Table of contents for October 2015 in Bird Watching

GARDEN BIRDS are one of the great compensations for the cold, damp, dark days of autumn and winter. As the nights draw in, so our back yards fill with new visitors looking for food. Our free 24-page Garden Bird Guide (see below) has advice on ID, what foods to use, and trends among garden birds, but this month’s cover bird would be a coup for any garden lister. The tiny Firecrest is a scarce but increasingly common visitor to these islands, so read Ian Parsons’ feature then check your local Goldcrests for interlopers! There’s also Ben Macdonald on the threat faced by Red-backed Shrikes (p24), James Parry on a truly pioneering bird photographer (p70), and all the regular features, news and reviews. Enjoy your read, then make October the month…

October is many a birdwatcher’s favourite month of the year. It is a time for rarity-finding, for welcoming winter visitors, and saying farewell to the birds of summer. And it is the season for catching up on the patch list and filling in the holes left in the spring. Here are four birds to enjoy this month. How many can you see? RARITY RATINGS Common, widely distributed Localised – always a treat Very scarce or rare Here are four to find this month Wheatear RATING Like many small birds, the Wheatear undergoes a transformation in its appearance in the autumn. Don’t expect to see crisp, pale blue-backed, black-masked males, for instance. The fresh buff feathers of both adults and first winter birds means they all look warm-toned, buffy and with…

LAST ISSUE I wrote about the hefty, lofty Red Deer and its relatives. While a Red Deer stag is Britain’s largest land mammal, it is not the largest mammal to breed on British land. Confused? The explanation becomes clear once you dispense with the black-and-white notion that land and sea are mutually exclusive spheres. The grey area of the littoral is where certain marine mammals come ashore to breed, specifically our two species of seal: Harbour (or Common) and, appropriately, Grey. Seals are ‘pinnipeds’, which roughly means ‘having feet as fins’, testament to their amphibious existence. Britain’s two breeding species are predominantly northern creatures, with the biggest populations breeding in northern and western Scotland. But, thanks in part to tides, currents and a smattering of colonies further south, you may…

American Robin When pioneering Europeans colonised North America, they naturally named the creatures they encountered. And equally naturally, they named them after familiar birds from the European homeland. The diverse, little streaky emberizine bunting-like birds looked a bit like ‘real’ sparrows and the name stuck. The common icterids were mid-sized and black, so became ‘blackbirds’ and their black and orange or yellow cousins looked somewhat like ‘orioles’. Similarly, the starling like (or Jackdaw-like), longer tailed icterids where somehat like the old-world mynahs of the genus Gracula, and so shared the name grackle. The little colourful thin billed passerines were somewhat like Old World warblers, so became warblers. And, of course, the large abundant red-breasted thrush, which appeared to occupy the niches of the European Blackbird was called Robin after our…

EUROPE’S VULTURES FACE an imminent catastrophe unless prompt action is taken to ban a veterinary drug that has already devastated populations in the Indian sub-continent and Africa. Bird Watching is joining Liberal Democrat MEP Catherine Bearder in calling for diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory drug given to cattle, to be restricted in use or banned and replaced by a safe alternative. Diclofenac causes kidney failure in birds who eat the corpses of the animals. In India, it was responsible for reducing the vulture population by 95%, from 40 million to 60,000, before being banned (it was subsequently outlawed in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, too), and it has also recently been blamed for large declines in vulture populations in Africa. However, diclofenac continues to be used legally in some EU member states, despite…

A project set up to save the endangered Swift Parrot is being supported by the Loro Parque Fundacion. The Swift Parrot is suffering from habitat loss due to logging and predation from Sugar Glider possums introduced to its Tasmanian breeding grounds from mainland Australia. Despite saying it is committed to the protection of the Swift Parrot, the Tasmanian Government is yet to join an Australian intergovernmental recovery team. On top of this, documents released in March show that the Tasmanian Government ignored the advice of its own experts and allowed the logging of Swift Parrot habitat. Coupled with the loss of habitat across the parrot’s wintering grounds in south-east Australia, this could lead to the reclassification of the species as Critically Endangered.…

A Better Future for Devon’s Birds is the promise and aim of a major one day conference in November. The event, which takes place at Exeter Racecourse on November 6, is aimed at everyone with an interest in Devon’s birdlife, and the measures being taken to halt the decline of so many species in the county. The key findings from the new Devon Bird Atlas will be highlighted, such as the gains in Little Egret numbers and the dramatic loss to Lapwings, along with talks on the importance of Dartmoor to birds, and on landscape-scale conservation by Harry Barton of Devon Wildlife Trust. Keynote speakers will include Springwatch producer Stephen Moss, and also present will be Martin Harper, Conservation Director of the RSPB, who will be talking about the RSPB’s…

I BLAME SHAKESPEARE, WORDSWORTH, Hardy, Brontë, Burns and Tolkien, Turner, Landseer and Constable. Between them, they have led us to believe in a unique British countryside of bare rolling hills, blasted heaths, heather-clad glens and friendly farmers in a pastoral heaven. If only we had been brought up on the brothers Grimm, we might be into vast forests tended by heroic woodsmen. Instead, we favour barren hillsides and fields worked by Farmer Giles. Our cultural memory is beset with ‘blue remembered hills’ where sheep can safely graze. Well folks, the sheep should be grazing in the valley not on those government subsidised hillsides. They should be re-wilding from pasture, to scrub, to hanging woodland. Our past is peppered with the wholesale slaughter of predators and the decimation of forest for…

Red-backed Shrikes have two key requirements – a ground layer, for feeding, and a shrub layer, for observation, prey storage and nesting. A variety of shrubs and trees can compose the shrub layer, from gorse to bramble and hawthorn. Dietary demands, however, are less flexible. In the farmland of eastern Poland, Golawski (2008) found that 81% of Red-backed Shrike diet consists of Coleoptera (beetles). A further 9% is filled by Hymenoptera (bees, sawflies, wasps and ants), 8% by Heteroptera (bugs) and just 2% by Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets, earwigs and cockroaches). Diet varies, to some degree, between arable and grassland habitats, with more bees and fewer beetles consumed in arable. As the season progresses, and crops grow, arable diets shift towards aerial prey because ground food becomes less accessible. Overall, however,…

This month’s experts Regular bird brains Matt and Mike are joined by confirmed Kittiwake fan John Miles John Miles, author and guide John has written dozens and dozens of Go Birding walks and plenty of books, too, including Kitty The Toon – a children’s book about Kittiwakes. Which warbler? Q This little fellow was found injured on our garden lawn. It appeared to have damaged its wing as it was having trouble flying. My best guess is that it is a Garden Warbler, although I’ve not seen one this close before. Its underside was white with no markings. Can you confirm? Malcolm Spriggs, Bidford on Avon A You’re looking in the right area – warblers of the Sylvia genus – but it is in fact a young Whitethroat. The bright,…

AN AUTUMN DAY in the early 1900s, on the North Norfolk coast. A solitary female figure strolls along the shore, a camera slung over her back. Suddenly a large tawny-coloured bird flushes from a depression in the shingle in front of her, flapping to gain height and then hanging in the air above the spray of the waves before it heads out to sea. The bird was a Short-eared Owl and the walker a woman named Emma Louise Turner. She described this incident in her remarkable book, Broadland Birds, published in 1924 and still to be found in secondhand bookshops today. At the time of its publication Turner was not only a seasoned observer of Short-eared Owls and much other wildlife, but also one of the most acclaimed bird photographers…

OTHER SITES Flughafensee This is a relatively large lake near Tegal Airport to the northwest of the city. It’s a very under-watched site that could hold many surprises. Recently, Little Bitterns have reappeared after a long absence of several years. Tempelhof Park Formally Tempelhof Airport this large area of nearly 1,000 acres replete with a runway has been given over to the general public. It is a popular site day-trippers so it is best to arrive early in the morning. Along with resident Kestrel and Buzzard, Raven can be seen and Short-eared Owls winter. It’s a site that is well worth checking out. WEBSITES David flew with British Airways britishairways.com, and stayed with a mate! REFERENCE GUIDES: Collins Bird Guide – Lars Svensson, Killian Mullarney & Dan Zetterström…

ICE-COVERED TREES GLITTERED in frost. Whiteout on the Washes. Silver birches were frozen to immobility, smooth-skinned bark gleaming in the glare of low sun. Water stretched out like a mirror under a wan sky, glinting in evening light. I sat in the deserted hide, waiting. A sinking sun flared on the shining washes as a pair of Bewick’s emerged like ghosts from behind a dyke, swimming close to the bank, unmistakably the smallest of the swan world, lighter in build than the Mute, more buoyant, more ethereal in line. They swam serenely beside each other, bobbing heads gracefully, turning to the other with a ‘hoop hoop’, occasionally dabbling, a dignity in their bearing, with a fragility belying their life history of epic migrations. Slim tapering necks streamline into a delicately…

While there are records of people feeding birds in the early 19th Century, the practice of feeding garden birds really took off at the beginning of the 20th Century, with people encouraging birds into their gardens by throwing out kitchen scraps. By the late 1980s, leftovers were still the main foods being put out for birds, and even these were generally only provided during the winter, when it was thought that birds suffered most. It was advised not to feed the birds during the breeding season, as many foods were thought to be unsuitable for chicks. The young of most garden birds are fed on insects, and nest studies have revealed that the adults rarely bring in bird table fare for their chicks, but it was not until more recently…

Small, black, white and grey (females have greyer backs), with a very long tail that is frequently flicked or ‘wagged’ up and down. Often fearless and confiding when in search of food, even taking insects off the windscreens of parked cars. In winter, forms large roosts in built-up areas, and more likely to enter gardens than in summer. Factfile Scientific name: Motacilla alba yarrelli Length: 18cm Wingspan: 25-30cm Diet: Small insects, throughout the year Habitat: Comes into gardens in winter in search of food, but most often seen besides water, on car-parks, parks and school fields, and on industrial and housing estates Nests in: Holes in banks, rocks, walls, and piles of wood, plus occasionally in open buildings such as outhouses Feed with: Mealworms, although will also take finely…

Black-capped, with a paler, greyish nape and a distinctively pale eye, this small crow (with a corresponding small bill) is a sociable bird, breeding in small colonies and often seen in feeding flocks with Rooks, Woodpigeons and Stock Doves. Pairs usually seen together even outside the breeding season. Factfile Scientific name: Corvus monedula Length: 33-34cm Wingspan: 67-74cm Diet: Insects, seeds (including acorns), berries, worms, human food scraps, and occasionally the eggs of other birds, in spring Habitat: Anywhere from coastal cliffs to city centre buildings, but particularly fond of old buildings and quarries on the edge of open countryside and farmland Nests in: Holes of all sorts, but particularly in old walls or buildings; chimney-pots are another favourite Feed with: Fat balls, especially those containing insects.…

Tiny (even smaller than Blue Tit), with distinctive bright white cheeks and nape patch and broad black bib. Looks large-headed. Acrobatic both on its favoured conifer branches, and garden feeders, where it is usually a wary, ‘hit and run’ visitor, dashing in and out to take food quickly before it can be bullied by larger birds. In bad weather, large numbers can ‘irrupt’ south from northern Britain and Scandinavia, boosting the numbers of birds seen in gardens. Factfile Scientific name: Periparus ater Length: 11.5cm Wingspan: 17-21cm Diet: Mainly insects and spiders, plus their eggs and young Habitat: Prefers coniferous woodland, especially spruce, but will venture into other habitats in search of food Nests in: Holes in trees, mainly conifers Feed with: Sunflower hearts, black sunflower seeds, peanuts and suet,…

Large-headed, with blue-grey upperparts and orange buff underneath, plus a broad black eye stripe. Very agile, it regularly moves head-first down trees, a unique ability among British birds. Wide range of vocalizations; loud repeated ‘twit’ or ‘sit’ calls are also distinctive. Increasingly commonly seen in gardens, especially during bad weather. Factfile Scientific name: Sitta europaea Length: 14cm Wingspan: 16-18cm Diet: Insects, nuts and berries, and will hoard all three in autumn. Wedges tough nuts and seeds in tree crevices, then hammers them open with its bill Habitat: Mixed and deciduous woodland, where it prefers the larger trees Nests in: Holes in trees, recognisable by the mud plastered around the entrance (to prevent birds larger than the Nuthatch gaining access) Feed with: Peanuts and sunflower seeds from a secure wire…

Very small, acrobatic finch, which is usually reluctant to leave the treetops, although it will visit garden feeders in winter, often alongside Lesser Redpolls, and Goldfinches. If seen well (many sightings will be of birds silhouetted), the male’s black cap and yellow head and breast are obvious, while the female is duller, with a streaky white underside. There is always a hint of greenish or yellowish tones, which are absent in redpolls. Factfile Scientific name: Carduelis spinus Length: 12cm Wingspan: 20-23cm Diet: Seeds, mainly from pine, spruce, alder and birch. Habitat: Pine forest and mixed woodland, but will visit gardens in winter and early spring Nests in: Tall conifers, with the nest attached to one of the outer twigs Feed with: Black sunflower seeds and sunflower hearts, suet pellets,…

Britain’s smallest bird, it is recognisable by its black-bordered, yellow crown stripe, which the male can fan and flatten to reveal an orange centre as an aggression or courtship display (female has yellow centred crown); the similar Firecrest also has a white stripe above the eye. Fearless, often to the point of ignoring humans, and will visit feeders in winter, either alone or as part of a mixed tit flock. Factfile Scientific name: Regulus regulus Length: 9cm Wingspan: 13-15cm Diet: Tiny insects and spiders, taken from twigs high in dense trees Habitat: Coniferous trees and thickets, but also Yews, ornamental firs and spruce in parks and gardens, plus willows and Alders in autumn and winter Nests in: Conifers, making a nest of moss and lichen Feed with: Crumbs of…

At a distance, their flight style and gregarious nature can lead you to mistake them for a flock of Starlings, but seen close up, the paler colours, crest, red, waxy feathers on trailing edge of wing, and yellow wing and tail tips, are unmistakable. Flocks roam widely and erratically, homing in on any source of berries. Bell-like trilling call. Factfile Scientific name: Bombycilla garrulus Length: 18cm Wingspan: 32-35cm Diet: In autumn and winter, when they visit Britain, almost exclusively berries, especially Hawthorn, Rowan, and cotoneaster Habitat: If you’re lucky you’ll get some in your garden, but supermarket car parks are often the best place to look! Nests in: Spruce and pine close to open tundra Feed with: Chunks of apple on twigs, but your best bet is to plant…

It’s up there with the great debates of our time. Are there aliens on Mars? Should cannabis be legalised? Is there an afterlife? And should you feed bacon rind to birds? Many of our bird feeding habits have been passed down from generation to generation. But, whereas the 1970s may have seen your dad scattering a mini mountain of bread onto the lawn to attract the local Starlings, recent research suggests we have to think more carefully before throwing our Sunday leftovers into 1 Chips/crisps The stomachs of most garden birds simply cannot process salt and so these should be avoided. Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust animal health officer Martin Brown says: “Birds, especially seagulls, will eat chips; and most things left on the street. Potatoes are often fed to geese,…

There is a wide range of products available to help you see the nature first hand in your garden, from a distance that will keep disturbance to a minimum. Here is a quick look at some of the options available from guide sponsors Viking Optical. VIKING MONOCULARS Monoculars offer a lightweight and portable viewing alternative to binoculars. The close focus that many monoculars have make them ideal for looking at Butterflies, Dragonflies or any small bugs and insects in close up detail. Prices start from £34.95 vikingoptical.co.uk/monoculars VIKING BINOCULARS Having binoculars to hand will let you explore the visitors to your garden, no matter how long they stay. Compact enough for your pocket or even sat on the windowsill, there are options to suit all requirements and budgets. Prices start…

Ben Macdonald looks at the fall –and potential future rise – of the Red-backed Shrike in Britain. See page 28 Ian Parsons seeks out Firecrests among his regular Goldcrests – will you get lucky this winter? Find out more on page 32. How much do we actually know about that car park favourite, the Pied Wagtail? Not much, says Dominic Couzens, see page 38. James Parry examines the life of a bird photography pioneer who changed attitudes to the way we study birds. Page 70. Ed Hutchings sees the many and varied improvements being made at RSPB Conwy. Read all about his visit on page 74. Urban Birder David Lindo finds himself surrounded by Goshawks when he visits Berlin. See page 86 to find out more. ¿ If you would…

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…

TRAGOPANS, FIREBACKS, PEACOCKS. These are birdwatchers’ dreams; large spectacular shimmering garish birds with ridiculous crests and long trailing tails, native to the remote jungles of Asia. These are the pheasants, and there are around 50 species in the world, many of which are threatened and all of which would be a privilege to see. Despite the exquisite beauty of all members of this family, the Pheasant found here in the UK does not often inspire marvel, or even a second glance. An introduced gamebird, Pheasants are viewed as a nuisance, an oddity when encountered foraging under the bird feeder, and generally not really part of the British avifauna. This disdain appears to blind us to the spectacular looks of the males which would be so appreciated if seen in their…

The Scottish Seabird Centre has launched its 10th annual photography competition, and to mark this anniversary, two new categories have been announced. Firstly, to celebrate the Year of Food and Drink, the Centre has introduced the Nature’s Foragers category, in which entrants can consider the various ways in which wildlife finds its lunch. Also this year budding filmmakers are invited to compose a minute’s footage for the Nature Condensed category, focusing on any of the themes in the still photo categories. Guest judges this year will include STV Edinburgh news anchor Laura Miller, and ‘The Forager’s Kitchen’ author Fiona Bird. Winners will be selected by the judges and by public vote, and entries must be received by 18 October. For entry details go to seabird.org…

Researchers from the University of Northampton have used British birds to see whether they conform to two patterns seen elsewhere in the world. According to Allen’s Rule, one of those tested, the appendages of any given species will be shorter and thicker in colder areas; the other rule tested, Bergmann’s Rule, states that members of any species will be larger in cold climates than their relatives in warmer areas. Looking at four native species, and using records from ringers across Britain, the researchers found that male Blackbirds and female House Sparrows were indeed larger in the northern part of the species range, while the wing lengths of female Robins and male Song Thrushes were longer in the south. However, female Robins seemed to buck the trend, being smaller in the…

Attendees at this summer’s Birdfair at Rutland Water will have witnessed the announcement of the winners and runners up at the inaugural Bird Watching Photographer of the Year 2015 competition. The overall prize went to Tim Hunt for his beautiful portrait of a Great White Egret. The judges were impressed not only with the beauty of the composition but also the “delayed reveal” of the apparent eye contact between the egret and its hapless tiny fish prey. Tim also received a Commended place for his flying Anhinga, as did Toby Houlton for his Little Egret. Our Cover Star prize went to John Walker’s outstanding Eider portrait.…

WORN Because feathers don’t grow continuously, but are shed and replaced totally during one or more moults, we only relatively rarely see birds at their most pristine. Feathers, by their very nature, are subject to a lot of wear and tear, including physical damage such as abrasion from trees, rocks, and other such things, and bleaching from the sun, saltwater, and other factors. This means that for much of the time we will see birds in what we refer to as ‘worn’ plumage. In some cases this can make identification tricky, as some fielduides picture the birds in a different, more perfect condition. Worn birds appear duller and scruffier than those fresh out of moult, and get duller and scruffier as the process goes on. In many cases, it is…

OPTICS RATINGS EXPLAINED OPTICS – Quality of optical image including sharpness, focusing etc HANDLING – How the product looks, feels and ease of use PRICE – Value for money against other models in its class VANGUARD VEO 235AP £149.99 TESTED BY MATT MERRITT ALTHOUGH designed with photographers in mind, everything good about this tripod is equally applicable when used with a scope. First off, it packs down really small, and weighs just 1.5kg, making it perfect for stowing in a suitcase on a foreign trip. The two-way pan head (with Arca Swiss quick release plate) has a quick-fold handle to minimise the length and width of the tripod when folded, and the central column rotates quickly and easily. The four-section aluminium legs are 23mm diameter, and locked securely in extended…

Lee Evans is the UK's most well-known and fanatical ‘twitcher', having recorded 582 species in Britain and Ireland, 861 in the wider Western Palearctic and 386 in just one calendar year in the UK. He has written many ornithological publications and runs numerous birding tours throughout the year, including custom-led trips. Visit bbabirding.blogspot.co.uk and uk400clubrarebird alert.blogspot.co.uk Following last month’s Black-browed Albatross, it was not expected that another seabird would make the headline stage in August, but towards the end of the month, on 28th, a large number of lingering Cory’s Shearwaters off of Gwennap Head, Porthgwarra (Cornwall) attracted a first or 2nd-summer Red-billed Tropicbird into their throng – the bird lingering for around eight minutes at Runnel Stone. A dozen highly-delighted and very lucky seawatchers witnessed the event. It was a…

HOVERING HUNTER One of the iconic sights of our countryside is a Kestrel hovering, still and perfect. This bird was captured mid-hover in early autumn by Colin Crowdey. Colin is a photographer based in Gloucester. He has been a photographer for more than 25 years, running a successful studio. He has won many awards, including ‘Wildlife Photographer of the Year’. Right now, he teaches photography to students from all over the UK, ranging from one-to-one tuition through to larger workgroups.colincrowdeyphotography.com…

Grey head and rump contrasts very sharply with dark brown back, long black tail, and bright white underwings, both in flight and on the ground. A large and bold thrush, found in autumn and winter, usually in active, wandering flocks, giving distinctive chattering ‘chack chack’ calls. Factfile Scientific name: Turdus pilaris Length: 25.5cm Wingspan: 39-42cm Diet: In autumn and winter, mainly berries, plus fruit, but also worms and insects Habitat: Likes farmland with tall, mature hedges, plus heaths with scattered bushes, but moves into gardens in cold weather Nests in: Heavy nest of roots, grass and mud, in a tree, but only a very few breed in Scotland, most birds nesting further north and east Feed with: Soft fruit, especially apples, on the ground should do the trick, although…

Our largest and palest thrush, with an upright stance and small head, greyish-brown back, and spotted breast – the spots are larger and messier than on a Song Thrush. White underwing and white in outer tail corners. Less inclined to join flocks than most thrushes, but can be seen in family groups in autumn. Sings in winter, as well as giving rattling call, especially when defending food sources. Factfile Scientific name: Turdus viscivorus Length: 27cm Wingspan: 42-48cm Diet: Worms, insects, berries and fruit Habitat: Farmland, heaths and larger gardens Nests in: Tall trees, building its nest early in spring, often in bare branches Feed with: Mealworms, either live or soaked in water, and will also take seeds. Mistle Thrushes can be very aggressive in warding off other birds from…

Small, ‘mouse-like’ bird, no bigger than a tit. Long tail (used as a prop when climbing trees), downcurved bill and bright white underparts and stripe above eye are all distinctive, but its habit of climbing tree trunks in a spiral direction, then flitting down to base of another nearby trunk, is unlike anything else. Solitary for most of the year, but in winter often passes through gardens as part of mixed tit flocks. Factfile Scientific name: Certhia familiaris Length: 12.5cm Wingspan: 18-21cm Diet: Insects, spiders and some smaller seeds, taken from the rough bark of trees Habitat: Parkland, mixed and deciduous woodland, and hedges with tall trees Nests in: Cavities under loose bark in woodland Feed with: May come to nuts and seeds on a table, in need, but…

Starling sized; much larger than the similarly-coloured but sparrow-sized Lesser Spotted, and more bound to trees than Green Woodpeckers (which are much bigger). Adult males have red vents and napes, and adult females red vents (and no red on head or nape), while juveniles have red crowns and pinkish vents. Factfile Scientific name: Dendrocopos major Length: 22-23cm Wingspan: 34-39cm Diet: Insects all year, plus seeds in winter, but will also take eggs and nestlings in spring after hammering its way into nestholes and nestboxes Habitat: Everywhere from deciduous woodland to parkland and gardens Nests in: Tree holes, which the birds excavate themselves Feed with: Peanuts, sunflower seeds and fat. Will also eat windfall fruit…

Another small, acrobatic finch, and one that is often seen in company with Siskins. Red forehead spot (hence red poll), white belly, and streaked back and flanks – Mealy (Common) Redpolls and Arctic Redpolls are much rarer, and larger and paler, too. Distribution in autumn and winter can be patchy and variable. Look out for them on hanging niger seed feeders among Siskins and Goldfinches. Factfile Scientific name: Carduelis cabaret Length: 11.5-14.5cm Wingspan: 22-26cm Diet: Tiny seeds, especially Birch, taken both from the trees and the ground below Habitat: Conifers, Birch and Alder, and are sometimes seen in suburban habitats, but increasingly less so Nests in: Trees and shrubs – small neat cup of twigs, bark, and leaves Feed with: Niger seeds, and small seed mixes, in hanging feeders…

The male has the black cap that gives the species its name, and the female a chestnut brown cap – in both it is smaller and higher than in Marsh or Willow Tits (with no black bib). Otherwise grey-brown, but its sweet song is distinctive from early spring onwards. Tutting ‘tack’ call. British breeders migrate to the Mediterranean and further south, but central European birds winter here, increasingly visiting gardens. Factfile Scientific name: Sylvia atricapilla Length: 13cm Wingspan: 20-23cm Diet: Mainly insects, but also berries in autumn and winter Habitat: Woodland thickets, but also parks and gardens with sufficiently dense vegetation Nests in: Low bushes, with a small, rounded cup of thin stems Feed with: Suet cakes – otherwise, their liking for gardens is so recent it’s not clear…

Males’ black heads and backs, orange neck and breast and white belly can give a distinctively contrasty appearance in spring, but in autumn and winter more mottled appearance is often hard to pick out in distant groups of Chaffinches, the females even more so. Look for the white rump and the orange shoulder patches. Also has narrower wings and a shorter tail than the closely related Chaffinch, with which it often associates. Factfile Scientific name: Fringilla montifringilla Length: 14-16cm Wingspan: 25-28cm Diet: Insects in summer, but seeds, especially beech mast, in winter Habitat: Northern Birch forests, but in Britain, usually seen in mixed woodland, or in parks and gardens Nests in: Trees and bushes – a few records in Britain each year Feed with: Sunflower seeds, particularly black sunflower…

IT IS EARLY September, as I write, and I note the trees are still richly green, and there are still plenty of red roses and other flowers in bloom. The voice of Louis Armstrong echoes in my head. There is a pleasant chill cutting through in the early morning, a hint of autumn. And, while enjoying the blue skies and wispy white clouds of this joyous time, I have been spending an inordinate amount of time in a cemetery. Broadway Cemetery, Peterborough, to be precise. I can cycle there from my house in the city in six minutes, yet until the last week or two, I had never really birded there. But, it looks like a superb patch. It is perhaps nearly four football pitches in size, and filled with…

RESERVE VANDALISED Teifi Marshes nature reserve in Pembrokeshire has again been vandalised, having been on the receiving end of many attacks this year, including the destruction by fire of its Curlew hide back in March. This time, the walls of the Mallard Hide were smashed, a hole broken in the roof, and a display board torn from the wall and destroyed. In order to help prevent this sad state of affairs continuing, the reserve is attempting to raise funds to build better, more secure hides and install CCTV around the reserve. If you can help in any way, or would like to make a donation, please visit the centre, or visit welshwildlife.org GRAVEL HELPS PLOVER Putting gravel on beaches could help stop the decline of the Snowy Plover, researchers in…

THE ARTS, CULTURE and the infamous Wall; those are the things that initially spring to mind when you think of Berlin. Perhaps the last thing you would consider is the remote possibility of the presence of any interesting examples of our feathered friends within Germany’s largest city. But you would be wrong. Berlin is a very green and wooded city and despite having a population of around 3.5 million it still seemed to have space and quieter areas. Two things struck me while I was wandering about the city. One was the constant chirping of sparrows – always a lovely and comforting sound to hear – and the second, the distinct lack of Feral Pigeons. It appears that Berlin is no place to be born a pigeon. It didn’t take…

Swede style jacket promises reliability THE LUNDHAGS GREIJ Jacket, available in both men’s and women’s versions from Nordic Outdoor, is a durable and comfortable jacket for tough conditions. Greij means reliable in Jamtlandic, the dialect of the Swedish province of Jämtland. The main material used is comfortable LPC Eco, which is light, breathable and nearly windproof. It also features both a hood and shoulders with the waterproof material 3-layer Zethar®. The pockets are designed to be easy to access when wearing a backpack – there are two zippered breast pockets and two large pockets with ventilation for warmer days or higher activity levels. Additional features include extra reinforcements on the elbows and seamless shoulders to help prevent chafing and increase durability. The arms are articulated for a better fit and…

Back in our May issue, we looked at how you can make your garden the centre of your birdwatching life, by learning to identify the most common visitors, feeding the birds that do pay a visit, and planting the right trees, shrubs and flowers to ensure that birds have plenty of natural food. In autumn and winter, putting out food (and water) for the birds becomes even more vital, but the arrival of colder weather also offers opportunities to see a wider range of species, from widespread but shy beauties such as the Coal Tit, to exotic visitors such as the Waxwing (and we’re overdue a big winter for the latter). We’ve got eight pages of ID cards, to help you spot any new arrivals at your feeders or on…

A slightly smaller thrush than Song Thrush (with which they can sometimes be seen), with distinctive pale stripes above and below dark cheek patch, dark back, streaked breast, and rufous flank and underwing that gives it its name. A winter visitor, arriving in autumn, which often joins Fieldfares in mixed flocks. Migrating birds can be heard flying over at night, giving a high, ‘see-ip’ call. Factfile Scientific name: Turdus iliacus Length: 21cm Wingspan: 33-35cm Diet: In winter, berries, plus earthworms (more so than Fieldfares), and insects during rest of year Habitat: Farmland, but also waste ground and gardens Nests in: Forms small, loose colonies in bushes and shrubs, but only a tiny handful breed in Britain Feed with: Leave windfall fruit lying on the lawn, or put out some…

Unmistakable, with a bright white rump, black tail, pinkish upperparts and a vivid blue wing flash. Flies with a laboured ‘rowing’ motion, and calls include a harsh, scolding, rasping ‘skairk’. Outside towns, often very shy and elusive, but in suburban gardens, can become very bold and even rather tame. Factfile Scientific name: Garrulus glandarius Length: 35cm Wingspan: 52-58cm Diet: In autumn and winter, acorns are the main food – these are buried or hidden and retrieved as and when needed Habitat: Deciduous woodland, plus parks and suburban areas with plenty of deciduous trees (especially oaks) Nests in: Large trees, with a twig nest being built in a fork in the branches Feed with: Peanuts, but also leave any nuts and seeds from garden and overhanging trees lying, for the…