Bird Watching の November 2015 の目次

WADERS are my favourite group of birds, probably because, growing up in a land-locked county, seeing one was usually comething of an event. Except for Lapwings, that is – they were a familiar sight on ploughed fields. On p26, Ben Macdonald looks at what has happened to our cover bird, and other farmland wader species, and suggests how we can help them make a comeback, and we have ideas on where to watch Britain’s wonderful waders in November (p35). This issue also contains our Travel Guide, with a variety of locations guaranteed to inspire you and broaden your birding horizons. It includes, of course, some remarkable waders (the display flight of Temmick’s Stints was a particular highlight of a recent visit to Norway). But wherever you go this month, enjoy…

Low-slung, head and back barely visible, a rippling arrow trailing behind it. You may not be able to see much of the animal, but that does not stop you calling – emphatically, excitedly, quietly – “Otter!”. No other British mammal dominates the boundary between land and water. Our largest mustelid, formally the Eurasian Otter on account of their being a dozen other species of otter worldwide, is said to derive its name from the word wodr, which is also the origin of the word ‘water’. Otters pour themselves into water fluidly, dissolving into the depths, the fizz of bubbles the only sign betraying their existence, before extracting themselves onto a distant bank with a sinuous slither and humping into the rushes. Otters are not animals to give themselves up easily.…

WHITE-TAILED EAGLES could be threatened by the Scottish Government’s proposed cull of Barnacle Geese on Islay. The Scottish Government is proposing to cull 25% of the Barnacle Goose population on the Hebridean island. The recent average winter population of the species on the island has been 36,000, but the figure used to justify the cull claims a maximum of 45,000 geese, a figure rarely achieved. Until recently, a long-running Local Goose Management Scheme on Islay was based on management payments and goose scaring, with a small amount of lethal control for the purposes of scaring large numbers of birds. This appears to have been effective. However, the Scottish government now proposes to cull more than a quarter of the Barnacle Geese on the island, and the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust…

THREE QUARTERS OF people believe it is important to encourage wildlife to their gardens, according to an RSPB poll. However, almost the same number admit they haven't discussed the matter with their neighbours in the last six months. The RSPB's Giving Nature a Home survey asked more than 1,800 people with an outdoor space a series of questions relating to theirs and their neighbours' gardens, and garden wildlife, and found that nearly half of those surveyed had never discussed the subject with those who lived close by. Richard Bashford, manager of the Giving Nature a Home project, said: “If you've given nature a home in your garden,” he said, “tell a friend, family member or neighbour about the benefits it has for UK wildlife. It could help reverse the declines…

ACCORDING TO A new study, it’s not only possible for owls and loggers to get along; it may be essential. The study, conducted by The Wildlife Conservation Society, the Russian Academy of Sciences and the University of Minnesota, studied Blakiston’s Fish Owl habitats in the Russian Far East. They found that the greatest proportion of suitable habitats were in lands leased by logging companies and only 19% were protected in nature reserves. However, unlike the conflict between American loggers and Spotted Owls in the 1990s, it seems that Russian logging companies are doing their best to live alongside the owls, and indeed to help them. One of the biggest logging companies in the study area, OAO Amgu, is working with biologists to identify patches of forest crucial to the owls’…

NORTH WEST MULL Community Woodland Company has played host to the first pair of White-tailed Eagles to breed in a Scottish community woodland. The pair, a locally born female and a younger male who displaced his rival over winter, successfully raised two chicks which fledged and left the nest in August, thanks to cooperation between the RSPB, Tilhill Forestry who manage the woodland, harvesters and the local community, who teamed up to protect the nest during the breeding season. The news coincides with the 40th anniversary of the reintroduction of the White-tailed Eagle to Scotland, where there are now around 100 breeding pairs. Ian Moody of Tilhill Forestry said that this showed that active timber harvesting and wildlife conservation did not have to be mutually exclusive.…

I SUFFER FROM PROGRESSIVE hearing loss; I am profoundly deaf in one ear, and get periods of complete deafness in the other. I share this not to evoke sympathy, but to urge you to lay down some internal audio tracks for the future, because most people’s hearing fades somewhat as they age. Despite my audio illiteracy, some of my most cherished memories are of wild sounds. Just as aromas can unexpectedly transport you to a past time and distant place, so my inner ear evokes recall of deeply embedded, joyous occasions. You would rightly expect that some of these memory-captured sounds are bird song. While, by and large, I may not be able to distinguish a tit from a Ptarmigan on call alone, there are, nevertheless, some bird sounds I…

Wetlands existed on Wallasea Island since ancient times, when much of the Essex coastline formed rich breeding grounds for birds. At the end of the last Ice Age it was almost certainly dry land like most of the North Sea basin, but rising sea levels are thought to have deposited the silt and sand which, together with older clays, underlie the island’s soil. It is likely that the area was used for grazing in the late Middle Ages, and there may have been arable land too. A map by the Tudor cartographer Christopher Saxton of 1576 shows that creeks divided Wallasea into three separate islands. In the 15th Century, it was drained for agricultural use by Dutch settlers, who also constructed the original seawall. Over time, more wetland areas were…

This month’s experts Regular experts Matt and Mike are joined by wader guru Rick Simpson Rick Simpson, Wader Quest Bird guide Rick is co-founder of Wader Quest, which has taken him to six continents, where he was seen a whopping 175 wader species. Lanceo-what? Q What does Lanceolated mean, in the name of the warbler species? H Harvey, Pocklington ALanceolated simply means ‘shaped like a lance’, and is often used by botanists to describe long, pointy leaves. In the Lanceolated Warbler’s case, and that of the Lanceolated Monklet of South America, the name refers to the streaks on the bird’s breast, which are shaped like lance heads. PLEASE CAN YOU IDENTIFY THIS BIRD? Q Please can you identify this bird? I took the pic at Horning Marshes, Norfolk. Heather Bint,…

PRICE: £1095pp, £90 single supplement. Deposit £300 DATES: Friday 5 February to Wednesday 10 February 2016 ACCOMMODATION: Located in a peaceful small town in the interior, 40 minutes from the airport and close to key areas for the bustard and courser, our rural, family-run hotel offers a perfect base. The spacious rooms have large private bathrooms and the hotel has a swimming pool. FOOD: Typical Spanish food to a very good standard, and with a wide choice of local cuisine; a real flavour of the island! We enjoy packed lunches in the field, and midday temperatures allow us to keep birding. Vegetarian and other diets are welcome. WALKING: Not strenuous. Walking is generally very easy, on roads, paths and tracks. Most birding is done close to our vehicle, and even…

OTHER SITES Lisbon Gardens This long, thin stretch of reedbed and municipal parkland borders the muddy foreshore on the city-side of the Tagus Estuary. It serves as an appetiser for what is to come when you cross the bridge into the estuary proper. It is fairly heavily used by the locals as a place for jogging or just to while away sunny afternoons. But you will still find birds despite all the human presence. The reedbeds, although rudimentary, attracts an array of warblers during the breeding season, including the obligatory Great Reed Warbler. During the winter months Bluethroat is the reedbed speciality and Dartford Warbler frequents the more scrubby areas. The Gardens are also a fine place when it comes to checking for passage migrants. When exposed, the foreshore can…

Entry-level Minox MINOX’S BF 8X42 and 10x42 are the optics manufacturer’s new entry level, all-rounder binoculars. With retail prices starting at £130 for the 8x and going up to £145 for the 10x, they definitely sit at the ‘affordable’ end of the spectrum, but still have the quality finish and features you’d expect from Minox. Multi-coated lenses give high light transmission and neutral colour rendition, while the phase-corrected coating of the roof prisms ensures high contrast and detail even in poor light. A slim design and rubber armour protects the bins while giving good grip, and the BFs are sealed to withstand water to a depth of three metres, so the typical British weather should be no problem! Nitrogen filling prevents fogging and internal corrosion, and the extended exit pupil…

SOUTH WEST Highlights Scilly dominated the headlines in the region. Top honours go to a Blackpoll Warbler on St Agnes (23rd), backed up by a Red-eyed Vireo, which stayed into October. The same island also had Paddyfield Warbler earlier. There were also a Pechora Pipit and Desert Wheatear and Western Bonelli’s Warbler on St Mary’s. AVON HIGHLIGHTS: A Long-tailed Skua was at Chew (7th), a Wryneck at New Passage (16th), Grey Phalaropes at Chew (15th), New Passage (25th) and Portishead (30th), and a Yellow-browed Warbler at Portishead (26th). PORTISHEAD/CLEVEDON AREA: There was a Marsh Harrier (27th) and an early Short-eared Owl (27th). Waders included Little Stints on four dates, a Little Ringed Plover (12th-13th) and Curlew Sandpipers (19th & 28th). Ringers trapped Firecrest (3rd), Grasshopper Warbler (13th) and Redstart (19th).…

Read the right books, and you think you have an idea what the birdlife must be like in the Arctic midsummer. Nothing, though, prepares you for the scale of it, for being able to birdwatch 24 hours a day, every day, as well the sheer number of birds out there. If you’re heading to Varanger Fjord, the north-easternmost point of Norway, prepare yourself for sensory overload. Near our first overnight stop, the Samiowned Birk Husky B&B, we ticked Willow Grouse, Pine Grosbeak, Red- and Black-throated Divers, White-tailed Eagle, Rough-legged Buzzard and, just to emphasise that Mother Russia was a few hundred yards away, Siberian Chiffchaff, Siberian Tit and Siberian Jay. Around Vadso, where we stayed at the excellent Vadso Fjordhotell, Arctic Terns were never too far away, of course, and…

Breathtaking scenery; a wealth of culture and history; cycling and walking opportunities for all ages and abilities; some of this planet’s most appealing birdlife – it’s no wonder visitors to Mallorca look north when planning their stay on the island. Iconic figures such as Winston Churchill, Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly were drawn to the area – beguiled by the stunning landscape of the Serra de Tramantana, the mountain range that is now a World Heritage Site, plunging so spectacularly into the sea at the cliffs of Formentor. North Mallorca is a magnet for birdwatchers. There’s almost an A to Z of sites to take in – Arta Peninsula, Boquer Valley, Cap Formentor, Cases Velles, Cuber Reservoir, La Gola Reserve, Mortitx, S’Albufera Nature Reserve, Son Bosc and Depuradora and Ternelles…

Extensive, unspoiled forests. Wide wetlands and plenty of wet pasture and grassland. Farmland of the sort you might have seen in Britain before World War Two. And a migration bottleneck to rival some of the great European equivalents. With all that, it’s something of a mystery that Latvia doesn’t already figure highly on British birdwatchers’ lists of must-visit destinations. No matter. It soon will. It’s early May, and we’re not long out of the capital, Riga, when we start to enjoy some of what this country has to offer. A couple of Cranes. White Storks, White Wagtails (the national bird) and Hooded Crows. Stopping near Garkalne, the forests are alive with Cuckoos calling, and the sandy soil and scrubby areas of heath promise much more. Before long, we’ve found Hoopoes…

We’re making our way back to Chalons after two days of excellent early spring birding, and we’re about to stop off at the vineyard of Champagne Sebille for a whistle-stop tour. Well, when in Champagne… But we can’t find the way into the vineyard, so we split up, walking round the little village, set in rolling country, not unlike the South Downs. As I wander up the main street, I glance at a crow winging its way directly towards me. Except it’s not a crow. It’s flappier, and it’s holding its head up proudly, and the head is topped by a bright red crown that means it could be only one thing, even though there’s barely a tree in sight. Black Woodpecker! If we’d needed an excuse to sample the…

Matt: I’d love to see a roadrunner, of any kind, in the American West – I think I watched too many cartoons as a kid! Mike: Only a privileged few get to see the incredible and critically endangered Philippines Eagle – I’d love to be one of them Jack: I’d love to visit India one day. There are too many birds to choose from, but Indian Pitta is a real beauty.…

RARITY RATINGS Common, widely distributed Localised – always a treat Very scarce or rare The bulk of the autumn’s migration rush is through. But there is still plenty of movement and action in November. Wintering birds are settling in and there are still some dribs and drabs of returning migrants and off course waifs. Here are four birds to enjoy this month. See if you can bag the lot. Spotted Redshank RATING Never very common, this elegant wader is largely a passage bird through the UK, mainly at coastal sites, with perhaps 500 or so passing through. Some also winter at favoured sites. It is larger and slimmer than the Redshank, with a longer, finer bill with just a hint of a down curve and red only on the base…

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…

FOR A FEW weeks in autumn, Jays seem to be everywhere, and according to BirdTrack they are twice as likely to be recorded at this time of year than in the spring and summer. They are eye-catching birds, noticeable for their pink, black, blue and white colours that are so unusual for a crow. What’s behind this flurry of activity? In autumn, Jays collect acorns and store them for the winter, and this is a massive operation. Birds can travel long distances out of their home ranges to productive oak trees and spend hours every day ferrying acorns back and forth. They are able to carry several acorns at a time in their gullet, as well as a larger one in their bill, and these are secreted in nooks and…

A NEW HOSPITAL near Birmingham hopes to be caring for more than human patients. The Midland Met, a state of the art hospital being built in Smethwick, will include a purpose-built habitat for Black Redstarts, in an attempt to attract more breeding pairs of the rare summer visitor. After a sighting of the bird in the area, the hospital's planners and architects consulted local wildlife expert Chris Parry to ensure that such a habitat was built into the final plans. The new site will offer suitable habitat, as well as encouraging local people to get involved with their local Wildlife Trust and see the positive benefits of wildlife to their health and wellbeing.…

CONSERVATIONISTS joined politicians at the RSPB’s Summer Reception to call for long-term planning to restore the UK’s wildlife. DEFRA minister Rory Stewart paid tribute to the work of the RSPB, and called for the UK to lead the world in conseravtion. Fiona Wheatley of Marks and Spencer made the case for business working in partnership with charities and NGOs to protect the environment, while RSPB president Miranda Krestovnikoff reminded the audience of the UK’s long and effective record of legislation on conservation – RSPB chief executive Mike Clarke backed that up by calling for the EU’s Nature Directives to be preserved. Finally, young blogger Findlay Wilde made an impassioned plea on behalf of the next generation of naturalists and birders, for immediate and effective action to be taken to save…

OFFSHORE WIND TURBINES could pose more of a threat to seabirds than was originally thought, according to a new study by researchers from Glasgow, Leeds and Exeter Universities. The research, which centred on the 70,000-strong Bass Rock Gannet colony in the Firth of Forth, found that although previous estimates showed the Gannets flew below the 72 feet above sea level minimum needed to avoid collision with the rotating blades of wind turbines, the birds were actually flying much higher. Using GPS technology, the researchers found that while searching for food the Gannets were flying at around 89 feet, high enough to collide with the blades of the two proposed wind farms planned for construction near the colony. The sites for the proposed farms overlaps with the Gannets’ feeding grounds, sparking…

THE NAME SNETTISHAM conjures up one image for the British birdwatcher – swirling flocks of waders over mile after mile of wintry mudflats. The unique geological nature of Snettisham draws tens of thousands of transient birds during autumn and winter, but astonishing as they are, there are other highlights, too. Snettisham RSPB reserve is just north of King’s Lynn, facing the estuaries of The Wash where, on clear days, ‘Boston Stump’ can be seen on the Lincolnshire side. Its extensive mudflats are a safe roosting site for 40,000 Pink-footed Geese, which can be seen in the skies overhead at dawn and dusk after their daily feeding forays into the agricultural hinterland, and whether it is wild geese streaming across a technicolor sunrise, or waders swirling across the mudflats as the…

NOVEMBER MEANS SHORTER days, so it’s a great time to find one good birding spot and work it thoroughly, especially for the waders and wildfowl that flock to these islands at this time of year. This issue’s sites provide plenty of opportunities to find these visitors, and much more, so try them out, and then tell us what you found by emailing us your stories and photos at birdwatching@bauermedia.co.uk Highlights Superb wader-watching on estuaries from Loch Fleet, Sutherland to South West Wales Look for flocks of winter wildfowl, including rarities, at Grimsbury Reservoir Cross-Channel rarities are a possibility as you explore the historic town of Hythe Where to watch birds this November 1 Sutherland Loch Fleet 2 Dumfries & Galloway Carsethorn 3 Cumbria Port Carlisle 4 Shropshire…

Red-backed Shrikes hit by habitat loss elsewhere What a fantastic issue of the mag for October. Great stuff by Ian Parsons on Goldcrests, while Dominic Couzens and Ben Macdonald seem to be vying for your best author title. I think Ben on Red-backed Shrikes just pipped my hero Dominic’s effort on Pied Wagtails. Maybe Ben’s subject was slightly more interesting. I agree with his verdict on how farming methods affect Red-backed Shrikes. My wife is Finnish, we married there and I have lost count how many times I have visited Finland. Red-backed Shrikes used to be so common in the farmland around my wife’s childhood home in the south of the country. One year, they even nested in the garden and I was able to witness three chicks fledge. Every…

RAFT It’s very easy to see why the term ‘raft’ is applied to a large group of seabirds or ducks on the water. From a distance, and even quite close too, the birds can form such a seamless mass that the spaces between are hard to make out, and the whole seems to form a large platform covering the water. Some of these flocks are mainly single-species, like the huge rafts of shearwaters that form in the Atlantic, and some, like the large groups of gulls that can often be seen on inland lakes, are mixed. These rafts, which can contain from hundreds to many thousands of birds, form for various reasons, mainly to do with the availability of food and protection from the elements, but they do have disadvantages,…

COMBINE GREAT BIRDING with a relaxed luxury break in the delightful Channel Island of Alderney, and in nearby Normandy. Staying in the four-star Braye Beach Hotel, in Alderney, and a medieval château at Bricquebec, Normandy, you’ll enjoy excellent cuisine in the evenings, after spending the day watching migration in full swing, led by guides Martin Batt and Bird Watching editor Matt Merritt. There’s a wide range of breeding species to be found, too. Alderney has guaranteed wildlife spectacles in the form of the huge Gannet colonies (8,000 pairs) of Les Étacs and Ortac, just 300m offshore, and a boat trip will take you close in for great views and photography. The large marine reserve just off the north-west coast also includes Puffin, Guillemot, Razorbill and Storm Petrel colonies, while on…

THE SPIRIT OF a woman hovers over Hickling Broad. Her houseboat has vanished, the jetty gone. Our silent boat skimmed over the water, drifting towards a group of Swan and Egyptian Geese feeding contentedly in the shallows. Early evening light. As we paused at the tiny deserted island named ‘Miss Turner’s Island’ after Emma Turner the pioneering bird-photographer we featured in the October issue of Bird Watching, a tern dashed overhead like a white paper plane, calling its thin throaty call. A lone Alder struggles among reeds where her island hut has fallen into ruin, the only sound the slapping of water against the hull. Silky water reflected the sky in milky patterns, the languid horizon a strip of flat land darkening under a huge sky. We rustled through a…

From out of the reeds, in gathering darkness, came the sharp, loud, steady ‘whet-whet’ of a Spotted Crake. It formed the treble of a percussion chorus, along with the deep, muffled boom of a Bittern and the still-urgent call of a distant Cuckoo. As I listened to this wild version of Rite of Spring, sipping soothing beer and munching on a calorific-explosive sweet Estonian cake while idly watching small parties of Black Terns and Little Gulls fielding stray caddis flies over our motorboat, I mused that Estonia must count as an exceptional place for birds. Except that this evening’s entertainment wasn’t even a bird trip. This was a beaver trip, and birds were almost incidental to the main event. Estonia has one of the largest populations of wild beavers in…

Watching bustards and eagles by day, and relaxing with a sauna and massage in the evening. If that’s not a chilled out holiday then I don’t know what is. At St Martin’s Lodge in eastern Austria, even a bike ride is a piece of cake – you can hire e-bikes that do all the work for you. My guide Leander and I went out for a two hour dawn circuit of the nearby lakes and even for a committed fitness-phobe it was a great way to start the day. Reed Buntings sang from the fringes, Avocets fed happily and a Red-backed Shrike sat on a wire fence, a reminder of what we’re missing back home. Overhead, Red-throated Pipits made their presence known by their call, giving us just enough time…

When you’re offered a stay in a château not far from La Rochelle, there’s only one answer, so, unsurprisingly, my partner Laura and I were on the Eurotunnel faster than you can say “wouldn’t it have been quicker to fly?” Our beautiful accommodation, a classic French château, belonging to the author Catherine Broughton, was a seven-hour drive from Calais, but even the easy drive along the empty péage roads was lifted by plenty of Black Kites and Buzzards. Château de Rochebonne is just 15 minutes from the Île d’Oléron, where the masses of farmed oyster beds are much appreciated by Little Egrets and Grey Herons. The Heron theme continues on the island itself, which, though popular with tourists in summer, is very quiet out of season, giving you plenty of…

Southern Morocco is one of the least-known destinations for birding. All I can say is that it’s got be one of the best around, as we got some cracking birds, both specialities and subspecies. The area comprises high mountains, deserts, rocky gorges, wooded valleys, coastal marshes and lagoons – in short, a whole range of habitats offering a wealth of species. My one piece of advice is that you get yourself a local bird guide, but one who knows their specific area. For example, one guide we had for the day took us straight to where the Bald Ibis were and we were looking at them within a minute of arriving. Likewise, in the desert, our guide was a nomad who had his relatives looking out for the birds, so…

Are Cormorants as lazy as they appear? Dominic Couzens delves beneath the surface of these loafing fish-eaters on p22. Ben Macdonald asks why our farmland waders are vanishing – and looks into how we can bring them back. See page 28 There’s not much that Rick Simpson doesn’t know about waders. Find out how his obsession started on page 36. Ed Hutchings is another confirmed shorebird fan. Read all about his visits to Snettisham (p40) and Wallasea Island (p45). Urban Birder David Lindo reports from Lisbon, where great birds lie on the edge of one of Europe’s great capital cities. Page 86 Optics guru David Chandler has been playing with Leica’s Ultravid HD-Plus 8x32 bins. Read his verdict on p90.…

IT IS WELL-TRODDEN territory to express how funny it is how fate and chance deal out their hands, but the story I’m about to tell will still be ploughing that particular furrow. Last week I was in Taiwan, the lovely, hot, forested, endemic-rich chrysalis-shaped island republic about 200km off the coast of mainland China. I was on a birding trip, ostensibly to enjoy the rich diversity of birds unique to the island and the wonders of autumn passage. And we were already pretty deeply engrossed in this enjoyment, towards the end of our third day’s action, when trouble struck. We took an unscheduled detour into a large city and pulled up to a garage. Something odd was happening with our minibus’s emissions, it turned out, and we needed to get…

NEW RESEARCH FROM the BTO has shown that bird food provided in British gardens has helped Blackcaps to rapidly evolve a new migration route, the first time that garden feeding has been shown to affect large scale bird distribution. Over the last 60 years Blackcaps have surprised ornithologists with central European birds visiting British gardens in winter and abandoning their old Spanish wintering grounds. The reasons were unclear, but data received from the BTO's weekly Garden BirdWatch Survey has revealed that Blackcaps have become increasingly associated with garden bird feeding over that period. It seems that the species distribution has been affected by both changes in the British winter climate, and the giving of supplementary foods, especially fats and sunflower hearts. The findings indicate that some species at least may…

WATCH OUT FOR Nuthatches this autumn, is the advice from a new online tool. The new interactive Garden Birdwatch results pages, developed by the BTO using data from thousands of volunteers, show that more of the blue-grey birds are taking refuge in gardens compared to last year. The last two years’ abundant seed crops led to many seed eating birds deserting gardens owing to good food availability. But this year has seen surprisingly high numbers of seed eaters in gardens already, suggesting that seed crops will be poorer this year, meaning a possibility of seeing more Nuthatches, Coal Tits and Siskin at our garden feeders this winter.…

MARSHES PROVE WORTH The newly created Steart Marshes in Somerset have proved their worth as flood defences during the highest tides the Bristol Channel has seen in more than a decade. The one year old wetlands easily coped with the rising tides, swallowing up water that would once have battered the old earth banks that previously served as sea defences. HAWKS ACT AS MINDERS A research team from Ecuador has found that hummingbirds seem to be using hawks to protect their nests from jays. Harold Greeney, of the Yanayacu Biological station in Consanga, studied the hummingbirds in Arizona, and found that they prefer nesting sites close to hawk nests. The hawks predate on the jays, keeping the hummingbird nests safe from predation in turn. FINCHES FIGHT BACK The finches of…

This tempting collection brings together the best of LandScape’s cookery in one beautifully produced book. Using fresh, British ingredients, it brings the seasons to life in your kitchen, with dishes ranging from hearty winter soups to light and healthy summer salads. With more than 190 pages of delicious recipes, it will ensure every meal becomes a special occasion. Get your copy from M&S, Waitrose or WHSmith, or call 01733 840111 You can also order online at www.greatmagazines.co.uk/yearbookBW1…

IT HAS TO be said that when people think of Portugal, they usually think of the Algarve. Even birders are guilty of that presumption. We still think that the cream of Portuguese bird life is located there. But there is much more to Portugal than sun kissed tourist-filled beaches and hot rounds of golf. There is the rest of the country north of the Algarve, including the capital city. Indeed, Lisbon has rapidly become one of my favourite urban birding venues in Europe. Where else can you watch thousands of waders of multiple species, masses of Greater Flamingos intermingling with shed loads of Glossy Ibis within sight of the roaring traffic traversing the impressive Vasco de Gama Bridge that spans the mighty Tagus River? They are just a small sample…