THE GREAT DUCK DEBATE

Canvasback in Essex sparks major twitch – but is it tickable?

January 2024 • £5.99 • Issue 379 www.birdguides.com

SMALL
WONDER
The changing status
of Little Owl in Britain
RARITIES

GARDEN GREATS
A look at the biggest
backyard twitches

OBSERVATORIES

MIGRATION
STATION
Gibraltar Point’s rich
birding history

IDENTIFICATION

FULL OF BEANS
Get to know Taiga and
Tundra Bean Geese

RARITY FINDING IN 2023 • BREEDING HERONS

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 THIS ISSUE JANUARY 2024

10

Contents
EDITORIAL OFFICE
Warners Group Publications plc
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Tel: 01778 391000
Email: editorial@birdwatch.co.uk
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Deputy Editor: Ed Stubbs
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Designer: Mike Edwards
Optics Editor: Mike Alibone
Photo Consultant: Kit Day
Publisher: Rob McDonnell
Head of Commercial: Ian Lycett
(07557 198871;

WAXWING BY BILL BASTON

ian.lycett@birdwatch.co.uk)
Marketing Manager: Katherine Brown
(01778 395092)
Marketing Executive: Charlotte
Bamford (01778 395081)

SUBSCRIPTIONS AND ORDERS HAVE you seen any Waxwings already upon us. The festive period is always a
For all your subscription, single issue yet? I suspect that if you live time for reflection for birders, be it reliving the
and book orders, please contact
Warners Group Publications: anywhere to the north of where year’s highlights, looking ahead to getting a new
01778 392027 or email
birdwatchsubs@warnersgroup.co.uk
I am in south Lincolnshire, you year list off to a flyer on 1 January or
probably have done, although contemplating targets for the months ahead.
those in southern counties may One of my plans is to get out in the coming
Keep up to date
on Facebook
be getting impatient! This autumn’s influx weeks and survey for local Little Owls. As
started early and certainly promised big things, Emily Joáchim writes in this issue, this
www.facebook.com/birdwatchmagazine
and www.facebook.com/BirdGuides but, dare I say it, isn’t quite living up to hopes charming owl is undergoing a rapid decline
Follow us on Twitter
and expectations for southern birders. across Britain. It’s inspired me to make an effort
@BirdwatchExtra Still, there’s plenty of time yet, and at least to revisit old territories over the coming months
and @BirdGuides
the birding seems a little more dynamic this and check whether they’re still occupied.
Follow us on Instagram winter after last year’s non-event, with Mealy As a kid, I remember Little Owl being a
@birdwatch_extra
@_birdguides Redpolls, Short-eared Owls and a decent early fairly easy bird to find, often glimpsed by a
arrival of Bewick’s Swans among the recent roadside while on a car journey or heard while
NEWSTRADE DISTRIBUTION
Birdwatch is on sale in many branches of
highlights near me. That said, we’re still lacking out walking the dog. Such incidental sightings
WH Smith and other good newsagents, and in many of the traditional winter staples and, don’t seem to happen anywhere near as much
should always be available to order. If you
have a problem obtaining the magazine in for the likes of white-winged gulls, grey geese, for me anymore, which I guess is down to there
your area, please call Warners Group
Publications on 01778 391150.
Rough-legged Buzzards, Great Grey Shrikes being far fewer of them about these days.
ADVERTISEMENT SALES and others, the words from my column last
We also manage advertisement sales March (Birdwatch 369: 21) once again apply.
for the official programme of Global
Birdfair, the industry’s wildlife event of the
year. For more details please email us at
It’s extraordinary to think that 2024 is -Rʂɓ-ʝȸHɡ
advertising@birdwatch.co.uk.
© Warners Group Publications 2023.
ISSN 0967-1870 FEATURES
No part of this magazine may be
reproduced, copied or stored in a retrieval 22 What’s happened to Little Owl? 38 A migratory crossroads
system without the prior permission in COVER STORY Gibraltar Point NNR boasts an impressive
COVER PHOTO: LITTLE OWL BY ANDY ROUSE; CANVASBACK BY GRAHAM JEPSON

writing of the publisher. The views expressed

are not necessarily those of Warners Group Little Owl was once common but, in recent array of breeding, wintering and migrant
Publications or its staff. No liability can be
accepted for any loss or damage to material years, the population has plummeted. Dr birds, as warden Kev Wilson explains.
submitted, however caused. Emily Joáchim investigates the decline. 46 Progress through failure
ZI
NE
& BROCHURE
PR
26 Garden greats While megas were appearing everywhere
This publication is printed
IN
GA

TE

In the past two decades, Britain’s during September 2023, Dan Brown was
MA

by Warners Midlands PLC

WARNERS Telephone: 01778 391000 backyards have provided some of the fervently scouring bushes in Cornwall, but
 

biggest surprises as far as rare birds are
concerned, writes David Campbell.
ADVISORY PANEL 32 Field ID notes: bean geese
Tim Appleton MBE, Lucy McRobert,
Chris Harbard, Killian Mullarney, Dan Owen explains how Taiga and Tundra
Bill Oddie OBE, Dante Shepherd, Bean Geese can be separated.
came away empty handed.
50 Heronries Census nears its century
The BTO’s Ian Woodward discusses the
world’s longest-running annual breeding
bird survey. FREE 34-PAGE DIGITAL

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32
TUNDRA BEAN GOOSE BY FRED VISSCHER (AGAMI.NL)
REGULARS
6 The big picture
In our new series looking
at conservation success
stories, Western Marsh
Harrier is in the spotlight.
8 The big stories
A popular Canvasback in
Essex, a ship-assisted
American Kestrel and a
Cape May Warbler on
Scilly made this month’s
headlines.
10 Analysis: Britain and
Ireland
Despite the onset of
winter, the sensational
autumn for Nearctic
species continued into
November, with goodies
from Scandinavia
appearing too. Sam Viles
reports.
14 Analysis: Western
Palearctic
Cape Verde dominated
the headlines in
November as several
surprises were discovered
Birdwatch subscriber issues are
delivered in a paper envelope so
you can easily recycle them in
your usual recycling collection.
www.birdguides.com
across the islands. Sam
Viles reports on another
action-packed month
across the region. 67 Letters and photos
19 Voice from the north
Winter is the perfect time
for Alan Tilmouth to
indulge in one of his
favourite birding niches –
watching gulls. 70 Murmurations
21 Talking birds
We all have them –
species that have
managed to evade our
lists, sometimes despite
What’s in the digital edition?
JANUARY’S digital edition has bonus content, including:
• Video and recordings of Little Owl;
• Footage and calls of bean geese;
• Video of recent garden rarities;
• Sound recordings of December patch
targets;
• Film of the latest rarities and
scarcities.
The digital edition is available for PC,
Mac, iPhone/iPad and Android. Sample
issues are free, and subscriptions or
single copies can be purchased. Visit
www.pktmags.com/bw-digital
to find out more.
THIS ISSUE JANUARY 2024
22
LITTLE OWL BY ANDY ROUSE
56 Asdevices
thermal-imaging
continue
their advance on the birding
optics market, Mike Alibone
compares and contrasts
four key models from the
concerted effort to see ZEISS DTI range.
them. Ed Stubbs
reflects on bogey birds.
Ship-assisted birds,
American vagrants, Mark
Avery’s return and social
media woes have you
writing in this month.
Recent special encounters
with goose flocks have
fuelled a new-found
appreciation for winter for
Lucy McRobert.
60 Shooting angles,
garden hedges,
patch tips for January,
citizen-science apps and
crossbill calls are all
covered this month.
THE GREAT DUCK DEBATE
Canvasback in Essex sparks major
twitch – but is it tickable?
January 2024 • £5.99 • Issue 379
www.birdguides.com
SMALL
WONDER
The changing status
of Little Owl in Britain
CROSSBILL BY ED STUBBS
RARITIES
GARDEN GREATS
A look at the biggest
backyard twitches
OBSERVATORIES
MIGRATION
STATION
The rich birding history
of Gibraltar Point
IDENTIFICATION
FULL OF BEANS
Get to know Taiga and
Tundra Bean Geese
RARITY FINDING IN 2023 • BREEDING
HERONS
ZEISS THERMAL IMAGERS ON
TEST • TOP PATCH TIPS
Birdwatch•January 2024 5
THE BIG PICTURE CONSERVATION SUCCESS STORIES

Return of the
reedbed raptor
T
hese days, the status of Western Marsh Harrier in Britain is the
most secure it has been than at any point during the last century.
This magnificent bird is now readily seen in many parts of the
country, but especially in southern and eastern England. More than 600
pairs are thought to breed nationally, which represents a drastic upturn
compared with the early 1970s, when it was a very rare breeding
species that was restricted to a small area of Suffolk.
The reasons for its previously perilous position were multiple – as are
the factors behind its comeback. In the 1970s, when numbers were
at a low ebb, the threats facing the species included loss of habitat –
precious reedbeds had disappeared in conjunction with the drainage
of wetlands. Disturbance and persecution by humans were also
contributing causes, as was the use of the pesticide, DDT – a key reason
behind the decline of many raptors during this time.
However, conservation efforts have helped this attractive bird of prey
turn its fortunes around in Britain. Perhaps the driving factor has been
the creation and restoration of wetlands – Western Marsh Harrier is
now an expected species when one is out birding in such habitats in
many areas. In its East Anglian stronghold, reedbed restoration has
had a major positive impact in expanding areas of suitable breeding
and roosting habitat. Persecution and pesticides are thankfully lesser
problems these days, and Western Marsh Harrier is both thriving and
expanding its range as a result.
Traditionally considered a summer visitor, increasing numbers of this
majestic raptor now spend the winter here as well, and large communal
roosts provide a spectacular finale for a winter day’s birding. Next time
you visit a roost, remember that it wasn’t all that long ago that such a
sight would have been considered little more than a pipe dream. ■

6 Birdwatch•January 2024 www.birdguides.com

 tmags.
ke

co
w.poc
Get extra

m/birdw
content in
the digital

ww
edition!
atc
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OLIVER SMART (SMARTIMAGES.CO.UK)

www.birdguides.com Birdwatch•January 2024 7

BIRD NEWS THE BIG STORIES FIRST FOR BIRD NEWS

FINDER’S REPORT

THE morning of Saturday 11 Canvasback: Abberton Reservoir, Essex, from 11 November 2023
November had already been

GRAHAM JEPSON
great, with an adult Bonaparte’s
Gull flying low over my head
at Goldhanger, Essex, but
frustratingly straight into the
sun once behind me – not one
that got away, but I would have
loved for it to settle. I moved on
to Abberton Reservoir, where
a post-coffee glance at a raft
of Common Pochard out of the
visitor centre window with my
friends David and Margaret
Whitfield changed the course
of the whole day. The light was
great and although they were
a fair way off I thought it was
worth a look. I thought I might
perhaps luck upon a Ring-
necked Duck or a Lesser Scaup
given the bumper American
autumn we have been enjoying
in Britain.
My second scan suddenly
produced a strange but familiar
head profile with a huge ski- The paler body, long all-black bill, darker chestnut-brown head and larger size of the Canvasback caught
slope of a black bill. Surely Howard’s eye when he first noted it among a raft of Common Pochard.
that was a Canvasback? The

Canvassing all
birds were milling around but
the views were good. It was
bigger and clearly paler-bodied
than the Common Pochard,
sat higher in the water, had a
long, thick neck, a pointy head
and that amazing all-black bill
that narrowed towards the
tip. At this point the whole
origins
flock got up and dispersed in A seething mass of diving duck produced a mega Nearctic find
several directions and I had for Howard Vaughan, although debate will continue to rage
no idea where the bird had
gone. I phoned three of the
over whether it is a wild vagrant or a fence-hopping maverick.
geographically closest birders
JOSH JONES

that I knew and tentatively
put the news out on the local
WhatsApp group – not as a
possible, but more as a call for
help in re-finding it.
Having met up with David
Bradnum, Stan Davis and Ed
Bateman, we split up to check
the hides but there were no
Common Pochard to be seen
from Island or Hide Bays,
although a Great Northern
Diver and a Caspian Gull were
worth the effort. I could see
duck heading back towards
Gwen’s Hide so we joined the
three lads to sift through the
incoming birds. A feeding frenzy
soon developed and I can’t ever
remember seeing such a boiling
mass of synchronised diving
duck. Just how any of them
could see anything under the
water but a thrashing mass of
legs and beaks is beyond me.
After a while we were sure
that the Canvasback candidate
was not with them, but Stan
thought he may have seen it
close in to the bank with some
of the birds taking a breather.
Moments later it drifted into view
for just a couple of seconds. I
was so relieved that I had not
been seeing things. Over the
next 40 minutes we all saw it
on numerous occasions in the
madness of the feeding melee
but usually for no more than a
The Canvasback (centre) went on to linger well into December at
second or two at most.
least, always associating with a flock of Common Pochard.
It always appeared bulkier
than the pochard and the thick
neck, big head and that amazing ambled back with a big smile. A it is a genuinely wild bird or an
bill made it stand out once you Western Marsh Harrier spooked escape from a collection, the
had got your eye in. There was the birds soon after and that bird is fully winged, unringed
no way that any judgement could was it for the day. Thankfully the and associating with a huge
be made about mantle colour at Canvasback has shown every Common Pochard flock in a
that stage as when feeding none day since, although it can prove year that has produced many
of the duck fully emerged from tricky to locate and has been Nearctic birds, including a
the water, with just the front end distant at times. British-record flock of Lesser
visible before the next frenetic I will not get embroiled in the Scaup (Birdwatch 378: 10). Go
dive. A few other Essex birders debate about the Canvasback’s birding, look closely at every
arrived and once they had all provenance. While there has bird, enjoy what you see and
seen it, I left them to it and been plenty of talk of whether make your own mind up. ■

8 Birdwatch•January 2024 www.birdguides.com

 FIRST FOR BIRD NEWS

FINDER’S REPORT

IN my role as a cetacean American Kestrel: at sea, Co Cork, 1 October 2023

surveyor, I was lucky enough to

LAUREN PEACH
board P&O’s MV Aurora at the
end of September on its journey
back to Southampton, at the end
of a month-long cruise of the
eastern seaboard of the United
States and Canada. I embarked
at St John’s, Newfoundland, on
27 September and disembarked
on 3 October, with my entire
time onboard spent at sea in the
North Atlantic.
At some point during my
second day onboard I noticed an
American Kestrel flying around
the ship. We were right out in
the Atlantic Ocean at this point,
more than 450 km east of St
John’s. I did not manage to take
a photo of the bird until the
afternoon, though I remember The American Kestrel is thought to have made it aboard the ship in Newfoundland on 27 September,
sticking on the vessel all the way until it reached Irish waters on 1 October.
seeing it when I first came out
on deck that day. It remained
with us over the next four days,
performing laps of the ship and
intermittently roosting on the
roof and aerials. It seemed in
Special passenger!
good health as well, perching on Lauren Peach details the amazing occurrence of an American
balcony railings just feet from Kestrel aboard a large cruise ship off the coast of Ireland.
guests. These were all sea days
crossing the Atlantic, so the bird In general, the surveys were unidentified whale species. Prior board at one point, plus some
could not have come aboard at pretty quiet for cetaceans across to me embarking, the guests had fly-by Canada Geese, and I
another port and must’ve been the open Atlantic, as the sea enjoyed wonderful sightings of recall seeing hirundines (though
out over the ocean. conditions were not the best. mostly Humpback Whales up and could not confirm species) and
The only thing I saw the kestrel However, as we reached the down the Eastern Seaboard. a European Robin (which only
predating upon was a large insect European continental shelf on A few small passerines joined us in the last couple of
on the first day it was seen. It 1 October – the day that we accompanied us for the journey days). A few other passerines
was last seen on 1 October, while last saw the kestrel – we were but for the most part I was flew over quite high, and none
transiting through Irish territorial blessed with Common Dolphins, not able to identify them or landed on the ship. The only
waters some 280 km SSW of the Long-finned Pilot Whales and manage any photographs. We species I took photos of were
Co Cork coastline. a Fin Whale, as well as some had a Leach’s Storm Petrel on the kestrel and petrel. ■

REPORT

Late season Cape May Warbler: Bryher, Scilly, 10 November-4 December 2023
RICHARD STONIER

stunner on Scilly
It was a case of saving one of the best
until last for autumn 2023, when a Cape
May Warbler was found in early November.
THE best-ever autumn for
Nearctic passerines in Britain
provided an encore when a
Cape May Warbler was found on
Bryher, Scilly, on 10 November.
Discovered by Scott Reid
close to the beach at Green
Bay, it proved faithful to this
area and was still present on
4 December. However, it had
disappeared by the following
day. Read Scott’s finder’s
account on the BirdGuides
website at bit.ly/3R6G9A5.
Cape May Warbler has
undergone a marked rise
in records in the Western
Palearctic in recent years and
the Scilly bird was the third
individual in the region this
year, with nine from the total
of 11 having occurred since
2019. This trend is possibly
linked to a recent population
boom prompted by a concurrent
outbreak of Eastern Spruce
Budworm moth (see Birdwatch The Cape May Warbler settled into a favoured area near Green Bay,
attracting a light stream of intrepid off-season twitchers.
378: 28-32). ■

www.birdguides.com Birdwatch•January 2024 9

BIRD NEWS BRITAIN AND IRELAND FIRST FOR BIRD NEWS

Rarities and scarcities: November 2023

N
ovember typically marks

JOHN WALL
the passing of the torch
from peak autumn to the
depths of midwinter, and it was
always going to prove difficult
to keep up with the heady
heights reached in September
and October in both quality and
intensity. Nevertheless, the
best-ever autumn for Nearctic
landbirds in Britain and Ireland
proved it still had plenty of gas
left in the tank.
A healthy procession of British
birders was attracted to Bryher,
Scilly, for the first-winter female
Cape May Warbler found there
on 10th (see page 9) – only the
third for Britain after birds in
1977 and 2013. In Ireland, Co
Cork was treated to a couple of
late arrivals, with a first-winter
male Rose-breasted Grosbeak at
Skibbereen on 4th followed by an
American Robin on Dursey Island
on 13th. Unfortunately, neither
would prove twitchable. Both the
Fife Baltimore Oriole and Scilly
Grey-cheeked Thrush were last
noted on 4th.
It would take something
noteworthy to distract attention
from this fine series of New World
passerines, but step forward
Abberton Reservoir, Essex,
where a drake Canvasback was
discovered among the throngs
of wintering Common Pochard
on 11th (see page 8). On paper
it would be the eighth British
record, yet it would seem likely
that the previous seven, which
Waxwings and
all occurred between 1996 and
2002, relate to perhaps only
two returning birds. There is one
accepted Western Palearctic
Americans arrive
record away from Britain – a first-
winter female in Iceland in April Despite the onset of winter, the sensational
1977.
Inland Buckinghamshire hosted
autumn for Nearctic species continued well
another of the month’s star finds into November, with Scandinavian goodies
in the form of a juvenile Little appearing too. Sam Viles reports.
Crake at Linford Lakes from
6-11th. A county first, it is the
first twitchable record since a significant ‘Waxwing winter’ for After a 14-day absence, from 5-7th was a county first.
one-day bird in East Yorkshire at least a decade, with the last the male Red-headed Bunting It looks set to be a bountiful
in 2019. However, recent years irruption of a comparable size was back at its adopted patch winter on the redpoll front, with
have seen a small number as long ago as winter 2012- of Flamborough Head, East recent influxes from the Continent
of birds hold territory in the 13 – the last year a single flock Yorkshire, from 16th – its tail bringing double-figure tallies of
Cambridgeshire fens, including reached four figures. Two sites now completely regrown. It was Mealy Redpolls among the large
a singing male earlier in 2023. hit that milestone this month: starting to show hints of its number of Lesser Redpolls.
Access to this permit-only site Elgin, Moray, and Glasgow, Clyde. signature colour scheme, with Mealies were reported from
was generously arranged by Birds marched south and west as bright lemon-yellow underparts in excess of 50 sites during
local birders, allowing £3,855 the November wore on, leaving and further red feathering on the November, with likely plenty
to be raised for The Parks just four English counties – throat and around the eye. more remaining undiscovered.
Trust. Both Squacco and Purple Wiltshire, Dorset, Worcestershire Carlton Marshes in Suffolk ’Mealy winters’ reliably produce
Herons lingered in Cornwall and Surrey – awaiting their first is fast becoming the go-to site above-average numbers of
until 2nd, with the Purple Heron sightings by the end of the for Eastern Yellow Wagtail in Coues’s Arctic Redpoll, too:
at Whelford, Gloucestershire, month. Waxwings are also still Britain. Two were found at the five in Shetland included three
remaining popular until 6th. thin on the ground across Ireland end of November – a presumed identified at Baltasound, Unst,
Many British birders will and Wales, with birders in these returning adult male alongside with one trapped and ringed on
look back fondly on November areas hoping the birds will roam a monochrome first-winter. One the Scottish mainland at St Cyrus,
2023 as the start of the most further as the winter progresses. at Rattray Head, Aberdeenshire, Aberdeenshire. Two more Shetland

10 Birdwatch•January 2024 www.birdguides.com

 FIRST FOR BIRD NEWS
SAM VILES
Facing page: Spotted Sandpipers
have been few and far between
in Britain this autumn, so this
confiding juvenile at Jerry’s Point,
Dorset, was welcome on 5th.
Arctics weren’t identified to
subspecies level, with a lone
Hornemann’s lingering at
Baltasound, Unst, on 1st.
A late flurry of Shetland action
was headlined by a Brown Shrike
on Fair Isle on 8th – only the
fourth island record – alongside
three Black-bellied Dippers,
Bluethroat and Rosy Starling.
A moulting eastern stonechat
species photographed at Rossie
Bog, Fife, on 18th unfortunately
wasn’t relocated. Other notable
landbirds across Britain and
Ireland included two Red-flanked
Bluetails, two Red-breasted
Flycatchers, three European
Serins, three Wrynecks, seven
Little Buntings and 10 Hoopoes.
By recent standards, the tally
of 22 Great Grey Shrikes was
decent, although it remains to
be seen just how many will hang
around for the duration of winter.
Notable Shore Lark records
included a second for Argyll
on Mull, six at Brean Down,
Somerset, and one in Greater
Manchester, as well as up to 25
near Whitby, North Yorkshire.
Olive-backed Pipits were in
Shetland and Clyde, a Red-
throated Pipit lingered on North
Ronaldsay, Orkney, and four
Richard’s Pipits included one on
Rum, Highland.
Two Eurasian Penduline Tits
were along the Lee Valley north
of London on 10th: at Fisher’s
Green NR, Essex, and Rye
Meads RSPB, Hertfordshire.
Interestingly, the latter was
caught at dusk during a
scheduled session at a Reed
Bunting roost, which led to
it being roosted overnight in
accordance with BTO ringing
welfare rules. Others were in
Norfolk and Kent.
Most notable of the nine
Pallas’s Warblers were birds
on Hilbre Island, Cheshire, and
Tory Island, Co Donegal. News
elsewhere comprised a Hume’s
Leaf Warbler in Shetland and
seven Dusky Warblers, plus a
Central Asian Lesser Whitethroat
candidate still at Landguard NR,
Suffolk, throughout.
A juvenile Pallid Swift attracted
a steady procession of birders to
the churchyard at Winterton-on-
Sea, Norfolk, during an extended
stay from 11-21st. Several new
Pallids were found after last
month’s arrival, including as
many as five in Norfolk alone.
www.birdguides.com
Buckinghamshire enjoyed some time in the spotlight when this Little Crake was found at Linford Lakes.
During the bird’s stay, visiting twitchers raised more than £3,800 for charity.
RAB BOYD
Other confirmed examples
were in Northumberland, Fife,
Dumfries and Galloway, and
Orkney, with unidentified swifts,
possibly Pallid, at no fewer than
18 sites.
Two Pallid Harriers in Norfolk
included a returning female
at Warham Greens, while
birds in Pembrokeshire and
Glamorgan became just the
fifth and sixth Welsh records.
A juvenile Northern Harrier
remained twitchable in Co
Wexford for much of November,
though a paltry three Rough-
legged Buzzards dwindled to a
depressing zero by 9th.
Northern Irish birders were
treated to a female-type The Baltimore Oriole lingered in a Fife garden until 4th, when it moved
on. Unfortunately the bird’s exact location was withheld.
Bufflehead at Corbally Road
Reservoir, Co Antrim, from 9th.
DENNIS MORRISON
An American Wigeon at Cors
Ddyga RSPB, Anglesey, on 2nd
– one of up to 17 in Britain and
Ireland – was of the stunning
‘Storm Wigeon’ variant. This
refers to a small number of
drakes that have white cheeks
and throat instead of the
typical mottled brownish-grey.
Two Blue-winged Teal included
a new drake at Berry Fen,
Cambridgeshire, on 5-6th.
The discovery of two small
Lesser Scaup flocks in Devon
– five at Lower Tamar Lake and
four at Slapton Ley – perhaps
explain where Cornwall’s
recent record-breaking flock
disappeared to. Overall numbers
reached 17, with additional new
birds in Clyde, Outer Hebrides, The first Brünnich’s Guillemot for the Scottish Borders was discovered
Co Antrim (two) and Co Donegal.
off St Abb’s Head on 3rd, attracting plenty of birders.
❯
Birdwatch•January 2024 11
BIRD NEWS BRITAIN AND IRELAND FIRST FOR BIRD NEWS

JAMES LOWEN
Eight Ferruginous Duck included
new birds in Suffolk, Lincolnshire
and Nottinghamshire. Smew at
35 sites included nine ‘white
nuns’ and a lone bird in Ireland
at Ardcloony, Co Clare.
Ring-necked Duck totalled
35, with Green-winged Teal
and Surf Scoter numbering 21
apiece. An immature drake King
Eider persisted off Lewis, Outer
Hebrides, the adult Pacific Diver
was again off Crookhaven, Co
Cork, early in the month, and five
White-billed Divers were off the
coasts of Scotland.
A juvenile Red-breasted
Goose in the company of
Dark-bellied Brent Geese is as
good as it gets from a vagrancy
perspective, meaning that one
on the North Norfolk coast
from 4-12th was unsurprisingly
popular – especially when
it was complemented by an
adult at Wells-next-the-Sea
on 9-10th. All told it was a
strong month for this attractive This striking candidate for Central Asian Lesser Whitethroat (subspecies halimodendri) was present at
Landguard NR, Suffolk, throughout the entirety of November.
goose, with additional adults
in Northumberland, Moray
ANDREW JORDAN

and Nairn, and on Islay, Argyll.

A juvenile Red-breasted at
Holliwell Point, Essex, from 23rd
was perhaps the Norfolk bird
relocating.
Richardson’s Cackling Goose
sightings involved two lingering
birds on Islay and another at
Ballygilgan NR, Co Sligo, while
Todd’s Canada Geese were in
Argyll, Lothian and Lancashire.
Eight Black Brant across Britain
were supplemented by two
Grey-bellied Brant in the Dublin
suburbs.
Two Taiga Bean Geese at
Buckenham Marshes RSPB,
Norfolk, from 25th mean that
England’s rarest annual winter
visitor just about maintains a
precarious toehold in 2023-
24. Up to 160 remained on
the Slamannan Plateau, Forth
– approximately 60 birds fewer
than last winter’s peak. The
notable discovery of a white-
morph adult Snow Goose on St
Kilda, Outer Hebrides, on 22nd Following a two-week absence, the male Red-headed Bunting was back at Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire,
from mid-month, with its tail completely regrown and more adult-like red and yellow feathering on show.
was one of five in Scotland, with
others still in Lancashire and Co
Wexford (two). and Suffolk as a consequence, also treated to smaller numbers Borders, on 3rd, when it became
Ciarán, the third named with south-east England in of Sabine’s Gulls and Grey the county’s first record. Little
storm of the season, brought particular enjoying some record- Phalaropes, with ones and twos Auks were recorded in the North
widespread damage and flooding breaking totals. Numerous sites elsewhere. Just six Long-tailed Sea as far south as the Kent
to some areas of Britain and boasted double digits during Skuas were recorded. coast, with ones and twos also
Ireland, with southern counties the storm’s passing on 2nd. Additional Leach’s were noted off Cornwall and western Ireland.
particularly badly hit. Wind gusts Two sites reached three figures: in the Bristol Channel, while an The South-West Approaches
reached a terrifying 160 kph, Seaford, East Sussex, tallied eye-opening record from West continued to hold a large
with such inclement conditions 115, though highest of all was Yorkshire saw one at St Aidan’s congregation of Great
unsurprisingly playing havoc with Dungeness NNR, Kent, with a RSPB later fly north-west over a Shearwaters throughout the
passing seabirds. massive 203, which were joined Bardsey garden. Further north, month, with Cornish seawatch
Leach’s Storm Petrels were by 84 European Storm Petrels. a Brünnich’s Guillemot made counts reaching three figures
widespread between Cornwall South-East seawatchers were headlines off St Abb’s Head, on four dates and peaking with

12 Birdwatch•January 2024 www.birdguides.com

 FIRST FOR BIRD NEWS
GEOFF CAMPBELL
This female-type Bufflehead delighted birders in Northern Ireland after it was found at Corbally Road Reservoir, Co Antrim, on 9th.
NICK CLAYTON
No fewer than 10 Hoopoes were recorded during November. This approachable bird proved a popular draw to
Bardney, Lincolnshire, during the opening days of the month.
413 off Pendeen on 12th. Others
were off Devon, Dorset, Kent,
Somerset and Co Cork. No fewer
than eight Cory’s Shearwaters
were noted in November, the bulk
in the North Sea. This included
two off St Abb’s Head on 4th.
Cornwall wasn’t finished
there, as an albatross species –
thought probably to be Black-
browed – flew leisurely west past
Lizard Point on 8th. The county
was also the latest to add Brown
www.birdguides.com
Booby to the 2023 totaliser,
with an adult off Penzance on
18th. Surprisingly, the wandering
North Sea adult female made
a reappearance in Cleveland
and North Yorkshire on 2nd
before again disappearing.
Unfortunately, it is thought to
possibly relate to a moribund
bird found in Denmark two days
later, but the question remains
as to where it had been in the
interim.
New Ring-billed Gulls are a
rare commodity nowadays, so a
first-winter on St Mary’s, Scilly, on
19th was welcome. A long-staying
adult was back at Blackrock, Co
Louth. Five Bonaparte’s Gulls
numbered two in Britain and
three in Ireland, with a juvenile
White-winged Tern near Leap, Co
Cork. The long-staying Forster’s
Tern was reported from Poole
Harbour, Dorset, on three dates,
but the old-aged Co Galway bird
hasn’t returned yet this winter.
After spending most of
October out of view, the Solitary
Sandpiper at Stodmarsh NNR,
Kent, provided some excellent
views before its departure after
3rd, as rising water levels meant
the best remaining foraging area
was right in front of Reedbed
Hide. November, meanwhile, saw
Spotted Sandpipers enjoy a late
renaissance: juveniles at Jerry’s
Point, Dorset, on 5th and Looe,
Cornwall, on 14-15th were the
first in England this autumn.
Another popular discovery
saw a juvenile White-rumped
Sandpiper at Slimbridge WWT,
Gloucestershire, from 6-25th,
with another at Lacken Strand,
Co Mayo. A Baird’s Sandpiper
at Clonakilty, Co Cork, lingered
into November, as did Long-
billed Dowitchers in Norfolk,
Sussex, Cornwall, Co Waterford
and Co Wexford. Three new
Lesser Yellowlegs were on
offer in Suffolk, East Yorkshire
and the Outer Hebrides,
supplementing long-staying birds
in Lincolnshire and Essex. Two
of 16 American Golden Plover
were in Cambridgeshire; belated
news concerned the sighting of
a Wilson’s Snipe on St Mary’s,
Scilly, on 13-14 October.
The German-ringed Kentish
Plover returned to Steart,
Somerset, from 3rd and three
late Eurasian Dotterel were in
Powys mid-month. Landlocked
Grey Phalaropes were in Surrey,
London and West Midlands. ■
Birdwatch•January 2024 13
BIRD NEWS WESTERN PALEARCTIC FIRST FOR BIRD NEWS

Western Palearctic: November 2023

JAIME MOHAND
I
mproved coverage in
recent years has seen
Cape Verde’s bird list grow.
This severely underwatched
southern extremity of the
Western Palearctic (WP)
relinquished further secrets
during November, with the
highlight being the discovery
of three Red-billed Queleas
at Mindelo, São Vicente,
from 19th. The first regional
record, they shared the site
with a Hudsonian Whimbrel
and an amazing flock of 25
Sudan Golden Sparrows. The
last species has undergone a
run of extralimital records in
recent months, with a male
still on Gran Canaria, Canary
Islands, throughout November.
Elsewhere in Cape Verde, a
Grey-headed Gull was on Boa
Vista and the White-faced
Whistling Duck still on Sal.
After the fantastic October
for Nearctic passerines
reaching Europe, it is
unsurprising that birds
continued to be found into
A couple of extralimital records of Sudan Golden Sparrow were of note during November, including a flock of
November. In Spain, this 25 on São Vicente, Cape Verde, and this male on Gran Canaria, Canary Islands.
culminated in two national
firsts: a Blackpoll Warbler
trapped at Ajuy, Fuerteventura,
on 12th and a Swainson’s
Thrush in suburban A Coruña
from 23rd. Perhaps even more
The underwatched
unexpected was an American
Buff-bellied Pipit on Linosa –
an Italian first.
Lingering transatlantic
archipelago
visitors in northern Spain
included Common Nighthawk
Cape Verde made the headlines in November, as several
at Vigo and Belted Kingfisher late autumn goodies were discovered across the islands.
at Lekeitio, plus Franklin’s Gull, Sam Viles reports on another action-packed month
American Herring Gull and
American Black Duck, while across the region.
further New World visitors to
the Canary Islands consisted off nearby Estaca de Bares in unprecedented bounty to the more than 225 km inland from
of a returning Semipalmated early August. A Brown Booby was French Atlantic coast. Alongside the French coast. An exhausted
Plover, Blue-winged Teal and off the Basque Country. the biggest-ever influx of Leach’s South Polar Skua was taken into
two Lesser Scaup. In the Azores, meanwhile, Storm Petrels – which included 75 care on Jersey, Channel Islands,
No fewer than four Waxwings Flores played host to Swainson’s inland at Lac de Grand-Lieu near on 6th. The most unexpected
graced the north Spanish Thrush, Killdeer and two Wilson’s Nantes – were hundreds of Grey ‘lost’ seabird, however, concerned
coast. The species is a major Snipe. Additional Azorean records Phalaropes, Sabine’s Gulls and a Wilson’s Storm Petrel found
rarity in the country, with only included Great Blue Heron, Wood Long-tailed Skuas. A seawatch exhausted in a supermarket
17 previous records. Long Duck and Pied-billed Grebe on off Quiberon, Brittany, on 4th car park at Hanušovice, Czech
stayers included a Lesser São Miguel, Green Heron and produced a South Polar Skua Republic, on 6th. This incredible
Crested Tern and three Lesser Brown Booby on Faial, and Great and at least one Black-browed national first had flown 1,400 km
Flamingos. Ceuta boasted a Blue Heron and Pied-billed Grebe Albatross. from the Atlantic Ocean.
Dwarf Bittern on 5th, while on Terceira. South Polar Skuas Several birds weren’t so lucky, Continental Europe was treated
Gran Canaria held a Tristram’s flew past Porto de Peniche, with two Barolo Shearwaters and to an influx of Lesser Scaup for
Warbler. A seabird highlight mainland Portugal, on two dates. three Madeiran Storm Petrels the second winter in succession.
saw a Black-capped Petrel fly Storms Ciarán and Domingos found among a string of tideline No fewer than 10 were in western
past Cabo de Peñas on 15th. played havoc with seabirds in corpses. Another Madeiran Storm France, alongside singles in Spain,
This is only the second record the Bay of Biscay at the start Petrel was found dead in a garden Germany and the Netherlands. It
for mainland Europe after one of November, delivering an at Saint-Michel-de-Bannières – was a couple of Nearctic scoter

14 Birdwatch•January 2024 www.birdguides.com

 FIRST FOR BIRD NEWS
PATRICK BEIRENS
The two white-morph adult Ross’s Geese, one of which was ringed on breeding grounds in Nunavut, Canada, were present in western Belgium
throughout the month.
that stole the headlines in central
Europe: Germany’s first White-
winged Scoter close inshore off
Heligoland from mid-month was
followed by an adult drake Surf
Scoter on Lake Geneva – an
unexpected Swiss first. Returning
Stejneger’s Scoter were off both
Denmark and Sweden.
The pair of Ross’s Geese
attracted a steady procession of
twitchers in Belgium throughout
November. Two Pygmy Cormorants
were also noted in Belgium,
with news from the Netherlands
consisting of two Eurasian Crag
Martins, Crested Lark, Eastern
Black Redstart and Black Scoter.
Sparking a major twitch in
Denmark in the wake of Storm
Ciarán was an adult female Brown
Booby at Rømødæmningen on
4th, though it was unfortunately
found dead that evening. Last
month’s Northern Harrier and
Blyth’s Pipit lingered. Iceland’s
fourth Purple Heron was at
Kópasker, while a Dark-eyed Junco
in a Reykjavík garden is thought to
be a bird fed on board a ship from
America that arrived in the city the
previous week.
A run of finds in Finland
included a Pallid Swift at Hanko
and an Eastern Black Redstart at
Utö, the fourth and fifth national
records respectively. Although a
little early for Christmas, a Dusky
Thrush was paying Santa a visit,
found at Ivalo, Lapland, on 3rd.
Starring in Sweden was a
juvenile Pacific Diver off Öland
www.birdguides.com
UWE THOM
– the second national record
– while a male Amur Wagtail
at Svensksundsviken was a
Swedish first. Other notable
sightings included Blyth’s Pipit,
Eastern Black Redstart, Eastern
Yellow Wagtail and a couple of
Black-throated Thrushes. Two
Caspian Stonechats in Norway
became the fifth and sixth
national records.
An adult Cream-coloured
Courser on the airport runway
at Hyères brought a southern
flavour to France. A returning
second-winter Forster’s Tern was
in Finistère, while an unlikely
French mega saw two Greenland
White-fronted Geese reach Rillé. This Red-billed Quelea, one of three found on São Vicente in Cape
Verde, marked a first record for the region.
Austria’s first Chestnut Bunting
was a late discovery, with a
ANTONIO MARTINEZ
first-winter male on garden bird
feeders at Mieming on 30th. A
great Italian record concerned
a Rüppell’s Vulture over Rose,
Calabria. A Spotted Sandpiper
was near Geneva, Switzerland.
Two Richard’s Pipits were in
Serbia and Poland’s fourth Blyth’s
Pipit visited Pruszewiec. Two
White-rumped Swifts at Langarica
Canyon, Albania, represented the
first record for the Balkans.
A Black-faced Bunting trapped
at Rubin Wetland, Israel, became
the country’s third record, with
Lebanon’s first European Shag at
Tripoli. Elsewhere, a Red-fronted
Serin was in Cyprus, Turkey
hosted an Oriental Turtle Dove
and a trio of American Wigeon Spain’s first Swainson’s Thrush was a surprise find in an urban park
at A Coruña, Galicia, on 23rd.
were in Morocco. ■
Birdwatch•January 2024 15
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 COMMENT VOICE FROM THE NORTH

t’s midwinter and for one subset

ALAN TILMOUTH
of birders that can only mean
one thing – gulls. They are the
marmite of the birding world,
and I confess from the outset that
I’m a larid lover. I can hear the
groans from those who wouldn’t
normally lift their bins to a gull unless
their mother’s life depended on it, but
hear me out when I say that these are
the best of birds.
Gulls allowed
Like most birders I aspire to finding Winter is the perfect time for our columnist to indulge
rarities, but I’ll happily admit that
10 g of feathers skulking in a bush
in one of his favourite birding niches – gulling.
that offers a millimetre of view every
JIM ALMOND

two hours leaves me a little cold, as

does any bird that requires thermal-
imaging technology to secure a record
shot that looks like something akin to
an out-of-focus advert for Ready Brek.
Give me a big, bruising wing-
stretching argentatus European Herring
Gull any day – subtle shades of grey
for a grey northern winter.
Complex ageing, moult and
individual personality combine to
offer a brilliant birding challenge
when it comes to identifying gulls.
Differences between species can be
subtle – throw in the spectre of
hybridisation in some species (such as
Caspian and European Herring Gulls)
and some individuals can defy even
the most learned of laridophiles. But
at least they come to bread – not
something you hear said too often
about Acrocephalus warblers.
Beyond European Robins and
Mallards, there are few other species
you can get close enough to actually Picking out a Caspian Gull (centre) Stuck in an urban office? Look out
hand feed, but wave a decent chunk from a throng of large gulls is one of our the window and I guarantee you’ll
columnist’s favourite midwinter activities.
of Mother’s Pride in the air out of manage some gull fly-overs. Many
your car window at any coastal car species make long daily movements to
park and chances are that the local feed and roost, so it’s perfectly possible
gulls will have it before you can say to pick up oddities as they fly over.
‘stone-baked’. Don’t worry about your Sure, they may not be screaming
fingers, you’ll manage just fine with rarities that will bring out the crowds,
eight or nine. but picking out a fly-over Med Gull
among the long lines of late afternoon
Winter staple larids heading to roost can offer the
When all the autumn Yellow-browed same sense of satisfaction if the

Warblers and Little Buntings have
gone south to spend the winter at their
plush Cornish second homes, many
gulls remain loyal to the north.
Wherever you’re birding there’s sure
to be some gulls to scan through in
search of something special. Even the
commonest of species can create a
winter spectacle – get yourself along
to a reservoir roost on a late
afternoon, where thousands of
Black-headed or Common Gulls may
arrive to spend the night, and enjoy
❝
context is your garden, office or other
Complex ageing, landlocked viewpoint.
Spending an afternoon watching
moult and individual your local landfill and the surrounding
area, complete with the associated
vistas and aromas, may not be
personality combine everyone’s cuppa, but the winter
months offer the opportunity of
to offer a brilliant white-winged visitors from the far
north, with both Iceland and
birding challenge Glaucous Gulls a frequent feature of
fetid tips. Wrap up warm, hold your
when it comes to nose and take a deep dive into your

❞
trying to find the single local dump – you may be surprised by
Mediterranean Gull in the melee. identifying gulls what you turn up! ■

www.birdguides.com Birdwatch•January 2024 19

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 COMMENT TALKING BIRDS

remember a conversation that I had

ED STUBBS
several years ago with a serious
world lister and British twitcher. “It’s
the ones you don’t see that you
remember,” he said, from the
confines of a dimly lit tapas bar on
Fuerteventura, where the recent
discovery of a Dwarf Bittern was the
reason for a small gathering of British
birders discussing the ups and downs of
Bogey birds
listing. I’ve remembered that line since –
and I think it’s quite true. We all have them – species that have managed to evade
I love a good list. I think most birders our lists, sometimes despite concerted effort to see them
do (even the ones who are too cool for
school and claim they don’t). While I or even involving multiple instances of dipping. Ed Stubbs
enjoy adding to them, I’ve never been reflects on some of his avian nemeses.
majorly fussed by my British or world lists
ARTURAS KUNDROTAS

like some hardcore folks are, but I’m

super keen when it comes to my county
(Surrey) and patch totals. I also keep
annual patch year lists and put in plenty
of effort with them. And yes, it’s true –
it’s the ones you don’t see that you
remember.
I write this not long after dipping a
local Hen Harrier at Thursley Common,
one of my south-west Surrey patches.
This is a nice bird to see locally, but I do
so virtually annually. This year, though,
it’s the third one I’ve missed – and I
suspect I’ve run out of time for another
in 2023. I’ve had a brilliant year of local
birding, seeing some great species and
finding a few goodies myself, but I can tell
you now that I will absolutely remember
that I didn’t see a patch Hen Harrier in
2023. And I can instantly recount the
three species I missed in 2022, as well.
Sad? Yes, a little bit! But I’m sure it’s how
plenty of birders’ minds operate.
Bogey birds are different to bucket-list
birds, which are a particular species that
you highly desire. They are also different
to a ‘tart’s tick’ – in other words, they’re
not simply a regular or expected bird
which you’ve not seen before. A true This Eurasian Spoonbill, at standout reasons for being unable to go).
bogey bird isn’t a species you’ve missed Holmethorpe Sand Pits on 9 Easily the most glaring omission from
October 2021, is one of several
once, either – bogey birds are those that Ed has failed to connect my British list is Purple Heron – but
species that, time after time, you have with in Surrey. that’s not to say I haven’t tried. I’ve
somehow dipped. ‘Ultimate bogey’ status genuinely lost count of how many I’ve
means that said bird has been seen by dipped – successive nights of staking out
your birding pals, typically in a majorly a West Sussex reedbed and being within
gripping way, be it on your patch while five minutes of a Surrey bird last year
you were away, or a particularly showy before it flew are especially painful
individual, and so on. memories.

Bogey birds will linger clearly in the
lister’s mind, waiting to be avenged.
When it comes to my county list, various
species have held the title of ‘top bogey’,
before finally falling. The current
crown-wearer is doubtless Eurasian
Spoonbill – I have dipped no fewer than
three (all flew off while I was mid-
journey), and missed a handful of others
❝
I could go on. But, despite all this,
bogey birds do fall – and it feels great
Bogey birds when they do. You’re not just ticking off a
new species on your list, you’re banishing
will linger clearly the ghosts of previous misses. I’m sure
plenty of Birdwatch readers can offer up
in the lister’s bogey birds with far grander tales of woe
than I, involving national-level dips and
mind, waiting to expensive failures. But remember, if

❞
(having been too many beers down at the (when) that species does eventually fall,
pub and playing football among the be avenged it’ll be all the sweeter. ■

www.birdguides.com Birdwatch•January 2024 21

ROBIN CHITTENDEN SPECIES PROFILE
A
s its common name suggests,
Little Owl is small in stature,
standing at 22 cm tall. A firm
favourite with photographers and
birders alike, this characterful species
has a stocky-looking silhouette due to
its broad, round head and short tail.
Male and females look similar and their
plumage colour is chocolate-brown with
a slight olive tinge. Adults have cream-
buff streaks and spots on their back,
flight feathers, breast and head. The
tarsi are a cream-buff and the talons are
brown. The adults have lemon-yellow
irises and pale plumage around their
eyes, giving their characteristic frowning
expression; this differs from juvenile
Little Owls, which have pale yellow-
grey irises that turn to lemon-yellow at
three months old. Juveniles have similar
markings to adults, but their plumage
is softer, shorter and paler until they
complete their first moult.
Little Owl is one of nine species
classified within the genus Athene, which,
among others, includes Burrowing
Owl and Forest Owlet. There are 13
subspecies of Little Owl which are
widely distributed across much of the
Palearctic ecozone, with its geographical
range extending from Britain across
much of Europe, North Africa, the
Middle East and North Asia. They
favour temperate regions but have also
adapted to living in steppe, desert,
22 Birdwatch•January 2024
What’s happened
to Little Owl?
Introduced to Britain in the late 19th century, Little Owl
became a common and widespread bird in many areas.
However, in recent years, the population has plummeted.
Species expert Dr Emily Joáchim investigates the decline
of this popular owl.
Mediterranean, boreal and tropical have ‘wandered’ the 80 km from Walton
biotopes, and have been recorded as to Derby. He did not believe that the
a resident breeder in 84 countries. owl at Fletching was imported, but he
Crude global population estimates had no proof that it had flown across
range between 5 million and 10 million the Channel. A number of following
individuals, and the European Little introduction attempts failed.
Owl population is estimated to be
between 618,000 and 1.17 million pairs. A non-native start
It has an interesting history in Britain. The first successful Little Owl
In 1842, Charles Waterton acquired introduction was by Edmund Meade-
five Little Owls from Rome and he Waldo in Stonewall Park, Kent. He
released them in Walton Park, West released 40 birds between 1874 and
Yorkshire, in 1843. Charles wanted to 1880, and a pair first bred here in
introduce the species as a predator of 1879. A second successful introduction
his garden pests; there was no evidence was carried out by Lord Lilford near
that these owls bred. Later in 1843, a Oundle in Northamptonshire during the
Little Owl was captured alive in Derby 1880s. A pair first bred here in 1889.
and another was shot at Fletching, East Little Owls are thought to have rapidly
Sussex. William Borrer, a naturalist, colonised England from both of these
concluded that the Derby owl must release sites, and the process was aided
www.birdguides.com
 STEVE ABBOTT
Facing page: Little Owls are very popular among
birders – but numbers in Britain are declining,
and encountering them is becoming trickier.

by further releases. By 1940, Little Owl

was seen in most of the counties in
England and Wales. A breeding pair was
recorded in south-east Scotland in 1958.
While most of the Little Owls found
in this country originate from the
successful introductions in Kent and
Northamptonshire, there are sight
records which predate these, including
two Little Owls which were observed
in London in 1758; both were assumed
to be escapees from private collections.
A further record came from Devon in
1808, with two in Cumbria in 1811.
Initially, Little Owl was welcomed in
Britain, but by the early 20th century, Little Owl is a secondary cavity-nesting bird, meaning it nests in pre-existing holes in old trees,
building cavities and stone walls, as well as in nestboxes.
there were unsubstantiated beliefs that
they were killing large numbers of
pheasant, partridge and poultry chicks. opportunistic predators and often hunt Owls are often seen perched on posts,
The species acquired a bad reputation, from a perch, such as a fence post or branches, barns, telegraph poles, tree
leading to gamekeepers attempting to branch, and they pounce on their prey. pollards and chimney stacks. They
eliminate them by any means possible. They can be seen comically running in are much-loved residents in some of
Consequently, Little Owl diet studies the grass in pursuit of beetles and small London’s larger parks.
were carried out to learn more about mammals. Little Owls have incredibly
what they were eating in Britain. The strong tarsi and a diet study found they Owl sounds
most significant Little Owl Food Inquiry can take a small rabbit or similar-sized Little Owl is a vocal species and
was led by Alice Hibbert-Ware on behalf avian prey. They possess excellent can make more than 20 different
of the BTO during 1936-37. This study hearing and can locate the rustles and vocalisations, including the shrill and
investigated adult and juvenile pellets, squeaks of mice and voles with an repetitive goooek, goooek and kweew, kweew
stomach, and nest contents throughout accuracy of 99%. calls. Some say that they sound like a
this species’ range. The final report, Little Owls can be heard and seen mewing cat, and you are most likely to
correspondence and insect samples can throughout the year, and are more hear them at dusk and dawn as this is
be viewed in the BTO archive. abundant in East Anglia, the Midlands when the male and female Little Owls
and north-west England. They reside in make regular contact calls with each
A varied diet a variety of habitats including lowland other. You can hear them throughout
These food studies revealed that farmland, orchards, parkland, rural the year but they are most vocal during
Little Owl’s diet is more varied than villages and quarries. Their territories the breeding season. Juvenile Little Owls
our other resident owl species. They are made up of a patchwork of habitats make a hissing sound when begging for
predominantly eat invertebrates to include grasslands, hedgerow, fences, food, which is higher pitched than a
throughout the year, predating the most trees, scrub and outbuildings. Little juvenile Barn Owl.
dominant species at any given time.
PAUL SAWER

Earwigs are the most-taken insects,

followed by Black Clock Beetles, Rove
Beetles, weevils, Click Beetles, Dor
Beetles, crane flies and Cockchafers.
Spiders, moths (larvae and adults),
millipedes, centipedes and ants are
also frequently consumed, and it is not
uncommon to find an active nest site
full of live earthworms to be fed to
the young owlets. Worms have lower
energetic value than mammalian and
avian prey, the latter of which are taken
more often during the breeding season
to be fed to the owlets. It was concluded
that Little Owls rarely took gamebirds
and their bad reputation was unfounded.
Little Owl’s retina has lots of rod cells
for night vision and plenty of cone cells
for vision in daylight, providing excellent
eyesight. This enables them to hunt in Invertebrates make up most of the species’ diet year-round, though when adults are feeding
darkness as well as in daytime. They are young they will be more inclined to take avian prey. ❯
www.birdguides.com Birdwatch•January 2024 23
OLIVER SMART SPECIES PROFILE

Little Owls are opportunistic predators and will often hunt from a perch such as a branch (as pictured here) before they pounce down on their prey.
ANDY ROUSE

The author (left) runs the UK Little Owl Project, which not only This Little Owl population abundance graph, produced by the BTO, clearly
monitors birds but also offers advice on nestbox designs, research details the gradual decline of the species in Britain during the last few
projects, collaborations and funding opportunities to support the owl. decades, with numbers currently at a particularly low ebb.

The current best population
estimate for Little Owl in Britain is
3,600 breeding pairs. This updates the
previous estimate of between 4,000
and 8,500 pairs as part of the BTO
and Hawk and Owl Trust’s 1995-97
Project Barn Owl. In 2015, the BTO
carried out a Little Owl playback
survey trial. This is a methodology by
which researchers can survey for Little
Owls in winter by playing the male
contact call sound, and it was tested in
Lincolnshire where Bob Sheppard and
Alan Ball tirelessly monitor the species
and know where all the territories
are. The playback methodology
proved very effective at detecting
Little Owls, with responses recorded
in all the survey squares known to
contain breeding territories, and could
therefore be used for a national survey.
As a secondary cavity-nesting species,
Little Owl breeds in pre-existing holes
in old trees, building cavities and stone
walls, and in nestboxes. They do not
build a nest inside the cavity, instead
making a scrape in the substrate for egg
laying. Little Owls are monogamous
and established pairs occupy and
defend their territory throughout the
year. They usually start egg laying
from mid-April onwards, which is after
Tawny Owl, and at a similar time to (or
slightly earlier than) Barn Owl.
A prolonged cold or wet snap in late
winter can delay breeding for some
Little Owls, whereas warm and dry
weather can advance it. Three or four
eggs are usually laid, and in optimal
conditions, a female can lay up to
seven. Little Owl eggs are matt white
and the female incubates her eggs for
29-31 days. Once hatched, the female
continues to keep her owlets warm
until they can thermoregulate at 14
days old.
Both the male and female feed
the owlets between dusk and dawn,
sometimes in daytime too. The owlets
fledge after four weeks but remain
close to their natal site until July or
August. Most Little Owls settle within
2 km of their natal site. Only a third
of juveniles are thought to survive
fledging and winter to go on to breed
the following spring. A typical lifespan
is three years, and the longest-surviving
Little Owl was 13 years and 10 months
old (this was based on the maximum
age from ringing of a recovered owl).

24 Birdwatch•January 2024 www.birdguides.com

ANDY ROUSE
Low juvenile survival rate is one of the factors driving the
decline of Little Owl across Britain and Europe.
The decline
Sadly, Little Owl numbers are in rapid
decline in Britain. Data generated from
BTO-led bird surveys, including the
Common Bird Census and the Breeding
Bird Survey, show that Little Owl’s
breeding population has declined by
67% over a 25-year period (1995-2020).
There has been an 11% contraction in
its breeding range since Bird Atlas 1968-
72. The more recent Bird Atlas 2007-11
highlights further losses in this owl’s
breeding and winter ranges in south-
west England and Wales. But, because
Little Owl is classified as a naturalised
introduced breeder, it is therefore not
assessed for the Birds of Conservation
Concern list.
But why is Little Owl declining in
Britain? Presently, we do not know, as
it remains a relatively poorly studied
species here. Evidence of long-term
declines have been seen across a
number of European populations,
including in the Netherlands where the
species is listed as Endangered on the
Dutch Red List. It has also decreased
in Denmark, Germany, France,
Spain and Poland. A rapid decline of
between 87% and 94% in its breeding-
population density in Slovakia, as well
as a drop of 35-45% in the Czech
Republic between 2009 and 2016,
further exemplify the problems it faces.
www.birdguides.com
STEFAN PFÜTZKE (GREEN-LENS.DE)
Earwigs are the most-consumed insect prey, followed by beetles, weevils,
crane flies and cockchafers. Spiders, moths and centipedes are also eaten.
In mainland Europe, a number they can do to help our Little Owls.
of factors have been linked to Little Actions we can take to support their
Owl’s decline, including intensive breeding and foraging include setting up
agricultural practices and associated a Little Owl nestbox or survey project
habitat changes, as well as low juvenile with a local bird group. As Little Owls
survival rates and recruitment into the often breed in Ash trees, putting up
breeding population. As part of my artificial nest sites in suitable habitat
PhD, I radio-tracked juvenile Little will help replace natural cavities lost as
Owls from fledging until their flight of a result of Ash Dieback. You could also
independence. Out of the 21 young consider working with landowners to
owls that I tracked, 11 died shortly after advise them on how to provide suitable
fledging from drowning, hypothermia breeding and foraging habitat for this
or predation. The owlets were especially owl. This includes making sure that
vulnerable when fledging from natal there is habitat for Little Owl’s prey
sites where it was easier for them to species, encouraging a reduction in
access the nest exit hole at a younger pesticide use, and ensuring adequate
age. Furthermore, my work revealed that scrub-type habitat close to natal sites
Little Owls delay breeding when there is to provide cover for fledging owls. It is
very wet weather in February and March important that more Little Owl nests are
as prey availability is lower in these monitored at egg and young stages as
conditions. Perhaps our increasingly part of the BTO’s Nest Record Scheme.
wetter climate is having a negative Please get in contact with the
impact on this charming species. UK Little Owl Project (www.
littleowlproject.uk) for advice on
Poorly understood nestbox designs, research projects,
Our lack of understanding about collaborations and funding opportunities
the cause of Little Owl’s decline in to help support Little Owls. Roy Leigh
Britain makes it difficult to target and I are planning to establish a UK
conservation work. Because it doesn’t Little Owl Working Group in 2024. Do
have a conservation status, it remains get in touch if you would like to be part
a low-priority species and misses out of this; we are especially keen to hear
on funding. In spite of this, each year from conservation groups which already
I receive numerous emails from people monitor their local Little Owls in order
and conservation groups asking what to build a network. ■
Birdwatch•January 2024 25
ED STUBBS RARE BIRDS
A
birder’s life is inevitably a
tale in which gardens play a
significant part. They may
not feel absolutely central to the
birding experience, but – aside from
one obvious pastime – it’s hard to
think of another hobby to which the
hypothetical removal of gardens from
the equation would deal such a blow.
Most birders will have a good
handful of gardens, mentally marked
with a ‘blue plaque’, littered here
and there across Britain. Some will
have been the birder’s own residence,
perhaps with memories of a Jay in
a childhood backyard sparking that
lifelong interest in birds, a garden list
of 90 species achieved over the course
of a decade’s residence later in life,
or fond recollections of a surprisingly
good morning of overhead migration
from the comfort of a window.
Other private gardens will live
long in the memories of birders after
leaving their mark on the twitching
community with a mega rarity. This
feature will take a look at some of
these, though note that I am not
including garden rarities that have
turned up in areas where they are
one of the primary habitats or sit
comfortably as part of the natural
landscape. This is the case on many
of the islands, especially Shetland
26 Birdwatch•January 2024
Garden greats:
Britain’s best
backyard rarities
Over the years, Britain’s gardens have provided some of
the biggest surprises as far as rare birds are concerned.
David Campbell looks back at some of the backyard
rarities that have occurred in the past couple of decades.
and the Hebrides, and some mainland birding history, either by being enjoyed
hot-spots such as Dungeness in Kent. by crowds of birders, or simply by
In these areas, vagrants have few other being remarkable in their occurrence.
options but to stop off in someone’s Not all garden rarities have been
backyard. Gardens in these remote and available to the masses. Some birds
otherwise bare areas tend to be easy to pay only a fleeting visit when viewing
view and, more often than not, the rare might otherwise have been arranged,
birds they play host to are discovered and others have turned up at properties
not by the homeowners, but by birders where a twitch is either impossible to
respectfully combing over the area for accommodate or not an event that the
the latest arrivals. residents have wanted to host.
The ‘true’ garden rarities this
piece will be looking back on are Garden twitches
largely vagrants that have turned up Twitching a garden rarity isn’t
unexpectedly in suburban gardens. every birder’s cup of tea. No matter
They have left their mark on British how warm the invitation, there is a
www.birdguides.com
 ALAN TATE
Facing page: This Common Nighthawk attracted
a huge crowd to a residential part of Wantage,
Oxfordshire, following its shock discovery in
September 2022.

decidedly uneasy feeling about parking

up in a residential area, getting optical
and camera equipment out of the
boot, then queuing down the street
to view a bird, while bemused locals
look on. In some cases, there is no
invitation, but a realistic possibility of
a successful twitch by quiet loitering,
scanning the portions of gardens
viewable from public highways and
footpaths. It is understandable that
some decide to wait for another
bird of the same species to be found
somewhere less awkward.
Since the turn of the millennium,
we have been treated to an incredible
run of garden rarities. One of the One of the most popular garden twitches in recent times was this Baltimore Oriole – also in
Oxfordshire – which stayed for more than a month during winter 2003-04.
earliest – but still among the most
celebrated – was the first-winter male
MAIN PIC: STEVE YOUNG; INSET: JIM ALMOND

Baltimore Oriole at Headington,

Oxford, found on 14 December 2003.
News of this American vagrant
followed a now-familiar process for
garden rarities. The first report broke
vague details on the second day of its
stay, but birders soon pinned down its
exact location and gathered to view
it over a wall. By the fourth day, a
homeowner overlooking the garden
invited birders to come in and see it
from their window, for a small charge.
That night, however, the residents
who owned the garden removed the
feeders. Happily, oranges were placed
nearby by accommodating locals and
hundreds of birders connected with
the well-fed oriole before it departed
overnight following a 34-day stay.
Oxfordshire has certainly punched
above its weight for garden rarities
this century. Another garden that
few will forget is that in Chipping
Norton, the county’s highest town,
which hosted a first-winter Oriental Another famous twitch came in June 2011, when a White-throated Robin (inset) graced the
‘doctor’s garden’ at Hartlepool, Cleveland. People even used ladders to see over the wall.
Turtle Dove of the nominate form
orientalis from February to April 2011.
The homeowner wasted no time transpired to be a juvenile Common rival Oxfordshire, but the scattering
in welcoming birders for a charity Nighthawk – arrangements were put of backyard vagrants elsewhere will
donation, leading to birding’s own in place, including a charity collection, always be a source of nostalgia.
famous queue, which raised more than and news put out before midday. Who could forget the White-crowned
£3,000 for the fight against illegal Watching a dozing nighthawk at point- Sparrow on a driveway in Cley,
hunting in Malta. blank range in such an unlikely location Norfolk, in early 2008? Having settled
was an all-time birding highlight for on the property of a retired vicar, its
A nighthawk on a many. A mighty sum of around £4,000 immortalisation in the stained-glass
garden fence was raised from the viewing of this windows of the 14th-century church in
More recently, a report of a European Nearctic vagrant and divided between the village was a fitting tribute to a bird
Nightjar on a back garden fence in a local wildlife hospital and a spinal enjoyed by thousands, often by means
Wantage in September 2022 was injury unit. of a sophisticated queuing system.
followed up by esteemed bird artist No other single county has had Several counties have hosted garden
and Oxfordshire county recorder, Ian a run of twitchable, garden-based White-throated Sparrows, including
Lewington. To his shock, the bird mega rarities this millennium to a couple in Cheshire this century, one ❯
www.birdguides.com Birdwatch•January 2024 27
STEVE YOUNG RARE BIRDS

It can pay to sift through any winter thrushes feeding in your garden – this Dusky Thrush was discovered feasting on apples at a Derbyshire property
in December 2016. It proved hugely popular with visiting birders, lingering into 2017.
JAMES LOWEN

of which featured on the BBC’s Wild

in Your Garden programme in 2003.
We’ve also been treated to backyard
Dark-eyed Juncos in Devon, London,
Norfolk, Pembrokeshire and Somerset,
among others.

The doctor’s garden

Although it was initially found on
the nearby bowling green and didn’t
become exclusively tied to a garden, the
White-throated Robin at Hartlepool
Headland, Cleveland, in 2011 must
be mentioned. On the evening of its
arrival on 6 June, the bird flew towards
the ‘doctor’s garden’, where local
birders got permission to check it out,
finding the mega robin enjoying the
well-maintained flowerbeds. Birders
waiting on the other side of the
property’s high wall gladly took up
offers from nearby white-van drivers
to climb on top of their vehicles and
ladders to view the unsuspecting bird.
The twitch became a little more orderly
the next day, with a charge put on
access to a nearby balcony.
The male Spanish Sparrow at
Calshot, Hampshire, in 2012 stands out
as another example of a well-managed
twitch for a species that has otherwise
been challenging for 21st-century
birders to lay eyes on in Britain. Access
was granted to its favoured garden and
the bird could also be viewed with little
fuss from the road.
The following year brought a
Western Orphean Warbler to a
Pembrokeshire property. Once the
bird’s identity was sorted out and the
homeowners realised the huge interest
One of the less likely garden rarities, this Green Heron was a shock find on a garden pond at
Llan-mill, Pembrokeshire, where it fed on a healthy supply of rudd in spring 2018.
in their visitor, access was arranged
and a charity bucket placed. Several
days of generous access in a beautiful
Welsh setting ensured many birders had
the rare chance to enjoy this species in
Britain.
The RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch
survey, which sees hundreds of
thousands of people recording the
birds in their gardens one weekend
each winter, sometimes leads to the
discovery of something rare. Perhaps
the best example was in 2014, when
a Myrtle Warbler was photographed
by a participant in High Shincliffe,
Co Durham. Access didn’t look likely
at first, but two weeks after the find,
viewing instructions were released after
consultation with residents who had
put feeders up in a shared area and, for
over a month, a procession of birders
seized the chance to observe this
charming American warbler.
While the crowds enjoyed the
warbler, news of a possible Chinese
Pond Heron broke in Kent. The
bird ranged widely around Saltwood
throughout its stay in February and
March 2014 but it was fond of several
of the gardens in the area, where
many caught up with it. Found dead
on 25 March, DNA analysis of its
remains put to rest any debate over
its challenging identification. Debate
about the bird’s provenance rumbled
on until the welcome news three years
later that it had been officially accepted
as a wild bird.

28 Birdwatch•January 2024 www.birdguides.com

JAMES LOWEN
Found wintering in a Gloucestershire garden in December 2016, this Blue Rock Thrush was remarkably photographed at Beachy Head, East Sussex,
three days after its departure from the West Country in early April 2017, boosting its credentials as a wild bird.
KIT DAY
ED STUBBS
This White-crowned Sparrow in a Cley
garden in 2008 goes down as one of the
most memorable garden rarity records.
Rock thrush on the roof
News of a Blue Rock Thrush at Stow-
on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire, came as
quite a shock when photographs of a
male in someone’s garden emerged in
December 2016. Its provenance was
instantly under heavy scrutiny, given
the unusual date and location, and
this intensified when it was aged as an
adult. However, hundreds had taken
a chance on it by the time the bird left
early the following April. They were
vindicated when the very same bird
was photographed at Beachy Head,
East Sussex, three days later, which no
doubt strengthened its case as a wild
bird for the BBRC.
Spring 2018 brought another mega-
rare garden heron to Britain, with a
www.birdguides.com
Several Dark-eyed Juncos have been found in
gardens, including this bird in Hammersmith,
London, during the 2020-21 winter.
Green Heron taking up temporary
residence in Pembrokeshire. Simon
Hart, the local Member of Parliament,
knew he had something unusual
when he spotted it on his garden
pond and enlisted the help of birding
neighbour Toby Phelps to firm up the
identification. For 10 days, birders from
across the country pitched up on the
lawn outside Mr Hart’s kitchen window
to take in the bird as it worked through
the pond’s stock of Common Rudd.
One of the most recent garden megas
was also among the most remarkable.
COVID-19 lockdown measures were
in place when a Northern Mockingbird
was photographed in a garden at
Exmouth, Devon, in February 2021,
meaning most birders had to wait until
late March for the all clear to make the
journey to see it. Happily, there was
more than a week of opportunity to
do so before this extremely rare North
American vagrant moved on.
Remarkably, another garden birder
photographed it in their garden in
Pulborough, West Sussex, the day after
it was last seen in Devon. Staying put
until dusk, it gave Sussex birders and
anyone else in the wider region a fair
shot at connecting as it loitered around
the gardens and banks of the River
Arun on the edge of the town.
Just short of a month later, the
mockingbird was photographed in yet
another lucky person’s garden, this
time at Newbiggin, Northumberland.
Happily, they too were content with
visitors peeking in for a final chance
to see this well-travelled bird. Perhaps
more than any other rarity, the 2021
Northern Mockingbird was a fitting
demonstration of the very modern
phenomenon of rarities being picked
up on quickly through photographs
taken by casual garden birders and
intrigued members of the public
seeking an identification for a bird that
looks ‘different’.
Thrushes deserve a mention too –
particularly popular recent examples
include the American Robin at
Eastbourne, East Sussex, in early 2022
and the widely twitched Dusky Thrush ❯
Birdwatch•January 2024 29
SAM VILES RARE BIRDS
Perhaps the most extraordinary garden record on the British list involves this Northern Mockingbird. Found in a garden in Exmouth in February
2021, it departed Devon on 7 April – but was rediscovered the following day at Pulborough, West Sussex, in another garden. Incredibly, it was later
relocated in a third garden in early May, this time well to the north at Newbiggin, Northumberland.
that was often feasting on apples in
a garden in the village of Beeley,
Derbyshire, during the 2016-17 winter.
Ones that got away
Alongside all these celebrated rarities
that have stayed put long enough in
accessible gardens to be enjoyed by
many of us, there are a few that fall
into the ‘untwitchable’ bracket. This
may be because they didn’t stay long
enough for access to be arranged, or
the homeowners may simply not have
been comfortable with numbers of
birders turning up on their doorstep.
The Least Bittern in a garden
at Farranfore, Co Kerry, in 2019,
certainly wasn’t in a fit state for visitors,
dropping dead half an hour after it
was found in a moribund state. A
back-garden Siberian Rubythroat in
Sunderland, Co Durham, in October
2006 is still a sore point for many
birders, with an accessible mainland
bird being something we surely all wish
for. Equally tantalising was the male
Indigo Bunting photographed on a
feeder in Llansadwrn, Anglesey, in May
2013, but it only made one evening
appearance for the fortunate garden
birder, let alone anyone else. And, of
30 Birdwatch•January 2024
Garden rarity stats
Rarest birds in a British or Irish garden:
Pale-legged Leaf Warbler, Dorset, 2012;
Red-winged Blackbird, Co Sligo, 2021
Most-twitched garden bird:
White-crowned Sparrow, Norfolk, 2008
Least likely to occur again:
Chinese Pond Heron / Least Bittern
County with the best form for garden
rarities: Oxfordshire
course, there was the Ovenbird that
was grippingly photographed alongside
a European Robin in a Herefordshire
garden in December 2001.
Britain’s first Pale-legged Leaf
Warbler, in 2012, chose the same
Portland garden that hosted a
popular Collared Flycatcher in 2009,
but facilitating a twitch for such a
monumental rarity probably wasn’t
going to be on the cards for the
homeowners, and the bird settled the
matter by only staying one day anyway.
Looking back at the events of the
last couple of decades, it is clear that
gardens across Britain and Ireland have
hosted some of the most incredible
vagrants we have seen in recent years
– of course there are many more that
I haven’t room for here. It seems that
the appearance and ID of rarities
has become more routine than ever
before, surely thanks in part to growing
curiosity among the general public
and the ease of posting images of an
unfamiliar bird online. Many suburban
rarities have been ‘discovered’ in the
form of internet identification queries.
As well as providing additional
opportunities to encounter many
sought-after species over the years,
the occurrence of garden rarities is
often brushed with the peculiar and
humorous. In what other situation
might you find yourself sipping tea with
an MP while watching a rare heron, or
climbing onto a window cleaner’s van?
At the face of it, it might seem that
allowing large numbers of people to
see a bird in a private garden is simply
unworkable, but time and time again
it has been proven to be manageable,
worthwhile and a wonderful
opportunity to raise money for charity.
Many of us have precious memories of
amazing birds in gardens we’d never
have otherwise set foot in and probably
never will again, so let’s look forward to
the next kind welcome from someone
with an unexpected bird behind their
garden fence. ■
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 BRITAIN’S LARGEST

RANGE OF

NEW AND USED BIRDING OPTICS

IN STORE AND ONLINE

AT www. .co.uk

EXPERT ADVICE ON HAND FROM FELLOW BIRDERS

FOLLOW @CleySpy FOR THE LATEST NEWS

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01263 740088
 IDENTIFICATION
HANS GLADER (BIA)

Field ID notes
KEY FEATURED SPECIES

Bean geese • Tundra Bean Goose Anser serrirostris

• Taiga Bean Goose Anser fabalis
• Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus
Grey geese are a favourite of many birders, with the
scarce Tundra and Taiga Bean Geese both highly March may also prove successful,
prized targets during the colder months in Britain. particularly further east, and bean
These desirable birds often cause identification geese have been known to join flocks of
winter swans in such scenarios.
headaches, but Dan Owen explains how even subtle
individuals can be readily told with practice. Taxonomic situation
The bean goose complex is something
of a taxonomic headache. Currently,

W
inter is a fantastic time to
watch wildfowl. Whether
it’s a carpet of whistling
Eurasian Wigeon, bugling Whooper
Swans or a field full of grey geese,
these birds ooze character and
undoubtedly offer some of the best
wildlife spectacles that Britain and
Ireland have to offer.
Living in north-west England means
that I am in the fortunate position
where all of these can be found on
my doorstep, and goose-watching is
a typical midwinter pastime of mine.
The large flocks of Pink-footed Geese
that frequent the region not only
offer great sights and sounds, but also
provide a superb opportunity to find
something scarcer. The same is true
along the east coast of England between two species are recognised by most
East Anglia and Scotland, where Pink- authorities: Taiga Bean Goose
feet can be abundant for long periods of (Anser fabalis; three subspecies) and
the winter. Tundra Bean Goose (A serrirostris;
These scarcer prizes may include two subspecies). Pink-footed Goose is
bean geese – two species that aren’t often included in genetic discussion
usually present on our shores in great and was treated as a subspecies within
numbers and are typically very localised the complex until fairly recently. It
in the areas they visit. Patient scanning should also be noted that some listing
through the congregations of Pink-feet authorities still treat Taiga and Tundra
is a good way of finding bean geese, as conspecific.
especially in the west where they are Tundra Bean Goose consists of
comparatively scarcer overall. However, subspecies serrirostris, which breeds on
flocks of ‘feral’ geese have their uses the tundra of north-eastern Siberia and
too and shouldn’t be overlooked, with
the racket of Greylag Geese proving Top: A sight that would make any British
birder’s day – a group of Tundra Bean Geese.
an irresistible draw for passing beans. The stocky build, thick neck, relatively short
Checking stubble fields and winter and deep-based bill and steep forehead are
cereal crops between October and good clues that help to clinch the identification.

32 Birdwatch•January 2024 www.birdguides.com

 winters in eastern China, Korea and
Japan, and rossicus, which breeds on the
tundra of northern European Russia
and north-west Siberia to the Taymyr
Peninsula, and winters in western and
central Europe, and south-west Asia.
The three subspecies of Taiga Bean
Goose are: fabalis, which breeds from
the Fennoscandian taiga to the Ural
Mountains and winters in Europe and
extreme south-west Asia; johanseni,
which breeds in the taiga from the
Ural Mountains to Lake Baikal and
winters from Turkmenistan and Iran
east to western China; and middendorffii,
which breeds in the taiga of eastern
Siberia, east of Lake Baikal, and
winters from eastern China to Japan.
It should be noted that the validity of
johanseni has been questioned and it is
JIM ALMOND
Taiga Bean Goose is a larger, rangier species with a longer body, longer and thinner neck, more
sloping head profile and relatively longer bill. The plumage looks overall paler than Tundra.
ANDY THOMPSON
Tundra Bean Geese often associate with Pink-footed Goose flocks in Britain. They can be tricky to pick out, but note the bright orange legs and bill
of the Tundra Bean (centre). The upperparts are also darker (the Pink-feet look paler and ‘frostier’ above), while the head and bill are also bigger.
www.birdguides.com
treated as synonymous with fabalis by
some authorities.
Differences in breeding range and
habitat, plus slight differences in
behaviour, morphology and perhaps
vocalisations, suggest that the two
bean goose species should be treated
separately. This could be set to change,
with recent studies proving low
genetic differentiation and incomplete
reproductive isolation between Taiga
and Tundra Bean Geese.
Furthermore, hybridisation has been
proven between both European forms,
although no hybrid zone has been
pinpointed – it has only been detected
through genetic work on birds during
migration and on wintering grounds.
It’s also unclear whether hybrids are
fertile and able to backcross with
parental species. Whether Europe retains
both species, or reverts back to a single
species, Bean Goose, is up for debate.
Additionally, the middendorffii subspecies
of Taiga Bean Goose has proved to be
genetically distinct from other bean geese
and consequently proposed as its own
species, Middendorff’s Bean Goose.
Despite all of this, and regardless of
any future taxonomic changes, Taiga and
Tundra Bean Geese are largely separable
in the field, and this article looks at
these differences, as well as how to find
your own this winter. As Middendorff’s
Bean Goose is a potential future split,
and a possible vagrant to the Western
Palearctic (WP), its identification will also
be explored.
Current status
Both bean goose species are scarce winter
visitors to Britain. Numerically speaking,
they have similar wintering populations,
with an average of 300 Tundra each
winter, compared to approximately 230
Taiga.
However, Tundra is prone to periodical
influxes, typically caused either by
unusually cold winter weather on the
Continent, spells of strong easterly winds
or, ideally, a combination of both. As a
result, the number of Tundra seen in
Britain varies considerably each winter
and the distribution is much more
widespread, and to a degree random,
with birds filtering across to the west
coast as the season progresses. In Europe,
large numbers winter in the Netherlands
and Germany.
Taiga is far more site-faithful and
less prone to wandering outside of its
❯
Birdwatch•January 2024 33
STEVE YOUNG IDENTIFICATION
This instructive image demonstrates the differences in the upperparts and tail pattern of Tundra Bean Geese (centre two birds) and Pink-footed
Geese. Bean geese look darker above overall, while the tail shows a broader black band with narrower white fringing.
ROBIN CHITTENDEN
Bean geese show uniformly dark underwings, contributing to the overall swarthy feel when seen
in flight. This bird, with its long neck and rangy structure, is a Taiga Bean Goose.
favoured haunts, meaning it is a rather
rare prize away from these spots. Over
time this has dwindled to just two areas
in Britain: the Yare Valley, Norfolk, and
the Slamannan Plateau, Forth. The
latter remains the stronghold; numbers
peaked at 400-500 birds in the 1930s
but have steadily decreased to the low
200s. In the winter of 2022-23, the flock
peaked at 218 and by early November
2023 some 160 had been counted.
Meanwhile, the Norfolk site has
witnessed a catastrophic decline over
the past 20 years, with only a handful
of birds now returning following a peak
of almost 500 in 1990-91. In Europe,
most winter in southern Scandinavia,
Denmark, north-east Germany and
Poland.
34 Birdwatch•January 2024
How to find them
Picking out a bean goose from a flock
of Pink-footed Geese can seem like a
daunting task to the uninitiated, but
practice helps. Viewing conditions
and distance are always going to play
their part. If the birds’ legs are visible
then a glimpse of orange is usually a
good starting point. That said, it isn’t
uncommon for Pink-footed Geese to
show orangey legs. This can range from
an orange hue to bright tangerine, and
several of these atypical birds can be
present in a single flock. It’s also worth
bearing in mind that Greater White-
fronted Goose has orange legs.
Of course, the legs aren’t always
visible, but there are a number of other
differences to look out for. The bill is
often harder to see well, but good views
should leave little room for doubt. Both
bean goose species have larger bills than
any Pink-footed Goose, and of course
have a variable amount of orange (not
pink) on the bill. Some Tundra can show
a variable pink wash to the bill, though
this is rare.
Structurally, bean geese look big
headed and are usually larger birds with
slightly longer legs, helping them to
stand above Pink-feet, although some
Tundra can be quite small and squat.
Pink-feet generally have paler, frosty
mantles compared to the brown backs of
beans, and have paler tertials lacking the
obviously contrasting dark centres and
bold pale fringing. The white fringing is
usually more obvious on the mantle of a
Pink-footed Goose, whereas the fringing
is strongest at the back end of a bean
goose, around the tertials. Sometimes the
birds’ tails may be visible, in which case
the more extensive pale fringing of Pink-
footed Goose is usually obvious.
Watching a goose flock in flight can
also be useful for picking out any bean
geese, especially by paying close attention
to birds as they land. Beans have dark
backs and rumps, with only a narrow pale
tip to the tail. Pink-feet have paler backs
and rumps, with a more silvery hue to the
tail and much white at the tail tip. The
upperwing is darker and more uniform,
lacking any obvious frosting. The coverts
are pale tipped, which form obvious pale
wing-bars in flight, boldest at the greater
coverts, but one or two more bars can
be visible even at distance. The axillaries
show little difference to the rest of the
www.birdguides.com
MARC GUYT (AGAMI.NL)

MARKUS VARESVUO (AGAMI.NL)

Juvenile bean geese are plainer-looking than adults, showing narrower, This is another juvenile bean goose, but the neck looks longer and
U-shaped pale edges to the coverts and duller bare parts. With its snakier than the previous bird. The bill, while not fully developed, is
stocky structure, square head and deep bill, this is a Tundra Bean. long and appears ‘pinched in’ towards the tip, identifying it as Taiga.
LOWER: MARKUS VARESVUO (AGAMI.NL) • UPPER: ANDREW JORDAN

underwing and appear uniformly dark Assessment of bill

in most light conditions. shape and structure
is important when it
Hybrids between bean and Pink- comes to identifying
footed Geese have been noted but are bean geese to species
very rare. These show features of both level. Tundra (upper
parents, typically with the orange legs bird) shows a deep-
based, triangular bill
and rather dark flanks and mantle of with a concave lower
a bean goose, but with a slighter build, mandible and straight
and a smaller head and bill as in Pink- culmen. The curved
tomium creates a short
footed Goose. and deep ‘grinning
patch’. Taiga (lower) has
Identification a relatively longer bill
Once you’ve found a bean goose, that can look ‘pinched
in’ at the tip. The lower
you need to identify it to species. mandible is straighter,
The thought sends shivers down as is the tomium, giving
many birders’ spines – but should it? a narrower and less
obvious grinning patch.
Before continuing it’s worth noting Taiga averages more
that identifying a lone vagrant can be orange in the bill but
extremely difficult if faced with an this is variable and can
only be considered a
atypical bird, although securing good supporting feature.
photographs should at least help.
Sexes are similar; although males
ROBIN CHITTENDEN

MARC GUYT (AGAMI.NL)

are larger, this is often only of use

when birds are in pairs or family
parties. Juvenile bean geese are plainer-
looking birds, lacking pale crescents
on the flanks, and having narrower,
U-shaped fringes to the coverts, a
darker crown and forehead, and duller
bare parts. Some median coverts are
retained until the following summer.
Ageing is straightforward in the first
winter period, with post-juvenile
moult commencing from October and
continuing throughout the winter, with
the bare parts brightening too.
In terms of size and structure, Tundra
is similar to Pink-footed Goose, but
Taiga is more comparable to Greylag
Goose. That said, the variation within
both bean goose species shouldn’t be
understated and care should be taken
to identify any lone bird. Tundra is This image nicely illustrates the Juvenile Greater White-fronted Goose may resemble a
typically 20% smaller than Taiga, with rather thickset, stocky structure of bean goose, but note the extensively pink bill and the
a stockier build and shorter neck. The Tundra Bean Goose. overall paler colour to the head.
❯
www.birdguides.com Birdwatch•January 2024 35
 IDENTIFICATION

head shape is more squared-off with
an obvious chin and sometimes a gular
bulge, as well as a steeper forehead
which forms a more obvious break
with the culmen line. Neck length and
thickness can actually be difficult to
assess and is easier to judge when the
bird is relaxed or in flight.
Bill shape is a useful feature. Tundra
shows a triangular bill with a deep
base. The lower mandible is concave
and the culmen straight. The tomium
(cutting edge) bends, creating a shorter
but deeper ‘grinning patch’ when
compared to Taiga, which typically
has a much straighter tomium, giving
a longer but thinner and less obvious
grinning patch. The lower mandible in
DANIEL GORNALL
Taiga is straighter and therefore looks
narrower.
The average shape of the bill nail
also differs: Tundra shows an oval nail
and Taiga a rounded nail, although
this does overlap and is difficult to
assess in the field. In fact, a recent study
revealed that only two out of 17 bill
measurements were reliably different:
maximum height of lower mandible
and number of ‘teeth’ in the upper
mandible. Of course, the latter bears
little use in the field, but the former
has some use. The bill of a Taiga often
appears pinched as a result.
The extent of orange in the bill can
be a good indicator of which species
you’re watching, with Tundra averaging
less orange, typically restricted to the
area between the nail and nostrils,
though this varies and some Tundra
show much orange. Taiga averages
more orange, this usually extending
past the nostril towards the bill base.
However, bill colouration should not
conclude an ID, and doesn’t overrule
other features.
Of course, views don’t always allow
for such analysis, but both species have
differences that are visible at distance.
Taiga is usually paler overall, and
from a distance a flock could be more
confusable with a group of Pink-footed
Geese, whereas Tundra is a darker,
swarthier bird. When seen side by side,
this difference is even more apparent.
Taiga Bean’s larger size, longer body

and slightly longer legs mean this

species usually stands out from a flock
of Pink-feet on size alone. Taiga also
appears to have a swan-like waddle,
walking with more of a swagger than
Tundra – though this is something that
requires field experience to recognise.
Bean geese are considered to be less
vocal than other grey geese, although
they do call frequently in flight. The
commonest call sounds somewhere
between Pink-footed and Greylag
Geese, given as a disyllabic hang-hang
or trisyllabic yak-ak-ak. Differences
Taken in Shetland in March 2021, this image allows for direct comparison of three goose between Taiga and Tundra are
species: Pink-footed (left), Tundra Bean (centre) and Greater White-fronted (right). The bulky, negligible, but Taiga is said to be lower
big-headed structure of the Tundra Bean is apparent.
pitched and slower than Tundra.
ROBIN CHITTENDEN

Taiga Bean Goose is a rare prize away from its favoured haunts in Britain. This image demonstrates the size and structure of the species, which is
more comparable to Greylag Goose (rear birds) than the smaller grey goose taxa shown in the image above.

36 Birdwatch•January 2024 www.birdguides.com

 STUART PRICE
Confusion species
Due to the variability in size, shape
and colour found within bean geese,
several other grey goose species
found in Europe may at times cause
confusion.
Pink-footed Goose is the default
‘wild’ grey goose across much of
Britain, and a good focal point for
getting your eye in. Pink-feet are
small and dumpy, with short necks,
short legs and a stubby bill. As the
name suggests, the legs and feet are
typically pink, although aberrant birds
with orange legs aren’t uncommon.
The small, triangular bill is largely
black with a pink subterminal band,
though again aberrations aren’t too
uncommon and birds may show any
pattern, including wholly pink bills.
White feathering at the bill base can Although not yet definitively recorded in the WP, Middendorff’s Bean Goose is a potential
vagrant. It is the largest of all bean goose taxa, with an impressively long neck and long bill.
also occur. The upperparts are a frosty
blue-grey with pale fringing. The head
STUART PRICE

is dark, contrasting with a pale lower

neck and underparts, though the
flanks are dark, contrasting with the
paler mantle. In flight, the upperwing
is pale blue-grey with a uniform dark
underwing. The back and rump are
pale, with a white crescent formed by
the uppertail coverts. The tail is dark-
centred with a broad white edge.
Greylag Goose is the heaviest of
all grey geese. As well as its hefty size,
it is readily told by the large, conical
orange bill, the large, pale head and
dull pinkish legs. In flight, Greylags
show the palest upperwings, with
contrasting brown inner coverts. The
underwing is two-toned with pale
coverts.
Juvenile Greater White-fronted The swan-like proportions of Middendorff’s Bean Goose are apparent in these flying birds. The
orange on the bill is usually restricted to a subterminal band behind the nail in this taxon.
Goose may initially suggest bean
goose, showing a black nail on a
pale bill and orange legs. However, proportions. The long neck is often coverts, and therefore less uniform than
juvenile ‘white-fronts’ typically have held with a gentle curve and the bill is either Taiga or Tundra, although light
more contrasting heads, with darker notably long. The ratio of bill length to conditions may affect how this appears.
feathering at the bill base and forehead skull length is key, with Middendorff’s Middendorff’s also shows a preference
contrasting with the paler cheeks. On at 1.15-1.30:1.0, while Taiga has for wetlands and can often be watched
closer views, bill structure should also a bill length roughly equal to, or upending in shallow water. The call is
help, and bean geese always show a shorter than, the head length. Bill deeper and more honking. ■
black bill base on the lower mandible. depth is roughly half of bill length in
Middendorff’s; Taiga has a shallower • Dan Owen is a Cheshire-based
A potential vagrant bill. Middendorff’s grinning patch is BirdGuides news team member. He is
Middendorff’s Bean Goose has never more obvious than in Taiga, but not a keen ringer, patchbirder and artist.
knowingly been recorded in the WP, as defined as in Tundra. The orange
but should be considered as a possible patch on the bill is usually restricted to
vagrant. This should be of particular a subterminal band behind the nail, References
• Ottenburghs, J, Honka, J, Müskens, G, and
interest to birders as there is agreement rarely extending beyond the nostril. Ellegren, H. 2020. Recent introgression
that this eastern subspecies of Taiga The plumage is pale overall, often between Taiga Bean Goose and Tundra Bean
Bean Goose should be treated as a noticeably so, with a gingery neck and Goose results in a largely homogeneous
landscape of genetic differentiation. Heredity
species in its own right. pale head – the eye is often visible, 125: 73-84.
As always with grey geese, there is even at range. The covert fringing • Ruokonen, M, Litvin, K, and Aarvak, T. 2008.
variation, but a typical Middendorff’s is often buff. The underwing is Taxonomy of the bean goose–pink-footed
goose. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution
is an obvious bird. It is the largest of perhaps also useful, with the axillaries 48(2): 554-562.
all bean goose taxa, with swan-like seemingly darker than the underwing

www.birdguides.com Birdwatch•January 2024 37

ROB WATSON OBSERVATORY FOCUS
I
n Victorian times, a sandy track led
south from the settlement of Skegness
to a remote coastguard station and
a small community associated with the
Steeping River. Gravel importers, river
pilots, farmers and their tenants lived
there, a pub called the Old Ship Inn
existed and there was a series of shanty
dwellings.
However, both the drainage of the
fens to the west and the embanking of
saltmarsh to the south to claim high-
quality arable land had significant
impacts on the previously extensive
coastal habitats. Coupled with the rapid
extension of caravan parks, holiday
villages and residential housing along
the coast, Gibraltar Point was already
becoming isolated as a fragment of
natural coast. Fortunately, direct impacts
were avoided when plans for both an
east-coast speedway and a large housing
estate were abandoned.
The military also had a significant
influence on the site. Occupation during
both world wars as a strategic defence
point and training ground curtailed
any development pressures and indeed
left a legacy of outbuildings that went
on to serve as a functional base for
Gibraltar Point Bird Observatory and
other Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust (LWT)
activities.
A long history
Ted Smith, a local conservationist, had
visited ‘Gib’ prior to the Second World
38 Birdwatch•January 2024
A migratory
crossroads
Situated at the mouth of The Wash, Gibraltar Point NNR
has a rich history of wildlife recording. It boasts an
impressive array of habitats, and consequently breeding,
wintering and migrant birds, as Kev Wilson explains.
War and realised its value, particularly at the time, Gibraltar Point had to be
its bird interest. Upon his return post- different – his vision was that visitor
war, he must have been thankful to access would be reconciled with wildlife
find it relatively intact. Ted and Lenton conservation.
Ottaway identified the potential for The obs opened on 11 April 1949
setting up a bird observatory. With the and the first bird trapped was a Willow
help of others, a Heligoland trap was Warbler. Later that year, observatory
constructed and an adjacent military accreditation was achieved. The
building was refurbished and established observatory attracted interest and
as the observatory. involvement from many prominent
Lenton and Ted had visited Skokholm ornithologists; for example, Peter Scott
to investigate the running of an and Dick Cornwallis in the 1950s and
established ‘obs’ and bird-trapping 1960s, followed by Chris Mead, who ran
techniques for ringing. Ted was ringing courses from an area still known
also busy founding the Lincolnshire as ‘Mead’s Outpost’.
Naturalists’ Trust (now LWT) as well The first resident warden, Arthur
as working to designate Gibraltar Point Lodge, was appointed in 1961. At this
as a nature reserve – it became the first time, LWT had moved operations into
Local Nature Reserve to be established the coastguard station, where field
under the National Parks and Access study and visitor centres were built,
to the Countryside Act of 1949. Ted the latter being opened by Sir David
recognised that unlike some other Attenborough in 1974. George Evans,
reserves, which largely excluded people previously warden at Bardsey Bird
www.birdguides.com
 LINCS WILDLIFE TRUST
Facing page: Following the loss of previous
buildings to a storm surge three years earlier,
the iconic new visitor centre at Gibraltar Point
NNR was built and opened in 2016.

Observatory, was in post at Gib by this

time.
The ‘Wash Study Centre’, as it later
became known, was very successful,
hosting residential school and university
groups, natural history societies, events
and courses, housing staff and volunteers
for more than 50 years.
The storm surge in December 2013
sadly put an end to this. In its place,
a new visitor centre was built and
opened in 2016, raised on a platform
and with provision for a superb
upper-deck viewing facility. Bespoke
accommodation for volunteers and Gibraltar Point has been operating as a bird observatory since 1949. This image, taken in 1950,
shows Ted and Mary Smith completing a ringing log.
trainees was subsequently completed
at Sykes Farm in 2023 to facilitate a
LINCS WILDLIFE TRUST

continued throughput of future recruits

into the wider observatory network and
conservation employment.
Today, LWT provides administration
and funding for the observatory with
support from industry, government
agencies and the Lincolnshire Bird Club.
There is strong working partnership with
Lincolnshire County Council and East
Lindsey District Council.

Recording efforts
LWT’s observatory team oversees all
aspects of fieldwork and data, and
draws from experienced members with
backgrounds at other bird observatories
and the BTO.
Some 25,000-30,000 bird records are
contributed to BirdTrack annually by a
very small team of volunteers. George Engaging with local wildlife enthusiasts is a key part of what the observatory does. Here,
warden Kev Wilson conducts a wader watch with attendees.
Gregory maintains ringing operations
from which a good number of trainees
have benefitted, and more than 290,000 Of course, it isn’t just about the designation complementing RAMSAR
birds of 186 species have been ringed birds; a wide range of wildlife surveys and Special Protection Area (SPA) status
since recording started. are undertaken, focusing on butterflies, for breeding Little Terns and migratory
The main recording area covers the moths, dragonflies, seals and flora, as and wintering waterbirds.
southern half of the reserve; the East well as others. A small woodland and a freshwater
and West Dunes, Saltmarsh, Freshwater marsh provide further habitat diversity.
Marsh and the Haven. The north end Habitats and designations Excavated in the 1970s, The Mere was
is seldom visited. The reserve is split Gibraltar Point NNR covers some one of few freshwater habitats along
into various subsites to recognise the 400 ha and 5 km of coastline south the Lincolnshire coast at the time and
recording areas added beyond the of Skegness, comprising a series of became very attractive to waterbirds.
original 1949 limit. sand-dune ridges projecting into the In the 1990s, a significant legacy
The Motus system is now being north-west corner of The Wash with from long-standing LWT member
employed across Britain and Europe contiguous intertidal saltmarsh and George Jackson enabled the purchase
(Birdwatch 361: 48-50) and a station mudflats. The frontal habitats are of an adjacent arable field. Jackson’s
was set up at Gib in autumn 2023 dynamic, but where there was once Marsh was created and attracted the
with funding from Sea-Changers, accretion, erosion is now dominant. first nesting attempt by Avocets in the
Lincolnshire Bird Club and donations The mosaic of botanically rich dune county since 1837. Subsequent grant aid
made in memory of Dick Lambert. This grassland and stands of Sea Buckthorn enabled the purchase of further arable
recorded its first ‘hit’ on 16 October scrub provide a rich haven for wildlife land equating to the original Sykes Farm
2023 – a passing Yellow-browed Warbler and these habitat types, previously holding. These fields were converted
that had been tagged on the Dutch recognised as an SSSI, are covered by into brackish lagoons, reedbed and
coast. the Special Area of Conservation (SAC) grazing marsh. ❯
www.birdguides.com Birdwatch•January 2024 39
OBSERVATORY FOCUS

KEV WILSON
Breeding birds
A Common Birds Census (CBC)
was initiated in 1965. The results
determined that dune scrub held
a higher diversity and density of
bird populations than any other
habitat. Common Whitethroat
was, as it is today, the commonest
breeding species in the dunes, while
important populations of Eurasian
Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Reed Bunting
and Common Redshank nest in
the saltmarsh. CBC surveys have
continued in occasional years since and
the Constant Effort Site (CES) ringing
survey has been running since the mid-
1990s.
Around 72 species breed annually.
Significant losses over the years include The extensive dune systems at Gibraltar Point offer crucial habitat for a wide range of wildlife,
with Common Whitethroat the most numerous breeding bird species.
Tree Sparrow, Spotted Flycatcher,
the once-common Lesser Redpoll,
GRAHAM CATLEY

several pairs of European Turtle Dove

and up to three pairs of Long-eared
Owl. Willow Warbler has shown a
catastrophic decline to only one or two
territories and there are concerns over
Yellowhammer.
Most of these population shifts have
occurred with little apparent change
to habitat extent or quality. Indeed, it
is often said that Gib is a great place
for birds but frustrating for the birder,
due to the extensive tracts of Sea
Buckthorn scrub!
The extension of wetland habitat
has attracted a range of other breeding
species, most recently including
Northern Shoveler, Great Crested
Grebe, Water Rail and Cetti’s Warbler.
Reed Warbler now numbers 30 Sea Buckthorn in the dunes offers invaluable cover for migrant birds in spring and autumn,
including regular rarities and scarcities. This Western Subalpine Warbler was seen in April 2013.
pairs (there were only two records
in 1949!) and it would have been
inconceivable 20 years ago that we and European Golden Plover, which refuge for up to 800 Black-tailed
would be contributing data to the commute between the lagoons, grazing Godwits and 600 Common Redshanks,
BTO Heronries Census for the small marsh and intertidal zones for feeding alongside up to 30 Eurasian Spoonbills
colony of Little Egrets. A colony of and roosting. Up to 90 Water Pipits that commute from the Norfolk coast.
Black-headed Gulls and Avocets now have been counted at pre-roost. Greater attention is paid to the sea
exists on the lagoons, plus nesting Little Waders can be spread widely across since the early days of the observatory,
Ringed Plover, Northern Lapwing, The Wash but the high-tide roost is in part due to commitment by
Common Redshank, Eurasian another aspect that makes Gib special. patchworker Nige Lound. Gib is
Oystercatcher and Common Tern. Moderate winter numbers of Red ideally positioned to watch birds
Gib hosts the last remaining colony Knot, Grey Plover, Dunlin and Bar- reorienting out of The Wash after
of Little Terns on the Lincolnshire tailed Godwit are swelled during spring big northerly blows. In autumn, such
coast. Nesting alongside the similarly and autumn migration. conditions can produce an array
threatened Ringed Plover, they have The return passage can involve of seabirds, including skuas and
been afforded protection here since internationally important numbers shearwaters. Past movements have
1976 when Kevin Woodbridge (who by late July, and witnessing flocks of logged more than 7,000 Kittiwakes,
later moved to North Ronaldsay; see summer-plumaged waders arriving 358 Sooty Shearwaters and 270 Arctic
Birdwatch 376: 24-28) spent the season along the tideline is one of the Skuas, while late-season day tallies
in a tent at the base of the shingle spit. highlights of the year. August to early have included 1,088 Little Auks and
November sees the greatest numbers, 180 Pomarine Skuas.
Waterbird wonderland with Red Knot routinely up to 80,000, The late winter gathering of Red-
The reserve supports huge volumes of as well as 5,000 Grey Plovers, 6,000 throated Divers is also impressive,
winter waterbirds such as Brent and Bar-tailed Godwits, 8,000 Eurasian peaking in February, while spring and
Pink-footed Geese, Eurasian Wigeon, Oystercatchers, 10,000 Dunlin and late summer tern passage also form
Eurasian Teal, Northern Lapwing 6,000 Sanderling. The lagoons provide highlights of the year.

40 Birdwatch•January 2024 www.birdguides.com

GARRY MICHALEK
Vast flocks of waders arrive to roost after feeding in The Wash. Numbers peak during autumn, when up to 80,000 Red Knot may be present. A small
team of LWT staff and volunteers attends the highest tides to engage with visitors, reduce disturbance and make counts. Monthly WeBS counts
can be overwhelming, but the Gibraltar Point team is fortunate to be able to draw on Rob Watson’s 30 years of counting experience.
GRAHAM CATLEY
NEIL SMITH
One of the most outstanding spring finds at
‘Gib’ involved this Sora in March 2006.
Migration stations
Along with the more expected Common
Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and Northern
Wheatears, typical late March birds
to look for include Black Redstart,
Woodlark, European Stonechat, Ring
Ouzel and Firecrest.
The mix of departing winter visitors
and arriving spring birds can see
wheatears feeding alongside Water
Pipits and Snow Buntings. A build-up
of Common Starlings can occur, with
up to 1 million assembled in March
2021 waiting for bad weather to clear
before crossing the North Sea.
Swallow arrival now averages two
weeks earlier than in the 1950s. While
most common migrants trickle in during
April, the latter part of that month
and into May can see falls of Pied
Flycatcher, Common Redstart, Wood
Warbler, Tree Pipit and Whinchat.
Late May is the peak time for scarcities
including Golden Oriole, Bluethroat,
www.birdguides.com
Two site records of Terek Sandpiper include
this one-day bird in June 2009.
Red-backed Shrike, Marsh and Icterine
Warblers, Common Rosefinch or even
Rustic Bunting or Tawny Pipit. Thrush
Nightingale has occurred three times;
one singing simultaneously with a
territorial Common Nightingale in May
2003 created a rare dusk chorus.
August usually features a good influx
of Willow Warblers. Arrivals from
northern Europe bring flycatchers, chats
and further warblers. Pipits, wagtails and
wheatears increase along the saltings
into September, when some spectacular
falls have occurred. Common Redstart
and Pied Flycatcher have numbered
480 and 200 respectively in past falls,
although not in recent years. Barred
Warbler, Wryneck and Red-breasted
Flycatcher are regular at this time,
with the occasional Greenish Warbler.
Yellow-browed Warblers are now
expected in small numbers from mid-
September, with an impressive
day-record count of 22.
The right conditions in October can
deliver thousands of Scandinavian
thrushes. One such fall in October
1990 saw poor weather ground some
9,500 Fieldfares and 6,200 Redwings,
with more than 1,000 Goldcrests, 340
Bramblings and the harbingers of a
record influx of Parrot Crossbills also
seen. Early November is the peak
time for Blackbird arrivals, although
it’s difficult to imagine a repeat of the
100,000 seen on 5 November 1961 – a
day when 900 were trapped and ringed!
Mid- to late autumn has also delivered
eastern visitors including three Red-
flanked Bluetails, two Hume’s Leaf
Warblers, Rustic and Little Buntings,
Olive-backed Pipits and regular Great
Grey Shrike and Pallas’s Warbler.
A prominent feature of Gib is the
vis-mig, with tens of thousands of
birds moving diurnally over the site
each year. Spring sees the return of
continental finches and thrushes and
arriving hirundines, while summer
movements of thousands of Common
Swifts have produced Little and several
Alpine Swifts. The greatest number and
diversity of birds can be seen on the
move in autumn, with Meadow Pipits,
wagtails and hirundines in September,
and Rock Pipits, buntings, finches and
Eurasian Skylarks in October.
Movements can be spectacular,
with birds migrating at eye level past
Mill Hill, the favoured watchpoint
in East Dunes, and many scarcities
are picked up. These include regular
Woodlark, Lapland Bunting, Hawfinch,
Red-rumped Swallow, Alpine Swift,
European Serin, Golden Oriole and
European Bee-eater. Some may even ❯
Birdwatch•January 2024 41
OBSERVATORY FOCUS

ROB SMITH
pause a while, such as the four Red-
rumped Swallows on 29 April 2003 and
the 13 European Bee-eaters on 20 May
2023.
Much of the action is over by mid-
morning but later warmer air can see
birds of prey on the move. Several Red-
footed Falcons, Pallid and Montagu’s
Harriers and Black Kites have passed
through with single-day high counts
of 48 Common Kestrels, 25 European
Honey Buzzards, 188 Common
Buzzards, 35 Red Kites and five Rough-
legged Buzzards. Additionally, 2023
produced Glossy Ibis, Western Cattle
Egrets and singles of Purple Heron and
Black-crowned Night Heron.

Rare visitors
Gib is probably best known for the
American Redstart of November 1982,
which was the third British record at the
time and seen in the same scrub patch European Bee-eater is a regular visitor in spring, with most sightings involving fly-overs. An
extraordinary flock of 13 birds passed through on 20 May 2023, five of which are shown here.
as a fine Isabelline Shrike. While the
shrike has occurred once since there has
KEV WILSON

GRAHAM CATLEY
been only one other American landbird
– a Northern Waterthrush trapped in
September 1988. A Sora was another
remarkable transatlantic vagrant in
March 2006.
The reserve has recorded more than
30 Lincolnshire firsts. As well as those
mentioned above, others have included
River Warbler, Calandra Lark, Pied
Wheatear and Pine Bunting. The most
recent additions have been Isabelline
Wheatear and Western Bonelli’s
Warbler – the latter turning up the day
after an Alpine Accentor.
With so many waterbirds frequenting
the site throughout the year, it is no Red-footed Falcon has been seen on several ‘Sibes’ appear regularly in autumn at
surprise that the list of rare wildfowl, occasions, including this smart juvenile in Gibraltar Point. This Hume’s Leaf Warbler
September 2018. gave great views in October 2003.
waders and terns is extensive. For
example, shorebird visitors over the
DICK LAMBERT

years include Collared and Black-
winged Pratincoles, two Long-billed
Dowitchers, Greater and two Lesser
Yellowlegs, two Wilson’s Phalaropes,
two Terek and several Broad-billed
Sandpipers, and numerous Kentish
Plovers. Terns have included three
White-winged, two Whiskered, two
Gull-billed, several Caspian and two
‘orange-billed’ species.
Visiting the reserve
Situated 5 km south of the popular
resort of Skegness, the reserve is open
daily and attracts 200,000 visitors
annually. Gibraltar Road leads to two
Coast Path will connect Skegness with
The Wash banks through the reserve,
affording great coastal views. Presently,
8 km of mostly easy-access footpath
bisects the site. Six hides look out on
to the coastal lagoons and the Wash
Viewpoint overlooks the Steeping
Haven, marshes and flats extending into
The Wash.
There is free admission to the visitor
centre, café and nature centre, where
staff and volunteers are on hand to
provide information. Accommodation is Arguably the site’s most famous rarity
widely available at hotels, B&Bs, holiday was this super American Redstart, which
cottages and caravan parks around lingered for almost a month after it was
Skegness. ■ found on 5 November 1982.

car parks for which there is a daily

charge. A shared cycle track and
footpath runs parallel to the road for Further information
much of the route. • Find out more at lincstrust.org.uk/gibraltar-point and
gibraltarpointbirdobservatory.blogspot.com
When officially open, the England • Kev Wilson can be contacted at KWilson@lincstrust.co.uk

42 Birdwatch•January 2024 www.birdguides.com

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DAN BROWN RARITIES
Progress through failure
A brisk, mild, westerly breeze whips in
and a flash of yellow and blue passes
you. Your mind is already racing and
your heart rate has upped its tempo
with thoughts of Canada or Magnolia
Warbler. The bird reappears through
a tangle of blackthorn, lichens and
bramble. It’s a Blue Tit.
And thus, the story of my – and likely
many other people’s – autumn 2023
was played out. If you twitched, it was a
year to remember, full of many mouth-
wateringly good species and much-
wanted ticks. But for the rarity finder, it
was tough going unless you were one of
a very lucky few.
Rewind to September. I was in the
Isles of Scilly, happily introducing my
wife to the archipelago. Each island
has its own character, all have ample
amounts of habitat and cover and the
prospect of finding something exciting
seems to lurk within every Pittosporum
hedge, along the edge of every enclosed
field and in every patch of bracken
and gorse. Our timing was great yet
simultaneously unlucky. The weather
was perfect – too perfect. The dream of
finding an American passerine or wader,
or even any scarcity, had slowly faded
away as the high pressure stabilised and
the consumption of cream teas and
46 Birdwatch•January 2024
While megas were appearing all over Britain and Ireland
during September 2023, Dan Brown was fervently scouring
bushes in Cornwall. Despite much effort, he came away
empty handed, and here he reflects on what the autumn
has taught him about finding rarities.
deliciously good pints of cider increased the coast of North America, the perfect
(to the insightful, the latter two reasons storm was tracking our way. I knew this
could be construed as major inhibitors would bring gold from the west.
to finding rarities). Still, it was a holiday.
While we had enjoyed finding a couple Excitement builds
of Wrynecks and seeing plenty of Over the first six days of our holiday,
common migrants, the highlight had birding had been pretty low-key, but the
been a Solar-powered Sea Slug (yes, it’s a weather had changed for our final day.
thing and it’s very cool!). Overnight the remnants of Hurricane
The weather forecast was always in Lee had made landfall, bringing with it
the back of my mind and knowing that rain and strong winds, but by 9.30 am it
we had a further six days in Cornwall, had cleared and I had six hours to pull
where we would be spending some something amazing out of the bag on St
quality birding time with James Eaton, Mary’s before the Scillonian sailed. I felt
allowed me to relax more during this confident. We birded hard and worked
lean period on the islands and hope the area around Longstone and Holy
that the mainland would deliver. Now Vale, seeing far more Reed Warblers
I mention the weather forecast as, like than had previously been reported,
many birders, this is something I check not to mention Spotted and Pied
with addictive regularity, refreshing Flycatchers, a few phylloscs and several
apps such as Windy and hoping for Yellow Wagtails – sadly, these were to be
the appearance of a deep, fast-moving only yellow birds we saw that day.
depression on the charts to illicit my next Then, news broke of an American
endorphin release. And there it was. Off Cliff Swallow over Little Porth – exactly
www.birdguides.com
ANNIE SPRATT

DAN BROWN
The Isles of Scilly always provides plenty of promise, but the volume of cover to work is Solar-powered Sea Slug was one of the
challenging. This is St Martin’s, one of the less vegetated islands. highlights of Dan’s Scilly excursion.
DAN BROWN

DAN BROWN

The skulking behaviour and suboptimal habitat choice of the Red-eyed Shetland was hard going in October 2023 for many birders, but at
Vireo at Land’s End had Dan reconsidering his birding methods. least an influx of Continental Coal Tits kept things ticking over.

Facing page: Kenidjack Valley, Cornwall, in
September 2023. Despite seemingly being
perfectly positioned for the epic fall, no
American landbirds were found here.
where we had been 24 hours previously.
This only spurred us on. We kept
working through Porth Hellick and
towards Lower Moors, now passing
birders in search of the swallow. Where
these birders had come from, I have
no idea, as up until that point we had
only seen two others in six days! As we
gravitated towards Hugh Town Quay
the realisation set in that we weren’t
going to set the birding world alight on
St Mary’s, but maybe something would
fly alongside us on the Scillonian …
It didn’t! But, much like the outward
journey to the islands, the return trip
reflected the unprecedented abundance
of more southerly seabirds associated
with the marine heatwave. Hope was
not lost, though. We had departed Scilly
www.birdguides.com
but gone straight to very westernmost found megas continued to grow as
tip of Cornwall. The front had passed if reading the index of the Sibley
and we knew that potential was still Guide: Bay-breasted, Black-and-white
very high. News of Alder Flycatcher and Tennessee Warblers, Bobolink,
and Magnolia Warbler in south-west Baltimore Oriole and more American
Wales broke. Birds really had arrived Cliff Swallows! With each new mega
and if there were megas in Wales, then alert, we felt a flush of hope that
surely Cornwall had to be in on the maybe it would be our turn next, but
action. After catching up with James simultaneously wondered what the heck
we formulated a plan of attack for the were we doing wrong.
morning. And so, these emotional highs and
At dawn we headed out to work lows oscillated as flocks of vireos arrived
the area around Porthgwarra. Thick on Barra, Britain’s first Canada Warbler
hedgerows, ploughed fields, nettle graced the eyeballs of Toby Phelps,
patches, withy beds, fuchsia, stunted who had also located Britain’s third
elms, gorse, bracken, pasture – you Magnolia Warbler, and news came
name it, this spot had it. There had to through of Northern Parula, Ovenbird,
be something good in there. Several more Tennessees and more Red-eyed
hours and two Firecrests later and the Vireos … that ‘perfect storm’ really had
symptoms of despondency had already delivered an incredible number and
started to show. Even a Southern diversity of American vagrants. News of
Migrant Hawker dragonfly that James a Red-eyed Vireo at Land’s End lifted
had found a few days previously had our spirits and I was intrigued to see
seemingly gone. The list of newly what habitat it was frequenting. ❯
Birdwatch•January 2024 47
DAN BROWN RARITIES

Where to start?! There is so much fantastic-looking migrant habitat on the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall, but birding in such extensive areas of scrub
is a real challenge and it would be very easy to overlook an elusive vagrant here, no matter how intensively you worked such spots.
DAN BROWN

On arrival, I was gobsmacked to

find it in stunted willow bushes right
on the coast. It was spending most
of its time just above ground level in
the densest of vegetation and loosely
associating with a mixed group of tits
(bearing in mind the swathes of taller
scrub, mature trees and woodland
in close proximity). This meant two
things for me: firstly, that my search
image of ‘good habitat’ might not
always be right and that any patch of
cover would be an island of hope for a
freshly arrived vagrant; and secondly,
that these birds can be ridiculously
skulking and vanish for extended
periods even in well-watched areas. In
other words, my previous feeling that
we had thoroughly worked patches
might not always, or ever, be the case.
Thinking it over
At the end of six days in Cornwall
we had failed, but we weren’t the
only ones. In fact, the vast majority
of those out birding during that week
failed to find any American landbirds.
“These birds are mega for a reason,” I
told myself. The ‘post-match’ analysis
of such exceptional events can be
insightful in understanding why it
happened and what we, as birders, can
do next time to maximise our chances
of uncovering a North American
landbird.
At the time we felt we were perfectly
placed to witness the arrival of
American passerines and undoubtedly
we had a higher chance than the
majority of birders. But maybe West
Cornwall isn’t as good as it should be?
Or maybe the conditions for the arrival
were exceptionally narrow? In late
By contrast, the isolated gardens of Shetland are comparatively straightforward to work, and it’s
easier to feel confident that you’ve seen all the migrants present when habitat is restricted.
September, the Isles of Scilly produced
Black-and-white Warbler, Northern
Parula, four Bobolinks and a Red-eyed
Vireo, with West Cornwall hosting a
Black-and-white Warbler and two Red-
eyed Vireos.
Does the Isles of Scilly have a
shadowing effect, potentially ‘catching’
birds before they hit the mainland?
Maybe, but mainland Cornwall is
also huge with vast areas of cover and
proportionately fewer observers. These
two factors combined are likely to
substantially contribute to the apparent
paucity of American passerines on
the mainland, but it does still feel like
that area doesn’t deliver as many good
Nearctic landbirds as it should.
Synoptic charts provide us with
snapshots of atmospheric conditions
over a wide geographical area at any
given time. In this case we could observe
the development of Hurricane Lee and
arrival of its aftermath on our shores,
and specifically the distribution of warm
fronts. It is widely accepted that warm
fronts offer more favourable conditions
for migrating birds. When Lee made
landfall, two warm fronts hit the UK:
one square into south-west Wales and a
second through the edge of Northern
Ireland and the west coast of Scotland
up to Barra. Both of these coincided
with the majority of Nearctic arrivals.
It may stand to reason that if one
American vagrant is detected in an
area then there may be others close by,
as was demonstrated in 2023 in South
Wales, Bardsey and Barra, and also in
2022 with two Myrtle Warblers only a
few hundred metres apart in Shetland
(as well as on numerous other occasions
in the past). It is possible that multi-bird
arrivals could occur as ship-assisted
birds depart their vessel on sight of
land, as had been mooted for the
Anglesey catbird and Red-eyed Vireo,
but the abundance and distribution of
birds in 2023 clearly point to natural,
wind-assisted arrivals.

48 Birdwatch•January 2024 www.birdguides.com

DAN BROWN
Despite its luminous plumage, the American Yellow Warbler at Hoswick, Shetland, could be quite elusive in the sycamore foliage at times. It may
not have been a find, but Dan felt that studying its behaviour and habitat preferences was educational with future autumns in mind.
The glorious north
Of course, birding in luxuriant Cornish
valleys and the subtropical Isles of Scilly
is a very different experience to birding
the far north of the UK. By mid-
October I had relocated to Shetland for
a few days. Unlike Cornwall, the habitat
patches are generally small, sometimes
tiny, and often comparatively easy to
work. Armed with a thermal-imaging
scope and playback, Phil Harris and I
were able to work plenty of great areas
of habitat, pulling out a good number
of common migrants, many of which
would have remained unseen without
the added technology.
In fact, this upscaling on tech really
illustrates just how many birds we
miss, even in small habitat patches.
But birding in Shetland can be tough
going. Unlike the balmy temperatures
of the Isles of Scilly, Shetland can be
brutal, cold and windswept. And there
is a distinct lack of places serving cream
teas, pints of cider or tapas lunches!
Of course, the luxuries of life are
something we must sometimes sacrifice
in pursuit of birding glory …
Personally, I find birding and rarity
hunting a much more enjoyable
experience in the north and west of
the UK. The reason? Psychology. The
many smaller patches of habitat that
the Hebrides and Northern Isles offer
provide finite areas to work. They
www.birdguides.com
also concentrate birds. I can step away
from each feeling that I have seen the
majority (if not all) of the birds in each.
The Cornish coast, on the other hand,
leaves me feeling like I’ve just gone in
for a lucky dip and left a little worse off!
While skill, knowledge and technology
will always work to your advantage
in the Cornish valleys or the dense
hedgerows of Scilly (or anywhere for
that matter), there is still a huge dose of
luck involved in finding any good bird,
especially American passerines.
On reflection
There is another factor to throw into the
mix when it comes to finding American
landbirds and that is the low abundance
of individuals that turn up each year,
as well as the presence of other, more
expected migrants. Unsurprisingly, very
few American passerines make it to
Europe. They are always going to be
rare, but the conditions that favour their
arrival – strong westerly airflows and
fast-moving westerly depressions – mean
that very few other migrants are likely to
arrive at west-coast migrant hot-spots,
in turn leaving the would-be rarity
finder searching for a needle in an often
birdless haystack. This is when mental
strength needs to kick in. You need to
keep plugging away at every patch of
habitat in the belief that something
incredibly exciting is going to appear,
and this can be tough to maintain when
you’re not seeing anything out of the
ordinary to keep you going.
After spending plenty of time birding
in some superb areas during autumn
2023, I came away with virtually
no good finds. Discovering an adult
Bonaparte’s Gull was some consolation
and a Continental Coal Tit in Shetland
was noteworthy (I’m clutching at straws
here!). It was good to see Red-eyed
Vireo and American Yellow Warbler,
if nothing else for the educational
element of these birds, their behaviours
and habitat preferences as vagrants in
Cornwall and Shetland respectively, but
I couldn’t help but mirror the feelings
of Ian Ricketts in his write-up of the
Philadelphia Vireo (Birdwatch 377: 11)
as mega news breaks at locations all
around you and the frustration mounts
to breaking point.
Finding American passerines is tough;
you need tenacity, you need to focus on
those areas hit by warm fronts and you
need a massive slice of luck. Ironically,
the only American passerine I have ever
found, a Swainson’s Thrush on Foula,
turned up on a beautifully warm south-
easterly alongside a Sykes’s Warbler
and plenty of eastern scarcities. It was
also the same day that the Fair Isle
Magnolia Warbler appeared. So, despite
everything I’ve said, maybe you don’t
need a perfect storm after all! ■
Birdwatch•January 2024 49
CHRIS VAN RIJSWIJK (AGAMI.NL) BIRD SURVEYS
T
he Heronries Census is fast
approaching its century. Dating
back to 1928 it is, as far as we
are aware, the longest-running annual
monitoring dataset for any bird in the
world. The census is currently run by
the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO)
which has managed the survey for much
of its history, although there have been
periods when it has been co-ordinated
by volunteers.
The beginning
The census predates the BTO by five
years and was originally set up as an
‘inquiry’ in British Birds magazine
in 1928. It was organised by Max
Nicholson, who went on to be involved
in founding both the BTO and the
WWF. The first heron survey was also
advertised in the national press and
records were sent in by post, with the
results being published in a paper in
British Birds written by Nicholson in
1929. A total of between 3,744 and
3,843 pairs was counted in England
and Wales.
Although initially intended to be a
one-off, some observers continued to
carry out annual counts of the numbers
of nests and report them, and the
database has continued to grow ever
since. It now holds more than 46,000
Grey Heron annual nest counts from
4,140 different colonies across the UK,
50 Birdwatch•January 2024
Heronries Census
nears its century
What may be the world’s longest continuous annual
breeding bird survey can reveal some interesting population
trends for Grey Heron over the past 96 years, and recently
its scope has increased to cover other species.
The BTO’s Ian Woodward explains.
including historical records dating back estimated population peaked in 1999 at
as far as 1769 from near Gosberton in 13,557 nests. Around half to two-thirds
south Lincolnshire. of the estimated total nests are counted
in most years, and there have been
Numbers and trends occasional more intensive survey years
The Grey Heron trend graph shows when extra effort is put into achieving
peaks and troughs, with many of the even more thorough coverage and trying
troughs being associated with periods to visit sites for which we have no recent
of severe weather, and the graph has information – these took place in 1954,
consequently been used in textbooks as 1964, 1985, 2003 and 2018. The biggest
an example of a long-term monitoring nest count came during the 2003 survey
scheme. when 10,431 nests were observed by
The Grey Heron population showed volunteers although, after taking gaps
a general upward trend throughout the in coverage into account, the estimated
20th century, with numbers recovering total of 13,550 nests in that year was
quickly after the sharp declines caused slightly lower than the 1999 population
by severe weather events, with the effect estimate of 13,557 nests.
of the infamous cold winter of 1962-63 A sharp decline occurred at the time
particularly noticeable on the UK trend of cold winters in 2008-09 and 2010-11,
graph, shown on the page opposite. The with the population estimate dropping
www.birdguides.com
 JAMES LOWEN
Facing page: A Grey Heron returns to a colony
carrying nesting material. The BTO Heronries
Census is thought to be the longest-running
annual bird survey in the world.

to around 10,000 nests. The total

has not recovered subsequently, but
instead may be continuing a shallow
decline. While the earlier increases
can possibly be linked to better
environmental protection since 1928
and improvements to water quality and
wetland habitats, it is more difficult
to explain why numbers have failed
to bounce back from the most recent
decrease.

Smaller heronries
One notable change apparent in the
Heronries Census data is that the
average size of UK colonies is getting
smaller. From the 1960s to the 1990s
the average colony size was around
14 to 15 nests, but this has dropped to
fewer than 10 nests in recent years –
see the mean colony count graph at the
bottom of this page. It is possible that
the increased use of online recording
and social media over the last decade
or so has made more people aware
of the census and enabled easier
reporting of small ‘colonies’. In some
cases, these may consist of just a single
nest present for only one or two years,
which may have escaped detection or
gone unreported in the past. However,
the proportion of large colonies (of
50 or more nests) has also decreased
substantially over the last 20 years and
it seems likely that this trend is genuine
and not just an effect of changes in
reporting.
Interestingly, France also has a
long-running colonial waterbirds
census which, while not annual, has
taken place on 10 occasions between
1962 and 2014. In France, too, there
was a similar increase in Grey Heron
Two juvenile Grey Herons sit atop their nest at a heronry in Kent. The Heronries Census has
revealed that the average size of colonies in Britain is getting smaller.
numbers over time up until the 2007
survey, but a decline of 7.86% between
2007 and 2014 (to around 29,000 pairs).
Mean colony size in France has more
than halved in a 25-year period, from an
average of more than 40 pairs of Grey
Heron at each colony in 1989 to fewer
than 20 pairs in 2014.
In a paper summarising the 2014
French census results, Loïc Marion
speculates that smaller colonies may
be enabling Grey Herons to nest closer
to their foraging areas and hence save
energy and time used in commuting.
While herons form large colonies to
breed, they tend to compete for foraging
space and hence some birds at larger
colonies may have to fly up to 10 km
or more to forage. These density-
dependent effects could potentially
influence breeding success. It seems
plausible that similar reasons may have
also prompted herons to form smaller
and more dispersed colonies here in
the UK.
Digital detectives
Online recording may mean that these
small and potentially transient colonies
are found and reported more frequently
in many areas. However, the presence
of smaller colonies is likely to make
ongoing recording of herons more
difficult in parts of the UK with smaller
human population densities and more
challenging geography, where finding
and recording heronries is already
difficult. Scotland is a prime example
of this with large areas of coniferous
woodland for breeding herons to
‘hide’ in, and relatively few birders to
find them. In some parts of Scotland
where trees are scarcer, such as in the
Hebrides, Grey Herons will sometimes
nest on cliffs or on the ground (often on
islands), this too making them harder to
track down.
Another new technology in the form
of drones could help provide a solution
to this problem (at least in conifer
woods) but that too presents its own

❯
The long-term trend of Grey Heron population abundance in Britain based on A mean colony count graph shows a decline in the size of
BTO data. British heronries.

www.birdguides.com Birdwatch•January 2024 51

ANDREW FUSEK PETERS BIRD SURVEYS

Young Grey Herons will mainly be fed fish by their parents, although occasionally birds, mammals and invertebrates will make up part of their diet.
ROBIN CHITTENDEN

challenges in the form of legalities

around flight rules and insurance,
and in the need to ensure that nesting
birds are not disturbed. If drone
usage does become more widespread
at heronries, another important
challenge will be considering how
to ensure that data collected using
drones can be made comparable with
past counts from ground level so that
the change in methodology does not
bias long-term population trends.
In order to achieve this we will need
sufficient comparative data from a
sample of colonies with both drone
counts and ground-level counts in the
same year.

New arrivals
Another big change that has
happened at heronries in the UK is
that several other species of herons
and heron-like birds have followed
Little Egret and begun to colonise
the country. This has happened very
rapidly over the last decade or so.
Indeed, the earlier colonisation by
Little Egret was also relatively recent
with the first breeding record at Poole
Harbour, Dorset, in 1996, and hence
many birders will still be able to
remember the time when Little Egret
was a national rarity.
As well as Grey Heron, the
Heronries Census records all other
species of colonial waterbirds
nesting at heronries, including
Great Cormorant. Records of rarer
species are kept confidential and
are shared with the Rare Breeding
Birds Panel (RBBP) for its annual
Grey Heron is a distinctive species with grey, black and white plumage, as well as a yellow bill
and legs. The large size and long legs make this species unmistakable.
report. Reporting scarcer species to
the census, as well as to the RBBP,
will be potentially important in the
future as these species become more
widespread, enabling population
estimates to be produced using
Heronries Census data. The BTO is
currently assessing Little Egret data
and hopes to begin to publish census
trends and population estimates for
that species soon.
These new arrivals have made
the census much more exciting for
many volunteers, but this too presents
additional challenges. Grey Herons
are relatively easy to count at many
sites (at least in deciduous woods!) as
they are usually highly visible in the
canopy and begin nesting very early
in the season prior to leaf growth.
Little Egrets, in contrast, usually
start nesting later in the season and
(anecdotally) often nest lower down
in the understorey. Hence, despite
their bright white plumage, it can
be very difficult to prove breeding
and potentially even more difficult
to make an accurate count of the
number of nests at a site.
The other rare species also
often start nesting later than Grey
Herons and in some cases may
form separate colonies in different
habitats away from other species, for
example Great Egrets in reedbeds.
Some Heronries Census volunteers

52 Birdwatch•January 2024 www.birdguides.com

STEVE ABBOTT
In recent decades, Little Egret has established itself as a breeding bird in Britain. Nesting pairs
will often be found in Grey Heron colonies.
ED STUBBS
The future of the Heronries Census may see changes as newly colonised species, such as
Eurasian Spoonbill, require monitoring later in the season.
currently carry out a single visit in
mid- to late March, which may be
sufficient to get an accurate count of
Grey Heron nests but may be missing
breeding activity by other species. In
order to robustly monitor egrets and
other species in the future, additional
and longer visits may be needed in
April and May, at a time when many
volunteers will be involved in other
breeding surveys. Volunteers may also
need to consider the possible effects of
disturbance more carefully as scarcer
species become more widespread. The
BTO, in conjunction with the RBBP,
has produced a set of guidelines for
census volunteers to use to help them
consider this tricky problem.
www.birdguides.com
Grey Heron for foraging or nesting
locations, and it seems inconceivable
that this species could have impacted
on Grey Heron abundance.
On the other hand, there are a
few anecdotal examples suggesting
that cormorants can sometimes
cause Grey Herons to move away
from individual colonies, but again
there is no clear evidence of direct
population effects. Any displaced
herons are likely to simply move
elsewhere, and the increases in inland
breeding cormorant numbers from
the 1980s onwards did not coincide
with decreases in the Grey Heron
population. Other potential drivers
which could possibly explain the
lack of a recovery include increased
predation, increased disturbance and
changes to foraging habitats, but these
are all speculative and there is no
evidence to point towards any of these
possible factors.
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza
(HPAI) has been confirmed in a small
number of herons, but this arrived
in the UK after the population had
already been static for some time.
The fact that (as yet) Grey Heron
populations have not declined further
since the arrival of HPAI suggests
that, hopefully, they will not be
affected as severely as many seabird
species have been.
With the arrival of egrets and
Eurasian Spoonbills, and the possible
future use of new technologies, the
current Heronries Census is a far cry
from the one-off survey proposed by
Max Nicholson in 1928. If it is to
continue and remain relevant, it will
need to grapple with new challenges
as it moves towards and past its
centenary, and also consider how its
data can be used to support ongoing
monitoring and conservation of
herons and other waterbirds. ■
The future
The welcome increases in the variety
of colonial nesting waterbirds could Reference
• Marion, L. 2021. Dixième recensement
potentially increase competition national des colonies de Héron Cendré Ardea
for resources for Grey Heron in the cinerea en France en 2014 et comparaison
future, but there is no evidence so avec celui de 2007. Alauda 89: 29-38.
far suggesting that such competition
might be affecting this species at a
population level and be the reason
why Grey Heron numbers have The Heronries Census:
failed to recover from their recent find out more or take part
decline. Although most of the species • At www.bto.org/heronries you can read about
are increasing rapidly, they are still the Heronries Census and view the Annual
relatively restricted in range and only Summary Reports.
• Please view our sites map at app.bto.org/
Little Egret is more widespread and colonies/public/vacant-sites.jsp to look for
hence able to affect Grey Heron at a vacant sites or, if you know of a heronry near
population level. However, as a smaller you, to check whether or not we are aware of it.
species it is unlikely to compete with
Birdwatch•January 2024 53
EXPERT REVIEWS THERMAL IMAGING

Your trusted guide to what’s new in birding: www.birdguides.com/reviews

REVIEWS
Red hot!
RAPIDLY gaining ground and
enjoying growing credibility in
the birding community, thermal-
imaging devices are now being
used for a variety of purposes,
ranging from nocturnal surveys As thermal-imaging devices continue their advance on the birding
and ringing to locating specific
birds in the field during the hours
optics market, Mike Alibone compares and contrasts four key
of daylight. models from the ZEISS DTI range.
ZEISS has been producing
thermal-imaging monoculars
since autumn 2020. More
REVIEW
recently, in July 2023, it expanded
the range to include the four
models reviewed here.
ZEISS DTI 1/25, 3/25 G2, 4/35 and
These models were initially
developed for hunters to track 6/40 thermal-imaging cameras
and identify animals at night but,
as recent sales have proven, their
ability to locate hidden birds and
other animals during the day has
shifted their balance of use and
more generally broadened their
appeal to wildlife enthusiasts.
The three smaller models
(1/25, 3/25 G2 and 4/35),
developed by ZEISS but
manufactured in China, are all
similarly sized and follow the
same basic design. While the
complexity associated with the
understanding of functionality
and field use in thermal-imaging
products sits high above ZEISS has recently released four new thermal-
imaging cameras. Illustrated here are the DTI 4/35
conventional optics, these three
(left) and the DTI 6/40.
models are simple to operate,
making them easy to use – so
much so that the learning Each model is solidly built, model which has a removeable The 6/40 lacks this wheel,
process can be quickly achieved rubber-armoured above and battery that can be independently instead offering a more
intuitively in the field, even below in the areas in contact with placed in a charger (not supplied). conventional dioptre adjustment
before referring to any printed the user’s hands. There is little Rubber stoppers seal the ports in the form of a rotating ring
instructions. variation in weight between the when not in use but it should around the ocular, the solid
Manufactured in Germany, the three smaller models but at 755 be noted that all models are eyecup twisting out to click-lock
larger DTI 6/40 is a different g, the 6/40 is more than twice designed to be weather resistant positively in three positions above
animal entirely, offering a greater as heavy as the 1/25, making it but not completely waterproof. the base setting in the same
level of functionality, as well as a necessary to use two hands to On the left side of the body and manner as most binoculars.
higher digital magnification, the hold it steady when viewing. All close to the ocular of each of the The three small models have
latter arguably putting it on a par models are equipped with screw three smaller models, there is a soft rubber-contoured eyecups
with many everyday binoculars. ports on the underside, enabling milled wheel with a small finger which are shaped to block out
Irrespective of magnification, them to be used with a tripod. protrusion, which effectively acts any intrusive side light and these
though, the images produced Close to these are the ports as a dioptre and allows sharp, are very comfortable against the
by all four models are heat- which double for connecting positive focusing of the internal eye. All have a non-removeable
related and effectively electronic. each one, via a USB cable, to a screen. Focusing on the subject tethered rubber objective cap,
Therefore, they are in no way computer or a charging plug. The in view is achieved by rotating which is pleasingly flexible and
comparable to those delivered by 6/40’s port is located on the a milled, rubber-covered wheel does not flip up to impede vision
conventional optics. side of the body and it is the only around the objective lens. when hanging below the lens.

56 Birdwatch•January 2024 www.birdguides.com

 THIS MONTH’S EXPERT PANEL INCLUDES:
MIKE ALIBONE is
Birdwatch’s Optics
Editor. He has been
testing binoculars
and telescopes for
more than 20 years.
The controls are located
along the top of the body and,
with the exception of the on/
off button, all are slightly raised,
responding positively to single-
finger contact, even when wearing
gloves. Working from the distal
end, situated immediately behind
the objective lens is the on/
off button, behind which is the
shutter button – a single press of
which captures an image, while
a longer press initiates video
recording. It is also possible to
capture single images during
recording with a further single
press.
Two adjacent ‘arrow’ buttons
sit behind the shutter, allowing
the user to toggle backward and
forward between the different
values of digital magnification.
Behind these sits the button
controlling the viewing mode
and for accessing the on-screen
menu, scrolling and selections
from which are made by using the
‘arrow’ buttons.
The controls on the 6/40 are
slightly different insomuch as a
recessed, milled wheel rotates
to adjust the magnification, in
units of 0.5x from 2.5x to 10x
but more finely between 1x and
2.2x, and the button for camera
operation sits immediately behind
the ocular. Furthermore, the mode
button, when held down, opens
up the on-screen menu which can
be scrolled by rotating the above
wheel, while items to be adjusted
are selected by depressing the
mode button. Images taken
with this model can also be
viewed immediately afterwards
without having to port them to
a connected device such as a
computer or mobile phone.
The menu varies from fairly
basic choices in the smallest
of the models to a rather wider
and more variable offering in the
6/40. Adjustments can be made
to image brightness, contrast,
scene, viewing-mode calibration,
hot tracking and connectivity via
Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, while system
details can be viewed for the
model being used.
Eight choices of viewing mode
are those most likely to be
toggled between and these are
www.birdguides.com
KEITH BETTON
is Chairman of
the Hampshire
Ornithological Society
and previously served
as Hampshire County
Recorder.
White Hot, Black Hot, Red Hot,
Rainbow, Red Hue, Green Hue,
Dark Hue and Night Eye. When
using any of these devices at
night, users should be aware
that they are likely to suffer from
‘black eye’ or temporary partial
blindness in one eye through
looking at a bright screen in a
dark environment. The last four
of these colour modes were
specially developed to reduce the
glare of the screen and relieve
eye strain.
Mode can be selected
depending on habitat and viewing
conditions – such as fog in the
6/40 – as well as on personal
preferences. Red Hot is my
‘go-to’ choice across the models
as, to my eye, it shows up the
greatest contrast between the
source of heat and an otherwise
monochrome background. In this
respect, it was interesting to see
the different heat signatures
given off by different birds. As
well as being able to detect
Eurasian Coots in and behind
areas of Phragmites, it also
revealed their hottest parts were
their heads. Nearby Gadwall,
however, appeared to be almost
uniformly hot.
Other birds were detectable in
near darkness. Using the 4/35
on the lowest magnification,
Redwings roosting in a thick
hedge were clearly visible at
60 m, while hares bounding about
in a rough field and invisible
to the naked eye were also
clearly identifiable. The screen
also showed the differentiation
between a Barn Owl and a
Model DTI 1/25
Price £1,650
Size (mm) 175x57x62
Weight (g) 360
Detection range (m) 1,320
Optical Magnification 2.5x
Digital Magnification 4x
Field of view (m at 100 m) 18
Close focus (m) 2.5
Sensor resolution 384x288
Pixel pitch (μm) 12
NETD value (mK) ≤35
Internal memory (GB) 8 32
Display resolution 1280x960
Battery run time (hours) 6.5
Ingress protection rating IP65
Guarantee (years) 2 2
ALAN TILMOUTH ROB HUME began
is part of the watching birds as a
BirdGuides news child. He worked for
team and runs the RSPB for many
Northumberland years and has written
Guided Bird Walks. several books.
Each of the eight choices of viewing mode offers its own colour scheme
for ‘seeing’ heat. These can be quickly toggled between and it’s down to
individual preference as to which the operator chooses to use.
Short-eared Owl which were both intended primary use. Unless you
hunting at dusk in the same area. are a serious hunter or continually
White Hot and Black Hot also undertaking surveys, where
stood out as offering pleasing perfection is paramount, then the
alternatives in a different investment in the top-of-the-range
dimension to Red Hot and I also 6/40 represents an unnecessarily
like the ‘hot tracking’ menu high expense for even the
option – a red square which keenest birder.
moves across the screen, homing For simple detection by day,
in on sources of heat within the the three smaller models are
viewfinder. I was not impressed perfectly adequate, the 4/35 to
with Rainbow as I felt it was my eyes offering the best images.
too gaudy and completely over However, even this model is
the top. On several occasions expensive considering it is not
I experienced ‘screen freeze’, mainstream birding equipment.
which necessitated turning off the That said, all models deliver a
power and rebooting. pleasing user experience.
It’s worth mentioning that Each is supplied with a soft
this device allows smartphone carry case and strap plus neck
connection, from which the strap and USB connection lead for
camera can be operated remotely. viewing images on a laptop and
While thermal-imaging devices charging. The two-year guarantee
occupy an important niche, at can be extended to three years by
the end of the day the choice of registering the product within four
model very much depends on its weeks of purchase. ■
DTI 3/25 G2 DTI 4/35 DTI 6/40
£1,900 £2,850 £4,250
187x60x65 193x60x65 228x69x73
410 430 755
930 1,845 2,000
1.7x 2x 1.5x
4x 4x 10x
26 26 19
1 1.2 3
384x288 640x512 640x480
17 12 12
≤35 ≤25 ≤35
32 16
1024x768 1024x768 1024x768
8 7 6.5
IP66 IP66 IP67
2 2
Birdwatch•January 2024 57
EXPERT REVIEWS BOOKS
THERE are quite a few books
exploring the relationship
between birds and poetry,
and this one first appeared
from Batsford in 1976. I don’t
have a copy of that book, but
know it was much smaller and
perhaps not illustrated. In his
time, Samuel Carr edited many
poetry anthologies covering all
kinds of subjects including the
countryside, flowers and cats.
He was also the editor of Hymns
as Poetry.
This latest version has been
created using many images
by the French-American artist
John James Audubon. All of
these came from his The Birds
of America, produced between
1827 and 1838, by which
time he was in his forties and
becoming hugely successful.
Today his original lithographs are
much sought-after, particularly
in the US, but his art is widely
available in books such as
this one.
The examples of poetry used
were written by some of the
best-known poets, including
Blake, Chaucer, Coleridge, Hardy,
River of plenty
WALKING along the River
Nene in Northamptonshire and
observing how birds and other
wildlife change through the
seasons is not something most
people would consider a chore.
While the mile-long stretch
between Cotterstock and
Oundle might perhaps seem
an undistinguished segment of
the English countryside, with
58 Birdwatch•January 2024
Birds and verse
Keats, Milton, Shakespeare
and Wordsworth. More modern
poets are also featured,
including Ted Hughes and
Laurie Lee.
The publisher has tried to
match Audubon’s images to
illustrate appropriate poems.
There are some successes and
also a few failures. Audubon
did paint a great image of Sooty
the right guide all of life can be
seen to be contained within it.
That guide has revealed
himself in the form of Nick
Penny, a locally based musician
and sound recordist who has
walked the same paths and
banks for 40 years or more.
Solitary walks by a well-
wooded, slow-moving river allow
for quiet reflection and intimate
encounters with animals, as
most birders will know. Penny’s
detailed observations and
philosophical and historical
musings fill this gentle book,
which seems to walk at its own
pace through the gradually
changing seasons. Many
memorable scenes in local
villages and their surrounding
countryside are described as
the Common Nightingales and
other migrants arrive and leave,
but it is the resident species
that feature most prominently.
One consistent element
of the local avifauna is its
kingfishers, a bird associated
with calm in Greek mythology.
As Penny perambulates, it is
“The examples
of poetry used
were written
by some of the
best-known
poets, including
Blake, Chaucer,
Coleridge, Hardy,
Keats, Milton ...”
Albatross but, instead of using
that, his painting of a Roseate
Spoonbill is used to illustrate
Charles Baudelaire’s poem, ‘The
Albatross’. Incidentally, although
there is a poem included by
Samuel Taylor Coleridge, his
famous ‘Rime of the Ancient
More info
■ The Poetry of Birds edited by Samuel Carr (Batsford, 2023).
■ 192 pages; many colour illustrations.
■ ISBN: 9781849948357. Hbk, £14.99.
the kingfisher’s whistling calls
that accompany us as they
shoot along the river, dive
from low branches and feed
their young – halcyon days,
indeed. Humans also feature
in his journeys, with copious
references to literature and
culture ranging from Carl Jung
to Shakespeare to Whistle
Down the Wind and Wind in the
Willows, and snippets of local
history dotted throughout.
Observations of boaters and
visitors to the Kingfisher Café
add relatable touches, their
movements almost as tied to
the seasons as the animals.
Those seasons become truly
palpable as the author relates
his weekly pilgrimages.
Penny’s recordings of his
musical compositions often
feature his high-quality wildlife
recordings complemented by
More info
■ Call of the Kingfisher by Nick Penny (Bradt Guides, 2023).
■ 248 pages.
■ ISBN: 9781804691113 (Pbk; £9.99); 9781804692004 (eBook; £7.99).
Mariner’ (in which an albatross
is shot) is not included. Gerard
Manley Hopkins wrote ‘The
Windhover’ to celebrate the
flying skills of Common Kestrel.
Despite Audubon having
illustrated American Kestrel
in his book, the image for
Rough-legged Buzzard is used. A
missed opportunity.
To be fair to the publishers,
this book is not aimed at
birders, and if you love poetry,
you are not going to worry too
much about the ornithological
accuracy. My point really is that
with a bit more effort (and by
talking to a birder) they could
have matched things up better.
At 14x20 cm it would make a
nice gift for a poetry lover, but
perhaps not for the nit-picky
birder! Keith Betton
his Paraguayan harp and hand
pan playing, but numerous
unaccompanied bird sounds
are available to readers
of the book through a QR
code or directly on the Bradt
website, providing even more
atmosphere. Better known for
producing travel guides, the
publisher’s more recent forays
into nature writing are proving
popular and this reflective
stroll through an English rural
year can only help build that
reputation. David Callahan
“Penny’s
compositions
often feature
his high-quality
wildlife recordings
complemented by
his Paraguayan
harp and hand
pan playing”
www.birdguides.com

APPROACH this newly updated
version of The Life of Birds with
caution, for it may do funny
things to you. Perhaps, like me,
you’ll find it impossible not to
hear the voice of the author,
Sir David Attenborough, reciting
the text in his iconic measured
tone. Each time I sat down
and opened the book it was
almost as if the man himself,
who has probably done more
than any other to bring nature
into our living rooms, had been
transported to sit by my side
like an old friend and read out
loud.
Whisper his name and it is
akin to invoking the human
equivalent of Everest, such are
the heights of the esteem in
which he is held. It is now a
quarter of a century since The
Life of Birds was first shown
on our television screens and
brought the incredible array of
colour, sound and behaviour
from our feathered friends
worldwide to life.
Think of this volume as a
collection of short avian stories,
each distinctive and offering
an opportunity to learn a little
more using certain species as
examples to understand the
“The stories
Attenborough
weaves in The
Life of Birds are
some of the most
wondrous that
he has told”
THIS attractive book manages
to be different, offering details
of 13 species in an imaginative
and inclusive way. Each
species is dealt with under the
subheadings of history and
current situation, description
and behaviour, habitat and
breeding, an individual person’s
story and where to see them.
It is not intended to be a
comprehensive handbook, but
to give enough to stimulate
further interest and offer plenty
of fascinating information,
whether on the birds’ place in
myths and culture or on their
biology and conservation. In
fact, the amount of information
packed in is impressive. The
plentiful photographs include
many stunners, too.
www.birdguides.com
BBC
Extraordinary lives
wider behaviour of birds. My
only gripe is that I would have
preferred the species names to
be capitalised.
This new release trumpets
the ‘64 colour pages of nature
photography’, though for me it
is not the images that capture
the imagination in this volume
but Attenborough’s words, or
rather the passion and curiosity
embedded like subliminal
messaging in each paragraph.
Of course, we know now, with
the benefit of hindsight, that
Attenborough is perhaps the
finest nature storyteller of our
age and the stories he weaves
in The Life of Birds are some of
the most wondrous that he has
told. The juxtaposition of the
familiar with the exotic and the
plain with the fancy throughout
the book transport the humble
An ode to raptors
The stories, some quite
long, provided by various
contributors, range from
watching Peregrines on
St Albans Cathedral and
observations of Merlins in
Orkney to encounters with
Eurasian Sparrowhawks in
Norfolk and a Golden Eagle
on Mull. This is a neat idea
that adds a bit of reality and
individual viewpoints to the
More info
■ The Secret Life of Birds of Prey by Chloé Valerie Harmsworth (White Owl, 2023).
■ 168 pages.
■ ISBN: 9781399093248. Hbk, £25.
reader across continents and
back to their suburban garden,
all the while offering insight into
birds in an unparalleled way.
The Life of Birds isn’t a
book for birders, scientists or
photographers – it’s a book for
all of us. It helps us to share
in the wonder and understand
a little more about the amazing
lives of the creatures that fly
free all around us. It should be
compulsory reading in every
school in every corner of our
planet. Take the plunge on
this book and invite Sir David
into your house – you won’t be
disappointed. Alan Tilmouth
More info Bookshop
from
■ The Life of Birds by David Attenborough (HarperCollins, 2023). £23.99
■ 320 pages.
■ ISBN: 9780008638955. Hbk, £25.
book. Indeed, at a time when
scientific papers seem to get
ever more impenetrable while
popular offerings sometimes
become too superficial, the
whole book is well written
and accessible, and looks a
treat. It deserves to get a lot
of attention and should help
influence attitudes to birds of
prey for the better. Which is its
main aim, after all. Rob Hume
Birdwatch•January 2024 59
 EXPERT ADVICE BEHIND THE LENS
The best tips, advice and more
www.birdguides.com
BEHIND THE LENS
ALL PHOTOS: KIT DAY
Shooting angle
WHEN out in the field you’ve
probably seen other birders
crawling on the ground while
photographing a bird, often
getting sopping wet and filthy in
the process, and probably ruining
a perfectly good pair of trousers.
You might be wondering
whether this kind of behaviour
really makes enough difference
to the images to be worthwhile.
That’s up to the individual (and
maybe how much the trousers
were worth), but the benefit of
getting as close as you can to
the same level as your subject
60 Birdwatch•January 2024
ADVICE
cannot be underestimated.
Firstly, it provides the best
angle on the bird itself. A photo
showing off the front or side
of the bird is preferable to one
looking down on top of it or
looking up underneath it. With a
bird high up in a tree there are
a couple of things you can think
about to improve the angle – in
addition to extending your tripod
as high as you can and standing
on tiptoes, of course. While it
might make the bird smaller in
the frame, standing further away
will improve the angle. If you
gu
ird id
www.b
es. o m
BONUS
ONLINE
c
CONTENT
sometimes use a teleconverter,
this is a good way to improve the
size of the bird in the frame to
mitigate against the impact of
moving further back. Retreating
might also mean you can
improve the background; foliage,
a hillside or even a building
is often an improvement on a
bright sky, particularly in overcast
conditions.
The angle can make an even
bigger difference to your images
when photographing birds on
the ground. Shooting from as
low an angle as possible gives
THIS MONTH’S PANEL
AMY ROBJOHNS
is a patchbirder, ecologist
and Assistant Recorder for
the Hampshire Ornithological
Society.
MATT PHELPS has spent the
best part of 15 years working
in various forms of land
management, including as a
head gardener.
KIT DAY is a Suffolk-
based birder who has been
photographing wildlife at home
and abroad for more than two
decades.
CHRIS HARBARD
spent many years at the RSPB
and is now a tour leader, writer
and editor. He lives in Arizona,
USA, and travels widely.
1
a ‘bird’s-eye view’ – if not in the
conventional sense! It provides
a more intimate picture of the
world from the perspective of
the bird. Photographing from
a lower angle reduces the
amount of clutter in the plane
of focus around the bird, giving
a more diffuse background and
helping to keep distractions to a
minimum.
Getting low to the ground also
makes you appear smaller; it’s
amazing how close birds will
come without people standing
up, silhouetted against the
www.birdguides.com
1. Migrating flocks of Red-footed
Falcons love telephone wires. It
was possible to get nice and close 2a
to the birds by using the car as a
mobile hide, but this meant being
almost underneath them, which
resulted in unsatisfactory images.
As this photo shows, the angle
was improved by moving away and
adding a converter to keep the
bird a good size in the frame.
2a and 2b. Lying on a beach
can be quite cold and messy
when you’re trying to photograph
wintering waders around Britain’s
coasts, but it does mean you
can get a low angle on birds like
Bar-tailed Godwit. This gives a
wonderfully out-of-focus foreground
and background to isolate the
subject (2a). By comparison,
image 2b was taken from the car
nearby. The slightly higher angle
means the ripples on the water
and mud on the shore affect the
image more significantly.
3. This Glossy Ibis in the Isles
of Scilly in October 2023 spent
its time poking around a plastic- 2b
covered field – not pleasant for
photographs! A low angle (inset)
at least meant I could get a more
natural-looking background and
keep the white plastic in the shot
to a minimum.

skyline. Lying in the dirt isn’t

for everyone, and crouching or
sitting can also bring significant
benefits to your images and
how close you can get to the
bird. If you have an articulating
screen on your camera, you
can use that to compose your
shots rather than performing
contortions to look through the
viewfinder, and still get that
super-low angle without the
discomfort.
Sometimes it’s preferable
to be a little higher up. For
example, if there’s some
lumpy ground or vegetation 3
between you and the bird that
is obscuring its legs, you’ll want
to raise the angle a bit to keep
as much of your subject visible
as possible. There’s also the
background to consider. For
example, in certain parts of
my garden I don’t want to be
too low to the ground as an
unphotogenic shed will be visible
behind the bird; an extra foot
of height means I can keep the
background as grass.
Of course, sometimes there’s
not much you can do about the
angle. When taking flight shots,
shooting from a reserve hide or
from the car, or the bird is high
up or at ground level and very
close, you just have to take what
you can get! That said, when
the option is there, a change of
angle can make a big difference
to your bird photos. Kit Day

www.birdguides.com Birdwatch•January 2024 61

EXPERT ADVICE PHOTO TARGET • YOUR PHOTOS • IN THE GARDEN

IT’S turning out to be the

best Waxwing winter for a
long time and an irruption
PHOTO TARGET ... JANUARY
of these photogenic birds is
always extremely popular with
photographers.
A classic shot depicts a bird
perched on an isolated branch
of a rowan or other berry tree,
tossing a berry into the air,
ready to gulp it down. Keeping a
fast shutter speed and narrow
aperture is a good idea for
freezing the action. It can be
difficult to choose an individual
bird to focus on as the feeding
frenzy descends, but prioritising
the lower branches of the tree to
get the best angle is a sensible
strategy. Isolated branches with
a nice clean background, rather
than a chaotic melee of feeding
Waxwing
KIT DAY

birds and surrounding twigs,

are particularly promising for a
striking portrait. Britain’s best Waxwing winter for many years is underway – so try and photograph some this month!
Waxwings often have their
favourite bushes that you this might be an opportunity shots! A crispy, sunny day is bellyful of berries, can also
can stake out. This gives you to get low down and utilise a important if the birds are likely to be effective. Stepping back to
a better chance of taking a different angle. be against the sky and will help improve the angle, and using
flight shot as they arrive, but As Waxwings often favour you to obtain the shutter speeds a smaller aperture (higher f
make sure you don’t stand so urban areas, it’s worth keeping needed for feeding and flight number) to increase the depth of
close that you deter them from an eye on the background, be it shots. field will help with shots like this.
feeding. Sometimes they will to avoid unpleasant distractions A simple image of a flock We look forward to seeing your
drop to the ground to pick up or, alternatively, if you’d like to of Waxwings lined up on the Waxwing shots over the coming
fallen berries or have a drink; get a local landmark in your treetops, digesting their latest weeks! Kit Day

YOUR PHOTOS
MAIN: MATT TREVILLION; INSET: ASHLEY GOWING

IT seems that Red Kites were Trevillion. Perhaps the birds of Wales – shows the kite

Red Kite able to brighten up plenty of

your days during November,
with a nice selection of
images submitted this
month. The cream of the
crop includes an unusual and
striking photo of two kites
in flight, captured by Matt
were tussling mid-air, with
the individual further back
appearing somewhat surprised
to find itself in the atypical
flight position it is in!
Additionally, another flight
shot by Ashley Gowing – taken
in the species’ stronghold
side-on and giving good eye
contact with the photographer.
Ashley has kept the bird nice
and sharp, while he has also
caught it in a terrific pose that
depicts the jizz of Red Kite
nicely, with that iconic forked
tail twisting like a rudder.

62 Birdwatch•January 2024 www.birdguides.com

I talked a bit about hedges at the
end of last month’s column, so
thought I would expand on that
IN THE GARDEN
this month. January is a time
of dormancy and preparation in
the garden and so it is the ideal
time to think about planting new
hedging or enriching an existing
hedge.
Too often these days, hedging,
particularly in residential areas,
consists of lifeless blocks of
non-native evergreen shrubs
like Red Robin (Photinia),
Cherry Laurel or Leyland
Cypress (Leylandii). Functional
though they may be, in terms
of screening, the wildlife value
of these sorts of green walls
is pretty much zero (although I
must confess that I have once
seen a Firecrest skulking its way
through the mixed evergreen
hedge we inherited in our new
front garden!). While there is
certainly a place in any garden for
a selection of non-native plants,
providing they offer some form of
value for wildlife, if you’re after a
hedge that will provide the most
opportunities for birds and other
animals and insects, then native
species really are the best.
If you have the space to do
so, the more you can plant, the
Hedging
your bets
MATT PHELPS

better when it comes to hedging

– ‘bigger, better, more joined up’,
to borrow the now-famous phrase
from the 2010 Making Space for
Nature report by Sir John Lawton.
Hedges are corridors for wildlife
– the longer and wider they are,
and the more of them there are
across the landscape, the better.
Think of your garden as a wildlife
hub – a hotel or restaurant
for birds, small mammals,
invertebrates and more. Add
some hedging to your garden
and you have also added not just
more prime real estate in which
birds and other species can
live but also a four-lane wildlife
highway for said species (and
others) to travel into, out of and
through your garden.
There are all manner of
hedging mixes on the market
This rather typical stand of residential hedging doesn’t offer much for wildlife, so if you have the space to
plant more nature-friendly hedgerows in your garden, then consider doing so this January.
metre in staggered double rows
is standard) and they will form a
lovely dense growth after a few
years. On the latter point, ideally
plants grown as near as possible
to where you live are the most
likely to thrive and be suited to
the local climate and wildlife.
Plus, of course, it reduces
the amount of carbon being
emitted in terms of mileage
from grower to buyer. In terms
of species, think about those
that will provide the most value
for wildlife. Natives such as
Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Hazel, Dog
MATT PHELPS

to choose from, but two things Rose, Wayfaring Tree, Guelder-

to consider are the size of the
plant and where they are coming
from. On the first point, it might
seem logical to think that bigger,
stronger plants are more likely
to survive – and you can spend
more on larger, pot-grown shrubs
– but in terms of native hedging,
small, bare root whips are your
best bet. You can get more of
them for your money, pack them
in nice and close (six to eight per
rose and Spindle are all popular
in hedging mixes and will offer a
host of opportunities for wildlife
as they grow – places for birds
to nest, flowers for pollinators
and a bounty of fruit. If you are
worried about privacy, then you
can add in a few Hollies or Yews
as well, but not so many that
they over-dominate. If rabbits or
deer are an issue in your area,
you may want to protect your
Hawthorn is a top species to consider when planting a hedge. The
blossom this spring was especially vibrant.
whips with guards, though these reached a couple of inches thick
are an eyesore and usually made or more at the base, you may
of plastic. even want to consider trying a
Then simply sit back and bit of hedge laying, but I’ll leave
watch your hedge grow. After a the advice on how to do that for
few years, once the stems have another time. Matt Phelps

www.birdguides.com Birdwatch•January 2024 63

EXPERT ADVICE ON THE PATCH • BUILDING KNOWLEDGE

A New Year always sparks life

into local birding as new goals, ON THE PATCH
ambitions and lists take form.
Despite being in the middle of
the winter, January can be a
productive month – at least in
the right conditions. The winter
of 2023-24 looks set to be a
little more exciting than usual,
too, with some classic winter
visitors in play.
It’s also the perfect
opportunity to explore your
local area and consider signing
up to the Patchwork Challenge
to add more fun. It could also
be a chance to rethink and
test out different or extra
sites close to home. Perhaps
there’s a tetrad within easy
reach which lacks records?
Visiting underwatched sites can
yield surprising results, feel
rewarding, and provide valuable
data for the BTO, county bird
groups and local environmental
record centres, which in turn
contributes to conservation.
Both the BirdTrack and eBird
websites provide an indication
of areas that lack data.

Species
As you’ll doubtless have already
realised, the best Waxwing
New Year,
invasion for several years is
new ambitions
ED STUBBS

underway this winter. Although

there are always fewer records
the further south you go, this
attractive visitor is a possibility
anywhere – you just need to
look for areas of berry-laden
trees. These can often be in
atypical birding spots, such
as residential and suburban
areas, schools, business parks,
supermarkets and so on. There
may even be birds in your area
already, so why not challenge
yourself and try to find your
own? Waxwing flocks will often
show well and at close range,
Bright winter days can be a good time to try and find scarcer birds of prey in your local area, such as
Merlin (pictured), Hen Harrier or Short-eared Owl.
may find less common
species in the gatherings,
too – perhaps a Brambling
in among Chaffinches, a
Twite with Common Linnets,
or even a Little Bunting with
Reed Buntings. Naturally,
congregations of passerines
attract raptors; Merlin and Hen
Harrier should be on your radar
ED STUBBS

but it’s helpful to memorise the as a result. In colder weather,

call: a light, ringing trill. And
if you’re lucky enough to see
some locally, be sure to enjoy
them – it could be years before
the next ‘Waxwing winter’.
Habitat
When one thinks of winter
birding in Britain, it’s easy
to be drawn to the coast or
wetland habitats – but January
is a good time to monitor
areas of farmland. Finches
and buntings will gather in
flocks in areas where there
is a reliable food source, and
in some areas impressive
counts can be made. You
it’s worth searching through
any Northern Lapwing flocks
for European Golden Plover. Or,
if you’re lucky to have golden
plovers locally, looking through
them for rarities, such as a
wintering Eurasian Dotterel. It’s
proving to be a top winter for
Short-eared Owl, so scanning
any rough fields or meadows at
sunset can be fruitful. In fact,
dusk can be a surprisingly good
time to visit farmland sites. As
the light goes, you may hear
Grey or Red-legged Partridges
vocalising as thrushes and
finches fly to roost. As it gets
darker, Eurasian Woodcock may
Cold weather often triggers waterbirds to move around, so checking
waterbodies is wise. Surprises, such as an inland Great Northern
Diver (left), are possible.
fly out from their roosts to feed keep vigilant wherever you are
in fields. birding, be it in your garden,
where perhaps unusual visitors
Weather may attend feeders, or on your
Cold weather can prompt local waterbody, where wildfowl
movements of birds. The will move around to find any
colder and more prolonged unfrozen areas. In prolonged
such conditions are, the cold, there may even be
more likely it’ll be to trigger notable vis-mig of species such
movement, especially if it’s as Northern Lapwing, Eurasian
freezing on the Continent. In Skylark and winter thrushes.
such scenarios, it’s wise to Amy Robjohns

64 Birdwatch•January 2024 www.birdguides.com

 MORE than 175 years ago,
biologist Carl Bergmann noticed
that creatures living at colder
latitudes tended to be larger
than those at warmer ones.
He postulated ‘Bergmann’s
Rule’, which states: “In cold
climates, large body mass
increases the ratio of volume-
to-surface area and provides
for maximum metabolic heat
retention in mammals and
birds.” This rule has been
successfully applied to many
bird species and appears
most significant for resident,
sedentary species, as well as to
those which have open nests.
But there are always exceptions,
such as Redwing and Northern
Wheatear.
One recent study looked at
Eurasian Wren populations in
ED STUBBS
the UK as these are known to
fare badly during cold winters.
Birds from the milder south-west
of England were 5% lighter than
those in eastern Scotland. In
other words, northern birds are
larger and heavier, and island
subspecies (think the likes of
Shetland and St Kilda) can more
easily survive the winters there.
Climate change is likely to
have effects which conform with
Bergmann’s Rule. Research in
North America, looking at birds
over a 38-year period, showed
that they had decreased in size
by an average of 2-4%. This
reduction in size is likely due to
warmer conditions, which will
BUILDING KNOWLEDGE
Become a scientist
CITIZEN science has been with
us for centuries but the term
was first used in 1989. Projects
based on citizen science
include the RSPB’s Big Garden
Birdwatch, the largest garden
wildlife survey in the world, which
first started in 1979. Over its 45
years it has seen many changes,
including declines in some
species and increases in others.
Last year there were some
540,000 participants and
more than 9 million birds
were counted. House Sparrow
has been the most frequently
encountered bird for 20
consecutive years, despite a
decline of nearly 60%. Long-
tailed Tit flitted into 10th place
www.birdguides.com
BUILDING KNOWLEDGE
All down to size
Eurasian Wren can suffer during cold winters, with food becoming hard to find for these tiny birds.
enable smaller birds to survive
more readily. A similar study in
the Amazon rainforest showed
species getting smaller by up to
2% per decade.
In North America, one species
which illustrates Bergmann’s
Rule well is Song Sparrow. With
at least 25 subspecies over
its range, which vary widely in
both size and appearance, it
is an ideal species to study.
Recently its whole genome has
been sequenced, from the small
with numbers up 39% on the
previous year. Big winners since
1979 include Woodpigeon,
now firmly ensconced at fourth
place (more than 1,000% up
on 1979), Magpie at ninth (up
20%), Collared Dove at 15th (up
200%) and Coal Tit at 17th (up
204%). Greenfinch has fallen to
18th with a 62% decline in the
last decade. In 2023, European
Robin was the most widespread
species, seen in 85% of gardens,
closely followed by Blackbird
(83%) and Blue Tit (78%). Song
Thrush is now sadly only seen in
9% of gardens.
In 2024, the Big Garden
Birdwatch will run from 26-28
January, and every birder should
subspecies of California (17 g)
to the much larger birds of
Alaska (50 g). These revealed
candidate genes linked to body
mass. This suggests there is a
genetic basis for Bergmann’s
Rule, which would fit with
natural processes such as
climate influencing the evolution
of species.
Two East Asian species,
Oriental Magpie and Japanese
Tit, were studied to see how
climate affected them. The
take part. You only have to watch
a garden or local green space for
one hour over the three days. For
more information go to rspb.org.
uk/birdwatch. Beccy Speight,
RSPB Chief Executive, said: “Big
Garden Birdwatch demonstrates
the power that people have when
they come together for nature.
By taking part in the Birdwatch,
you and hundreds of thousands
of others like you, play an
important role in helping us to
understand how UK birds are
doing.”
There are many other citizen-
science wildlife projects which
all birders should try to use.
These include the following, all
available as smartphone apps:
tits were shown to have the
smallest bodies in the warmest
climates, in line with Bergmann,
while the magpies showed little
difference. However, the magpies
in northern regions had smaller
bills and shorter legs than
those in the south, which fits
with Allen’s Rule, relating to the
size of limbs and appendages.
It predicts that in cold climates
animals will have shorter and
thicker limbs and appendages.
Chris Harbard
BirdTrack (bto.org/birdtrack)
Keep your records here when
birding in the UK while adding
important information to BTO
science. Not just birds but a
wide range of other taxa, which
are linked to iRecord.
iRecord (irecord.org.uk)
Upload UK and Irish wildlife
sightings into this app, available
for a wide range of wildlife
groups.
eBird (ebird.org)
Keep all of your birding records
from around the world in the
global database. Easy to find
information when planning
birding trips abroad.
iNaturalist (inaturalist.org)
Upload sightings from anywhere
and reviewers will help to ID
them. Covers a wide range of
wildlife. Chris Harbard
Birdwatch•January 2024 65
EXPERT ADVICE ORNITHOLOGY
ORNITHOLOGY
ANALYSIS of 20,000 recordings
of crossbills has rewritten the
understanding of variation in
the species’ calls, revealing
changes in vocalisations over
time.
Crossbill calls have long
been a subject of fascination
for ornithologists and birders
alike, with the existence of
specific populations, or ‘call
types’, discovered in the
1980s. Different call types
are identified by a unique
combination of flight and
excitement calls, learned by a
fledgling from its parents and
generally staying with the bird
for life.
A number of ornithologists
have categorised these
call types since the 1990s,
but discrepancies between
the vocalisations for call
types described by different
researchers prompted a team
from Germany to seek an
explanation for the variation.
The team, led by Ralph
Martin from the University of
Freiburg, gathered in excess of
20,000 recordings of crossbill
flight and excitement calls
made between 1962 and
2019. Adopting the latest
classification of call types, they
looked at eight Crossbill call
types, as well as incorporating
Parrot, Scottish and Two-barred
Crossbills into the analysis.
ORNITHOLOGY
SHRIKES are well known for
keeping larders of prey, such
as large insects and small
reptiles, by impaling them
on thorny bushes or wires.
Scientists have argued over
the function of these stores,
some suggesting they
provide a backup resource
during periods of poor food
availability, while it has also
been postulated that larders
are a signal of territory
quality by male birds.
Red-backed Shrikes mainly
keep larders while they have
young in the nest, instead of
before breeding as in most
other shrikes, which tempted
researchers to investigate
whether pairs with these
food stores produced
healthier young than those
without such a stockpile.
66 Birdwatch•January 2024
STEVE YOUNG
Crossbill call types are not as fixed as once thought, according to
researchers in Germany.
Crossbill calls
change with time
Any deviations from the
defined call type were recorded,
then all recordings were
scoured for similar calls to
capture the most exhaustive
range of call variations
possible. The team also
looked at whether call types
Shrikes store prey
for healthier chicks
Scientists monitored 20
Red-backed Shrike nests
near Siedlce in east-central
Poland. They found nine
nests attended by pairs
with larders and 11 without.
Blood tests of the chicks
showed that nestlings of
larder-keeping parents had
high haemoglobin levels
overall, suggesting good
body condition thanks to
more reliable food deliveries.
Meanwhile, nestlings
whose parents did not have
larders had higher white
blood cell counts, which is a
sign of stress or infection.
The researchers
concluded that their findings
the researchers found that
flight calls varied over time in
all crossbill species included in
the research, with the exception
of Two-barred Crossbill.
Excitement calls showed less
temporal variation, this only
being significant in ‘N06’ and
Scottish Crossbill.
They said that their results
suggested that several of the
call types categorised in earlier
works were in fact ‘snapshots
in time’, but were unable to
prove a reason for the temporal
variations.
However, the team suggested
that the phenomenon might
be due to different populations
influencing each other during
periods of contact driven by the
irruptive movements crossbills
are well known for.
Noticeable call variations
were found to have taken place
over the space of just 5-10
years and across distances
of more than 10,000 km,
showing rapid cultural evolution
in crossbill vocalisations
and putting forward a
new understanding of the
fascinating birds’ call types.
were influenced by each other, Reference
including checking whether Martin, R, Rochefort, J, Mundry,
call type ‘N06’, a Crossbill call R, and Segelbacher, G. 2023.
type found in northern Britain Fast cultural evolution of
and Ireland, was influenced by Crossbill (Loxia spp) calls in
the irruption of continental call the Palaearctic. Ibis. DOI:
types. https://doi.org/10.1111/
By conducting this analysis, ibi.13253
support the hypothesis that
Red-backed Shrikes use
larders as a ‘safety net’
food supply while raising
young, ensuring a steady
food supply during the
nestling stage. Larders could
also function as a signal
of quality or a backup food
supply for adult birds when
prey becomes scarce.
OLIVER SMART
Reference
Golawski, A, and Kondera,
E. 2023. Storing prey in
larders affects nestling
haematological condition Red-backed Shrike territories with
in the Red-backed Shrike larders produce young with higher
(Lanius collurio). Ibis. DOI: haemoglobin levels than those
without the backup supply of food.
doi.org/10.1111/ibi.13104
www.birdguides.com
COMMENT YOUR TURN
your letters & photos
The Editor, at: Birdwatch, Warners Group Publications plc, The Maltings, West Street, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9PH
or email editorial@birdwatch.co.uk www.facebook.com/birdwatchmagazine
Welcome back, Mark!
UNLIKE Phillip Wells (Birdwatch 378: 67), I am glad to see the
return of Mark Avery as a columnist. However, his piece about
Common Pheasant (Birdwatch 378: 21) may have given some the
impression that the Romans were responsible for our first ‘wild’
pheasants. This seems most unlikely as such birds were then
reared in cages and pens as we do with most chickens. Indeed, if
we examine the banquet menus of the medieval period right up to
the end of 16th century, when hundreds of a wide variety of wild
and domestic birds were consumed, Common Pheasant is notable
by its almost complete absence.
This suggests that the species was still very scarce in any state
in the UK at that time. It isn’t until the writings of William Cobbett
(1763-1835) that we find any evidence of pheasants being at all
commonplace in the wild; even then it seems likely that many
of them were already being reared and released to satisfy the
demands of the newly popular ‘sport’ of shooting. Like Mark I’d
probably miss this non-native if it were no longer here but I suspect
that our native ecology would be much improved by its loss, never
mind countless countryside vegetable patches! Paul V Irving
American landbirds
I cannot help wondering whether we should be so happy with all
these American arrivals. These birds arrive having been blown over
by ex-hurricanes. A few lucky ones make landfall but I imagine this
is a very small number compared to the birds that don’t make it
and are lost at sea. The lucky ones have presumably no chance of
returning to their breeding grounds and are therefore lost. I wonder
if the American equivalent to the Breeding Bird Survey shows a
drop in numbers after a high hurricane season? Your comments
please. Charles Trollope
Josh Jones replies: “There is indeed evidence to suggest that
adverse weather events may have population-level impacts on bird
species. As I mentioned in my article in last month’s magazine
(Birdwatch 378: 28-32), it’s undoubtedly a bittersweet situation
when it comes to seeing American landbirds on this side of the
Atlantic. Finding rarities will always excite many people, myself
included, and we shouldn’t feel we have to park these feelings
because other birds may have perished as part of what is a
natural phenomenon. Retaining perspective and appreciating the
extraordinary journeys which these birds have taken is important,
as is recognising that climate breakdown is the underlying cause of
more frequent extreme weather events.”
www.birdguides.com
Tell us what you
think. Write to:
@BirdwatchExtra
Competition takes over
THERE is an obvious solution to Matt Phelps’s dissatisfaction
with social media – either do not use it at all, or be much more
selective about how you use it. I have been birding for more than
60 years so qualify for Matt’s classification of ‘older birder’. I do
not use X, do not own a smartphone and have never had a pager.
I have, however, been an active member of the BTO for 53 years,
taught ‘birdwatching for beginners’ adult-education classes and
been warden of two bird observatories. These days my birding
is lower key, confined to within a 20-km radius of home. My only
incursion into social media is a regular perusal of my county
society Facebook page as I edit the bimonthly newsletter and am
always on the lookout for decent pictures or notes.
Along with other ‘older birders’ I recall how in the early
days any admission of being a birder was met with ridicule or
suspicion; egg collectors were sadly still commonplace and
information was carefully disseminated. The real difference as I
see it is that in the early years ‘birdwatching’ was an intellectual
pursuit, whereas today it is clearly a competitive one. Many
more mature birders, often with long years of experience, feel
marginalised by the modern trends. Matt’s comments seem set
to reinforce that regrettable situation.
It was also interesting to read Mike Alibone’s article on the
changes in the equipment used by birders over the years and I
was pleased to see that both my early binoculars and telescope
were featured. How things have changed. I also noted that
there was no comment on the single most indispensable item
of equipment for any birder or naturalist in the early days … a
notebook and pencil! I am clearly damned with the old fossils as
I still use a notebook and sketchbook in the field, making me an
endangered species. Norman McCanch
All aboard
I am bemused by the ‘ship-assisted passage’ narrative that
crops up in birding. I cannot see why it is frowned upon. Everyone
accepts ‘wind-assisted passage’ as a bonus for helping rarities
to reach our shores. If a vagrant has landed on the ship prior to
reaching land, why is it contentious? Ian Yeomans
Josh Jones replies: “It’s a discussion we’ve been having here at
Birdwatch as well in recent weeks, Ian. There are valid arguments
right across the spectrum from ‘accept them all’ to ‘reject
them all’. We plan to explore this issue in greater detail in the
magazine very soon.”
Diver
dining out
Cynthia Huntley writes: “This juvenile
Great Northern Diver arrived at a fishing
lake near Braintree, Essex, in November
and stayed for several days. It was enjoying
the contents of a well-stocked lake, but this
fish was beyond its means and after several
minutes had to let it go.”
Josh Jones replies: “A super shot, Cynthia!
After a stormy late autumn, it’s proving to
be an excellent winter to catch up with this
impressive bird in inland counties. I’ve seen
a couple myself while out birding locally!”
Birdwatch•January 2024 67
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 ii YOUR MAGAZINE
CLASSIFIED Directory
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■ An incredible spell Last year will for details of how to
NEW ZEALAND
Albatross live long in the memory for British and subscribe and save
Encounter Irish birders, with an astonishing array more than 30%
of rarities seen, blockers falling and
a year!
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NEW ZEALAND national firsts found. Sam Viles looks back
Wrybill Birding Tours, NZ at the countless highs that 2023 delivered.
See the amazing birds of NZ with
the team that rediscovered the ■ Arctic enigma Many will be vaguely familiar with
‘extinct’ NZ Storm-petrel. the goose widely referred to as Grey-bellied Brant. But
• Small groups, local knowledge.
• Customised or scheduled tours Kaikura is the best place
what exactly is it, and where does it come from? Brian
and pelagic birding. in the world to see multiple McCloskey provides a comprehensive update on the
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Great birds, real birders. Enjoy close up views of these status of this mysterious taxon.
majestic wanderers of the
www.wrybill-tours.com Southern Ocean just minutes ■ A life of Scottish listing Increasingly, birders north of
info@wrybill-tours.com from shore.
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96 Esplanade, Kaikura, New Zealand.
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pros and cons of birding in Scotland.
Please visit ESSEX
www.RCKphotography.co.uk ■ Scoter watching In this month’s ID guide, Nick
Littlewood offers advice on how to go about grilling your
All subjects local scoter flocks in search of several classy rarities.
taken in
mainland Britain
■ India in winter Josh Jones reports back on a trip to the
and off islands states of Gujarat and Rajasthan, where a host of rare and
( from Shetland to
Scilly, with my late
hard-to-see birds can be encountered while also soaking up
wife by my side). the unique Indian culture.
Home page is the Cairngorms and several ■ Birders’ Choice Awards The results are in! We reveal
images have been scanned from slides. who and what Birdwatch readers voted for as the best –
and the worst – in birding in 2023.
HERZEGOVINA

PLUS: topical comment from Mark Avery, Lucy McRobert

and Alan Tilmouth, the team at BirdGuides provides round-
ups of December’s birding highlights, all the latest news,
views and reviews, tips to expand your birding knowledge,
and our expert panel answers your questions.

February issue on sale

25 January 2024
www.birdguides.com Birdwatch•January 2024 69
COMMENT MURMURATIONS

LUCY MCROBERT
here are times, as a birder, when a
certain species or group defines a
period of your life. For many of us,
this winter is all about the ‘invasion’
of Waxwings that has gripped the
UK. Charismatic, beautiful and
from an individual to flocks a thousand strong,
there are few species that turn heads and win
hearts like Waxwings do. My winter, however,
Winter wonderland
has been defined so far by geese. Not as sexy as Special encounters with geese have fuelled a
Waxwings for sure, but I have shared so many
happinesses with geese in the last couple of new-found appreciation for winter for our columnist.
months that it would be impossible not to

MARC GUYT (AGAMI.NL)

acknowledge them.
It started with a beautiful moment shared
with my daughter. We were in Norfolk in
September, combining apple picking, ice cream
and birding. Late in the day, an enormous flock
of Pink-footed Geese announced their presence
high above us with their high-pitched, winking
(honking to normal folk, but now I work for
The Sound Approach I can’t say that). They
trailed across the sky, flying in lazy, raggedy,
rippling skeins. To my surprise, daughter looked
up at them thoughtfully before announcing to
the whole playground: “Mummy, look:
migration!” I had explained a few weeks
previously (and simplistically) how birds would
go to warmer places for a winter holiday, but I
was stunned that her five-year-old mind had
retained the word and concept. (Next up,
‘murmuration’, ‘emargination’, and ‘moustachial
stripe’.)
As winter drew in, I was back in Norfolk once
more, this time surrounded by Brent Geese. It Sightings of large flocks of focus wheel on my binoculars. I love the flocks of
was freezing cold with a biting wind and geese, including Russian White- geese, ducks and swans, the shimmering of a
fronted and Barnacle Geese in
occasional flurries of grey mizzle. In one of the the Netherlands, have reminded wader murmuration, the drama of a starling
most fortuitous moments in my birding life, we Lucy of the joys of winter birding. murmuration, the thrill of a Long-eared Owl
bumped into well-known wildlife artist and roosting in a tree or a flock of glorious Brambling,
goose expert James McCallum, who, while but I just can’t stay warm. Mulled wine admittedly
casually scanning through the flock for the improves the experience.
umpteenth time that day, unexpectedly and very But my minor inconveniences paled when I
calmly announced: “Oh, there’s a Red-breasted chatted to a Leicester birder named Steve. Steve
Goose!” He followed it up with an even more loves watching wildlife, but winter brings a
casual: “Huh, that’s the only goose I’d never physical challenge. While I get chilly, Steve’s
found before.” If birding moments can be cool, health is seriously at risk in cold weather as he
this was one of them, and it was necessary to suffers from asthma and Chronic Obstructive
celebrate with mulled wine in the pub. Pulmonary Disease (COPD). His lung function is
significantly lower than average, and the cold is a

Winter goose chase
Lying in bed on the day of writing, I awoke to
the high-pitched, musical sound of Russian
White-fronted Geese laughing as they passed
over in small groups, followed by the barking of
Barnacle Geese. Driving around that day in the
east of the Netherlands, I loved seeing the flocks
of ‘white-fronts’ grazing in the waterlogged
fields, the adults with their patchily striped
bellies and neat white blaze.
I associate birding in winter with being very,
very cold – and so have never enjoyed it as much
as I should. I have an inability to put on enough
clothes to keep me warm; even with two pairs of
socks, gloves, hat and everything else, if there is
an inch of skin exposed for a minute, I’ll be
shivering, my frozen fingers unable to use the
❝
major trigger. During the winter months, he is
I associate limited as to where he can go, how long he can
stay out and how far he can walk. As the
birding in winter temperature drops below 10°C, the risk is too
great, and on one occasion Steve was nearly
with being very, hospitalised after misjudging the weather and the
distance he walked.
very cold – and Hearing Steve’s story, and understanding how
many are in the same position, has encouraged
so have never me to put on my fluffy socks, get a better jumper
and stop my whinging about winter. I’m glad to
share his story wider. The geese and ducks,
enjoyed it as Bramblings and Hawfinches, owls, thrushes and
Waxwings are experiences we all look forward to
much as I
❞
as the rhythm of the year progresses; I can
appreciate them even more knowing that these
should are not moments I should take for granted. ■

70 Birdwatch•January 2024 www.birdguides.com

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