Indice dei contenuti per July 2017 in Bird Watching

IN THE 10 and a half years I’ve been at Bird Watching, the best bird I’ve twitched from the office has to be the female Wilson’s Phalarope that showed up on the Nene Washes in May 2007. The delicate transatlantic beauty was a reminder of the unpredictability of spring migration, and that has been as true as ever this year, with the result that many of you are forging ahead with #My200BirdYear. Turn to page 20 to read the story so far, then see how you could boost your list further by seeing some of the many herons, egrets and related birds spreading their range to the UK (page 24). Oh, and that wader I mentioned gets its name from Scottish-born pioneer of ornithology Alexander Wilson, who is profiled by…

YES, THE BEST two months of passage (so far) are over. But fear not, return passage has begun! July is the early backwards extension of autumn, as far as migration is concerned. For instance, with waders, the failed breeding adults will soon be followed south by the first juveniles. There is no excuse to give up birding and turn to insect watching (though slotting some of that in, too, is always a mood lifter for quiet, warm, summer days). Here are five birds to look for and enjoy this month. RARITY RATINGS Common, widely distributed Localised – always a treat Very scarce or rare BROAD-BILLED SANDPIPER The rare little Broad-billed Sandpiper is particularly unusual in being a northern-breeding wader which breeds in Europe (Scandinavia), yet is considerably rarer in the…

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 latest Wild Bird Populations in the UK report, covering 2015, from the BTO, shows some cause for cautious optimism about farmland birds. Farmland birds have been declining since the late 1970s in the UK, but between 2014 and 2015 the farmland bird indicator showed a significant 6% increase, mainly due to an increase in the indicator for farmland generalist species. Farmland specialist species – those highly dependent on farmland habitat – did not show a significant change. It is unclear whether this is merely a short-term blip, or what might be responsible for the change. Amanda Trask, research ecologist at the BTO, said: “This is great news but we shouldn’t get too carried away. These short-term upturns are against a backdrop of long-term decline and we still have a…

“Hide facilities are not ‘one-sizefits-all’ unless you are 6ft tall, fully fit and very flexible” RANT WARNING! WHY on earth would you be bothered about disability access to nature reserves? It’s obviously not much of a problem as just about every hide you’ve been in has a wheelchair slot and you hardly ever see any birders in wheelchairs; if they can’t make the effort, why should you? I mean, the only bloke you ever see in the wheelchair slot is some rude old git who doesn’t even answer when you speak to him. All this access rubbish is just part of the politically correct nonsense that plagues our society. The disabled should stick to blocking Post Office queues and whining about everything. They are almost as bad as the muesli…

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 Sanderling looking for lunch by Emma Telford Camera: Nikon D40X Lens: 50-500mm Shutter Speed: 1/2,250 Aperture: f/6.3 ISO: 800 Peregrines by Arthur Beyless Camera: Canon EOS 650D Lens: 50-500mm Shutter Speed: 1/1,000 Aperture: f/14.0 ISO: 800 Ptarmigan by Andy Burns Camera: Canon PowerShot SX40 HS Shutter Speed: 1/400 Aperture: f/5.8 ISO: 400 Dunnock by David Murray Camera: Nikon D7000 Lens: 150-500mm Shutter Speed: 1/1,250 Aperture: f/7.1 ISO: 500 SEND US YOUR BEST PHOTOS Send us your best birding snaps to birdwatching@bauermedia.co.uk every month to be in with a chance of seeing your photo in print. All images should be high resolution (300dpi).…

THE CASTLE HOWARD estate comprises an outstanding combination of 200 listed buildings, extensive and varied gardens, pleasure grounds and parkland, all set in 10,000 acres, of which 2,000 are woodland. The Great Lake to the north of the house was built in the 1790s and is the main birding attraction. Waterfowl dominate, with the main breeders Canada and Greylag Geese, encouraging migrants to drop in including White-fronted, Pink-footed and tundra Bean Geese , while American Wigeon, Wood Duck, Red-crested Pochard and Ferruginous Duck have been found along with Common Scoter, Smew, Mandarin and Scaup, with Goldeneye wintering along with Wigeon, Teal and Goosander. Whooper Swans can drop in to join the many Mute Swans while Little and Great Crested Grebe have been joined by Slavonian Grebes in the autumn. Swifts…

I ALWAYS FIND IT fascinating that churches seem to attract lots of birds, mostly common, but nevertheless interesting. Here, you’ll see House Sparrows (also look for Tree Sparrow) and Collared Doves along with Robin, Blackbird and Wood Pigeon. Hatch Lane has a ditch on each side and a hedgerow and a stream that flows under the lane. There are lots of Blue Tits, Great Tits and Coal Tits along the hedgerow and several Robins each holding a slice of territory. Keep an eye on the open areas, where Barn Owl can be seen and a Buzzard is an almost certainty. At the end of the lane is a public footpath across the edge of a field with trees now appearing and woodland close by. At the next gate are several…

LEMSFORD SPRINGS, A well-kept secret in Hertfordshire, is a former watercress farm and market garden which was in operation between 1860 and 1966. Goods were harvested here that were sold at the infamous Covent Garden in London. The reserve recently featured on BBC Springwatch, airing a survey on Water Shrews and other small mammals. But the site is also popular with Green Sandpipers, who feed on shrimps that are plentiful in the freshwater lagoons, the surface of which does not freeze over in the winter months. This important bird habitat; managed by the Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust, is locked but the key is available from the warden, who lives adjacent to the site’s entrance. Once inside, visitors can enjoy a pleasant walk around the reserve through willow woodland, meadow,…

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN this month’s ID Challenge birds is water. They are birds that live on water, feed in water, or are found beside water. They are not necessarily waterbirds, as such, but are certainly birds which live their lives closely tied to water bodies. Of course, that gives quite a broad scope of species to choose from. And, you will see at a glance, that we have chosen birds from a range of different families and even orders of birds. As usual, there are a range of difficult challenges here. Some, you may find dead easy, others, with a bit of luck, will make you think for a moment. Try to name them all, then turn for our answers and solutions and turn once more for a few tips…

DAVID SAYS Derby is a classic example of a city where birders have yet to uncover all of its avian glories TO MENTION THE city of Derby among those in birding circles is to elicit rapturous applause for the city’s famous breeding Peregrines. These famous birds are located on Derby Cathedral, the roof of which has undergone renovation this year, work which, thankfully, has not affected the birds. The Peregrines are also the stars of a very popular webcam and blog (its web address can be found on the opposite page) that has garnered in excess of four million hits worldwide since 2007, when the camera was first installed. There is a new male present this year. The previous male prolifically fledged 37 young since 2006 with the same female.…

Elsewhere in this issue, we look at the egrets, herons and similar birds that are newly thriving in the UK. But the familiar Grey Heron remains the commonest and most widespread, not least because of its ability to adapt to different habitats, including suburban parks, farmland and even garden ponds, and to incorporate whatever’s available into its diet. As well as fish, frogs, small mammals, large insects and young birds (especially ducklings), snakes and other reptiles are taken wherever they’re plentiful. This bird is about to make a meal of an unfortunate Grass Snake.…

Ed Hutchings profiles the pioneering work of Paisley-born Alexander Wilson, whose name is associated with lots of birds discovered in the Americas. P32 Mat Bingham reveals his fondness for the Barn Owl and recounts his observations of how two pairs hunt in very different surroundings. Page 38 Dominic Couzens reveals the dark side of the Swallow – will your opinion of this seemingly-likeable bird change once you learn what it is? Page 48 Ian Parsons loves learning new things in birdwatching and he reveals his amazement at finding out something new about the Stonechat on page 73 Barrie Cooper has been on a birding trip of a lifetime to the island of Madagascar where he enjoyed several species of endemic birds. Page 82 David Lindo highlights how it’s not just…

Each month, we take a left field guess at predicting which radical rarities will turn up in the country during the month. Here are our semi-educated stabs in the dark for July. HUDSONIAN GODWIT In late July 2015, a Hudsonian Godwit was found at Ballyconneely, Co. Galway, Ireland. The same bird was still in the county in September. Who knows, we may have a midsummer visit from one of these North American megagodwits in the UK this year. Thats said, there have only been three accepted records of Hudsonian Godwit in the UK, the last being a female which stayed for a week or so at Meare Heath, Somerset in spring, 2015 (see inset photograph). LITTLE SWIFT There have been just 25 accepted Little Swifts in the UK. Many of…

INVERTEBRATE BANDED DEMOISELLE  Watching aquatic vegetation sway serenely in a gentle river current? Suddenly a verdant helicopter might catch your eye – the twirling wings and mesmerising wingspots of a male Banded Demoiselle yo-yos in defence of its patch of riverbank and water. INVERTEBRATE BUFF-TIP On the enchanting mornings when my moth trap holds a Buff-Tip, I instigate a game of hide-and-seek with my young daughter. I gently place the moth on one of several twigs, and ask her to spot it. This cryptic creature takes camouflage to extremes. Once it has shuffled into place , the moth looks for all the world like a snapped-off, dried-up twig with its bark flaking off. JULY THE SILKY MARSH HELLEBORINE OFTEN GROWS IN SIZEABLE COLONIES IN COASTAL DUNE SLACKS MARINE CREATURE MOON…

Seventeen-year-old Essex birdwatcher Max Hellicar has been selected by the Cameron Bespolka Trust to receive a scholarship to Cornell University’s prestigious Young Birders’ Camp. Young birdwatchers were invited to apply for the scholarship in Bird Watching’s February issue, and Max, of Southend, was chosen from a shortlist of three. As well as being a keen patch birder and ring-reader, he is an avid nature photographer and moth-trapper. He said: “The event will be the absolutely ideal environment for me and an opportunity to further open my mind to the many different fields within the scientific ornithological sector. It will be a chance to develop new skills, and I want to say a massive thank-you to the Cameron Bespolka Trust for making it possible.” Max is currently studying for a BTEC…

BIRDING TALKS The Summer Meeting of the Ornithological Society of the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia (OSME) will be held on Saturday 1 July at BTO Headquarters, Thetford, Norfolk. Doors open 10am for coffee, tea and biscuits. Non-members welcome and entrance is free. Talks range from ‘A review of illegal bird killing across the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq & Iran’ to ‘distribution, abundance and conservation of steppe birds in Kazakhstan.’ There’ll be dinner at the Mulberry in Thetford after the meeting, which finishes at 5.15pm. Contact Irene Sabiniarz at secretary@osme.org CHICKS HATCHED In a UK first, 26 Black-tailed Godwit chicks have been hatched by conservationists in the Ouse Washes and Nene Washes, the species’ two main UK breeding grounds. The chicks were to be hand-reared until they are strong…

“Think for thyself one good idea, but known to be thine own, is better than a thousand gleaned from fields by others sown”Alexander Wilson BORN IN PAISLEY on 6 July 1766, Alexander Wilson spent more than half his life in Scotland before leaving for the USA. Poet, naturalist and illustrator, he rose to become one of the leading lights in the history of ornithology. Baptised at the Laigh Kirk by the Reverend John Witherspoon (prophetically, a signatory of the US Declaration of Independence), Wilson was educated at Paisley Grammar School, but received only five years of formal education. His working life started at the tender age of 10 and, at the age of 13, he was apprenticed as a weaver. From an early age, he read widely, since the relatively…

Why I won’t be visiting Malta For more than 15 years I have periodically written letters suggesting the only way to make Malta clamp down on the shooting of our birds is for someone or some organisation to take on organising a boycott of Malta – holidays, flights, cruise ships and goods, etc. This is because I can see that the Maltese Government has no intention of stopping the slaughter of birds for as long as they can get away with it. Every time my letters have been responded to by people of influence saying this is not the way and we need to educate them and apply gentle persuasion. Now, I am not against these two suggestions, but they have not worked for a lot more than 15 years!…

CROOK OF BALDOON Visit the new reserve here at any time of the year to see lots of birds, such as waders and geese CREGNEASH Plenty of rarities are recorded at this Isle of Man site – could they show on your visit? LLANGRANNOG Spectacular views and wonderful coastline here. Plus, of course, some great seabirds SWINGLEY WOOD & POOL See woodland birds and raptors at this lovely site GREENHAM COMMON Listen out for Woodcock, Nightjar and Tawny Owl on a dusk visit here SHAWBURY HEATH Lots of birds to see on this interesting woodland walk in Shropshire... ST NICKS What was once a rubbish tip is now a popular attraction for all the family to visit and enjoy CASTLE HOWARD LAKE Birdwatching in the grounds of this stately home…

AFTER SOME YEARS living on Alderney, a visit to the Isle of Man is like engaging with a bigger, meatier and more rugged version of the tiny channel isle. It also inevitably has more birds and a wider species range. Shrouded in a fascinating past, this walk, involving part of the living history folk village of Cregneash, makes for a rich and uniquely diverse experience. I have enjoyed this walk most in the autumn, though others would prefer spring. The southern tip of the Isle of Man, known as the ‘Calf’ is an offshore islet inhabited only by wildlife and whoever is in the observatory. You can visit it and maybe share in the potential rarities frequently recorded there – refer to Go Birding July 2001 if you can. Basking…

A FORMIDABLE POST UPON the lofty headland was how Victorian antiquary J Fenton described the hill fort of Pendinaslochdyn, crowning the flat-topped cone of Pen y Badell. This dominates the coast and is well worth the climb to the summit, where, standing some 550ft above sea level, one takes in the spectacular views south to Cardigan Island and northwards to the Lleyn Peninsula and Bardsey Island, some 42 miles distant. Small wonder the MoD have a missile tracking station here, the summit fortunately large enough to ensure it remains invisible until you complete your climb. Then, and maybe still breathless, the hoped-for delights of looking down on a family of Ravens, or in late summer, a noisy gathering of Choughs, a soaring Buzzard, a passing Peregrine or a passage of…

THIS FORMER SITE of a Royal and US Air Force base was a symbol of the Cold War, with its controversial missile silos and resultant Women’s Peace Camp of the 1980s. However, with closure of the aerodrome in 1993, Greenham and Crookham Commons reverted back to common land with the digging up of concrete runways and the restoration of internationally important heathland habitat, making it the largest heath in Berkshire at about 500 hectares. Newly-created ponds and meres along with open areas of gravel has afforded opportunities for plovers to breed and enabled a wide range of rare bog plants to proliferate, plus dragonflies. But it is the gorse and heather that attracts the most interest, with a few pairs of breeding Dartford Warbler and Stonechat, plus Tree Pipit and…

“The Stonechat is a real character of our avifauna. It is small, roughly the size of a Robin, but a showy bird” THE THING I love most about being a birdwatcher is that you are always learning something new. Whether you have been birding all your life or have only just started, whether you are a professional ornithologist or a keen amateur, there is always something new to learn about birds. I recently learned something new about a bird that I thought I knew very well – the Stonechat. But more about that later... The Stonechat is a real character of our avifauna. It is small, roughly the size of a Robin, but a showy bird, that is found in a wide range of scrubby habitats, particularly heathland and coastal…

“The BTO’s bird monitoring programmes indicate that we have lost around 70% of our House Martins since the 1970s, and this trend is continuing” ONE OF THE pleasures of spring is watching the House Martins busily gathering mud from the lane near my front door – in dry spells I keep a muddy puddle topped up with water for this purpose! I don’t know where the colony is, but they aren’t thought to travel more than a few hundred metres to gather nesting materials, so they can’t be far away. Each cup nest requires a thousand mud pellets to build, meaning a thousand round trips to a suitable muddy area. It’s perhaps not surprising that they take short cuts when they can, often choosing to renovate old nests, or stealing…

“Just as I was about to enter a slump, it dawned on me that we hadn’t even got Grey Heron on the list! Surely, the record was still on!” I LOVE BIRD RACES, or ‘big days’, if you prefer, and have been doing them near home since 2000, around the Peterborough Bird Club (PBC) area, a cross-shaped region a third the size of Cambridgeshire. In May 2000, the winning team got fewer than 110 bird species. But in 2006, with advancements in local knowledge, (and a good wader spring) the record shot up to 121! But this longstanding figure was recorded in the 24 hours from 6pm one evening to 6pm the next: ie cheating! The ‘calendar day’ PBC record, you may recall, came last year, when Will Bowell and…

As part of the Spurn Bird Observatory 2017 Migration Festival, the observatory, Next Generation Birders (NGB) and the BTO are again running a competition to find the Martin Garner Spurn Young Birder of the Year. Named in honour of the late birding expert Martin Garner, and a former Spurn Bird Observatory committee member, the prestigious contest is open to all young British birders. If you will be aged 16 or under on 9 September 2017, you are eligible to enter by filling in the competition questionnaire online, answering questions such as whether or not you have a local patch, where you go birding further afield and if you can tell the difference between the songs of Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat. Four entrants will be chosen to take part in the…

RSPB scientists have mapped the migratory route of a British Turtle Dove for only the second time, after a bird fitted with a tracking device in East Anglia last summer arrived back in the UK in May. The bird, named Lawford after the Essex village where he was fitted with his tracker, arrived back in the UK on 5 May. After a layover in Croydon and short detour via Suffolk, Lawford made his way to within two miles of where he was first found in 2016, adding to evidence that is helping scientists understand the importance of Turtle Doves’ faithfulness to their established breeding territories. The number of Turtle Doves breeding in Britain has plummeted since the 1970s, making them one of the UK’s fastest declining birds. Operation Turtle Dove,…

THE HALFWAY POINT of 2017 is upon us, so it’s a good time to take stock of how you’ve fared in Bird Watching’s #My200BirdYear challenge, and to plan the rest of your birding calendar to fill in the gaps on your list. It’s not a competition, of course. You’re free to set your own rules about exactly what counts. Some people are stricter than others about species that are only heard, for example. Some count birds seen outside the UK, while others don’t. The idea, above all, is to see more bird species by setting yourself a target. HOW HAVE THE TEAM DONE? Matt Merritt on his #My200BirdYear As I write, in late May, my total is 165. Unlike Dr Weedon (see panel right), I’ll take any ticks going, so…

MOST PEOPLE THINK Galloway is somewhat out on a limb where birding is concerned but, with increasing reserves and natural habitats, the area is well worth a visit. The reserve is suitable for all seasons with geese and Whooper Swans being the attraction in winter, breeding waders make spring and summer and passage waders are a good bet in autumn. The main geese are Barnacle and Pink-footed with pale-bellied Brents close by at Garlieston. European White-fronted have been found among the geese and more species are bound to be added in future. Breeding waders include Redshank, Lapwing, Oystercatcher and Curlew. The estuary sees large numbers of Golden Plover, Dunlin and Knot using the site. Both Glaucous and Iceland Gulls have been found among the commoner gulls, such as Herring, Lesser…

ST NICKS, or St Nicholas Fields, is a lush pocket of scrub, woodland and meadow tucked away in the Tang Hall area of York, just one mile from the bustling city centre, with its many tourist attractions, and many tourists! It’s a great place for all the family to get close to nature, and has a good roll-call of common species, with a particularly generous helping of Bullfinches, common warblers through the summer, and plenty of Siskins and Redwings in the winter. Some more unusual birds have turned up, including a Ring-necked Parakeet seen in January 2017, and a Water Rail which stayed throughout the winter last year. St Nicks became a local nature reserve in the 1990s, and has previously been a landfill site and a brick works. It…

THE WALK STARTS with the small Upper Swingley Wood Nature Reserve and is extended to cover a larger area with water facilities to add to the possible sighting of more birds. The old woodland was known in the early 19th Century as ‘The Furlong Coppice’ separating two arable fields and its history combines Ash being planted at that time along with the still surviving areas of Alder and willow. Other plants include wild Gooseberry and wild Redcurrant! Beyond the wood, a small stream rises then another woodland and a stream flowing into a pool along the way after which we cross over the Cheaton Brook, cross a footbridge, climb a not too steep hillside then back across the ford to the start. So with a variety of countryside there are…

THIS SUMMER BIRDING walk, sandwiched between the Brede Valley to the north and the coastal hills towards Hastings, winds its way through classic Wealden countryside, complete with an old windmill and oast houses (which were used for drying hops) as a reminder of a bygone hop-picking age. On the high ground, scattered orchards, copses, grazing paddocks and weedy fields all add to the variety of habitats on offer. From the sandstone ridge, viewpoints along the cliff edge and across the grazing meadows of Pett Level afford the chance of watching soaring raptors such as Buzzard, Hobby and Marsh Harrier, plus sea views out across the English Channel. The walk then descends into the Pannel Valley wetland, with reedbeds, marshy ground and lagoons, some of which can be viewed from a…

THE CURIOUS BIRD LOVER'S HANDBOOK Niall Edworthy Black Swan, SB, £8.99 Whether you're a keen birdwatcher, a pub quiz aficionado, or just a lover of trivia, this is the book for you. It's packed with more than 1,000 facts, packaged in bite-sized chunks, so it's a great book to have to hand during your quiet moments on future birdwatching trips. It ranges from the highly practical (what to feed your garden birds, and how to stop birds flying into windows), through the literary and cultural (it's littered with poetry), to the scientific (discussions of how birds store fat up for migration, for example). The writing is clear, concise and engaging, and Edworthy has a knack of getting across some pretty complex information and concepts in an accessible, but never patronising,…