Table of contents for December 2021 in Bird Watching

Sometimes, I suspect, we don’t know how lucky we are in these islands. Okay, our birds may lack a little in tropical colour compared to some countries, and in variety compared to some others, but our winter wildfowl gatherings are a truly glorious thing. The wild swans that you can read about on page 26 are perhaps foremost among these – every British birder should get a close look at these extraordinary birds at least once, to appreciate both their beauty and their remarkable journeys to these shores. But wild geese can’t be far behind – take a look at ID Challenge, on page 47, and you’ll find you’re picking out new species for your list this winter. And of course, wherever you are this month, you can enjoy our…

Here are five lovely birds to finish off any year in style, or perhaps to enliven a Christmas period walk. twitter.com/BirdWatchingMag facebook.com/BirdWatchingMag RARITY RATINGS 1 GOOSANDER One of the most ‘underrated’ of all our birds, the shy Goosander is extremely handsome. Unusually (for a duck), the female is very attractive in her own right. But it is the drake which steals the show, having splendid black-and-white plumage on its large, streamlined body, with a bright red, long, slim, hook-tipped bill. This narrow bill is serrated along its edge (hence the name ‘sawbill’ for the mergansers) all the better for grasping slippery fish, the main food item of these powerful diving ducks. Unlike the related Red-breasted Merganser, the Goosander is predominantly a freshwater species, even in winter (though they do occur…

Find the location closest to your destination and add or subtract the hours and mins 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…

ALL THE BIGGEST BIRD NEWS & EVENTS There were 137 confirmed incidents of bird of prey persecution last year – the highest number in 30 years – according to the RSPB’s Birdcrime 2020 report. Produced annually by the RSPB’s Investigations unit, the report is the UK’s only full data set on confirmed incidents of the illegal shooting, trapping and poisoning of birds of prey. The overall rise included an unprecedented number of incidents detected in England (99) during 2020, many during lockdown. The victims included 58 Buzzards, 20 Red Kites, 16 Peregrines, six Sparrowhawks, and three Goshawks, in addition to Hen Harriers and Golden Eagles. Worse still, based on population studies for significant species, it’s believed that the true number killed is far greater, with many crimes going undetected and…

Colombia is home to more bird species than any other country – a staggering 1,900 varieties can be found and enjoyed within this incredible country’s rich diversity. In celebration of their 175th anniversary, ZEISS are offering you the chance to win a trip for two to Columbia, with Rockjumper Birding Tours. In addition to the grand prize, 10 birding starter kits will also be awarded to runners up – which include a pair of ZEISS Terra ED binoculars. Enter now for free here: www.zeiss.ly/anniversary-competition…

If you’re like me, you’ll be dreaming of a white Christmas. Don’t get me wrong – I hate snow with a passion. No, I’m thinking of a sudden blizzard of pristine white wings, as around 11,000 Whooper Swans and 5,000 Bewick’s Swans arrive in the UK to enjoy our relatively mild weather and largely ice-free waters. You can get large gatherings of our resident Mute Swans in certain parts of the country, in winter (‘inland seas’ such as Rutland Water are good places to look, or some estuaries, such as the Tweed), but there’s something completely different about Whoopers and Bewick’s. An air of wildness, of the white wastes of the arctic descending upon our green and pleasant land. In fact, many of the Whoopers will have been here for…

We’re getting to the time of year when we suddenly experience a proliferation of Robins, and I don’t mean in our gardens. From November into December, Robins are everywhere: from Christmas cards to Christmas decorations and Christmas crackers, that red breast and beady eye will look at you from atop a snow-covered fir tree, on your shelves at home, or from a decorated shop window or Christmas-themed TV advert. Everybody knows what a Robin looks like, even if, as birding legend Bryan Bland once demonstrated, we may not all be able to describe accurately where that famous red breast starts and ends. People get very attached to Robins: their rounded proportions, button-bright eyes, and perky stance all make them very appealing to look at. Their tame attitude towards us and…

POSTCODE: HP23 4NT (Wilstone) HP23 4LJ (Startop’s) GRID REF: SP 903 134 (Wilstone) SP 919 140 (Startop’s) MAPS: OS Explorer 174, OS Landranger 165 PARKING: There are two main car parks: the fisherman’s car park off the B489 Tring Road at Wilstone, and a pay and display one by the canal a mile east off the Lower Icknield Road, Startop’s End TERRAIN: Surfaced tracks and grassy bank tops, all on the level around the reservoir, with steep, muddy inclines along the old canal ACCESS: Full public access throughout the year FACILITIES: The Bluebells Tea Rooms is open daily from midday, as is the Angler’s Retreat pub at nearby Marsworth. There are public accessible hides at Wilstone, Tringford and Startop’s End reservoirs…

Send all your birding questions to birdwatching@bauermedia.co.uk and our experts will give you the answers Pipit or Whinchat? Q I saw this bird on the beach in St Helier, Jersey, last week (mid October) and thought at first it could be a Whinchat, but it seemed too big. Could it be a pipit? Sorry about the quality of the photo, I only had my 70mm lens with me and it was a way off. Bernard Jones A You did well, Bernard, to get an identifiable photograph with a 70mm lens; the bird can’t have been that far off! As far as we can tell, your bird is neither a pipit nor a Whinchat. It appears to be a Wheatear. The key features are the unstreaked, warm buff underparts, the black…

DAVID LINDO THE URBAN BIRDER FACT FILE Syrian Woodpecker Dendrocopos syriacus Size: 23cm Relatives: Woodpeckers, piculets and wrynecks Conservation status: IUCN Least Concern Known urban locations to find it: Belgrade, Novi Sad in Serbia; Budapest in Hungary and other cities in eastern Europe Interesting fact: It is unique amongst woodpeckers in feeding their chicks with fruit It has to be said that the words ‘Syrian’ and ‘woodpecker’ put together in the same sentence hardly conjures up images of urbanity. But mark my words, one day you might be watching Syrian Woodpeckers foraging in an urban tree near you. That is my educated prediction. Why? Because they have been quietly doing a Collared Dove-like westward colonisation of Europe, albeit at a bit of a snail’s pace compared to the perky dove.…

These are desert boots and the blurb says they have “impressive hot-climate credentials” and are “ideal for the dusty trail”. If that’s where you birdwatch, or plan to, you might want to check these out. The Mono Mids are for men – the Mesa Mid is the women’s equivalent. With a rubber sole and ‘canvas’ uppers these boots have a fairly traditional and I’d say quite stylish look. They are not particularly heavy – one used size 8 weighed 380g – and seem to be well made (in China). The breathable uppers are not entirely canvas – they are part canvas and part mesh – though not a mesh with obvious holes – it looks like solid fabric. NosiLife is “built into” the uppers – this is Craghoppers’ anti-insect potion…

Bo Beolens: Smew are neat but my favourite are Pintail – a combination of colour, markings, shape... Beautiful! Ruth Miller: When I was young, my Auntie sponsored a Shoveler with the WWT for me, and that set me off into the wonderful world of birdwatching. David Lindo: My favourite waterfowl is the Garganey. I love its secretive nature. Amanda Tuke: Gadwalls, no contest. They’re such elegant and understated ducks, with gorgeous intricate feather detailing.…

Here is our last chance of the year to come up with something outrageous for you to dream about for a Christmas present. REDHEAD There are just two accepted records of this big, chunky, North American Aythya duck the drake of which looks like a Scaup in Pochard’s clothing. These were in March 1996, in Nottinghamshire, and the next February at Rutland Water. Both were presumed to be the same individual. So, perhaps it is time for another. But would it be accepted, wildfowl like these ducks being notoriously rife in ‘collections’? KILLDEER In a different league of rarity from Redhead, the Killdeer is almost annual in its occurrence. So, still very rare. Killdeers are pretty unmistakable if seen well, looking like ‘stretch Ringed Plovers’ with an added neck ring…

I’m not a twitcher but… it would have been churlish not to go take a look at the recent Desert Wheatear when it pitched up a mile from home. After all, I hadn’t seen one in the UK for well over a decade, and a friend had texted me to say I could see it without even getting out of the car – it was showing well on the edge of a car park. I made the effort, only to find it had hopped across the cabbage field to snuggle down amid the warming aromas of the sewage pumping station. Not to be denied, I made haste to the waste water facility, fearing it had fled. I need not have worried – the bird performed for me and hung around…

It was a morning much like any other on my short commute from suburban south-east London to Victoria. Around me commuters had their noses buried in books, were tapping on their phones or snoozing. As the train slowed alongside Battersea Power Station, something zipped past the window, part-concealed within a swirling flock of Feral Pigeons. It was the first time I’d seen a Peregrine clearly enough to be sure of its identity. I looked around wondering if anyone else had shared the moment. Disappointingly no. The reading, tapping and snoozing continued undisturbed. For a while after that experience, 15 years or so ago now, I’d remember to look out of the train window on the approach to Victoria station, but that didn’t last. My Peregrine luck wasn’t repeated, and in…

Geese evoke a range of emotions in birdwatchers. Some think they are dull, boring and not worth looking at. Others (more in tune with their inner romantic nature, perhaps?) love the majesty, the spectacle, the ‘atmosphere’ generated by vast flocks of wintering geese, filling the skies with form and movement and sound. The latter type of birdwatcher (who are of course the best sort), also appreciate that when we see truly ‘wild’ geese in the winter in the UK, they have travelled vast distances from the far northern breeding grounds to spend some quality time in our milder climate. As usual, please try to put the ‘right’ name to the geese in these six photographs, then turn the page to check our answers and attempts at reasoning. Then, if you…

MORE SITES For a full list of the sites we’ve featured, go to birdwatching.co.uk/gbindex COLLECT & KEEP Every month we bring you 10 more sites to build up your GO BIRDING collection CAITHNESS MAX MILES ON FOOT: 1 MIN TIME: 3 HOURS LOCH WATTEN A great spot for wintering wildfowl Loch Watten and Loch Scarmclate are a designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC), due to the sheer number of wildfowl using the area, and its rich water plant communities. Both are classed as ‘kettle hole’ lochs, dug out of the soft Caithness sandstone by glaciers. JOHN MILES WHERE TO WATCH 1 With few lime-rich freshwater lochs in Caithness, these two act as a magnet for wildfowl, especially looking for American vagrants in winter. When you see counts of up 1,500…

Frampton comes alive My thanks to Bird Watching for organising a guided day’s birdwatching around RSPB Frampton Marsh. Myself and my partner joined a small but friendly bunch of subscribers and were gratefully led around the reserve by BW’s Matt Merritt and Mike Weedon, and Frampton’s warden, Toby Collett. If memory serves me correctly, the group racked up nearly 40 species looking over the car park and adjacent field before the walk even began! A large flock of Black-tailed Godwits were impressive to see, and a spattering of Bar-tailed Godwits and seven Spotted Redshanks whizzing around in the water were a delight. We spent time in the bracing morning air from the ‘sea wall’ scanning the salt-water marsh in the hope that the Short-eared Owls currently residing would show. We…

The Wye Valley, along with the rest of Monmouthshire, was finally recognized as part of Wales in 1974 – before then, the county was officially part England nor Wales, so that maps were frequently headlined ‘Wales and Monmouthshire’. Most of the rest of Monmouthshire is undoubtedly Welsh, but the woods and hills by the meandering River Wye have more in common with the landscape over the border. The two main centres are Chepstow with its massive castle, and the old-fashioned town of Monmouth, 16 miles upstream. Six miles north of Chepstow lie the atmospheric ruins of the Cistercian Tintern Abbey. A decade ago, I lived a few miles further north and fell in love with the Wye, instantly. Travelling south from Ross along the B4234, on the English side of…

With floating white feathers, a watchful gaze and a huge beak with breeding-red pouch, it’s hard not to understand why we admire the Dalmatian Pelican. It’s certainly a bird species that I wished to see many years ago, and after my first visit to south-eastern Europe, back in 2010, I have embarked on a long-term journey to observe, photograph and better understand this magnificent, yet vulnerable, bird. From them appearing like spectres out of a ghostly mist, to struggling for survival on a frozen winter lake, as the mercury plummeted and the snow swirled around them, these characterful birds have an ability to almost convey their mood and feelings through their eyes and body language. On the one hand, soulfully despondent, as they quietly shiver in the snow, to gracefully…

SOUTH WEST Highlights In association with A Blyth’s Pipit at Porth Minick St Mary’s on 24th, was perhaps the rarest bird on Scilly, this October. More amenable was the Brown Shrike at Pendeen, Cornwall, which showed very well at times. This species appears very much established as a regular autumn vagrant to the UK. JERSEY HIGHLIGHTS: Around 4,000 Swallows roosted at Boulivot in Grouville during the first part of October and a Jack Snipe was ringed near Grouville football pitch (8th). On the same day six Spoonbills flew over Jersey, with two Great White Egrets seen the same day over Noirmont and 350 Balearic Shearwaters with a few Manx and mixed Skuas passing the coasts. There were also thousands of Razorbill, Gannets and mixed gulls including Kittiwakes. On the 9th…

BIRD OF THE MONTH STONECHAT Everyone likes Stonechats. Hairy caterpillars munching away, minding their own business, probably don’t look on them quite so favourably, though. To our eyes, however, they are perky, pretty little chats, endearingly perched on the top of a small bush for us to admire. Males (main image), in particular, are very attractive in black, white and bright orange. Females (see inset below) are less bright, but are also pleasing to the eye. Often, both birds will be near each other, appearing as a pair. Though they are ‘resident’ birds in the UK (and are of the British Isles and north-western European subspecies, hibernans), Stonechats do move around the country (from the start of autumn), from their typically heathland and moorland, upland and coastal breeding habitats to…

You may recall that when I last wrote this column (for November’s BW ) it was 6 October and I was yearning for something amazing to liven up the ‘visible migration’ season. That very evening, in response to a birder’s report on our local birding WhatsApp group of Pink-footed Geese at the ‘wader pit’ at Baston and Langtoft Pits, I drove up there to check the geese out; after all, they could have been misidentified Tundra Bean Geese... All I found, though, were Greylag Geese by the hundred. So, feeling marginally despondent, I checked the tiny, distant bit of mud on the eastern shore of the pit for potential waders (it is after all, the ‘wader pit’, even though flooding in recent years has hugely restricted the amount of feeding…

Honour for Dennis Roy Dennis MBE – the driving force behind bringing White-tailed Eagles back to England – has received the RSPB Medal, the charity’s most prestigious award. Roy, 81, received an MBE in 1992 for ‘services to nature conservation’, after decades of work centred on the preservation and reintroduction of raptor species. Terns’ rosy future Roseate Terns broke breeding records for the sixth year in a row at the RSPB’s Coquet Island in Northumberland, their only UK nesting colony. Thanks to dedicated conservation work there their numbers have climbed from 104 breeding pairs in 2016 to 150 pairs in 2021. Kittiwakes and Common Terns on the island also had a record breeding year.…

Bird feeder tinsel! Try draping some of this bird-feeding garland through your garden trees, this Christmas! It’s an easy and fun activity, and is suitable for all ages. WHAT YOU NEED • String or garden wire (check to see if you have any pieces you can recycle!) • Hoop cereal WHAT TO DO Thread your first piece of hooped cereal through the bottom of your string (or wire) and tie the string with a couple of knots (or twist the wire) around it, so that the hoop is held secure and hangs down. This hoop should enable you to fill your string or wire with cereal hoops without any falling off. Continue threading the hooped cereal on to the string or wire until it reaches your desired length – 6…

POSTCODE: LL65 4TW GRID REF: SH 373 855 MAPS: OS Explorer 262, OS Landranger 114 PARKING: A choice of two near the dam at the far south-west of the reservoir, also near Penwerthyr in the north-east and limited at Gongl Rhedyn on the north shore TERRAIN: Mostly level paths, very muddy in wet weather ACCESS: All year round FACILITIES: Two hides overlooking the north-east section of the reservoir and a small visitor centre with toilets close to the dam at the south-west. Nearest towns Amlwch to the north, Holyhead to south-west…

1 Bearded Tit by Adrian Moss Camera: Panasonic DMC-FZ2000 Lens: 160mm, Shutter Speed: 1/1,000 sec Aperture: f/4.56 ISO: 200 2 Cormorant by Andrew Roberts Camera: Canon EOS 80D Lens: 400mm, Shutter Speed: 1/1,640 sec Aperture: f/8 ISO: 500 3 Little Egret by David Hiley Camera: Canon EOS R5 Lens: 600mm, Shutter Speed: 1/2,000 sec Aperture: f/4 ISO: 100 4 Stonechat by Kevin Bowers Camera: Nikon D500 R5 Lens: 600mm, Shutter Speed: 1/1,250 sec Aperture: f/6.3 ISO: 800 WE LOVE... All great photos, but capturing the Cormorant, as Andrew did, was impressive.…

WHERE TO WATCH BIRDS IN DORSET, HAMPSHIRE & THE ISLE OF WIGHT KEITH BETTON, HELM, SB, £25 A lot has happened since the first edition of this book in 1989, with the 302 pages now increased to 382 pages, and 84 key sites now becoming 89. Keith Betton consulted over 60 local birders in the review process, and it has made a very positive difference, as each site has been independently reviewed. Maps have been revamped, new sites added, and some others removed. This is a great book in a great series, and essential for any extended birding visit to these areas of great variety in both habitats and birds. BOOK OF THE MONTH SKOMER ISLAND MIKE ALEXANDER, YLOLFA, HB, £29.99 This is a wonderful book about the island off…

MAGNIFICATION How much bigger the optics will make your target appear. So, 10x50 binoculars will magnify everything by 10 times. OBJECTIVE LENS The business end of your bins or scope. It’s size, in mm, is the second figure in the model’s specification. So, 8x42 means a 42mm objective lens, with everything magnified by eight times. The bigger it is, the more light it will gather, resulting in a brighter image (especially in low light conditions). ED GLASS Also sometimes called HD. The ED stands for extra-low dispersion, and means that you should get a crisper, brighter image, with more true to life colour. It will be more expensive, though. COLOUR FRINGING A halo of colour that can appear around the edges of objects, especially dark objects viewed against strong light.…