Sommaire pour June 2017 de Bird Watching

IN APRIL, I was lucky enough to join 42 of you on our latest readers’ holiday at the Grant Arms, on Speyside. The weather was fine (if cold), the company great, and the birding relaxed but extremely productive. Black Grouse and the wonderful Slavonian Grebe were just two highlights. Neither is easy to find in the UK, but a trip to Scotland highlights fits the theme of our feature on 22 – the fact that population figures alone can be misleading. As always, I spent large parts of the week realising exactly where a huge proportion of the UK’s Chaffinches and Coal Tits actually are! This, I hope, will be one thing we can all learn from by taking part in #My200BirdYear: as well as adding new birds to your…

THE RUSH OF April and May migration may have eased off, but the relatively quiet month of June can produce some spectacularly rare birds as well. But there are plenty of established birds in the country which are worth seeking out during the month. These include the following beauties. RARITY RATINGS Common, widely distributed Localised – always a treat Very scarce or rare RED-NECKED PHALAROPE Fewer than 30 pairs of these exquisite waders nest in the UK; in the Outer Hebrides and the Northern Isles. Passage birds also turn up even at inland sites in tiny numbers during late May and June. Along with the Dotterel, phalaropes are famed for having reversed ‘gender roles’; females are the brightly coloured ones and, after they lay the eggs, the duller males carry…

“Local declines of Corn Bunting, and other farmland specialists, can be reversed by sympathetic farming and agri-environment schemes” THE CORN BUNTING’S ‘jangling keys’ song is a familiar sound across much of continental Europe’s farmed landscapes. They are specialists of open habitats; fossil deposits show they were present across Europe, including Britain, during treeless periods of the distant past, and numbers rose again with the spread of cereal agriculture. They nest on the ground among crops or grass tussocks, and sing from conspicuous song posts such as fences or telegraph wires. When I visited the central Iberian steppes their song was ever-present, but I rarely encounter them in the arable farmland around my home in west Norfolk, even though this is now, supposedly, part of their British heartland. Back in the…

“We watched a female Ring Ouzel taking nest material to its nest, sheltered in a little muddy‘cave’ under some tussocky grass” IT IS A theme I have touched on before and make no apologies for returning to here. One of the great joys of birdwatching is that there is always something new to see or hear and always something to learn. Even the most experienced birdwatchers still see something different, something fascinating, something amazing, something new. And we are all learning all the time, and if you are not, perhaps you aren’t doing it right!. A few recent examples have once more brought this home for me. The first is an addition to my ‘observed mating’ list (not that I really have one, you understand… ). We are blessed around…

The RSPB will launch a special crowdfunding appeal to rebuild a hide at its Snettisham reserve. A tidal surge there in December 2013 left a trail of destruction, completely destroying two hides and seriously damaging another, along with the sea banks and lagoons. Snettisham is renowned for its winter wader ‘spectaculars’, when thousands of the birds arrive on the reserve during high tide on The Wash. The RSPB and its partners worked hard to repair the damage to the reserve’s habitats, using money generously donated by supporters, but now it is launching a special appeal for 30 days to build a new flood-resilient hide. Crowdfunding allows members of the public to donate money in exchange for rewards. MORE INFO The appeal will go live on 10 July, so please follow…

HELP NESTING RESEARCH The BTO is calling on birders to record the nesting activity of House Martins to help understand why they are in trouble, and to submit this information to the BTO’s House Martin Survey. House Martins are in rapid decline in some parts of the country, but is currently increasing in Scotland and Northern Ireland. The BTO needs volunteers who are able to observe a nest (or a group of nests) for a few minutes, roughly once a week throughout the breeding season (which is April to September). Visit bto.org/volunteer-surveys/ house-martin-survey MARINE CENTRE PLANS The Scottish Seabird Centre, North Berwick, has shared proposals to create a National Marine Centre for Scotland. The project, which will cost in the region of £5.5million, focuses on delivering new and enhanced education and…

“I wish they would go and photograph cows or tree bark and leave the birds for birdwatchers” We’ve had a bumper postbag in response to Bo Beolen’s Grumpy Old Birder column last month, where he criticised some photographers for giving birdwatching a bad name. I have just read Bo Beolens’ comments in the May edition of Bird Watching and I have to say, Bo, I am totally with you on this mate! I have been a birder together with my Mrs for getting on for 25 years now and we have seen a lot of fads come and go over the years. Digital cameras are the best thing, and the worst thing that has happened to ordinary birders, in my opinion. Most photographers I have encountered are a nice enough…

THE BALRANALD RESERVE includes the westernmost point of North Uist – the Aird an Runair peninsula. This waymarked route encircles the peninsula and offers great sea views. On my visit to the Uist, I came here several times. But the winds were in the east and no migrant skuas were seen, but other birds could be looked for, with both Great and Arctic Skuas being local birds. The ploughed ‘machair’ was full of Corn Buntings and Ringed Plovers. Without the impressive Pomarine and Long-tailed Skuas, Great Northern Divers performed close to the shore, along with Red-breasted Mergansers. Passage Dunlin, Turnstone, Ringed Plover, Sanderling and Knot were feeding. Among these were Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint, Ruff and a White-rumped Sandpiper. Glaucous Gull and Arctic Tern, too. A couple of weeks earlier…

FILEY BRIGG IS one of the top birdwatching sites in Yorkshire, attracting an army of admirers with its 322 species! Using a two-mile round walk, visitors can enjoy everything from rare eastern warblers to Arctic waders to South Sea wanderers. Lots to see! You may start with Pied Wagtails on the grass in front of the car park, but end up with a Red-breasted Flycatcher in the Church Ravine. Or, you could have a Redshank on the beach and finish off with a Grey Phalarope. Whatever the time of the year or whatever the weather when you visit, you could be in for a surprise – it’s that sort of place. King Eider was a bird for 2012, along with Greenish Warbler, Olive-backed Pipit and a movement of Little Auks.…

ANOTHER PEMBROKESHIRE headland to enjoy – some 54 acres at Lydstep Point was acquired by the National Trust in 1936, with a grant from the Pilgrim Trust. The Pembrokeshire Coast Path, part of the 870 miles Wales Coastal Path, provides easy access to the Point with its superb views towards Caldey. St Margaret’s Island, has one of the largest Cormorant colonies in Wales. Skrinkle Haven marks the divide between the red cliffs of Devonian Old Red Sandstone and the pale grey cliffs of Carboniferous Limestone, the hinterland once part of a Royal Artillery Range – a section to the west is still in active use. It’s a pity that this includes the rather fine viewpoint of Old Castle Head, which looks ideally placed from a sea-watching aspect. On a recent…

A SHORT DRIVE south from the Channel Tunnel terminal, the St Omer river meanders across a wide flood plain divided by drainage channels, canals and ponds beside the delightful market town of Guines. The fertile soil makes for market garden farming with scattered stands of poplars, Damp Meadows and marshland. Our circular birding walk is centred on the Marais de Guines, a gem of a wetland nature reserve with a mile-long boardwalk, making it accessible to one and all. A mix of dense and open reedbeds, willow swamp, ponds, lakes and scrub all combine to ensure a wide range of bird species throughout. But it is the warbler tribe that are the main attraction and, over many visits, I’ve racked up 13 species around this wetland walk. There is a…

REPUTATIONS ARE CURIOUS, unequal playthings. It is astonishing how much influence they can have on wafer-thin, or zero evidence. Take the case of the ‘Thieving Magpie’. The Magpie’s tendency might be immortalised in an opera by Rossini, but the fact is that it is entirely false: Magpies don’t steal shiny things to any significant extent. Despite the facts, the reputation has stuck, seemingly immovable. Magpies also have a reputation as destroyers of eggs and nests. This label is true, of course, because the black-and-white birds do indeed tuck into Blackbird and thrush eggs and nests for a very limited period in the spring. However, what is interesting in this case is that the Magpie is the bird with the dodgy label, whereas the Jay hops away mainly with a positive…

SONGS OF LOVE & WAR Dominic Couzens Bloomsbury, HB, £16.99, YOU PAY £14.99 I know, I know. You're going to accuse us of bigging up one of our own regular writers. Well, it's difficult not to. When Dominic Couzens' copy arrives in the BW office every four weeks, I read it knowing that I'll learn something new about even the most familiar and commonplace bird. That's the feeling I repeatedly had while reading this book. Dominic has the rare and enviable knack of being able to observe bird behaviour very closely, then convey what's he's seen to the reader in an evocative, clear but always accessible way. It focuses on songbirds, and especially those encountered on father-and-son walks through the woods, but there are all sorts of intriguing diversions down…

KITCHEN waste can be a very valuable resource for garden birds, but sometimes it can also pose a danger. Follow these simple guidelines to prevent any problems. AVOID MOULDY, STALE FOOD Mould can cause respiratory infections in birds, and if it starts to become a problem on your garden, you’re probably putting too much food out in the first place. Stale food can be a breeding ground for bacteria such as Salmonella , which has sadly caused considerable mortality in species such as Greenfinch. COOK RICE, DON’T COOK OATS Cooked rice, brown or white (but unsalted) will be taken by most species in winter, but uncooked rice will probably only attract pigeons. Porridge oats must never be cooked – they turn glutinous and harden around a bird’s beak – but…

1 HOUSE SPARROW Despite recent declines, this noisy, sociable bird is still widespread. Males have a grey cap, black bib and brown back, while females are duller. Both have chunky bills. 2 STARLING Another species that has declined, but look out for small flocks visiting feeders, including youngsters. Iridescent plumage is distinctive, as is energetic, strutting walk. 3 BLACKBIRD Males are unmistakable, with bright yellow bills and black plumage. Females and juveniles are largely brown with some speckling. Usually seen hopping on ground. 4 BLUE TIT Small and acrobatic, often hanging upside-down on feeders. Blue cap, white and black face, and yellow front is utterly distinctive. 5 WOODPIGEON Large and plump, with prominent white patch on neck and purple-ish breast. Often feeds below feeders. Makes a lot of wing noise…

Richard Smyth highlights what on the surface seems to be an unlikely scenario – the Ministry of Defence safeguarding our Stone-curlews. P32 Ian Parsons can be found on a summer’s evening admiring one of our best birds, the Nightjar. Find out how you can too on page 40 Steve Newman spent a day with wardens at Northumberland’s Long Nanny Reserve to marvel at tern colonies. Read his story on page 70 Dominic Couzens asks why the Jay isn’t held to account for its actions. But what does this colourful corvid do to deserve such condemnation? P74 Ed Hutchings discuss birds and nature with writer Ronald Blythe, famous for his book Akenfield, which documents rural Suffolk life. P80 David Lindo can be found birding in exotic locations all over the world…

Here are our latest suite of outrageous predictions of potential rare birds to occur this June. What are the chances of one or more of these rarities turning up this month? SHORT-TOED EAGLE On the last day of May and 1 June 2014, a Short-toed Eagle was seen over a few sites in Dorset. On 8 June it was rediscovered in southern Hampshire and a couple of days later it started a month long stay in Ashdown Forest, East Sussex, before relocating to Norfolk (where its presence was suppressed). This was only the third Short-toed Eagle in the UK, after October birds on Scilly (1999) and Devon (2011). Wouldn’t it be nice to get another one, this summer? PACIFIC SWIFT June and July are key months for the arrival of…

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 FelixstowePier (-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) SCOTLAND Leith (+0:58)…

The RSPB is asking visitors to Puffin colonies across the UK and Ireland to become ‘Puffarazzi’ for the summer and take photographs of the birds carrying fish in their bills. It is hoped that with the help of the citizen scientists, the RSPB can find out what Puffins feed their chicks. Dr Ellie Owen, RSPB conservation scientist and Puffarazzo-inchief, said: “Puffins are wonderful birds and one of the UK species we are most worried about. We are still uncertain why Puffins are in decline but there is evidence that lack of food to raise chicks could be a key issue.” THE RSPB WANTS PUFFARAZZI TO: 1 Visit a Puffin colony in June and July – try to visit between early/mid June and mid/late July, the main period when Puffins are…

HOW MANY PAIRS of Marsh Harrier breed in the UK? Go on, have a guess. And while you’re at it, consider how many breeding pairs of Golden Eagles there are. You might be surprised to learn that there are, according to RSPB figures, around 320-380 pairs of the former, and 440 pairs of what most birders would consider the king of British birds of prey. The Hen Harrier, persecuted by gamekeepers and much in the headlines because of its consequent scarcity, actually beats them both, with more than 600 pairs. These raptors, then, provide a great example of why taking bird-related figures at face value can be misleading, and could even result in you missing out on seeing some amazing birds. There are “lies, damned lies, and statistics”, according to…

THIS HAS BEEN one of the great successes of Dumfries and Galloway – not only has a population of Red Kites (pictured) been established here, but the trail itself has created a multi-million pound industry. The area was once known just for the RSPB reserve at Loch Ken, but now tourists arrive to cover a much greater area as there is now so much to see. The kites number more than 100 pairs and you can also watch Ospreys and Peregrines at Threave Castle National Trust. Buzzards are everywhere . Goshawks display over forestry and even Black Grouse, Golden Eagles and Hen Harriers are in remote corners nearby. Birding facilities include hides at Loch Ken, Carlingwalk and Bellymack Farm and there are several viewpoints and information boards, as well as…

THIS IS A fascinating area with open land, hills and woodland. From the western edge of the car park area, it’s a downhill route with bushes and hedges to an open area with heather, gorse and grassland, and with a spectacular far-reaching view. Clee Hill itself is more than 500 metres high and there are certain birds high in the sky to enjoy! So, the idea is to walk through open areas, then into the Knowle woodland with the opportunity to see a variety of birds and various options to extend or reduce the walk, depending on your available time. I’ve suggested about three to four miles, but it is a very wide area so the choice is yours. In the summer expect Swifts and Swallows – the Swallow’s name…

BRICKET WOOD and its associated commons are situated close to the urban sprawl of Watford, with the M1 motorway forming a solid barrier to any further expansion onto this semi-natural woodland, much of which is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its botanical importance. Conservation work is concentrated on keeping the patchwork of commons clear of scrub, enabling areas of heather to flourish. The Mundon Estate provides classic parkland habitat around the old manor house, while the meandering River Colne with its lush bankside vegetation is the perfect spot for a variety of dragonflies and other insects. Paddocks and fields along the way complete the diversity of habitats on offer. Lowland woodland birds can be expected among the oaks, where there are particularly good numbers of Nuthatch…

THERE IS A particular suite of birds which nest on and around sea cliffs in what we call Ôseabird citiesÕ. They are called ÔcitiesÕ, because thousands of birds gather to nest in close proximity. Most are on steep, inaccessible (to man) cliffs or rocky offshore islands, where vast numbers of Gannets or auks of various types, as well as gulls and cormorants and Rock Doves plus Jackdaws, choose safety in numbers to raise their young. So, the collection of challenge birds this month are all species which are associated with these mighty associations of seabirds. The birds are not necessarily at the nest-site, however. Your task, as ever, is to put a name to these six birds. Turn the page for our explanations and solutions and then turn again for…

THE ROAD TO Ronald Blythe’s cottage would test most vehicle suspensions. I imagine it has deterred even the most ardent of salesmen over the 40 years that he has lived there. Nonetheless, I am sure they would have received a warm welcome. Ronald is one of the most affable sorts you could meet. Ronald’s informality is legendary, too. When I rang him to agree a suitable time to visit, I was offered “afternoon?”. When you eventually arrive at Bottengoms Farm, you immediately enter another world. Enveloped in its own valley, the cottage is surrounded by an overgrown yet delightful garden that must resound with birdsong in the spring. Being July, the chorus was notably restrained. The door was ajar so I knocked lightly. A window above shuddered open. “Do come…

I EXPECT THAT LOTS of you already feed your garden birds – for many of us, it’s the thing that sparks an interest in birdwatching in the first place. But while whatever you do in the way of putting food out is good for them, including currently declining species, taking a broader view of your garden could take things to a whole new level, and ensure that a new world of nature opens out before you every time you open your back door. In this special guide, we’ll show you what to feed, and how, as well as how to provide homes for birds and other wildlife, how to create a garden full of natural food for your avian visitors, ways to deter unwanted visitors, and how to enjoy what…

A WILDLIFE GARDEN will inevitably get some unwanted visitors – Grey Squirrels can monopolise your feeders, as well as preying on eggs and fledglings, and cats also take their toll on garden birds. The RSPB recommends a number of non-lethal ways to deter these visitors. SQUIRRELS 1 Buy squirrel-resistant feeders – these have a cage around them. They’re not absolutely squirrel-proof, though, and small individuals can fit thr ugh. 2 Fix a downward-opening cone or a biscuit tin to the pole below a bird table to prevent squirrels climbing. Vaseline on a smooth pole can also help stop them. 3 Feeders with spring-loaded covers are available – the weight of the squirrel lowers the cover, preventing access to the food. 4 Dust chilli powder or pepper sauce onto s aren’t…

Not quite tracks and signs, this month, more a different take on looking at birds, concentrating on the youngsters, rather than the adults. The baby birds are precocial swimmers and they are all waterbirds which are not strictly wildfowl (ie they are not ducks, geese and swans). COOT When they are small, Coots are little bundles of black fluff with fluffy golden feathers on the neck and head and bright red, bald heads (with a few spiky black feathers) and red bills with a white tip. As they get bigger, they lose some of the colour and become more black and grey in plumage. MOORHEN Little baby Moorhens are similar to baby Coots, being similarly black and fluffy, but they have slightly more fluffy, less bald heads, with a blue…

Chester Zoo is launching a massive campaign to save critically endangered Indonesian songbirds from widespread extinction. Millions of songbirds are captured illegally in Indonesian forests every year, then sold in markets. They are then kept in small cages as status symbols and used in singing competitions. Chester’s bird keepers have already had success with vital breeding programmes for critically endangered species such as the Javan Green Magpie and the Bali Starling (myna). As part of the major new Sing For Songbirds campaign, the zoo’s Safari Ranger outreach team are working directly with schools in the UK and Indonesia to raise awareness. ‘Sing For Songbirds’, a new single written and performed by musician Ashley Fayth, is available to buy on iTunes and Google Play. Proceeds from sales of the song go…

Lundy is a magnet for birds and birdwatchers, as well as being one of the most important islands for breeding seabirds in England, with 35 regular breeding species. A new set of stamps, released on 13 May, celebrates that diversity. The issue comprises five stamps, three landscape and two portrait, beautifully designed by North Devon artist Sharon Read in collaboration with Lars Liwendahl. The featured birds are Water Rail, Wheatear, Puffin, Manx Shearwater and Peregrine. A presentation pack and a first day cover are also available. Prices are £5.50 (mint set), £5.50 (presentation pack), and £4.80 (first day cover). All are available from the Lundy Postal Service, Lundy, Bristol Channel, North Devon, EX39 2LY, or email lundypostalservice@lundyisland.co.uk. P+P: £2.50 UK, £3.30 Europe, £4.40 rest of the world.…

“If you are in the right place, you can soar with the Hobbies as they take out drifting dragonflies” PICTURE THIS SCENE over the coming weeks: Everyone around you is just getting into their shorts and sandals, beaming with bonhomie and generally frolicking in the sunshine, and you stare out at the blue skies with a miserable face. Spring is over and it’s not yet autumn and the rest of the world celebrates while you slump into the shallows of despond. What’s wrong with you? Get out there and enjoy the verdant foliage and lush woodlands… except, of course, the mass of leaves hides most birds from view. Even when you do go out to stretch your legs, or the dog’s, everything is confusion. Mega tick waders first glimpsed turn…

IT WOULD BE hard to think of a better slogan for the ecotourism possibilities of an area like Asturias than ‘Natural Paradise’ – that’s exactly what you’ll find in this vibrantly green principality, lapped by the Cantabrian Sea, and including mountains, forests, and a variety of other biodiverse habitats. In fact, although it only includes 2% of the land area of Spain, it is home to 67% of the country’s species of vertebrates. Protected natural areas cover more than a third of the principality, including a National Park (Picos de Europa), five nature parks, six Biosphere Reserves and a host of other reserves, including Spain’s first marine reserve. The rich natural environment includes forests such as Muniellos, the largest and best preserved oakwood on the Iberian peninsula and one of…

Get in touch with Bird Watching Bird Watching, Media House, Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6EA birdwatching@bauermedia.co.uk facebook.com/BirdWatchingMag twitter.com/BirdWatchingMag Kestrel by Andy Bate Camera: Nikon D3 Lens: 500mm Shutter Speed: 1/1,250 Aperture: f/4.5 ISO: 800 Bittern by Jane Davidson Camera: Panasonic DMC-FZ200 Shutter Speed: 1/500 Aperture: f/4.0 ISO: 100 Mute Swans by Arthur Beyless Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark III Lens: 50-500mm Shutter Speed: 1/500 Aperture: f/8.0 ISO: 800 Fighting Avocets by Andrew Armstrong Camera: Canon EOS-1D X Mark II Lens: 500mm Shutter Speed: 1/1,600 Aperture: f/5.6 ISO: 500 Swallow by Andrew Armstrong Camera: Canon EOS-1D X Mark II Lens: 500mm Shutter Speed: 1/1,000 Aperture: f/7.1 ISO: 2,500 SEND IN YOUR PHOTOS Send us your best birding snaps to birdwatching@bauermedia.co.uk every month to be in with a chance of seeing your…

BALRANALD RSPB Look for eagles, skuas and the elusive Corn Crake at this isolated coastal Hebridean reserve KNOWLE WOOD Upland species such as Wheatear and Ring Ouzel are likely along this hilly route CREDENHILL PARK WOOD Goshawks, Whinchats and more can be seen at this historic wooded hillfort LYDSTEP POINT Dramatic cliffs and Choughs along the South Wales coast GALLOWAY KITE TRAIL Guess what raptor you’ll see along this scenic route! TARN HOWS Lakeland site offers some great woodland songsters, plus Otters FILEY BRIGG A great east coast spot for finding rare migrants BRICKET WOOD A wildlife haven close to the M1 and Greater London STENBURY DOWN Migrants and raptors are the main targets on this walk through beautiful downland, with outstanding views MARAIS DE GUINES A feast of French…

THE TARN HOWS area originally contained three much smaller tarns, Low Tarn, Middle Tarn and High Tarn, but 1862 saw a series of landscape improvements in the area that created the larger tarn that is there today. This area now belongs to the National Trust and attracts more than half a million visitors per year. The early part of the walk takes in the woodland of Yew Tree Tarn. The area is full of wildlife from Dippers, Grey and Pied Wagtail in the Glen Mary Beck, to great summer migrants like Pied Flycatcher, Redstart and Wood Warbler, plus many Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Garden Warblers and Blackcaps. Viewing the parkland can give you three species of woodpecker, with the Lesser Spotted now very rare in Lakeland, while the ‘yaffle’ of Green…

I LOVE SITES like this for the exercise opportunities and the history they offer, as well as the birds. This one has all three, with steep paths, a hillfort area that was once an Iron Age tribal capital and later a Roman army depot, and, of course, there are interesting birds to see, such as Goshawk. Essentially, this is a woodland walk rising to about 220 metres with a variety of trees along the way. There’s a large open area at the top, where the hillfort once stood and, of course, distant views over to the Welsh hills interrupted, perhaps, by a Raven or even the Goshawk. The name Credenhill came from a Saxon Chief named Creda, who occupied the fort around 540AD, it became known as Creda’s Hill and…

THIS WALK IS pretty strenuous whether accessed from the village of Whitwell to the south west or Wroxall on the eastern side. In places, there are even some steps to aid the climb. In truth, it’s a grand patch at any time of the year, with its spectacular views, which can include both the Dorset coastline and even Hayling Island on a clear day, scanning through binoculars. The hedged fields give cover for Linnet and other finches as well as the tit family – though Coal are very scarce – and for Red-legged Partridge. As the fields become steeper, the chalk grassland supports primarily sheep and interesting flora, attracting several butterfly species, including Small Copper. In spring and autumn, Sky Larks and Meadow Pipits can be enlivened by migrants. Redstart,…

CHILDHOOD JOURNEYS THROUGH Mid-Wales were consumed with one birding wish. Every field guide I read said that the wooded valleys here were the last UK haunt of the Red Kite, and so I longed to see the distinctive fork-tailed silhouette rising above the hillsides. Times have changed. Kites are regulars above our Peterborough offices, and near to my Warwickshire home, and I start seeing plenty almost as soon as I get west of Telford en route to the beautiful Dyfi Estuary. But it’s another raptor I’ve come to see. It, too, has enjoyed a dramatic resurgence in the UK in recent years, but breeding Ospreys are still a novelty in the Land of my Fathers (well, my mother’s, actually). Cors Dyfi is a compact Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust reserve a few…

STORM BEESWAX LEATHER PROTECTOR, 35G TIN, £3.49 If you wear leather boots, this might interest you. It’s a small tin of ‘Beeswax Rich Leather Protector’. Good for travelling birders perhaps, this pocket-sized potion makes it possible to condition and add water repellency to your boots when you’re out birding, or back at base in the evening, maybe. The tin is loaded with high quality paraffin cream with protecting and conditioning waxes, and beeswax of course. Stormcare.co.uk SUNDAY AFTERNOONS HAVANA HAT, £25.95 This American brand makes a lot of hats. They are all made of technical lightweight fabric, have a sun protection factor of 50+ and a lifetime guarantee. The Havana is one for the more sophisticated birder(!). It’s breathable, has an internal sweatband, and packs for travel. Available in cream…

However well you’ve done in creating a wildlife-friendly garden, birds also benefit hugely from you putting out food especially for them. In winter and early spring, when natural food can be scarce, it can help them survive, but it’s equally important during the breeding season, as it means that adult birds can spend all their time foraging for insect food for their youngsters and can fill themselves up on what you put out. There’s a huge variety of bird food brands and varieties on the market, so take the time to look at which birds you already get in your garden, and which ones you know are close by and would like to entice into paying a visit. Basically, smaller seeds, such as millet, attract sparrows, finches, Dunnocks, buntings and…