Table of contents for May 2021 in Bird Watching

When lockdown made birding close to home mandatory last year, a daily highlight for me was seeing the bright, noisy Yellowhammers that frequented a little path a few hundred yards away. Without fail, they were the constant accompaniment to my wanderings. That’s the sort of sighting that our new series, 30-Minute Birder (page 20), aims to celebrate and inspire. It’s all about using those bonus spare half-hours to explore and enjoy your surroundings. It might take longer than 30 minutes to find our cover bird, the Redstart, but on page 30 you can find out more about tracking down them, and other songsters. So, make sure you take at least a few minutes every day to enjoy the birds of spring – you won’t be disappointed SIGN UP TODAY FOR…

twitter.com/BirdWatchingMag facebook.com/BirdWatchingMag 1 GREAT WHITE EGRET Everyone knows that the easiest way of telling Great White Egrets from Little Egrets is the colour of the bill: orange-yellow in Great White, black in Little. Simple. But, in the breeding season, it is no longer the case. Great White Egrets’ bills turn largely black when in peak breeding condition! So, instead concentrate on the very large size (often standing taller than a Grey Heron) and weird kink in the long thin neck. The UK population of this elegant white heron has grown massively in recent years, and in some areas of the country (like parts of north Somerset) they are ‘expected’ birds! 2 FULMAR It is said that the somewhat gull-like Fulmar is the closest thing to an albatross we have to…

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…

At first light, I pick a path carefully down the slipway towards the mud flats of Skern Bay in north Devon. Hunkering between rocks I wait, scolded by the Oystercatchers who claimed this patch before me. The sky slowly lightens and at intervals Curlews take flight from the bay towards the estuary, their rhythmic calls fading and deepening as they pass. Straight ahead of me, shadowy patches gradually resolve into groups of Brent Geese on the mud at the edge of the incoming tide. They’re the winter treat I’ve come to see this morning. After half an hour I must go, or this might be the last time my sister agrees to come on holiday with me. As I get stiffly to my feet, hundreds of small waders, probably Dunlin,…

It is always a heartwarming moment when you see your first spring tern. That is usually some time in the first half of April, though, and by the start of May, many of us have become accustomed to having terns about. But May is a month when birds are very much on the move and just about any species could be passing through your local patch, even if it is far inland. Most of our terns breed on the coast, on beaches, but to get there, they will cross the country, often stopping for a bathe or a feed at gravel pits, lakes and reservoirs on the way. The idea of this ID Challenge is, as always, very simple. Just put a name to each of these six terns photographed…

COLLECT & KEEP Every month we bring you 10 more sites to build up your GO BIRDING collection PRODUCT OF THE MONTH Multi-award winning Frontier ED X binoculars offer stunning high definition viewing with incredible colour control and phase correction. Joint Winner best overall 8x42 Birding Binocular & Best Mid-High End Binocular 2021. UK.HAWKEOPTICS.COM/NATURE HIGHLAND MAX MILES ON FOOT: 4 MIN TIME: 3 HOURS BRIDGE OF BROWN A summer walk in the Grampians The Burn of Lochy provides the centrepiece of this birding walk, comprising a swift-flowing water course habitat with flood meadows and Birch scrub, plus moorland, rocky outcrops and superb views along Glen Lochy to the Hills of Cromdale to the north. Mature conifers combine with newly planted plantations as well as several stands of Scots Pines affording…

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 Black-tailed Godwit by Rob Porter Camera: Panasonic DC-G9 Lens: 400mm, Shutter Speed: 1/400 sec Aperture: f/9 ISO: 200 2 Egyptian Goose by James Waring Camera: Nikon D3500 Lens: 300mm, Shutter Speed: 1/320 sec Aperture: f/6.3 ISO: 320 3 Goldcrest by Kevin Bowers Camera: Nikon D500 Lens: 600mm, Shutter Speed: 1/800 sec Aperture: f/6.3 ISO: 1,250 4 Kestrel by Daniel Webber Camera: Canon EOS 7D Lens: 400mm, Shutter Speed: 1/1,600 sec Aperture: f/5.6 ISO: 800 WE LOVE… All these photos are great, but the ‘ID Challenge’ element of the close-up Egyptian Goose is something special…

Birds on the Brink is a conservation grant-awarding charity (Charity No: 1188009) that owns the competition Bird Photographer of the Year. Grants are awarded to projects that support bird conservation, typically offering between £200 and £1,000 to small groups or individuals carrying out grassroots conservation work that has measurable impact. It was borne of a passion for wildlife and in particular birds, and is a response to the seemingly unstoppable process of human environmental exploitation and biodiversity’s steady progression towards extinction. At its heart there is a recognition that all is not yet lost and Birds on the Brink aims to inspire people to care using striking imagery – to capture the imagination and thereby nurture interest and compassion. Bird Watching magazine is proud to support conservation and money generated…

VERYTEA BIRD WATCHER MUG, £8.49 The perfect gift. Or not, you decide. Viewed from one side this drinking receptacle looks innocent enough. Turn it round though and a serious quantity of industrial strength guano appears to be dribbling down the side. This mug is microwave safe and fine in the dishwasher. But that won’t get the guano off. Think carefully about who you buy this for. 95mm tall, 80mm diameter, 10oz capacity, weighs 350g. amazon.co.uk ECCO OFFROAD MEN’S SANDALS, £90 A Land Rover among sandals, the Ecco Offroad enables you to “tackle the terrain in pure comfort”. The uppers are soft nubuck leather, the lining is neoprene, and the footbed provides “supreme cushioning”. The rubber sole provides plenty of grip and the midsole gives “outstanding walking comfort”. Sounds more Range…

SOUTH WEST Highlights In association with There can only be one main story from the South West, during February: the appearance of the UK’s third-ever Northern Mockingbird in a private garden at Exmouth, Devon. Second place goes to the Sociable Lapwing in the Bude area, Cornwall, still. AVON CLEVEDON TO WESTON-SUPER-MARE: The Blind Yeo held 19 Goosanders. Unusually, there were 30 Shovelers on the coast. Sand Point logged 32 Avocets. They were also reported regularly at Clevedon-Yeo, along with 50 Grey Plovers, 27 Ringed Plovers, 60 Knot, a Jack Snipe, Spotted Redshank, Little Stint (28th), Bar-tailed Godwit (28th), Little Ringed Plover (26th), Short-eared Owl (17th), Marsh Harrier, Merlin and White Wagtail (28th). There were three Mediterranean Gulls at Sand Point, with singles at Clevedon-Yeo and the disused airfield at Weston-super-Mare,…

Ruth Miller: Waxwings! They turned up in a berry-bearing tree in the car park at the RSPB Headquarters in Sandy. Amanda Tuke: A Kingfisher, the highlight of a super-quick trip to the pond at South Norwood Country Park, south London. David Lindo: My best lunchtime bird was the famous Naumann’s Thrush that showed up in Chingford, East London. Rob Read: I take lunchtime walks at lunchtime in woodland within 200 yards of home. If I’m lucky, I’ll encounter Goshawks.…

SCOPS OWL This small (smaller than a Little Owl), southern European owl is a less than annual vagrant to the UK. The true number of birds which come over here is masked, though, by its nocturnal habits and the fact that it will remain hidden during the day. Scops Owls can turn up just about anywhere. May and June are the peak months for UK occurrences. SOLITARY SANDPIPER Though mainly a very rare visitor in the autumn, what chance of a repeat of a May record, like that on St Mary’s Scilly, last year. Essentially, check every ‘Green Sandpiper’ to see if it has a dark rump. GREAT KNOT This wonderful and wonderfully rare, large calidrid sandpiper is one of the great prize finds for spring into summer. The last…

Not long after World War II, the types and uses of plastic multiplied exponentially. The new ‘wonder of the age’ material began to replace wooden, tin and paper in toys. Its properties of lightness and flexibility meant it began to be used in everyday items, from toilet seats to storage canisters. Because it was cheap and could be cast into moulds, it became the first thought in manufacturing. Before long, it was ubiquitous and disposable, too. Now it is used to replace a myriad of other materials that are more appropriate. Plastic nuts and bolts may be cheap and easy to make, but have insufficient strength to stop your toilet seat from slipping. Ever more components are plastic and not fit for purpose. It is not just about cheapness per…

If you’ve got feeders, nestboxes and ponds (and maybe even cameras trained on one or more of those), then you’ll know that it’s easy to spend hours watching them and the birds and other wildlife they attract. But even if you just keep a pair of binoculars on the kitchen windowsill, and occasionally try to work out what’s fluttering around your shrubbery, you won’t need any convincing that garden birdwatching is where it all begins. So, we want to hear your stories about your garden birds, see your photos, and share your tips and advice, please (what works for one birder might well work for another). And we’ll have our own tips and advice to share, about birds as well as the right plants and garden features to attract them.…

‘This is my mobile number”, he said. “Look out for those Waxwings and feel free to send me a message if you see them.” No pressure on me, just helpful birding advice and a way to share the news if I saw the birds. I had not met him before, but we’d spent time sharing birds on a nature reserve and I felt I could trust him. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. As I write this, women’s safety is an issue blaring from every newspaper front page. In a week bookended by International Women’s Day and Mothering Sunday, we all share the grief of Sarah Everard’s family, distraught and bewildered by the death of an innocent girl walking home after visiting a friend. The fact that the man charged…

MAP: IGN Serie Bleu 1427 SB, Fontenay Le Comte PARK: If you are doing a circular walk around Petosse itself (three miles), park by the cricket ground. Yes, Petosse CC exists! TERRAIN: Totally flat and open. Lanes are mostly tarmac FACILITIES: Petosse has no commerce – other villages on the Plaine do but not a lot. Come prepared STAY AT: Try the B&B called Domaine La Durandérie, Longèves – Mr Mme Daniel Bonnin (address is Longèves but the farmstead is in Petosse and ideally placed). I know that English birders stay there. Or stay in any number of gites (www.gites-de-france.com) or auberges…

Send all your birding questions to birdwatching@bauermedia.co.uk and our experts will give you the answers Gamebird confusion Q Can you identify this bird for me, please. It was photographed at Chesterfield, Derbyshire; could it be a Chukar Partridge? John Turner A At first viewing, this bird looks very like a Red-legged Partridge, which is an established ‘naturalised’ species in the UK (and annually ‘restocked’ by gamekeepers). But there are a few things that are not right for Red-legged Partridge, most notably the lack of black streaking on the lower throat and upper breast and the creamy-buff face and throat. These characteristics point to your bird being a Chukar, as you suggest. Chukar is a closely related species to Red-legged Partridge and is found naturally in Turkey and the Levant states,…

THE URBAN BIRDER The Collared Dove is one of those birds whose presence you often dismiss. Cute looking, with a gentle demeanour; you cannot help but like this adorable dove. They are very much a part of urban life, certainly suburbia, with their incessant cooing being part of the soundtrack for many of us. In the UK, they are much loved and the staple of rural and commuter belt life, present in many a garden feeding station. In Europe, the story is very similar, as nowadays on the continent, there is scarcely a place where you won’t see a Collared Dove or three. I remember watching flocks in Valencia flying around together, or hearing multitudes cooing at the same time in other Spanish towns and villages. In Germany, they are…

SMOCK HILLTREK BRAEMAR ORGANIC DV SMOCK FROM £300 Reviewed by David Chandler The double Ventile (DV) Braemar is, as you might expect, made from two layers of Ventile, “the world’s most effective, natural, all-weather cotton textile grown sustainably”. That sounds good, and is even better if you pay £25 more for the organic version. £300 buys the basic smock with a flapped, zipped kangaroo pocket big enough for an OS Explorer map, or, when I was cycling, my binoculars. If you buy one, I recommend paying another £50 for side zips – they make getting it on and off easier and provide ventilation. And another £50 for the sizeable, zipped ‘tunnel’ hand-warming pocket and vertically-zipped ‘compass pocket’ on the chest. We like to carry things and that tunnel is good…

THE WILD ISLES EDITED BY PATRICK BARHAM, HEAD OF ZEUS, HB, £25 This is a book that you can only wish had been out over a year ago, as it offers you the chance to sample the work of 66 authors – perfect for deciding which book to read next during lockdown. It is described as the “best of British and Irish nature writing” and many of your favourites are in there, such as Chris Packham, George Monbiot, Mark Cocker and Isabella Tree, and are many new names, too. Ideal for dipping into on a night in. RSPB HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS, PETER HOLDEN & RICHARD GREGORY BLOOMSBURY, HB, £12.99 When a book has come out for the fifth time and already has sold half a million copies, there must…

Sorry to bang on about ‘lockdowns’ and whatnot, but as it is close to the anniversary of when the BW team left the office and headed for our homes, I thought I would bring it up, anyhow. My home office is, much to my dear wife Jo’s annoyance, our kitchen, where we happen to have a small square table on which used to sit my own computer’s screen, but on which now sits my work computer. Beside me is a small window which looks over our shambles of a car port/drive, somewhat overgrown with buddleias and elders. So, sometimes, a few feet from my ‘desk’, there is a Robin, Dunnock or Wren, and last year, once, a Chiffchaff. Not many feet away at the other end of the kitchen, where…

Curlew recovery A new partnership has been formed to tackle the decline of the Curlew. The England Curlew Recovery Partnership is the outcome of Curlew Recovery Summits and its Steering Group comprises nine organisations: Bolton Castle Estate, British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), Curlew Action, Curlew Country, Duchy of Cornwall, Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT), Natural England, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), and Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT). To get involved, email: hello@curlewrecovery.org or visit the website at: curlewrecovery.org Photo call Marc Guyt and Nils van Duivendijk, of Agami Image Library, are appealing for photos that might be suitable for a new European photographic identification guide for KNNV Publishing. There are still more than 100 gaps, and they are calling for photographers to help fill them. If…

You really couldn’t pick a better time to get started. The dawn chorus is at its peak, birds of all kinds are busy displaying to each other, breeding, or bringing up families (meaning they’re on the move all day), and every morning brings new arrivals in these islands from the continent and beyond, as birds which have spent the winter as far away as South Africa head for their breeding grounds, here. So, no matter where you are, how experienced a birder you are, or what the Covid restrictions are by the time you read this, you can reasonably expect that even the briefest of birdwatching expeditions, or interludes in the garden, will deliver great rewards. And where birding is concerned, success breeds enthusiasm! So, sign up using the detail…

Washing up at the kitchen sink is never anyone’s favourite activity, but birds can relieve the boredom of housework! In our case, Ravens often provide our entertainment. We can look across the rooftops towards a steep limestone cliff towering over the town of Llandudno; and about halfway up is a ledge that has been home to several successive generations of Ravens. The Ravens’ nest is just visible as a tangle of sticks and twigs accumulated on a narrow buttress. It might look rough on the outside, but inside it is lined with grass, moss, and scraps of sheep’s wool, making a snug nest for the clutch of between three to seven eggs. It needs to be cosy, for Ravens are early nesters, usually laying eggs at the end of February.…

I’m a new reader I was given the April edition of Bird Watching for Mother’s Day and thought you might like to see a picture of the Greenfinches who made a welcome return, last year. We currently have four regular visitors along with a mixture of Goldfinches, sparrows, and Blue and Great Tits, and the Robin also likes to help himself to the sunflower hearts in the feeders. I love the magazine and I am going to sign up to #My200BirdYear challenge. Helen Griffiths ■ The editor says: Thank you for sharing this wonderful image, Helen. And best of luck with the birding challenge! Most important of all, have fun with it… Linnets feeding I need to take issue with Dominic Couzens re Linnets “You almost never see Linnets on…

Independence, as we all know, can be a contentious issue. This month, all eyes are upon the Scottish elections as a bellwether of public opinion, not so much on the Holyrood parliament itself, but on the bigger issue of separatism, the elephant in the room north of the ‘border’. I suspect that nobody, in this febrile political atmosphere, has given much thought to one quirky ornithological piece of fallout from any potential Scottish independence. It is this – if Scotland does indeed secede from the union, the United Kingdom will lose its only endemic bird (and a few mosses and lichens, too.) The Scottish Crossbill will become a breeding speciality of its eponymous country only. For 400 years the Scots Pine-guzzling finches have been hidden away in their coniferous enclave…

Fiordland Penguin A medium-sized yellow-crested penguin that breeds only at a few South Island sites. Northern Giant Petrel The high seas Turkey Vulture, this massive petrel fights for chum among bigger albatrosses. Antipodean Albatross The locally breeding form of ‘wandering albatross’ has a 3-metre wingspan, and looks similar to the Royal Albatross Westland Petrel Just 4,000 individuals of this dark-brown petrel breed on South Island. Royal Albatrosses The two closely-related Northern and Southern species are as huge as Antipodean and breed only in New Zealand. Fluttering and Hutton’s Shearwaters These similar small brown-and-white shearwaters are frequently seen in huge flocks. White-capped Mollymawk Common around South Island, this ‘small’ grey-and-white albatross has a distinctive yellow and grey bill Fairy Prion Abundant small grey petrels with a black ‘M’ marking on their…

Lundy is a rugged island located in the mouth of the Bristol Channel, its western flanks facing the full force of the Atlantic. Owned by the National Trust and leased to, and managed by, the Landmark Trust, Lundy was traditionally fêted among ornithologists for its seabirds. By the end of the 20th Century, its status was waning, in part due to Man’s exploitation of the marine environment, but also because of the impact that predatory rats were having on breeding birds. With echoes of New Zealand, in 2002 a project began to eradicate the rodents (both Brown and Black Rats were long-established) and it was an antipodean team that undertook the work. The project involved the collaboration of RSPB, Natural England, the Landmark Trust and the National Trust; and was…

NEW SERIES! Be a better bird photographer IMAGE SPEC Camera: Nikon D800E Lens: 200-500mm f/5.6 Focal length: 500mm Exposure: 1/8,000 sec; f/7.1 ISO 1,000 In this modern age of digital technology, it’s almost as common to see birders with an expensive DSLR and long lens as a pair of binoculars. While most seem to use photography as a way of recording what they see, there are those that take images to use online and in articles for magazines such as this. The latest equipment features all sorts of technological advancements that simply blow your mind. For the last 10 years or so there has been no excuse not to take technically proficient images with little previous experience, hence the plethora of images available on the internet. It’s a far cry…