Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2023 i Bird Watching

David Lindo: “My most eagerly awaited migrant in April is the Garganey. Beautiful birds.” Ruth Miller: “Pied Flycatcher, a classic Welsh woodland summer resident. It's always so exciting to see the first one.” Dominic Couzens: “The Cuckoo, and its two-syllable call, which could almost symbolise good and bad – I love to hear it, but for small birds it's a sound of death.” Bo Beolens: “Being coastal, it's a matter of hoping for some of the northern and western chaps to stop off long enough for me to see… like Pied Flycatchers.”…

twitter.com/BirdWatchingMag facebook.com/BirdWatchingMag RARITY RATINGS Common, widely distributed Localised – always a treat Very scarce or rare WHITETHROAT Though hardly the most tuneful of spring bird songs, the scratchy warble of the Whitethroat is nonetheless among the most welcome, being a true sign that spring is really here and summer is on its way. One of our more abundant warblers, there are more than a million pairs nesting across the country, wherever there are bushes and scrub to nest in. The long tail (with white outer feathers), short wings lined with chestnut and the white throat are all distinctive, as is the short song flight (one of only a few of our warblers to sing in flight). DID YOU KNOW? Sylvia warblers like the Whitethroat are an enigma, probably not closely…

Leather on Willow April sees the thwack of leather ball on willow bat, which usually cues an exchange between BW editor, Matt Merritt, and me about whether we will play more cricket this year. When I finally concede defeat to the ravages of time, the nearest I will come to willow may be admiring the spring flowering of our six wild sallow trees, whose blooms nourish numerous early-flying insects: peering at a tree on a mild night should reveal a surprising variety of moths. INSECT Coastal crawler Wander through sheltered flowery grassland this month, particularly in south-west England and Wales, and you may spot a female Black Oil Beetle trundling over the ground, or perhaps digging into bare earth before laying her eggs. Up to 3cm long, these are hefty…

NEWS & OPINION “Every day with an owl in it, is a good day”, as Hawkeye said to me the other day… that particular day had three Short-eared Owls quartering the dunes at our favourite birding patch. Scroll back a couple of weeks and she said the same after an obliging Little Owl sat in an accessible hedgerow ignoring our scope and a bunch of very annoyed passerines. It put me in mind of another fabulous owl day… this one far away and long ago several years BC (before Covid). We were in southern Africa on a wonderful five-week trip with ‘Birding For All’, an access charity which has been fighting for better access for all birders to our healthy hobby for a couple of decades. Over the years our…

30 - MINUTE BIRDER I first became acquainted with birder Rudy (Rudraksha Chodankar) through his photos, particularly of Firecrests, and I'm in awe of anyone who can get good pictures of these tiny and elusive birds which are so rarely still. A couple of years ago I talked to Rudy about the benefits of birdwatching in urban parks, so it seems appropriate that when we do finally meet face to face early one January morning, it's in his local patch Greenwich Park in south-east London, a Firecrest hotspot. Rudy lives within walking distance and squeezes in an early morning loop of the park and neighbouring Blackheath at least a couple of times a week. He always takes his binoculars and a 400mm telephoto lens on what he describes as a…

SPECIES DIVERS birdwatchhing.co.uk/my200 Winter and early spring brings with it a whole host of birding opportunities, and is a great time to boost your #My200BirdYear list. For me, there's one group of birds that I particularly look forward to trying to see at this time of year, and that's the divers The divers, or loons as they are known in North America, are, if you like, the saltwater counterpart to the grebes of freshwater. Like the grebes, their legs and feet are situated right at the rear of the bird, making them appear ungainly when on land. But other than for breeding, these birds have no use for land. They are truly aquatic birds, and are perfectly adapted for life on the open water. Those rear-placed feet that make them…

Chats are what we call a family of little, thrush-like, insect-eating song birds. Whether they are closely related to thrushes or are closer to Old World flycatchers, or a bit of both, is immaterial when it comes to enjoying watching these lovely birds. And lovely they really are, among the most handsome of our smaller birds, especially spring males of several species. Many species are sexually dimorphic, with the females looking less striking, especially in the spring. And in spring, some males produce a scratchy warble, while others are among the finest songsters in the British avifauna. Not all the birds in the photographs will be adult males in spring, though (and you won't be able to hear them singing through the pages, anyhow). All you have to do is…

DOMINIC COUZENS ON THE… COMMON SANDPIPER DOMINIC COUZENS birdwatching.co.uk/my200 The Common Sandpiper is a member of an exclusive club, that of British birds associated with rivers. The membership is far from ‘common': Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail and Dipper are the others that everybody thinks of, with honourable status for several ducks, including Goosander and Red-breasted Merganser. Aside from the ducks, the members of this elite possess some interesting, shared quirks, although none are universal. Take the highly peculiar habit of ‘bobbing’ or ‘teetering,’ which is a constant wagging of the body, particularly the rear end, even when the bird is standing in one place. It is found in Dippers, wagtails and Common Sandpipers, but Kingfishers are not habitual bobbers, although they do nod their heads up and down while perched, mainly to…

In association with DRIVING MILES: 40 MIN TIME: 4 HOURS Eagles and Ospreys on a huge freshwater loch Loch Awe is the third largest freshwater loch in Scotland, with a surface area of 14.9 sq miles, as well as the longest freshwater loch in Scotland, measuring 25 miles from end to end. It is used for hydro-electric schemes, but there are plenty of good birds to look for. JOHN MILES WHERE TO WATCH 1 To cover this area, you need a car or a bike. take the A819 road off the A85 just towards Cladich. Check out the islands out in the loch for Ospreys, as at least 12 pairs nest around this huge area of water. In winter, look for Great Northern Divers and Otters as the loch holds…

MAX MILES ON FOOT: 3 MIN TIME: 3 HOURS In association with Varied woodland birding on Cannock Chase Cannock Chase has a wealth of good birding areas and varied habitat, and it's always a surprise just how wild it can appear, despite the fact you're just a few miles from the sprawling Birmingham conurbation. This route offers beautiful woodland landscapes, and some of the specialist species you'd expect to find. MATT MERRITT & BOB HEXT WHERE TO WATCH 1 From the car-park take the path along the stream to the Stepping Stones. Cross them and turn left – this area is good for Redstart and Tree Pipit, in spring and summer, while the stream and its pools should get Grey Wagtail, as well as possible Snipe, in winter. 2 As…

GET IN TOUCH birdwatching@bauermedia.co.uk facebook.com/BirdWatchingMag twitter.com/BirdWatchingMag Bird Watching, Media House, Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6EA Early success I have been trying for some time to encourage my eight-year-old grandson's early interest in birdwatching. This has been difficult so far, as he and his family have been living in a more urban environment. However, recently they moved into a super new house in Highgate with their own quite large stretch of private woodland. His dad has put up feeders for him on a 60-foot fir tree close to the house, and Miles has begun snapping the arrivals. I have set up a weekly competition for the family to see how many species arrive. And Miles has shown a great interest in snapping them. One of the best early arrivals is the…

My dad used to sometimes exclaim: “Lord, love a duck!” and, let's face it, who doesn't? Many of us have childhood memories of feeding ducks at the local pond, and even as an adult, I find there's something pleasurable and reassuring about watching ducks. They are all well worth watching, particularly when they're in their breeding finery, but some ducks are even more special than others. This year already, North Wales has had more than its fair share of ‘anatine excitement’ and on two consecutive days I was lucky enough to catch up with a trio of very exciting ducks indeed. First up, Baikal Teal. This gorgeous little duck was reported on a tidal area of saltmarsh and mudflats near Caernarfon on the North Wales coast. It was hanging out…

Over the past 20 years photography has undergone a seismic change with the advent of digital technology. In the past, I have touched on the improvements made by camera manufacturers, enabling us to shoot images in ways that those of us who can remember working with film could only dream of. Mirrorless has ushered in the next level of camera development, and with it comes frame rates of 20, 30, or more per second, unbelievable low light control, silent shooting, in-camera multiple exposure functions, fantastic auto-focus, and all sorts of other technological wizardry. This technology has opened a whole raft of possibilities, not only for producing superb work in-camera, but also through enhancement using image manipulation software. Indeed, these applications have undergone their own rapid development and the latest versions…

BUGGY DUMPLINGS, FROM £7.99 For many birds, insects are the food of choice for raising the next generation. Buggy dumplings are 5% “solid insect protein” and 6% “liquified insect fat”. It sounds delicious and provides “spectacular nutritional levels”. These Cordon Bleu offerings also contain top notch beef suet, oat flakes and oil-laden sunflower hearts. They're good for the youngsters and will help the grown-ups get through cold spells too. £7.99 is the RRP for six dumplings. livingwithbirds.com ECO BEACON BIRD FEEDER, £10 An inexpensive feeder made from “recycled, second-life plastic”. Is that tautology? It's ideal for “seeds and kibbled peanuts”. I don't know how to kibble peanuts either. You pour in your chosen avian sustenance through a swivel port on the roof, and with this new version, cleaning the feeder…

birdwatching.co.uk/my200 Welcome For a Midlander born and bred, like me, seeing any diver is a real red-letter day. Most years, if I'm lucky, a Great Northern will pop up briefly on a local reservoir, in winter, but this year, I was lucky enough to be up in Scotland with a Heatherlea reader holiday in January, and a trip to the west coast brought an astonishing 17 Black-throateds (our cover bird) in one scope view, and countless scattered Red-throateds and Great Northerns. All of which is to say, read our feature on page 26, then get out there and see if you can find one of these beautifully odd birds this spring, when they turn up all over the place on the way back to their breeding grounds, or prepare to…

LESSER KESTREL There have only ever been about 20 accepted records of this small, southern and eastern falcon, in the UK. There have been a further 20 or so ‘not proven’ records, the large proportion of such being a result of its similarity to the (Common) Kestrel. So, if you are lucky enough to see one, remember to get some decent photos! MOURNING DOVE There are only nine accepted UK records of this small North American dove, and nearly all of them were in the autumn. The most recent, though, was an individual on 29 April 2019 at North Ronaldsay, Orkney. Mourning Doves are a bit like small, long-tailed Collared Doves with black spots on the wings. RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD The Red-winged Blackbird is an abundant bird in North America. But,…

We had a small reunion at the weekend. My dear wife Jo and I met up in a Peterborough pub with a few friends we hadn't seen for a quarter of a century. They are three blokes who were our house-mates and pals from our undergraduate days in Bristol, some 40 years ago. Now, we are all approaching 60, have a couple of kids each, and live in widely spaced parts of the country (Aberdeen, Liverpool, east Surrey; hence Peterborough seemed a decent ‘halfway house'). So, over a few drinks, we learned how everyone lives the life of Riley, and has had a successful career in their chosen field and the lads, in their nicest possible way, made Jo and I seem like we took a wrong turn somewhere. Ho…

Crane numbers soaring New figures show 2022 was another successful year for Cranes in the UK, with 71 pairs across the country. The overall population is now estimated at more than 200 birds, and is growing year on year, thanks mainly to restoration of and protection of their habitats. This is the second highest number since Cranes returned in 1979, after becoming extinct in the 1500s. Of these 71 pairs, up to 64 pairs bred and these fledged 39 chicks. As easy as ABC! The African Bird Club (ABC) are developing a free birding app – Birds of Africa – as an ID guide which will cover all birds and countries in Africa. Currently, you can explore details for 41 countries and more are being added regularly. As ABC is…

• Almost all of the respondents said they take photos of birds on occasions, even if it's just to check identification. • 58% agreed that most binocular/ scope-only birdwatchers are responsible and don't disturb birds while only 4% said they had seen them being inconsiderate of others or disturbing birds regularly. • 62% agreed that most bird photographers are responsible and don't disturb birds, while 19% said they had seen photographers being inconsiderate of others, or disturbing birds, regularly. • Only 34% believe that binocular/ scope-only birdwatchers are more considerate of birds and other people than photographers are. • 40% agreed that binocular/ scope-only birdwatchers can be unfairly negative towards photographers, while 17% agreed that photographers can be unfairly negative towards binocular/ scope-only birdwatchers. • 23% felt that the reported…

There is one other diver species you might reasonably expect to find off the coast of the UK – the White-billed Diver (Yellow-billed Loon in North America). Slightly larger than the Great Northern, it looks very similar, but has fewer and smaller white markings on its neck and upperparts, and a large, very pale bill, almost always held tilted slightly upwards. They can turn up anywhere off the coast, but most are found off the west coast of Scotland, moving in spring to a staging area in the Moray Firth, particularly around Portsoy. Some years, they can be very distant, and require a boat trip to see, but others (2022 was one), they appear close to shore in decent numbers.…

UK conservation status: Amber About 13,000 Common Sandpiper pairs breed in the Welsh uplands, northern England, Scotland and western Ireland. In the winter, only about 52 pairs remain on the south coast. Common Sandpipers overwinter in Africa, and although the cause of their declining numbers is unclear, it is thought that the most likely threat is a change in their wintering grounds and/or dangers on their migration routes. In the UK, conserving their existing habitats, ensuring river and lake or loch-side disturbance is minimised, protecting water courses from pollution, protecting inland wetland habitats for birds on passage, and a healthy insect and invertebrate population will help the Common Sandpiper's breeding, and feeding, success.…

MAX MILES ON FOOT: 4 MIN TIME: 4 HOURS In association with Huge reservoirs, woodlands and magnificent high ground Radnorshire was described by Shakespeare in King Lear as “with shadowy forests, plenteous rivers and wide shirted meads”. The “plenteous” waters of the Afon Elan, fed by numerous tributaries, now pass through four reservoirs before reaching the River Wye. An abandoned dam on the Nant y Gro stream, which flows into Caban-coch Reservoir, was used in 1942 and 1943 by Barnes Wallace to test his ‘bouncing bombs’, the results still visible. The woodlands fringing Carn Gafallt, an RSPB reserve, should never be missed; climbing to the high ground still has rewards. Alas, rarely do these include Lapwing, Golden Plover, Dunlin and Curlew as not so very long ago. DAVID SAUNDERS WHERE…

1 Black-tailed Godwits by Dennis Stinton Camera: Canon EOS 6D Lens: 450mm, Shutter Speed: 1/1,000 sec, Aperture: f/6.3 ISO: 400 2 Hooded Crow by David Stone Camera: Canon EOS 7D Lens: 400mm, Shutter Speed: 1/800 sec, Aperture: f/6.3 ISO: 160 3 Long-billed Dowitcher by Simon Putman Camera: Nikon Coolpix P950 Lens: 350mm, Shutter Speed: 1/320 sec, Aperture: f/6.5 ISO: 100 4 Kingfisher by Richard Hall Camera: Nikon D850 Lens: 200mm, Shutter Speed: 1/2,500 sec, Aperture: f/5.6 ISO: 1,250 WE LOVE … Gorgeous godwits filling the sky. Glorious!…

In association with Q Am I better off investing in an older DSLR, but the best lens I can afford, rather than a new camera with a less powerful/flexible lens? B Carter, Bromsgrove A The technology in most DSLR cameras that have come to market in the last 10 years has been very capable of taking great photos. However, without a good lens, a good camera is wasted. Cameras such as the 7D Mark II and the Nikon D500 may have been launched a while ago, but attached to a decent 500/600mm lens, you'd get much better photos than you would with say a 90D and a 70-300mm zoom. Q I'm getting more ‘noise’ than I'd expect on my bird photos (mainly relatively short-range, and of perched birds). What might…

TEN BIRDS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD STEPHEN MOSS, GUARDIAN FABER, HB, £16.99 Of all the books that have come my way recently, this is the one that I could not put down. Don't think it is just about 10 bird species, though, as the chapters go much deeper and are full of birds and historical events around the world, from famines to fashion and even politics! Have you ever visited the National Trust house made from ‘Guano’ near Bristol? Well not quite built of the deposits of birds (!) but from the millions of pounds made from selling the stuff! Stephen has created a cracker, full of birds, from Dodos to the present day. BOOK OF THE MONTH WILD GREEN WONDERS PATRICK BARKHAM, GUARDIAN FABER, HB, £14.99, SB £10.99 This…

What first sparked your interest in birdwatching, and when? My Mum was always interested in nature and we always used to feed the birds in the garden. I collected the Brooke Bond Tea bird cards, which I think triggered my obsession. I collected them all and took them to school so my geeky mates could test my ID! Who was your birdwatching inspiration or mentor? Everything I know (and don't know!) is self-taught. My advice to anyone starting out is to find a mentor; learning while being out in the field with someone who knows what they're talking about is so much easier than the way I did it. “MY ADVICE TO ANYONE STARTING OUT IS TO FIND A MENTOR; LEARNING WHILE BEING OUT IN THE FIELD WITH SOMEONE WHO…

Sparrowhawk • Pigeon-sized, but slimmer • Smaller male is blue-grey above, finely barred orange on white below • Larger female is brown above, finely barred black on white below • Rounded wing-tips, longish, square-ended tail • Yellow eye, small hooked bill • Yellow legs/feet with very long central front toe IN ASSOCIATION WITH Woodpigeon • Pigeon-sized, fat and big (top end of pigeonsized), small-headed • Pale grey above, pink and white below, white patches on neck sides • Sexes similar, juveniles lack white neck patch • Broad-based, pointed wings with broad white wing ‘flash' • Pale eye, pink/yellow ‘pigeon’ bill • Pink (short) legs and feet Collared Dove • Small pigeon-sized, small-headed • Sandy buff brown with a thin black ‘half-collar' • Sexes similar (juveniles looks scruffier) • Pointed wings,…

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) Berwick…

birdwatching.co.uk/my200 BROUGHT TO YOU IN PARTNERSHIP WITH 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 of the 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…

• The birdwatching community is diverse. If we pigeonhole or stereotype others as ‘toggers’, for example, and promote the idea of two tribes in conflict, it only benefits anti-environmentalists. • There should be one birding code of conduct for all of us – that the birds and environment should always come first, and definitely before either ‘ticks’ or social media ‘likes'. • It makes sense for us all to be considerate of other hide users, whether by pointing out birds to others as quietly as possible or avoiding monopolising the best views. • Let's be generous with our bird knowledge and welcome beginners, as the more people know about birds, the more considerate they're likely to be. • Conflict is most likely in small and busy hides so we could…

MAX MILES ON FOOT: 6 MIN TIME: 4 HOURS In association with Superb upland summer birds at a scenic reserve The RSPB reserve of Geltsdale covers over 12,000 acres, with some land they own and more to which they have access. Geltsdale Farm run cattle over 6,000 acres here, and is part of the Rewilding Network run by Rewilding Britain, so the whole area has great potential. JOHN MILES WHERE TO WATCH 1 You can start your walk at Jockey Shield and drop down to the river to look for Dipper and Grey Wagtail, in spring. Turn left after the bridge and head through Hynam Wood listening for the ‘Big Three’ of Pied Flycatcher, Redstart and Wood Warbler. Once through the wood, turn right and head up the fell. 2…

In association with MAX MILES ON FOOT: 2 MIN TIME: 3 HOURS A walk for wetland birds in the Lydden Valley The RSPB have developed a large section of the Lydden Valley into a mosaic of wetland habitats with scrapes, lakes and flood meadows. A mature wood, drainage ditches and hedgerows all add to the habitats on offer. The marshes now have huge potential to attract back ‘lost’ breeding birds such as Lapwing, Redshank and Sky Lark; and being so close to the coast what's to stop the likes of Black-winged Stilt or Marsh Warbler becoming established. The valley has an enviable list of rarities to its name PAUL TRODD WHERE TO WATCH 1 Lagoons and wet fields support breeding waders such as Lapwing, Redshank, Avocet and Little Ringed Plover,…

Mystery garden feathers QI was wondering if you could tell me which species these feathers are from. I found them in the pages of one of my book, they must have been from our garden last year. Colin Matthews A Your feathers, Colin, appear to be from the tail of a Goldfinch (perhaps the victim of a garden Sparrowhawk attack or maybe a cat… ). When we think of Goldfinches we tend to habitually think of the massive golden wing flashes which give them their name, as well as the red and black face and buffy plumage. We don't necessary think of the bold white spots on the shortish black tail. But that is what your feathers are. Black Redstart? QI was wondering if you could help me identify this…

• Five nights’ dinner, bed and breakfast • En suite rooms equipped with hairdryer, tea and coffee-making facilities, TV and toiletries • Gala dinner • Programme of evening talks and quizzes by Bird Watching's Matt Merritt, Mike Weedon and Gordon Hamlett • Guided walks • No single supplement • Leaders: Matt Merritt, Mike Weedon and Gordon Hamlett • Please note: a car is essential on this break Cost Bird Watching subscribers Standard Room £579 dinner bed and breakfast (DBB), per person (pp), Superior Room £674 DBB pp Bird Watching non-subscribers Standard Room £610 DBB pp, Superior Room £705 DBB pp Extra nights: BW subscribers £128pp per night DBB standard room, £148pp superior; non-subscribers £135pp per night DBB standard room, £156pp per night DBB superior room No deposit required, but card…

I still remember the very first time that I saw a Little Ringed Plover. I was 11 years old and it was my very first outing away from my natal area with a grown-up birder. Indeed, he was the first proper birder I had ever met, although he did profess to also being an ‘egger’. Thank God he didn't lure my young impressionable self down that path, although he did teach me about finding nests. He took me to the now defunct and long built upon Radlett Gravel Pits in Hertfordshire. I remember him telling me to be quiet, as we slowly snuck up to the crest of an embankment overlooking a gravel extraction. It was from that lofty perch that we saw a pair of breeding Little Ringed Plovers…

IN ASSOCIATION WITH www.hawkeoptics.com Spring is here again, which means birds are at their busiest and most visible. It's also the time to make the most of the birds in your garden and, if you don't currently get many, to think about making your garden more wildlife-friendly. So, we have 10 great ideas on how you can help birds, and other wildlife, to thrive in your garden or shared green space, no matter how small it is, as well as all the information you need to start identifying the species that visit. Read, enjoy, then get out there and get to work with your green fingers. Good luck! CREATE A BIRD-FRIENDLY GARDEN is proudly sponsored by…