Bird Watching の September 2016 の目次

WHEN WILLIAM BLAKE first penned his 1804 poem ‘And did those feet in ancient time’ he conjured up visions of a nation full of lush landscapes and rolling vistas, habitats for wildlife and a source of economic growth. Trees are vital habitats for wildlife. Twelve species of bird are associated with ash trees or ash woodland. Bullfinches eat the winged seeds. Nuthatches, chiffchaffs, blackcaps and wrens use the trees for nesting (source: Mitchell et al 2014*). The UK is at risk of losing millions of trees to pests and diseases which could seriously damage our beloved landscapes and wildlife populations. Observatree is a project that aims to help protect UK trees, woods and forests from new pests and diseases through early detection and reporting. Early detection gives us the highest…

Have you been on your summer holidays? What birds did you see? Had an ace day watching Hobbies take food to the chicks in Bedfordshire Greg Dawes Went to Skomer in Wales and saw my first Puffins & Manx Shearwater Janna Hutchinson Saw Slender-billed Gull in Portugal - beautiful bird! Jane Thompson I went to Menorca last week and saw Black-winged Stilt, Purple Gallinule and a Hoopoe flying away from me Thomas Banks Southern France to see Bee-eater, plus Black-necked Grebes and Purple Heron Naomi Foster All sorts of things in Extremadura including bustards and Spanish Imperial Eagle Stuart Foster Watched a Black-throated Diver in Scotland, lovely to see! Sarah Jones Northern Spain and I saw Griffon Vulture! Katie Wilkinson Went to Rathlin Island and saw Puffins, Razorbills, Kittiwake, Raven…

I was intrigued to read the Q&A from Robert McLaughlin and see his photograph of a female Little Bittern (Bird Watching, August issue). It was taken at the Albufera Nature Reserve in Mallorca on 12 May. We visited the Albufera five days later on the 17th and took these photos of a Little Bittern at what may well be the same location. It was a very obliging bird and seemed quite happy to carry on doing its own thing, quite oblivious to the people watching and photographing it from the bridge above!…

“The last month has also shown me the value of continuing to feed birds throughout the summer” BALMY SUMMER EVENINGS have been in pretty short supply as I write this, but when we have been able to enjoy them, our local pipistrelle bats have turned up just as the light is dying, flying a regular circuit around our Field Maple tree. They’re always great to see, so I thought it was time for me to do something to help them out, and to make them a more permanent presence in our garden. Bat boxes are available from most wildlife stores and websites, as well as garden centres, and I used a Natural Timber Bat Box from Ark Wildlife (£14.95, arkwildlife.co.uk). Using untreated wood is important, as bats are deterred by…

SITE 1 ORKNEY MILES ON FOOT: 3 TIME: 3 HOURS THE NEOLITHIC VILLAGE of Skara Brae was discovered in the winter of 1850. Wild storms ripped the grass from a high dune known as Skara Brae, beside the Bay of Skaill, and exposed an immense midden (refuse heap) and the ruins of ancient stone buildings. The discovery proved to be the best-preserved Neolithic village in Western Europe. The bay here is good for divers, with Great Northern in winter and Red-throated in summer. Auks use it, too and the beach is attractive to feeding waders like Oystercatcher, Turnstone, Dunlin and Redshank, with Ringed Plover breeding. A small Arctic Tern colony is found along the shore and there are several Rock Pipits once you join the amazing undulated coastline. Black Guillemot…

SITE 4 EAST YORKSHIRE MILES ON FOOT: 1.5 TIME: 3 HOURS BEING SO CLOSE to the Humber, freshwater is a magnet to draw birds from salt water and the current list is amazing. Black-headed Gulls here can protect other birds from predators like Marsh Harriers, which move through the area and breed elsewhere. Mediterranean Gull is a recent breeding bird and Avocets are doing well here. Gravel pits are famous for Little Ringed Plover and here we have them breeding along with Lapwing and Redshank. Passing waders include Ruff, Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwits, Wood, Common and Green Sandpipers, Little and Temminck’s Stints, Whimbrel and even a Red-necked Phalarope. Passing duck have included Common Scoter, Green-winged Teal, American Wigeon, Ring-necked Duck and Smew. About 500 pairs of Sand Martin breed around…

SITE 7 BEDFORDSHIRE MILES ON FOOT: 2 TIME: 2 HOURS TOTTERNHOE KNOLLS IS situated on a northern outcrop of the Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty overlooking checkerboard arable farmland of the Vale of Aylesbury to the west. With such commanding views it was an obvious site for a medieval motte and bailey style castle, the remnants of which are still existent today. The county Wildlife Trust and National Trust are both involved in managing the knolls, primarily for plants and insects, via a programme of scrub control. A Beech hangar, arable farmland, paddocks, hedgerows and green lanes all provide a diversity of habitats suitable for both resident and passage migrants throughout the walk. Take the opportunity to scan the skies wherever possible; around dawn is best for passerines…

SITE 10 CORNWALL MILES ON FOOT: 6.5 TIME: 6 HOURS THE NORTH CORNISH coastline is spectacular. High, rugged cliffs plummet to the sea, providing excellent roosting sites for birds. Weather here can be fierce – but, with due caution, this can lead to even better birding. Gannets appear in great quantity after storms. Very occasionally a Chough, the pinnacle of any Cornish bird list, may call by. Rock Pipits are plentiful and delightfully confiding. The area around St Agnes is rich in minerals and its mining history has earned it the status of a World Heritage Site. The magnificent ruins of lofty engine houses add to the drama of the scenery. Entrances to old mine shafts are covered by conical ‘Clwyd caps’ which provide a safety barrier for unwary walkers…

ITALY IS NOT the first European country that you would think of when it comes to birding, let alone urban birding. It has a terrible reputation for hunting and, previously, I have all too often come across the telltale signs of the wanton destruction of birds in the shape of spent cartridges littering the countryside. It is a sad fact that is never too far away, as I discovered when I visited the cities of Ravenna and Comacchio in the Emilia-Romagna region in the north-eastern corner of Italy. The region is a popular venue for holidaymakers during the summer months, largely due to the miles of beaches lapped by the waves of the Adriatic Sea. Sadly, during the autumn and winter, hunters stalk. Ravenna was the capital city of the…

BRITAIN’S BIRDS: AN IDENTIFICATION GUIDE TO THE BIRDS OF BRITAIN AND IRELAND Rob Hume, Robert Still, Andy Swash, Hugh Harrop and David Tipling WildGuides/Princeton, SB, £19.95, BW Bookshop £16.95 (quote BW-096) It s not often a field guide comes along that can accurately be described as a game-changer, but this might just be one. It covers all the birds of Britain and Ireland – the vagrants and rarities as well as the commoner species, with more than 3,200 photos used to present the main ID features of each. In many cases, this uses the same sort of montage technique seen in the Crossley guides, but it s done very effectively and with considerable subtlety. It s astonishingly comprehensive, with all the plumages that you re likely to see shown clearly.…

IT’S THAT TIME of year again, when birdwatchers, ornithologists, naturalists and a whole host of companies and organisations from all over the world descend on a small corner of Rutland for Birdfair 2016. Held from August 19-21, the event promises to be the biggest and best yet, and as always we’ll be there. The Bird Watching stand (pitches 36/37), in Marquee 6 (close to Lecture Marquee 2), and we’ve got some great offers for you. We’ll have goodybags for £3 that include copies of Bird Watching, Country Walking and Practical Photography, one of Dave Gosney’s easybirder DVD guides, and some other surprises, too, including discount vouchers that can be used elsewhere at the Fair. Subscriptions to Bird Watching, Country Walking and Practical Photography magazines will be available for £22 for…

THERE’S SOMETHING SATISFYINGLY apt about Ospreys being the leading avian crowd-pullers at Rutland Water, home of this month’s British Birdwatching Fair. Because, while Birdfair is crammed with exhibitors and visitors from all over the world, the Osprey is a species found right across the globe. Even if you’ve travelled to this corner of the English East Midlands from Papua New Guinea, Argentina or Alaska, the Ospreys that you see fishing in Manton Bay will be essentially the same as those you’re used to seeing at home. Even where they don’t breed, they can often turn up on passage, as these are raptors that migrate in order to avail themselves of unfrozen, and fish-rich, waters year-round. There are a number of subspecies – four are generally recognised, although even then there…

“The noises it makes are somewhat strange, the female making a nasal call like the sound of a child repeatedly and over-enthusiastically blowing a toy trumpet” LET ME TELL you what I saw in Malawi, recently: a lot of Egyptian Geese. By the banks of the steamy Shire River, they were everywhere, standing at a respectful distance from the Nile Crocodiles and revelling in the wallows made by Hippos. In this rarefied location, brim full of colour and abundance, the geese looked at ease. Their odd, long, pink legs could be upstaged by many a flamingo; their iridescent wing colours were out-glittered by an army of tropical bling-wearers; and the ‘shades’? Well, you need those under the hot sun. In short, the Egyptian Geese looked entirely at home. This is…

SITE 2 OUTER HEBRIDES MILES ON FOOT: 3 TIME: 3 HOURS ON THIS WALK , you pass an area of 80 hectares with mixed broadleaved trees planted encouraging Stonechat, Meadow Pipit, Whinchat and Willow Warbler when the trees are small. Cuckoos call around the glen. The burn holds Common Sandpiper (right) and Greenshank breed in the area. Around the hide, we saw two Golden Eagles. Red Deer are on the hills, and Mountain Hare is possible any way along the track. Look out for the many mountain plants along the track with Starry Saxifrage found in boggy flushes along with sundew in the sphagnum and Butterwort on wet areas close to rock. Off the path may be Juniper, grazed to a short shrub by the deer and even Dwarf Willow…

SITE 5 WEST MIDLANDS MILES ON FOOT: 5 TIME: 6 HOURS URBAN BIRDING IS ideal if you’re passing through, shopping or visiting a city on business. Although Birmingham’s centre is no match for the expansive parkland of London or cities located on higher ground where overhead migrants are more noticeable, there are a few surprises in store. The main target species is the charismatic Black Redstart, a species which was first recorded breeding as far back as 1943 at Birmingham University, although it was not until the late 1950s that the species became regular, but scarce, breeders. Over the years, numbers have fluctuated, probably as derelict buildings have been demolished, making way for the in-vogue glass fronted high-rise. Fortunately, the canal networks make ideal corridors for the birds to explore…

SITE 8 BRECONSHIRE/RADNORSHIRE MILES ON FOOT: 3 TIME: 3 HOURS THE SOUTH BANK at Glasbury lies within Breconshire, the north bank within Radnorshire, the village being the only river crossing point for 10 miles. Having squeezed from the confines of a river gorge, the Wye now takes on a more gentle aspect as it meanders through the water meadows with the occasional pools, none more important than at Pwllpatti, where a roadside hide provides admirable views. Little Ringed Plovers(below) first nested near Glasbury in 1977, since when up to eight pairs have chosen this part of the Wye though, sadly, there have been no more than three pairs in recent years. Landing canoes causing disturbance are blamed for low numbers and associated poor breeding success. Not so many years ago,…

The focus wheel is a generous 1.5 fingers wide, and well textured. It takes just over 1.5 anti-clockwise turns from close focus to infinity, and turns smoothly but a little stiffly. The eyecups twist up and down to three positions, were comfortable, and stayed in place well. They offer 17.2mm of eye relief. The dioptre ring, on the right barrel, is not calibrated but sets easily. HELIOS LIGHTWING HR FROM £159 REVIEWED BY MATT MERRITT IT’S REMARKABLE WHAT you can get for your money these days, so Helios’s new Lightwing HR range has an awful lot of competition in the sub-£300 bracket. Do they stand out from the crowd? Well, optically, there’s certainly little to complain about. There’s good natural colour and contrast, and a crisp image with very little…

IT’S EASIER NOW than ever before to capture fantastic wildlife pictures. High-end features, once reserved for top-end cameras, used to cost megabucks, but this technology has steadily trickled down into entry-level and enthusiast models over the years, so everyone can get in on the fun. While this is great news for the consumer, it can still be tricky to get the shot you envisioned, even when your camera has all of the bells and whistles. Generally, in photography you have two options; use a fast shutter speed to freeze your subject, or use a slower shutter speed to introduce arty blur which can look both dramatic and visually striking. Exactly the same principle applies when photographing birds. The great thing about these two techniques, freezing and panning, is they work…

YOU COULD HAVE your headphones in, there may be a police siren in the distance, cars lining the streets at rush hour, with the sounds of roaring engines surrounding you, but there’s no way you would miss the sharp call of a Black-headed Gull in the city. They’re one of our most charismatic gull species; an extremely sociable bird which, despite their size, call louder and are more quarrelsome than any other gull found in Britain. They’re a bird that divides opinion – people seem to either love them or hate them. Although their name may suggest so, these gulls have white heads for much of the year – developing the full black head only in summer months. For the most part of the year, they are left only with…

RED GROUSE MANY PEOPLE KNOW the Red Grouse as the ‘only British bird . It is indeed true that the bird only occurs in the British Isles. However, it is widely agreed that it is a largely red-brown subspecies of the widespread Holarctic Willow Grouse (aka Willow Ptarmigan). ‘Our’ bird, in addition to being red-brown (including the wings and belly, which are white in the Willow Grouse), are distinguished by not turning white in winter. Incidentally, try not to confuse the Willow Ptarmigan (Grouse) with the Ptarmigan, which is often called the Rock Ptarmigan, eg in North America, where both seasonal plumage-changing species occur. So, the Red Grouse is not a species as such; and there are many birds which have distinct British and British Isles subspecies. Furthermore, taxonomists in…

It is not just owls which produce pellets – regurgitated bundles of undigested, undigestible material. Many other birds also regurgitate them, which when analysed reveal a lot of information about a particular bird s diet. These include birds of prey, herons, gulls, shrikes, crows, kingfishers, grebes and even waders. Pellets from different types of bird are generally distinguished by size, form, consistency and cohesiveness and the material that comprises them. Owls have particularly well defined pellets and their relatively mild digestive systems mean that the regurgitated material, particularly bones remain well intact (see right). Gently teasing apart an owl pellet, using tweezers and with the aid of water, is a brilliant way of finding out what the owl has been eating.…

LANDSCAPE   “The month’s most beautiful habitat is surely heather moorland. Three types of heather swathe our rolling uplands in magenta, pink and purple. Ling is the most common, but all gladden the heart” MAMMAL HARVEST MOUSE Even if its populations are at their annual peak, swollen with the year s youngsters, seeing a Harvest Mouse in the wild, as you wander autumn fields and fens, is a mighty challenge . Considerably easier (but still by no means guaranteed) is to join a small-mammal trapping session run by a county mammal society. Traps are baited and packed with bedding to encourage warm-blooded visitors; they cause the temporary captives no harm. Big-eyed and caramel in pelage, the Harvest Mouse is an endearing creature – and all the more so should it…

Both were thrilled to have won. “I’ve always admired Bill for his humour and birding skills and meeting him will go down as a red letter day in my life,” said Alan, a retired biomedical scientist from Northamptonshire. James, who works for an asset management firm and lives in south-east London, said the news had made his day: “I’ve been a fan of Bill’s since long before I started birding (the Goodies and various TV shows) and quickly discovered how much I enjoyed his writing through birding magazines, plus the less serious but brilliant Little Black Bird Book. To get to meet this birding legend and to go out birding with him on ‘his patch’ is amazing.” Their visit took place with changes in the air at the Heath, some…

SITE 3 LANCASHIRE MILES ON FOOT: 2 TIME: 3 HOURS ROSSALL POINT’S LOCATION sees migration heading past, facing the open water of the bay, and, at low tide, miles of mud and sand. Local birders watch passerines drop down, from their own observatory. As you would expect, seabirds do play a big part here, with skuas often searched for, particularly in spring. Arctic Terns often pass by in their hundreds, along with Little, Arctic, and Sandwich Terns and even a Caspian Tern and a possible Gull-billed Tern could be seen. Black Terns (right) are annual with Little Gulls sometimes making double figures. Wintering Glaucous and Iceland Gulls are also found. With Martin Mere not too far away, geese are a spectacle with large numbers of Pink-footed Geese often seen. Passage…

SITE 6 HEREFORDSHIRE MILES ON FOOT: 3 TIME: 3 HOURS PART OF THIS lovely area on the meadow, river and brook is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It is a fascinating area, which is really a flood plain, and the silt carried down and deposited makes this a very fertile place. The best time to visit is from spring to late summer, but the River Lugg flows down its edge so other times of year can be of interest. Basically, this is a surviving example of Lammas Meadow from at least Domesday time so that alone makes for an interesting area. For birders, the nesting Curlew and Sky Larks are here and in the winter when there are floods a whole range of gulls, ducks and…

SITE 9 EAST SUSSEX MILES ON FOOT: 3 TIME: 3 HOURS THE COASTLINE AND hinterland between Hastings and Pett, including Fairlight, have been incorporated into a large 660-acre country park that provides an important green lung for the bustling seaside town to the west. Spectacular, crumbling sea-cliffs of sandstone and clay bands bordering the English Channel make for a spectacular back drop to the walk, much of it scrub-clad, but also with sheer and rocky outcrops overlooking the sea. Early morning visitors should scan for any overhead visible migration, particularly if the wind is in the east, as birds move down the coast. The glens and the old quarry are favourite migrant traps for warblers, flycatchers and the like. Raptors should also be on the cards as the morning warms…

BIRD 1 In many ways, this is one of the easier to identify herons in this month s ID Challenge. For starters, it is obviously a largely white bird, which immediately rules out most options and steers it towards one of the white species we call egrets. So, that narrows it down. Secondly, it has a yellow-orange bill, so the field is further reduced, excluding Little Egret (and Great White Egret in full breeding finery). The compact, almost chunky, shape, the lack of a significant keel-like bulge in the folded neck and the relatively short bill all count against the yellow billed Great White Egret (out of breeding finery). Instead they point to Cattle Egret. This conclusion is strengthened by a closer look at the head, where you can see…

BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY ISN’T just about filling the frame with your feathered quarry. It isn’t about having the biggest camera or most expensive lenses. Instead, it’s about trying to convey a sense of wonder and beauty in the form of a single image, capturing character, feeling and behaviour in a single frame. It will test your patience, knowledge and skill, but in return it will give you a huge satisfaction and thrill when you get a perfect shot! Over a three-part series, I’m going to be giving you an introduction to bird photography, to get you started with the knowledge and ideas to help you head out and create some beautiful photos of our superb birds. In this first section, I’ll look at areas including lenses, accessories, the basics, exposure, camera…

BIRD WATCHING WERE privileged to be part of the judging process for the inaugural ‘Bird Photographer of the Year’ competition, with art editor Katie Wilkinson forming part of the final judging panel. The eight categories and two special awards attracted an exceptional standard of entry – as our favourite short-listed images featured over the next few pages testify. The winning images will be revealed by Chris Packham at a special awards event at Birdfair on Saturday, 20 August, and we’ll feature them in next month’s issue of Bird Watching, so keep a look out! Categories were Best Portrait, Birds in the Environment, Attention to Detail, Birds in Flight, Bird Behaviour, Garden Birds, Creative Imagery and Best Digiscoped Image. The special awards were for Best Portfolio and Young Bird…