MAKE YOUR BIRDING COUNT! How Citizen Science Can Make a Real Difference to Conservation

ALL THE Fantastic rare diver double bill! LATEST NEWS Full accounts of Yorkshire’s Paciﬁ c and Lincolnshire’s White-billed

The home of birding • www.birdwatch.co.uk Issue 297 • March 2017 • £4.20

SPECIES PROFILE THE LOST PLOVER The life and times of a former British breeder

TRAVEL ENDEMICS WEEKENDER! Ticking all of Tenerife’s IDENTIFICATION specialities in 48 hours HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT? The rare gull that could be lurking on a tip near you

WHERE TO WATCH DAYS OUT Great late winter itineraries for Lothian, Norfolk and Dorset

IN THE FIELD MAKE YOUR BIRDING COUNT! How citizen science can make a real difference to conservation

Bill Oddie Expert advice On test DISPLAY UNTIL 22 MARCH • £4.20 Why lectures on birds Identifying birds by colour, How good is need showmanship, not your questions answered and Meopta’s new B1 statistics and graphs nding spring migrants 8x32 binocular?

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p002.inddBirdwatching 1 Mar 17.indd 1 10/02/201727/01/2017 11:0012:26 THIS ISSUE MARCH 2017

33 Lothian’s Where 25 Aberlady to watch birds Contents Bay promises large numbers of seaduck and other exciting species, Norfolk’s Yare Valley boasts geese and Arne in Dorset offers Dartford Warbler.

EDITORIAL OFFICE Warners Group Publications plc The Chocolate Factory, 5 Clarendon Meopta’s new 8x32 Road, London N22 6XJ GULL BY ANDREW MOON SLATY-BACKED B1 binocular is put Tel: 020 8881 0550 52 Fax: 020 8881 0990 IN a move that surprised many, the British list is through its paces, plus new Email: [email protected] about to undergo one of the biggest changes in its Web: www.birdwatch.co.uk books on bird names, Facebook: www.facebook.com/ history. Having disbanded the Taxonomic Sub- African gamebirds and the birdwatchmagazine Twitter: @BirdwatchExtra Committee of its own Records Committee, the ‘cuddly killer’ of birds. Managing Editor: Dominic Mitchell British Ornithologists’ Union recently announced Assistant Editor: Rebecca Armstrong that it will be embracing the taxonomy of the Staff Writer: David Callahan Head of Design: Lynn Wright IOC World Bird List (see page 63). It is a bold Optics Editor: Mike Alibone decision to give up infl uence in the world of ‘splits’ and ‘lumps’ in Photographic Consultant: Steve Young Identification Consultants: Andy favour of an international body, but a welcome one. Stoddart and Keith Vinicombe The IOC has a progressive approach and does a fi ne job of Publisher: Rob McDonnell Advertisement Sales Manager: refl ecting the latest taxonomic thinking in its regularly updated Ian Lycett (020 8881 0550) world list. Adopting its collaborative view will mean that Advertisement Design: Cathy Herron (01778 391167) Britain becomes part of an inevitable – and desirable – process Marketing Brand Manager: Nicola aiming for greater alignment in avian taxonomy. Perhaps other Lumb (01778 395007) Office and Bookshop Manager: Heather European countries will now follow suit. O’Connor Whether the BOU also fully adopts the IOC’s English names High-pressure SUBSCRIPTIONS AND ORDERS remains to be seen. Long-established bird names have much 60 overshooting For all subscription and order enquiries please contact Warners Group cultural signifi cance and are not given up lightly but, again, there migrants in early spring, the Publications: 01778 392027 or email are obvious benefi ts to standardisation. Divers or loons, skuas or [email protected] importance of camouflage to jaegers – what’s your view? Write in and let us know. predators and prey, Q&A with our expert panel, the latest NEWSTRADE DISTRIBUTION news and ListCheck. Birdwatch is on sale in many branches of W H Smith and other good newsagents, and should be available to order. If you have a problem obtaining a copy in your area, please call Warners Group Publications on FEATURES 8 Analysis: rarities 01778 391150. ADVERTISEMENT SALES 26 Species profile: Kentish Plover Wintering Siberian vagrants dominated. We also manage advertisement sales The life and times of a former British 12 Analysis: scarcities for the official programme of the British Birdwatching Fair, the industry’s wildlife breeding bird with a fascinating history. Lincolnshire’s star diver heads the line-up. event of the year. For more details please call us on 020 8881 0550. 33 ID photo guide: Slaty-backed Gull 16 Western Palearctic © Warners Group Publications 2017. Unknown in Europe 10 years ago, this Ivory Gull, Basalt Wheatears and more. ISSN 0967-1870 mega-rare larid is now firmly on the radar. 25 The political birder: Mark Avery No part of this magazine may be reproduced, copied or stored in a retrieval system 40 Make your birding count How little we know about ‘bird flu’. without the prior permission in writing of Sarah Harris explains how citizen science 69 Your letters and photos the publisher. The views expressed are not necessarily those of Warners Group is helping the BTO and conservation. The last word on birds and politics. Publications or its staff. No liability can be accepted for any loss or damage to material 45 A parallel universe 70 News of the wild: Bill Oddie submitted, however caused. Can James Lowen find all of Tenerife’s How not to give a presentation. This publication is endemic birds in 48 hours? printed by Warners READER SERVICES 01778 395111 REGULARS 31 Reader holiday: Georgia 4 The big picture Endemics of the Caucasus. ADVISORY PANEL What’s an African vulture doing roosting 57 Birdwatch Bookshop Tim Appleton MBE, Mike Fraser, on a block of flats in Europe? The latest titles at great prices. Chris Harbard, Erik Hirschfeld, Stephen Moss, Killian Mullarney, 6 The big stories 65 Subscriptions Bill Oddie OBE, Hadoram Shirihai, It’s a loon special, with exclusive finders’ Sign up to Britain’s best bird magazine for Keith Vinicombe, Martin Woodcock, Steve Young. accounts of Pacific and White-billed Divers. six months and get another six issues FREE!

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1703 p03, Contents FIN.indd 3 2/10/2017 10:57:27 AM BIRD NEWS THE BIG PICTURE

AFRICA ON THE BALCONY he build-up to full migration begins in Britain this month, but countries in southern Europe already have their migrant birds coming through in full fl ow. This is nowhere more apparent than in the British Overseas TTerritory of Gibraltar at the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula, famous for its raptor migration spectacle which is at its peak in March and April. During these months, this important migration corridor hosts impressive fl ocks of birds of prey and other large soaring birds, with huge ‘kettles’ of Black Kites, Honey Buzzards, Booted and Short-toed Eagles, and Gri on and Egyptian Vultures a frequent occurrence. Within the masses of commoner species are the expected rarities, and since 1992 these have included Rüppell’s Vulture, a sub-Saharan species which has occurred annually since 1997 – sometimes in double fi gures – and moves north with the hordes of Gri on Vultures which have spent the winter to the south of Spain in Morocco and beyond. The groups of migrating vultures often roost on cli s and hillsides when they arrive in Spain, waiting for thermals to develop in the morning before continuing their journey, but can also stop to rest in built-up Gibraltar. Sometimes it is hard for a tired bird to distinguish between a cli and a balcony on a block of fl ats, and so it was last spring with this particular immature Rüppell’s Vulture (which can be aged by its pale underwing covert bar and dark underside with pale streaks). It roosted on rooftops overnight, spending some time on the balcony wall being harassed by the local Yellow-legged Gulls, while another exhausted individual even landed on a police boat o shore in the Mediterranean. The species is now present in most months of the year, with two records this January, but hasn’t been confi rmed breeding yet, despite being most frequent between May and October. A suspected hybrid was reported in 2013. ■ STEWART FINLAYSON (WWW.FINLAYSON-NATURE.COM) FINLAYSON STEWART

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www.birdwatch.co.uk Birdwatch•March 2017 5

1703 p04-05 big picture v3.indd 5 2/9/2017 4:55:27 PM In association with BIRD NEWS THE BIG STORIES www.birdguides.com Fantastic vagrant double diver bill FINDER’S REPORT

Paciﬁ c Diver: East Chevington NWT and Druridge Bay CP, Northumberland, from 18 January 2017

His suspicions raised by poor photos, Alan Curry had to put the hours in to conﬁ rm an 8th for Britain.

Even in ﬂ ight, the subtle differences of Paciﬁ c Diver from the very similar Black-throated can be made out – note in particular the slighter jizz with a proportionately shorter bill and neck. JOHN MALLOY

WHEN a pair of ropey record but he was tied up and unable to head appeared rather dusky. With and that I needed to see and shots appeared on Twitter on make a return visit. That was it, distinct pale edges to the mantle hopefully photograph chin and the afternoon of 18 January, then: the working day was hastily it could be aged as a rst-winter. vent straps. This was dif cult displaying a purported Black- reorganised and an afternoon jaunt I kept returning to the anks – at and it was a couple of hours throated Diver on the Blyth up to East Chevington was now on no time on any of the images I had before it nally came within Estuary, a site that I know the agenda. seen was there any suggestion camera range at about 60-80 well and visit frequently, it Arriving not long after midday, I of a pale ank patch and this m. Now I could see that it really triggered a signi cant amount was already aware of the diver's held true in life, and it was just did have a relatively short, of background noise among continued presence and made consistently dark all the way along ne bill, the ear coverts were several members of the local my way to the top end of the the waterline. indeed dusky and the throat birding community. North Pool, where the culprit was And then there was its strap was there, albeit very Although the images were located almost immediately in behaviour. It was hugging the faintly and seeming to vanish not exactly the best and the the north-west corner of the pool. shore and ‘snorkelling’ in the when the neck was stretched. opinion of the initial observer Even at a distance of around manner of a Great Northern Diver. The icing on the cake came was highly regarded, they most 400 m, it looked very ‘jizzy’. It At times it would swim off into as it preened, when for a certainly conveyed several seemed small, in fact not a great the reedbed and vanish for a moment a broad dark vent features that were highly deal larger than a Coot, and the while. Still, I knew it was a big call strap became visible as it suggestive of something much rolled on its side, my camera rarer. So much so that rst shutter clicked and it was a light the following morning ‘done deal’: Paci c Diver, an saw me scouring the River unexpected but most welcome Blyth and docks for a couple addition to the county list – of hours in the vain hope that happy days! ■ it was still around, but alas it was not to be. Fast forward 24 hours STATS & FACTS and I received an email from First recorded: Farnham GP, Tim Cleeves containing an North Yorkshire, 12 equally poor series of images January-4 February 2007. of a ‘Black-throated Diver’ Last recorded: Dodman discovered the previous Beach and Pendower Point, afternoon on East Chevington Cornwall, 10-27 November North Pool. It was surely 2013. the Blyth individual and I Previous British records: 7.

immediately rang Tim to DOMINIC MITCHELL (WWW.BIRDINGETC.COM) Previous Irish records: 2. discuss this. Clearly we were The lack of any notable white ﬂ ank patch can be clearly seen in this shot, as Mega rating: ★★★★★ both thinking the same thing the Paciﬁ c Diver rises out of the water, stretching its wings.

6 Birdwatch•March 2017 www.birdwatch.co.uk

1703 digital p006-007 bigStories v3 FIN.indd 6 17/02/2017 12:11 In association with BIRD NEWS THE BIG STORIES www.birdguides.com Fantastic vagrant double diver bill FINDER’S REPORT When David Curtis saw an unknown bird on his local angling patch, it took Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust warden Kev Wilson to conﬁ rm such an exceptional inland occurrence of a very scarce seabird.

White-billed Diver: River Witham, Lincolnshire, 20 January-2 February 2017

Finder David Curtis explains the circumstances surrounding the discovery HAVING been brought up on a farm alongside the River Witham near Tattershall Bridge, Lincolnshire, I have always had a keen interest in the wildlife observed from the river bank when shing. It’s not always about catching sh – it’s nice to have a King sher perched on the end of a rod, to make eye contact with a hunting Barn Owl or to watch a Starling murmuration against the setting sun. Looking very incongruous accompanied by the neighbourhood Mute Swans, TOM TAMS this White-billed Diver was just the second ‘live’ record for Lincolnshire, but On the sunny afternoon of strangely appeared on the same stretch of the River Witham as the ﬁ rst.

Friday 20 January, I walked (WWW.JAMESLOWEN.COM) JAMES LOWEN along the Sustrans Left: with its scaly juvenile feathers on its back and mantle, the White- Water Rail Way from billed Diver also shows it hefty off-white beak, the slightly yellow tinge Kirkstead Bridge, of which inspired the birder’s colloquial name of ‘Banana-bill.” reaching the station house at Stixwould at or Black-throated Diver, which Fortunately the bird remained approximately 3.30 pm, seem to turn up inland the there the following day and until from where I decided most frequently. However, I the end of the month, being to walk back on the had a ashback to the White- enjoyed by large numbers of river bank. Somewhere billed Diver that was found on visitors. I was fortunate enough in the vicinity of the this stretch of the River Witham to be able to see it on the iron sheep sculptures by Kevin Durose in February Sunday afternoon, just before I saw a Little Egret, and I 1996 and which I had been the site became fog-bound for dropped down to the water’s fortunate to see. almost two days. edge in the hope of getting near When I opened the image, I The occurrence of a second enough to take a photo. As I got almost fell off my chair. I regularly White-billed Diver on this stretch closer I noticed another bird on get sent pin-prick sized or blurred of the River Witham some 20 the water that I had never seen Kev Wilson takes up the story images of birds to identify (I like years after the rst was nothing before. While I am not what you I did not pick up Sue’s email until the challenge!) but here was a short of astonishing – how could would call an avid birder, I am the Saturday morning. We often full frame, crisp photograph of a such a coincidence happen? Is familiar with most of the usual receive messages during evenings juvenile White-billed Diver on the there a previously undiscovered waterbirds and the colouring of and weekends about tidying up River Witham in January 2017. migration ight path of White- this bird and its large, pale bill any administrative errors that My rst thought was: “It must be billed Divers in mid-winter over drew my attention. Keeping low we may have made, so it was a hoax!” central Lincolnshire? I don’t along the bank I managed to a pleasant surprise to see that I immediately rang a couple think so. This stretch of river take some photos, as the bird I was being asked to identify a of birders that I know watch now accounts for two of just gradually moved away across to mystery bird. sites in that area with this four inland British White-billed the far bank. Her message read as follows: caveat, while I managed to get a Diver records. Impressively, there Back at home I downloaded “Hi Kev. David, my husband, took con rmatory message back from are no other accepted records the photos and consulted the this photo on the River Witham Sue via another colleague, Dave of a live bird for the entirety of Collins Bird Guide, concluding this afternoon. Can you help Bromwich, that the bird was ‘for Lincolnshire, even on the coast, that it might be a White-billed please? Is it a loon? Are these real’. I then sent messages to where a dead bird was picked up Diver. My wife works in the common? Have a good weekend, many local birders and put the on The Wash in March 1976. ■ of ces at the Lincolnshire Sue.” news out nationally. Wildlife Trust and suggested that My rst thought was that with Although one or two people • White-billed Diver is regular we email it to Gibraltar Point David being a keen angler, he did check out some sections of off the Outer Hebrides and warden Kev Wilson to con rm would be familiar with Cormorants. the river, the diver had moved Aberdeenshire in spring, but and ask if it was common. I had As such I was expecting to see an slightly and it wasn’t relocated is truly rare anywhere else in no idea what I had started! image of maybe a Great Northern until very late on in the afternoon. Britain, particularly inland.

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1703 digital p006-007 bigStories v3 FIN.indd 7 17/02/2017 12:12 In association with BIRD NEWS ANALYSIS: RARITIES www.birdguides.com

Rarities: January 2017 A taste of Siberia Many predicted that eastern rarities would winter after last autumn’s inﬂ ux, and several thrushes, chats and buntings did, writes Josh Jones.

The adult female Black- throated Thrush at St Asaph, Clwyd (seen here in front of a Song Thrush) disappeared promptly on 31 December, leaving other thrushes to ring in the New Year.

Inset (top): Derbyshire’s Dusky Thrush at Beeley seemed well at home and remained on site as we went to press, having ﬁ rst arrived on 4 December.

Inset (bottom): a male Pine Bunting at Dunnington, North Yorkshire, also remained into February, having ﬁ rst been seen on 20 January. RICHARD STONIER JOSH JONES JOHN HEWITT

he rich run of exciting report coming on 6th. British mainland. on the Blyth Estuary on vagrants continued into It proved the rst (and least In terms of number of 18th but suspected to be a Tthe New Year, as January con ding) of three Pine Buntings records, the Paci c Diver found Black-throated Diver. A rst 2017 produced a sequence seen in January. A particularly in Northumberland is the for Northumberland, this is of well-watched and highly bright male was at Dunnington, standout bird of the month (see also perhaps just the eighth celebrated rarities, transforming North Yorks, from 20th while pages 6-7). First con dently individual ever seen in Britain. this often quiet month into an a slightly duller individual was identi ed at East Chevington on unusually bird-rich one. near Sittingbourne, Kent, from 20th – its third day – the bird Suspect Sylvia The year started with a bang 24th. Both were among mobile moved to nearby Druridge Bay One of the key talking points of when a female Pine Bunting and elusive Yellowhammer CP from 21st before relocating the month was a Sylvia warbler was discovered at Venus Pool, ocks, and could be dif cult back to East Chevington on photographed in Newmarket, Shropshire, on New Year’s Day to pin down at times, though 28th. It was utterly fearless, Cambs, on 8th. Seemingly (see last month, pages 8-9). It nevertheless showed daily until showing extremely well and large-billed and sizeable in showed well the following day the month’s end. They end the down to a few metres at times. the original images, the vast but became very dif cult to 12-year wait for twitchable and It transpires that this bird majority of those who saw the locate thereafter, with the nal accessible individuals on the was seemingly photographed photos online that evening were

8 Birdwatch•March 2017 www.birdwatch.co.uk

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The remarkably conﬁ ding Paciﬁ c Diver in Northumberland proved very popular from 18 January, particularly as it was only the second bird ever in the North-East, as can be seen in the BirdGuides.com map below.

Inset: the Blue Rock Thrush at Stow- on-the-Wold, Gloucerstershire – ﬁ rst found in late December – lingered into February. JOHN MALLOY RICHARD STONIER

identi cation, it’s well worth underlining that this mistake came about via human error, rather than an unsound happy it was an Orphean warbler scienti c method. We all of sorts. But as it transpired, make mistakes from time to the gathered crowd were time and the right outcome greeted with a pale and uniform- has at least now been looking Lesser Whitethroat on reached. Incidentally, the pale site the following day – clearly bird at Richmond Park, London, lacking the bulk of an Orphean was also proved by DNA to be a and another stark reminder European Stonechat. that even a set of good-quality images can be misleading Winter bluetail when trying to judge a bird’s What is only Britain’s second- characteristics, plumage and ever winter Red- anked Bluetail JOSH JONES jizz. was found in an inauspicious Somewhat reassuring news tract of woodland just south about a (albeit slightly frustrating for of Caerphilly, Glamorgan, anywhere truly those who’d made the effort on 26th. It was still there can turn up impressive to travel for it) came from on 29th, although could be TOM HINES an exciting wintering total that may the DNA re-test on the now- rather elusive. Ten years ago, ‘Sibe’. We’ve said it on more swell yet further before spring. famous ‘Dungeness stonechat’. a wintering bluetail might than one occasion since winter Interestingly, all but one of the As anticipated, the bird is a have been bird of the year, let arrived, but there must be more birds this autumn and winter European Stonechat after all – it alone bird of the winter. But, in out there waiting to be found. have been females. turned out there had been a mix- winter 2016-17 it nds itself After the departure of the Wintering Eastern Black up in samples with DNA from relegated perhaps undeservedly North Wales bird on New Redstarts at Skinningrove, the Spurn bird of last autumn to an also-ran when competing Years’ Eve, 2017 year listers North Yorks, and Mousehole, (which really was stejnegeri) alongside the long list of the were offered another shot at Cornwall, both spent the which were mistakenly thought brilliant birds that have been Black-throated Thrush at Adwick whole month residing in their to be from, and tested as, the entertaining us for some weeks Washlands, South Yorks, from adopted territories while both of Dungeness bird. For all those now. Given where this bird is, 15-19th. This is the ninth December’s star thrushes, the birders who are now doubting it’s another example that only individual to appear in Britain Blue Rock Thrush at Stow-on-the- DNA as a reliable method of bird serves to highlight that just since the start of the autumn, Wold (see last month, pages 8-9) ❯

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– now shown to have originated This striking-looking European in Spain or North Africa by DNA – Stonechat wintering at and the Dusky Thrush at Beeley Dungeness, Kent, was first (see Birdwatch 295: 10-11), also thought to be a Stejneger’s due lingered throughout January; to a mix-up at the DNA testing lab, but a second test showed both were still attracting a steady its true identitiy. A similar bird trickle of admirers at the end of was also present at the same the month. time in London. A Lesser White-fronted Goose spent the month at Foulness Island, Essex, with a small flock of Russian White-fronts. First reported on 15th, it had been present since early December. The Red-breasted Goose seen in Norfolk in December relocated to Marshside, Lancs, on 4th and spent the rest of the month touring the north of the county with Pink-feet. At least one Richardson’s Cackling Goose continued its stay on Islay.

The quiet American The American Coot remained at Balranald, North Uist, throughout January, as did the Hooded Merganser at

Lochwinnoch RSPB, Clyde. The DOMINIC MITCHELL (WWW.BIRDINGETC.COM) drake American Black Duck at Strontian, Highland, was Mullaghmore to 11th. Mainland, Orkney, mid-month relocated to Eday from 7th. The logged for its 11th calendar Bar a couple of days’ and was seen again on 29th. female was still near Spiddal, year there when it was seen absence, the Killdeer was an The Yorkshire Pallid lingered Co Galway, on 31st and another in the first week of the month. almost ever-present feature all month, as did the Northern was near Kinlooey Lough, Co The drake Black Scoter lingered at Sandwick, Shetland, and Harrier on North Ronaldsay, Donegal, on 29th. off Goswick, Northumberland, the same could be said for Orkney. Records of white-morph Once again the only throughout January and showed the Hudsonian Whimbrel at Gyr Falcons from Co Down on Bonaparte’s Gull seen was the fairly well at times, while the Perranuthnoe, Cornwall. The 9th and Co Antrim on 20th may bird at Dawlish Warren NNR, male was again off Rossbeigh, Lesser Yellowlegs was at well relate to the same bird, Devon, while the Forster’s Tern Co Kerry, on 3rd – the first Lytchett Bay, Dorset, throughout, while records from North Uist on lingered in Co Galway. sighting of it since October. as was the Long-billed Dowitcher 21st and 29th likely also involve Devon’s Desert Wheatear A new King Eider was off St at Tacumshin, Co Wexford. a single individual. concluded the rarity action for the Combs, Aberdeens, on 17th and A juvenile Pallid Harrier was A female Snowy Owl on month – it was still showing well the Co Sligo bird was still at found at Mill Dam of Ringo, Westray, Orkney, early on at Thurlestone throughout. ■

Thurlestone, Devon, held the only wintering Desert Wheatear, at Leas Foot Sands (below, left). This first-winter male turned up on 8 November and stayed put until at least 8 February. Two male Eastern Black Redstarts made it through the month and were still present in February: one at Mousehole, Cornwall, and the other (below, right) at Skinningrove, North Yorkshire. Both continued to attract a steady stream of admirers. DOMINIC MITCHELL (WWW.BIRDINGETC.COM) LEE GREGORY

10 Birdwatch•March 2017 www.birdwatch.co.uk

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Herons in numbers Scarcities: January 2017 Wayfaring waterbirds

Reasonable numbers of wildfowl were

scattered around Britain, The White-billed Diver in the says Josh Jones, but there Woodhall Spa area, Lincolnshire, proved very popular, though it could was also a smattering of be elusive as it roamed a several- rarer fare. mile stretch of the River Witham from 27 January-3 February. LEE GREGORY PETER GARRITY

pwards of 30 Green- A particularly con ding drake drake at Kirkby-on-Bain, Lincs, month at Holme, while a female winged Teal were recorded at Clachnaharry, Highland, was and others in counties such was in the east of the county Uin January, and were arguably the best of the bunch, as Somerset, Highland and at Malthouse Broad from widely spread with several new although two together on North Co Monaghan. Lesser Scaup 4-11th. Another female brie y individuals being found. Notable Uist, Outer Hebrides, was a numbered seven, with new visited Staines Res, Surrey, on records included the lingering good multiple record on 20th. A drakes at Parisee Lough, Co 26th, while long-staying drakes ringed drake at Hayle Estuary, single Welsh record came from Cavan, and Belfast Lough, Co continued in Hampshire and Co Cornwall, and two together at the Gann Estuary, Pembs, while Antrim, in addition to lingering Durham. Loch of Lintrathen, Angus. English birds were in Devon and birds in Orkney, Dumfries and Scotland once again claimed Cornwall. Galloway, Cornwall and Counties Surf’s up the lion’s share of the month’s A total of 22 sites produced Sligo and Galway. December’s Surf Scoter was 15 American Wigeon, with all Ring-necked Ducks, with several North-west Norfolk’s last noted at Rutland Water, but three north of the border. new birds including a popular Ferruginous Duck spent the Leics, on 11th. Up to three were in Brandon Bay, Co Kerry, with More than 30 Green-winged Teal another three – all males – off were seen in Britain – a decent Llanddulas, Conwy, on 21st. showing – including this ringed Two drakes were in Rhossili Bay, drake (right) with its Eurasian Glamorgan, on 22nd and two congeners on the Hayle Estuary, Cornwall. It was ﬁ rst found on were off the Co Meath coastline 9 November but the ring details mid-month. A female and at have not yet been read. least one drake were in Lothian. A white-morph Snow Goose was at Loch Eye, Highland, on 6th and the blue morph was seen in Lancashire from 1-5th and again on 28th. After being seen at Clippesby, Norfolk, on 8-9th, it appeared that the Todd’s Canada Goose (of the subspecies interior) followed the Red-breasted’s path west across England to Lancashire, and it was seen at Cockerham Moss on 20-21st. Another Todd’s continued at Wexford Wildfowl Reserve throughout January. A signi cantly improved showing of Black Brant saw birds logged at 17 sites, with Dorset and Essex claiming a sizeable

CHRIS TEAGUE proportion of those.

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In association with BIRD NEWS ANALYSIS: SCARCITIES www.birdguides.com

Herons in numbers

There was but one European Serin in the country in January, and it was this delightful male at Tide Mills, East Sussex. It even sang intermittently as it lurked around the derelict buildings on site. MARK RAYMENT

Cattle Egrets were very breed again this summer. Rough turn-out much established as part of Glossy Ibises were noted The poor winter continued the British and Irish avifauna at a couple of sites in Essex, for Rough-legged Buzzards by January, with birds reported while two continued to frequent with fewer than 10 reported. from an amazing 73 sites. Up Ham Wall, Somerset. The Of these an adult male near to 17 were still roosting at the Leicestershire bird was again Thorney, Cambs, from 10th was Gannel Estuary, Cornwall, early at Watermead CP on 8-9th, arguably most signi cant – it on with 10 still there on 30th; one remained in Devon and a is presumed to be a returning elsewhere in Cornwall up to 12 seventh individual was as far bird. Regular individuals were were in the Helston area from north as Loch of Strathbeg, otherwise restricted to those mid-month. Aberdeenshire. at Haddiscoe Marshes, Norfolk, Other signi cant counts Of interest, the green- and Dunearn, Moray and Nairn. included up to eight at ringed White Stork, seen A rise in Ring-billed Gull Tomhaggard, Co Wexford, and at various sites across the records, many of which came six at Teigngrace, Devon. New country between Norfolk and from traditional sites, was birds were still being found late Herefordshire throughout 2016, presumably down to increased in the month and one wonders was again noted in the latter scrutiny of gull ocks post- if the species might stay and county at Dinedor Hill from 9th. Christmas. A total of 31 sites MARK CAUNT ALEX BARCLAY Four Richard’s Pipits were present in the New Year (see the BirdGuides.com map above), including this bird (above left) at Arlingham, Gloucestershire, from 16 December until 28 January. It has been a good winter for Shore Larks, including two around a lagoon and car park at Tentsmuir, Fife, which posed well for the cameras (above right). Well over 100 birds were peppered around Britain, mostly in small ﬂ ocks on the coast. ❯

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southern England, including London. In total, 2,544 reports of the species were put out during January. Thirty-four Shore Larks were on Brancaster beach, Norfolk, on 14th with up to 30 still at nearby Holkham and 29 at John Muir CP, Lothian. Great Grey Shrikes were reported from upwards of 45 sites. Rose-coloured Starlings remained in Crawley, West Sussex, and Dorchester, Dorset, while the male European Serin was again singing at Tide Mills,

ED CARTY East Sussex, from 16th. Two Five Ring-billed Gulls were logged at Tralee Bay Wetlands Centre, Co Kerry, Richard’s Pipits remained at with this adult being one of two of that age there. The BirdGuides.com map Abbotsbury, Dorset, with further shows the expected overall westward trend of the species. birds in Kent, Gloucestershire and Somerset. and rst-winters were seen at sites held the species. At least two Little Buntings three sites in Cornwall. Something of a surprise was were in the Polgigga/Nanjizal One of the main talking points the discovery of a Temminck’s area of Cornwall, with another two of January was a welcome in ux Stint at Branston GP, Staffs, on at Brew Sewage Works. Others of white-winged gulls, primarily 2nd. It remained until 9th before were at Knettishall, Suffolk, from Glaucous Gulls, following a reappearing again from 24-27th. 9-20th, Over Norton, Oxon, from stormy spell in the second 22-28th, Portsdown Hill, Hants, week. Over 320 sites logged the Warblers and Waxwings from 25th and Trinity Hill, Devon, species during the month with In the absence of any Dusky from 28th. ■ a peak count of 17 at Killybegs, Warblers in January, a Pallas’s Co Donegal, on 15th as well Warbler at Kessingland, Suffolk, as several other double- gure from 6-12th was the month’s counts from Shetland and the leaf warbler highlight. Yellow- Outer Hebrides. Further south, browed Warblers were reported up to ve at North Shields at 42 sites – 13 of which were noted the species, 21 of them Fish Quay, Northumbs, was in Cornwall, where peak counts in Ireland – where the largest signi cant. included four at Nanjizal Valley numbers were also recorded. Up Iceland Gulls were a little less and two at Ponsanooth Sewage to four were at Nimmo’s Pier, Co numerous but had nonetheless Works. Galway, with another four (two been noted at around 250 The prominence of adults and two rst-winters) at sites by the end of the month, Waxwings peaked in the week Tralee, Co Kerry. In England, two with about 300 birds in total. of 4-11 January, when the were recorded at Chew Valley Kumlien’s Gulls, however, species accounted for almost Lake, Somerset, during January remained extremely scarce in 25 per cent of all BirdGuides while up to two adults regularly comparison to recent white- news output and exhibited visited Blashford Lakes, Hants, winged gull in uxes – just 15 a clear southward push in to

Glaucous Gulls mostly remained coastal in January, bar some of the large gull gatherings in the Midlands, as can be seen on the BirdGuides.com map above. This juvenile at Sheringham, Norfolk, was one of around 25 individuals in that county. TOM WHILEY

14 Birdwatch•March 2017 www.birdwatch.co.uk

1703 p12-14 scarcities v3 FIN.indd 14 2/17/2017 12:00:31 PM Subscribe to our bird news services from as little as £40 per year With BirdGuides.com, read the latest bird news in a way that suits you. KEEP UP TO DATE WITH ALL THE RARITY REPORTS THIS SPRING: On your computer View sightings across Britain and Ireland, as well as major rarities from the whole of the Western Palearctic, or just monitor your county or local patch, using www.birdguides.com. Access listings, features, photos and nders’ reports with your Bird News Extra subscription. Via email e Have your chosen sightings delivered direct to your inbox. Just specify the county and level of rarity, and create settings for di erent times of the day and week with Email Alerts. Via text Receive the bird news you want via text message. With a subscription you will receive 100 texts – simply select which news you want to hear about when you sign up to Text Alerts. On your tablet or smartphone Download the BirdGuides.com app on iOS or Android and access sightings in a clear, convenient way anywhere. Simply log into the app and view all the news and latest photos with Bird News Anywhere.

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Western Palearctic: January 2017 Out of place and time Josh Jones recounts the wanderings of an enigmatic wheatear form, while a rare Arctic gull made Germany its ﬁ nal resting place.

This stunning adult Ivory Gull spent much of the month on the German North Sea coast of Schleswig- Holstein, but proved to be in a bad way and eventually died. FELIX TIMMERMANN

srael laid claim to an country representing the seventh separate species – is endemic before being found dead near unprecedented run of to 10th national records. This, to the dark volcanic rock deserts Tümlau Bay on 20th. IBasalt Wheatear records the rare and mysterious warriae of northern Jordan and southern Dutch records included Eastern in January, with three birds form of Mourning Wheatear Syria. It has not been seen in the Black Redstart in south Holland, seen in the very south of the – sometimes thought to be a former country for several years Blyth’s Pipit in north Brabant and vagrants in Israel currently and at least ve Pine Buntings. A few stragglers from last offer the only realistic chance to Another Pine Bunting showed well autumn’s unprecedented inﬂ ux catch up with the form. in Belgium throughout. of Siberian Accentors were A Lesser Flamingo in A Greater Yellowlegs was shot seen, including this conﬁ ding Sulaibikhat Bay, Kuwait, is at Guérande, Loire-Atlantique, bird at Hirtshals, Denmark, throughout. presumably the usual bird France, on 10th, and a Western returning for its third winter. Other Swamphen was on the north Kuwaiti records included Indian coast at Baie du Mont-Saint- Roller at Abdaly Farms plus Michel on 20th. Oriental Honey Buzzard and at An Eyebrowed Thrush at least 10 Black-throated Thrushes Añorbe, Navarra, on 18th was at Jahra Farms. the third for Spain and the rst The Red-necked Stint was still to be found alive. The Steppe at Vejbystrand, Sweden, early in Grey Shrike at Coria del Río, near the month, while a Pine Bunting Seville, on 16th was a national was at Uusikaupunki, Finland, second, while a Hudsonian on 14th. At least two Finnish Whimbrel was in Cantabria on sites hosted Siberian Accentors 29th. The Thayer’s Gull returned with the bird still at Hirtshals, to Galicia for its seventh winter Denmark, all month and the rst on 14th. for Hungary at Pócsmegyer, Pest, A showy Sora at Silves, from 18th. Algarve, had apparently been The stunning adult Ivory Gull present for several weeks was seen at two sites in northern by the time it was identi ed

EVA F HENRIKSEN EVA Germany early in the month on 4th; this is the rst for

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Western Palearctic: January 2017 mainland Portugal. Another a stunning male Red- anked This juvenile Spanish Imperial was on São Miguel, Azores, on Bluetail was found wintering Eagle photographed at Lago di 9th, part of a good run for the in the village park at Cingoli, Massaciuccoli in Tuscany, Italy, island that included two drake Marche, on 29th. A con ding on 9th was the ﬁ rst example for the country, and was ﬁ rst noticed Wood Ducks and the lingering Paci c Golden Plover on the the previous day. Common Yellowthroat at Sete shores of Lake Como completed Cidades, while the White Stork a memorable January for the continued its stay on the north country. side of the island. Elsewhere Three further Pine Buntings in the archipelago, an apparent were discovered wintering at juvenile Thayer’s Gull was Locarno, Switzerland, mid-month. photographed at Lajes, Flores, An Allen’s Gallinule was found on 17th. exhausted at Agaete, Gran Italy’s rst Spanish Imperial Canaria, Canary Islands, on 10th, Eagle was found west of Lucca while a young Brown Booby was at Lake Massaciuccoli on 8th; photographed off nearby El Hierro it lingered there for at least a on 2nd. week. Presumably the same Pied Crows were in Morocco bird was then south of Pisa at at Khni ss Lagoon and Diaccia Botrona on 29th. A few M’Hamid, while a Sudan Golden Pine Buntings were also found Sparrow was seen on the

at sites in Lombardy, while Aousserd Road. ■ OCCHIATO DANIELE GERBY MICHIELSEN (WWW.GERBYBIRDING.COM)

Above: two drake Wood Ducks remained on São Miguel, Azores, into January. This location makes them very likely to be wild birds, despite the popularity of the species in collections.

Below and inset: located about four miles inland, the urban river bank of Silves, on the southern coast of Portugal, became the winter home of this Sora. It was fi rst noted early in December, but not correctly identifi ed until 4 January, and could be ridiculously confi ding in its rather bare riverbank habitat. RAFAEL ARMADA RAFAEL NIGEL GENN NIGEL GENN

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1703 p16-17 western palearctic v4 FIN.indd 17 2/17/2017 12:03:18 PM A long time ago in a county far, far away (Norfolk) ....

PROUDLY SUPPORTING

www.CleySpy.co.uk 01263 740088 Binoculars - Telescopes - Tripods - Outdoor Clothing - and much more p018.indd 1 10/02/2017 11:02 WHERE TO WATCH BIRDS

Where to watch 1 SITE OF THE MONTH birds ABERLADY BAY Ian J Andrews guides you through an extensive site where you can watch winter transform into spring as wildfowl and waders begin to move.

Large mixed ﬂ ocks of waders are to be expected on the rich and extensive estuarine mud of 3 Aberlady Bay, East Lothian, often taking ﬂ ight as the tide rises and falls, or when a Peregrine Falcon or other raptor strafes the shoreline in search of prey. IAN J ANDREWS

2 lthough March is early spring and is less strenuous or allows you to extend the days are certainly lengthening, your walk to as far as North Berwick Ait will be many weeks before if you wish. You can also take in the Aberlady Bay, East Lothian. summer migrants arrive back in Lothian. Scottish Ornithologists’ Club’s centre at 1 Page 19 Nevertheless, the month is the start of Waterston House in Aberlady village to Arne RSPB, Dorset. the season of change and birds are on get an update on what local sightings to 2 Page 21 the move. Increasing numbers of scoter, look out for. Yare Valley, Norfolk. Long-tailed Duck and Red-throated Eurasian Wigeon, Shelduck and 3 Page 22 Divers will be in the area, so bring a Eurasian Teal frequent Aberlady Bay telescope. Listening for calls overhead and and the best places to look for them MORE MARCH SITES looking skyward, you may also experience are Kilspindie on the west side 1 , the • Bridgwater Bay, Somerset: bit.ly/ the early visible migration of passerines. roadside to the south 2 and the timber bw249BridgwaterBay Aberlady Bay has always been a bridge (where there is a small car park) 3 . • Coastal Wexford: bit.ly/ popular birding destination on the south Given that the water only ﬁ lls the bay at bw225CoastalWexford • The Colne Valley, Greater London: bit.ly/ side of the Firth of Forth. It has been a high tides, looking along the Pe er Burn, bw237ColneValley Local Nature Reserve since 1952 and is the small stream that ﬂ ows through the • The East Sussex coast: bit.ly/ bw225EastSussex managed by East Lothian Council, which bay is often the most rewarding. As well • Hastings CP, Pett Level and Scotney, East employs a warden. as ducks and waders, look out for Little Sussex/Kent: bit.ly/bw213HastingsCP Egret. Now a regular sight throughout • Humber Estuary, East Yorkshire: bit.ly/ bw237HumberEstuary Route planner the year, this species has only recently • Northward Hill RSPB, Kent: A route taking in Aberlady Bay and arrived in south-east Scotland but as they bit.ly/bw249NorthwardHill wa ird tc the adjacent Gullane Bay gives the have spread up the country they have • Poole Harbour, Dorset: bit.ly/ b h . . bw237PooleHarbour BONUS c best opportunity to see the variety of become increasingly regular. They can’t w • Potteric Carr YWT, ONLINE o w

. birds in this area of the Firth of Forth. be classed as common yet, but you may

CONTENT u w South Yorkshire: bit.ly/ k bw249PottericCarr A walk from Aberlady to Gullane and see up to ﬁ ve on the river. back is one option, but a return by bus If the waders and gulls take to the air, ❯ USEFUL CONTACTS Travel information • Stagecoach Bus: National bird news itineraries at bit.ly/BWMaps. and timetables www.stagecoachbus.com. BirdGuides.com: for all bird news and Further information • Traveline: 0871 200 2233 or • Arriva Bus: 0844 800 4411 or to report your own sightings, call 0333 • County bird recorders: www.bto.org/ www.traveline.info. www.arrivabus.co.uk. 577 2473, email sightings@birdguides. volunteer-surveys/birdtrack/bird- • Traveline Scotland: 0871 200 2233 • National Rail: 0845 748 4950 or com or visit www.birdguides.com. recording/county-bird-recorders. or www.travelinescotland.com. www.nationalrail.com. Mapping • Birdwatch Bookshop: • Traveline Cymru: 0871 200 2233 • Sustrans: 0117 926 8893 or Access fully interactive and for discounted birding books see or www.traveline-cymru.info. www.sustrans.org.uk. annotated Google maps for all www.birdwatch.co.uk/store.

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1703 p019-020 WTW featured site FIN.indd 19 08/02/2017 15:47 WHERE TO WATCH BIRDS PHOTOS: IAN J ANDREWS Water Rail will be more likely heard than seen in the area, though ice can A few Snow Buntings can be reported from the beaches and tidal zones drive them into the open, particularly in the area of Marl Loch, which is of the bay, and these can be present into March. Keep an eye open also freshwater and has suitable cover around its edges. for scarcer winter passerines such as Lapland Bunting and Twite.

look out for a Peregrine Falcon. There From Gullane Point 4 or further afternoon on a calm sea; the divers gather is usually at least one hunting in the bay, east by the Second World War concrete to roost in the bay towards dusk. Great often sitting out on the sand fl ats in full blocks, you will need a telescope to Northern and Black-throated Divers view when not actively searching out prey. best appreciate the fl ocks of seaduck in and Red-necked Grebe are other The walk out from the timber bridge Gullane Bay. Recent estimates of 5,000- scarcer possibilities. north to the beach takes you past some 7,000 Common Scoter, 600 Velvet There are seabird colonies further east, extensive Buckthorn thickets. Fieldfares Scoter and 1,000 Common Eider the nearest being on the islands of Fidra and Bullfi nches feed on the berries give an indication of the vast numbers (o Yellowcraig) and Craigleith and The along with Blackcaps, although this involved. Closer scanning may reveal Lamb (o North Berwick) 5 . During last species is harder to fi nd. Listen out Long-tailed Duck, Slavonian Grebe, March, auks, Shags and Kittiwakes will for Water Rails ‘sharming’ as you pass Greater Scaup or even the occasional start to return, with Pu n being one of the Marl Loch. Sanderling can be very Black-necked Grebe. Red-throated the last to reappear. approachable on the beach. The odd Divers also congregate in the bay in early March is excellent for witnessing winter passerine such as Snow Bunting spring, and for the best chance of seeing passerine migration. They tend to may linger. high numbers (up to 30) visit on a late be concentrated along the lines of coasts, rivers and hills, and this stretch Velvet Scoter of coastline is as good as any. Species are among involved are diurnal migrants such as the commoner seaduck Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Skylark offshore. and Siskin, with smaller numbers of They may be Grey Wagtail, redpolls and other outnumbered by Common fi nches and buntings. A bright early Scoter, but morning with a light to moderate south- still numerous westerly breeze is best. A continual stream and noticeable of Meadow Pipits can be passing over, by their white secondaries, and on such occasions towards the end particularly in of March and early April, the fi rst Sand fl ight. Martin or Swallow can arrive. Then we know spring can’t be far o . ■ i VISITOR INFORMATION ❯ READS Sites and access 5 Aberlady Bay is a local nature reserve with access via surrounding roads and a public footpath to Gullane. Dogs are not allowed. There is limited parking in Aberlady village and at the timber bridge; parking at Gullane Bay costs £2. The 124 bus passes both Aberlady and Gullane on its route from Edinburgh to North Berwick (www.eastcoastbuses.co.uk). It runs every 30 minutes (every hour on Sundays).

❯ Maps 4 OS map 66 covers Aberlady. Where to Watch Birds in Britain ❯ Web resources by Simon Harrap • Follow on Twitter: @birdinglothian and @BirdGuides. and Nigel Redman • More information on nearby sites can be found at 3 1 (second edition, www.the-soc.org.uk/birding-the-lothians. Christopher Helm, 2

20 Birdwatch•March 2017 www.birdwatch.co.uk

1703 WTW featured site FIN.indd 20 10/02/2017 13:24 WHERE TO WATCH BIRDS Where to watch birds ARNE RSPB 2 By Ed Hutchings Where and why The extensive heaths, woodlands, mud ats, saltmarsh and open waters of the area around Poole Harbour, Dorset, provide a diversity of habitats that make it one of Britain’s top birding sites. The heaths on the western shore, at Arne, where a peninsula protrudes into the south-west corner of Poole Harbour, are very important for the wildlife they support, including our scarcest reptiles, Smooth Snake and Sand Lizard. The RSPB reserve of 563 ha consists mainly of lowland heath, with some woodland and freshwater reedbeds and saltmarsh. Arne has wonderful stretches of heath which, in spring, come alive with the scratchy song of Dartford Warblers. These are present all year but often remain hidden in the gorse, particularly in windy Spoonbill is a key species in Poole Harbour these days, and visitors to Arne RSPB should be able to locate conditions. The following walk birds on the spit visible from the hide which overlooks the mudﬂ ats and saltmarsh.

around the reserve takes in all (WWW.RICHARD-BROOKS.CO.UK) RICHARD BROOKS its habitats, from oak woodland to open heath, and a wader-rich and, if lucky, these may include you have the option of returning will be active on the heath and saltmarsh overlooked by hides. Brambling, Lesser Redpoll and to the visitor centre via the look out for European Stonechat Reed Bunting. shorter yellow trail or continuing perching on the tops of bushes. Route planner Follow the trail through the onwards on the longer red trail Halfway along the trail 6 there is Head south from Wareham woodland until you reach the hide to Shipstal Beach. Scan from a hide (SY 973867) and a viewing over the causeway, turn left (SY 978886) that overlooks the the cliff-top path above Shipstal screen (SY 974868) that overlook at Stoborough to Ridge, and extensive mud ats and saltmarsh Beach 4 (SY 983883) towards Middlebere Channel. You should continue to Arne. From the car of Poole Harbour 3 . Spoonbills Brownsea Island for scarcer have great views of Little Egret, park near the visitor centre 1 are often present on the spit. species out on the open water. Avocet and Black-tailed Godwit (SY 971878), head north on the Internationally important numbers These include Black-necked and feeding in the shallows, with trail and follow it round to the of waders and wildfowl use the Slavonian Grebes, Great Northern the potential for overwintering right, past the church and farm. harbour. These peak at more than and Black-throated Divers, Long- Spotted Redshank, Eurasian Turn left at the crossroads (SY 30,000 in the winter and include tailed Duck, Common Eider and Whimbrel or Greenshank. Osprey 973881) and continue north, grebes, divers, Brent Goose, Greater Scaup. A scope will be is possible towards the end of eventually leaving the road and Black-tailed Godwit and Avocet. most useful here. the month, while regular Marsh continuing on a track. Plenty Leave the hide and continue on Return to the visitor centre and Harrier is joined in the area by of winter thrushes, nches and the trail until you arrive at another head south on the Coombe Heath Hen Harrier and Merlin. Return to buntings feed in the farm elds 2 crossroads (SY 981883). Here circular trail 5 . Dartford Warbler the visitor centre and car park. ■ i VISITOR INFORMATION READS ❯ Sites and access Open all year except 25-26 December, 8.30 am to dusk. There is a pay-and-display car park (free for RSPB members) at the beginning of Arne village. There is limited wheelchair access on the trails. Coach and escorted parties are welcome by prior arrangement, but there is no public transport to the reserve. The nearest rail station is four miles 3 2 away at Wareham, where there is also a 10 per cent discount on cycle 4 hire for RSPB members (Purbeck Cycle Hire, based at the station; Where to Watch telephone 01929 556601). There is a café and shop opposite the car Birds in Dorset, park, a small information centre and toilets in the car park. 1 Hampshire & The Isle of Wight by ❯ Maps 5 George Green and Ordnance Survey Landranger 195 and Explorer OL15. Martin Cade (fourth edition, Christopher ❯ Web resources 5 Helm, £18.99) – 6 order for as little as • www.rspb.org.uk/arne for details of the reserve. £16.99 on page 57. • www.dorsetbirds.org.uk for the Dorset Bird Club. • www.birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk for local bird news and sightings. MEDIA 059/17 COPYRIGHT 2017 ORDNANCE SURVEY. © CROWN • Follow on Twitter: @RSPBArne and @BirdGuides. See bit.ly/BWMaps for links to fully annotated Google maps ❯

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1703 WTW sites FIN.indd 21 10/02/2017 13:25 WHERE TO WATCH BIRDS Where to watch birds YARE VALLEY 3 By Stephen Smith

Where and why European White- The Yare Valley, between Norwich fronted Geese are still and Great Yarmouth in south-east present in the Yare Norfolk, lies within the Broadland Valley into March, and spend much of National Park and offers some of their time out on the best late winter birdwatching Buckenham Marsh, in East Anglia. Most of the valley often with Pink-footed consists of grazing marshes, Geese. much of which is owned or managed by the RSPB and other conservation bodies, and small broads such as Rockland, Surlingham and Hardley Flood. The river is tidal from Breydon Water well into Norwich. These habitats are ideal for wintering wildfowl, waders and raptors. Route planner

Ideally it is best to begin your day JIM ALMOND (WWW.SHROPSHIREBIRDER.CO.UK) at Strumpshaw Fen (TG 341065) White-fronted and Pink-footed and one and a half hours. The Snipe, Eurasian Curlew and the , well signposted1 from Brundall Geese should be present on the marsh holds similar species to odd Ruff. Water Pipits and Grey village, east of Norwich and south marsh with the many Eurasian Buckenham Marsh. Wagtails are regular during the of the A47. From Reception Hide, Wigeon. Check any exposed perch From the Cantley car park it winter and if the water levels are with luck it should be possible or gate post for Peregrine Falcon is a short walk east to Cantley low enough good scope views can to see Bittern, Jack Snipe, and Common Buzzard. Ruff are Sugar factory. Although there is usually be had. As you walk along Water Pipit, Bearded Tit and regular with the wintering ocks of a public footpath adjacent to the the eastern side of the lagoons, European Stonechat. If any of Northern Lapwing and European river through the factory, if you check the adjacent marshes for these species are missed here, Golden Plover. Little Egrets can want to bird the ‘lagoons’ to the harriers and owls. The reedbed try Fen Hide, a walk of just over be seen feeding along the dykes, east of the factory 4 , you should around the north lagoon holds half a mile, looking for Bullﬁ nch, usually outnumbering the Grey sign in at the security gate. The Bearded Tit, Cetti’s Warbler and Cetti’s Warbler and Common Herons. If you missed Water Pipit square tower adjacent to the large Water Rail. Chiffchaff as you go. Marsh or European Stonechat earlier, they concrete silos has a Peregrine By the time you have nished Harriers are usually in evidence are often seen here. nest platform. Check to see if the this walk, the day will be drawing here and throughout the valley. A walk along the river will give birds are in residence. The lagoons to a close. To round things Otters and Chinese Water Deer views of Claxton and Langley are 0.6 miles from the gate: off, the harrier roost back at are often seen, especially early in Marshes to the south. Hen please obey all safety signs. Many Strumpshaw Fen is an option. The the morning. Harrier and Barn and Short-eared wildfowl are found on the lagoons, Marsh Harriers can be seen from Returning to reception, after Owls are more regular on that especially Eurasian Teal and good Reception or Fen Hides, but Hen checking the sightings board side. After Buckenham, you can numbers of Eurasian Wigeon, Harriers, if present, may roost on and the feeders for Siskin, Great drive to Cantley village and park Northern Shoveler and Gadwall. the south side of the river and can Spotted Woodpecker, Marsh Tit in the small car park opposite Northern Pintail, Tufted Duck be searched for from the sluice and others, it is best to walk or the bowling green (TG 380036). and Common Pochard are usually gates. Alternatively, the corvid drive to Buckenham Marsh RSPB 2 From here it is possible to walk found in smaller numbers. A walk roost near Buckenham station (TG 351056). The regular ock onto Cantley Marsh 3 , where around the two larger lagoons is spectacular – but check at of Taiga Bean Geese departs there is a circular walk (which can should produce one or two Green Strumpshaw to see if the birds are before January is out, but Eurasian be muddy) taking between one Sandpipers as well as Common still present. ■ i VISITOR INFORMATION READS ❯ Sites and access Strumpshaw Fen is open from dawn to dusk, with reception open from 1 10 am-4 pm during the winter. Entrance and car parking is free for RSPB members (non-members: £3.50 adults, £2.50 concessions, £1.50 under-18s). There is wheelchair access to the screen hide 2 adjacent to Reception Hide only, otherwise this is weather-dependent. Brundall, Buckenham (request stop) and Cantley have railway stations (www.nationalrail.co.uk). Brundall has a bus service from Norwich (www.konectbus.co.uk). When visiting the British Sugar factory at Cantley please sign in at the security gate and obey safety signs. ❯ 3 Best Birdwatching Maps 4 Sites: Norfolk by Ordnance Survey Landranger 134. Neil Glenn (third edition, Buckingham ❯ Web resources Press, £17.95) – • www.rspb.org.uk/strumpshaw_fen for details of RSPB reserves. order for as little as • www.yarevalleywildlife.synthasite.com for daily updates on bird £15.95 on page 57. sightings in the Yare valley. MEDIA 059/17 COPYRIGHT 2017 ORDNANCE SURVEY. © CROWN • Follow on Twitter: @BirdGuides. See bit.ly/BWMaps for links to fully annotated Google maps ❯

22 Birdwatch•March 2017 www.birdwatch.co.uk

1703 p021-023 WTW sites FIN.indd 22 08/02/2017 15:53 WHERE TO WATCH BIRDS

MARCH’S TARGET BIRD

There can be few more exciting sights in early spring than the appearance of Alpine Swift in our skies. However, unless you are lucky CARLOS BOCOS enough to ﬁ nd your own, your best bet to see the species is to check BirdGuides.com for sightings; all of last year’s are shown on the map (bottom right).

Alpine Swift his, the largest of the then, the number of records each A superb ier, Alpine Swift can European swifts, resembles year has varied considerably. travel up to 600 miles in a single Ta small falcon and is Although averaging 18 records day. In common with many other a fast and powerful ier, no annually, most recently the gure swifts it can feed, sleep and mate doubt explaining why it is often has ranged from 49 in 2010 to while ying. Research has shown an early spring overshoot to only three in 2014. Almost all the that it can stay aloft without Britain. It breeds around the records concern single individuals, landing for at least 200 days, or Mediterranean, into the Middle with just a handful of occasions six months. This was previously East and east to India, as well as on which two were seen together. thought to be the longest period in in eastern and southern Africa. Up to three were in the Seaton/ continuous ight by any bird, but There are about 10 subspecies, Colyford area of Devon from 1-26 a more recent study proved that with the nominate form breeding April 2006. There was a notable Common Swift can stay in the air in Europe. Southern European in ux in March 2010, with a for up to 10 months. breeding birds are known to record 30 individuals seen from winter in West Africa, and those 20th and a further 10 in April. How to see wintering in East Africa are Alpine Swifts are often seen This is a species that you will probably from more easterly to go to roost; those which do see only if you keep an eye breeding populations. so may stay some days. One at on the sky! Alpine Swifts are Most British records are Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk, from 27 typically seen on one day only, overshooting spring migrants and April to 5 May 2003 was noted but occasionally stay longer, are seen from mid-March to June, to roost on nearby Sizewell power especially if they have somewhere with a peak in May, although in station, while in March 2015 a to feed and roost. Keep an eye on some years the largest numbers bird spent three days around the BirdGuides.com, and if a bird is have been in March and April. Virgin Atlantic building at Gatwick noted going to roost make sure to Irish records tend to be in March, Airport, West Sussex. be there the following morning. ■ and it has been suggested that these birds have arrived via FIND YOUR OWN Iberia, while British birds have i followed a route further east. Individual birds can appear almost anywhere, but check out larger There is another smaller peak bodies of water, cliffs, lighthouses and even around cathedrals and in late September and early churches. There are no guaranteed locations to see the species but October. The majority of records one or two places get periodic, though less than annual, visits. are from sites along the south and east coasts of England and England the species is less than annual • East Yorkshire: Bempton Cliffs RSPB/Flamborough Head (TA in Wales. It is rare in Scotland, 197738/257705) with many of the records from • Norfolk: north Norfolk coast from Hunstanton to Cromer the Northern Isles and Outer • Suffolk: Minsmere RSPB (TM 473672) Hebrides. • Dorset: Lodmoor RSPB (SY 688809) Alpine Swift ceased to be a

• Cornwall: coastline from Lizard to Land’s End

national rarity in 2005. Since ❯ 8 VISIT WWW.BIRDWATCH.CO.UK FOR TIPS ON FINDING MANY MORE TARGET BIRDS

www.birdwatch.co.uk Birdwatch•March 2017 23

1703 digital WTW sites FIN.indd 23 17/02/2017 12:14 Join us as we sail north through Macronesia and the Bay of Biscay in search of regional & migrating seabirds plus whales and dolphins!

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p024.indd 1 10/02/2017 13:29 COMMENT THE POLITICAL BIRDER

MARK AVERY Mystery transmission Bird u is a serious threat to poultry farmers and some wild birds are known to carry the virus, but we should be concerned that little is known about its transmission.

irders are generally pretty keen on immigration – give us an east- facing headland and a period of easterly winds and we will welcome visitors from the Continent with open arms. We’d Ball sign up to an enhanced version of the words inscribed inside the Statue of Liberty: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free and I’ll add them to my UK list.” Who favours border controls, quotas or even an Australian points system when it comes to letting Siberian

Accentors arrive en masse in the UK? We’re TONY MILLS very welcoming. Both species in this mixed fl ock But if you are a poultry farmer you may of Eurasian Wigeon and Eurasian this is bound to put waterfowl at the top of the Teal have tested positive for have a di erent view of bird migration. This ‘bird fl u’ in the UK – but is there list. winter has seen outbreaks of bird fl u across incontrovertible proof that it has Bird fl u doesn’t seem to a ect wild bird Europe involving the H5N8 strain, which can been transmitted to poultry from populations greatly but it can be devastating be deadly in poultry farms (but not to humans), such sources? for farmers’ businesses, including those who and which is undoubtedly spread in part by the are signed up to every environmental standard movements of wild birds. and option. Surely we should try to understand Hundreds of thousands of farmed poultry the dynamics of the transmission of bird fl u have been killed in infected premises or in much better. Which wild birds carry it? How is attempts to control the disease. At the time of bird fl u transmitted to farmed poultry? Do writing, only two cases have occurred in the intensive poultry units provide ideal conditions UK a ecting commercial poultry: both in east to cook up new viral strains? DEFRA vets Lincolnshire, one in December and one in don’t seem to have moved very far from January. Two small domestic fl ocks have also treating all wild birds as equivalent, rather akin been a ected, in North Yorkshire and to talk of ‘immigrants’ in the Brexit debate. Carmarthenshire. We hear far less in this country about the The H5N8 virus appears to be widespread The importance of poultry movements, so I was in wild birds and positive tests, in the UK, have struck by this quote from a French farming come from quite a few species: Eurasian ❝H5N8 virus union: “One needs to stop turning a blind eye Wigeon, Mute Swan, Canada, Greylag and on this ultra-segmented industry where White-fronted Geese, Tufted Duck, Eurasian gigantic structures use transportation to excess, Teal, Common Pochard, Cormorant, Black- appears to be over hundreds and even thousands of headed Gull and Peregrine Falcon. In kilometres. This is the industrialised continental Europe the list of wild birds testing widespread in production that causes and amplifi es sanitary positive is similarly skewed towards waterfowl. crises.” Very strong stu from the part of wild birds, and France most hit by bird fl u outbreaks. ■ Unscientifi c methodology positive tests I have some concerns about the testing regime Do this in March of wild birds here and abroad. It’s not a ✔ have come IF you’re out birding this month and nd representative sample: I doubt whether many a dead wild bird, call the DEFRA helpline on Wrens have been tested and it seems that the 03459 33 55 77. In particular, you should let UK’s most numerous bird, Pheasant, is not from quite a DEFRA know of any wild ducks, geese and swans, tested despite millions of carcasses theoretically or gulls and birds of prey, and if more than ve being available. The RSPB, WWT and few species in birds of any species are found dead in the same Abbotsbury Swannery have all sent in dead location. birds that have tested positive for bird fl u and the UK❞ www.birdwatch.co.uk Birdwatch•March 2017 25

1703 p25 Mark Avery v3 FIN.indd 25 2/8/2017 10:05:20 AM SPECIES PROFILE

mong several species lost as breeding birds from Britain Aover the course of the last Britain’s century was Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus. Formerly a localised breeder in south-eastern England, the species is now a very scarce migrant, lost plover with just 13 records last year putting it on a par with some rarities. Despite the parlous situation in Britain, this neat and charismatic wader is still relatively easy to see on Kentish Plover has long since deserted the county the beaches of continental Europe, after which it was named, and has been lost as from western Denmark all the way a British breeder. David Callahan explores the round to, and throughout, most of life history of this special wader and asks if it will the Mediterranean. Beyond Europe, its range extends south to northern ever return as anything more than a vagrant. Liberia in west Africa, and east as far as Japan and Indonesia. Kentish Plover is present all year in most of its coastal range, but is a summer visitor to Central Asia as far north as southern Russia, Mongolia and China. It winters in the northern half of Africa, northern India and South-East Asia. The further east you travel, the less conﬁ ned to coastal habitats this wader becomes. The species is no longer considered part of the Nearctic/Neotropical avifauna, with the two forms found there now split as Snowy Plover. A further subspecies – ‘White-faced Plover’ C a dealbatus, which breeds in south-eastern China and winters south to Sumatra – is also viewed as a potential split, pending further research. Otherwise, the species has three recognised subspecies: nominate (by far the most migratory form), which extends across most of the Nesting Kentish Plovers at Dungeness, Kent. This is the classic site and habitat for the species range mentioned; C a nihonensis, which in Britain, but this scene is now sadly consigned to the annals of history. Kentish Plover still occurs annually in small numbers, but is yet to show any sign of recolonising.

breeds in south-eastern Russia through NORMAN MCCANCH China, Korea, Japan and Taiwan; and C a seebohmi, which is largely resident The chicks of Kentish Plover are in southern India and Sri Lanka. The very precocial, birds occurring in Britain are of the being marched nominate form; although there have off to foraging areas soon been a few suspected Snowy Plovers, after hatching, none has been conﬁ rmed. though they are looked after by their parents Distinctive plumage continuously until In breeding condition, the male is ﬂ edging. separable from other small European plovers by its orange hind-neck, black epaulettes and restricted black facial markings. The species’ basic structure and jizz is that of a familiar ‘ringed- type’ plover, though it is more slender and darting, sometimes associating with Sanderlings on migration and in winter. Summer males also have a white forehead and wide supercilium, a white collar and black lores, ear coverts and ‘forelock’ at the front of the crown. Males have a pristine AURÉLIEN AUDEVARD

26 Birdwatch•March 2017 www.birdwatch.co.uk

1703 p026-029 kentish plover v6 FIN 2.indd 26 09/02/2017 11:55 SPECIES PROFILE

is still regular – though scarce – on the shores of France, Belgium and The Britain’s Netherlands. The British Trust for Ornithology lays the blame for these declines fi rmly at the feet of disturbance and greater lost plover recreational use of beaches. This is compounded by the ravages of climate change, pollution, land reclamation and the over-management of rivers, infl uencing both the fl ow rate and the amount of silt deposited. Additionally, the bird’s use of artifi cial habitats such as gravel pits and reservoirs in much of its European range may also be a ected by changes in suitability from year to year. These provide similar analogues to its natural breeding substrates of sparsely sheltered fi ne gravel, sand, silt and dry mud, on which it mostly nests as a lone pair or in a loosely spaced colony with several other pairs.

Nesting and feeding The nest is a frugal shallow scrape not far from saline or brackish water (even when inland), sometimes partly obscured by a small amount of vegetation, in which an average of three eggs are laid. As in other small Charadrius plovers, pairs are seasonally monogamous from their second calendar year onwards, which means that song fl ights and scraping displays occur every year prior to nesting near the desired breeding and feeding sites. Males show high site-fi delity in spring, with females acting more as ‘free agents’. A complete mating ceremony takes place on the breeding territory, starting with the male’s scraping ritual. This involves the male contact calling and running to the white throat and underparts to the wider white sides to the tail, uppertail proposed nest-scrape site, crouching very end of the undertail coverts, and coverts and rump, leaving just a thin and scratching the ground with its light grey-bu upperparts. Overall, grey-brown band extending down feet. Once a prospective partner is the species looks paler than other the rump to the dark tail. It also has lured in, its suitor emerges from the small Charadrius plovers, with a shorter quite wide white fl ashes on its dark scrape area and stands with its back rear end with no primary projection wings, extending from the secondaries to the female, running and stopping and dark legs and breast patches at the wing bases halfway down the frequently with ‘goose-stepping’ restricted to the breast-sides, rather primaries, petering out gradually strides. This stimulates the female to than forming a complete collar as in almost to the very end of the wing. lower her body and expose the cloaca, its congeners. after which copulation occurs. Adult females look more bland, Decline and fall After around 26 days, an average resembling winter males, with just Kentish Plover was fi rst described of 56 per cent of the eggs survive to a hint of orange or rufous at the from its nominal county in 1787. hatch. The resulting chicks are quickly rear of the supercilium and no Breeding numbers peaked at around able to partially fend for themselves, black markings, though a darker 40 pairs in the early to mid-20th being downy, mobile and able to brown epaulette can show in winter. century, all in Kent (where Dungeness catch their own small items of prey; Juveniles/fi rst-winters are similar to held the bulk of the population they fl edge after about 30 days. The females, but with paler legs and even until the 1930s), Sussex, Su olk and nesting area is almost immediately less obvious breast-side patches. Lincolnshire. On the British mainland, deserted after hatching, with chicks In fl ight, the species appears paler the last pair bred at Gibraltar Point, being led to nearby foraging grounds. than its closer relatives, not just from Lincolnshire, in 1979. It last bred on Kentish Plover has occasionally been its upperparts but also because it has the Channel Islands in 1975, though it seen marshalling stray Ringed Plover ❯

www.birdwatch.co.uk Birdwatch•March 2017 27

1703 digital p026-029 kentish plover v6 FIN 2.indd 27 17/02/2017 12:15 Male Kentish Plover is a subtly beautiful shorebird, with snow-white underparts and face set off by a black forehead, lores, eyestripe and shoulder patch, and plain sandy- brown mantle, back and wings (which have darker primaries).

chicks among its own brood, though never those of Little Ringed Plover, and has readily accepted chicks of the Kentish Plover has occasionally been seen former in experimental displacements. ❝ Kentish Plover’s food is varied but marshalling stray Ringed Plover chicks among unsurprising as a tideline and beach denizen: larval and adult insects, spiders, its own brood, though never those of crustaceans, small molluscs and coastal worms, along with fragments of eel- Little Ringed Plover grass and seaweed. Outside the breeding season, the species often forages and ❞ DOMINIC MITCHELL (WWW.BIRDINGETC.COM) DOMINIC MITCHELL (WWW.BIRDINGETC.COM)

The parents both take turns in brooding the eggs, and such care often – though not always – migrates in small fl ocks, though lone continues until fl edging. This clutch of three is average for the species; the eggs are laid over a individuals and fl ocks in their hundreds 48-hour period and take about 26 days to hatch. are known, and it frequently mixes with other Charadrius species. Kentish Plovers roost communally with other waders at high tide, in tight clusters above the tideline. Despite this apparent sociability, Kentish Plovers can be very aggressive towards each other, though less so towards their close evolutionary relatives. They have been recorded apparently choosing to nest among easily riled species such as Northern Lapwing and Collared Pratincole, most likely for the vociferous added security against predation. Breeding pairs can be very territorial, but the intensity of this behaviour depends on the density of adjacent nesting pairs and the availability of food nearby. The antagonistic behaviour can continue into winter, with certain individuals avoided and some infractors being chased. Birds may also be pursued on the ground, the aggressor hunching its shoulders, fanning its tail and

MELVIN GREY MELVIN erecting its crown feathers.

28 Birdwatch•March 2017 www.birdwatch.co.uk

1703 p026-029 kentish plover v6 FIN 2.indd 28 09/02/2017 11:56 Left: Snowy Plover was recently thought to be the North American form of Kentish, but has now been split. Birds in Florida, such as this, are signiﬁ cantly paler, though those from further north are much closer to European birds in appearance. Below: the mystery of ‘White-faced Plover’ – recorded in parts of East and South-East Asia, and variously thought to be a form of Kentish or even Malaysian Plover, or a species in its own right – is closer to being solved now. It was named by Swinhoe in the 1870s, then forgotten in museum drawers until birders began noticing it on visits to Thailand. DNA analysis is under way, and it may yet prove to be a distinct species. MELVIN GREY MELVIN

Globally, the conservation status the unfortunate of Kentish Plover is categorised position of being as Least Concern by BirdLife one of the ﬁ rst International, mostly because of its countries to lose estimated worldwide population of it as a breeding up to 500, 000 individuals and its species. The numbers immense, pan-continental distribution. were probably always However, the decreases mentioned are low and ﬂ uctuating here, apparent over its whole range, which but appropriate habitats is becoming somewhat fragmented. still exist which may yet tempt Britain, on the very western edge, is in it back to breed. ■

REFERENCES • Balmer, D, Gilling, S, Caffrey, B, Swann, B, Downie, I, and Fuller, R. 2013. Bird Atlas 2007- 11. BTO Books, Thetford. • BirdLife International. 2017. Species factsheet: Charadrius alexandrinus. Downloaded from www. birdlife.org on 16 January 2017. • Gómez-Serrano, M A, and López-López, P. 2014. Nest Site Selection by Kentish Plover Suggests a Trade-Off between Nest-Crypsis and Predator Detection Strategies. PLOS One 9: e107121 journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/ journal.pone.0107121.

DOMINIC MITCHELL (WWW.BIRDINGETC.COM) • Kennerley, P R, Bakewell, D N, and Round, P D. 2004. Rediscovery of a long-lost Charadrius plover from South-East Asia. Forktail 24: 63- 79. • Küpper, C, Augustin, J, Kosztolányi, A, Burke, T, Figuerola, J, and Székely, T. 2009. Kentish versus Snowy Plover: phenotypic and genetic analyses of Charadrius alexandrinus reveal divergence of Eurasian and American subspecies. The Auk 126: 839-852. • Palmer, P. 2000. First for Britain and Ireland 1600-1999. Arlequin Press, Chelmsford. • Rheindt F E, Székely T, Edwards S V, Lee P L M, Burke T, Kennerley, P R, Bakewell, D N, Alrashidi, M, Kosztolányi, A, Weston, M A, Liu, W-T, Lei, W-P, Shigeta, Y, Javed, S, Zefania, S, and Küpper, C. 2011. Con ict between genetic and phenotypic differentiation: the evolutionary history of a ‘lost and rediscovered’ shorebird. PLoS ONE 6(11): e26995. doi:10.1371/journal. This pristine male Kentish Plover of the subspecies nihonensis on the pone.0026995. mudﬂ ats of China is not much different from the birds seen in Europe, and • Snow, D W, and Perrins, C M. 1998. BWPi. the species is always a noteworthy addition to a day list wherever it is seen. BirdGuides, London. NEIL BOWMAN

www.birdwatch.co.uk Birdwatch•March 2017 29

1703 p026-029 kentish plover v6 FIN 2.indd 29 09/02/2017 11:56 p030.indd 1 10/02/2017 11:02 TRAVEL Birdwatchworld of birds OUR EXCLUSIVE PROGRAMME OF READER HOLIDAYS Specialities of the Caucasus Mountains GEORGIA ■ 28 April-8 May 2017 ■ Price: €2,045 plus international flights (from approx £218)

GEORGIA lies on the border of the Western Palearctic on the eastern side of the Black Sea, between Russia and Turkey. This beautiful former Soviet republic is home to some 350 bird species, of which about half breed. For some birds like the locally endemic Caucasian Snowcock, Caucasian Grouse, ‘Caucasian’ Great Rosefinch and Güldenstädt’s Redstart, Georgia is the best country to see them. As well as birding in the Caucasus, we will visit two different types of habitats: the steppes in

the south-east of the country and STEIJN LAURENS BY ROSEFINCH GREAT ‘CAUCASIAN’ (INSET) AND GEORGIA, CHACHUNA, the highland plateau of Javakhethi. Our journey begins in the northwards overhead. Güldenstädt’s Redstart and Francolin, Black Stork and Rufous- Georgian capital Tbilisi. The next The landscape at Kazbegi is Caucasian Chiffchaff. Other great tailed Scrub Robin. day we will drive out to the famed varied, with deep gorges, fast- birds that can be seen here are Finally we’ll drive to the Javakheti montane birding spot of Kazbegi flowing rivers and high mountain Wallcreeper, Lammergeier, Alpine plateau in the south. The lakes (currently under the name peaks which tower at more than Accentor and Red-fronted Serin. here are rich in breeding birds, with Stephantsminda), making several 5,000 m. Here we hope to find Plenty of other interesting migratory Dalmatian and White Pelicans, stops along the way. One of these some of the specialities of the species pass through as well, Common Crane, many duck will be at the Caucasus Pass, Caucasus Mountains: Caucasian including Ortolan Bunting, species, several species of tern where migrating raptors can Snowcock, Caucasian Grouse, European Roller and Rock Thrush. and both Black-headed and Citrine sometimes be seen streaming ‘Caucasian’ Great Rosefinch, Our next destination is located in Wagtails. There is also a large the south-east, around Chachuna colony of Armenian Gulls here, with in the so-called Iori Upland. In more than 10,000 pairs present. spring and early summer, this area Warbler central! is home to a huge number of ■ This tour is operated for breeding and migratory birds, Birdwatch by Birding Breaks OHIO & MICHIGAN including almost 20 species of (registered with the Chamber of raptor. We’ll hope to get good views Commerce in Amsterdam under ■ 12-19 May 2017 of Black, Egyptian and Griffon licence number 54226104). The ■ Price: $1,999 excluding flights Vultures, Levant and Eurasian price includes all transportation Sparrowhawks, Eastern Imperial, within Georgia, accommodation on THIS new holiday is a great way Lesser Spotted and Short-toed a full-board basis and guiding. For to experience the incredible bird Tours. The price includes all Eagles, Lanner Falcon and Eurasian an itinerary and reservations, call migration that occurs in the accommodation and food on a Hobby. In the riverside forest we 0031 20 77 92 030 or email info@ eastern United States. Magee full-board basis, expert guiding, may find species like Black birdingbreaks.nl. Marsh and other hot-spots in Ohio ground transportation, and park provide stop-over sites for entrance fees and permits; not countless migrants, including up included are flights to/from BOOK WITH PEACE OF MIND OUR programme of reader holidays offers an unrivalled birding to 37 species of warbler, as well Detroit, airport tax, passport and experience. We work in partnership with professional specialist as numerous thrushes, vireos, visa fees, tips, alcoholic beverages companies to offer exciting itineraries led by experienced guides – tanagers, orioles, shorebirds, and other personal expenses. and at prices that offer superb value for money. What’s more, you raptors and more. We’ll also make Single room supplement: $600. A can book your holiday with complete peace of mind – our partner the four-hour drive north to the deposit of $1,000 per person is companies are fully bonded with the CAA and hold ATOL licences, or closest nesting area of the required to reserve a place on this have other arrangements in place to protect your money. Exact terms endangered Kirtland’s Warbler. tour. For further information, and conditions for each holiday vary – please contact the company please contact Rob Ripma at operating your choice of trip for further information and a detailed ■ This tour is operated for [email protected] or by ZWEIBEL BRIAN BY WARBLER BLACKBURNIAN itinerary. More holidays: bit.ly/bw266readerholidays. Birdwatch by Sabrewing Nature phone on 001 317 748 4140.

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1703 p31 world of birds - Georgia v1.indd 31 1/18/2017 1:12:27 PM email: [email protected]

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p032.indd 1 10/02/2017 11:02 IDENTIFICATION

Slaty-backed Gull PHOTO GUIDE

1 PETER ADRIAENS PETER 1 First-cycle (left), second-cycle (front, sitting) and two adult Slaty-backed Gulls (Choshi, Japan, 5 March 2012). Like adults, immature Slaty-backed Gulls can be quite distinctive. Note how on the two birds in front the new, plain, dark grey scapulars contrast against the whitish wing coverts. The plumage of immature birds is particularly prone to bleaching during winter, and this creates broad white fringes or even large white panels on the wing coverts. Yet the underparts tend to remain uniform or smudgy brown, and some brown often remains around the eye, which may create a dark patch or ‘mask’.

PROFILE Ten years ago, this Pacific gull had never been recorded west of the Far East. Now, with records approaching double figures and occurrences in both Britain and Ireland, it is firmly on the radar of rarity hunters – and could turn up at a tip near you any time.

PETER ADRIAENS Forewarned is forearmed, as they say, so Peter Adriaens looks at the is a freelance identification of this often distinctive larid in all its guises, together ornithologist who works mainly in the with some of the more familiar European lookalikes that could Middle East and West Africa. He often travels potentially be problematic. to study gulls and photograph them. ❯

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2 2 First-cycle Slaty-backed Gull (Choshi, Japan, 5 March 2012). A typical individual. In a European context, a bird like this would stand out due to the very simple pattern on its new scapulars (just a triangular dark centre), very plain wing coverts with the greater coverts being palest, very simple pattern on tertials, bubblegum-pink legs, isolated brown mask around eye, brown primaries, all-brown tail and smudgy brown rather than streaked pattern on the underparts. Note also that the secondaries are very visible at rest as a ‘skirt’ below the greater coverts. PHOTOS: PETER ADRIAENS PETER PHOTOS:

3 4

3 First-cycle Slaty-backed Gull (Choshi, Japan, 6 March 2012). A well- 4 First-cycle Slaty-backed Gull (Choshi, Japan, 17 March 2012). In patterned bird largely in juvenile plumage. Note the pale brown colour flight, the bulky body and broad wings attract attention. This bird is of the juvenile scapulars, tertials and primaries, the unstreaked breast distinctive, with a large pale greater covert panel, an all-dark tail, solid and underparts, a dark mask around the eye and stubby bill. brown neck and dark eye patch. The new scapulars are a plain dark grey. BASIC PRINCIPLES f you still need a good di erent countries. This is is worth pointing out that Another important clue is reason to start looking at defi nitely a species to look Slaty-backed Gull is a big the obvious raspberry-pink Igulls, here is one: you can out for, and the good news and stocky bird matching colour of the legs at all expect the unexpected. Like is that, despite being a large larger Herring Gulls. Many ages. many seabirds, gulls are gull with variable immature have a peculiar shape due capable of wandering all plumages, it is actually to their bulky body with Adults over the globe in di erent quite distinctive. To help a slight pot belly, short Although adult birds bear directions, and this can you form a ‘search image’ primary projection and a superfi cial resemblance result in some real surprises. for all age categories, I will rather long neck. The bill to both Great and Lesser Slaty-backed Gull is a good discuss and illustrate the looks strong, sometimes Black-backed Gulls, they example. Who would expect features of typical birds, even bulbous, and the legs are really quite distinct. a big gull from eastern and highlight the di erences are short. A helpful feature As the name implies, their Kamchatka in Latvia? How from European gulls. that may attract attention upperparts are not blackish, about London? Or the in a fl ock of European gulls but rather dark grey, similar west coast of Ireland? Yet, All plumages is a prominent ‘secondary to Lesser Black-backed Gull all that happened. Before While I do not want to skirt’: many Slaty-backed of the subspecies graellsii. 2008, Slaty-backed Gull place too much importance Gulls have such broad wings The upperparts can show a was unheard of in Europe, on size and shape since that, on a standing bird, slight bluish tinge. There is but in just a few years birds these things are variable the secondaries project quite a lot of head streaking have turned up in seven and subtle in large gulls, it below the greater coverts. in winter, and the neck is

34 Birdwatch•March 2017 www.birdwatch.co.uk

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5 5 Second-cycle (left) and first- cycle Slaty-backed Gulls (Choshi, Japan, 5 March 2012). The left- hand bird shows the typical contrast between the dark grey ‘saddle’ and white wing coverts. Note also its pale brown primaries and extensive brown on the belly. The right-hand bird shows an unusual bill coloration but differs from European gulls in its grey scapulars with a very simple pattern, pale greater coverts, extensive brown on the undertail coverts, and complete lack of streaking on the breast and underparts. Separation from American Herring Gull could be problematic, however, and requires careful study of scapulars, greater coverts, uppertail coverts and primaries (in flight). PETER ADRIAENS PETER

6 7 PETER ADRIAENS PETER JAMES LOWEN 6 Second-cycle Slaty-backed Gull (Choshi, Japan, 12 March 2012). 7 First-cycle Slaty-backed Gull (Hokkaido, Japan, 3 March 2016). This When the grey ‘saddle’ has developed, the upper mantle is often more bird’s key features are a large pale panel on the greater coverts, a lack extensively whitish than in European gulls. Note also the broad white tips of strong pattern on the scapulars, a dark tail, pale underside to the to the secondaries and the rather pale underside of the wing-tip. outer primaries, a uniform brown neck colour and a brown eye patch.

extensively marked with First cycle brown blotches. In addition In this plumage, to leg colour, one of the identiﬁ cation is challenging most distinctive traits is the Gulls are capable of because they can be very broad white tertial ❝ really variable, ranging crescent and the huge white wandering all over the globe in from almost as pale as trailing edge to the wings. Glaucous Gull to as dark as This character is obvious different directions, and this can Lesser Black-backed Gull. even on the inner primaries, However, typical birds may where the white colour may result in some real surprises stand out from European form pointed white wedges ❞ gulls due to their plain running up each feather. plumage that is less coarsely On most birds, the white in Europe are some adult inner primaries, neither marked and gives a washed- trailing edge also continues Herring Gulls from northern shows a very prominent out, mud-brown impression. towards the outermost Scandinavia, which can have ‘string of pearls’ on the The visible secondary skirt primaries, thus cutting rather dark grey upperparts central primaries, the white and the deep pink colour into the black wing-tip and and bright pink legs, as well tertial crescent is not that of the legs further help to forming a so-called ‘string as hybrids between Herring exaggerated, and their create a di erent look. of pearls’. The underside of and Great Black-backed upperparts may not quite On a standing bird, the the wing-tip is mainly dark Gulls. However, neither match the dark slaty-grey following key characters grey, not black. of these has such a broad colour of typical Slaty- should be checked: Perhaps the main pitfalls white trailing edge on the backed. • The greater coverts lack a ❯

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8 8 Second-cycle type (rear) and third-cycle type Slaty-backed Gulls (Choshi, Japan, 7 March 2012). The rear bird might actually be a retarded third-cycle individual, as it already shows many grey wing coverts. The front bird is distinctive, with slaty-grey upperparts separated from a brown head and breast by a broad white band across the upper mantle, broad white tips to the tertials and secondaries, rather pale undersides to the wing-tips and bright pink legs. The rear bird is similar to some dark argentatus Herring Gulls, but its wing coverts and tertials have a simpler pattern, the tertials have broader white tips and the wing-tips are paler brown. Careful study of the bird in flight should reveal further differences. PHOTOS: PETER ADRIAENS PETER PHOTOS:

9 10

9 Third-cycle Slaty-backed Gull (Choshi, Japan, 10 March 2012). 10 Third-cycle Slaty-backed Gull (Choshi, Japan, 12 March 2012). On This bird’s wings have a striking white trailing edge that continues the underwing, the broad white trailing edge is distinctive and the outer onto the primaries. No European gull has such broad white tips to its primaries appear blackish-grey, contrasting little with the rest of the inner primaries. It also shows a distinctive, all-dark tail. underwing. Many still show brown on the underwing coverts at this age.

distinct pattern, and range as just a dark shaft streak). brown and, unlike in Herring Second cycle from rather uniformly • The underparts look Gull, do not contrast much Most of the features brown to plain whitish. uniformly brown and tend with the outer ones. Unlike mentioned for fi rst-year They are generally paler to lack streaking. Lesser Black-backed Gull, birds are still valid at this and less marked than the • Some birds show a rather these feathers have isolated age, but identifi cation is now other wing-coverts. strong brown mask around dark subterminal spots. In aided by the incoming slaty- • The primaries are brown the eye. quite a few birds, the inner grey colour on the back. The rather than black, and show In fl ight, the primaries primaries become obviously iris often becomes pale and a thin but distinct whitish are the main feature. These whitish towards their tips, may then contrast clearly fringe around the tips. feathers are brown rather creating a distinctive pattern. against the brown mask • The tertials show a simple, than blackish, and the outer Other important points around the eye. plain brown centre with a ones show pale inner webs, are the uniformly brown By late winter, the very neat whitish fringe. which from below create the underwing coverts and simple pattern of the wing • Moulted scapulars often impression of a pale outer axillaries, lacking any barred coverts often bleaches to a look rather grey and show hand with dark tips. The pattern, and the extensively uniform whitish, creating a only a simple pattern (such inner primaries are mud- dark tail. strong contrast against the

36 Birdwatch•March 2017 www.birdwatch.co.uk

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11 JULIAN HOUGH 11 Fourth-cycle Slaty-backed Gull (centre, Connecticut, USA, 29 November 2008), flanked by adult (left) and first-cycle (right) Great Black- backed Gulls and first-cycle American Herring Gull (far left). The differences from Great Black-backed Gull are easily seen: paler, slaty-grey upperparts, extensive brown on the head, neck and breast, broader white tips to tertials, paler iris, brighter pink leg colour, smaller size and thinner bill base. The upperparts range from dark grey to blackish. Slaty-backed Gull is now an annual vagrant to the North American east coast.

12 13 AURÉLIEN AUDEVARD JAMES LOWEN 12 Adult Slaty-backed Gull (Shibetsu, Japan, 8 February 2008). While 13 Adult Slaty-backed Gull (Hokkaido, Japan, 3 March 2016). The adults may recall Lesser Black-backed Gull, differences include white trailing edge to the wings is broader on the inner primaries than in bubblegum-pink legs, a bold white tertial crescent continuing below the European gulls, becoming a ‘string of pearls’ on the outer primaries. greater coverts, shorter wings and paler underside of the wing-tip. These are black on the upperside but greyish on the underside.

dark grey mantle. the head and underparts all other characters (such Final tips In ﬂ ight, typical birds as European large gulls, as the broad white tips to There is much more to be show broad white tips to the they tend to have a more the secondaries and inner said than can be covered here. secondaries, and a two- uniform pattern on all wing primaries) are already in Some hybridisation between tone pattern on the outer coverts, their tail looks all place. Slaty-backed and other gulls primaries due to pale inner dark, and the tail coverts Birds still showing a lot of takes place in the far east webs. tend to be more densely brown in the wing coverts of Siberia, so identiﬁ ying a Some northern Herring marked. may lack the ‘string of vagrant is not just a matter of Gulls can look dark grey, pearls’ altogether, but will excluding other species. Take with bright pink legs, and Third cycle usually show additional as many photos as you can! constitute a serious pitfall. It Birds of this age class features, such as extensive What is certain, however, is may be helpful to remember generally resemble adults brown blotches on the that seven adults have already that immature Slaty-backed and are often just as underparts and extensive been found in the Western Gulls show some similarities distinctive. black on the tail, that help Palearctic, including three in to Nearctic gulls: they do The ‘string of pearls’ distinguish them from Britain and Ireland. Where not look as streaked on may be less obvious, but European gulls. are all the immatures? ■ ❯

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14 14 Sub-adult Great Black-backed Gull (Nieuwpoort, Belgium, 8 January 2014). This bird has quite extensive brown on the head and neck, and may vaguely recall Slaty- backed Gull, but note the thinner white tips to the inner primaries, dull leg colour, thick bill base, dark iris and black underside of the outermost primary. The white trailing edge to the wings does not continue onto the outer primaries as a distinct white ‘string of pearls’. PETER ADRIAENS PETER

15 16 PETER ADRIAENS PETER MUUSSE MARS 15 First-cycle Lesser Black-backed Gull (Oostende, Belgium, 17 16 First-cycle Herring Gull (Katwijk, The Netherlands, 29 August October 2014). This bird’s whitish greater covert panel might recall 2016). This bird’s dark tail, densely barred tail coverts and short wing juvenile Slaty-backed Gull, but that has a browner head, paler tertials, projection might suggest Slaty-backed Gull. Note, however, its pale legs, heavier bill, shorter wing projection, brighter pink legs and paler wing-tip. more complicated tertial pattern and clearly streaked underparts.

17 18 PETER ADRIAENS PETER EDELAARLEON 17 First-cycle Herring Gull (Egmond, The Netherlands, 12 April 2015). 18 Second-cycle Herring Gull (Ijmuiden, The Netherlands, 15 November The bleached wing coverts and primaries of this bird resemble a pale 2015). Another Herring Gull with densely marked tail coverts and a dark Slaty-backed Gull, but this would show brighter legs, an extensive brown tail, but the new scapulars present on this bird show a clear pattern and tail and retain uniform brown underparts and dark bill in spring. are distinctly paler than the dark brown greater coverts.

38 Birdwatch•March 2017 www.birdwatch.co.uk

1703 p033-038 ID photo guide v6 FIN.indd 38 09/02/2017 09:29 GRANITE - 8 X 42

WATCH, DON’T JUST SEE

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p039.inddGranite Birdwatch 1 Mag A4.indd 1 10/02/201730/03/2016 11:0309:35 CONSERVATION

Make your birding count LIZ CUTTING (BRITISH TRUST FOR ORNITHOLOGY)

‘Citizen science’ surveys are the lifeblood of conservation and bird monitoring in Britain, but they require constant input. Sarah Harris of the BTO guides you through the history of these essential schemes and shows you how to take part.

f you ever need an excuse to go out it’s not just for Grey Heron – some Above: Grey Heron was the fi rst species birding, what better reason than to volunteers also count the nests of species surveyed by the BTO. Data from its Heronries contribute to bird monitoring and such as Cormorant and Little Egret, Census shows that it is now a much more I common breeding bird than when survey work conservation? You’ll go birding – but for and even Spoonbill in a couple areas. began in 1928. The trend has not always been the sake of the birds themselves! Who knows what else might turn up in upwards, though. The harsh winters of 1947 and 1963 resulted in high levels of mortality, and the The British Trust for Ornithology this colonial-nesting bird survey in the species took years to recover from both events. (BTO), alongside a variety of partnership near future – Great Egret? Glossy Ibis? organisations (see table), runs a wide Time will show how the survey White-fronted Geese that used to fl ock range of surveys aimed at birders of all evolves, but over the last 89 years Grey to the UK in large numbers each winter abilities to cover the majority of British Heron populations have fl uctuated now opt to stay in The Netherlands due bird species. These surveys not only get greatly, largely due to weather to milder winters. Numbers decreased you out in the fi eld but contribute essential conditions in winter. Harsh weather in the UK from the mid-1990s and data to the wider knowledge of how bird reduces winter survival rates, with an increased in The Netherlands during numbers are changing and what the overall 22 per cent increase being found the same period. underlying causes may be. by the survey over all those years since it Dunlin still winter in the UK in large began. Find out more at www.bto.org/ numbers (304,379 in 2014-15), but as Watching the wetlands BirdTrends. birds travel from their northern European The ‘grandparent’ of surveys, the The Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) breeding grounds, more are ‘short- Heronries Census, started in 1928 and it monitors the internationally important stopping’ on the east coast of Britain is now the longest-running single-species non-breeding waterbird populations rather than travelling all the way to the survey for any breeding bird in the across the UK with monthly counts at west coast, as was once the only option for world – not bad for a survey originally around 2,800 waterbodies, large and a milder winter and higher survival rates. set up as a one-year investigation! This small, and inland and coastal. This data Now birds staying on the east coast can survey involves counting ‘apparently feeds into international datasets and has enjoy milder winters and the muddier, occupied nests’ within heronries, but revealed that many of the European richer sediment for foraging.

40 Birdwatch•March 2017 www.birdwatch.co.uk

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Below: as well as indicating national trends, data collected by the Bullﬁ nch populations BTO are used with international datasets. For example, comparisons have fallen dramatically between numbers of European White-fronted Geese in Britain and on in Britain since the mid- the Continent show that more now cut short their autumn migration to 1970s, almost certainly winter in The Netherlands, presumably the result of milder winters. at least in part because of the intensiﬁ cation of agriculture. BTO survey data show that the decline was particularly steep between 1975-85. JILL PACKENHAM (BTO) JILL PACKENHAM JILL PACKENHAM (BTO) JILL PACKENHAM CHRIS KNIGHTS (BTO) Make your birding count

CHRIS KNIGHTS (BTO) Above left and right: Common or garden in common with other arable farmland birds, What about our common breeding birds? Corn Bunting declined The main annual surveys monitoring the rapidly between the population changes of these species are mid-1970s and mid- the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) and the 1980s, and this trend continues. Between Waterways Breeding Bird Survey (WBBS). 1967-2014 numbers These are similar in that both involve fell by 87 per cent, walking a given transect route twice a and there may now be fewer than 11,000 year between April and June, recording territories. Pesticides, the birds seen and heard along the way. the removal of The di erence is that the BBS uses two hedgerows and the autumn sowing parallel transects across a 1-km square, of cereals are all whereas the WBBS has a single transect implicated. line following a waterway to cover this Left: Common important but essentially linear habitat. Redshank breeding Both use randomly selected survey numbers have been hit by the drainage sites to remove any bias in the habitats of farmland and covered, ensuring the data collected are the intensifi cation representative of all the UK’s biomes. of grazing on saltmarshes. These Monitoring the population changes trends have been of both resident and migratory species picked up by the across the UK, the BBS produces UK BBS, and are partly population trends for 111 species annually, refl ected in declining winter totals around along with country- and region-specifi c

NIGEL CLARK (BTO) UK coasts. trends for those species which can produce ❯

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1703 p040-042 BTO surveys FIN.indd 41 08/02/2017 15:41 CONSERVATION

a large enough sample size to allow those trends to be calculated. However, it is not only these 843 population trends that the BBS calculates annually – it also provides the data for estimating UK species population size and

represents a massive ALLAN DREWITT (BTO) data set for scientifi c Above: monthly WeBS counts are designed to detect population research. Studies trends in geese, ducks and shorebirds such as Dunlin, which winter in of farmland bird large numbers around the coasts of the UK. Left: as well as long-running annual schemes, the BTO also declines often organises special surveys from time to time, the most recent use BBS data, example being the House Martin breeding survey of 2015-16. and analyses for England have undergone a to estimate the UK’s population size. The demonstrated catastrophic second phase of this survey took place that the national decline of from April to September 2016 and will be agri-environment 61 per cent repeated this year. It involves volunteers scheme (AES) from 1975 to monitoring House Martin nesting has reduced rates 2014, largely attempts at self-selected sites that they can of decline for species due to increased watch throughout the season, and will such as Grey Partridge, grazing pressure and provide information on breeding ecology Bullfi nch and Yellowhammer. drainage of farmland. and habitat preference. By combining In particular, management to retain This no doubt contributed to these three years of data, it will be possible unsprayed, unploughed overwinter the species’ disappearance from many of to start tackling some of the key questions stubble provides much-needed seed for the waterway sites at which it once bred about their population changes. fi nches and buntings. in the 1970s. Oystercatcher, on the other Some species have yet to benefi t, hand, showed an increase of 48 per cent Keeping track however, and many declines continue. between 1975 and 2014. This is thought For everything else, there’s BirdTrack – The downward trend shown by Corn JOHN HARDING (BTO) to be due to its range expansion into the the free online and in-fi eld bird recording Bunting, for example, is showing no sign lowlands, alongside rivers and canals – tool. Data from BirdTrack are used to of slowing. Combining the BBS and habitats surveyed well by WBS/WBBS. study species not currently covered by Common Birds Census (the predecessor House Martin shows an intriguing standardised surveys and movements of to BBS) data, we see a continued steep mixed population change across the migratory species, among other things. decline in Corn Bunting across the UK, with a decline in England of 29 For example, BirdTrack data show that UK by 87 per cent between 1967 and per cent and an increase in Scotland of from the 1960s to 2000s, arrival dates for 2014. Adapting schemes to work better, a staggering 135 per cent recorded by 11 Afro-Palearctic migrants – Common such as by enhancing seed provision for the BBS from 1995 to 2014. Bird Atlas Chi cha , Common Redstart, Blackcap, granivores during the late-winter hunger 2007-11 data support these changes, Sand Martin, House Martin, Swallow, gap – when they struggle to fi nd food – is with decreases in southern Britain and European Turtle Dove, Common Swift, where the main di culties lie, especially as increases in Scotland and Ireland. Willow Warbler, Common Whitethroat AES funds are now likely to fall. As a result, the BTO wanted to research and Garden Warbler – have advanced by Data from the WBBS has been the causes behind this population trend. up to three weeks. combined with its predecessor, the In 2015, data collected by volunteer Armed with this information, you Waterways Bird Survey (WBS), to produce surveyors visiting randomly selected 1-km might have to go birding rather a lot, but population trends extending back to 1974. squares throughout the UK kick-started you can of course pick just one survey to This tells us that Common Redshank has the House Martin survey and will be used participate in. Every record counts! ■

Survey time period / Survey Partner organisations commitment Skill level Website Heronries BTO Spring/summer nest count, Able to identify the handful www.bto.org/heronries one visit at least of species involved WeBS BTO, RSPB and JNCC, in One count per month Able to identify the www.bto.org/webs association with WWT waterbirds in your area BBS BTO, JNCC, RSPB Two visits; April-June Able to identify a range of www.bto.org/bbs common birds by sight and sound WBBS BTO Two visits; April-June Able to identify a range of www.bto.org/wbbs common birds by sight and sound House Martins BTO Summer nest monitoring, Anyone able to identify www.bto.org/house-martin- weekly House Martins! survey BirdTrack BTO, RSPB, BirdWatch Whenever, wherever All levels www.birdtrack.net Ireland, Scottish Ornithologists’ Club, Welsh Ornithological Society

42 Birdwatch•March 2017 www.birdwatch.co.uk

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p044.inddWC Birdwatching 1 (Zeiss Terra) 210x297 1016.indd 1 10/02/201707/10/2016 11:0315:28 WORLD OF BIRDS FRAN TRABALON JAMES LOWEN ALICK SIMMONS ALICK SIMMONS A parallel universe The largest of Spain’s Canary Islands, Tenerife is a year-round birding destination with a good number of endemics, most of which strangely look both familiar but different. James Lowen discovers whether you can see all of the special species in one weekend.

n this era of cheap air travel, short decided to fi nd out ... Top: little of the native laurel forest typical of the breaks are all the rage – particularly as I was ‘pishing’ for all I was worth, Canary Islands remains on Tenerife. However, a an escape from Britain’s wintry murk. wearing out my lips by incessantly signifi cant relict patch can still be found in the I Anaga mountains. Many birders spend a week on Tenerife, smacking them together. I was panting Inset top: Laurel Pigeon is one of two endemic and love it. But what if we don’t have with the exertion imposed by the altitude laurel forest specialist pigeons, distinguished by the luxury of time? What if we have just here on Mount Teide, which at more its pale tail-tip. a weekend to see Tenerife’s 21 most than 3,700 m is the tallest mountain in special taxa? Is it possible to fl y out from Spain. Daylight was fading as rapidly Inset bottom: the other columbid unique to the Canary Islands’ laurel forests is Bolle’s Pigeon. Britain on Saturday morning, ‘clean as the air was cooling, and Tricia – my Both may be seen with luck from watchpoints up’ and return on Sunday evening? I companion for the afternoon – had near the main roads. ❯

www.birdwatch.co.uk Birdwatch•March 2017 45

1703 p045-048 tenerife FIN.indd 45 08/02/2017 15:44 WORLD OF BIRDS

1 2

1 A parid from a parallel universe, the form of African Blue Tit found on Tenerife has distinctively contrasting plumage, making it a bolder-looking proposition than its British congener. 2 Atlantic Canary is widespread over all the Macaronesian islands, and is like a European Serin on steroids. 3 Berthelot’s Pipit is another endemic found throughout the Canary Islands, and can often be tracked down at picnic areas and camp sites. 4 Tenerife Goldcrest (or Kinglet) is potentially a candidate for splitting, being signifi cantly larger than the more familiar European version. 5 Blue Chaffi nch is probably the most famous of the island’s unique avian species, and has recently been split by the IOC as a full species, Tenerife Blue Chaffi nch, from its close relative in Gran Canaria. ❝ This marvellous island offers such varied landscapes and such diverse wildlife that a month-long stay would not be excessive❞ yet to see Tenerife’s most famous bird Teide thrust. Tricia was enchanted; she craved an injection of Tenerife’s natural species, Blue Cha nch. called me the ‘bird whisperer’. riches as an antidote to the sterility of its Then a shadow darkened the spartan tourist resorts. understorey fl anking El Portillo’s puddle Europe’s Galápagos Fortifi ed by a copious lunch, Tricia of a pond. A fl icker of life tantalised Tenerife, the largest of the Canary and I drove northwards into the pine- us amid the olive-green leaves, and a Islands, is a double-faceted location. draped foothills of central Tenerife. We vague shape materialised into a warbler. To most visitors, it is a package tourist stopped fi rst at Las Lajas picnic site, a Canary Islands Chi cha , like Blue destination. For birders and wildlife- famed location for Blue Cha nch. The Cha nch, occurs solely on the Spanish watchers, however, it is Europe’s caramel-coloured ground was parched archipelago that gives it its name, a answer to the Galápagos. A score of and rocky. A handful of families were splattering of Europe 60-odd miles o landbirds – eight regionally endemic fi nishing their sandwiches or clearing the African coastline. A second chi cha species, complemented by 14 subspecies ashes from open-air barbecues. appeared and another called. Soon we – occur nowhere else in the world. Blue I quickly spotted a few Blue were surrounded by a score of fl itting, Cha nch, Bolle’s Pigeon, Atlantic Cha nches hopping around under fl irting passerines. Canary and their ilk are ensconced picnic tables, but they had fl own by The warblers’ attentiveness then in a series of spectacular landscapes, the time Tricia emerged from the toilet coaxed a gang of African Blue Tits from from evergreen laurel cloudforests to block. She was despondent: this seedeater the foliage. Where on earth had they desiccated pine woodland, from searing occurs only on Tenerife and Gran been hiding? These are blue tits, but not ravines to a volcanic caldera, in a land of Canaria, and there is evidence that each as you know them. The birds’ plumage is almost perpetual sun. island has its own distinct species. Her so richly toned that they appear clumsily Given that I was actually in Tenerife mood was immediately brightened by Photoshopped. The subspecies here is for four January days, I needed to two Great Spotted Woodpeckers of the teneri ae, an endemic taxon to which simulate the weekend timescale. As subspecies canariensis probing pine cones. some taxonomists grant full-species luck would have it, my free time – A high-pitched call alerted us to a status. Tits and chi cha s began calling, mid-afternoon onwards one day plus Goldcrest of the subspecies teneri ae. drinking, bathing and cavorting in front a full day before the fl ight home – Tenerife Goldcrest is a larger, smarter of us, all within a few metres’ range. matched perfectly a single-weekend bird than that familiar to British birders, Their garrulous exuberance persuaded itinerary. Travel editor Tricia Haynes with broad black stripes meeting on our target bird that we posed no accompanied me for the afternoon jaunt, the forecrown and contrasting with a threat. Out slunk a glorious male Blue and groundbreaking travel publisher markedly white face. Unsurprisingly, Cha nch, as ultramarine as the winter Hilary Bradt joined the longer stint. some authorities fancy it as a full species.

ALL PHOTOS: JAMES LOWEN (UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED) (UNLESS OTHERWISE JAMES LOWEN ALL PHOTOS: sky into which the nearby peak of El Neither are ardent birders, but both The crests moved steadily through

46 Birdwatch•March 2017 www.birdwatch.co.uk

1703 p045-048 tenerife FIN.indd 46 08/02/2017 15:45 3 4 ALICK SIMMONS

5 foliage, rarely revealing themselves for more than a few seconds. Best of all was a ﬂ ock of Atlantic Canaries. The yellow-and-green ﬁ nches remained in the shelter of bushy trees, occasionally dropping to the ground. Living in Norwich, my local football club is nicknamed the Canaries, so seeing these glorious birds perhaps brought a touch of East Anglia to the African archipelago. The bare terrain was also favoured by two common birds of contrasting size. Endemic to parts of Macaronesia (the Canaries, Azores, Madeira and Cape Verde Islands), Berthelot’s Pipit strides fearlessly around any open habitats. Ravens of the North African race tingitanus were similarly bold, but markedly smaller than British birds. With afternoon waning in inverse correlation to Tricia’s desire to see Blue Cha nch, we headed to El Portillo visitor centre in the volcanic crater below Mt Teide. Following a tip-o in the recent Crossbill Guide (Canary Islands II: Tenerife and La Gomera), we hurried towards a secluded pool behind the rock garden. Which is where, after 15 bird-free minutes, I started pishing ...

Subtly different raptors Mission successful, we left Teide southwards for the coast. En route, several Kestrels of the West Canarian subspecies insularum hovered overhead. More surprising was a male European Sparrowhawk (of the Macaronesian subspecies granti) zipping along the skyline as we reached the town of Los Cristianos. As we entered the hotel grounds, a Blackcap (of the West Canary subspecies ❯

www.birdwatch.co.uk Birdwatch•March 2017 47

1703 p045-048 tenerife FIN.indd 47 08/02/2017 15:45 WORLD OF BIRDS

Plain Swift is a breeding endemic on the Canaries and Madeira, wintering in adjacent areas of continental Africa – though some birds remain year round. TENERIFE VISITING • There are daily flights from most international airports across Britain and Ireland. • Tourist infrastructure is of the very highest standard and there are bargains to be had for flights, hotels and car hire year-round – check online. FURTHER READING • Birds of the Atlantic Islands by Tony Clarke (Christopher Helm, £25.99 – bit.ly/bw297northatlantic or order on page 57). • Natural History of Tenerife by Philip and Myrtle Ashmole (Whittles Publishing, £26.99 – bit.ly/bw297tenerife or order on page 57). • Finding Birds in the Canaries by Dave Gosney (Easybirder, £7.50 –

PHOTOS: JAMES LOWEN bit.ly/bw297canaries or order on page 57). The form of Southern Grey Shrike found on the Canary Islands has ONLINE RESOURCES also recently been mooted as part of a separate species, Desert • Search for ‘Tenerife birding’ on www.google.com to read numerous trip reports. Grey Shrike. It is found in the arid southern lowland areas of Tenerife.

heineken) burst into song – perhaps Chiffchaffs and African Blue Tits, plus Plain Swifts (a Macaronesian endemic) refreshing the parts that other Sylvias can’t three more subspecies for our list of raised eyebrows as they are reportedly reach? As dusk settled, Yellow-legged target taxa. rare on Tenerife in winter. Then the Gulls (regarded by some here as the Blackbirds (Macaronesian subspecies Laurel Pigeons – plump, dark and subspecies atlantis) ceased wheeling over cabrerae) appeared smaller and sootier white tailed – started winging around. the rocks to settle on the sea. than nominate European birds. A dozen birds included five poised It might have been time for the gulls to European Robins (West Canary together in the canopy of a distant tree. sleep, but I still had ‘work’ to do. Calories subspecies superbus – also a mooted split) Magnifico! replenished, I returned to the field, were larger than British individuals, With our evening flight home calling driving terraced cultivations in the dark with a deeper contrast between red our number, we decided to finish on until I chanced upon my quarry, a Long- breast and white belly, and more grey this high. Knowing that Stone Curlew eared Owl (of the West Canary subspecies surrounding the red bib. The most of the West Canary subspecies distinctus canariensis). Then it was back to the hotel marked differences – deep blue mantle, (also viewed as a potential split in some to recharge ahead of a busy following day. bright green rump – were exhibited quarters) were nigh-on impossible to see by the sumptuous Central Canary on Tenerife, we paid only a cursory visit Heading south subspecies canariensis of Chaffinch. to El Medano desert, which neighbours One advantage of lodging in Tenerife’s It was tiresome to tear ourselves away the airport. This was our only failure in southern resorts was the area’s succulent from such splendid habitat, which oozed one-and-a-half days of not particularly scrub. This offered the greatest chance of butterflies, lizards and attractive plants rushed birding in which we saw all Southern Grey Shrike (Canary subspecies alongside birds, but we did. Heading the other landbird forms for which koenigi); a brief roadside stop proved along Tenerife’s north coast, we arrived Tenerife is famed, whether full species successful. Heading north-east towards at Mirador las Grimonas, a viewpoint or regionally endemic subspecies. mist-shrouded laurel forests on the adjoining the busy main road. To Granted, it would be a shame to fly to Anaga Peninsula, a fortuitous wrong-turn the north, land slipped away sharply Tenerife for a single night. Away from produced a Barbary Partridge wandering towards the sea. We faced southwards the tourist stretch, this marvellous island across a central reservation. While not and scanned upwards. An even steeper offers such varied landscapes and diverse endemic to the islands, there are few slope, intermittently flecked with laurel wildlife that a month-long stay would not better places to see this gamebird than the forest, rose to sheer cliffs. Here, we were be excessive. But for birders on a tight Canaries. told, no birder had ever failed to see the timescale or budget, or anyone craving Our primary target in Anaga’s humid sought-after Laurel Pigeon. an escape from British gloom, a top- montane forests was Bolle’s Pigeon. Fifteen minutes in, we began to think drawer birding weekend on Tenerife is We arrived at Llano los Viejos too late we were in the wrong place. We were eminently feasible. Tempted? ■ to see this scarce columbid feeding on seeing no birds at all, let alone pigeons. the ground, but located three shy birds, Then everything came together: four Acknowledgements perched motionless in trees upslope. The Common Buzzards (of the Canarian James Lowen travelled as a guest of luxuriant vegetation also sheltered ample subspecies insularum) circled, mobbed Hume Whitehead and Tenerife Tourism Tenerife Goldcrests, Canary Islands by a Barbary Falcon, while a couple of Corporation.

48 Birdwatch•March 2017 www.birdwatch.co.uk

1703 p045-048 tenerife FIN.indd 48 08/02/2017 15:45 READER OFFER BINDER ORDER FORM Just enter below the number of binders you require, your personal details (as they appear on your statement if paying by credit /debit card) MAKE THE MOST and return this form (or a copy) with payment to the address below. Please send me ____ binder(s) at £8.95 each (plus overseas p&p). OF YOUR MAGAZINES Name ______In classic maroon with a gold-embossed spine and Address ______date labels, each one easily stores 12 issues and ______Postcode ______supplements in an attractive, easy- Tel: ______ﬁ le system – use it to preserve Email: ______your magazines as a valuable reference work. Total enclosed ONLY £8.95 (inc non-UK P&P) EACH* ❑ I enclose payment by cheque (payable to ‘Warners Group Publications’) for Birdwatch binders are £______OR available at just £8.95, ❑ Please debit £______from my ❑ Visa ❑ Mastercard ❑ Maestro including VAT and p&p Card No: in the UK. ■■■■ ■■■■ ■■■■ ■■■■ ■■■ *For orders to Europe & ROI Expiry Date: Start Date: Issue No: please add £2.49 per binder and for the ROW please add ■■■■ ■■■■ ■■ £4.50 per binder to cover additional shipping charges. Signature ______Date ______Please allow up to 28 days for delivery. Return this order form to: Birdwatch Binders, Warners Group Publications Ltd, Birdwatch binders are available now! The Chocolate Factory, 5 Clarendon Road, London N22 6XJ. Alternatively, email your order to: [email protected]

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p050-051.indd 2 10/02/2017 14:07 EQUIPMENT EXPERT✓

wa ird tc b h . . BONUS c w ONLINE o

REVIEWS.

Your trusted guide to what’s new in birding: bit.ly/birdwatchreviews CONTENT u w k Mid-table, but far from mediocre Small, light and appealing, Meopta’s mid-range B1 binocular is pitched to compete with its high-end counterparts. Mike Alibone investigates. REVIEW Meopta MeoStar B1 8x32 binocular

Green ﬁ nish to rubber body Eyecups twist out armour, with wide-gauge to click-lock at two stippling to aid grip points beyond full retraction

Body constructed Wheel takes 1.7 from aluminium revolutions to go from a close alloys – comfortable focus of 1.8 m to inﬁ nity to hold and operate

PART of a range of six, the test conditions for this binocular wheel turns smoothly but, at adjustment wheel is centrally MeoStar B1 8x32 is a small, as I put it through its paces during the same time, offers some positioned immediately in front lightweight, multi-purpose January in a variety of habitats resistance, which I believe was of it and operates almost in the binocular designed by Czech from woodland to wetlands. beginning to loosen up towards manner of a small-increment click- manufacturer Meopta to cover a Finished in green, the rubber- the end of the trial period. The stop mechanism. Initially it struck wide range of outdoor activities. armoured body is constructed wheel’s position relative to the me as uniquely odd, but it works Having recently been impressed using aluminium alloys. It feels well strap lugs just enables the user well and is effective in as much as with the company’s 82 mm S2 built, nicely proportioned and is to keep the fore nger straight it is not easily dislodged from its telescope, the B1 had a lot to live comfortable to hold and operate. while focusing, which adds to setting accidentally. up to – and my expectations of its Cutaway thumb-rests below the the comfort factor. The wheel Ocular adjustment is a simple performance were already high. barrels and wide gauge stippling turns through approximately 1.7 affair. Despite being a little The short days and frequently in the proximal part of the body clockwise revolutions between a shallow, the rubber covering is poor light conditions of mid-winter combine well to increase grip. spot-on 1.8-m close focus and comfortable against the eye, while arguably provided the harshest The generously deep focusing in nity, while a narrow dioptre the eyecups twist out to click-lock

52 Birdwatch•March 2017 www.birdwatch.co.uk

1703 expert reviews p52-53 FIN.indd 52 10/02/2017 11:41 EQUIPMENT

March’s photo Controversial THIS MONTH’S EXPERT PANEL 54 challenge 56 killer Your task this month is to try to Millions of people love cats, DOMINIC MITCHELL DAVID CALLAHAN is Birdwatch’s founder Prior to joining photograph wheatears, plus see but those cuddly moggies can and Managing Editor. Birdwatch, David last month’s winning wagtail shot. decimate avian populations. He has been birding trained as a taxonomist in Britain and abroad at the Natural History for 45 years. Museum. All of Africa’s Bookshelf gamebirds Heather O’Connor leads MIKE ALIBONE is REBECCA 55 56 Birdwatch’s Optics ARMSTRONG is A comprehensive guide to Africa’s you through the latest releases, Editor. He has been Birdwatch’s Assistant guineafowl, francolins, spurfowl, which include several additions testing binoculars Editor. She has now quail, sandgrouse and snipe. to the RSPB’s Spotlight series. and telescopes for been birding for 10 15 years. years.

STEVE YOUNG ROB HUME began Naming What’s new in is Photographic watching birds as a 55conventions 57 the bookshop? Consultant for child. He worked for Mark Cocker’s take on a new book Get a discount on our Book of Birdwatch and an the RSPB for many on the intriguing origins of birds’ the Month: Lynx Edicions’ Birds award-winning wildlife years and has written English names. of Spain in English translation. photographer. several books.

positively and firmly at two points it remains bright, even at twilight, to ‘pull out’ and identify Caspian of £995 it is not inexpensive but beyond the fully retracted position. when the binocular’s overall light Gulls among the throng of distant it’s still well below the pricing The full field of view – a very transmission drops from 88 per gulls on my local landfill. of some high-end competitor generous 138 m at 1,000 m – is cent to 84 per cent. One needs It comes with an articulated brands. ■ still visible in the fully extended to look hard to see any chromatic rainguard, tethered objective lens position. aberration as it’s not immediately covers (which work loose far too Further info Considering that this is not apparent, although there is some easily), a comfortable padded ■ Price: £995 billed as a quality ED binocular, slight ‘sacrificial’ distortion at the neck-strap and a soft carry case. ■ Size: 123 x 125 mm the image is surprisingly good. edges of the image, presumably Although the warranty period is ■ Weight: 598 g ■ A Schmidt-Pechan prism system as a result of the widening of the a standard 10 years, this can be Field of view: 138 m at 1,000 m ■ Light transmission: 88% and a fully multicoated lens field of view. Contrast is excellent, boosted to 30 years by registering ■ Close focus: 1.8 m arrangement are no doubt key and the B1 returns super-rich it with Meopta within 30 days of ■ Gas-filled: yes ingredients in helping to deliver colour tones. It was a pleasure initial purchase. ■ Waterproof: yes ■ a more than acceptable image. using it to watch Waxwings at This binocular felt instantly Guarantee: 10 years (option of 30 years on quick registration) Despite the small objective size, close range, as well as being able comfortable to use. With an SRP

competing models, and they are PRODUCT NEWS pocketable and compact. There is no dioptre scale, nor is it lockable, but it is simple to use. The TERRA range comes with a TERRA firma pliable rubber rainguard to be ZEISS has just announced threaded onto the strap, while a rebranding of its popular, there are also protective rubber high-performance TERRA ED lens caps. range. All six models have been The TERRA and Pocket EDs relaunched with a number of new are the most affordable optics and improved features. They are that Zeiss has produced for now available in black, black and many years, and its hard to beat grey, and black and green. All them at such low prices. While are also now available in a hard the expansion of the range is case, rather than a cloth pouch, largely for aesthetic reasons, to provide safer storage. the associated paraphernalia The six binoculars has been improved and they still (including two Pocket and four remain one of the best buys in TERRA models, available in their price range. ■ magnifications of both 8x and 10x and lens diameters of 25, 32 and 42 mm) have been Further info designed to cover the whole ■ Price: from £229 ■ suite of users’ needs and optical Size: TERRA ED 8x32 and 10x32, 125 x 117 mm; 8x42 conditions. The existing quality and 10x42, 142 x 120 mm features remain: nitrogen-filled Perhaps the most attractive light conditions. User experience ■ Weight: 8x32 and 10x32, optics and multicoated ED thing about the whole range is testifies that these binoculars 510 g; 8x42 and 10x42, 695 g ■ lenses to offer outstanding its affordability, particularly from perform well above average for Field of view at 1,000 m: 8x32, 135 m; 10x32, 112 m; 8x42, viewing in a range of light and such a premium manufacturer their price range, with smooth 125 m; 10x42, 110 m weather conditions. An advanced (and usually premium prices) focusing going from 1.6 m to ■ Close focus: 1.6 m ergonomic design offers with an international reputation infinity in about 1.5 turns of ■ Nitrogen-filled: yes ■ excellent handling and ease of using ED (extra-low dispersion) the focus wheel. The depth of Water resistant: yes ■ Guarantee: 2 years use. glass which operates well in low field is also better than some ❯

www.birdwatch.co.uk Birdwatch•March 2017 53

1703 expert reviews p52-53 FIN.indd 53 10/02/2017 11:42 EXPERT REVIEWS PHOTOGRAPHY • BOOKS

STEVE YOUNG’S PHOTO CHALLENGE

Steve Young says: “With spring almost in the air, I thought I’d set an early migrant challenge this month. I had been thinking about Northern Wheatears Wheatear, but as it’s still only February as I write – and I’ve just photographed some lovely local Waxwings, so I’m in a good mood – I’ve decided to make it easier: I’ve widened the choice to any wheatear species. If you photographed one of last autumn’s Desert Wheatears (or even the overwintering Thurlestone, Devon, bird), now is the time to send in those images. “Most wheatear species are relatively easy to photograph, with many birds allowing a close approach, and with Northern Wheatear being a common migrant in both spring and autumn there are plenty of opportunities. I look forward to seeing your entries. “This month’s prize is a copy of Bill Bailey’s Remarkable Guide to British Birds. Good luck!” ■

Terms and conditions Please email your entries to [email protected]. The With their habit of competition is open to anyone perching on stones and you may enter as many or rocks out in the photos on the chosen theme open, Northern Wheatears lend as you wish. Be quick, though, themselves well to as the closing date is 22 March striking portraits. 2017.

As winter weather gets milder, some birds are staying longer, and rarely even overwintering. This female Northern Wheatear was photographed on

PHOTOS: STEVE YOUNG 31 December 2013 at Burton Marsh, Cheshire. January challenge winner AS expected this was a popular challenge, says Steve Young, and lots of images of both Pied and Grey Wagtails were submitted, with the former having the edge in terms of the number of entries. Despite being the more popular subject, though, it’s not Pied Wagtail that is this month’s winning photo. That accolade goes to Angela Trew’s very interesting shot of a Grey Wagtail taking off. This image shows the underwing, which is not usually a feature that is seen or photographed, so she has done very well to capture a precise moment in ight. Congratulations to Angela, who wins a copy of Chris Packham’s memoir Fingers in the Sparkle Jar. ■

54 Birdwatch•March 2017 www.birdwatch.co.uk

1703 digital p54 expert reviews v4 FIN.indd 54 17/02/2017 12:23 All of Africa’s gamebirds to hunters as well as birders. superb. Ian White’s Each of the 74 species ying Burchell’s is described, and there are Sandgrouse, concise notes on distribution, leaving a trail of habitat, habits, food and droplets behind feeding, breeding, status and it, is one such. conservation. Species covered This quality is not range from the widespread and always possible well-studied Helmeted Guineafowl with hard-to- to the little-known Rubeho Forest observe species, Partridge, which is endemic and the camera- to Mbugu Hill in Tanzania. A trap images of point that comes across in the Finsch’s Francolin book is that even the most illustrate this common species are undergoing perfectly. I can’t population declines due to help thinking that hunting and habitat degradation. the inclusion of By agging this up, the book is more illustrations THIS monograph summarises doing a service to conservation. would have helped. likely to generate interest in all the terrestrial ‘gamebirds’ Each species entry has a The big plus of Rob Little’s these groups, in turn helping the of Africa. It is divided into distribution map and is illustrated book is that all the continent’s conservation cause. However, for sections dealing with guineafowl, with up to six colour photographs, terrestrial gamebirds are included a eld guide, the birder should francolins, spurfowl, quail, mostly of adult birds, but also in one handy format. This is look elsewhere. Tim Harris sandgrouse and snipe. A including the occasional chick comment in the foreword, that and even eggs. Some ground the book “will be prized by remains uncovered; for example, MORE INFO ornithologists, birders, wing- of the ve subspecies of Crested ■ Terrestrial Gamebirds and Snipes of Africa by Rob Little (Jacana Media, shooters, landowners and Francolin listed, only three are Auckland Park, 2016). ■ conservation-minded people”, illustrated. 304 pages, 267 colour photographs, 75 maps. ■ ISBN 9781431424146. Flexiback, £18.95. suggests that it will be of interest Several of the photographs are Naming conventions they have. Yet it is also a book these technical matters, but he that takes pleasure in the ideas also loves the silliness of names. that humans have entertained A great example is an Australian about nature, and also in the passerine called Spotted delightful serendipity that has Pardalote Pardalotus punctatus. It been at play when birds were turns out that this concatenation, christened. if you translate all the various old To give you a small taste of the English, Greek and Latin parts, confusions that once reigned in means spotted spotted spotted the matter of naming birds, look spotted! in Michel Desfayes’s astonishing Reedman cherishes the 2,500-page compendium interconnections which names entitled A Thesaurus of Birds introduce into our personal Names (incidentally, it is odd encounters with the natural that Reedman seems not to world. One illustration he gives have referred to this bible). is Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe You will nd that there were 80 isabellina. Ever wonder where historical or regional nicknames we got that strange adjective WHY has a bird once known for Vanellus vanellus in Britain; for warm fulvous buff? Well, starting to worry that these ideas nationwide as a ‘Peewit’ suddenly Europe-wide there were more than it refers to the underwear of will intrude when you next see become a ‘Lapwing’ – or, to 400. How have we overcome this Queen Isabella and her refusal this wonderful head-bobbing, tail- be very precise, a ‘Northern nomenclatural free-for-all? to change it until the Moors were irting species, please remember Lapwing’? Why do Americans Reedman walks us through the driven from her Spanish kingdom. that ‘wheatear’ is itself a call them ‘loons’ when we call basics, explaining how we came Apparently the reconquest took contraction of a pithy bit of Anglo members of the family Gaviidae to adopt xed names, rstly with long enough for the royal knickers Saxon – ‘white arse’! ‘divers’? This book sets out to the 18-century system developed to turn that colour. If you are Mark Cocker answer these questions and by Linnaeus and then the more many more. recently standardised English It is a playful, well-informed names, as de ned by several MORE INFO personal meander through the formal committees, including ■ Lapwings, Loons and Lousy Jacks: the How and Why of Bird Birdwatch technical stuff of ornithological the International Ornithological Names by Ray Reedman (Pelagic Publishing, Exeter, 2016). Bookshop ■ nomenclature, explaining how and Congress. 303 pages, numerous black-and-white illustrations. from ■ ISBN 9781784270926. Hbk, £19.99. £17.99 why bird names have evolved as Reedman is good at explaining ❯

www.birdwatch.co.uk Birdwatch•March 2017 55

1703 55-56 Expert reviews - books v3 FIN.indd 55 2/9/2017 9:06:19 AM EXPERT REVIEWS BOOKS Feline frenzy as a result the state changed the BOOKSHELF law to protect unowned cats. Piping Plovers could go extinct. The RSPB’s Spotlight series of There are many such stories in this brave, engaging and books has proved very popular. sympathetic book. It is not likely Heather O’Connor highlights to be read cover to cover by cat some new releases. lovers or those birders who won’t want to read about the devastating OVER the past few years, a growing number of people have been impact of cats worldwide, but it is buying and reading RSPB Spotlight titles. Focusing on a particular a wide-ranging study of why nature species or group of birds, animals or insects, the series’ aim is to matters to people and where we introduce readers to the lives and behaviour of some of our are headed. The authors quote the favourite British species with eye-catching photography and wholesale devastation of Florida informative expert text. SCORES of studies throw up by unrestrained development as a Two new titles from the series are released this scores of numbers: owned cats; scary vision of the future, if we do month, with two more to follow in the summer. In cats kept indoors; feral cats not change our ways. Kingﬁ shers, author David Chandler looks at the running wild; the numbers of birds, All the arguments for and intricacies of this fascinating family of birds, small mammals and reptiles killed against cats and ways of studying their unique adaptations and courtship, by the average cat. dealing with them are thoroughly habitat, breeding and feeding habits. He also But birders and conservation discussed. Keeping healthy, much- investigates historical threats to king shers and organisations quote gures way loved cats indoors seems to be the considers their future, while offering practical below those suggested by such only answer. advice on how to nd these studies; even the researchers The book is extremely well remarkable birds. themselves often make a 10 or written: a good, interesting, easy Also released this month from the Spotlight 20 per cent cut to ‘be on the safe read despite the wealth of quoted series is Bumblebees by Richard Comont. side’, as if the scale is too much to statistics and studies. It is entirely Featuring all 24 UK bumblebee species, this believe. Cats in North America kill free of sentiment or emotion – the new title examines what made the group so billions of birds, small mammals facts speak for themselves. Yet successful and how circumstances have led to and reptiles: they can hardly not be they are hard to stomach: the the survival of some species but the of ecological signi cance. authors suggest that even Audubon precipitous decline of the This book caused a furore when and the RSPB turn an almost blind majority, highlighting the published in the US; some of the eye to the problem, understandably dangers we all face if quoted studies proved explosive. to some extent, although the populations continue to plummet. Authorities mostly turn the other RSPB’s brilliant work farther from Look out later this year for the next two way. When a man shot a cat from a home – eradicating cats from releases from the series. Owls by Marianne Taylor feral colony preying on endangered Ascension Island, for example – is will focus on the ve species Piping Plovers, he was taken to also properly acknowledged. Cats, of owl found in Britain court. As the cat was ‘unowned’ home and away, present us with (Tawny, Barn, Little, he was not guilty of a crime, but endless dilemmas. Rob Hume Long-eared and Short- eared), while Hares by Nancy Jennings examines this fascinating and mythical MORE INFO mammal’s interactions with humans. ■ Cat Wars: the Devastating Consequences of a Cuddly Killer by Peter P Marra To order these plus many more titles, go to and Chris Santella (Princeton University Press, New Jersey, 2016). www.birdwatch.co.uk/store or you can use ■ 228 pages, 24 colour photos. the form opposite. ■ ■ ISBN 9780691167411. Hbk, £19.95.

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1703 55-56 Expert reviews - books v3 FIN.indd 56 2/9/2017 9:07:06 AM BirdwatchBirdwatch bookshop bookshop www.birdwatch.co.uk • 01778 392027

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1703 Bookshop v5 FIN.indd 57 2/9/2017 9:11:54 AM EXCLUSIVE DIGITAL EDITION CONTENT ebookguide Editor’s choice The Sound Approach to Birding: a Guide to Understanding Bird Sound By Mark Constantine and The Sound Approach RRP/Price: £14.99 This award-winning first title from The Sound Approach team has been transformed into a smart interactive ebook. Taking you on a fascinating journey, it will enable you to understand bird sound, with more than 200 high-quality recordings of mostly European species easily enjoyed with the simple tap of the screen. Suitable for birders of all experience levels, this is the must-have guide to a complex but fascinating subject – if you buy no other book on bird songs and calls, ensure you have this one in your collection. BUY Collins BTO Guide The Helm Guide to Birds of the to British Birds Bird Identification Iberian Peninsula By Paul Sterry and Paul By Keith Vinicombe By Eduardo de Juana and Stancliffe RRP: £25.00 Ernest Garcia RRP/Price: £16.85 Price: £21.99 RRP: £60 Price: £49.99

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i Birdwatch•March 2017 www.birdwatch.co.uk

i ebooks_digital_ok'd.indd 1 17/02/2017 12:27 EXCLUSIVE DIGITAL EDITION CONTENT appguide

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www.birdwatch.co.uk Birdwatch•March 2017 ii

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3-17.indd 1 24/01/2017 15:09:34 p058-059.indd3-17.indd 2 2 25/01/201710/02/2017 12:19:36 11:05 EXPERT ADVICE HOW TO • TIDE TABLES EXPERT✓

wa ird tc ADVICE b h THIS MONTH’S EXPERT PANEL . . The best tips, advice and more BONUS c w ONLINE o

DOMINIC MITCHELL CARL BARIMORE .

CONTENT u w is Birdwatch’s founder is the Nest Records k and Managing Editor, Organiser at the www.birdwatch.co.uk and author and editor British Trust for of several bird books. Ornithology, and also He has been birding for edits the scheme's High-pressure Q&A more than 40 years. two newsletters. 60overshoots 62Readers discover two CHRIS HARBARD ANDY STODDART The southern European birds that thrush species breaking early After many years at is Vice Chairman of the y too far and reach Britain. breeding records. the RSPB, Chris is now Rarities Committee, a a tour leader, writer member of the BOU and editor, dividing his Records Committee Birds by colour News time between Britain and author of many 61Part ve of Rob Hume's 63Big changes afoot as the and the USA. papers on ID. series about feather coloration BOU adopts a new taxonomy for DAVID CALLAHAN ROB HUME began and what it means. its British list. Prior to joining watching birds as Birdwatch as staff a child. He worked writer, David trained for the RSPB for Tides timetable Listcheck as a taxonomist at many years and has 61Plan your next coastal 63Penduline tits get a shak- the Natural History written several books, birding trip with our easy-to-use up as two species are lumped Museum. including one on jizz. Sunday high tide times. after a DNA study.

Woodchat Shrike is one of the most BIRDING KNOWLEDGE anticipated spring 'overshoots'. High-pressure overshoots their destination, while others may result of dry winters in southern Mediterranean Europe. Between not nd a suitable mate in their Europe, records have increased in 30 and 40 are seen each spring, breeding area and continue further Britain since 2005. mainly in April and May, with north – most spring overshoots Alpine Swift Migrating from East occasional March arrivals. are males. Africa to Italy, Spain and France, it Western Subalpine Warbler Here are some classic spring is only a few hundred miles more This species migrates from the overshoots to look out for this to reach Britain. Seen from March Sahel of West Africa to breeding spring: to May. areas in southern France, Spain Night Heron Vagrant adults occur Hoopoe This, the classic March and Italy. Recorded mainly from WHEN high pressure is centred from late March to mid-May, with overshooting species, winters April to June, with about a dozen over continental Europe in spring 12-15 seen annually; an in ux of mainly in sub-Saharan Africa, spring records annually. and warm south-easterly winds 16 occurred in mid-March 2006. with some in the Mediterranean, The best places to look for blow up from the Mediterranean, Purple Heron This species winters migrating to breed in southern overshooting migrants are the conditions are right for a in sub-Saharan Africa and migrates Europe as far north as northern migration hot-spots along the migration phenomenon known to southern Europe, as far north as France. There are about 120 east and south coasts such as: as ‘overshooting’. This can occur the Netherlands. Seen mostly from records a year, occasionally more Cley Marshes, Norfolk; Minsmere from as early as March through late March until June, with about than 150. Seen from March until RSPB, Suffolk; Dungeness, Kent; to early June. 20 records each year. early June. Portland Bill, Dorset; Prawle In Britain it involves birds that White Stork Winters in sub- Woodchat Shrike Winters in North Point, Devon; and the Isles of

STEVE YOUNG (WWW.BIRDSONFILM.COM) STEVE YOUNG winter in Africa and breed in Saharan Africa and migrates north and Central Africa and migrates Scilly. As well as looking for these southern Europe. With following to the Iberian Peninsula and much to breed in Europe as far north as scarce visitors, also watch out winds, many birds may y further of continental Europe. About 20 central France and Germany. There for rarer species which regularly north than intended, well past are seen each spring from mid-April are about 25 records each spring, overshoot, such as Little Bittern, their usual breeding area. Some to June, with occasional groups usually from mid-April until June. Squacco Heron, Great Spotted may have such a strong urge recorded. Red-rumped Swallow Thought to Cuckoo, Red-footed Falcon, to migrate that this cannot be Black-winged Stilt Partly because winter in equatorial Africa, this Iberian Chiffchaff and Black-eared ‘turned off’ when they reach of overshooting, but also as a hirundine breeds widely across Wheatear. ■

60 Birdwatch•March 2017 www.birdwatch.co.uk

1703 digital p60-61 expert advice v3 FIN.indd 60 17/02/2017 12:22 EXPERT ADVICE HOW TO • TIDE TABLES

HOW TO ... PART Identify birds by colour FIVE AN early job of mine with the RSPB was to introduce lm shows, including a lm called Speckle and Hide, narrated by one of the distinctive voices of wildlife radio, Derek Jones. It showed the various ways that birds use camou age to reduce the chances of being seen by a predator: but also, how predators themselves use camou age to get within striking distance of their prey. There are obvious examples of ‘cryptic’ plumage, such as the extraordinary dead-leaf pattern of a Woodcock, or the dead-wood effect of a European Nightjar – both are It is thought that the striking black-and-white plumage of Oystercatchers serves to confuse any predator that very hard to pick out if they keep might try to attack a ﬂ ock, causing it to lose sight of individual birds and fail to catch any of them.

still (with their give-away eyes half GEOFF POULTON closed) on the right background. Bitterns are fantastic at staying when lit, as usual, from above, so Great Spotted Woodpecker among whereabouts of a shoal of sh to hidden. One of my local nature the dark back (brightly lit) and pale dark branches against a pale sky is others of the species a mile or two reserves has wintering Bitterns and underside (in shade) become of a good example. away, and also reduce their own people often sit in a hide, gazing equal tone and the 3D effect is This disruption effect was used visibility to the sh they hunt. out, and comment that they haven’t lost – but the dark shadow on the by the great all-round naturalist Many gulls and terns have a seen a sign of one – but unless ground beneath is out of the bird’s and artist, Peter Scott, who white frontal aspect – the forehead they look hard, with binoculars, control. Pale desert birds in strong designed ‘dazzle’ camou age for and leading edges of the wings and keep looking, very often they sun may be detected only by a spot ships in war – bands and slashes – making them less visible from won’t. Several times I have tested of moving darkness underneath of greys, blues and greens that beneath as they plunge-dive. Gulls myself, having found a Bittern in them. looked weird close up but melted coming into roost at a reservoir the reeds with binoculars. Even at Many small birds (thrushes and away at long range against the or lake often ‘whif e’ from side to close range and knowing precisely pipits, for example) have a pale waves. Oystercatchers are coloured side – like descending ocks of where the bird was, I have failed belly and slightly darker anks, the sharp black and white but a ock geese – so their bright white areas to relocate it. On occasions I’ve dark ank band just where the light in ight, although obvious enough catch the setting sun and show up discovered that I’d been looking catches it, again to help atten with ashing rumps and wing-bars, the location of a good, safe roost at one, or bits of it, without even the bird out and make it less can confuse a predator so that it to incoming gulls still a great way realising. obvious at a glance. A Stone-curlew fails to make a successful strike. off. Some of my most enjoyable Not all camou age, however, can ‘disappear’ against a pale I remember, too, inspiring papers moments birdwatching have been relies on imitation of the background if it keeps still. Others in the journal British Birds by watching great ocks of brilliant- immediate surroundings. Many – such as Ringed Plover – have K E L Simmons on seabird white gulls coming in against plumage patterns serve to break surprisingly striking dark and light patterns. Bottom- shing Shags low, dark clouds, even through up an outline, or to reduce tell-tale patterns which serve to disrupt are dark so they can ush out sh intense late-afternoon rainbows effects of light and shade. How their outline, again making a give- from hiding places in rocks and – a combination of birds, striking many birds are darker above than away bird shape less obvious to weed; Northern Gannets are bright lighting effects and vivid colour that below? This ‘ attens’ the shape a predator scanning the scene. A white, so they can advertise the is a rare treat. Rob Hume SUNDAY HIGH TIDES IN MARCH Full moon date is Sunday 12 March 5th 12th 19th 26th 5th 12th 19th 26th Exe Estuary (Starcross) 11.30 06.47 10.41 06.31 Teesmouth 08.27 03.31 07.30 03.22 Devon 23.57 19.10 22.58 19.00 Durham/Yorkshire 20.59 15.41 19.52 15.32 Poole Harbour (town quay) 01.51 00.54 00.49 08.50 Holy Island 07.07 02.15 06.17 02.01 Dorset 14.26 08.54 13.15 21.23 Northumberland 19.40 14.30 18.39 14.18 Langstone Harbour (Northney) 04.17 11.35 03.28 11.26 Firth of Forth (Cockenzie) 07.23 02.36 06.25 02.23 Hampshire 16.51 23.58 15.52 23.52 Lothian 19.54 14.47 18.45 14.35 Thames Estuary (Sheerness) 05.14 00.08 04.26 - Morecambe Bay 03.52 11.11 03.02 11.02 Kent 17.46 12.34 16.48 12.18 Lancashire 16.24 23.32 15.23 23.26 London Bridge 06.28 01.25 05.42 01.01 Dee Estuary (Hilbre) 03.30 10.47 02.41 10.40 Greater London 18.58 13.52 18.03 13.34 Cheshire 16.03 23.08 15.03 23.04 Colne Estuary (Wivenhoe) 04.45 - 03.57 11.58 Loughor Estuary (Burry Port) 11.11 06.08 10.13 06.00 Essex 17.18 12.11 16.20 - Carmarthenshire 23.45 18.27 22.35 18.22 Blakeney Harbour 11.40 06.28 10.48 06.21 Severn Estuary (Berkeley) 00.16 07.48 11.56 07.36 Norfolk - 18.44 23.12 18.37 Gloucestershire 12.46 20.07 - 19.58 Hunstanton 11.13 06.17 10.19 06.09 Belfast 03.51 10.51 03.02 10.38 Norfolk 23.43 18.29 22.38 18.21 Co Down 16.22 23.19 15.25 23.10 Blacktoft 11.45 06.35 10.55 06.25 Dublin (North Wall) 04.21 11.31 03.25 11.20 Yorkshire - 18.51 23.18 18.42 Co Dublin 16.54 23.58 15.47 23.51 ❯

www.birdwatch.co.uk Birdwatch•March 2017 61

1703 p60-61 expert advice v3 FIN.indd 61 10/02/2017 11:46 EXPERT ADVICE Q&A • NEWS • LISTCHECK YOUR QUESTIONS

“As a subscriber to your magazine, I thought you’d like to see Qthis photo of a female Blackbird (top right) sitting on a full clutch of eggs in a secluded courtyard in Bath, Somerset, which I found on 11 January 2017. I’m hoping that the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) may be able to conﬁ rm whether this is one of the earliest Blackbird nesting records anywhere in Britain.” Glen Maddison, via email

“On 14 January, while working in Newcastle, I photographed this QMistle Thrush (bottom right). To my surprise it already had a nest with chicks. Is this unusual?” Matthew Carroll, via email

BTO Nest Record Scheme Organiser Carl Barimore replies: “It’s Awell known that many British breeding species are tending to lay their eggs earlier in the year than they used to – but not this early! “Blackbird and Mistle Thrush nesting usually starts in late February, so these nests in Bath and Newcastle are both unusual. We can get an idea of just how exceptional they are by looking at the BTO’s Nest Record Scheme (NRS – visit www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/nrs), whose volunteers carefully monitor birds’ nests and collect information such as how many eggs are laid and when chicks hatch. For each nest, the BTO tries to calculate a ‘ rst egg date’, which is when the rst egg of the clutch was probably laid. “Of the 13,700 applicable Blackbird nest records in the NRS database, the earliest rst egg date is 23 January, about two weeks later than those in Bath. The rst egg of the Newcastle Mistle Thrushes must have been laid no later than 2 January, yet the earliest rst egg date from 1,665 BTO nest records is 6 January, four days later. We should bear in mind that January songbird nests will be under-recorded since BTO nest recorders won’t be out looking so soon, and those found by the public are often not reported to the survey. Even so, it’s clear that the Bath and Newcastle nests are remarkable. “The explanation for unseasonal nesting is sometimes obvious – we’ve all seen Feral Rock Dove chicks under a shopping centre heat vent in December – and, although we can’t say for sure what’s prompted these two nests, it’s worth noting that thrushes and other species that feed on soil invertebrates probably have more opportunity to take advantage of mild spells in winter than birds that rely on ying insects and caterpillars.” ■

“I visited Beeley, Derbyshire, when identifying rarities. Qto see the long-staying “There were Redwings in the Dusky Thrush, and think I may area and, despite this being have digiscoped the bird (hence a rear view, certain features the vignetting). I had a poor view reveal this to be the species in and bad light, but the eyestripe the photograph. Dusky Thrush ﬂ ares markedly behind the has a visibly streaked mantle, eye, though the ﬂ anks do look whereas this bird’s is a plain pale reddish. What do you think?” Dr olive-brown. Both species have Caroline Gilmartin, via email a prominent supercilium (rather than an eyestripe), but the black- David Callahan replies: “The and-white face pattern of Dusky ABeeley Dusky Thrush was is not apparent here, whereas the one of the winter’s most popular brown cheek of Redwing can just twitches, but even when ‘staked about be seen. Better luck next out’, care should still be taken time!” ■

62 Birdwatch•March 2017 www.birdwatch.co.uk

1703 p62 Q&A v3 FIN.indd 62 2/10/2017 12:00:48 PM EXPERT ADVICE HOW TO • TIDE TABLES BOU to adopt IOC World Bird List THE British Ornithologists’ Union This follows a detailed review material factor in uencing the Gull is recognised by IOC as a full (BOU) has announced that it by the BOU’s Records Committee Committee’s discussions. species and not as a subspecies will adopt the International (BOURC), which involved inviting Summarising his reasons for of Iceland Gull. Ornithological Congress (IOC) the four main global avian this decision, BOU Chair Andrew Two-barred Warbler will World Bird List for all its needs, taxonomic authorities (eBird/ Harrop expressed the view that be elevated to full speci c including the British list, from 1 Clements, HBW/BirdLife, Howard moving to the IOC World Bird List status rather than remain as a January 2018. and Moore and the IOC) to submit would be the most likely way of subspecies of Greenish Warbler. proposals to achieving a more uni ed global Two other Far Eastern vagrants, be assessed taxonomy and to give the list Eastern Yellow Wagtail and against greater scienti c credibility. The Stejneger’s Stonechat, will also agreed BOURC will review the decision in be afforded full speci c status, BOURC ve years’ time. as will North America’s Least criteria. This landmark ‘reboot’ will Tern. Each of these will therefore The main inevitably mean changes for the become species-level additions to point that British list, though the BOURC the revised BOU British list. in uenced has yet to con rm whether it will However, one signi cant loss the decision also use IOC standard English will be Hudsonian Whimbrel, to adopt the names. However, it would appear which according to the IOC IOC list was that the total of species recorded is a subspecies of Whimbrel, the need in Britain is likely to increase, despite a review of its taxonomic for a uni ed with a number of ‘splits’ position. The redpoll complex is global recognised by the IOC but not reduced from three species to taxonomy. currently by the BOU. two – Common and Arctic – with It also said For example, Isabelline and the loss of Lesser Redpoll as a Many birders have now made the effort to see the EU’s Red-tailed (aka Daurian) Shrikes species. Hudsonian Whimbrel current use are considered two separate The IOC’s handling of two in Britain, but the form of the HBW/ species, and Bean Goose taxonomic mine elds – crossbills

will be relegated to BirdLife becomes Taiga and Tundra Bean and subalpine warblers – remains subspeciﬁ c status once taxonomy Geese. Fea’s and Desertas in line with current BOURC

the BOU adopts the should Petrels are also considered treatment. IOC’s world list.

PETER MOORE not be a separate species, while Thayer’s • bit.ly/bw297boulist ■ Scottish Corn Bunting ■ White-tailed Deer increase linked to population stabilises News round-up fall in numbers of US songbirds Numbers of Corn Buntings A new study has found that a lack of have remained steady in ■ Gull decline due to loss of ﬁ sh discards predators led to growing White-tailed Deer Aberdeenshire and Moray A large gull population on the Outer Hebrides populations having a negative impact on after conservation efforts by declined sharply as the seafood catch forest-dwelling warblers and vireos in the Scottish Natural Heritage. landed by the local shing eet fell. eastern United States. • bit.ly/bw297bunting • bit.ly/bw297gulldecline • bit.ly/bw297deerpop

BONUS content in our March issue includes: species in our main features. • Movie clips of Slaty-backed Gull. The digital edition is available for PC, Mac, In the digital • Footage of rarities and scarcities from Britain iPhone/iPad and Android. Sample issues and the whole Western Palearctic region. are free; subscriptions/single issues can be edition • Film and sound recordings of other bought at www.pocketmags.com/birdwatch.

LISTCHECK White-crowned Penduline Tit remains a separate species Updating avian taxonomy under the new analysis. PENDULINES IN SUSPENSION their status as full species and independent DESPITE their complex breeding behaviour having evolutionary lineages, but (Eurasian) Penduline been studied widely, little was known of the R pendulinus and Black-headed R macronyx intergeneric relationships of penduline tits of the Penduline Tits had no signi cant differentiation genus Remiz, which are found across Eurasia and from each other despite obvious plumage are currently considered to belong to four species differences. Most subspecies were included in the (including 10 subspecies). analysis, making the results fairly robust. Now a team of biologists has explored the The authors conclude that pendulinus and phylogenetic relationships of the genus, con rming macronyx are the status of two species and leaving two more conspeci c REFERENCE likely to be lumped in future. and should Barani-Beiranvand, H, Aliabadian, M, Irestedt, M, Qu, Y, Darvish, J, White-crowned Penduline therefore be Szekely, T, Dijk, R V, and Ericson, In Tit R coronatus and Chinese treated as P. 2017. Phylogeny of Penduline association Penduline Tit R consobrinus geographical Tits inferred from mitochondrial with were found to be genetically variants of and microsatellite genotyping. Journal of Avian Biology. In press. well differentiated and the same doi:10.1111/jav.01163.

consequently secure in species. ■ (COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG) FRANCESCO VERONESI

www.birdwatch.co.uk Birdwatch•March 2017 63

1703 p63 Expert advice v3 FIN.indd 63 2/10/2017 11:47:20 AM Birding & Wildlife Holidays Worldwide

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www.birdwatch.co.uk Birdwatch•October 2014 91

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p068.indd 1 10/02/2017 11:07 COMMENT YOUR TURN

Tell us what you think. Be blunt! Write to Dominic Mitchell, Managing Editor, at: Birdwatch, The Chocolate Factory, 5 Clarendon Road, London N22 6XJ or email [email protected] your www.facebook.com/birdwatchmagazine @BirdwatchExtra letters&photos

Final word This striking piebald Richard Swift photographed this cat and Blackbird caught Magpie treating each other with disdain in I appreciate Phillip Wells’ viewpoint (see Marshside, Lancashire. Birdwatch 295: 77) that the magazine should the attention of Alan Clifton as it concentrate on the birds and leave politics to perched on a TV other periodicals, and I can understand that aerial in Horncastle, he might want to enjoy his hobby without it Lincolnshire. being impacted by such worldly annoyances as politics or economics. However, the fact remains that birding increases one’s powers of observation, and you would have to be a poor observer if you failed to recognise that humanity’s use of materials and how they impact the natural environment (along with the attendant politics) can affect the delicate balance that is the environment. If anybody assumes that decisions made be benevolent or otherwise to our wildlife. Surprisingly, these birds actually winter by politicians will have no impact on the When someone makes a decision that in Denmark and Northumberland along with birds they (or, more importantly, their kids) leads to the destruction of prime habitat – birds from Spitzbergen, and comprise the are likely to see, then – frankly – they are and the death of untold numbers of birds, East Atlantic population of the form. It is deluded. mammals and insects – purely for the sake only the north-east Canadian population of Yes, politics is unsavoury and nobody of the pro t margins of a multinational Pale-bellied Brents that winters in Ireland particularly wants to have to fret about some conglomerate, I want to know about it. and western Britain. I hope this clari es this of the issues that affect us all – man and If Birdwatch didn’t comment on decisions complex situation. bird – but sticking your head in the sand and like this, it would be failing us as birders. George Manthorpe, Norwich refusing to even look at the subject isn’t As a magazine, its reason to exist is to help going to help. Neither is compartmentalising spread such information. • Andy Stoddart replies: “I’m very grateful things and assuming the birds aren’t Paul White, via email for the extra information about north-east affected by politics because they have no Greenland-breeding Pale-bellied Brents. understanding of it. • A ﬁ nal ‘thank you’ to all who’ve Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust studies do It is impossible to get involved with contributed to the debate on birds and indeed show that Pale-bellied Brent Geese birding and to ignore conservation; to do politics over the last few issues. This breed in Greenland and winter around the so would be dishonest. Also, like most correspondence is now closed. North Sea. However, these are a recently people drawn to the hobby, I want to know discovered outlier of the Svalbard/Franz when decisions are made that are going to Tesco wagtail Josef Land population, numbering no more I regularly stop off in a local Tesco car park than about 1,000 birds and occupying a in Walkden, Manchester, for a coffee and small part of north-east Greenland only. within a couple of minutes this Grey Wagtail “According to all the standard literature always comes over searching for insects – for example, Birds of the Western trapped in my wing mirror (left). Initially it Palearctic and more recently Sébastien moves around the edge of the mirror looking Reeber’s excellent Wildfowl of Europe, in the crevices for insects, and hovers for a Asia and North America – most of northern short while looking at itself in the mirror. It Greenland’s Pale-bellied Brent Geese are then ies off to another car, does the same still considered to belong to the Canadian/ there and comes back. Unfortunately, I had Greenland population, which passes through to take the photo with the window up. Iceland to winter mainly in Ireland.” Ron Dodd, via email Best for Barnacles Where wild geese roam I’VE had some good comments about WE always enjoy Birdwatch, especially the my Where to Watch piece on Islay, Outer identi cation articles. Andy Stoddart’s are Hebrides (see Birdwatch 294: 25-27), but particularly welcome and we learn so much thought I should correct a minor mistake in from them. the caption of the ock of Barnacle geese However, in the February issue (pages on page 26, which says that Port Charlotte 37-42), we noticed a minor error when is one of the best places to witness the Andy mentions that the northern Greenland birds. A closer reading of the text says that population of Pale-bellied Brent Goose Whin Park is the best place, which is in winters mainly in Ireland and western Bridgend about four miles to the north-east. Britain, but strangely this is not the case. Malcolm Ogilvie, via email

www.birdwatch.co.uk Birdwatch•March 2017 69

1703 p69 lettersAndPhotos v3 FIN.indd 69 2/9/2017 11:23:33 AM COMMENT NEWS OF THE WILD

BILL ODDIE PowerPoints of view Our columnist vents his frustration at having to sit through yet another wildlife PowerPoint presentation, complete with logo slide and unnecessary résumé.

hate PowerPoint. Especially when the screen mainly shows words, numbers and graphs. We expect that sort of thing in the slick and soulless world of business and marketing, but surely not at wildlife presentations? Do we? We Imost certainly do. In recent years, I have attended many bird-oriented events, both as participant and audience. I anticipate both inspirational words and illuminating and impressive pictures, but I am often disappointed, as I suspect are most of the audience. The fi rst thing on the screen is probably the logo of the organising NGO (I am not telling you which) followed by lots and lots of writing. Just as you are wondering if you are meant to read it, you realise that the ‘lecturer’ is speaking or, rather, reading exactly the same words that are on the screen. It’s almost as if he is intoning audio subtitles, perhaps for those who can’t read or see. The e ect may OFFICIAL GDC (COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG) seem rather monotonous and unimaginative. It is diffi cult to make a PowerPoint But that’s PowerPoint. presentation interesting unless is called a résumé, and is aimed at those I suspect that most people’s attention at least a few elements of who didn’t hear it the fi rst time. This may wanders between speaker and screen which showmanship are summoned. be either because they occasionally nodded – as well as the ‘script’ – does at least now o or because the speaker didn’t speak loud and again show you a map with various enough and hadn’t used a microphone. countries or areas coloured in. There are Here is a plea to anyone organising an probably numbers on them referring to event or participating in one: please, please, habitats or populations. Statistics! And please make sure there is amplifi cation just to make them doubly dull, the speaker and a microphone, and that whoever is repeats them all out loud and occasionally speaking knows how to use it. Explain that points at something with one of those laser the mic should be only a few inches from pens that someone tried to dazzle Andy You know the lips and don’t point it at the loudspeaker Murray with, and which are now used by unless you want to emulate Jimi Hendrix’s bird tour leaders to pinpoint skulky birds in ❝when the event feedback. Whatever you do, never concede the forest. to a lecturer who assures you that he doesn’t need a mic. “I hate these things, they’ll be New York skyline is coming to able to hear me.” No, they won’t. In some As well as conventional lists and pie charts, cases this may be a merciful relief, but it there may also be what I call a ‘New York an end when is mainly a waste of the opportunity to skyline’. This has blocks of varying heights inform and entertain. You see, you may have to help us envisage what percentages look you notice that thought that this was an erudite piece about like. Does anyone really look at them? I conservation and birds but it isn’t; this is assume they are referred to as ‘back-up’, the speaker showbusiness. which accepts that some people like to look while others prefer to listen. Presumably a has started PS Any NGOs guilty of hosting a tedious few do both. PowerPoint presentation are purely fi ctitious. You know when the event is coming to again from the an end when you notice that the speaker PPS In the next issue: the perils of slide has started again from the beginning. This beginning❞ shows. ■ 70 Birdwatch•March 2017 www.birdwatch.co.uk

1703 p70 Bill Oddie v2 FIN.indd 70 2/8/2017 9:59:45 AM A CENTURY OF KNOWLEDGE HAS COME TO LIFE. SEE IT AT WWW.LEICA-SpORTOpTICS.COM.

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