Bird Watching の December 2017 の目次

As 2017 closes, I’ve been reminded that with birdwatching, as with most things, you can get by with a little help from your friends. First, I added Lesser Yellowlegs to the #My200BirdYear list when one turned up in Warwickshire, thanks to a generous tip-off from local birders who organised access with the kind co-operation of the farmer on whose land it was. Then, our own Mike Weedon tipped me off about a Mediterranean Gull near the office, which became tick number 185. Over the last 10 years at Bird Watching, the BTO’s Kate Risely has been a friend to all of us. I hope you’ll join us in wishing her a fond farewell, or rather au revoir, as she’ll be returning on an occasional basis with new features, while next…

“Today, Goldfinches are still sought-after by those who wish to appreciate their beauty close up” Birdwatching has a long history, but for many hundreds of years people who wished to see birds close up would do so by catching them and putting them in a cage. The beauty and pleasing song of Goldfinches made them one of the most popular cage birds, and trapping of wild Goldfinches for the cage industry was widespread across Europe, including Britain, until the 1800s. The numbers taken were incalculable, with records such as the 132,000 a year trapped at a site in Sussex in the 1860s illustrating the scale of the incarceration. By the start of the 20th Century, Goldfinches were virtually extinct across many parts of Britain, and one of the first jobs…

“On Saturday, I made sure I was up before the sun... meeting with fellow birders” Don’t talk to me about Hawfinches! It all started in mid-October, when reports of abnormally large numbers of Hawfinches moving through Europe prompted keen vis miggers out for dawn watches in various parts of the country. The 14th was the key date, with multiple records over Bedfordshire, of all the harmless counties, and an outrageous party of 40 over St Mary’s, Scilly; but with back-up from sites over the heart of England. The next day, I was out on dawn patrol hoping for Hawfinches over the eastern part of the Peterborough area, where the Nene flows closest to The Wash, while still in ‘Area’. Not a sausage of finch passage (but three nice Grey Plovers…

“Images of birds recruit support to conservation...” When I wrote the piece I called ‘Snap Happy Birders’, I knew I had set the neighbour’s cat among my pigeons, but I didn’t expect the pigeons to come home to roost quite so fast, nor so close to home. Bird Watching’s postbag filled and the debate raged on over a number of issues… not too surprising, perhaps, as it is an issue which seems to polarise people. However, I want to make it clear that I didn’t set out to ‘diss’ birding photographers, or any photographer come to that. I knew I had been misunderstood or misinterpreted when my own son (birder first, photographer more recently) said “well, if you feel like that, you can take my photos off your website”! I…

This wood was planted in the 19th Century by the estate to add cover in an open landscape, and it gives easy access for birders to push up their Islay list, as this mainly broadleaved wood holds many of the species not found in other areas of the island. Although Sycamore is often dominant for its resistance against wind and salt spray, there are other trees such as Beech, Ash, Rowan, Birch and Elm, which are well away from the devastating beetle that took out the Elms in most of Britain. Scots Pine and Noble Fir are here, along with plenty of Rhododendron. Check for Crossbill and Goldcrest. Rides make it easy to walk through the wood and by using your ears you could easily find a flock of tits…

Apart from the lovely views of the Shropshire Hills, this is a very interesting area with beautiful woodland, open areas and, most intriguing of all, the deep lakes and ponds scooped out by the ice from long, long ago. One of the pools was a favourite of the well-known writer Mary Webb, who lived nearby and often sat by Bomere Pool, which she called Sarn Mere in her most famous novel, Precious Bane. As usual with areas like this, there are legends and strange stories, such as the monster fish carrying the sword of Wild Edric (an Anglo-Saxon nobleman who led resistance to the Norman Conquest), or the fact that the pool is supposed to be bottomless, with a mermaid living there! But don’t worry, you will see birds and,…

This is a beautiful woodland walk on the edge of a hillside, following part of the Herefordshire Trail and passing a small lake to add to the interest. There are options for a longer walk but that is your choice on the day. There are lots of tracks through the woodland but it is a large area and on a hill so if you explore it might be wise to take a compass. There are muddy areas everywhere, particularly after rain, so it’s best to wear good walking boots. There are lovely views of the Shropshire countryside and you can see why it’s a good area for wildlife. You will almost certainly hear a Buzzard mewing overhead, a Raven being harassed by corvids or a Kestrel hovering with intent. This…

It is the month of Christmas and the winter solstice. The days are ridiculously short, it can be cold and miserable, and when you are not forced to go Christmas shopping, you may be choosing to spend some quality time at home. Of course, that needn’t stop you turning to the garden for your bird thrills. But how good are you at identifying common garden birds? As our little Christmas treat, here are six garden birds for you to identify. As is the case every month, all you have to do is put a name to each bird in the photographs below, then turn the page for the answers and solutions. And if you are so inclined, turn the page again for a few tips on general bird ID, which…

Following the article in the November issue ‘Car-free birding’, it would be interesting to learn how many of your readers and staff completed the #My200BirdYear challenge without access to a car. Surely, that would constitute a genuine achievement. Editor Matt Merritt writes: We’d love to hear of any readers who have done all their birding without using a car this year, but why not give it a try in 2018 anyway? In the meantime, in 2011, I did all my birding on foot back, and you can read how I fared at birdwatching.co.uk/birding-by-foot…

Enjoy your complimentary pre-flight overnight hotel before your holiday begins. Full details from our office! DAY 1: Monday 28 May After relaxing in our complimentary airport lounge, we fly from London Heathrow Arrival - Oulu airport (via Helsinki), where we meet our local Guide. Our hotel is nearby, and if time allows after check-in, we will enjoy some local birding. Overnight for three nights at the Airport Hotel in Vihiluoto. DAYS 2-3: Tuesday 29 - Wednesday 30 May The next two full days are spent birding in the vicinity of Oulu. This region is best known for its breeding owls, which include Eagle, Great Grey, Ural, Tengmalm’s, Short-eared and Pygmy, and most years also Hawk and Long-eared Owl. During this period we also visit Liminka Bay, an internationally important wetland…

THE BIRDWATCHER'S YEARBOOK 2018 Calluna Books, £19.50 You think you know exactly what you're going to get with this venerable publication, which has been produced since 1981, so it's a mark of how well it's put together that every year there are still surprises to grab your attention. So, alongside the comprehensive directories of county, national and international birdwatching groups, the birding diary and the reference section, there's a fully updated guide to 370 British reserves, tide tables, a directory of lecturers, photographers and artists, and a round-up of bird books of the year. All appear in the book every year, but there's lots of new content in all of them, so patient browsing well and truly pays off. But the special features are excellent, too – one looks at…

Ian Parsons is a writer and bird guide. This month he leads you into the secretive world of the Treecreeper. Page 32 Dominic Couzens is an author of birding-related books. Inside, he reveals some fascinating Magpie facts. Find out more on page 48 Gordon Hamlett, who compiles our monthly UK Bird Sightings pages, invites you to test the grey matter with a quiz on page 74 David Lindo has birded all over the world under the moniker of The Urban Birder. This month he visits Wetzlar. Join him on page 86…

The English name Smew (which was first recorded in the late 17th Century) may have originated from the Dutch word smient, apparently meaning Wigeon, and clearly related to the German Schmeinte meaning a small wild duck (and the Middle High German word Smiehe). The small duck thing is obvious, and perhaps the Wigeon relationship refers to the reddish head and the obvious white wing panel of the female (aka the redhead). Other names for the Smew include White Merganser, White Widgeon, Easterling, Smee, Smeath and of course White Nun (for the male). The best name though seems to be Weasel Coot (perhaps as it is small and the female has a red-brown head and white throat?).…

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)…

CONSERVATION FUNDING A £4.1m National Lottery grant has been awarded to WWT Slimbridge, in a three-year project that will pay tribute to founder Sir Peter Scott. Described as “the patron saint of conservation” by Sir David Attenborough, Scott’s pioneering instinct led to the inception of the Wildfowl & Wetland Trust (WWT) in 1946 at Slimbridge, not only as a centre for science and conservation but also opening its doors to the public. The funding will also support sympathetic renovations of the conservationist’s own home, aimed at inspiring audiences to enjoy nature, actively explore its possibilities and follow in Scott’s footsteps. CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT Research by the BTO suggests that already threatened UK species could be set to suffer most from the effects of climate change. Six of the 11 species…

A Blackbird hops through a sudden fall of snow, soot on bright white, ‘chook chook’. Limp bramble leaves hang, frosted. Through misty light, shards of frost outline the twigs of leafless trees. The hibernal world of bare trees and low sunshine may be hushed by fogs, but the calls and songs of wintering birds are layered into the silences: the squeaky schack schack of the Fieldfare, the khaaing of Rooks and crows, the screeeech of a Jay – all signature sounds of monotone winter months. Winter, far from depriving us of bird activity, opens its cold arms to wintering visitors from circumpolar worlds, swelling numbers of our residents and welcoming, year after year, birds who breed elsewhere. Family life accomplished, birds flock together, scattering into the landscapes from moor to…

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…

The deciduous woodland of Forge Valley fills the steep-sided valley of the River Derwent in this lush corner of the North York Moors National Park, near Scarborough. I’ve been coming to the brilliant bird feeding station here since I was a child, when I can remember feeding Coal Tits seed from the palm of my hand on one winter’s day. The birds, perhaps, are not quite so tame any more, but the bird tables in Bird Watchers’ Car Park can still help you get your year list off to a flying start – and get some great photos –without you even having to get out of the car. It’s a veritable ‘Who’s Who’ of woodland birds, along with the more common finch and tit species, Marsh Tits and Willow Tits…

Bunkers Hill Wood lies to the west of Stourbridge, and was formerly part of Iverley Heath, and so contains a mix of broadleaved woodland and conifers together with Scots and Corsican Pine. Surrounding fields consist of pasture and pockets of arable farmland which still hold a good variety of birds, but alas Corn Bunting and Grey Partridges have all but disappeared. The site of around 102 acres has only been accessible to the public from the mid-1990s after being purchased by the Woodland Trust with the help of National Lottery funding. Much of the wood was originally planted around the mid 18th Century and boasts an impressive display of Bluebells and Rhododendron in spring. Typical woodland birds, such as Jay, Nuthatch, Treecreeper and Tawny Owl are present all year, augmented…

The second largest beach on the Gower Peninsula, Oxwich is one of the most popular during summer, though only a small proportion of those who enjoy the sandy expanse venture through the dunes; even fewer the marshes or into woodlands on the lower slopes of the Old Red Sandstone hill of Cefn Bryn, the backbone of Gower. Wynford Vaughan Thomas described the great park around Penrice Castle, with the deep woodlands that encircle it and the marshlands at its foot, as a landscape composition hard to beat in the whole of South Wales. Originally saltmarsh, in 1770 the owner of Penrice built a sea wall, so preventing the sea encroaching, at the same time excavating a sinuous lake, the Serpentine Broad. At first, the result was fine water meadows but…

I am sorry that Jim was annoyed by Mya Rose Craig’s article in the October issue of Bird Watching. His letter in the November issue was titled ‘Anyone can bird, surely?’. Unfortunately, I suspect that this is not true in all cases. Youngsters, irrespective of their ethnicity, have a better chance of experiencing and enjoying nature, including birding, if they have an awareness of the natural world. Sometimes, they require the opportunity and a little support to achieve this. Mya Rose clearly recognises this and is doing something about it. Engaging young people’s interest is important, not only because of the potential fulfilment it offers, but because the future well-being of the natural environment will inevitably be in their hands. I don’t know Mya Rose, despite living in the same…

Thanks to quizmaster Gordon Hamlett This quiz celebrates birds in culture, in all its many guises. It is hard, deliberately so. After all, who wants a Christmas quiz in which the entire family scores 19 out of 20 and it is all forgotten after five minutes? The only help I will give you is that there will be a bird reference or name, somewhere in the question or answer. So, for example, a question about London architects might refer to Sir Christopher Wren, or, if I was feeling mean, Sir Nicholas Hawksmoor. But if you answered Sir Norman Foster, you know that you would be barking up the wrong tree. Enjoy, and get those little grey cells working. Or, more likely these days, get your fingers moving to Google. Connections…

SWAROVSKI CL COMPANION (NEW) BINOCULARS, FROM £910 These binoculars are compact, lightweight and available as 8x30s (490g) or 10x30s (500g) in green or anthracite. They have a 108m(10x) or 132m(8x) field of view and focus down to 3m. Their “new balanced optics concept” gives “an unforgettable yet comfortable viewing experience and high-contrast, colour-true images”. There are three differently styled accessory packs (field bag and strap) to choose from – Northern Lights, Urban Jungle and Wild Nature (the least expensive). What will they think of next? swarovskioptik.com BILLINGHAM 72 CAMERA BAG, £100 A top-quality bag for fixed prime lens cameras, many small mirrorless cameras with a standard lens, and heavier cameras with a small lens. Made in England with a canvas or FibreNyte outer (the “ultimate in water resistance”), a double…

Matt: A BTX scope? A new DSLR? No, what I’d really like is a few Bearded Tits on my patch. Mike W: The Christmas walk is an family tradition. This year, I’d like a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker... Mark C: What I fancy is some Kingfisher beer. Well, any booze named after a bird, please! 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…

It is that time again, where we stab a pin into a crystal ball and try to guess what rare birds will turn up. This month’s rare selection are: GREAT BLUE HERON There have only been two Great Blue Herons in the UK, both on St Mary’s, Scilly. The last (which also visited Bryher) was in April 2015, but the first, a juvenile, was on 7 December 2007. What price another December GBH? SOCIABLE LAPWING Sociable Lapwing has always been a very rare bird in the UK. And in recent years the species has seen a terrible decline in its Asiatic breeding population, so it has become even harder to connect with. In fact, the last accepted record was on Scilly in 2008. BLACK BRANT A rare, or at least…

LANDSCAPE TIME AND TIDE Even without gales and floods, wandering the tideline this month is worthwhile. Set yourself the task of finding shells from five different crustaceans or identifying two species of seaweed. INVERTEBRATE MOTH OF THE MONTH They may not look particularly special in the field guide, but December Moth is a gorgeous beast. Intensely furry and deliciously velvet, this insect delights each time it graces a nocturnal light trap. It is ever-so-slightly oddly named, however. First emergence in northern Britain is early October, with the south of the island following a fortnight later. It is arguably most abundant during November – though still one of the most common moths come December. MAMMAL RUT OF LIFE Mention the word ‘rut’ in the context of British wildlife, and deer doubtless…

Ivy’s greenish-yellow umbels, the last wild flowers of the year, are rich in nectar when little else is available for birds and insects to feed on. It’s a valuable plant for many species of Lepidoptera: Hornets, hoverflies, Honey Bees and Red Admiral butterflies nectar on it, and the Ivy Bee Colletes hederae is completely dependent on its flowers, which are pollinated by wasps and flies. Barn Ivy provides roosting sites for bats and birds, is a home for hibernating insects Owl like Brimstone butterflies, and provides food for many moths including Angle Shades, Swallow-tailed Moth and Willow Beauty. Small Dusty Wave feeds exclusively on Ivy, and the Holly Blue caterpillar feeds on the flowers buds. Ivy berries ripen in winter, when most other fruits have already been stripped by wildlife.…

Taransay was the setting for the 2000 TV show ‘The Castaways’, which showed 36 folk trying to make a community over a whole year (and launching the TV career of Ben Fogle). The island is the largest uninhabited isle in the UK, and the Sound is the divide between it and Harris mainland. It offers a wide range of sea ducks in winter, including Common and Velvet Scoters, Goldeneye, Long-tailed Duck, Eider and rarities like Surf Scoter. A White-billed Diver was a good find among the many Great Northern Divers, with Red-throated Divers nesting around the area in summer, and a few Black-throated, too. Slavonian Grebes also winter here. The sands are some of the best on Harris and attract breeding and passage waders. Dunlin and Ringed Plover nest locally,…

The mainly flat landscape of this area adds to the appeal of the birding, with the chance of numerous goose species and a full list of swans, not to mention an estuary teeming with birds. The raised land at Cockersand Abbey dates back to 1184, when the Abbey was built, but Roman altars found close by may actually date the site as having been used by man for 2,000 years. Wildfowling then would have been a way of putting food on the table. A good list of geese has been found in the area with Red-breasted, both Beans and Whitefronts, Snow and Barnacle – with Pinkfeet being the dominant goose in winter. Mutes and Whoopers are the main swans, but small numbers of Bewick’s can be found most years. Flocks…

To the north of Southwold lies a classic and relatively underwatched part of the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Scattered heathland, copses, freshwater broads and marshland adjacent to the North Sea coastline assures the walker of a wide range of wintering birds. The sea cliffs make for the perfect vantage point to scan for seabirds. Sea ducks, auks, Gannets and Red-throated Divers are a given and scarcities such as Long-tailed Duck, Eider and Velvet Scoter are frequently noted. The foreshore above the high water mark is a good spot to search for Snow Buntings and maybe the odd Twite or Shore Lark. The broad attracts good numbers of wildfowl including the occasional sawbill, while Jack Snipe are often inadvertently flushed while walking along the reedbed margins.…

Camber Sands, with its wide-open expanse of beach, sand dunes and foreshore, is a spectacular setting at any time of year, but even more so during the winter months when the holidaymakers are absent. The new windsurfers car park at Broomhill has been recently renewed as part of extensive sea defence work to prevent flooding across this section of Romney Marsh, and affords a good vantage point to scan both the bay and farmland to the north. On the seaward side, at high tide, Red-breasted Merganser, Velvet Scoter and Eider are sometimes reported among the flocks of Great Crested Grebes and Common Scoters on the sea, while the occasional party of Snow Buntings winter along the tide line. Low tide offers good numbers of shorebirds feeding on the invertebrate-rich sands.…

Over the years in Bird Watching, you’ll have seen a lot of superb photographs of the birds of Finland, taken by visiting UK photographers as well as the country’s own many superb snappers. That’s because Finland has all the ingredients for a superb all-round birdwatching experience – lots of unspoiled natural habitat, especially forests and lakes, superb light (thanks to a lack of pollution and, in spring and summer, long hours of daylight), and a location on the fringes of Europe that means both Arctic-breeding species and eastern species can be found. Late spring is the best time to visit, with breeding birds back on territory, and the days long enough that you can birdwatch almost around the clock. It’s a big country, though, and not one that’s necessarily easy…

DAY 1: Saturday or Wednesday Arrival, welcome, dinner and briefing. Don’t forget Heatherlea’s courtesy service from Aviemore. DAY 2: Sunday or Thursday – Local Day in Strathspey We aim high today, exploring Strathspey by vehicle and on foot to look for some of the most elusive and iconic British birds: Capercaillie, Black Grouse, Red Grouse, Golden Eagle, Crested Tit, Scottish Crossbill and many more. In early spring, anything is possible, and we could see Hen Harrier, Merlin, Goshawk or White-tailed Eagle. Depending on the level of the snow in the mountains we may look for Snow Bunting and Ptarmigan too, for a possible ‘four grouse species in a day’. DAY 3: Monday or Friday – Moray Coast Day Spring birding along the Moray Coast is particularly enjoyable as the first…

LEDLENSER MH10 HEAD TORCH, £89.95 Given its size and weight (158g with battery) the MH10 is surprisingly bright. The beam focuses by twisting a bezel on the front of the light. The first part of this movement was much too stiff but seemed to loosen up with use. The MH10 comes with a filter holder and red and green filters. You push a filter into the holder and the holder onto the torch, but neither was easy. It’s useful though – red preserves your night vision and won’t disturb wildlife. Five-year warranty, seven if registered. GPDESIGN PR57, £84.99 The PR57 has a whopping 1000 lumens output, measures 166x35mm and weighs around 143g. It’s water resistant, and feels and behaves like a quality product. The on-off switch also provides a ‘momentary…