Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2023 i Bird Watching

Ian Parsons: “Black Guillemot is my bogey bird in Britain. Even when I've been in the right place, I've always managed to miss them!” David Lindo: “A Quail seen on British soil has eluded me my entire life!” Paul Brook: “Currently, it's Caspian Gull. They seem to be popping up everywhere, except where I'm looking – and even then they seem tricky to identify.” …and the Bird Watching team's answers Matt Merritt: “I've seen the other three skuas in the UK, but never a Pomarine Skua of any age.” Mike Weedon: “I have many UK bogey birds, including for instance Icterine Warbler – maybe this year!”…

twitter.com/BirdWatchingMag facebook.com/BirdWatchingMag RARITY RATINGS Common, widely distributed Localised – always a treat Very scarce or rare ROCK PIPIT Rock Pipits can be encountered mainly round the rocky coasts of the UK, throughout the year. They are slightly larger, longer billed and darker than Meadow Pipits, with darker bills and less streaked upperparts and smudgier streaked underparts. In addition to our resident birds, in mid-October, we see a regular overland passage of Scandinavian birds, which may appear at a suitable inland site near you. DID YOU KNOW? Ruff numbers rise into the thousands due to passage and overwintering birds, mainly on the east coast and Norfolk JUVENILE RUFF Many juvenile waders are easy to discern from adults, usually being neater in plumage, with evenly (and often attractively) fringed back and wing…

The times below are for high tide, when waders and wildfowl will be pushed closer to dry land… 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)B 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…

Mosquitoes can be the bane of many a birdwatcher, but in parts of southern Europe they can be more serious than just an annoying irritation. They are the vectors of many diseases, including West Nile Fever, the frequency of which has been increasing in many parts of Europe over recent years. To help combat the risk, a town on the banks of the River Guadalquivir in the south of Spain has taken the innovative step of fighting mosquitoes with their long time foe – birds. The town hall of Coria del Rio, just south of the city of Seville, has installed a ‘Biodiversity Tower’ in one of the parks alongside the river. Standing at 12 metres tall, the tower provides 300 nest sites for Swifts, Pallid Swifts, Spotless Starlings, sparrows…

You can track your progress in #My200BirdYear by joining us on the Birda app, as featured in our recent Gear Guide. Download the app, sign up for the #My200BirdYear challenge, and log your sightings as you make them. While you're at it, Birda's monthly and geographicallybased challenges are a great way of motivating yourself towards the bigger target, too, and by interacting with other users you can develop your ID skills. #My200BirdYear ticklist Download and print off our 2023 #My200BirdYear ticklist to track your progress throughout the year… www.birdwatching.co.uk/my-200-sign-up So, what are you waiting for? Sign up at birdwatching.co.uk/my200 and join the thousands already rising to the challenge. BIRDA…

It has taken me years to work out that my favourite season for birding is actually the autumn. Now, I do love the spring and all that entails, there's also a lot to be said about summer, and winter can be full of surprises, too. But there is something about the light, the smells, and the fact that, traditionally, it is summer melding into winter, that marks autumn out from all the other seasons. But it's the autumnal migration that really is so exciting. Like many birders, I am out birding the whole time, regardless of whether the winds and general weather are good for migration. Because, as we know so well, anything can turn up, anywhere, at any time. When I realised, as a junior birder, that autumn migration…

In association with os.uk/osm MAX MILES ON FOOT: 2 MIN TIME: 3 HOURS This location is often missed by birders, with the better known names of Haukley, Druridge and East Chevington being preferred birding locations, but there's plenty here to keep you interested, too. JOHN MILES WHERE TO WATCH 1 Come off the A1068 on a side road north of Druridge Country Park and you have farmland on both sides of you. Scan for waders and geese using the fields. A Todd's Canada Goose was found here with Pink-footed Geese recently and five Russian White-fronted Geese have also been found here. Yellowhammer and Reed Bunting are likely along the hedgerow. 2 Once by the North Sea you have a range of habitats, with some recent planting of a shelter belt which…

In association with os.uk/osm MAX MILES ON FOOT: 1 MIN TIME: 1 HOUR Crossness Nature Reserve can be found on the edge of Thamesmead and Belvedere, and is fronted by the River Thames. The site is situated between Crossness sewage works and Belvedere waste burning incinerator, however, once on the reserve you are barely aware of either. A small part of the nature reserve is restricted to members of the Friends of Crossness society, but there is plenty to see and do regardless. In the rainy season, visitors are advised to wear wellies due to the site frequently flooding. Access is available via public and permissive footpaths that criss-cross the reserve. ABIGAIL HAMILTON-THOMPSON WHERE TO WATCH 1 If approaching from the Crabtree Manorway direction, the Thames path, running along the top…

Q This little fellow turned up to sun his/ herself at our bird feeder in late August. It had bright pinky-red legs, but once I grabbed my camera stubbornly refused to turn round or stand up. Not great shots I know, but it was a very rufous brown. It was just sunning itself before flying off with no other sighting since. It was about between a Wren and a Robin size – they are both regular visitors so it was easy to judge size. Martyn Bacon Your bird, Martyn, may have refused to A pose for you, but your photographs do show enough for us to identify it with confidence. It is the UK's commonest bird, a Wren! So, when you suggest it as somewhere between a Wren and a…

Highlights In association with August's birding in the region was overwhelmingly dominated by pelagic activity, particularly around Bishop's Rock Lighthouse. This site was the favoured resting place for the UK's second Red-footed Booby, but also hosted a Brown Booby on a couple of days! Another South Polar Skua (after July's individual) was seen on a pelagic trip, as were plenty of Wilson's Petrels and extraordinary numbers of Scopoli's Shearwaters. AVON CLEVEDON TO WESTON-SUPER-MARE: Sand Point had a Wryneck (26th) and a Tree Sparrow (26th). SEVERNSIDE: Oldbury Power Station logged a Mandarin (10th), a Golden and a Grey Plover (18th), also a Turtle Dove on 18th (now an Avon rarity). Whimbrels and godwits started to reappear along Severnside along with small numbers of Knot, Ruff, Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint, Spotted Redshank…

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR 2023? #My200BirdYear challenge We've all got species that, try as we might, we struggle to connect with. For a long time, mine was Ptarmigan (in the UK at least). On numerous trips to Scotland, I seemed to miss them by seconds, including having a cloud descend to obscure the birds that the rest of the group had seen atop Cairn Gorm just a few minutes previously. But Paul Brook's article, on p26, is reminder to try, try and try again. He finally cleared his list of bogey birds after several years of searching, but also makes the key point that in doing so, he also saw other birds he hadn't expected, and enjoyed some great birdwatching. Without wanting to get too zen about it, it's…

Our regular ‘semi-educated guestimate’ as to which extremely rare birds will appear in October, king of rarity months! SIBERIAN RUBYTHROAT Once considered a massive and hugely desired rarity, rubythroats are now almost anticipated each October, particularly in the Shetland archipelago. Only males will show the distinctive red throat. But birds of all ages and sexes have distinctive face patterns. NORTHERN HARRIER The North American equivalent of the Eurasian Hen Harrier used to be all the rage in the second decade of the century, when most records occurred. These days, though, they have gone back to being very rare visitors (reflecting their fewer than a dozen accepted UK records, ever). AUDOUIN'S GULL This formerly very scarce and localised Mediterranean species has thrived in recent years. We saw the first UK record…

Urban birds paler than country cousins Urban Great Tits are paler than Great Tits living in the countryside, new research has found. A study published in the Journal of Animal Ecology says that the yellow pigment of the birds’ breast feathers comes from food they eat, and that the paler plumage of urban birds indicates they eat poorer quality food. Previous research has suggested urban Great Tits are less stressed than those in rural woodlands, perhaps because of the relative lack of predators. Tracking reveals Curlew poaching A study has shown that Curlews are being illegally hunted in France. The species is now classified as Near Threatened following huge population declines, so 100 birds have been equipped with tracking devices in recent years. These helped identify several poaching cases in…

BROUGHT TO YOU IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SET A TARGET OF SEEING 200 BIRDS IN ONE YEAR! 1 SOUTHERN ENGLAND The coast is the place to be, as migrants gather before funnelling south to the continent – migration-watching hotspots such as Dungeness, Rye Harbour, Selsey Bill, Portland Bill and the various Devon and Cornwall headlands will all produce large numbers. But, if you haven't already, give seawatching a try if you visit any of these. You'll be surprised at what you can turn up, including divers and scarce grebes such as Slavonian or perhaps Red-necked. 2 MIDLANDS Check your local wetland sites (especially ‘inland seas’ such as Rutland Water and Pitsford Water) regularly – if you're going to be patch-bound until New Year, this is your best chance to see passage waders, including…

These are the recommendations I have been given by local birdwatchers, for birding spots within just a 30-minute walk (or by public transport) from Belfast Lanyon Place rail station. ● Lagan Weir and river path (the weir is an 11-minute walk from Belfast Lanyon Place rail station). In summer, see Black Guillemot, Common Tern and Swifts near Lagan Weir, then follow the river path south, looking out for Common Sandpiper and Kingfisher. ● Belfast City Council's Connswater Greenway from Greenville Park to Victoria Park, East Belfast (14-minute bus journey from Belfast Lanyon Place rail station). Walk along the river's edge for Kingfisher and a variety of woodland and hedgerow birds. ● Belfast City Council's Victoria Park East Belfast (16-minute bus journey by from Belfast Lanyon Place). Walk around the outer…

In association with MAX MILES ON FOOT: 6 MIN TIME: 3 HOURS The Arboretum lies close to Walsall town centre and motorway networks, so provides an easy stop-off point if travelling through the area. A large lake holds common waterfowl, while the Rushall Canal adds a walk of further interest towards the nearby Park Lime Pits. Night Heron and Long-eared Owls have been recorded in the nearby area. PETE HACKETT WHERE TO WATCH 1 The pools hold Mute Swan, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Canada and Greylag Geese, Mallard, Coot, Cormorant, Moorhen, Black-headed Gull, Pied and Grey Wagtails during the quieter periods. Kingfishers are also fairly regular visitors. 2 Check trees for Ring-necked Parakeet, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Chiffchaff and Coal Tit. Goldcrest breed in conifers. Areas of scrub attract…

RUTH MILLER OBSERVATIONS I recently went for a walk in Haulfre Gardens in Llandudno. Grand in their Victorian heyday, they are now largely left to their own devices, with most of the steep hillside covered in deciduous and coniferous trees. Not particularly spectacular, but a pleasant place to stroll As I wandered, my attention was caught by a series of high-pitched squeaks and tweets coming from the trees below me. The noise increased and became more complex, with trills now audible in the mix of sounds. There were clearly several birds here, as the different pitches and vocalisations suggested multiple individuals and species; a mixed flock was approaching as the excited symphony grew louder. I picked a spot to wait where I could look down into the canopy of the trees…

Just the mention of this bird's name in the UK evokes daydream-like fantasies of happening across an unexpected, lonely bird flying around a lighthouse on some remote headland the morning after a heavy storm. I think that 99% of Britain's birders would love to live out such a fantasy. The other 1% are liars! I saw my first Common Nighthawk in the Bronx, New York, when I was a teenager. I was still learning the ropes (that never stops) and I remember watching a strange brown bird with white flashes in its long wings flying around the top of a tenement block and wondering about what I had just seen. I didn't tick it for many years, until having seen others doing the same thing, the penny dropped. It might…

Grubs Wellington Boots UK make “the highest quality neoprene wellington boots in the UK”. I was sent a pair of Frostline 5.0s to review, in my wife's size. Here's the verdict. The problem with reviewing gear is that you can't help comparing the review item with what you currently use instead. For me, this is lightweight walking boots, so, at first, these Grubs felt heavy and sloppy. Soon, though, they felt like protective footwear that is easy to pull on and off, with the added benefit of keeping your clothes and legs safe from biting mozzies and spiking thorns as well as mud and water. Are they waterproof? Of course they are! One look at the build quality straight out of the box tells you that. Deep water-filled potholes, summer…

INN SEARCH OF BIRDS – PUBS, PEOPLE AND PLACES BY JOHN LAWTON WHITTLES PUBLISHING, SB, £18.99 BOOK OF THE MONTH Well, here's something different! Does it reflect a misspent youth? Of course, it doesn't really mean that John ventured into every pub in his bid to find the history of its bird-related name, but he has researched widely, by talking to birders (and pub-goers). He shows that, while some pub names sound like birds, they may in fact have been named after race horses, ships, or a variety of other things. My contribution would be the famous Old Peacock outside Elland Road, well used on match days, but you'll all have your own. Unusual, but it makes interesting and diverting reading. SUSTAINABLE GARDEN BY MARIAN BOSWALL FRANCIS LINCOLN, HB, £18…

PATCH DIARY Don't ask how the old year list is going. After all, I will only go and tell you. And it is a sad tale of woe, with very little in the way of change for too long. As you may be aware, I have kept a spreadsheet of my Peterborough area year lists since 2003. Mostly, I get a score in the mid to late 180s. Between 2018 and 2021 I scored into the 190s. The year 2015 was bad. The pattern goes thus, 2014: 187, 2015: 173, 2016: 188. The nadir of 2015 is something of a mystery, especially as that year we had such great birds as Glaucous Gull, Rough-legged Buzzard, Red-rumped Swallow, Long-tailed Duck and Pied Flycatcher, locally. As I write in mid-September, my 2023…

NEWS & OPINION They say that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, and that no good deed goes unpunished. Providence seems reluctant to give a sucker an even break. I've never held any of these true… until last week! You know that I try to garden my postage stamp organically, for colour and wildlife. My mini-pond housed 2,000 pond snails that ravaged the frogspawn this spring, so we re-located more than a thousand to a friend's massive pond in exchange for a jam jar of tadpoles. The snails had eaten the frogspawn ‘jelly’, despite the internet assuring me otherwise! Before, many adults, plopped together into the pond sounding like a firecracker. Only five are croaking still. The imported tadpoles are growing fast alongside some diminutive home-grown survivors…

Birding is about community. It's about not only seeing birds but also sharing what you've seen with others. It's about the bonds such sharing creates. It's about friendships; friendships that endure across both miles and years. At Celestron, of the many things of which we're most proud throughout our more than six decades of creating optical instruments, few are more dearly held close to our hearts than the knowledge that our binoculars and spotting scopes are used by birders around the world in forming and strengthening this enthusiastic and enduring community. While we have long been a friend and enthusiastic member of the birding community with Bird Watching, we are now deeply honoured also to be a partner with them in #My200BirdYear. Working together, it is our fondest wish that…

Wetland birds is, of course, a broad category! So, we have taken the liberty of using the breadth of the category to include a wide variety of birds in this month's ID Challenge. Many of us spend much of our birding time around wetlands, as they are among the most diverse and productive habitats we have, where there is always the chance of something exciting and special turning up. Birds from most bird families (at least in a British context) can appear at wetland sites (even if only occasionally in some cases); so considering what broad type of bird you are looking at is the first stage in ID. Have a look at these six birds and see if you can get beyond the family and name the species featured.…

In association with MAX MILES ON FOOT: 4 MIN TIME: 3 HOURS Gouthwaite Reservoir, owned by Yorkshire Water, is classed as a private nature reserve, with an SSSI status for its wildfowl and waders. The north end is the shallow end, with the River Nidd flowing in, and it is here where a lot of the action is. JOHN MILES WHERE TO WATCH 1 Coming out of Patley Bridge, the minor road by the reservoir is not ideal for stopping, so carry on to the car park and picnic area, where there is a viewing look-out, ideal for a good mixture of ducks and geese. 2 To get away from the traffic, you can drive around the edge of the reservoir via Ramsgill, where the Nidderdale Way allows a lovely…

In association with os.uk/osm MAX MILES ON FOOT: 3 MIN TIME: 4 HOURS There is an other-worldly feel to this section of the Dungeness National Nature Reserve, with its vast shingle rampart and power lines and pylons from the nearby, now defunct, nuclear power stations stretching out across the Army ranges towards Camber. Dengemarsh wetlands, scattered scrub, a drainage channel, foreshore and Rye Bay complete an unusual habitat ensemble. If visiting the Dungeness peninsula for the day, a good plan is to start the walk with an early morning seawatch in front of the power station, then work back towards Dengemarsh. The afternoon can then be spent exploring the remainder of the RSPB reserve. PAUL TRODD WHERE TO WATCH 1 From Dengemarsh Road, check the chicken sheds for Pied Wagtail,…

Bulgarian mystery bird Q My grandson was on holiday in Bulgaria and this exhausted looking bird allowed him to place it on his hand. He asked me to identify it but I was unable to. We wondered if it's an escaped cage bird? Any ideas? David Donovan A It is a juvenile Goldfinch. The easiest way to identify some youngsters is to look at the wing and tail pattern, the feathers of which resemble those of adult birds. In this case, the broad gold band on the black and white wings is typical of Goldfinch. Grey-brown streaked feathering is typical of juveniles, which lack the red faces of their parents. Is this a ‘Hoodie’? Q I saw this bird in an Edinburgh garden, calmly preening itself. It didn't mind my…

Those of you who have read my articles for a while will have heard me talk about how isolating your subjects from backgrounds can help focus the viewer's attention where it needs to go – on the bird itself. Focal length, aperture, distance from your subject, and your subject's distance from the background are all factors that will influence the success (or not) of the end result. The longer the focal length of the lens, the wider the aperture (represented by decreasing f numbers), the closer you are to your subject, and the further your subject is away from the background, then the more out-of-focus the background will be. Try experimenting with a soft toy in the garden and you'll soon see how changing these dynamics affects the resulting image.…