Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2024 i Bird Watching

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR 2024? #My200BirdYear challenge Our cover story this month is about a species close to my heart – the Curlew – which has suffered worrying breeding declines in the UK in recent decades. Now a ‘headstarting’ project is giving hope that those declines can be alleviated, while broader and longer term solutions are sought. You can play your part, too, by supporting such projects (and the wonderful Elmley NNR where it's based) and by reporting sightings of Curlew, especially suspected breeding, to your county recorder. Elsewhere, we've got everything from Peregrines helping build an interest in birds and conservation in a major city, to Europe's rarest songbird, the Aquatic Warbler. What links all those stories is the way the enthusiasm and passion of conservationists, and ordinary…

twitter.com/BirdWatchingMag facebook.com/BirdWatchingMag RARITY RATINGS Common, widely distributed Localised – always a treat Very scarce or rare SPOTTED CRAKE A regular, widely distributed, but rare breeding bird (30 or so singing males) in the UK, the main reason we know that these small crakes nest here at all is that the males are loud! They are tiddly little things for water birds, only about the size of a Starling, and wading about under cover along reedy ditches and through marshes, concealed by vegetation. Add to that that they are pretty nocturnal in their activities, and you can understand why this is a bird rarely seen. After (often long after) sundown, in late spring and summer, males shout out a far-carrying single, repeated ‘wip… wip… wip…’ song, a bit like one note…

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 (+0:54)…

An exhibition exploring the story of one of the most influential books in British nature writing is to run for most of 2024. ‘Restless Brilliance: The Story of J.A. Baker and The Peregrine’ opened at Chelmsford Museum on 23 March, and will remain until 3 November. Co-curated by Chelmsford Museum and the University of Essex, it looks at the life of John Alec Baker, better known as J A Baker, and his celebrated 1967 book, The Perergine. The book condensed 10 years of sightings and observations by Baker into a single winter – the big freeze of 1962-63 – and is seen by many as the forerunner of much modern nature writing, with Baker's intense, poetic prose combining with detailed, up-close observations of the birds. Over the years, it has…

SET A TARGET OF SEEING 200 BIRDS IN ONE YEAR! 1 Owls are the obvious targets for night-time birding, and June's a good time to look for the four less numerous species (Tawnys will be heard, if not seen, at most times of year). With very limited hours of darkness, Barn Owls will hunt by daylight, while Little Owls may also be seen out basking in sheltered, sunny spots. Short-eared Owls quarter their moorland breeding areas, and listen for the ‘rusty hinge’ call of young Long-eared Owls. 2 Woodcock continue to perform their ‘roding’ display flight throughout spring, over woodland clearings, rides, or on the edge of forested areas. You might hear them before you see them, making a loud, frog-like croak, but scanning the dusk skies above such habitat…

Heaton Park, about 23 minutes by tram from central Manchester, is a typical but extensive urban park with lots of wooded areas. While you need a permit to visit the adjacent reservoir, you may be lucky with interesting flyovers. In the park, look out for thrushes in winter, as well as Bullfinch and common woodland birds like Nuthatch, Treecreeper and Goldcrest. Salford Quays and surrounds are 25 minutes by tram from central Manchester, and well worth a visit. Past eBird records include Kestrel, Peregrine, Mediterranean Gull, Meadow Pipit, Goosander, Yellowlegged Gull, Common Scoter and Common Tern. Sale Water Park and Broad Ees Dole Nature Reserve, about 25 minutes by tram from central Manchester, are good for wetland species. Look and listen out for the elusive Willow Tit, as well Water…

Ruth Miller is one half of The Biggest Twitch team, and along with partner Alan Davies, set the then world record for most bird species seen in a year – 4,341, in 2008, an experience they wrote about in their book, The Biggest Twitch. Indeed, Ruth is still the female world record-holder! As well as her work as a tour leader, she is the author of the Birds, Boots and Butties books, on walking, birding and tea-drinking in North Wales, and previously worked as the RSPB's head of trading. She lives in North Wales. birdwatchingtrips.co.uk Sometimes the planets align, and everything comes together to make the perfect birdwatching day. Of course, if every day were like this then maybe we wouldn't appreciate it, but I'll take perfection when I can.…

Riverside birding with farmland birds too In association with os.uk/osm MAX MILES ON FOOT: 4 MIN TIME: 4 HOURS The road running from Swarkestone Bridge to Repton stays close to the south side of the River Trent for much of its route, making it a good route to use to watch for winter wildfowl, while in spring and summer there are several spots at which to look for passage migrants and summer visitors. MATT MERRITT WHERE TO WATCH 1 There's a pull-in opposite the lane from Stanton-by-Bridge. The meadows on either side of the Trent here are great places to look for winter wildfowl. While most geese will be Canadas and Greylags, recent winters have seen visits from Russian White-fronted and Tundra Bean, plus Whooper Swans. Ducks can include Goosander,…

Q Can you make a positive ID, please? I photographed this bird over my local nature reserve, displaying over a known Sparrowhawk nesting area, in March. To me, it looks like a Sparrowhawk imitating a Goshawk, but I'm not sure. The chance of seeing a Goshawk here is probably nil, but I've never seen a Sparrowhawk displaying its undertail coverts like this. I've seen displaying Goshawks before and they do look thicker round the hips than this bird. Michael Jennings A We agree completely with your diagnosis and reasoning, Michael. Sparrowhawks do regularly display with splayed undertail coverts like your illustration, but for some reason this is not as well known as for the much rarer Goshawk. This is one of the reasons Goshawks are ‘overclaimed’ in the UK. You are…

OSPREY WOMEN'S DOWNBURST 34 BACKPACK, £300 The main compartment on this 34L backpack is waterproof. The main fabric is 100% recycled nylon and the outside dries quickly. Features include an internal mesh pocket with key clip, space for a hydration reservoir, a gusseted front compression pocket, bottle pockets, zipped hip-belt pockets and compression straps. You can roll the top twice to keep water out. No one wants soggy sandwiches. 1,485g. Tidal blue or escapade green. 24L costs £275. Men's versions available. osprey.com BIRD FEEDER BRACKET, £15 Want to dangle a feeder from something subtler than an ornate stand? This could be the solution. It's not just another bracket. You can attach it to glass, tiles, wood or brick. It has five suckers for sticking it on glass – and it…

SOUTH WEST Highlights In association with A couple of long-staying old favourites occupied the top two spots for rarest bird in the region in March: the Dorset Forster's Tern (at both Arne and Brownsea Island) and the drake Baikal Teal at Greylake RSPB, Somerset. AVON CLEVEDON-WESTON-SUPER-MARE: The Blind Yeo had 15 Goosanders. Clevedon-Yeo had a Merlin, 17 Grey Plovers (13th) and a Whimbrel (26th). There were 125 Knot at Uphill (17th). Sand Point had a Yellow Wagtail (25th), and a Redstart, Tree Pipit and 33 Willow Warblers (31st). Three Purple Sandpipers remained at Portishead. SEVERNSIDE: Severn Beach had two Common Scoters and 13 Brent Geese (26th), 20 White-fronted Geese (7th), two Cranes (15th), two Gannets and 200 Kittiwakes (23rd), and a Redstart (31st). The wintering Black-necked Grebe was last seen…

Bittern comeback continues Bitterns enjoyed another fantastic year in 2023, with a national survey logging 234 booming males in Britain. The species was recorded at 11 new sites, including in areas of specially created habitat at the likes of Leighton Moss RSPB and on the Isle of Sheppey. The number of booming males is a 24% increase on the figure recorded only five years ago. The rejuvenation and creation of reedbed habitat is vital to the species’ long-term survival, with inland nature reserves vital as coastal sites face rising Waders and wildfowl to benefit from grant A £314,000 flood management grant has been awarded to Wirral Council to transform 60 hectares of land at Hoylake Carrs. The money will boost biodiversity, creating ponds, marshes, woodlands and more accessible public spaces.…

30 minute BIRDER Is it wrong to hope my youngest will settle on a university which will work as a handy base for northern birding trips? Manchester would do nicely, but of course I keep my preferences to myself. Back in October last year, just as Redwings were arriving in my London patch, we set off north for a first visit. With a window for a couple of hours of birding, I chose Heaton Park in north Manchester with its adjacent reservoir and proximity to a tram stop. Heaton is a big and busy urban park – teeming with dog walkers and runners when I arrived – but there were enough promising woodland patches away from the crowds to entertain me. As well as Treecreepers and Goldcrests, which I'll never…

Baby birds. They're everywhere. Well, they are at this time of year. There have been ducklings swimming about for a while by now, and the first baby waders will be walking around feeding themselves. Meanwhile, baby Robins and Blackbirds will be hopping around on a lawn near you, looking gormless. Many baby birds are like miniature versions of their parents, while others bear little resemblance to the adults. Of course, it helps, ID-wise, if the youngsters are near their parents. But, for the purposes of this ID Challenge, we have them in isolation, without the extra context of the parent to help. As ever, the challenge is to put a name to each bird, then, when you are happy with your answers, you can check them overleaf (as well as…

In association with os.uk/osm MAX MILES ON FOOT: 1 MIN TIME: 3 HOURS A star raptor species, plus plenty of other birds to enjoy Foulshaw Moss is a Cumbrian Wildlife Trust reserve and is now well known for showing the public its breeding Ospreys. The reserve offers year-round interest, though, with bird feeders and plenty of sightings of other raptors. JOHN MILES WHERE TO WATCH 1 Come off the A590 onto a track to take you to the car park. Look back at Whitbarrow Scar for raptors like Peregrine, Buzzard and Red Kite. Check the fields for egrets with Little being the most numerous, but chances of Great White and even Cattle. 2 The car park is an ideal place to scan for Water Rail at the feeders. A mix…

Scarce farmland birds on unspoiled downland In association with os.uk/osm MAX MILES ON FOOT: 4 MIN TIME: 3 HOURS Close to the Dorset border, the landscape here isn't particularly dramatic, but this completely unspoiled chalk downland does have some very special inhabitants to look out for. LEE CONNOR WHERE TO WATCH 1 Grey Partridges can often be spotted here, so much prettier than the Red-legged that dominate elsewhere. In fact, this is the place to see lots of classic farmland birds that have dramatically declined elsewhere – Corn Buntings, Sky Larks, Yellowhammers and Whitethroats all thrive. 2 Responsible farming and careful management have also been a boost to the Turtle Dove population; Martin Down is one of the most westerly sites for the species. 3 Cuckoos can often be heard…

WETLAND DIARIES BY AJAY TEGALA THE HISTORY PRESS, SB, £17.99 Ajay goes on another wildlife adventure. Moving away from his first book based on Blakeney Point in Norfolk, but sticking with the National Trust, this focuses on his employment as a ranger working on Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire. There is a lot of material here about using stock to manage the reserve, but the information on the birding and wildlife more generally is a great eye-opener for a northerner like me. The challenges posed by global warming, visitors, and even dogs, are all covered, but the management of the reserve is at the heart of everything, with old fashioned ways often replaced with modern machinery. If you want to know what happens behind the scenes on your favourite reserves, this…

PATCH DIARY On Easter Monday, 1 April, I called our eldest, Jasmine, with congratulations on reaching the good old quarter-century. I said I could remember exactly what I was doing 25 years ago, and there was much amazement down the phone at this memory trick! To this day, hearing Blackbirds singing in the middle of the night always reminds of parking at St George's Hospital, Tooting, surrounded by a chorus of Blackbirds singing welcome to the newborn to come. I remember the events so clearly from that special time, yet can barely remember what happened yesterday, let alone last week. I imagine you're asking why that is. It is simply because, at least for me, April is the most crazy, hectic and exhaustingly busy birding month. I like to challenge…

Amanda hears from Ian McKerchar, the birdwatching force behind Manchester Birding “My dad wouldn't have considered himself a birder but, when I was a child, he'd point out birds while we were out walking and that kicked off my interest. By the time I was a teenager, I was out birding on my own, particularly at Pennington Flash west of Manchester, which is still my patch. I was a full-on twitcher for a while in the late 1980s and 1990s, but not any more, apart from for things which turn up at Pennington. “When I started out, I did find the birdwatching scene in Manchester a bit cliquey. The established birders would only talk to you if you had seen something notable. That's what inspired me in 2006 to set…

The bubbling of Curlew drifts through the open car window, mingling with the incessant ‘pip’ of Oystercatcher. A Buzzard ‘mews’ overhead, while a Marsh Harrier quarters, on the lookout for lunch. A herd of rufty-tufty cattle stand on the track ahead, chewing lazily, and they're not about to move, so I slow to a stop. I may as well stay here a while. Alongside, a Lapwing struts about, feathers sheening and topknot proud. I feel like I'm on my own private safari as I spot hundreds of Black-tailed Godwits up ahead, their soundtrack a conversational chuntering as they probe the mud with their dagger beaks. The access road to Elmley Nature Reserve winds its way for two miles across the marshland of the Isle of Sheppey. Sitting just off the…

In association with os.uk/osm MAX MILES ON FOOT: 4 MIN TIME: 3 HOURS Ornamental parkland, woodland, lake, golf course & river The Hirsel Country Park is the estate of the Earls of Home, with more than 170 species recorded. The estate is made up of a variety of habitats, with the dominant factor being the artificial lake in the middle which provides a very large roost in the winter for waterfowl and gulls. Both Smew and Mandarin have been reported here recently. There is a small hide on the southern side of the lake which can be very productive and for disabled birders the wide tarmacked roads restricted to residents offer safe and excellent birding. STEVE NEWMAN WHERE TO WATCH 1 The main car park gives views over the lake…

Warblers and wetland birds galore at this urban site In association with os.uk/osm MAX MILES ON FOOT: 2.5 MIN TIME: 2 HOURS Tewinbury is a small but diverse nature reserve in the Mimram valley close to the Tewinbury Hotel between Welwyn Garden City and Tewin, just off the B1000. There is a two storey hide that overlooks a lagoon surrounded by wet meadow, fen and swamp. It is well worth exploring beyond the bird hide to walk along the nearby River Mimram and valley for potential sightings of Kingfisher and roosts of Pied Wagtails. Thanks to ongoing management of the reserve, Cetti's Warbler breed here. Common sightings include Jack Snipe in winter, Little Egret, Reed Bunting, Reed Warbler, and Green Sandpiper. The reserve is very attractive to migrating warblers particularly due…

GET IN TOUCH birdwatching@bauermedia.co.uk facebook.com/BirdWatchingMag twitter.com/BirdWatchingMag Bird Watching, Media House, Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6EA Jackdaws are great Thanks for the recent long article on Jackdaws (Bird Watching, May). We have a family of these lovely birds who nest and stay around all year in a hole in the thick stone wall on the third floor of our Victorian tenement in Edinburgh. I have observed their behaviour for many years now, and would like to add to your notes that their behaviour is very polite. They rarely squabble when queuing up at the fat ball feeder, letting each of them get a little something in turn. They are shy of pigeons though and I often wish they would be a bit more daring on that front. They don't drink from…

DOMINIC COUZENS ON THE… Did you ever wonder what use Britain has for such a profusion of native beetles – more than 4,000 species at the last count? It turns out that they are the chief prescribed food for the (Common) Whitethroat, one of our liveliest and most delightful summer visitors. The Whitethroat goes where beetles like to wallow; in the long grass, the stems of herbs, the leaves of dense bushes and the shady ground layer. This is a secret world, hidden from human eyes, full of invertebrate forms that we hardly ever see. Skulking in the tangled undergrowth, the Whitethroat simply gleans what it sees, and much of what it comes across has shiny elytra, the hardened wings of beetles. The Whitethroat is officially a skulker, but this…

Every year, there's many a headline scrawled across the pages of our less intellectually challenging newspapers lambasting the ‘feathered scum’ that terrorise innocent beachgoers, mugging them of their chips and Mr Whippys. And seaside locals also report on seagull carpet bombers splattering the cars of the poor souls unlucky enough to be parked beneath their rooftop colonies. But the tabloids refuse to acknowledge the intriguing story of this coastal gull's rise as an urban bird and the fact that they are actually a threatened species Red Listed by the British Trust for Ornithology since 2009. Their decline is hard to compute, given increasing numbers found in our urban hinterlands, but the species as a whole has declined significantly across the country. A lack of breeding sites in their natal coastal…