Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2024 i Bird Watching

What was your best ever garden tick? David Lindo: “My first ever Redstart, a male hopping up the garden path at my mum's house in Wembley, London.” Ruth Miller: “We don't have a garden, so we count what we can see out of our fourth floor window as our ‘garden list.’ My best ever garden tick was seeing six White Storks flying over Llandudno!” Ian Parsons: “It depends on which garden… in Extremadura it would have to be Spanish Imperial Eagle, regular overhead but always magnificent. In Devon, a very high Goshawk!” John Miles: “A Black Grouse (a male) chasing away the Pheasants!” GET IN TOUCH: Bird Watching, Media House, Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6EA…

twitter.com/BirdWatchingMag facebook.com/BirdWatchingMag RARITY RATINGS Common, widely distributed Localised – always a treat Very scarce or rare RINGED PLOVER Though essentially coastal birds, present throughout the year at suitable estuaries and beaches and on mudflats around the country, Ringed Plovers also breed inland at suitable sites. And they usually only appear at these sites in late February or early March (usually before the largely inland breeding Little Ringed Plovers arrive from mid-month). They are larger, chunkier, more rounded birds than their similar, scarcer cousins, with bright orange legs and a bright orange base to the stumpy bill (and no pale eye ring), a white wing-bar, plus an upslurred, whistled ‘pooeep’ call. LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER The gorgeous little Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is a bird in serious trouble in the UK, with populations dwindling…

SET A TARGET OF SEEING 200 BIRDS IN ONE YEAR! It's that time of year when you stand a good chance of finding birds by their songs and calls alone, as the breeding season starts and they advertise their availability to potential mates. So, this month's hints and tips are as much about listening as looking – follow them and you should add some interesting extra species to your list… 1 Make your own rules Over on our #My200BirdYear group on Facebook, there's been some debate about which species you can tick on sound alone. The truth is, it's entirely up to you, but most birders will tick certain species just on their songs and calls, especially if trying too hard to see them would potentially disturb the bird. Tawny Owl…

March, being the first month of spring, sees the much anticipated arrival of the first true summer visitors to the country. Early flowers such as daffodils and crocuses start blooming, the trees start to grow their first tiny, emerging leaves, and Frogs start purring in courtship in ponds across the land. But, it is not until the song of the first arriving warblers of the year, the flight of the first hirundine, or the appearance of the first summer migrant birds, that we really start to feel that spring is with us, that we can start to look forward to longer, warmer days, and prepare for the excitement of the spring season. Here are six species of bird which are often among the first ‘summer visitors’ we birdwatchers encounter each…

MAX MILES ON FOOT: 6 MIN TIME: 4 HOURS In association with os.uk/osm Dartmoor National Park is one of our national treasures – a vast breathing space that offers superb walking and wildlife watching. The village of Postbridge, the highest settlement on the moor, has sprung up around the iconic Category C prison, originally built to house Napoleonic PoWs, and the area is a hub for outdoor pursuits. Although it crosses open moorland, this route follows well-defined paths through the access land, so is not difficult to navigate – but clear conditions are vital. The moor is nationally important for the numbers of Meadow Pipit. Rarities recorded nearby include Great White Egret and Black Redstart. SIMONE STANBROOK-BYRNE WHERE TO WATCH 1 The bridleway heading south-east from the village, past South…

If you've ever watched a Black-necked Grebe, the chances are that, during the encounter, you never realised that it has a large, fleshy tongue. You might have noticed the short, slightly uptilted bill, but the tongue is probably a surprise. Why does the Black-necked Grebe have a large tongue? Well, the theory is that the bird has a feeding strategy similar to a Baleen Whale – yes, really. The organ crushes invertebrate prey against the palate so that all the salt water is squeezed out, retaining the body of the shrimp or insect, while getting rid of the excess salinity. This means that a Black-necked Grebe can occur in hypersaline environments. The bird can get all the nutrients from its prey without ever having to drink. This is just one…

DAVID LINDO THE URBAN BIRDER The contentious Canada Goose is one of Britain's most recognisable birds. The constantly honking, noisy flocks and the slightly menacing territorial birds that zealously expect you to step out of their way in many of our inner-city parks are a very familiar sight and sound to many. As the name suggests, Canada Geese originally hailed from North America, and were first brought to Europe in the early 17th Century by the French explorer Samuel de Champlain, as a present for King Louis XIII. There were exported to the UK in the late 17th Century, when King James II got some to augment his wildfowl collection in St James's Park. The birds were seen as a bit of a fashion item in those days and were…

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR 2024? #My200BirdYear challenge Spring is the time of year when most of us start pottering around the garden and thinking about what jobs we need to do, so this issue's feature on Paul Sterry's remarkable wildlife garden (pictured above) should give you plenty of ideas about how you can make your own green space more nature-friendly (and the great thing about it is that it involves less, not more, work!). We're also taking a close look at a bird most of us see close to home, the Dunnock, and how it's anything but a garden bird elsewhere, and at one of the UK's rarest but most charismatic breeding species, the Black-necked Grebe. While only a handful of pairs breed here, they do use some easily…

PLANT Privet lover Most of us know ‘privet’ in its guise as suburban hedges, but Wild Privet itself is a common, semi-evergreen shrub of our wider countryside. It particularly favours woodland edge and hedgerows on chalky, free-draining soils. Its white flowers are three months off yet, but the distinctive leaves can be picked out pretty much year-round. BEETLE Pining for love You might think it obvious what type of woodland Pine Ladybirds favour. But you'd be wrong. In this case, the vernacular name is somewhat misleading, for this black-and-red beetle resides on a fair old range of deciduous trees as well as conifers – and even in grassland and on heaths! To identify it, look for the comma-shaped red mark towards the front of each wing. REPTILE Spring sunseeker As…

Farmland vital to male Curlews A new study involving BTO and the Wash Wader Research Group has highlighted the importance of agricultural fields adjacent to The Wash for wintering Curlews, particularly the shorter-billed males. Info on the Curlews’ winter-feeding distribution was collated from resightings of colour-marked birds, caught and ringed at sites around The Wash. The difference in habitat use evident in the resighting data likely reflects that longer-billed females can access more intertidal worms and are more efficient feeders when probing. Fears grow for future at London reserve Returning the former sewage works and landfill site of Beddington Farmlands to a nature reserve was a condition of building an incinerator. It was to be completed by the end of 2023, but hasn't been, and new landowner Valencia Waste Management…

In association with os.uk/osm MAX MILES ON FOOT: 10 MIN TIME: 5 HOURS Glen Avon is part of the Cairngorm Connect programme with 232 sq miles of land to try to improve, for several reasons, like carbon capture, tree cover and wildlife. This glen shows the way, with its area of old Birch now regenerating. JOHN MILES WHERE TO WATCH 1 Use the car park grid ref NJ 165 176 as there is limited parking beyond. You can do a short circular walk from here, or carry on up the glen to see the best of the area. The area has a mixture of trees, with Alder found down by the river, where you will find mixed flocks of Siskin, Redpoll and Goldfinch feeding on its seeds, especially in winter.…

MAX MILES ON FOOT: 4 MIN TIME: 4 HOURS In association with os.uk/osm A variety of lowland wooded and heath habitats within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty should deliver a wide range of both resident species and summer migrants, with Blaxhall Common the jewel in the crown, and home to Nightjar. Elusive woodland birds such as Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and Hawfinch are also present in small numbers. An added bonus for wetland birds is the close proximity of the River Alde, with its meandering reaches and adjacent freshwater ditches, marshes, reedbeds, farmland and grazing meadows. PAUL TRODD WHERE TO WATCH 1 Scan the open scrub at Balxhall Common for resident birds holding territory, such as singing Stonechat, Goldfinch, Linnet and Yellowhammer, and a chance of Dartford Warbler and Wood…

GET IN TOUCH birdwatching@bauermedia.co.uk facebook.com/BirdWatchingMag twitter.com/BirdWatchingMag Bird Watching, Media House, Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6EA Mammoth-pecker Nine years ago, in 2015, Martin Le-May gained international fame when his photo of a Weasel hitching a ride on a flying Green Woodpecker went ‘viral'. Well, in January 2024, I make my bid for viral fame with my photo of a ‘reverse Weasel-pecker', with a Green Woodpecker taking a ride on a mammoth. This would be an even rarer photograph as mammoths are long extinct… Sadly, the mammoth in question is not a real one, but the famed sculpture on a raised mound (and renowned vis-migging watchpoint) at Watermead CP, Leicestershire. The sculpture was inspired by the bones of fossilised mammals, including mammoths, found when extracting gravel from the site. But the woodpecker,…

SCHWEGLER CAT TREE DETERRENT, FROM £23.95 Do you have a tree where birds nest? Do local cats climb that tree? We don't want that. Buy one of these to frustrate those cats. It's made of galvanised steel and you join the links together to get the right size. The small one (£23.95) is for trees with a girth of up to 70cm. The big one (£36.80) is for fatter trees, with a waist of up to 115cm. Position above head height for safety. nhbs.com VIKING OTTER 8X32, £79.95 One of three in a new range of Viking entry-level bins with “excellent optical quality at a great price”. To improve their handling, the chassis has been put on a diet – the 8x32 weighs just 457g. It's filled with nitrogen. And…

SOUTH WEST Highlights In association with Though the rarest (certainly identified) bird of the month was the Cape May Warbler on Bryher, Scilly (to 4th), in a regional context, the Whitecrowned Sparrow at Rosudgeon, Cornwall (2nd to 14th) was even rarer. A drake Baikal Teal appeared after Christmas, at Greylake RSPB, Somerset. AVON CLEVEDON-WESTON-SUPER-MARE: Clevedon-Yeo recorded Brent Geese twice. Sand Bay had a roost of 1,500 Shelducks. Sand Point logged four Gannets and a Black-throated Diver (9th), a Great Skua and Little Gull (11th) and peak of 65 Kittiwakes (28th). Also reported along the coast were a few Knot, a Merlin, Short-eared Owl and Water Pipits. Thirteen Goosanders were on the Blind Yeo at Clevedon. Portishead held up to 10 Purple Sandpipers. Portbury Wharf had last month's Black-necked Grebe and…

Last month, you may recall, I briefed you on my New Year's Day shenanigans, when our little team racked up a decent 96 species to kickstart proceedings. You may also recall that I love a bit of #My200BirdYear action, but never achieve the magic number, as I restrict my counting to the Peterborough Bird Club (PBC) recording area, and 200 seems a tad beyond the area's annual reach. My record is 195 here in a year (in 2018 and 2021) and most years, I get somewhere in the mid to late 180s. That said, as I may have pointed out before, if I combine lists from consecutive years, the total is at times more than 200. So, if everything falls into place and the rarer birds decide to all turn…

The circular area monitored by the London Bird Club (LBC) – a branch of the London Natural History Society – has a 20-mile radius centred on St Paul's Cathedral. Within the M25 is a handy, if misshapen, approximation for this. About 200 bird species are recorded in the LBC area each year, with the high density of birdwatchers helping to achieve this impressive number of urban records. As well as the big reserves – the London Wetland Centre, Walthamstow Wetlands and Rainham Marshes – many of the other hotspots, like Richmond Park, Beddington Farmlands and Hampstead Heath, have active and friendly groups of birders. As the LBC website says, London is “home to a high density of expert birdwatchers who are quick to find special birds and disseminate the news…

MAX MILES ON FOOT: 1.5 MIN TIME: 2 HOURS In association with os.uk/osm This Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust reserve has been enjoying a hot streak, with a visit in early 2024 rewarding visitors with Glossy Ibis, Red-throated Diver, Cattle Egret, Great White Egret and Bittern. Arguably the biggest draw are Long-eared Owls, this being one of the best sites in the country to watch roosting birds in winter. But a visit can be rewarding throughout the year. MIKE WEEDON WHERE TO WATCH 1 The reed-lined ditch near the entrance, parallel to Station Road, is a good place to scan for Bitterns in the winter. Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers sing throughout the summer. Listen, too, for Water Rails. This corner also gives a first view over the east pit. 2 The…

BIRD THE WORLD BALI Sunda Crow.” “No, Slender-billed Crow,” says my guide. “No, it's definitely…” “Ah, you have the new field guide!” The taxonomy of Indonesian birds is fast-changing – so fast that even the guides can't keep up – but an extra bit of translation will certainly help you see all Javan and Balian endemics. There are now several more after a recent splitting frenzy. But the island of Bali is changing even more quickly, and infrastructure is sprouting from every rice paddy. It's becoming more of a land of contradictions every day. The people are welcoming, but explorations do have the potential to be thwarted by petty bureaucracy. Tourists come to Bali for its beauty, but it's hard to find a forest that isn't littered. That said, ongoing…

IMAGE SPEC Camera: Nikon Z9 Focal length: 500mm Exposure: 1/10,000 sec; ISO 800 Last month, I promised to look at camera settings to help improve your bird photography. For the less experienced photographer, selecting the settings to get the best results when photographing birds can be a bit daunting at first. It would take a complete book to cover all the intricacies of modern digital cameras, which come with a whole array of options. Indeed, many of the entry-level cameras now incorporate some of the features found in their more expensive counterparts. The advancements made in areas such as auto focus are astounding, and a lot of the functions now available do take some working out. Let's start with a few basic principles, covering exposure, metering and the shooting mode…

AN ID GUIDE TO GARDEN BIRDS OF BRITAIN AND NORTH WEST EUROPE & THE HIDDEN LIFE OF GARDEN BIRDS BY DOMINIC COUZENS JOHN BEAUFOY/GAIA, SB, £15.99/£18.99 Bird Watching's own Dominic has been busy writing more books, and this time they are both looking closely at garden birds. The ID guide (pictured, right) is full of superb colour photos by Carl Bovis (whose work you may have enjoyed on social media), while ‘Hidden Life’ uses black and white drawings. That makes the former a great book for beginners, and especially children, while ‘Hidden Life’ gives more details about the behaviour of birds in your garden, and the reasons for it (something you'll be familiar with from Dominic's articles). The colour photography really gives the ID book the advantage for recognising birds.…