Inhaltsverzeichnis für February 2018 in Bird Watching

As early as New Year’s Eve, the Blue Tits in my garden were inspecting nestboxes in preparation for the breeding season, and as I write, there are more and more signs that the sap is rising, hence this issue’s focus on courtship and mating (see our special 16-page centre section). Observing all aspects of this fascinating process is hugely rewarding in itself, but it will also help you to boost your #My200BirdYear list, if you’re already taking part in 2018. If you’re not, turn to page 22 for details of how to sign up! Elsewhere, we’ve got our pictorial round-up of the best rare birds of 2017 (page 82), but don’t worry – the regular UK Bird Sightings reports will resume from the March issue. Until then, enjoy your birding…

In late February/early March, Long-tailed Tits start to build their elaborate nests. They are intricate little balls of lichen, spiders’ webs and thousands of feathers. The nests are usually built concealed in the middle of bushes or hedges or small trees. But at this time of year, when there are relatively few leaves, they can be on more or less full show. Sometimes, Long-tailed Tits reveal their nests’ presence by trying to sneakily carry feathers back to the nest site. Keep an eye out for the wonderful nests, but never disturb them! See more on nests in our The Mating Game 16-page section.…

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) SCOTLAND Leith…

The RSPB has opened a purpose-built photography hide at its Rainham Marshes reserve to offer photographers the chance to get up close with woodland birds. A nearby feeding station attracts a variety of birds. The hide is available for booking from December to March, for a full day (9.45 am to 4.15 pm) or half day (9.45 am to 1 pm; or 1pm to 4.15 pm). Price is half day £25 (£20 for RSPB members), or full day £35 (£28 for RSPB members). Entry to the reserve is included in the price. Photography tuition is also available, from £50 for a half-day. You’ll need to book and pay in advance for the hide or photography tuition: contact the reserve on 01708 899840 or email rainham.marshes@rspb.org.uk…

Whether you made a flying start to 2018 with a New Year’s Day bird race, or have been easing yourself back into birding after the festivities, you should be steadily adding species to your #My200BirdYear list by now. To keep track of them, we have a downloadable checklist for everyone who signs up for #My200BirdYear2018. To get yours, just go to birdwatching.co.uk/my200list and follow the instructions (and you can sign up for the fun and flexible challenge there, too, if you haven’t already). It covers as many of the species that are likely to turn up in Britain and Ireland in 2018 as possible, as well as a guide to what habitat you should expect to find them all. Of course, surprises are what make birdwatching so endlessly fascinating and…

One surefire way to develop your year list or, if you prefer, your #My200BirdYear list, is to hit the coast. Our coasts bristle with diversity, often with birds which are rarely seen inland. It is arguable that the UK’s extensive coast and the adjacent sea represent the wildest habitats our nation of Man-changed islands can boast. Ignore the piers, the windfarms, the groynes and penny arcades, and there is a rich majesty of coastal habitats, preserved almost as they have ‘always’ been. And with the habitats go the birds. Here are six species which can be seen around our coasts in winter. Your task is simply to name them. Then as usual, turn the page for our answers and solutions and turn again for some tips for getting to grips…

Reading about this place, I thought it was going to be one of my highlights of my trip into north-west Scotland, and it did not disappoint me. The area is owned by the Inchnadamph Estate, and was a former National Nature Reserve, but a falling out between the estate and Scottish Natural Heritage over Red Deer numbers left the site only protected by Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) status. The whole area is also a Geopark. The limestone is a unique feature, and botanically it has much to offer. The first thing you notice as you walk up the valley is the water coming from under the cliffs. The main river was dry when I visited and the force of the water was incredible. Both Dipper and Grey Wagtail…

Blakeney Point is an amazing spit branching out into the North Sea. It is a National Trust reserve as well as protected by a National Nature Reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). With Norfolk’s reputation for gathering rare birds, especially from across the North Sea, this site is a must for visiting at several times of the year. It is not just spring and autumn migrants that are found here, but the area is important for its breeding birds, with Sandwich and Little Terns and the odd Common and Arctic to look for. The fact that few of the millions of visitors to Norfolk actually walk that shingle makes this such an important, safe, undisturbed breeding site. There are also many breeding Black-headed Gulls helping to protect the…

This is a lovely area east of Hereford with woodland, open hillside and eye-popping views. It lies on a ridge of Wenlock Limestone and there is a quarry nearby. There are three areas to the reserve, one called Monument Hill, originally steep sloping grazing land, is now an attractive herb-rich meadow attracting a wide variety of insect life. The other two areas known as North Meadow and Old Cider House are now grassland and orchard. The meadow has good hedges and shrubs and some trees. There are lots of ant mounds, so look out for that Green Woodpecker feeding on them. My favourite bird when I was growing up was the Bullfinch, and they love orchards as, of course, do other birds, such as Chaffinch and Song Thrush. The Wye…

A dawn start for a birdwatching trip to northern France is well worth the effort at this time of year, with the prospect of early spring migrants. A short drive down the coast from the Channel Tunnel terminal at Calais brings the birdwatcher to the delightful medieval town of Ambleteuse. The well-preserved Fort Mahon at the mouth of the River Slack is the focal point of the town. Habitats include a broad expanse of beach and intertidal areas, including sand dunes and mudflats ideal for those continental specialities such as Crested Lark and Kentish Plover. Laggard winter passerines such as Snow Bunting, Twite and Shore Lark can sometimes be found along the foreshore. Riparian river margin scrub and grassy tussocks along the Slack are favoured spots to search for an…

I am still doing my Bird Watching for Beginners walks at Carsington Water, and we have just ended our 12th year. I have organised 155 walks, and we have had more than 2,300 bookings, and 970 different people have come birdwatching. I now do a quick five-minute tutorial before we set off, and last Sunday was about a Whooper Swan: I need arbitration. I contend that the ‘W’ in Whooper is not silent, and the name is pronounced with a W as Wooper not Hooper. What do you guys reckon? And while we are on the subject, where do you stand on Hoopoe? To me, ‘Hoo’ as in hoop, and ‘Poe’ as in Edgar Alan. I have heard variously, Hoopea, Hoopoo, and Hoppo. How about you? I do a weekly…

I have just read David Lindo’s article on Wuppertal and the Eagle Owls that are so numerous there, in the January edition of Bird Watching. I was surprised by his speculation on the possible occurrence of these magnificent birds in Yorkshire. He also suggested they represented a potential threat to Hen Harriers in this country. Don’t worry David, the chances of any bird of prey surviving long enough on a Yorkshire moor to kill another bird of prey is absolutely miniscule. Can’t imagine why...…

I’m not really a fan of harnesses, but this one is different from the bulky webbing contraptions that may come to mind. I discovered it in Panama – an American birder was using one. At just one ounce in weight (28g) the U-LH is ultra-light. It’s made of shock cord so isn’t bulky and adds little to a binocular’s volume when wrapped around them. And it’s versatile. Rick Young Outdoors is a US-based hunting store. But the U-LH also works on birding binoculars... It attaches to the binocular’s strap lugs with split rings, which carry push-in clips that the shock cord runs through. The blurb says you can use it in five ways. It works well as a harness. It has a single adjustment point – just squeeze and pull…

Experiencing moments of passion – this is what Leica stands for, and is the reason behind the creation of Leica products. In the world of nature, this passion can, however, only be experienced if this world persists. It is, therefore, our duty and responsibility to protect and conserve this natural treasure. We make our contribution to this through the use of high-quality materials with minimum environmental impact in our production processes. What’s more, we are not only actively involved in the protection of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper and give our support to the efforts of the WWT, but are also engaged in other environmental protection and wildlife conservation projects around the world. Passionate birders and ornithologists recognise the importance of good equipment, in particular when observing easily startled birds from a…

Compact, light and rugged – Leica’s latest generation of Trinovid HD binoculars offers previously unattained viewing quality for outdoor and wildlife enthusiasts, with two new binoculars: the Leica Trinovid 8x32 HD and Leica Trinovid 10x32 HD. The new Trinovid 32 HD models guarantee an exceptionally bright and clear view, pin-sharp resolution, superb colour fidelity and contrast. Thanks to their compactness and lightness, they’re the perfect travel companions. The rubber armoring provides not only a good grip but also offers durability and protection. As with all the top models in the Leica range, the lenses of all Trinovid binoculars feature an extremely effective, water-resistant and dirt-repellent coating. Diopter corrections can be conveniently and easily applied with the right-hand eyepiece and personal settings for the eye-relief distance can be set by adjusting…

Dominic Couzens is a well-known author of birding-related books. In this issue he reveals the secret life of the Mistle Thrush. Page 26 Dr Baz Hughes of the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust reveals new findings about the Spoon-billed Sandpiper on page 62 Stephen Moss is a naturalist, author and TV producer who goes in search of exotic birds in the African country of Tanzania. P67 David Lindo is a broadcaster and writer who loves to visit cities in search of birds. Find out how he got on in Berlin on page 74 Writer and bird guide Ian Parsons reveals the unusual mating habit of the Dunnock in our ‘The Mating Game’ 16-page special guide inside…

The 20th annual BirdTrends report has been published by the BTO. It highlights the rapid and continuing decline of the Greenfinch, down by 59% in the UK in just 10 years. It could now be Red List (which indicates the species of greatest concern) when it is next updated. The decline is caused by a widespread and severe outbreak of a disease called trichomonosis, which first affected bird populations in 2006. One species doing particularly well is the Chiffchaff, which is continuing to increase its breeding range and population thanks to warmer winters. The BirdTrends report covers 120 of Britain’s commonest and most widespread birds, from Mute Swan to Corn Bunting. The data covered in it was gathered by thousands of volunteer ‘citizen scientists’. Some count the birds they record…

Like my childhood self, I am in awe of the vast blueness of sky over the summer reed-bed. Is this ineffable depth, breadth and beauty God? Unknowable and visceral, my sated awe becomes tranquillity. But not silence, as Gaia’s breath is ruffling reed-stems and bush leaves, lullaby-like but not soporific. Like a distant melody drawing forth a vague memory of music, an ear-worm that awakens attention. Beneath it a deeper beat of insects buzz. Momentarily my eyes are drawn to the flutter of a butterfly never settling for inspection. Bombastic bees bounce and drift, bounce and drift, bounce away as my eyes are taken by the pop-up perching of streaked perfection ruined by scatter-brain song. The Sedge Warbler drops down in an instant. My vision is drawn across the straw-yellow…

“Then there was another sudden green blur as the Resplendent Quetzal plunged dramatically down from its branch and flew away across the field to another aguacatillo tree” You would think that an emerald green bird, with a vermilion belly, a banana-coloured bill, and a two-foot tail streamer would stand out like a sore thumb in any tree. Not a bit of it. We all saw the bird swoop into the tree and then completely vanish from sight. This wasn’t any old tree; it was an aguacatillo, which means ‘little avocado’ in Spanish, and to be fair to us, the dense tree was dotted with confusing emerald and vermilion baubles, the small wild relatives of the commercial avocados found in supermarkets here. It certainly wasn’t any old bird either; it was…

This Yorkshire Wildlife Trust site came to birders’ notice in the winter of 2016-17, when a first-winter Pallid Harrier roosted here and hunted along the Humber. The saltmarsh is the largest of its kind on the Humber, covering 112 acres. The reserve is close to Spurn Point, so any number of birds can turn up here on migration or winter along the Humber. There are several breeding birds worth looking for in the area, with a good collection of warblers like Lesser Whitethroat and Whitethroat, Sedge and Reed Warblers, in spring and summer, waders like Redshank and Oystercatcher, and breeding owls like Barn Owl. The harriers are mainly winter sightings, but Marsh Harriers do breed along the Humber, while Hen Harriers come here from across the North Sea or from…

This is a delightful area on the edge of town, with lots of woodland tracks and three pools with open countryside to the north, so it’s a good area to take youngsters to learn the basics. There are also a few carved signs to show the species of tree, for example, Birch. It is a haven for birds and there are quite a few nestboxes of different types throughout the woodland. Although there is some fishing at the Apley Pool there is an area where it is not allowed and the two smaller pools do not have fishing at all and are home to families of Mallard. The woodland itself is really enjoyable and there are a good variety of trees and lots of tracks so you could stay here…

Somewhat overshadowed by the nearby Slimbridge WWT reserve, there is enough expansive habitat here which has, and still does, produce some outstanding bird records over the years. Not surprising, really, as it lies adjacent to the Severn Estuary – together with lakes, pasture, woodland and the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal there is plenty here to explore whatever the season, not to mention what is reputedly the longest village green in England. Frampton Court Lake is private but can be viewed from nearby footpaths and in recent years has proved popular with Little, Great White and Cattle Egrets, which frequent the wooded islands to roost. The sailing lake is a good spot for passage terns, Little Gull and wildfowl in winter, together with enough scrub to entice warblers, Nightingale and the…

James Lowen’s Beyond Birdwatching in January’s magazine, gave excellent advice, when he advised playing sleuth, to track down our wildlife throughout the colder months. My wife and I, now in our senior years, always birdwatch together and, more through necessity than desire, we can usually be found together, in a not too distant hide. We always each carry a small torch. These not only assist when something is dropped onto a dark hide floor, but are used to search the darkest, web-filled corners of any hide we find ourselves alone in. The ladybirds in my photo (right), were found hibernating just above our heads, in total darkness in a bird hide on our local reserve. Many other nooks and crannies, held more sleeping ladybirds of all colours and sizes. We…

THE LONDON BIRD ATLAS Ian Woodward, Richard Arnold, Neil Smith, London Natural History Society & John Beaufoy Publishing £39.99 This hefty but very handsome volume brings together years of research and bird records for the whole of Greater London, as well as parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Kent and Surrey, with detailed species accounts including distribution and abundance maps, graphs and excellent colour photography making up the bulk of its 416 pages. A total of 370 species have been recorded in the area covered, and just under 200 of them are covered here, so the range is impressive, and even fairly casual browsing is enough to reveal the changing state of the capital's birdlife over many years. There's some discussion of this in the introductory sections, as well as plenty…

Leica Camera’s Noctivid range of binoculars has been designed to provide an extraordinary, unparalleled viewing experience, whatever the weather or lighting. Based on more than 100 years of optical and mechanical expertise, Leica’s next generation of premium, full-size binoculars offer users a revolutionary, almost three-dimensional view of the world. Exceptionally well balanced, and covered with durable rubber armouring, they offer outstanding grip and sit comfortably in the palm of the hand. Focusing precision is unmatched, thanks to a newly-designed focusing wheel. Small and light enough to be carried on every trip, the Noctivids are available in a choice of 8x42 and 10x42 options, with the 10x42 providing exceptional viewing in lower light conditions. Twelve glass lens elements ensure optical excellence. The high-performance SCHOTT HT™ glass delivers incredibly natural colour rendition,…

You can experience nature in razor-sharp detail using Leica’s Ultravid HD-Plus 50 binoculars. Incorporating top-performing lenses that keep stray light at a minimum, the design guarantees superb colour and contrast, a bright and clear view and sharpest detail resolution. Thanks to their large objective lens diameter, they are particularly suitable for use in twilight and the early evening hours. Leica’s Ultravid 50 HD-Plus binoculars are available with a magnification factor of 8x, 10x or 12x. Hidden within their high-class design, these binoculars know only the finest mechanisms and optics. The innovative AquaDura® coating grants crystal clear vision in any weather and protects the lenses from scratches or abrasion. Raindrops simply roll off. Dirt and fingerprints are easily wiped away. Each model is supplied complete with a padded, high-quality Cordura case…

Matt: Black Grouse has to be my number one – I could watch them lekking endlessly. Mike W: I once witnessed the rocking display flight of Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers. Superb! Mark: Our cover star – the Great Crested Grebe. This mesmerising display is always a thrill to see. SIGN UP FOR OUR 200 BIRD CHALLENGE! BIRDWATCHING.CO.UK/MY200 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…

HARLEQUIN DUCK Scotland and the Scottish islands have seen just about every UK Harlequin Duck, at least in the last century or more. This is not entirely surprising though as the closest breeding population is in Iceland. Adult males are spectacular looking ducks, but vagrants tend not to be adult males… IVORY GULL A juvenile Ivory Gull flew past Papa Westray, Orkney, at the end of October, the first UK bird since late December 2014 into 2015 when a showy juvenile was on Skye and the Scottish mainland, near Ullapool. The real prize is a pure white adult, but juveniles are not too shabby, either, despite their unsavoury feeding habits. MOURNING DOVE On Boxing Day 2015, one of these rare North American Doves turned up at Lerwick, Shetland, and remained…

Can you remember New Year’s Day? I remember it like it was yesterday; mainly because it was yesterday. In Scotland, they have a double bank holiday for Hogmanay. I am not sure why they need an extra day off, but I am all for it. Not because of the drinking and first footing or fireworks and late night shenanigans and what not. But because, every year, I join a plethora of fellow birders and head out, full of hope, embarking on the great challenge of a New Year Big Day. And, like all big days, it is exhausting, and I could do with another day of ‘rest’ to recover. As it happens, I also remember the first of January, 10 years ago. It was a legendary New Year Big Day…

FREE BIRD PIC LIBRARY Nicholas Watts MBE, owner of conservation award-winning Vine House Farm in the Lincolnshire Fens, is making his entire wildlife photography library freely available online with all images totally royalty-free. The collection, which totals over 10,000 images, will be released in batches with the first release having already taken place ahead of Christmas. The first batch of images from Nicholas’ photo collection is available now from The Vine House Farm website: vinehousefarm.co.uk/blog/2017/12/12/royalty-free-wild-bird-photos/ KITTIWAKE FEARS Kittiwakes have been added to the list of birds considered to be facing the risk of global extinction. The latest annual revision of birds on the IUCN Red List, announced by BirdLife International on behalf of the IUCN, brings the total number of UK bird species considered to be facing the risk of…

MORE SITES For a full list of the sites we’ve featured, go to birdwatching.co.uk/gbindex KEY Sites may be best visited by car, or a car may be required to get from point to point. Requires birding to be done on foot. Specified points to visit, but can be done in any order (known as KEYPOINTS) Specified points to visit and are best done in numerical order (known as WAYMARKERS) NB: The MILES ON FOOT is the amount of miles you will need to walk and not necessarily the amount of miles in the whole route. The TIME is how many hours we recommend. So, if there are fewer miles per hour, it could be that there is more to see. COLLECT & KEEP Every month we bring you 10…

Holy Island, or Holyhead Island, on the west coast of Anglesey, so named because of its high concentration of ancient burial chambers, standing stones and religious sites, is connected to the rest of the island by a causeway which carries both the main road and railway. Despite its size, access to the Inland Sea is only possible along the eastern shore by using a section of the Isle of Anglesey Coastal Path, thus a morning visit with the light at one’s back is recommended. At the highest tides, sections of the path may well be flooded so this also needs to be borne in mind, as does the fact that Four Mile Bridge restricts the turbulent flows in both directions, so the times of both high and low water on…

Situated within a meander of the River Nene, west of the city of Peterborough, this country park with diverse habitats is one of the best birding sites around the city. The three lakes are your best bet for special birds, with the larger two, Gunwade and Overton, drawing down scarce grebes, wildfowl and terns, such as Black and Arctic Terns on passage; and the smaller one, Lynch, being packed with surprisingly tame wildfowl (and even Water Rails along the reedy side). Kingfishers can be found along all the lakes and the channels into them. The site also has scrub, open grassland, hedgelines and bird-rich woodland. The park also has a reputation for being a hotspot for Red-rumped Swallow in April/May, with four there since 2010! SITE GUIDE POSTCODE: PE2 5UU…

Bird-rich habitats along this section of the coastline include tidal mudflats and creeks, the Thames channel, plus adjacent farmland bisected by drainage ditches, reedbeds and scrub. The route partly follows the Saxon Shore Way coastal footpath and also takes in hinterland orchards and paddocks, plus a section of Northward Hill RSPB woodland reserve. Viewpoints across the estuary from the sea wall and the inlets overlooking Egypt and St Mary’s Bays are often productive for waders and wildfowl and may yield an early Wheatear along the track. Sightings of wintering birds are often tide dependent. At low tide the mudflats attract considerable numbers of shorebirds and wildfowl, particularly Curlew and Dunlin, Brent Geese and Wigeon, while sea ducks and grebes are frequently noted at high tide including a chance of Red-breasted…

In your January issue, on the readers’ questions pages, a reader asked which species of British bird cache food, aside from Jay. Your reply was that only Great Grey Shrike commonly does so, and maybe some other crows, and possibly some other raptors (similar to Eleanora’s Falcon). You overlooked that Coal Tit, Crested Tit, Marsh Tit and Willow Tit all routinely cache food, particularly in autumn and winter. These species bury seeds in the same way as Jays, and this has been well-studied and well-known for a very long time. At Lincolnshire’s Whisby Nature Reserve in early December, a crow landed nearby and proceeded to regurgitate a pile of what looked like sweetcorn. It then proceeded to pick up the corn in ones and twos before walking a few feet…

Anew binocular range often starts with the 42mm models, with the 32mm siblings coming along a little later, and that’s true of these new Trinovid HDs. My review of the 10x42 was published in the August 2017 issue. Here, I turn my attention to one of the two 32mm models – the 8x. As usual, a 10x32 model is also available. Form The 8x32 is comfortable enough to hold and has no thumb indents. Build quality seems very good – this feels like a pretty tough binocular. It is fully rubber-armoured and waterproof, and had no problem at all in Peak District wind, cloud and rain, where Red Grouse was added to #My200BirdYear. Dioptre adjustment is achieved via a simple, calibrated ring under the right eyepiece. This does the job…

HILLTREK SCHIEHALLION VENTILE CAGOULE, £180 A simple, tough, “windproof and light shower proof”jacket in a functional, traditional style. Named after the Scottish mountain where contour lines were invented, the Schiehallion is made from one layer of Ventile®, has big pockets with storm flaps and velcro fastenings, and a heavyweight two-way zip under a Velcro-fastening storm flap. “Comfortable and low rustle”. In five standard colours including black and olive, and five premium colours (£20 extra). XS-XL. 595g (medium). Body length and sleeve length can be customised (£30 extra each). hilltrek.co.uk RSPB ORGANIC MEDIUM ROAST COFFEE, £4.49 FOR 200G A coffee that is good for birds. They don’t drink it, but they do live around the coffee beans growing naturally under the rainforest canopy. This coffee is Smithsonian Institute certified no less…

Courtship and display are the parts of the reproductive process that we, as birdwatchers, see most often, and take most notice of, because they’re often highly visible and/or audible. But, in fact, they’re just tools in the service of each species’ mating strategy – what happens once the male of the species (usually) has attracted the attention of the females. In all cases, this has evolved as the best way of ensuring the survival of the maximum number of young birds. Birds use four main breeding strategies, which we detail here… 1 Monogamy On the face of it, this is the most common strategy – put simply, one male and one female form a pair bond, and rear any resulting offspring, although the two don’t necessarily share the incubation, feeding…

Alpine Accentor, Prunella collaris The large Alpine Accentor is a very widespread species, ranging from Europe to eastern Asia, and found mainly at high altitude (breeding above 2,000m), but coming to lower levels in winter. A very rare vagrant to the UK. Robin Accentor, Prunella rubeculoides The outstandingly pretty Robin Accentor is, of course, named for its appearance, especially its orange breast, like a Robin. Like most accentors it is a high altitude species, breeding at 3,000-5,500m in the Himalayan region. Mongolian Accentor, Prunella koslowi Also known as Koslow’s Accentor, this pale accentor is one of the least known species, owing to its restricted range in China and Mongolia. It looks like a washed out or leucistic Dunnock, more pipit- or lark-like than its relatives. Siberian Accentor, Prunella montanella Breeding…