Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2023 i Bird Watching

What’s your favourite winter wildfowl? Amanda Tuke: I love the sound of Wigeon whistling overhead on a winter’s day. And what stunning plumage, too. Stuart Winter: The beautiful Smew has a special place in my heart. I saw my first at Stoke Newington Reservoirs, on my way to the football at White Hart Lane. John Miles: Living where I do, near to the Solway Firth, it has to be Barnacle Goose. We see thousands of these glorious birds. David Lindo: I do love a Brent Goose! They are the most readily seen winter goose in the south.…

twitter.com/BirdWatchingMag facebook.com/BirdWatchingMag RARITY RATINGS Common, widely distributed Localised – always a treat Very scarce or rare MEALY REDPOLL One bird with two names, the Mealy Redpoll also answers to Common Redpoll. But the latter implies that it is the most numerous redpoll, while in the UK, Lesser Redpoll greatly outnumbers ‘Common’, which has a total wintering population of only about 300 birds. Mealies are notably larger than Lesser Redpolls, and are much ‘frostier’ in plumage, lacking the extensive brown and buff tones of their smaller relatives (for instance, the transverse wing-bars are white, not buff). It really helps if there is a mixed flock, and the size and colour differences are clear. WIGEON A common duck (wintering population of 450,000 birds) we don’t talk enough about in Bird Watching, the…

A DROP OF THE IRISH If you’ve never seen an Irish Yellow Slug before, you could do worse than check out your compost heap or bin on a mild, damp night: gardens are the preferred realm of this widespread species. This is a relatively large slug, sometimes as long and thick as your index finger. Like many slugs, its background colour varies and the dark patterning is unique to each individual. MAMMAL Otterly brilliant A mammal as at home in the water as it is on land, the Otter breeds year round, meaning that you are as likely to encounter one during the month with our shortest days as during high summer. Although many of my Otter encounters have been on inland rivers, along which they have spread as water…

David Saunders, RIP Prominent conservationist and long-time Bird Watching writer David Saunders, MBE, has passed away after being taken unwell. He was the first warden of Skomer Island in 1960, organised the first ever census of the breeding seabirds of the British Isles – Operation Seafarer – and was the writer of many bird books and articles. His son, Rob Saunders, said: “David was a private person and had requested that his passing was to be marked in a private manner, so his funeral will be attended by immediate family with family flowers only.” If you wish to mark his passing, donations can be made in his memory at: www.welshwildlife.org/donate Injured kite was aged 26 An injured Red Kite, found in Carmarthenshire, has been identified as a bird originally ringed…

CROSSBILL: Just a couple of minutes’ walk from the hotel is the extensive Anagach Woods. Listen for the calls of flocks flying over, and watch for them to settle in the treetops. Then you have the slightly more difficult task of determining if any of them are Scottish Crossbills or Parrot Crossbills. RED SQUIRREL: Anagach Woods is also a great place to see these Highland specialities – their larger, more familiar, grey cousins are not found here. It’s just a case of keeping quiet and watching for movement. Loch Garten RSPB (see inset photo below), a few miles away, is another great site for them. CRESTED TIT: Loch Garten is also a great place for Cresties, as are a number of woodland sites on the road from Aviemore up Cairn…

In association with os.uk/osm MAX MILES ON FOOT: 4 MIN TIME: 3 HOURS This is such a great walk close to Castle Douglas, with such a wide variety of habitats to look at as part of the Threave SSSI. Even the wet bits have had a boardwalk added, to keep your feet dry while you watch! WHERE TO WATCH 1 Start your walk from the car park inside the caravan park. This doubles up as a feeding area so you will have close views of several water birds like Mute Swan, Coot, Moorhen, Mallard and even Tufted Duck. A rookery is found in the trees by the lake. 2 Walk out onto the B736, bringing you to the old railway line, taking you along the eastern shore of the lake.…

In association with os.uk/osm MAX MILES ON FOOT: 3 MIN TIME: 3 HOURS A part of this circular walk includes the South West Coast Path, overlooking tidal fleets and the stony rampart of Chesil Beach. The calmer waters of the fleets, trapped between Lyme Bay and rolling downland, support a wide range of wintering wildfowl and waders, including large flocks of Brent Geese of the pale-bellied race; careful scrutiny may reveal a rare Black Brant. Following winter gales, an arctic gull may appear on the fleet, along with a rare diver or auk. The hinterland section of the walk passes through a combination of arable farmland and classic sheepgrazed chalk pasture, where Hen Harrier and Short-eared Owl often winter. Small woods along the way add to the variety of birds…

GET IN TOUCH birdwatching@bauermedia.co.uk facebook.com/BirdWatchingMag twitter.com/BirdWatchingMag Bird Watching, Media House, Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6EA Woodpigeons on the move This is a letter which is part observation and part question. Recently (late October), I have been getting up early to do some birdwatching in our local country park. In the past couple of days I have noticed several flocks of Woodpigeon, about 50 strong and all heading the same way. In fact, this morning, I made a note of these flocks, over the first hour and a half of daylight, and they totalled more than 500 pigeons (nearly all Woodpigeons, but mixed with a few Stock Doves), all heading west. Normally, I would expect Woodpigeons to be coming out of roost in the earlyish morning. But these birds seemed to…

OBSERVATIONS With just one day between guiding two tours, the sensible thing would have been to stay at home and catch up on work. But, while we’d been away on the Yorkshire coast, there had been reports of exciting birds right on our doorstep at home, so who wanted to be sensible? Instead, we got up early and headed over to the beautiful island of Anglesey. Our first target was a Grey Phalarope. This little bird had been showing very well the previous week, on a small flood close to a main road in Valley, and people had posted incredible photos on social media. However, some folks commented on the bird looking sickly in the morning, though it seemed to revive as the day continued. I can relate to that,…

The old Woodie is one of Britain’s most familiar birds. Its display flight, in which the male powers upwards on strong wingbeats, clapping its wings along the way, before, at the zenith of its ascension, gliding earthwards, is a familiar sight around the rural woodlands of the UK. This nuptial display is also a familiar sight in our urban centres, if, as a city dweller, you choose to look up. I remember, as a child, gazing out of my bedroom window, watching Woodpigeons displaying during the dawn of my birding existence. I had no mentor to tell me what they were, so I christened them Jack-in-the-boxes, likening them to the toy consisting of a figure fixed to a spring inside a box that came out suddenly when the lid was…

JOHN BEATTY 2024 WILD NATURE DIARY, £16.50 A nice, wire-bound diary for you and your desk. Its ‘week-to-view’ design shows off the photography of some of Britain’s best nature and landscape photographers. The John Muir Trust commissioned it, John Beatty (traveller and wilderness photographer) edited it, and Karine Polwart (Scottish singer, songwriter and storyteller) penned the foreword. It “will remind and inspire all those with an interest in the natural world.” Why not buy one and see if it does? 205×192mm. wild-nature.co.uk CRAGHOPPERS CO2 RENU HALF ZIP FLEECE, £80 This fleece contains CO2RENU, which, as you probably know, uses “award-winning technology that turns waste carbon into yarn.” I don’t understand it, either. It’s ultra-soft, sustainable and “offers outstanding warmth.” Warmth for when you’re out standing. I suspect the fleece is…

1 Each of the birds pictured (right) has a connection to the song The 12 Days of Christmas. Identify them all, for a point each. 2 In American Football's NFL. Baltimore's team is called the Ravens, but why? 3 In the classic Christmas film (well, it's always on then!) The Great Escape, Donald Pleasance’s character lectures his fellow prisoners on which two species? 4 Which bird's name devices from the Aboriginal for ‘good cockatoo’? 5 What is the World’s smallest penguin species? 6 In football, which species features on the club crest of West Bromwich Albion? 7 What's the collective noun for Snipe? 8 What’s the national bird of Canada? 9 What was the first UK species to receive legal protection in Britain (in the 7th Century). 10 Which species…

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR 2023? #My200BirdYear challenge When I get to this stage in most years, there are always some fairly extraordinary birding happenings to look back on, even if only on a local level. And 2023 has been no exception for me, with some unexpected almost-local goodies like Pallas’s Warbler, the ongoing rise and rise of the Cattle Egret, and a good smattering of local scarcities such as Black-crowned Night Heron. They all pale, rather, in comparison with the amazing invasion of American warblers (above) and other passerines that occurred in late September. I didn’t, I should add, see any of them myself, but it was a reminder that, when the conditions are right, pretty much anything can happen, and does. In this issue, Stuart Winter takes a…

Our four-weekly gaze into the crystal ball to see what extremely uncommon visitors will magically appear in the UK… GREAT BLUE HERON The ‘equivalent’ of our Grey Heron in North America, and quite similar in size and colour, so possibly has been overlooked, historically. There have been just two recorded, both on St Mary’s, Scilly, with the second in the spring and the first on 7 December 2007. If there is a bird which should cross the Atlantic more often than it appears to, this is it. NUTCRACKER There have been many UK records but, being an irruptive species, the vast majority were in big invasion years, the latest of which was 1968 (into 1969). Since 2000, there has been just one accepted record (so far). Luckily, they are distinctive,…

As you may know, I am bordering on obsessed with birding in the Peterborough area, with a particular fondness for year listing, here. So, naturally, I have been keeping spreadsheets of when I first encounter each bird species for 20-odd years. Certain patterns naturally emerge, such as which species I continue to consider ‘core’ and which are ‘elite’. The ‘core’ birds are the 135 species which most birders of reasonable competence and keenness will encounter every year, locally. The ‘elite’ birds are the rest which are less reliable, and require a bit of extra skill, luck or a spot of twitching to see (or hear) in any year. Another thing which emerges from staring at spreadsheets is that many birds are more or less predictable in their time of occurrence.…

Water, water every where, nor any drop to drink…” so said Coleridge in the Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Of course, he was talking about becalmed mariners driven mad by seeing undrinkable sea water when anything potable had run out. Disastrously, this is where we are heading on land, with ‘water wars’ no longer a science fiction fantasy, but a growing possibility as we drive on global warming through our continuing greed and terrible management of this precious necessity. How long before pumping water on to wildfires is a distant memory? We’ve already stopped basking in sunshine and increasingly hide behind shutters to avoid the record temperatures, and turn up the air-con, releasing even more fossil fuel pollution. At home, we are already seeing species shift north, with new arrivals…

Whenever anybody talks about Tree Sparrows, there is always an elephant in the room – the House Sparrow. The Tree Sparrow tends to be talked about in reference to its commoner relative, and compared and contrasted, rather than being appreciated for its own sake. So, for the purposes of this article, let’s agree something – no more mention of relatives. It’s late autumn, and you might think that Tree Sparrows are settling in to concentrate on survival during the tough months of the year. But you’d be wrong. It is, in fact, the main pairing up season. This is mainly because, after the summer, young birds join colonies as new recruits, and during the autumn all members assert rights to a nest site. The established adults, which usually pair for…

In association with os.uk/osm MAX MILES ON FOOT: 4 MIN TIME: 2 HOURS Walthamstow Wetlands Nature Reserve is situated within the Lee Valley Regional Park, at the northern end of Greater London. It is an important haven for wintering wildfowl, with 10 reservoirs. There have been more than 140 different species of birds recorded each year at this diverse site, which was opened in 2017 as a publicly accessible nature reserve. Some areas are restricted to set opening hours or as permit-only restricted areas, to reduce visitor impacts on breeding and overwintering locations for wildfowl. Remnants of the site’s industrial heritage include the engine house, which is now home to the visitor centre; and the Coppermill that now offers panoramic views over the reserve. WHERE TO WATCH 1 Start your…

ART AND NATURE OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES BY BRUCE KENDRICK WHITTLES PUBLISHING, SB, £18.99 BOOK OF THE MONTH This is Bruce’s second book with Whittles, following his excellent An Eye For Birds, which was about his life as a birder, especially around the Wirral. This time, Bruce gives us his story of his trips to the Outer Hebrides, meeting lots of different folk, and especially those involved with the arts. But wildlife, and particularly birds, is a common thread throughout the book, illustrated by many of Bruce’s photographs. If you’re interested in the spectacular wildlife of the outer isles, you will enjoy this book. WINDSWEPT BY ANNIE WORSLEY WILLIAM COLLINS, HB, £16.99 Have you ever thought of packing your bags and heading north to live out your later years? Well,…

NEW TECH Birdfy It probably doesn’t occur to most of us, most of the time, but new technology has always caused massive step changes in the way we watch birds. The increasing availability of binoculars, for example, from the late 19th Century onwards, made it possible to watch species that otherwise eluded most people, and both World Wars meant that large amounts of ex-service optics got into the eager hands of civilians. More recently, digital cameras and then mobile phones with powerful cameras made bird photography practicable for most birders, sometimes when combined with spotting scopes and digiscoping/phonescoping adapters, while ever-improving binoculars and scopes, often available at budget prices, have made all sorts of birdwatching accessible to a far greater range of people. And, over the past few years, the advent…

REVIEW £999 I came to this review with an open mind, by necessity having never used 12x, nor indeed image-stabilised, binoculars before. Their appearance is strikingly different from the two-barrelled, non-stabilised binoculars I am used to. The eye cups quickly give way to a ‘boxier’ body containing both the expected optics and the necessary electronics. Knowing I was off to the Isles of Scilly via the Scillonian crossings and inter-island boat trips, Kite sensibly provided me with the blue weather cover (pictured below). Potentially over-cautious, as the APCs are fully waterproof, with the optics and electronics sealed to ‘IPX 7’ waterproof rating. It’s said you can submerge them to a depth of one metre for up to 30 minutes – I resisted the urge to test this. As you would…

SET A TARGET OF SEEING 200 BIRDS IN ONE YEAR! BROUGHT TO YOU IN PARTNERSHIP WITH 1 GET ORGANISED Check how many species you need to see, then go through a field guide and work out which new birds you might reasonably expect to find in December without too much effort (for example, winter species such as Jack Snipe, that you might have missed earlier in the year). If you still find yourself short of the mark, work out a list of possible scarcer targets, and concentrate on these. 2 USE YOUR TIME WISELY Dawn and dusk are always the best times for birdwatching, and one of the great things about winter birding is that both fall at reasonable times – there’s no getting up at unearthly hours, or staying out late.…

IN THE FIELD CAIRNGORMS Birdwatchers love visiting new locations. Of course, it is the habitats that bring the birds, and the locations with the best habitats that draw the most birdwatchers. But how many of the locations really cater for those birdwatchers? One man who had the idea of catering for birdwatchers, and improving the opportunities for them to stay – and be entertained – in comfort, was John Woods, who set up the Grant Arms in Grantown-on-Spey, base for many a Bird Watching reader holiday. He told me the story of how he created it: “I had the idea for a hotel for birdwatchers around 2003. I think at that time I imagined something like a residential centre running three-day or seven-day courses – with everyone doing everything together.…

TREE SPARROW ID CHALLENGE In North America, birders use the term ‘shorebirds’ for what we would call ‘waders’. But this ID Challenge is not about waders, it is about any bird which can be found on a beach or along a shoreline (or close to it). Naturally, there is a strong possibility that one or two waders may appear, of course, among the ‘mystery birds’ on offer on this page… The concept of birds of beach and shore (or seaside birds, if you like) is a broad one, with a wide range of different bird families occurring in this loosely defined ‘habitat’. So, here are roughly six birds (there may be the odd partially hidden one…). Identify them and name them at your leisure, then turn the page to see if…

In association with os.uk/osm MAX MILES ON FOOT: 5 MIN TIME: 2 HOURS Skipwith Common National Nature Reserve is a fascinating place to explore, whether you’re planning a short outing with the kids, some peace, quiet and nature for an hour or two, or a half-day walk, taking in all its trails. Featuring both wet and dry heath, ponds and scrub, and flanked by farmland, the common is home to many species of plants, insects, reptiles, amphibians and birds. Look out for signs of its Bronze Age burial mounds and its use as a World War II airfield. WHERE TO WATCH 1 Follow the path around the edge of the wood from Common Road car park, looking towards Skipwith village. Check the fields for Sky Larks, Yellowhammers and partridges. The…

In association with os.uk/osm MAX MILES ON FOOT: 5 MIN TIME: 4 HOURS It would be wrong to talk about Falmouth without mentioning Carrick Roads, part of the Fal estuary, renowned for its aquatic birdlife, especially Black-necked Grebes, in winter, when Long-tailed Ducks are regular. You can take the ferry to St Mawes for local seawatching. Falmouth itself offers good seawatching at Pendennis Point as it gives an almost 360° view of the Fal Estuary and Falmouth Bay. There are wooded locations around the town, while Swanpool NR is one of the most significant brackish lagoons in the country. Black Redstarts often over-winter in Falmouth so keep an eye out on the coastal paths. The Fox Rosehill Garden is a peaceful sub-tropical haven in the town itself and always worth…

Garden warbler Q I am a part time birdwatcher with limited identification skills, with a regular subscription to Bird Watching magazine, which I enjoy reading immensely. I saw a bird in my garden yesterday which was clearly a warbler of some sort – I did manage to establish that! It was certainly one that I have never seen before in my suburban semi-detached house garden. I turned to my Collins Bird Guide and came up with two options – Willow Warbler or Chiffchaff. I opted for Willow Warbler as Collins refers to it as “Lively and restless, flits about in tree crowns and bushes in search of insects,” which is exactly what it was doing. I was really surprised to see what, to me, was a very rare sighting, but…

Given the current age of ever-increasing frame rates and file sizes, and the very nature of the subject matter we photograph, it is not surprising we take thousands of images every year (I came back from a week on Shetland with 20,000 images and I was supposed to be on holiday!). With so many images fighting for space on our hard drives, it is easy to see how they could get lost if we don’t have a robust cataloguing system. Personally, scrabbling around for hours trying to find images time and again is not good use of my valuable time. To ease my workflow, I had to devise a system which is both robust and easy to implement. And let’s not forget the need for back-up, too – statistically, all…

REVIEW ZEISS DTI 4/35 THERMAL IMAGING CAMERA, £2,850 We’ve only had our hands on this for a few days, and there’ll be a full review to follow in a forthcoming issue of Bird Watching, but first impressions are very good indeed. There’s a high-resolution HD LCOS display, with features such as contrast enhancement, which makes for sharper images in misty or humid conditions. It has a range of 1,235m, which should be more than enough for any birding eventualities. There are four colour modes – Black Hot and White Hot show high levels of contrast and are suitable for ID, Red Hot allows fast detection of heat signatures, and Rainbow separates details in temperature. Viewing modes include Picture-in-Picture (PiP), which overlays a second zoomed-in image for improved identification, and Hot…