Inhoudsopgave van April 2022 - Bird Watching

twitter.com/BirdWatchingMag facebook.com/BirdWatchingMag RARITY RATINGS Common, widely distributed Localised – always a treat Very scarce or rare 1 CORN CRAKE Though once a widespread and common bird, there are now fewer than 1,000 male Corn Crakes annoying the neighbours with rasping, loud and repetitive calls of ‘crex crex’ throughout the night. And these birds are restricted largely to the Hebridean islands, the Northern Isles and parts of Northern Ireland. The attempted reintroduction of the species to the Cambridgeshire fens has fizzled out, so a trip to one of these northern sites is easily the best bet to hear a Corn Crake (from mid-April). Seeing one is another matter altogether, as they are incredibly elusive, seemingly hiding behind the shortest vegetation! 2 LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER The delightful and tiny Lesser Spotted Woodpecker…

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…

Amanda asks which female bird outdoes its male counterpart for glamour or other interest, and this is what some birdwatching writers had to say… Rebecca Gibson says “I know the male Bullfinch is textbook glamour but the female’s mushroom brown is understated and underrated!” Lev Parikian agrees with Rebecca on the female Bullfinch “Yes! Also v fond of female Mandarin’s cool, quiet class, as if to rebuke the male’s needless flashiness… A shout out to the female Cuckoo for the much more interesting ‘bubble’ call…and an honourable mention for female Blackcap.” Paul Gamble is a fan of the female Bullfinch, too “Love the milkshake pizzazz of the male, but the colours of the female are enchanting. But it’s also a tough call between Sparrowhawk, for size differential, and Dotterel –…

One of the most exciting aspects of spring birding is the chance to find, watch and enjoy chats; the small, often brightly coloured mini-thrushes (or are they flycatchers?) which delight the eye. In spring, they are often looking at their best, with the buff tips to fresh feathers (grown in late summer and early autumn) having worn off to reveal the bright colours they concealed. But, of course, showing nothing but brightly coloured distinctive males, from obvious angles, would be too little of an ID Challenge. We suspect that these monthly challenges are too easy, already, without making it even easier… So, have a look at these six lovely chats and try to put a name to them. All are birds which could fall into the loose category of ‘chat’…

COLLECT & KEEP Every month we bring you 10 more sites to build up your GO BIRDING collection MORE SITES For a full list of the sites we’ve featured, go to birdwatching.co.uk/gbindex ABERDEENSHIRE MAX MILES ON FOOT: 3 MIN TIME: 2 HOURS BULLERS OF BUCHAN A ‘seabird city’ with some unique extras This is a seabird colony that you can’t afford to miss, not least because of the structure of the cliffs they are nesting on! It may be that more seabirds are found elsewhere, but this one pretty much has it all! JOHN MILES WHERE TO WATCH 1 It is only a short walk from the car park to see a massive collapsed sea cave which has left a circular hole 100 feet deep. Add to that the seabirds…

POSTCODE: SA62 3BJ (Ferry) GRID REF: SM 761 090 (Ferry) MAPS: OS Explorer & OL36, OS Landranger 157 PARKING: At Martin’s Haven; fee payable TERRAIN: A steep climb from the landing area, then a more gentle slope to the island plateau and for the most part fairly level walking ACCESS: Skomer is open from April until the end of September though closed on Mondays other than Bank Holidays. Boat and landing tickets must be booked in advance at Dale Sailing 0800-1630 Monday-Friday, Tel: 01646 603123. Boat over 12 years £20.00, Landing Fee £20, 2-12 years £15 & £15 FACILITIES: Take your own food and drink. Toilet facilities at Martin’s Haven and at the island centre…

Send all your birding questions to birdwatching@bauermedia.co.uk and our experts will give you the answers Anomalous Jackdaws Q Please find enclosed some photos from my garden observations. My question is: is leucism hereditary, or a one off aberration? That is a pair in the photo, I have been watching them for several weeks, and wonder if there is likely to be leucism in any offspring. The other bird photographed, also a regular, has adapted to his overgrown upper mandible, by scraping up seed with a sideways motion. I have taken to placing seed on the concrete garden path, in the hope he will erode it back to a normal state. Richard Poppe A Aberrations in plumage A pigmentation are usually genetic and considered hereditary, Richard. So, it is possible that…

Ethics and fieldcraft are two of the most important things in wildlife photography, but they’re often overlooked. But those who enter the theatre of nature are afforded the highest level of trust by birds and animals. How you manage that first contact, as I call it, is vitally important. In a time when there is great pressure on the natural world, we need to try and not impact the subject’s life by our presence. Use your camera wrongly, and you impact wildlife that has no voice, and that won’t be able to report your actions. So, it’s down to you, on the ground, to work with integrity and in a way that gives the subject you are with peace, rather than stress. Instilling an emotion Regardless of the level of…

A good travel tripod isn’t too big or heavy and provides enough stability for whatever it is you want it to support – which, for birdwatchers, is primarily their scope. This one can do that and more. While not inexpensive, this tripod is a quality item – its build quality is very, very good. It’s made from carbon fibre (the aluminium version costs £50 less and is 205g heavier) and its legs have five sections (the biggest 26mm in diameter) which lock and unlock via twist rings. It packs down to a length of just 44cm and a ‘diameter’ of c11cm, weighs 1,910g, has a maximum height of 166cm (c128cm with the centre column down) and can cope with 12kg of kit – which should be more than enough. I…

David Lindo: My favourite birding city is London. It’s where I cut my teeth and I have so many memories. Ruth Miller: I’m going with Bangor – there’s great birding from the pier, and of course it’s in Wales! Neil Glenn: Nottingham is situated along the Trent Valley flyway, so many birds turn up at all times of year. ‘Home’ is where the birds are. Amanda Tuke: My home city, London, for the amazing variety of birds and habitats, but I’m happy to bird in any city in the British Isles.…

ROCK THRUSH Of the 30-odd UK records of Rock Thrush, about a quarter have been in April, the last being a female on St Mary’s, Scilly, during April 2021. What chance another one this month? GREATER SAND PLOVER There have only been about 25 records of this smallish plover in the UK, all at coastal sites. The last was in the summer of 2020 at Tyninghame Bay, Lothian; but a few have turned up in April. Get searching those Ringed Plover flocks. SONG SPARROW In April 2020, there was a Song Sparrow on Fair Isle, Shetland, the hotspot for this extremely rare North American species, in the UK. Indeed, five of the 10 records of Song Sparrow have been on Fair Isle, and all but a couple of records have…

WOOLLY WANDERER Stroll across a moorland from east Scotland to Northumberland, or a southern heathland, this month, and you may spot a Dark Tussock caterpillar on heather or Broom. The hairy larvae have upstanding ‘tussocks’ along their upperside. INVERTEBRATE Insect conurbations Last Boxing Day, wildlife lost one of its greatest champions, when American biologist and writer E.O. Wilson passed away. Although known as the ‘father of biodiversity’ for his authority on all things natural, Wilson’s speciality was myrmecology – the study of ants. In Wilson’s honour, let us celebrate the vast citadels that are Wood Ant nests, here photographed in the eastern Scottish Highlands. In April, the nests seethe with motion, workers constantly on the move to improve defences or locate prey. PLANT Blooming broom With its yellow, scented flowers…

I keep a year list… I could say it’s citizen science, comparing each year to see how the planet is doing, and how the birds are faring in my area. Although there is some truth in that, in truth I’m a birder and I love variety. It’s great to see scarcer birds, especially as the Covid crisis has stopped me doing any overseas birding. I confine my outings to my home county… although the year list sometimes gets an addition from visiting family or trips to look at disability access elsewhere. Most of the time, we bird within a 15-mile radius of home. I’m lucky to have some excellent reserves close enough not to feel too guilty about my car miles. I wish these old bones would allow me to…

There are certain dates etched into my birding diary; things I look forward to throughout the year. There’s the first bird of the year at dawn on New Year’s Day (will it be Robin or Blackbird?), my first ‘Big Day’ out in January (Rutland Water or Norfolk?), my first pasty at Titchwell, the first spring migrant, my first rarity of the year, a night trip to a heath for Nightjars, the BirdFair at Rutland Water in August (now taking place in July), my extended autumn stay on Scilly. But, ever since 2013, there’s been another must-do event, a new kid on the birding block – the Spurn Migration Festival (affectionately known as MigFest). Spurn being what it is (a long, thin peninsula well away from major towns), you have to…

POSTCODE: DE6 1ST GRID REF: SK 241 516 (visitor centre) MAPS: OS Explorer OL24, OS Landranger 119 PARKING: Three car parks (pay as you leave) at Visitor Centre (SK 241 516), Millfields (SK 248 499) and Sheepwash (SK 248 528) TERRAIN: Some tarmac paths, others gravel and can be muddy and puddly in wet weather ACCESS: 7am to sunset. Visitor centre open all year. Good disabled access to the hides accessed from Sheepwash car park FACILITIES: Toilets, refreshments and RSPB shop at Visitor Centre, plus pubs and shops in nearby villages such as Wirksworth…

GET IN TOUCH birdwatching@bauermedia.co.uk facebook.com/BirdWatchingMag twitter.com/BirdWatchingMag Bird Watching, Media House, Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6EA Keep watching I really enjoyed reading ‘The Spurn Effect’ article in your March issue and it got me thinking about applying this effect to my garden when I was a young teenage birder. I spent countless hours over many years watching the birds in my family’s suburban Northamptonshire garden. It wasn’t big or particularly special in any way – it was just obsessively watched! I recorded about 90 species over the years in or from my garden. I recorded several Ospreys passing overhead, six species of warbler (including Firecrest), a very lost looking Redstart one misty October morning (looking sorry for itself on the lawn), a bizarre House x Tree Sparrow hybrid; and the highlight…

SPECIES FACTFILE GREEN WOODPECKER Scientific name: Picus viridis Length: 30-36cm Wingspan: 45-51cm UK numbers: c52,000 breeding pairs Habitat: Woodland, parkland, large gardens with trees and ground to probe for ants Diet: Largely ants What makes us think of woodpeckers? Well, at this time of year, we are revelling in their atmospheric drumming sounds, as redolent of early spring as the pleasing songs of Great Tits and Song Thrushes. The drum-roll, which the Great Spotted Woodpecker delivers at 13 strikes in about half a second, is the woodpecker’s advertising sound, taking the place of a more standard song. But Green Woodpeckers, as opposed to ‘spotted woodpeckers’, don’t drum – or at least, they hardly ever drum. If they do, it is just soft and erratic. Members of a pair sometimes drum just outside a potential nest-hole as…

Alot has been written about the perky Pied Wagtail, so I will try not to repeat what you may already know about this very familiar bird. They are classically to be found wandering around shopping centre car parks and mown fields and it is a bird that has certainly fascinated me for a long time. My attention was caught primarily because of its black, white and grey appearance and funky high stepping, head jerking walk, replete with bouncy tail. Latterly, I have become fascinated by the array of races dotted across its range. The Pied Wagtail is a bit of a British and Irish enigma, as almost the entire world population of this distinctive race is found within our islands. It is also represented on the west coast of continental…

1 Break the horizon and they’ll see you and move before you’ve even noticed. So, try to stay low in the landscape. 2 Don’t wear bright clothing. Go for dark, muted colours and camouflage. Before you buy any garment you wish to use in nature, rub the items between your hands, to get an indication of what noise/rustle it will make when you move. 3 Cover your face and hands, as skin reflects light. A pair of thin, waterproof gloves are ideal; protecting you from the elements but still letting you operate the camera’s functions. A headover or facemask is recommended. Remember, though, you’ll be wearing this for some time, so it has to be comfortable. From my own experience, having my face covered has let the subject completely relax…

SOUTH WEST In association with Highlights The drake Baikal Teal at Greylake RSPB, Somerset, was arguably the most exciting bird in the region, despite there being a Pacific Diver off Cornwall, a Buff-bellied Pipit in Devon and a Kentish Ploverin Somerset. AVON CLEVEDON-WESTON-SUPER-MARE: Brent Geese were at Sand Point and Clevedon. There were 280 Shelducks at Sand Bay. A Shag was at Sand Point and a Common Scoter in Woodspring Bay. There were 18 Goosanders on the Blind Yeo. Clevedon-Yeo had three Red-breasted Mergansers, 600 Lapwings, 20 Grey Plovers, nine Knot, a Bar-tailed Godwit, Spotted Redshank, Jack Snipe, Marsh Harrier and Merlin. There were 200 Oystercatchers at Portbury Wharf, 30 Avocets south of Clevedon and a Little Stint at Uphill. Clevedon had a Mediterranean Gull and Black Redstart. Eight Purple…

Back in the 1990s, some time, on a precise date long forgotten (owing to poor note-taking by me, in those days), I drove down from London to somewhere near Hastings, to tick my first British Cattle Egret. Yes, this is the species which appears in flocks hundreds strong in Somerset today, but they were pretty rare back then. In fact, I didn’t see another (as I recall) until my friend Brian Stone had one fly past the window of his house in Elton, just west of Peterborough, on 23 February 2008. Brian refound it down the road in a sheep field outside Fotheringhay (yes, the birth place of Richard III and execution site of Mary Queen of Scots; that Fotheringhay), and I went atwitching to add it to my Peterborough…

Egyptian Vulture routes A ground-breaking migration study has delivered unexpected results which will help future conservation efforts for the endangered Egyptian Vulture. Using GPS tags part-funded by UK charity the Hawk Conservancy Trust, researchers have made the first recordings of migration routes taken by Egyptian Vultures in central Asia – the project is based in Uzbekistan, where there are 135 pairs of the bird. The work was funded by an OBC (Oriental Bird Club Conservation Research Fund) grant and the OSME (Ornithological Society of the Middle East) and supported by the Hawk Conservancy Trust. Further info at hawk-conservancy.org Eagles in Chernobyl Scientists from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) have been working with scientists in Belarus to assess how wildlife is doing in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ). Greater Spotted…

The older fledgling is soon to leave the nest. He’s viewing prospective new territories and is showing interest in a university 200 miles from home. “Shall we go and look?” I ask him, with just a teeny bit of ulterior motive. “Leeds – must be some thirty-minute birding to be done there…” I’m thinking, and more species for my 200-bird list for this year. I ask on social media for birding suggestions within easy reach of Leeds city centre, and, as usual, I’m bowled over by the generosity of birders who take the time to reply. The Peregrines which nest on the Leeds uni building feature many times in the responses. Local birder Andy Gell sends me a very helpful photo showing where it’s best to stand to get a…

RUTH MILLER Do you ever have conversations where you are convinced that you’ve seen one bird and your companion is equally convinced that they’ve seen something different? You know the sort of thing: “Wow, I’ve got a Twite over here, brilliant!” Long pause. “Er, where exactly is it from the Linnet?” We’ve all been there, believe me. Initially, as a complete novice birdwatcher, I would always bow to the superior judgement of those who were far more experienced than me. And quite right, too, it’s all too easy to get swept up with over-excitement; but it’s also a great way to learn. There’s no shame in making a wrong identification – after all, birdwatching isn’t an exam! Simply take a closer look to focus on the identification features that make…

POSTCODE: HP4 1ND GRID REF: SP 981 143 MAPS: OS Explorer 181, OS Landranger 165 PARKING: From Berkhamsted take the B4506 north to Dagnall. After 3 miles turn left at Ringshall village along Beacon Road and park in the signposted National Trust car park TERRAIN: A mix of rough tracks and bridleways, some steep inclines on the downland section ACCESS: Full public access throughout the year FACILITIES: Nearby National Trust Visitor Centre (open daily from 10am-4pm) toilets, information boards, Bridgwater monument, Brownlow Cafe (open daily 8am-4pm)…

Send your snaps to birdwatching@bauermedia.co.uk to be in with a chance of seeing your photo in print. All images should be high resolution JPEG files. 1 Grey Partridge by Keith Gypps Camera: Canon EOS 7D Lens: 560mm, Shutter Speed: 1/820 sec Aperture: f/8 ISO: 1,000 2 Rook & Jackdaw by Roger Smith Camera: Panasonic DC-FZ82 Lens: 78mm, Shutter Speed: 1/1,000 sec Aperture: f/8 ISO: 800 3 Water Rail by Ian Tooley Camera: Canon EOS R5 Lens: 500mm, Shutter Speed: 1/600 sec Aperture: f/7.1 ISO: 1,600 4 Moorhen by Rob Porter Camera: Panasonic DC-G9 Lens: 400mm, Shutter Speed: 1/1,000 sec Aperture: f/6.3 ISO: 2,500 WE LOVE… A Water Rail not only photographed swimming, but carrying a fish!…

THE BEST HOLIDAY OFFERS & TRAVEL REPORTS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE 1 North Norfolk Yes, yes, we know. It’s been said before, and it’s great at any time of year, but in spring, it has a huge amount to offer. The beauty is that, while you can stick to the well-known hotspots such as Titchwell RSPB, Holkham and Cley, there are great birds to be found pretty much anywhere and everywhere you go. Explore it for yourself. 2 Dorset You can watch migrants funnelling in from the continent at the likes of Portland Bill or Hengistbury Head, enjoy the birds of Poole Harbour (including Ospreys), or look for heathland specialists such as Dartford Warbler and Wood Lark around the New Forest and sites such as Arne RSPB. And keep an…

BOOK OF THE MONTH WILD ART PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR COLLECTION 1 FOREWORD BY ROBERT IRWIN, WILD ART PUBLISHING, HB, £35 Showcasing the best of the entries in the first year of this photographic competition, this handsome book does them full justice. Each one gets at least a page to itself, with room to breathe, and there are informative but concise captions with each, setting the images in context. Technical data for each image is also provided. Of course, a book like this stands and falls on the quality of the photography, and here it is superb – imaginative and creative as well as technically skilled, and always demonstrating an empathy for the natural world. Likely to become an annual treat. THE WRYNECK GERARD GORMAN, PELAGIC, SB, £25 This is…

What first sparked your interest in birdwatching, and when? BRAD – Looking at all the pictures in Dad’s Collins & Helm guides at home when I was three-ish, as well as the Cornell Live Cameras on YouTube. We would always go with Dad to Farlington Marshes. Who was your birdwatching inspiration or mentor? DAD – My Godfather, Merv, he was the only person in my life that was into it. Bradley is learning to bird with his old Kowa scope now. BRAD – Dad [DAD: I didn’t even have to pay him to say that!] Do you bird alone or with a friend? Always with a friend, usually the two of us, sometimes a few friends come along, too. Your dream bird to see? BRAD – Common Myna, they look…

House Martin One of three species of hirundine (swallow or martin) we have breeding in the UK (along with Swallow and Sand Martin), the little House Martin is easy to identify, being essentially black above and pure white below, with a striking white rump. Up close and in strong light, the ‘black’ upperparts are deep iridescent blue. The tail is forked and quite short and blackish. In common with the other hirundines, House Martins can and do safely land on the ground (which they need to do to collect mud for their nests), and perch on wires, roofs, twigs, reeds etc. House Martins tend to arrive from Africa a tad later than the other hirundines, usually in April into May, returning south in October. These martins make a nest of…