Inhoudsopgave van March 2016 - Bird Watching

THE THIRTY years since this magazine was launched have seen huge changes to the UK’s birdlife. As you’ll see in our special 16-page centre section, some of those are very heartening – who would have thought, in those days, that Red Kites would stage such a remarkable recovery? Others, as Ben Macdonald explains on page 36, are far more worrying, and only renewed efforts by all birdwatchers can create any hope of reversing them over the next three decades. But it can be done. The huge efforts that all of you – readers and contributors – have made already, some of you since our very first issue in 1986, are proof of that, and provide hope for the future. Thank you for supporting us, but above all, thank you for…

WE HAVE A fine crop of ‘summer’ visitors which come to the UK to breed. Most arrive during the spring, but relatively few turn up as early as March. Here are five of our early arrivers. How many of these harbingers of spring will you see? RARITY RATINGS Common, widely distributed Localised – always a treat Very scarce or rare LITTLE RINGED PLOVER Since first breeding in the UK just before WWII, Little Ringed Plovers have flourished and spread, favouring gravel pits and similar rough semi-industrial inland habitats. There are now more than 1,000 pairs in the UK (mainly England and south Wales). LRPs are slimmer and more attenuated, than their chunky cousins, Ringed Plovers; with a more ‘falcon-like’ flight profile. They lack the Ringed Plover’s white wingbar and don’t…

“We know relatively little about how far Red-legged Partridges move under their own steam, since there are no ringing recoveries” NATIVE TO FRANCE and Spain, Red-legged Partridges were first introduced to Suffolk in 1770 as game birds, and following years of releases they are now common in low-lying farmland across the country. When approached, they prefer to run, and will burst from cover into fast flight at the last minute. Red-legs have white heads featuring a black stripe through the eye, while the now less common native Grey Partridges have orange faces. In the two years I have lived in my village, in the prime partridge country of East Anglia, I have only encountered one Grey Partridge in the local fields, but every fast-retreating Red-legged Partridge is checked in the…

“I prefer a walk with a purpose, and the purpose of this walk was to see the Great White Egret.” THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY of the launch of Bird Watching had me thinking back to my early, fledgling days on the magazine. It was more than half the lifetime of the mag ago that I joined as sub-editor. And I wrote my first ‘proper’ article in the July 2000 issue. It was a bit of a filler piece, really, called ‘Ten top thrillers’ about 10 birds which are always good to see on any day’s birdwatching. In short: Puffin, Osprey, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Bittern, Barn Owl, Nightjar, Kingfisher, Avocet, Bearded Tit and Dipper. Inevitably, we all differ in which birds we would include in such a list, and I remember a…

A SURVEY OF breeding bird species at Eastern Moors in Derbyshire’s Peak District has shown the area to be a surprising haven for upland species that are vanishing from the rest of Britain. Since the RSPB and the National Trust took over the management of the moors, which lie on the edge of Sheffield, Whinchat numbers have more than doubled, Sky Lark (pictured) numbers have trebled, and numbers of Meadow Pipit and Curlew, which were both decreasing over the UK, have also increased. Conservationists believe that the success of these species is due to a reduction in grazing and a shift towards using the land to raise cattle, which has led to an increase of potential nest sites and food sources such as insects. IN NUMBERS 7,000: Bewick’s Swans winter…

VIEWS SOUGHT ON BAN The Welsh Assembly Government is holding a consultation with stakeholders about a potential ban on shooting Greenland White-fronted Geese in Wales, after a concerted effort from the Welsh Ornithological Society, RSPB and others, as well as a petition that raised 3,600 supporters. The consultation ends in March and more details can be found in the ‘environment and countryside’ section at gov.wales/consultations/ GOLDFINCH SURVEY Sunflowers are capturing the hearts of British Goldfinches. Records from the first two months of the BTO’s Goldfinch Feeding Survey, set up to examine why Goldfinches were becoming more common visitors in British gardens, have shown that sunflower hearts are 40% more popular with these colourful songbirds than niger seeds. More details are at www.bto.org/ goldfinch-survey RAPTOR ‘LIVING LARDERS’ It seems that Eleonora’s…

I was delighted to read about ‘The Next Generation’ in February’s Bird Watching. I came to birdwatching about four years ago while in my 60s. Far too late. I am passionate about it, but envious of the opportunities that these young people have. One aspect of the article caught my eye: where are the girls? Of the 10 biographies presented, seven were of males. I wondered if this reflected the birdwatching community in general. Scrutiny of back issues of Bird Watching reveals a preponderance of males, as authors of articles, photographers and even in adverts. On this evidence, any girl could be forgiven for thinking that birdwatching is a male domain. We must help young females to see bird watching and natural history in general as a ‘cool’ leisure pursuit.…

1 LOCHINDORB An historic highland lake boasting grouse, gull colonies, birds of prey, and diverse divers! 2 SALEN BAY Get great, close-range views of some of Mull’s marvellous wildlife, from White-tailed and Golden Eagles to seals 3 WALLTOWN CRAGS Raptors soar over the edges of the Roman Empire – go birding along Hadrian’s Wall! 4 DONNA NOOK Seals are a bonus at this renowned saltmarsh site and migrant magnet 5 BROWNHILLS COMMON Siskins are among the main targets at this heathland in the heart of suburbia 6 WIGWIG Little Owls and Kingfishers are among the species to be seen close to Wenlock Edge 7 CHAUL END Find the spring’s first migrants, including Wheatears, on the Chiltern Hills 8 OGMORE ESTUARY Search through the close-in waders, wildfowl and gulls at this…

SITE 3 NORTHUMBERLAND MILES ON FOOT: 3 TIME: 2-3 HOURS THIS IS ONE of my favourite sites along Hadrian’s Wall. It is a mixed habitat with its modern quarry, pools, wetland, Whin Sill woodland and even parkland. The views from the top of the wall are amazing, and you can see the large RSPB reserve at Geltsdale standing out on the Pennines, as well as the large conifer blocks of Spaedadum and Kirshope. This is a site where relatively little attention is paid to birds, but I am sure with more coverage the list could increase considerably, as the ‘Tyne gap’ is now recognised as a migration route across Britain. The birds I’ve seen here include Hen Harrier, Goshawk, Merlin and Peregrine. Little Grebes breed in the pools along with…

SITE 6 SHROPSHIRE MILES ON FOOT: 6 TIME: 4 HOURS THIS IS AN interesting walk along the last few miles of Wenlock Edge, which runs from Craven Arms to the River Severn at Ironbridge. River, woodland and open areas provide a range of birding possibilities. Rabbit Warren Plantation has several tracks, so you can wander around checking for woodland birds, particularly Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch and Treecreeper. And where does the unusual name Wigwig come from? Well, originally it was “Wigewic” in the Domesday Book, from an Old English personal name “Wyga” and “wic” meaning settlement, and over the years it has changed to its current format. The road here is very narrow so it might be best to park at Homer, where there is a small layby near the…

WE ARE OFFERING one lucky reader the chance to win two award-winning products from Opticron, plus accessories. The Annual Best Binocular Reviews (BBR) awards are now in their sixth year, with Opticron winning Best Compact Binocular and Best Spotting Scope in the 2015 competition. Our prize includes Discovery WP PC 8x32 binocular took the Best Compact Binocular, with BBR’s Jason Whitehead commenting: “Size and weight wise, for a binocular with objectives of around 32mm, these have set a benchmark that is pretty hard to match, let alone beat”. It features close focus to less than 1.5m making it perfect for invertebrate observation, as well as general birding and wildlife watching. The next category that saw Opticron come out on top was Best Spotting Scope, awarded to the MM3 60 GA…

Wildlife author James Lowen celebrates March as a month when many species breed and bloom. You can read all about it on page 12. Author and bird guide Dominic Couzens explains how to distinguish between a Knot and a Dunlin on a crowded estuary. See p30. Ian Parsons gives you all the information you’ll need to tell a Pied and a White Wagtail apart. Find out how on page 62. Ben Macdonald stresses that landscape, food chain and habitat management are key to the survival of birds in the future. See page 36. Urban Birder David Lindo visits the fascinating city of New York and finds it’s not just full of tourists – it’s teeming with great birds, too. See page 74.…

SHORT-TOED TREECREEPER There have been fewer than 30 accepted records of the continental resident, Short-toed Treecreeper in the UK. This low number surely reflects the fact that this is a seriously difficult species to identify, at least visually in the field, being exceptionally similar to our familiar Treecreeper. The calls and song are, however, distinct (though require practice and good hearing). Nearly all the accepted records apply to trapped birds (they are ‘easier’ to identify in the hand) and the vast majority have been from Kent, with Dungeness the particular hotspot. However, there is no reason they could not turn up elsewhere, especially on the east side of the country, (ie, facing the continent). Get searching and especially listening. Most have been recorded in spring and autumn, with most recent…

Find the location closest to your destination and add or subtract the hours and minutes from the high tide time at London Bridge, below. SOUTH WEST Weston-Super-Mare(+5:05)Barnstaple (+4:30)Newquay (+3:32)Falmouth (+3:30)Plymouth (+4:05)Torquay (+4:40)Bournemouth(-5:09)*Portland (+4:57)St Peter Port(+4:53)Swanage (-5:19)*Portsmouth (-2:29)Southampton (-2:53) SOUTH EAST Ryde (-2:29)Brighton (-2:51)Eastbourne (-2:48)Dungeness (-3:05)Dover (-2:53)Margate (-1:52)Herne Bay (-1:24)Southend-on-sea (-1:22)Clacton-on-sea (-2:00) EAST ANGLIA Felixstowe Pier (-2:23)Aldeburgh (-2:53)Lowestoft (-4:23)Cromer (+4:56)Hunstanton (+4:44) WALES Colwyn Bay (-2:47)Holyhead (-3:28)Barmouth (-5:45)Aberystwyth (-6:11)Fishguard (+5:44)Swansea (+4:42)Milford Haven (+4:37)Cardiff (+5:15) NORTH WEST Whitehaven (-2:30)Douglas (-2:44)Morecambe (-2:33)Blackpool (-2:50) NORTH EAST Skegness (+4:29)Grimsby (+4:13)Bridlington (+2:58)Whitby (+2:20)Hartlepool (+1:59)Blyth (+1:46)Berwick (+0:54) SCOTLAND Leith (+0:58)Dundee (+1:12)Aberdeen (-0:18)Fraserburgh (-1:28)Lossiemouth (-2:00)Wick (-2:29)Lerwick (-2:50)Stromness (-4:29)Scrabster (-5:09)Stornoway (+5:30)Ullapool (+5:36)Gairloch (+5:16)Oban (+4:12)Greenock (-1:19)Ayr (-1:44)Campbeltown(-1:12)Girvan (-1:51)Kirkcudbright Bay(-2:25) IRELAND Londonderry (-5:32)Belfast (-2:47)Donegal (+4:20)…

“So, thanks Mr Park Keeper for tidying up the rampant ‘weeds’ so favoured by skulking warblers” REGULAR READERS will know how genuine my affection is for undisciplined dog walkers. They will also know how I believe that our over-romanticised idea of the countryside coupled with the idea that nature should be tamed, is leading to habitat loss and eviction of wildlife. Landscape architect Capability Brown looked at the farm fields and forest of aristocratic estates and, in the words of the film industry ‘re-imagined’ them. Like an artist ignoring a tree if it spoils their composition, Mr Brown removed anything that interfered with his idea of how nature should be. And so, dear readers, the concept of the ‘park’ was born. It was not, of course, meant for the hoi…

ENDEMIC Endemic is one of those confusing words, with two very distinct meanings depending on how it is being used. Often used on television to mean “widespread” or “common”, as in “corruption is endemic”, in the birding world endemic means something quite different. To a birder, or indeed to any naturalist, endemic refers to a species that is found in one location and no other. As there is no accepted upper limit for the size of such a location, we could say that all birds are endemic to the Earth, but usually the term is used in reference to smaller geographical areas, such as deserts or countries. There are two distinct forms of endemism; firstly we have what are called ‘neoendemic’ birds, which are those that have evolved in one…

Most Dunlin that we see on British coastlines in winter breed in Arctic Eurasia, while our Knots are from the west, including Greenland and even Arctic Canada. In the spring, both Knot and Dunlin fly in bulk to the Waddenzee, off the Netherlands and Germany, to fatten up for their flights north. The Knot’s migration is remarkable, because they are thought then to fly to Iceland in one hop, and then on to their extreme northern breeding areas in another long flight. The Dunlin, smaller and less powerful, need not perform such a feat. They might take a short hop to Fenno-Scandia, or as far east as the White Sea. They have no need for marathon flights. The point is, though, that as soon as the winter ends, these apparently…

Connection is why you will travel to the Highlands in 50 years’ time and feel that spring thrill, even in the lull of summer, at hearing a Cuckoo – one of thousands connected in a vast unbroken food-scape. Lack of connection is why those two pairs of Willow Tit at your local gravel pit, or the Spotted Flycatcher hawking your lovely buddleia in a sterile village, are already history. That is why the little Alder wood near you, the wood where “nothing has changed”, has lost its Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers – but the New Forest has retained 100 pairs, each one connected to the other. One of the many wonderful things about the New Bird Atlas is the relative abundance maps. I’d particularly recommend the Cuckoo map (see right) as…

SITE 4 LINCOLNSHIRE MILES ON FOOT: 3.5 TIME: 2.5 HOURS THE CREATION OF a large managed realignment scheme at Donna Nook has produced a circular walk that takes in some productive migrant habitats. There are also huge areas of saltmarsh and coastal mud and sand flats that support large winter flocks of Shelduck, dark-bellied Brent Geese, Teal, Golden Plover and Lapwing. Walking west from the car park, a series of shallow saline lagoons within the realignment site hold feeding Little Egrets and a variety of waders, including Redshank, Dunlin and on passage Greenshank and Ruff, with the chance of Curlew Sandpiper and Little Stint. Scanning over the saltmarsh vegetation will often reveal a hunting Marsh Harrier and, in winter, possibly Hen Harrier and Merlin. Towards the western bank new plantations…

SITE 7 BEDFORDSHIRE MILES ON FOOT: 3 TIME: 3 HOURS SANDWICHED BETWEEN LUTON and Dunstable, on the dip slope of the Chiltern Hills, is an area of scattered copses and arable farmland on what is known locally as ‘clay-in-flint’ country. Green lanes, hedgerows and paddocks break up the monoculture and provide ideal feeding habitat for a variety of wayside birds. The jewel in the crown of this walk is Bush Wood, where stands of mature and coppiced Ash, Hornbeam and Wild Cherry harbour ‘drumming’ woodpeckers and maybe those first singing warblers of the spring, Chiffchaff and Blackcap. Formerly, this semi-natural wood was a regular haunt of Hawfinch and Marsh Tit, although there is still a chance of encountering the latter. Adding to the diversity along the walk is a golf…

VARIATION AND DIMORPHISM One of the confusing aspects of identification of birds of prey is variation, particularly in plumage in the population (intraspecific variation). This is particularly prevalent in Buzzard and the rare Honey Buzzard, where birds can vary from almost white to dark brown with everything in between. Many birds of prey are sexually dimorphic, meaning that males and females look different. In general (though not always) female raptors are bigger than males. The harriers and the Kestrel also have distinct adult male and female plumages. Male Kestrels, for instance, have grey heads and largely grey tails, whereas females are barred and streaked brown. Harriers are also greyer in the smaller males, browner in the females. A White-tailed Eagle can be up to five times larger than a Sparrowhawk…

The Pied Wagtail is just one of many subspecies of Motacilla alba found across its vast range. From Iceland in the north to Morocco in the south, and from Ireland in the west to Japan in the east, you will find these birds wagging their tails up and down. There are about 10 subspecies which are generally recognised, though the exact number is moot. Some authorities advocate the splitting of the different subspecies into two separate broader 'species groups', while others consider that they are all just races of the one species. The name is a straightforward one, referring to the black-and-white plumage and, of course, to the bird’s habit of constantly wagging its tail. In Britain though, it has been called other names, with the old name of Peggy…

OPTICRON DBA VHD £579/£589 The new-look DBA VHDs build on their predecessors’ strengths, with brighter, sharper images thanks to ED glass, and a lightweight and compact design (courtesy of open hinges). Waterproof, well-armoured and with a close focus of 2.5m, they’re excellent all-rounders for any naturalist. Available in 8x42 and 10x42 models, they’re made in Japan and supplied with soft canvas case with rainguard. opticron.co.uk HEAT HOLDERS THERMAL UNDERWEAR FROM £9.99 Thermal sock manufacturer Heat Holders has expanded its range to include some useful thermal underwear. The range includes men’s thermal vests with short or long sleeves, and men’s long johns, all with a 0.45 tog rating, and a ladies’ short sleeve thermal vest and thermal leggings with tog ratings of 0.39. Men’s sizes range from S to XXL, ladies’…

SPOONBILL This magic-looking bird was a dream for many of us growing up, endlessly flicking through bird books. But it was a dream that was largely out of reach, as the stately Spoonbill was a pretty scarce passage visitor. These days, things have changed, radically. Spoonbills are back breeding in Norfolk, and flocks 20-strong can be seen at several sites. The only problem is that now, birdwatchers realise that Spoonbills spend a lot of time asleep. When feeding, or seen as well as this bird, though, they are outstanding!…

From the photo of a Great Crested Grebe fronting our first issue, to a favourite from last year, the Long-eared Owl, we’ve chosen covers from each of the last 30 years. As well as illustrating the diversity of birdlife, the appearance of species such as Red Kite, Bittern and Peregrine reflects their increasing numbers in the UK. But do you have a favourite bird that you’d like to see on the cover? Tell us what and why by emailing us at: birdwatching@bauermedia.co.uk…

“The development of waterproofing was important, as using binoculars outdoors has obvious risks” AROUND THE late 1970s, farming was changing, and we were not prepared to follow the new methods, so the idea of selling birdwatching instruments grew out of my personal interest and the need to make a living. Since then, our few acres of land have become a nature reserve. It is placed on high ground, so we have migration fly-overs at times, and we have been able to develop various habitats in our small space – a pool, mixed woodland, a wildflower meadow and an area that we are allowing to regenerate into a natural oak woodland. This has led to natural colonisation of many species, proving that if you make space, they will occupy it! We…

Our three regular nesting woodpecker species all excavate their own nesting cavities, by patient picking away (with their bills) in tree trunks and thick branches. This excavation is not to be confused with the drumming sound which the two spotted woodpeckers make. Drumming is a rapid rattling burst of sound, made by high speed tapping of the bill on a resonant branch to make a far-reaching mechanical ‘song’. Excavation is an altogether slower, and more powerful, action, in order to chisel away bark and wood, piece by piece. The three species are all very different in size; the Lesser Spotted is sparrow-sized, the Great Spotted not too different in size from a Starling, and the Green is roughly Mistle Thrush-sized. The general rule of nest holes is that birds choose,…

REPTILE ADDER Of all March’s attractions, none enthralls me more than Britain’s sole venomous reptile, the Adder. Even the weakest late-winter sun conveys sufficient solar energy to entice male snakes out of their underground ‘hibernacula’ and they are poised to mate the moment females emerge. Unfortunately, Adders are in trouble, with populations declining and disappearing. Your best chance to see them is on an early-morning visit to heathland or chalk downland. Check sheltered, south-facing banks. INVERTEBRATE DARK-EDGED BEE-FLY On sunny days, the first butterflies may take to the air. So, too, the odd bumblebee. But my favourite March insect is the remarkable Dark-edged Bee-fly. Resembling bee and fly, these fluffy bundles hover inquisitively above flowers (or even check out human admirers), their long, tongue-like proboscis pointing the way towards nectar.…

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 Coal Tit by Bryce Treble Camera: Canon EOS 7D Lens: 400mm Shutter Speed: 1/640sec Aperture: f/5.6 ISO: 200 Sparrowhawk by Ben Dalgleish Camera: Nikon D7200 Lens: 300mm Shutter Speed: 1/160sec Aperture: f/6.3 ISO: 1,250 Robin by Robin Sumsion Camera: Canon EOS 7D MkII Lens: 100-400mm Shutter Speed: 1/1600sec Aperture: f/5.6 ISO: 1,250 Great Spotted Woodpecker by Terry Hancock Camera: Canon EOS 5D MkII Lens: 90-300mm Shutter Speed: 1/1600sec Aperture: f/6.3 ISO: 800 SPONSORED BY LEICA BIRDING – closer than ever before. Experience nature with unmatched intensity WIN! Send us your best birding/ wildlife photos to birdwatching@bauermedia.co.uk every month to be within a chance of winning a mystery prize. This month’s…

“Of course, it is possible to decipher the many different wader plumages and shapes, but it takes time and experience” SPECIES FACTFILE KNOT / DUNLIN Scientific name: Calidris canutus / Calidris alpina Length: 25cm/20cm Wingspan: 50cm/34cm UK numbers 320,000 winter birds / 8,600-10,600 breeding pairs Habitat: Coastland estuaries Diet: Shellfish, worms, insects HOPEFULLY EVERY BIRDER has experienced arriving on an estuary at low tide and being faced with a seething mass of moving bodies – waders all feeding busily on the ooze. It’s an impressive sight, and there is usually a delightful aural accompaniment of the unfettered wind and the urgent calls of the birds, from the shouting Oystercatcher to the euphonious Curlew ‘bubble’. And then, of course, comes that sinking feeling: you’ve got to identify this lot. You…

SITE 5 WEST MIDLANDS MILES ON FOOT: 1.5 TIME: 1 HOURS THE COMMON IS a relict of the once extensive heathland of Cannock Chase with an area covering around 100 acres. Bordering the busy A5, it is home to a wealth of wildlife including Red Deer, Common Lizard and Great Crested Newt. The habitat is managed by Walsall Borough Council. Conifer-thinning is ongoing and will allow more heathland to generate which, in turn, will improve the area’s biodiversity. One surprise find here was a superb Glossy Ibis, which took a liking to a small puddle in a muddy field. This allowed approach to a mere few metres which kept photographers happy for days. It flew away to nearby Chasewater. There is a good selection of breeding warblers, while Siskin and…

SITE 8 GLAMORGAN MILES ON FOOT: 1 TIME: 2 HOURS START YOUR VISIT at Ogmore Castle. Close by, a magnificent set of stepping stones, themselves scheduled as an Ancient Monument, offer a crossing place over the narrow river. The whole estuary, which extends seawards for about 1.5 miles, is narrow, so birds are always reasonably close to the observer. A series of footpaths provide access to Merthyr-Mawr National Nature, aptly described as a plant paradise, with Marsh Helleborine, two species of Marsh Orchids, Autumn Lady’s-tresses and the rare Birthwort. The birds include Stonechat, Yellowhammer and Linnet, while, with patience and good fortune, you may see a Dartford Warbler. I always work downstream and with the tide low, giving maximum opportunities for gulls and waders to be present. However, if parked…

“The dark canopy, the pale streaked chest and underbelly, sailing on the wind, circling and hunting and calling. Turning in tandem, in silhouette against the light, the barring of the underwing gleamed silvery below the chestnut tinge on the shoulder.” AFTER A MORNING of heavy rain, an autumn sun was shining from a clear sky, casting long shadows over glistening fields. Late blackberries gleamed on a Bramble by the gate. Under the blueness of the wide East Anglian sky, grassland and arable fields sloped down to a lake in parkland of oak, Ash and spreading Sycamores. Nobody was about. The cornfield alongside the footpath had been ploughed and harrowed. In a dense cluster of trees, a majestic Cedar of Lebanon towered among mature Beeches and willows. I walked down to…

FLIGHT IDENTIFICATION OF RAPTORS OF EUROPE, NORTH AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST Dick Forsman Bloomsbury, 2016, BW Bookshop price £38.99, but only if you quote BW095 This is a monster of a book for bird of prey lovers, with 1,100 pictures of raptors in flight. Sixty species are covered, and most of the pictures are close-up in blue skies. That might not be how you’d see them here in the UK, but with more and more species making it across the English Channel, you never know what will turn up next. A full range of plumages is covered, from juvenile through to adult, as well as the many ‘morphs’ of species such as Buzzard or Booted Eagle. Some pictures even have the word ‘probable’ against them, showing how difficult a…

“So what were the defining characteristics of a good rumour? For a start, there was rarely an exact location, as that would quickly be checked out and found to be erroneous. Secondly, the species involved had to be extremely rare” IT’S HARD TO to believe these days that fewer than 30 years ago, up-to-date bird sightings information was passed around solely by word of mouth. This was the ‘grapevine’, an informal and ever-changing network of friends and acquaintances who passed all the latest news to each other, either face-to-face or by use of the telephone (strictly landlines, of course – mobiles didn’t become ubiquitous until the turn of the century). Inevitably, with such a ‘system’, some of the information that got passed around was somewhat unreliable, to say the least.…

1986: Porro prism binoculars dominated Bird Watching magazine’s first issue, Optolyth Alpins being particularly popular. Leitz Trinovids, at £380, were pretty much the most expensive of the new roof prisms. Plenty of familiar names, such as Opticron and Kowa, were present, with the former’s Elite binoculars and the latter’s TSN-77 scope getting lots of plaudits. And, with the Cold War still on, you could get high-quality products from Zeiss (West), and Carl Zeiss Jena, the East German half of the business – the latter were much cheaper than their western counterparts. 1991: Bushnell’s Spacemaster spotting scope featured heavily in optics adds in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and a survey in British Birds at this time found it was used by one in eight British birdwatchers. 1993: For the…