Gehan have been…

February is one of my favourite months of the year for a bird walk. While much of the country shivers and complains, we birdwatchers can see and hear spring all around. The chime of a Great Tit and the splendour of a male Chaffinch, real and refreshing as they are, could also be seen as the dress rehearsal for the main event. February has many delights, but is also dripping with the promise of joy to come. The following is an account of a very typical February walk from a year ago. There’s nothing fancy or unusual, just a regular and routine wander in a rural area, an everyday encounter with workaday birds. Where I live, Rooks are the season’s gatekeepers, and you can read the year by relevant bustle.…

A sweet silvery warble it is far from. Valued like the Blackbird's song it is not. Yet in the great tit’s plain refrain, there exists subtle beauty. And his paired note phrases are delivered so keenly, so proudly, like he himself really feels those notes. Offered in the short, sharp early days of the year, the Great Tit's chiming is an especially wholesome and heady sound. Instantly stirred inside one's mind are bright springtime thoughts hitherto held dormant. Images of springs past warm the heart, and spirits rise with happy anticipation for the newest yet. Bitter easterlies might still blow over dank, dark ground, through see-through spaces and hushed, faded places. Nevertheless, with his voice, spring suddenly feels close at hand. Perhaps no other bird makes a truer promise of…

ID TIP! Many ‘pied’ birds are not black and white as females. Think of diving ducks, or the Pied Flycatcher for examples. BIRD 1 Here is a whole bunch of birds in a bare and leafless tree; with even some distant birds as small blobs on whatever may be in the background. They appear to have tucked their heads in for a sleep, so it is reasonable to assume this is a roosting gathering, a hypothesis strengthened by the fact that they all appear to be almost spherical balls, as if fluffed up to keep out the cold while they nap. Most striking about them though are their long, narrow tails. With tails like those, they can only be Long-tailed Tits or wagtails. The white bellies and black throats point…

MAX MILES ON FOOT: 2 MIN TIME: 2 HOURS The Bowness Gravel pit is managed by the Cumbrian Wildlife Trust, while the marsh is managed by the RSPB. The pits add a large area of scrub and freshwater to a normal saltwater environment. JOHN MILES WHERE TO WATCH IAs you approach the gravel pit, you can scan the marshes on the opposite side of the road for feeding waders and ducks. A large number of Wigeon graze the marsh and loaf around the tidal area of the marsh, along with mixed Teal, Shoveler, Pintail and Mallard. Small scattered wader roosts at high tide can add Golden and Grey Plovers, Oystercatcher, Redshank and Lapwing. 2 Entering the pits, you will find a lane cutting the site in half. Choose the paths…

MAX MILES ON FOOT: 4 MIN TIME: 3 HOURS This walk will take you through a mix of habitats including reedbeds, marsh, woodland, estuary and mudflats. With historic records including Green-winged Teal, Black Kite, Spotted Crake, Broad-billed Sandpiper and Great Bustard, the pedigree is established. I’ve been lucky enough to see Bewick’s Swan, Short-eared Owl, Hen Harrier and Ring Ouzel. JONNY RANKIN WHERE TO WATCH 1 Walk west out of the car park and head to the church. The churchyard and surrounding area, can get Lesser Whitethroat, Spotted Flycatcher, Chiffchaff and Blackcap. 2 Head towards the river and look up the Blyth Valley. The reedbeds hold Marsh Harrier, Bittern and Bearded Tits. The pools south can be good for Water Pipit in winter. Check the car park area and embankment…

MAX MILES ON FOOT: 3.5 MIN TIME: 3 HOURS In 2008, in order to help secure the future of the Cirl Bunting, the RSPB bought an area of farmland at Labrador Bay on the south Devon coast. Now managed as a nature reserve and farmed with wildlife in mind, the site is home year-round to these endearing little birds, whose population is almost entirely restricted to south Devon. The farmland is grazed by, at different times of year, cattle, sheep and Dartmoor ponies. After harvest, arable fields are left stubbly, providing good feeding habitat for the birds. A good example of farming and conservation working together. SIMONE STANBROOK-BYRNE WHERE TO WATCH 1 My first sighting of a host of Cirl Bunting at this site was just a short walk from…

1 Avocet by Deena Sharp Camera: Nikon D500 Lens: 600mm, Shutter Speed: 1/500 sec Aperture: f/8 ISO: 250 2 Black Redstart by James Officer Camera: Nikon D500 Lens: 500mm, Shutter Speed: 1/1,000 sec Aperture: f/5.6 ISO: 1,250 3 Redwing by Stuart Fox Camera: Canon EOS R5 Lens: 500mm, Shutter Speed: 1/320 sec Aperture: f/7.1 ISO: 2,500 4 Tree Sparrow by Rob Porter Camera: Canon EOS R7 Lens: 500mm, Shutter Speed: 1/800 sec Aperture: f/8 ISO: 200 WE LOVE… what about that All great pics,but colour on the Redwing… PICS FROM OUR FACEBOOK GROUP Join our dedicated #My200BirdYear Facebook group and share your best birding experiences and images with the community: facebook.com/groups/My200BirdYear…

How often do we find the opportunity to make birding history? There are few places in Europe where the ornithological map remains poorly drawn. Every corner seems to have been trodden and surveyed by previous visitors or resident birders. So, imagine my excitement when I chanced upon a nation where knowledge is so scant that eBird, normally a repository of international knowledge, has only 73 contributors, many of whom had life lists of fewer than 10 species. Further to that there appeared to be a mere 10 ‘hotspots’ in the entire country. Even tiny Gibraltar has 14. That country is Kosovo, in the heart of the Balkans. Kosovo is a land-locked land of rolling wooded countryside, still practising traditional small-scale agriculture and bordered on the west by the wonderfully and…

Another spring, another batch of outrageous rarities which may (but probably won’t) turn up somewhere in the country, this March. Good luck finding any of these three; or even ‘twitching’ one or more. DUSKY THRUSH There have been about 15 accepted records of this attractive Asian thrush in the UK. Shetland has the most records (half a dozen or so), but they can (and do) turn up all over the place. KILLDEER Killdeers are like stretch Ringed Plovers’ from America, with an extra black neck ring for good measure. And they are very rare, with fewer than 90 records ever. Western sites such as Scilly and the Outer Hebrides hog the lion’s share of the records. But, they can occur just about anywhere. ZITTING CISTICOLA Although a common bird on…

The sun arcs across a polar-blue sky that is mirrored perfectly in these calm reservoir waters. Alder trees edge the shoreline, casting long shadows onto the drawdown zone. Their crowns glow with an enhanced beauty as the winter noonday rays pass through them; pendent male catkins hang alongside female cones and both assume glorious burnt sienna shades. The upper crown of one Alder appears to flicker, but it is not by any breeze, rather the movement of Siskins. These neat finches, their small bodies sulphuryellow washed, restlessly flit about the branches with tit-like agility - clinging, hanging, swinging. They pull out and consume in situ the seeds held in woody, cone-like female fruits; some do so very keenly, such that spilled seeds lightly rain down from their briefest of stations.…

Long-eared Owl - the great enigma among British birds; difficult to observe and rather an unknown quantity in terms of breeding numbers and distribution. These owls, however, are predominately a British conundrum. In Ireland, they are easily the commonest owl species. In fact, they are one of the most widespread owls on the planet, occurring right across North America (ssp. wilsonianus), Europe and Asia, all the way to Japan. In many parts of their range, they’re easily observed, take readily to nest-boxes, and are far better understood. During the winter months, some European towns and cities host roosts of many dozens of birds. The most famous, Kikinda in Serbia, can attract up to 600, the largest gathering of any owls in the world. In Britain, it’s a different matter. I…

ID TIP! Black and white are common, even expected, colour combos on many seabirds Four UK breeding auks Guillemot • Medium-sized • Dagger-like bill, black • Dark brown 'above’ and largely white below • Black legs/feet Razorbill • Medium-sized • Flattened bill, black with white stripes • Black ‘above’ and largely white below • Black legs/feet Black Guillemot • Small • Dagger-like bill, black • Black all over, with large white wing ovals • Red legs/feet Puffin • Small • Huge, flattened bill, red, yellow and blue • Usually restricted black belly bars • Orange legs/feet…

MAX MILES ON FOOT: 4 MIN TIME: 3 HOURS This loch has become famous owing to a rare Pied-billed Grebe returning to it since 2016. You can fit it in on your way to the ferry to Islay, as I did, or on a run out from Glasgow. The walk to the loch is ideal for catching up with some classic upland birds. JOHN MILES WHERE TO WATCH 1 Travelling down the A83, the village of Minard gives you a chance to break your journey and scan Loch Fyne for divers, sea ducks and grebes. You have to turn off here for the track up to the loch, with several gardens offering you a mix of birds as you pass by. 2 The track takes you through a mixture of…

MAX MILES ON FOOT: 1 MIN TIME: 2 HOURS The area around the canal and church at Cromford have long been a hotspot for the elusive Hawfinch, but there’s plenty more to find at this Peak District site, where natural beauty and the history of the Industrial Revolution stand side by side. MATT MERRITT WHERE TO WATCH 1 Walk slowly along the path between St Mary's Church and the A6, checking the bushes and trees for small birds such as tits, the commoner finches, Goldcrests, and thrushes - in winter, Mistle Thrushes are usually easy to find. Scan the cliff face for corvids, and maybe a perched raptor. 2 Standing on the bridge, check the river for wildfowl, which can include Goosanders, and Dippers, which breed here and can be…

MAX MILES ON FOOT: 3 MIN TIME: 3 HOURS Coal mining ceased at Parc Slip in the 1980s, following which a major restoration scheme was embarked upon, resulting in designation as a 300-acre nature reserve owned by the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, which has its headquarters here. The varied habitats created include ponds overlooked by hides, rushy meadows, wetlands and woodlands in addition to which there are picnic sites and an outdoor activity area for children. For those on two wheels a section of the National Cycle Network passes through the nature reserve. DAVID SAUNDERS WHERE TO WATCH 1 Take your time along the tree-lined path from the visitor centre; woodland birds including Green, Great and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, Wren, Robin and Chaffinch may well be added…

MAX MILES ON FOOT: 3 MIN TIME: 1.5 HOURS A combination of tidal river, freshwater pool, and woodland habitat mean there are a range of birds to be seen on this riverside walk. Close to Truro, and with an accessible path and no steep hills, this is a great walk for families and those in off road wheelchairs. Park at the St Clement end for ‘step-free’ access. JENNIFER CARTER WHERE TO WATCH 1 A small path takes you from the main road to the to main track. Stop between the reedbeds and the river. There is a sand bar out in the river which runs adjacent to the path. At high tide, waders gather here as it is the shallowest point. Look out for Dunlin, Cormorant, and sometimes Pink-footed and…

Join the Bird Watching team for some fabulous birding based in Grantown-on-Spey 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 Cairngorms, for Ptarmigan and possible Snow Bunting; and the Findhorn Valley, for eagles and other raptors. There’ll also…

In association with www.mpb.com Q I've read somewhere about cameras with specific ‘birdwatching' modes, but I can't track down which cameras they were. Can you help? N Wootton, Hungerford A The cameras you would have read about will be the latest Olympus Mirrorless cameras, such as the flagship 0-M1. These have a ‘bird’ mode in the autofocus settings which has received a number of rave reviews over its accuracy and has made it a popular choice among bird photographers. It’s worth mentioning, though, that although no other manufacturers have a dedicated bird mode, the new Al (Artificial Intelligence) auto-focus systems in mirrorless cameras from Canon, Nikon and Sony have also had excellent reviews for capturing birds in their Animal Eye AF and are probably on a par with the Olympus.…

This winter may not have been a Waxwing winter for most, but 2022 was a year that kept giving, and December refused to fizzle out like a damp squib, but instead threw up a surprise or two, rarity-wise. Perhaps most importantly, it delivered another ‘UK first' in the form of a Stejneger’s Scoter. Your reaction to this is probably one of two things. You may be saying “ah, of course, Stejneger’s Scoter, the long awaited addition to the British List, and hardly a surprise..Or more likely you are saying “a Stejneger’s whatnow?" Stejneger’s Scoter aka Siberian Scoter is the northern and ‘eastern’ Asian and Pacific equivalent to the European, ‘western’ Asian and Atlantic Velvet Scoter, or indeed the Whitewinged Scoter (which is the North American relative of the other two).…

BIRD OF THE MONTH GREY HERON The stately heron is a curiosity in the bird world. It is unusual in being largely ignored by birders, yet noticed by and admired by non-birders. On this occasion, it is the non-birders who are on the right track; herons are marvellous birds. They are the biggest birds you can ever get close to (apart from geese or swans trying to have your leg off) and have a glorious elegance, mixed with a bright staring eye, dagger-like bill and plumage to die for. They also ‘behave’, classically seen waiting still and patient before a lightning fast stab at a fish. Or, at this time, they may be flying to the heronry high up in trees, bearing sticks (or even food for the first young…

Great Skua on Shetland, Gannets on Bass Rock, Barnacle Geese on the Solway, Terns on Coquet Island. All icons of British birding— all affected by Avian Influenza. It is impossible to ignore the deadly strain of highly pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) that is spreading through our wild bird populations. The survival of whole colonies has come under threat and, since October 2021, more than 61 species have been infected, with tens of thousands of birds dying as a result. This is why two birders are walking 61 miles in two days this February to raise money for the British Trust for Ornithology’s Avian Influenza Appeal. Jonny Rankin and Nick Moran have previously raised more than £20,000 for Turtle Dove conservation by running, walking, cycling and kayaking hundreds of miles for…

We all sometimes 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 at least 200 species of bird in 2023. The rest is entirely up to you. Good luck and enjoy it! • YOU can set whatever geographical restrictions you like — on your local patch, in your county or bird club area, or across the whole UK, and beyond. •YOU can decide what birds are tickable and what aren’t. • YOU can include ‘heard’ birds, or just those you’ve seen. •YOU could even introduce other rules. Only birds you found yourself, for example. Or only birds…

In the half-light, a bitter wind sweeps through the hillside copse, its soughing overwhelmed by the raucous calls of rooks. Dozens crowd the tall Ash poles that lean with each raw gust. Jackdaws, too, are here among their larger cousins. A winter racket of hoarse caws, croaks and bright pings, rings out over the surrounding pasture. Some members of this mixed flock are on the wing, wheeling and diving above the leafless canopy, surely relishing the hiIIslope blow. Of the perched birds, few sit idle for long. Constant movement occurs about the uppermost branches and twiggy nests of seasons past, with individuals suddenly flying up to hover, before quickly resettling close by; frequent, too, is short hopping from one branch to another. Paired Rooks are an endearing exception to the…

There is something particularly 'cool’ about black-and-white birds. Somehow, the striking contrast elevates the plumage and makes them just that little bit more exciting. Wholly white birds like swans and egrets lose their interest after a short while, while the all-black plumage of crows and their ilk hardly stimulates the eye or piques the emotion. A black-andwhite bird however, has, I’m sure you will agree, a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’, oh so very special! That said, the featured six birds illustrated as our ‘challenge’ species in this issue may not be the absolute most thrilling of the b/w crew. The challenge is, of course, to put a name to the six types of bird shown below. And, you know the routine by now — once you are happy with…

MAX MILES ON FOOT: 4 MIN TIME: 3 HOURS This area of beach sits between Berwick-onTweed and Holy Island, and has become better known recently due to one long-staying wintering Black Scoter. The benefit is that the area is better covered and more species of bird are now recorded. JOHN MILES WHERE TO WATCH 1 Passing through the village of Cheswick, check for garden birds like Collared Dove, Song Thrush and mixed tits. Scan the open fields before the car park for Lapwing and Curlew on passage with rarer records of Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit and Whimbrel. 2 You can walk north along the beach to check for wintering sea ducks off the Cheswick Black Rocks. Recent wintering Common Scoter flocks have had a mixed company of a single Black…

MAX MILES ON FOOT: 2 MIN TIME: 1 HOUR Situated on the edge of Loughborough, behind industrial estates, this small but potentially fruitful site doesn’t get the attention it deserves. It’s close to the River Soar, so occasional scarcities can turn up, and you can extend a brief visit by walking to the paths by the river and around Hathern. MATTMERRITT WHERE TO WATCH 1 The path alongside the pool itself has lots of viewing areas. Wildfowl will include Mallard, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Coot and Moorhen, plus Shoveler, Teal, Wigeon and perhaps Goldeneye in winter, but check carefully - Ring-necked Duck is a recent record. Gulls tend to be Black-headed. Cetti's Warblers are present, and In spring and summer expect Reed Warbler too, plus Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff. 2…

MAX MILES ON FOOT: 3 MIN TIME: 3 HOURS Chichester Harbour has inter-tidal mudflats, foreshore, marshes and adjacent farmland, and attracts wildfowl, waders, terns and gulls, and in winter thousands of Brent Geese. Sightings of wading birds are assured whatever time of year, with late summer being the best for passage sandpipers that may include Little Stint and Curlew Sandpiper. Terns are present in summer and there is always the chance of a rarity. PAUL TRODD WHERE TO WATCH 1 Check fields behind the car park for Shelduck, Redshank, Lapwing, Curlew, Sky Lark, Meadow Pipit, gulls and corvids and, at high tide, the permanent pasture for passing waders, typically Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel and Ruff. Hirundines and Swifts are seen in summer, while in winter the wet fields by the driveway…

Improving spring weather promotes a shift in the behaviour of our resident birds and their thoughts turn to breeding. The establishment and defence of territories by male birds is an important part of mate choice by females. Once a pair bond has been formed, the birds start to prepare for breeding by building a nest. Bird nests are a familiar sight, but a stereotypical image of a nest built from twigs is far from applicable to most birds. Indeed, there is almost as much variation in nest architecture as there is variation among birds. The primary role of a nest is to house the clutch of eggs during incubation. However, our understanding of how nests function in this role has only really started to be explored in detail over the…

22 July to 2 Aug 2023 £6,795pp 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…

My review of the £499 80mm Swallow ED was in September’s issue. There’s also a 65mm version (£449), and this more diminutive sibling — an inexpensive 50mm scope. If you’re on a tight budget and looking for a travel scope or simply don’t want to carry something bigger, should this be on your shortlist? Form It’s not big, and at 920g its not heavy. I put it on a substantial tripod (Slik Pro 400DX) on a CleySpy Mulepack and it was easy to carry. This polycarbonate scope feels very well-made — solid and robust — with a build quality that belies its price point. It's armoured, nitrogen-filled and waterproof. There’s no rotating collar (I’d like one) but it does have a retractable lens hood — not all scopes do. The…