Table of contents for May 2019 in Bird Watching

Follow Adrian Thomas’s key tips and techniques to help you to master the art of birdsong. Also, what to listen to and where to hear it. Page 22 John Miles meets the son of author and ornithologist David Lack to discuss how the city of Oxford is hoping to help our Swifts. Page 35 Tour guide Ruth Miller recalls how seeing a beautiful Bullfinch outside her kitchen window changed her life forever. Page 44 Renowned bird author Dominic Couzens on why the Lesser Black-backed Gull deserves a second look. Page 66 The Urban Birder David Lindo heads to Kirkwall, the capital of Orkney, to discover the sorts of birds it has to offer. Join him! Page 86…

One of the key reasons that a scope is so amazing to look through is that, being set on a tripod, the image is dead steady, allowing your eye to wander around the image and enjoy every detail with relative ease. Relative to binocular views, that is, when try as you may, the hand-held image tends to wobble about (with the magnification magnifying the wobble!). One way to get more out of your binoculars is to stabilise them. You can set most binoculars up on a monopod or even a tripod, but this is usually impractical in the field. However, if you have a resting place, you can take advantage of this. Try leaning your elbows on the shelf of a hide or viewing screen or on top of your…

Welcome ban A proposed ban on shooting Greenland White-fronted Geese has been welcomed by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, and it has also called for a fundamental change in government policy to protect other species. Rather than rely on moratoriums to protect only the most endangered birds, it would like hunters, government agencies and conservationists to work together on collecting the information needed to manage all hunting in a sustainable way. Portugal, anyone? Boost your My200BirdYear by spending 2-9 June 2019 in southern Portugal! David Chandler, our WishList and optics writer, is co-leading a tour with Birds & Nature Tours Portugal. You could see Greater Flamingo, both storks, Glossy Ibis, Little Bittern, Purple Heron, Purple Swamphen, Audouin’s Gull, Slender-billed Gull, both bustards, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Black-winged Kite, Lesser Kestrel, Black Vulture,…

This area can so easily be missed on a visit to the Isle of Lewis, but a drive up the Eye Peninsula is well worth it, especially if you want to see breeding seabirds or try your luck at spotting whales and dolphins in the North Minch. This is the best place in the UK to try to see Risso’s Dolphin. You can start checking out the breeding waders along the roadside, and look out for Stonechats. The loch itself draws many feeding ducks with good numbers of Wigeon, Teal and Tufted Duck, plus potential oddments such as Ring-necked Duck and Scaup. Barnacle Geese drop in, and breeding waders include Common Sandpiper, Snipe and Redshank. Arctic Terns are found here in summer and even Black Tern has dropped in. But…

This spectacular birding walk includes some of the very best habitats Highland Scotland has to offer. The lane from Tomatin to Auchintool provides easy walking with plenty of scanning points along the way and follows the River Findhorn through a glacial valley, where broad upland meadows and grazing land slope towards open moorland and mountain tops. Scattered hanging oak woods and coniferous plantations along the lane support the likes of Crested Tit and Redstart, while raptors, such as Osprey and White-tailed Eagle, are often encountered along the valley. The river itself is the focal point of the walk and is a given for Dipper. In places it meanders, forming small islands and wide alluvial deposits where Common Gulls nest and bobbing Common Sandpipers feed; in several places, babbling streams tumble…

What a history this area has. Thousands of people left the area for a better life in Canada, USA and Australia owing to the clearances in the 18th Century, then came the world wars – a monument built in 1920 commemorates the loss of two troop ships offshore in 1918. Off in the distance is the impressive Dun Athad fort, which goes back thousands of years. There are sea cliffs on the reserve, but not all easily viewed. Herring Gulls and Fulmars are visible on nests, while Kittiwakes, Guillemots and Razorbills are just around the corner. You can see activity on the sea with loafing and feeding possible from April until July, with clear views down the steep slopes to Port nan Gallan. One of the highlights of our many…

The walk takes you up to two small reservoirs nestled in the Quolie river valley in the Antrim Hills. It is an out and back walk starting in farmland and gradually climbing up about 100m, to moorland and rough grazing. The path meanders alongside the Quolie River and the higher you climb, the better the views. Once you reach Quolie Reservoir No1, the path flattens out until you reach the end of the reservoir. It then resumes its course alongside the river and climbs up to reach Quolie Reservoir No2. You can picnic here and return, but I recommend continuing on to the top of the No2 reservoir and, if possible, reaching the ruined farmhouse for a truly memorable view back down the valley to Ballymena and Slemish. The valley…

GRID REF: SH202 823 POST CODE: LL65 1YH (RSPB information centre) HOW TO GET THERE: Having crossed the Menai Bridge, take the A55 Expressway across Anglesey to reach Holyhead from where a minor road climbs the hill and continues some four miles to the South Stack headland WHERE TO PARK: South Stack car park, fee payable TERRAIN: Cliff top paths, steep in places ACCESS: Isle of Anglesey Coastal Path open at all times. South Stack and the lighthouse open Saturday to Thursday, 10am-4pm and Friday afternoons only FACILITIES: Visitor centre open 10am-5pm daily. Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, South Stack, South Stack Road, Holyhead LL65 1YH.Tel: 01407 762100, email: south.stack@rspb.org.uk PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Holyhead well served by train and bus, though no public transport to South Stack itself. Traveline…

GRID REFERENCE: SJ 687 060 HOW TO GET THERE: From the M54, turn off at junction 5 then follow theA442 southwards then the A4169 westwards for about a mile, at the roundabout take the B4373 for half-a-mile then the first turn left (westwards) to the church WHERE TO PARK: Several parking places on the road near the church. Grid ref: SJ 687 064 TERRAIN: Generally level going but also hillsides to explore, can be muddy after rain ACCESSIBILITY: Limited disabled access. Dogs on lead FACILITIES: None on site but all in Dawley and Telford PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Nearest Railway Station is Telford, National Rail Enquiries 08457 700 240; bus services, Traveline, tel: 08712 002 233 CLUB CONTACT: Shropshire Ornithological Society, tel: 01743 761 507, web: shropshirebirds.com COUNTY RECORDER: Martyn Owen, 34…

GRID REF: SO 950 881 POSTCODE: DY2 9HS HOW TO GET THERE: The reserves lie 3 miles to the south of Dudley. From Dudley follow the A461, Duncan Edwards Way and at Flood Street Island turn onto Blackacre Road follow the road towards Darby End for 1.5 miles and at Vale Road turn into Windmill End Road. The main entrance points to Warrens Hall are on Dudley Road (B65 8NA) and Springfield Lane, in the Springfield area of Rowley Regis WHERE TO PARK: Small, free parking area near the visitor centre on Windmill End Road, by the Wheatsheaf pub TERRAIN: Level along the canal towpaths but steep climbs in parts ACCESSIBILITY: The general area is accessible at all times FACILITIES: There is a visitor centre and café and toilets on…

POSTCODE: PE27 4TA GRID REF: TL 348 726 HOW TO GET THERE: The reserve is 10 minutes from the A14. Leave Junction 26 onto the A1096. Staying on the A1096, at the fourth roundabout, take the third exit. Go straight over the next roundabout. Take the next right onto Bluntisham Road. After 400m, turn left. Or, from the centre of Over, follow Fen End until it becomes a track WHERE TO PARK: There is a car park on Overcote Lane, Needingworth, or there are a few spaces on the track at TL 381 718 (but don’t block entrances) TERRAIN: Paths can be muddy after rain. Some steps up to the bridge ACCESSIBILITY: Reserve trails, footpaths and bridleways. The Ouse Valley Way passes through the site FACILITIES: None on site but…

GRID REF: SO 836 609 POSTCODE: HOW TO GET THERE: Approximately 5 miles from Worcester on the A443 Tenbury Road, between Hallow Heath and Holt Heath. Grimley is signposted from the A443, turn right into Camp Lane and follow the road towards the church and park nearby (the road is fairly narrow so do not cause obstruction) WHERE TO PARK: If frequenting the Waggon Wheel Inn, there is a car park there TERRAIN: The field bordering the pools can be very wet and muddy during the winter months ACCESSIBILITY: The area is accessible at all times from public footpaths, either from opposite the Waggon Wheel Inn or from the church FACILITIES: The Waggon Wheel restaurant close by WEBSITE: worcesterbirding.co.uk for regular bird updates of the area PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Irregular buses…

GRID REF: TQ 058 164 POSTCODE: RH20 2EL HOW TO GET THERE: From the A29 at Pulborough take the A283 to Storrington. After two miles turn right at Wiggonholt, signposted into the reserve WHERE TO PARK: RSPB car park TERRAIN: Combination of level ground in the valley, but also some inclines on the heath, unsurfaced tracks and bridleways. A motorised buggy is available for those with mobility issues, but needs to be booked in advance by telephone: 01798 875 851 ACCESS: Open daily (except Christmas Day) from sunrise to sunset. Admission prices for non-members are £3 for adults and £1 for children FACILITIES: Visitor centre and shop open from 9.30am-5pm, toilets, hides, viewpoints and café PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Compass Bus, number 100, runs between Burgess Hill and Horsham and stops at…

The airspace above my house is dominated by Red Kites. Their distinctive squeak announces their arrival before I even spot them. I look up to watch them circle overhead and then look back towards the conservatory, where my two bunnies are peering out to see whether I’m bringing them a handful of dandelions. The rabbits are naturally curious and despite living indoors and with a casual attitude to danger (the vacuum is regularly chased), they are alert now, periscoping at the very sound of the kite. The cry of the kite is quite alarming and while I’ve seen so many since we moved to the country, I can’t help but be mesmerised by their elegant acrobatics – swooping and gliding, twisting and turning. And with a wingspan of about six…

ARCTIC TERN The Arctic Tern is much lauded as being the supreme avian traveler, seeing more daylight than practically any other creature while clocking up its vast mileage traversing both hemispheres. Recent studies have shown that on average their annual journeys cover some 44,100 miles. Incredible! Aside from being commonly found in the more northerly coastlines of the UK, its distribution is circumpolar covering the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of Europe, Asia and North America. They are to be found breeding as far south as Brittany and Massachusetts. Interestingly, despite looking very similar to Common Terns, they are more closely related to their southern counterparts – the South American and Antarctic Terns.…

15 days’ guided bird- and mammal-watching; 14 nights’ accommodation on a fully-inclusive basis in very comfortable hotels and lodges with ensuite rooms throughout, close to the best wildlife areas and often actually within the national parks; guiding by Alan and Ruth and an expert English-speaking local guide (the very best guide in Uganda!) throughout the trip plus, additional local guides at specific birding locations; transport in a comfortable air-conditioned vehicle during the tour; all excursions as itemised in the itinerary; all entrance fees, Gorilla and Chimp tracking permits already included; all meals (breakfast, lunch and evening meal) from evening meal on Saturday 29 February until lunch on Saturday 14 March; bottled drinking water throughout the tour; use of our field guides; use of our top-of-the-range Leica telescopes; airport transfers to/…

SOUTH WEST Highlights As is a common theme this month, there was very little change in the rarer birds between January and February. The first-winter Eastern Yellow Wagtail on St Mary’s, Scilly, was last seen on the 3rd. The Cornwall Pacific Divers were still present well into March, and both of the long-staying Lesser Yellowlegs (Cornwall and Dorset) remained throughout the month. AVON HIGHLIGHTS: Early migrants included a Sand Martin (24th), and a Swallow at Chew (28th). Two Swallows at Barrow Gurney (6th) might have overwintered. A Wheatear (28th) was a week earlier than last year. CLEVEDON-WESTON-SUPER-MARE: Clevedon-Yeo had 300 Shelducks, two Common Scoters (5th), a Great White Egret (21st), an Avocet, 14 Grey Plovers and a few Knot. A Mandarin was on the Blind Yeo (15th). Goosanders there peak…

MARMORA’S WARBLER Mainly restricted to Corsica and Sardinia, this rare vagrant is similar, but greyer, than the more widespread Dartford Warbler. There have only been half a dozen or so records in the UK, and nearly all have been in May. SLENDER-BILLED GULL Though quite a widespread bird around the Mediterranean basin, the Slender-billed Gull remains a very rare bird in the UK, with only a dozen or so records. Nearly all have been from eastern counties (particularly East Sussex, Kent and Norfolk) and more than half have been during May (most recently at Titchwell, Norfolk, on 26 May, 2014) TRUMPETER FINCH Despite little bursts of multiple occurrences in 2005 and 2008, the little Trumpeter Finch remains a very rare bird in the UK (fewer than 20 records). Of these,…

Only two species of woodpecker drum in the UK: the Great Spotted Woodpecker and the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. The former is much, much more common than the latter (140,000 breeding pairs vs 1,000 pairs). Now the trees are covered in leaves, the tiny, scarce Lesser Spotted Woodpecker tends to disappear from sight. If it wasn’t for the ringing call (like a high-pitched Green Woodpecker ‘yaffle’, or a Kestrel call) and the drumming, you wouldn’t know they were there at all. Drumming is the woodpecker equivalent of song, used (by males and females) as a far carrying sound to proclaim territory. It is a rapid drum-roll of knocking on a resonant branch, quite different from the separate taps and knocks used during feeding and to excavate the nest hole. Luckily, our…

Some birds have dual existences in the eyes of birders, fulfilling very different roles, depending on context. On the one hand, they are at their best in their element, their ‘rightful place’, in abundance, or in a swirling, breath-taking collective. Think murmurations, massive nesting colonies, or roosting, migrating or feeding manoeuvres. The individual is forgotten, lost, the whole becomes everything. On the other hand, the same bird which on its own is insignificant compared to the majesty of the flock, when found out of context, or out of place, becomes something exciting, desirable, treasured. What sort of bird am I talking about? Well, let’s start with the Knot. This dumpy, medium-sized grey wader comes into its own when it is just a tiny part of one of those incredible swirling,…

I’m not stupid. No really, I’m not. I start every day with the Times Crossword (although I admit there are days when I have finished the day with it still half-solved). I have a degree (although nothing I learned has been useful since). The course was experimental and for misfits; my friends included a prince from a breakaway Nigerian state, a communist journalist who fled Malaysia, and a mercenary lately returned from the Vietnam War. Course entrants had to be bolshie and bright, but with little supporting academic evidence. 1968 was a great year to be a student – I spent more time marching, sitting-in and otherwise protesting than I ever did studying. I spent my course’s built-in gap year as a social worker in south London, which was a…

Insects in towns and cities should not be affected by chemicals like they are in farmland, so are Swifts using these habitats to feed? These comments were taken from a recent bird blog – “nice feeding flock of at least 50 birds low down over rape seed crop” and “still at least 70 Swifts feeding over rape field”. Could this mean chemicals in farmland insects may be a problem? In Andrew’s chapter (included in the reprint of his father’s book), he mentions that oilseed rape fields seemed to offer more potential than cereal fields, as the Brassica Flea Beetle was turning up in the droppings analysed at the tower. This is when oilseed rape is one of the most heavily sprayed crops, to destroy insects, out of all the crops…

You always remember your first. Your first record: mine was Blondie’s Heart of Glass. Your first car, a blue Mini, the original model, in my case. Your first kiss. Well, that’s a story for a completely different kind of magazine! And your first bird: unforgettable. Mine was a Bullfinch, a handsome male bird, all puffed up with his pinky-orangey-red belly (the wonderfully-named Bongo Jazz 1 according to the Dulux paint chart!) glowing in contrast to his matt black head. I was immediately star-struck, and it was all because of liver and bacon. Saturday lunch when I was a child was a family affair, eaten at the kitchen table, and there was no getting down from the table until your plate was empty. My mother would inflict liver and bacon on…

POSTCODE: HS2 0HB GRID REF: NB 573 376 HOW TO GET THERE: You need the A866 out of Stornaway, with a minor road taking you the short distance to the lighthouse WHERE TO PARK: Along the grassland leading to the lighthouse, with a rough parking by the lighthouse TERRAIN: The walk is around a rough headland and care should be taken, especially when it’s gusty. It finishes on a track back to the road. There are no identified viewpoints ACCESSIBILITY: All hours, all year FACILITIES: Nothing on site – you’ll need to go to Stornaway PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Bus service runs along the main roads. Contact South Beach Quay, Stornoway HS1 2BT. Tel: 01851 600501 web: stratus.cne-siar.gov.uk/travel/ busservice/current/indexlh.asp Ferry information – Caledonian Macbrayne, tel: 01631 566966. LOCAL INFO: walkhighlands.co.uk/ outer-hebrides/tiumpan-head.shtml ORGANISATIONS:…

GRID REF: NH 802 288 POSTCODE: IV13 7YP HOW TO GET THERE: From Inverness, take the A9 to Perth. After 15 miles turn right signposted for Tomatin Distillery. Continue past the turning for the distillery and into the village WHERE TO PARK: By the village shop at the junction of Old Mill Road TERRAIN: Level on the valley bottom and on a metalled lane, steep rocky tracks on mountainside ACCESSIBILITY: Year-round access FACILITIES: None on site apart from a convenience store in Tomatin PUBLIC TRANSPORT: D & E Coaches operate a bus service (no. 300) between Inverness and Tomatin, Monday-Friday. Tel: 01463 222444, web: travelinescotland.com CLUB CONTACT: Scottish Ornithologists’ Club, Kathy Bonniface, Alt Dubh, North End, Tomatin, IV13 7YP. Tel: 01808 511 740, email: kathybonniface@aol.com COUNTY RECORDER: Hugh Insley, 1…

POSTCODE: PA42 7AU GRID REF: NR 282423 HOW TO GET THERE: From Port Askaig, take the A 846 south towards Port Ellan branching off on a sharp bend a mile before Port Ellen. At the T-junction take right turn and then left towards the Oa. The reserve is sign posted off the rough track leading to the reserve. From Port Ellen take the only left past the beach following on from the turn to the Oa WHERE TO PARK: Large car park set in the open with picnic benches TERRAIN: Most of the area is on rough grassland or board walk across the moor but the tracks are harder so stout footwear is advisable FACILITIES: You’ll need to go to Port Ellen PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Bus service running along the main…

GRID REF: Northern Ireland OS Map Sheet 9 (Ballymena), GR 174113 POSTCODE: BT43 7HY HOW TO GET THERE: Take A42 (Carnlough Road) from Ballymena to Broughshane. Turn left at the end of Broughshane into the Tullymore Road. After about half a mile turn right into Cloneytrace Road and continue to the T-junction at the end of the road WHERE TO PARK: Ruined house on the left at the T-junction, turn right and walk downhill towards the river, cross the bridge and take the lane on the left (Quolie Lane) TERRAIN: Rough paths ACCESSIBILITY: Open all year FACILITIES: Toilets and food in Broughshane PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Ulsterbus 128 serves Broughshane but leaves you three miles from the start of the walk ORGANISATIONS: The Northern Ireland Ornithologists Club (NIOC) web: nioc.co.uk/ The Northern…

● Keep feeding your garden visitors, even if the weather starts to feel distinctly summery – adult birds will appreciate being able to feed themselves on seeds, nuts and fat balls quickly at this time of year, so that they can spend more time looking for invertebrate food for their youngsters (which can’t eat seeds, etc). ● Prepare your flower and vegetable beds for planting by digging them over, weeding and adding compost. ● Rather than bedding plants, why not plant perennial flowers, which return year after year? Pot-grown wild flowers are becoming increasingly widely available, and some Wildlife Trusts sell some grown from seed of local origin. You can also sow wild flower seed mixes. ● Prune spring-flowering shrubs such as forsythia after they have flowered – it’s vital…

Uganda is where the East African savannah meets the bird-rich West African jungle. Where else but in this impossibly lush country can we see Lions prowling the open plains in the morning and track Chimpanzees through the rainforest undergrowth the same afternoon; then, the next day, navigate tropical channels teeming with Hippopotamus and huge crocodiles before setting off into the misty mountains to stare deep into the eyes of a Mountain Gorilla? Not to mention canoeing through the pristine swamps to look for the enigmatic Shoebill. Uganda is safe and delightfully friendly, and with wonderful lodges and excellent local guides, it offers exceptional wildlife-watching. We can expect to enjoy more than 400 species of bird and 40 mammal species on our small-group, two-week tour. With only six participants and three…

Flash is a potentially invaluable tool in a bird photographer’s armoury but its use seems to polarise opinions: some see the advantages it has to offer if used insightfully, but it also has its detractors, who hate its perceived artificiality. In truth, using flash can produce some pretty ghastly, un-lifelike results if executed inappropriately. And it is probably not a technique to use in company, being viewed as antisocial by some. But if employed in a sympathetic manner, its effects are positive, softening shadows and bringing out colours, contrast and feather detail in shady, dappled or poor-light conditions. And as anyone who has tried to photograph in a tropical rainforest or after dark will testify, there are some situations where, without flash, the creation of publishable quality images is not…

What first sparked your interest in birdwatching, and when? I was taken on my first twitch when I was only nine days old, to the Isles of Scilly, to see a Lesser Kestrel. Then, when I was 18 months old, I was taken to see the Black Lark on Anglesey. The bird came close to my pram and, apparently, I pointed and shouted “birdie” with great excitement. That was my fourth word. Who was your birdwatching inspiration or mentor? I think that when young children get to about three or four years old, they realise they are a separate being from their parents and can make their own decisions. That’s when some birders find their children refuse to go out birding any more. For me, the difference was that I…

We’re hoping that you’ll take advantage of our Complete Guide To Birdsong to get out there this month and add some new birds to your list by identifying their songs and calls, but there are some must-sees for May, too. Try for these – remember, even if you don’t see the species you’re looking for, you’re sure to stumble across birds or behaviour you haven’t seen before. 1 Your only real chance of seeing breeding Dotterel is on Scottish mountaintops, but in early May, the birds pass through the rest of the UK on their way north. ‘Hogsback’ hills are favoured stopping-off points, although they also like pea fields in East Anglia. So, check any ‘small’ waders in fields, carefully. 2 Spotted Flycatchers are among the latest arriving summer visitors.…

With children, the trick is to start with the most common birds, and those that produce the most vividly different songs and calls – Great Tit, say, or Green Woodpecker, or just Chaffinch or Magpie. This is done because of the short attention span of most children. Once they tell you this is too boring or simple, you know they’re ready for the more difficult species and might be willing to devote some more time and effort to ID them. And, of course, then you can make it into a game or contest……

Swifts spend the winter months many thousands of miles south of the UK, sweeping over sub-Saharan landscapes. So, now is the perfect time of year to put up a nest site for these avian adventurers – ensuring they have somewhere to nest when they return from their epic journeys. A life on the wing Screaming parties of Swifts are a familiar and welcome sight on warm summer evenings when you will often catch a glimpse of their aerial acrobatics. They are at ease in the sky – feeding, drinking, mating and even sleeping on the wing. But they’re in trouble. Swift numbers dropped by more than 50% in the last 20 years. The reasons behind the decline are not clear, but we know that Swifts are losing their precious nest…

It is one of the highlights of every birding year, when you finally summon up the energy to get up early enough to properly enjoy the dawn chorus, from the first tentative notes through the mighty crescendo, to the mid-morning diminuendo. By definition, the dawn chorus consists of the singing of birds at the same time; and sometimes there are dozens of species competing to be heard. They are usually male birds, proclaiming their survival overnight, and/or their continued dominion over a territory, or advertising for a mate. Of course, we can’t convey the wonderful cacophony here, but we can show photos of some of the key players. Can you put a name to these six champions of the dawn chorus? Once happy with your answers, please turn the page…

MORE SITES For a full list of the sites we’ve featured, go to birdwatching. co.uk/gbindex KEY Sites may be best visited by car, or a car may be required to get from point to point. Requires birding to be done on foot. Specified points to visit, but can be done in any order (known as KEYPOINTS) Specified points to visit and are best done in numerical order (known as WAYMARKERS) NB: The MILES ON FOOT is the amount of miles you will need to walk and not necessarily the amount of miles in the whole route. The TIME is how many hours we recommend. So, if there are fewer miles per hour, it could be that there is more to see. COLLECT & KEEP Every month we bring you…

The sea cliffs extending for two miles at this, the most westerly point in Anglesey, are some of the most spectacular in the whole of North Wales, rising to 360ft at Gogarth Bay, while behind you Holyhead Mountain, at 720ft, just like the cliff coast, gradually descends southwards. South Stack lighthouse, built in 1809, is reached by some 400 steps to the footbridge separating the Stack from the mainland. For those unable to make the journey, head to the nearby Ellin’s Tower – a superb vantage point and sea-watch centre, which must not be missed. Conveniently close by Ellen’s Tower are the Holyhead Mountain hut circles, or the Irishmen’s Huts, one of the best preserved hut groups in Wales. Perhaps dating from Neolithic times, and certainly from the Iron Age,…

An area with lots of optional nature spots is always interesting, and this one, although on the edge of town, is a really good example. There is lots of woodland, with hillsides and open areas, too, so a good variety of birds can be seen, although the main focus is on the large pools where Grey Heron and Kingfisher are around, along with Mallard, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Goosander, Coot and Moorhen. In many ways, it is a good place to bring youngsters who are interested in learning about birds and how they live. There are footbridges with good views of the pools and they have fencing along each side. By the way, binoculars are essential, here! Originally, this was a rather large industrial area, with spoil heaps and clay…

These small reserves near Dudley comprise pools, rough grassland, small woodlands and meadow, set among a network of canals and hillsides which prove excellent for observing migrants. The pools were formed from dug-out clay pits, the clay being used locally to produce bricks and help with the building of the canal network while barges transported coal to the local industries, which were thriving at the time of the Industrial Revolution. Much effort has – and is still being – done to enhance the nature reserves, with local volunteers spending many hours improving and maintaining the habitat for breeding Little and Great Crested Grebes. Although popular with dog walkers, the varied habitat provides a good variety of species, particularly during periods of migration or cold weather movements. A few pairs of…

When it’s complete, this site alongside the River Great Ouse will boast the largest reedbed in the UK. Small wonder, then, that species such as Bearded Tit, Bittern and Marsh Harrier are already among its main attractions. The Hanson-RSPB wetland project began in 2001, and aims, over 30 years, to turn the Needingworth Quarry site into a huge wildlife habitat. The reserve is already the size of 200-plus football pitches, but there’s more to come, and new accesses and facilities will also be added over the years, as the site is managed and developed to link up with the RSPB’s neighbouring reserves at Fen Drayton and the Ouse Washes, creating a near-continuous wetland of 2,500 hectares. There are plenty of well-marked footpaths, but you will need to be careful of…

These are essentially private pools accessed from the Severn Way footpath, although the landowner seems fairly tolerant of the number of birders visiting the site. Bordering the River Severn and near to the larger Camp Lane gravel pits, a good list of birds have been recorded over the years. Plenty of winter wildfowl and passage waders in season drop in… but what of the challenge? Over the last few winters, a female American Wigeon has arrived with the Wigeon flock. As the Wigeon flock builds into the hundreds, it may take a bit of patience and a scope to pick out the finer characteristics of our American bird, but once you do, you will be well pleased with yourself! Good numbers of diving ducks over-winter, with the chance of Scaup…

Despite being only 30 years old, Pulborough Brooks RSPB reserve has evolved into an important inland bird sanctuary in the Arun Valley for a variety of declining wetland species, such as Redshank, Snipe, Lapwing and Yellow Wagtail, all of which breed in small numbers. A series of hides overlook water-controlled lagoons and wet grazing land bordered by reed-fringed ditches, and, to the north, arable farmland, dry pasture and hedgerows. The lagoons offer the chance of summer passage waders such as Black-tailed Godwit, Little Ringed Plover and Green Sandpiper. The visitor centre is located on the edge of Wiggonholt Common and affords spectacular views across the Arun Valley and along the woodland edge, which is a good spot for observing birds of prey such as Buzzard, Hobby and Red Kite. A…

I give you the Lesser Black-backed Gull, the British bird with the most off-putting name. Lesser – that can mean inferior. Black-back is a clunky rhyme. And talking of rhymes, gull rhymes with dull. In most people’s eyes, that’s exactly what gulls are – boring. They are worse than that. Gulls are noisy and lacking in airs and graces. And for birders, gulls are a nightmare to identify, which is the worst sin of all. Did you think twice before beginning to read this article? The Lesser Black-backed Gull also lives and dies by comparison. Where there is a ‘Lesser’, there must be a ‘Greater’. The Great Black-backed Gull is the bird closest to a Hollywood heavy in a crime movie; the species most likely to have tattooed forearms. It…

Q I took the attached picture of Brent Geese at NWT Cley Marshes on the 12 February this year. Can you help with the goose on the far right of the group, please? I was hoping to find a ‘Black Brant’ among the masses of Brent Geese, but this one stands out for the ‘wrong reasons’. The neck marking on the goose on the far left is different, too: maybe a juvenile Brent? Any help would be much appreciated. Doug Bottrell A The Brent Goose on the far right of the photo has what appears to be partial albinism or schizochroism, a minor genetic anomaly. Interesting and nothing to worry about. The bird on the far left of the photograph appears to have pretty conventional neck markings for an adult…

Orkney and urban are two words that should have no place being together. They are probably as diametrically opposed as you could possibly get. But despite that, urbanity does exist on Orkney in the shape of Kirkwall, the archipelago’s capital. The term ‘capital’ is, in full honesty, probably a little bit of an overclaim. ‘Settlement’ would be a better description of Kirkwall, with its population a little more than 9,000. But for those looking for an urban birding fix before exploring the more familiar parts of Orkney, there is plenty to keep you busy. Wideford Hill, situated just to the west of Kirkwall, affords great views over the capital. While viewing the Kirkwall skyline, if your imagination will allow you to see it in that way, there is a good…

TO BOOK YOUR PLACE OR TO ASK FOR MORE DETAILS, PLEASE EMAIL ALAN AND RUTH ON: INFO@BIRDWATCHINGTRIPS.CO.UK OR CALL US +44 (0)1492 872407. ● DIFFICULTY: This tour includes some quite long hikes over uneven and sometimes steep terrain. ● PAYMENT: By cheque or electronic bank transfer. We ask for 20% deposit upon booking with the balance due by 70 days before travel. Full details are provided on our booking form. Please ensure you also see our terms and conditions and booking confirmation statement. We are compliant with the Packaged Travel Regulations 2018 and have Financial Failure Insurance in place. ● PARTICIPANTS: This tour will run with a minimum and maximum of six guests. The tour will go ahead provided six guests have booked by 70 days before the start of the…

TROUSERS PATAGONIA MEN’S STONYCROFT TROUSERS, £90 The Stonycrofts were introduced in spring 2018. Patagonia call them pants. I’ll call them trousers, which are, at least most of the time, an essential piece of birding apparel. The Stonycrofts are made from quick-drying, stretchy nylon and polyester – a fabric that is tough, water repellent and provides 40-UPF sun protection. That material may not sound very environmentally friendly, but these walkabouts include a high level of recycled content (67% recycled nylon) and the fabric is bluesign® approved. The bluesign® system is described as “the solution for a sustainable textile production” (see bluesign.com). These strides are designed for lean to medium builds, have zip-up front hand pockets, two zip-up rear pockets, and a vertically zipped leg pocket. The stretchiness, articulated knees and…

JACK WOLFSKIN MEN’S LAKESIDE ROLL-UP SHIRT, £65 There’s more than one way to frustrate a mosquito. Jack’s Lakeside range does it by using a tightly woven fabric. There are no chemicals so the mozzies stay frustrated no matter how many times you wash the shirt – they simply can’t get their piercing mouthparts through the weave. It has a chest pocket and tabs to hold rolled-up sleeves in place. But then the mozzies will bite… UPF40+. Shell 74% polyamide, 26% organic cotton. Night blue, woodland green, or sand dune, S-XXXL. jack-wolfskin.co.uk SWIFT AND SWALLOW WINDOW STICKERS, £5.50 Stick some birds on your window to stop birds flying into your window – that’s the idea. This pack of stickers includes two Swallows (so it must be summer) and three…