Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2025 i Bird Watching

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR 2025? #My200BirdYear challenge This issue’s cover bird, the Puffin, is one of those species that everybody wants to see, and everybody loves. Now don’t let me discourage you from lavishing your affection on them, because they are extraordinary creatures in every respect, but this is also a good time of year for seeing seabirds of all descriptions, and the Little Tern, star of our feature on page 32, might just be the most overlooked and least known of all of them. Read about them, the threats they face, and the steps being taken to help meet those threats, and make this the year when you try to see as many of the UK’s seabirds as possible – they, and their breeding colonies, are among our…

twitter.com/BirdWatchingMag facebook.com/BirdWatchingMag RARITY RATINGS Common, widely distributed Localised – always a treat Very scarce or rare SANDERLING Many of our common waders (or shorebirds, in American English) are Arctic breeders. The Sanderling is one of these. Some 20,500 Sanderlings winter around our coast, preferring flat, sandy beaches, where they love to run along the tiny breaking wavelets in search of morsels. Though not a nesting bird in the UK, there are an estimated 40,000 individuals which pass through on passage, which includes late spring, into June. By this time, they will have very much changed from the ghostly pale winter plumage, through an elegant early spring plumage, flecked with gold, to the altogether richer, rufous-headed, rufous-chested, spangle-backed breeding attire. They are about the size of Dunlins, but shorter and straighter…

#My200BirdYear ticklist Download and print off our #My200BirdYear ticklist to track your progress… www.birdwatching.co.uk/my-200-sign-up 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 geographically-based 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. YOUR LOCAL PATCH With migration almost over, birders are often concentrating on their local breeding birds – or perhaps even looking forward to some time away. For the more engaged patch birder, enjoying the soap opera of the commoner species will take precedence, but you…

In association with os.uk/osm MAX MILES ON FOOT: 3 MIN TIME: 3 HOURS Amble has a large selection of habitats and attracts a range of species. The river below the weir can hold some interesting sea ducks and grebes, especially in the winter. The main car park at Amble Braid does have quite a bit of woodland which is always worth scanning. Boat trips (Puffin Cruises) leave from the harbour are available to circumnavigate the RSPB reserve of Coquet Island. Landing is prohibited but you do get superb views of Puffins, Roseate Terns and other seabirds. Amble Links has a medium-sized beach for waders, rocks that are exposed at low tide, sand dunes and cut grass lawns. STEVE NEWMAN WHERE TO WATCH 1 The main car park at Amble Braid…

In association with os.uk/osm MAX MILES ON FOOT: 3 MIN TIME: 3 HOURS Sandwiched between the A12 and the coastal sweep of the Suffolk Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, this birding walk includes a wide range of wetland habitats, farmland, woodland and patches of heathland in between. Viewpoints along the route afford opportunities to experience that most impressive of birding spectacles: a large Starling murmuration swirling overhead on a still autumn/winter’s evening. PAUL TRODD WHERE TO WATCH 1 From the bird hide, scan the estuary for waders such as Oystercatcher, Curlew, Avocet, Redshank, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Sanderling and Black-tailed Godwit, plus on autumn passage Greenshank, Grey Plover, Knot and the chance of Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper and Whimbrel. Winter brings Snipe and Jack Snipe, Golden Plover, Lapwing and Green Sandpiper…

GET IN TOUCH birdwatching@bauermedia.co.uk facebook.com/BirdWatchingMag twitter.com/BirdWatchingMag Bird Watching, Media House, Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6EA Osprey protection plea I have a sad story about a local Osprey nest. Two birds built a nest last year just inside the Scottish borders at Paxton. We aren’t sure if any chicks fledged but, over the winter, the nest was destroyed. I am certain that there were not any storm events that could have done this, and conclude it was human hands. I wrote to NatureScot to see if they had issued a licence for the removal, and they confirmed that they hadn’t, but that the removal of the nest was not an offence if the nest was not occupied. While this may not be an issue for passerine birds, which tend to rebuild…

TILLEY FRINGED T1 WANDERER £85 Are you frayed around the edges? If yes, why not get a matching bucket hat? It comes with a ready-made fringe, for a vintage look, and is made from enzyme-washed, Oekotex Certified 100% cotton duck. It has a 50+UPF rating, floats, repels water, has a sweatband and, of course, a hidden pocket. No prizes for guessing where they’ve hidden it. “Responsibly made in China”. In white, dark khaki or natural. S-XL. uk.tilley.com FJALLRAVEN HIGH COAST CROSSBODY BAG £60 It’s not’s a bag for when you’re in a strop, though it would still work then – it’s a bag that you wear with the strap across your torso. It’s made from recycled polyamide without PFAs, has a three-litre capacity, a detachable strap, a pocket on the…

Ruth Miller: “Fulmar, which I am lucky enough to see and hear from my kitchen window.” John Miles: “It has to be Kittiwake, having written two books about them!” David Lindo: “It’s got to be the sexy Sabine’s Gull!” Graham Lilley: “No surprises, really – it’s the Little Tern.” …and the Bird Watching team’s answers Matt Merritt: “Gannet - they’re such showy, spectacular birds, up close or way out to sea.” Mike Weedon: “I love Razorbills, but perhaps the Black Guillemot pips them for beauty.” Cover pic: Puffin PHILIP MUGRIDGE/ALAMY…

HEATHLAND FROTH In scrubby, grassy and dry places – particularly on acidic soils – look for the extensive froth of Heath Bedstraw this month. As its name suggests, heathlands are a good place to start your search, but this member of the genus Galium grows over much of Britain. ORCHID Sting in the tale Bee Orchid is a widespread, familiar and beautiful orchid. It is also highly variable, with at least four named forms for keen orchid-hunters to track down. The most widespread and renowned of these is called Wasp Orchid on account of its flower having a narrow, sharply pointed lip – rather like the tapering abdomen of a wasp, which ends in a sting. This form is so distinct that Wasp Orchid was formerly considered a species in…

June is a wonderful month to enjoy the birds and other wildlife that might inhabit our green spaces. For those of us who have gardens, whatever their size, it is a wonderful time to observe the local nesting activity of many of our commoner species, as well as the comings and goings of dazzling bees, butterflies, moths, and a whole array of other fascinating garden dwellers. Of course, many of us make a point of providing for our wild neighbours and are rewarded by their presence. But all is not as it may seem, and many of our most familiar garden inhabitants and visitors are struggling to adapt to our ever-changing lifestyles and landscapes. Thankfully, thousands of UK birdwatchers have been helping us to monitor these changes by contributing to…

When a brief sleet shower ends, a lone Great Black-backed Gull glides past, a couple of metres above, and parallel to, the water’s edge. Teal and Wigeon are bobbing around beyond the low waves breaking on the narrow foreshore. Shelduck sift through the mud at the water’s edge and a lone Redshank, with claggy mud almost obscuring its scarlet legs, pokes around between deep brown clumps of a Bladderwrack seaweed. In the distance, dark shapes on the shore morph into a flock of 10, or perhaps 11, Brent Geese. They’re likely to be feeding on Dwarf Eelgrass, an important component of their diet, and one of our only two marine flowering plant species. The tide is coming in fast, fingers of water reaching along the shallow ripple-edged channels carved into…

It started with a single yelp of alarm. First one Herring Gull took off, followed by more, and still more joined the fray until every Herring Gull in Llandudno was wheeling and spiralling in the air like flakes in a snowglobe. Their raucous alarm calls increased dramatically in volume and other avian residents were drawn into the panic as Jackdaws, Carrion Crows, and Feral Pigeons dashed to and fro in disarray. The sound and spectacle of so many birds in a panic caught our attention, too, so we grabbed our binoculars and ran to the window. An alarm response of this magnitude could mean only one thing: Osprey! We scanned the skies over Llandudno and the hills beyond, trying to spot the raptor. Was it higher than the gulls? Were…

In association with os.uk/osm MAX MILES ON FOOT: 2 MIN TIME: 2 HOURS This area of woodland just on the edge of the industrial sprawl of Corby went under the radar with birders, until the appearance of a Wood Warbler during spring migration last year. Scarcities like that apart, it has plenty to offer for all birders at all times. MATT MERRITT WHERE TO WATCH 1 The track leading down to the wood has birding possibilities. Expect farmland birds such as Yellowhammer and Linnet, hunting Kestrels, and in winter the surrounding fields hold Fieldfare and Redwing, plus occasional Lapwing and Golden Plover. Park considerately before walking down to the wood. 2 The first stretch of path is where the Wood Warbler showed last year (so listen out for that distinctive…

Pipit confusion Q I photographed this pipit (below) on the Cleethorpes (Lincs) coast in early spring. I can’t decide whether it is a Meadow or Tree Pipit. From what I’ve read there are only subtle differences. It wasn’t singing, so that doesn’t help. Please advise. Peter Burrill A Your pipit is a Meadow Pipit, Peter. The fine bill is possibly the easiest ID feature (though this requires a bit of experience to pick out in the field), which gives Meadow Pipit a more ‘gentle’ look than the more robustly billed Tree. Also, the hind claw is long (shorter on Tree) and Tree Pipits have very fine streaks on the flanks (usually on a yellowish background), finer than your bird. Meadow Pipits are pretty variable in appearance. Which chat? Q The…

For most of us, our interest in the natural world is not confined to birds alone. My fascination for nature was derived from a general love of the outdoors, foundations laid when I was growing up. If I wasn’t in the woods next to my house making camps, collecting insects, or searching for reptiles in wood piles, then I was sitting by the water, fishing, a pastime that rewarded me with some epic encounters with all sorts of wildlife. It’s amazing what you see when you spend hours outdoors sitting motionless and blending in with the surroundings. With interests that range far beyond just the avian world, it’s natural for us to want to photograph other subjects, subjects that perhaps you would not initially have thought would lend themselves to…

RETURN TO THE SKY BY TINA MORRIS CHELSEA GREEN, HB, £22 Many birders will know about the work done to bring back the Peregrine in America, but here is the story of the return of the Bald Eagle, after it was poisoned and shot out of existence in many parts of the USA. Tina describes in detail her work camped up close to the hacking site, where the young eagles were brought to an area in the east of the USA for release, and how her experience saving the young birds after their first flights took them straight into a swamp. This is a great read, and an inspiring one, at a time when we are seeing our own eagles being brought back to so many areas. BOOK OF THE…

SOUTH WEST Highlights The Cornish Booted Eagle stayed in place most of the month, then wandered as far as Avon and back. Dorset’s regular Forster’s Tern returned, then also went on a bit of a tour to the North West, before heading back to Dorset. Somerset’s Least Sandpiper moved east to Hampshire. AVON CLEVEDON-WESTON-SUPER-MARE: Six Goosanders were on the Blind Yeo. Clevedon-Yeo had a Spoonbill (9th), seven Cattle Egrets, an Avocet, Marsh Harrier, six Grey Plovers, five Egyptian Geese (16th), a Common Scoter (18th) and seven Brent Geese (26th). A Black Redstart was at Weston-super-Mare (19th). A Goshawk flew over Worle (20th). Sand Point had a Marsh Harrier (21st), a Mediterranean Gull plus 58 Gannets (24th), and Woodpigeons, Meadow Pipits, Bramblings, Redpolls and Siskins moving through. SEVERNSIDE: A Booted Eagle…

DIPPER Are you one of those people who always double checks any fast-flowing rocky stream (especially in the north), in the hope of seeing a Dipper? Of course you are, it is one of the natural instincts of any birdwatcher. This is partly because we all like to take advantage of our knowledge of what constitutes Dipper habitat, but mainly because Dippers are always a joy to see – and watch. There is nothing like a Dipper (at least not in this country; there are four other species in the genus Cinclus around the World). They famously look like oversized, dumpy, black-and-white Wrens; but that is largely due to their short, frequently cocked tails and short wings, rather than anything they have truly in common with Wrens. Dippers look rounded…

Can you remember what you were doing on Palm Sunday (13 April)? I can. OK, it helps that it was only a couple of days ago, but even so, it was a momentous day for me. Historical, you could say, in my life path as a birdwatcher. It was on that day that I saw (and heard) something outrageous, something special, something I have never seen (nor heard) before. It is a bit of bird behaviour which I always thought had been passed on as a word-of-mouth legend akin to Goldcrests riding on the back of Woodcocks. Something, which although described in many bird books, I always thought had been handed through generations like tales of hibernating Swallows. Stuff and nonsense, hearsay and folklore, believed by the gullible, but with…

We do what we must to survive… Strategies are more ‘built in’ to birds than to us, but behaviour does change. Back in the day, when milkmen delivered foil-top bottles to your door, Blue Tits found they could peck through to the fat-rich cream at the top. Sadly, they don’t get the chance any more and would find screw-cap supermarket cartons a whole different ball game. This year I’ve needed all my energy just to survive the cold, having moved to the south-east coast a quarter of a century ago for cheap housing and warmer winters. Those first winters had no frosts; the first decade only two snow-sprinkled days. This year has had as many cold days as all the others put together, and when not colder than a penguin’s…

This month, the subject is simple. After all, the diversity of owls in this country is very low, with just five regularly breeding species (one of which, the Little Owl, is a naturalised bird, introduced from continental Europe). So, there is not much ‘wiggle room’ for putting the ‘challenge’ in ID Challenge. So, naturally, one or twit-two of the owls featured below are partially hidden, or slightly obscured by lighting, or are not in their ‘typical’ plumage or expected pose. You don’t want it to be too easy, do you? The ‘rules’ are the same every issue: all you are asked to do is put a name to each of the featured birds in the photos on this page. Then, where you are certain you have them all right (or…

In association with os.uk/osm MAX MILES ON FOOT: 3 MIN TIME: 2 HOURS Sunny Silloth, as I call it, was once connected to the railway and was a holiday resort, especially for folk from the North East. Today there are several caravan parks but ‘day trippers’ are found here, and the birding is good. JOHN MILES WHERE TO WATCH 1 Silloth is gifted with several green areas which attract gulls like Herring, Lesser Black-backed, Black-headed and the odd Mediterranean Gull. The short grass can have Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit and even the odd Sky Lark. Walk to the sea wall and scan at different tides, with waders at low tide and even species like Red-throated Diver during winter high tides. 2 A popular area is down by the lifeboat station,…

In association with os.uk/osm MAX MILES ON FOOT: 4 MIN TIME: 3 HOURS In the 12th Century, a tract of ‘wasteland’ was given to the people of Great Torrington, resulting in the excellent, managed-for-nature Commons we can enjoy today. The area on this walk lies to the north-west of the town (make sure you get the right bit!). The walk starts and ends along the Tarka Trail, a walking and cycle route that follows a disused railway. I can’t promise you the magic of seeing Otters, but this designation celebrates Henry Williamson’s Tarka the Otter, published in 1927. What you will see is a great variety of birdlife in a wide range of habitats. SIMONE STANBROOK-BYRNE WHERE TO WATCH 1 From the Puffing Billy, follow the Tarka Trail heading north-west. The…

A midst the many complexities of birds’ lives, it’s good to know that there are some species that are straightforward. The Reed Warbler, as its name implies, lives in reedbeds and builds its nest there, fixed to several vertical stems. Its sings a rambling song through much of the summer, and then it departs on migration to sub-Saharan Africa. Its life is as plainly understood as its plumage is unremarkable. The main hazard to understanding Reed Warblers is confusing them with Reed Buntings in the same habitat. Well, of course this is codswallop. Look a little harder and the Reed Warbler is far from straightforward. In fact, geneticists are not even sure what constitutes a Reed Warbler. The breeding populations of France, Spain, Portugal and North Africa are genetically different…

In keeping with my spotlight on sometimes seemingly random bird species, allow me to introduce this handsome fellow: the White-browed Wagtail. It is just a weird looking Pied Wagtail, you may say. Well, yes it shares the classic black-and-white patterning, but it is much more than that. It differs from our familiar bird by having a striking white supercilium and bold white wingbar, which both sexes sport as they are very similar. The only other wagtail species possibly confusable with it is the geographically isolated, endemic Japanese Wagtail. Resident in the Indian subcontinent, the White-browed Wagtail is found near small water bodies and has adapted to becoming an urban bird, nesting on rooftops and hanging around overflows from rooftop water storage tanks. It is also the largest wagtail in the…

After our recent move to Weymouth, (my husband’s childhood town) it never occurred to me how fortunate I was to have three RSPB reserves on my doorstep, until – delightfully – Auntie Kay came for a short holiday. She and Uncle Clive became devoted birders late in life when their son, James (my cousin) introduced them to his wonderful world of ornithology. James had opened a bird portal, leading them to adventures across the country, chasing Bee-eaters, Hoopoes and the like, thanks to various bird alerts. “I’d be just about to put a roast in the oven on a Sunday, when Clive would come dashing into the kitchen to say a Bee-eater had been seen in Nottingham!” she recounts to me when I ask her about some of the top…