Birdwatch's team blog

Wildlife crime doesn’t pay

I don’t understand wildlife crime – or crime against any animal. How is it that anyone could get a thrill out of harming a creature that is paying them no mind and that is no threat to them? How sick, pathetic and inadequate do you have to be?

So it was with disbelief, anger and sadness that I read a story on the Birdwatch Facebook page (www.facebook.com/birdwatchmagazine) about five Norwegian men shooting protected wildlife, including the endemic Kereru. The men were stupid enough to film themselves and then upload the film to the internet, and they could now face charges at home and in New Zealand.

One fan on the Birdwatch page asks: “You give the mad pills, but what do you give the stupid?” Well in this case how about euthanasia? Another says she hopes the authorities throw the book at the men in question. Quite, but wouldn’t stones be more effective?

I don’t mean that of course – it’s an angry reaction rather than an indication of belief in either capital or corporal punishment.

If convicted in New Zealand, the men face up to a year in jail and a NZ$100,000 fine, while if prosecuted in Norway they could be looking at a six-year jail sentence. And I hope that authorities in both countries do – metaphorically speaking – throw the book at them.

This horrific crime should be punished as severely as possible, as should all wildlife crime. These animals cannot protect themselves from idiots with guns, so we have to. It’s time for the authorities to send a powerful message: crimes against wildlife will not be tolerated.

Rebecca Armstrong
Sub-Editor

Posted by Birdwatch

Cryin' in the rain...

30th March
You know you are in trouble when a bird is described on the pager as "still present tho distant". Usually "showing well" is open to debate so actually admitting that a bird was distant filled me with dread.
Sadly that description was perfectly true for the Lesser Kestrel on Westleton Heath on a dismal, grey, wet Monday morning, as it was showing at half a mile range; without a scope you were doomed to dip so thanks to the birders for letting me use theirs and add this bird to my list; good job it wasn't a female or even a first year male...
Showing much better, but also much wetter, were two Alpine Swifts huddled together for warmth on the side of a block of pensioner's flats as the sea mist rolled in. They made occasional sorties into the grey skies to hunt for food, but soon flew back to their red brick perches for comfort.
My friendly wave to a bemused pensioner watching from her window was returned, but my hopeful suggestion for a cup of tea was waved away with a smile...
A third Alpine Swift was a bonus as it flew past and disappeared into the sea mist while the pair were roosting again, but a dip on the Pallid Swift at Kessingland followed.
As the rain grew steadier and heavier a walk across Dunwich Heath was cut short and it was time to head home.
This completed a frustrating few days efforts at photography; at Moore NR on Saturday 27th a male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was digging a nest hole for 45 minutes in glorious sunshine. Lovely, except it was hidden behind branches the entire time...but at least Long-tailed and Coal Tits showed better as they collected nest material.
Sunday 28th was spent at Seaforth watching nothing of interest except for a Red-breasted Merganser as a cold west-north west wind blew across the reserve. What happened to spring...?

Steve Young
Photographic Consultant

Posted by Birdwatch

A Peregrine’s eye view

Last Friday (26 March) saw quite a few regular London birders heading down to the City of London to celebrate the launch of the Tower 42 Bird Study Group, along with similar numbers of the media and a few conservation luminaries.

The gathering was a sober and pleasant affair, peppered with introductory talks by David Lindo aka The Urban Birder (also representing the London Bird Club), Tim Webb from the RSPB London office, Nick Moran (BirdTrack organiser at the BTO) and Mathew Frith from the London Wildlife Trust. The general purpose of the T42BSG is to observe the visible migration that seasonally passes through London. In recent years local patch watchers and skywatchers have shown the rewards that the skies over London can bring, with many observations of regular and scarce raptor species and notable high counts of flocks of migratory species. The group will concentrate on birds of prey and Woodpigeon flocks in particular from this grandiose central site.

Tower 42 is the second-tallest building in Greater London, and though the event was only on the 24th floor, the panoramic view was still impressive, though somewhat daunting if, like me, you suffer from mild vertigo. The observations themselves will take place from the viewing gallery on the 42nd floor of the building, which is 183 m (600 feet) high, so high in fact that many sightings may well involve looking down!

Access to the tower has been arranged with the owners, Greycoat, via a concerted effort between the organisations mentioned above, along with Opticron. Sixteen watches will be performed this year, spread over both migration seasons, with the first full day being 7 April. It will be an exciting opportunity for many observers, as the main hirundine arrival should be kicking in and the recent plethora of urban London Red Kite sightings bodes well for the forthcoming spring.

Updates of notable sightings will be entered on this blog from time to time, but if you wish to be kept abreast of the observations as they happen, you could do worse than regularly check the London Bird Club's sightings page at http://londonbirders.wikia.com/wiki/LatestNews.

David Callahan
Staff Writer

(See the Birdwatch gallery for more photos.)

Posted by Birdwatch

Nosy nesting neighbours?

Public breeding bird surveys are one of the most important ways of tracking the changing status of our bird populations. ‘Citizen science’ observations of even our commonest species are essential for this, and inestimably valuable for encouraging everyone to invest their thoughts and concerns in our changing avifauna, and for us all to feel part of conservation, to feel that it matters.

The British Trust for Ornithology is at the heart of the collection and collation of this data, and over the years has done the most amazing job of organising tens of thousands of people to take part, as well as interpreting and publishing each season’s results, and discovering and publicising the declines and increases of each species.

The underlying point of such mammoth endeavours is to conserve our avifauna, making us aware of nature’s fragility and our responsibility to take care in our contact with wild animals and habitats.

So, initially, one greets the new Nesting Neighbours scheme with open arms and a rush of positivity. Correct assessment of the numbers of breeding birds can’t be achieved without observing birds at their nest sites, or at least noting behaviour indicative of nesting. However, in the BTO’s latest largely laudable attempts to get the public sending in their sightings, it appears to be encouraging garden owners to pay regular visits to occupied nests.

The BTO write in a recently published promotional leaflet: “Scientific studies have shown that, as long as observers are careful and follow the guidelines given in the code of conduct ... making regular visits to a nest will not increase the probability of it being deserted or predated.” The code of conduct itself recommends not moving surrounding vegetation, not startling sitting birds, not visiting in inclement weather and not revealing a nest to predators. It does not state which “scientific studies” have been used to come to these conclusions, but they aren't any that I've seen published, many of which recommend the opposite approach.

As a former local organiser of WeBS counts and a regular contributor of sightings to BirdTrack and the Atlas, I find the new angle in their campaign naive and disingenuous. I’ve never thought it necessary to poke my nose into an occupied nest when surveying breeding birds, and have always considered the carrying of nest material or food into a bush or nestbox adequate proof of breeding (give or take the presence of the odd Cuckoo chick). Previously, this was good enough for the BTO as well.

Potentially encouraging birders with no training and little experience or field skills to regularly disturb breeding birds seems to me to be a nightmare situation, and likely to have a potentially destructive effect on many garden birds’ nests. One and all, we are expected to be able to make a judgement as to whether we are being “careful” enough to disturb a nest directly, possibly daily, and to assess whether a wild bird feels stressed or encroached upon. All this will add almost nothing to our knowledge that couldn’t be achieved by the more traditional stand-off observation methods.

In the last few decades, birders have been discouraged from approaching protected breeding bird species (which is virtually all of them!) at the nest, and the breeding sites of our rarer species are routinely withheld, ostensibly to prevent disturbance and desertion, not to mention the malevolent and arcane hobby of egg-collecting.

Are we to assume that it’s now okay to interfere with bird's nests without experience or training, as long as we have no “concerns about approaching a nest”? It would be interesting to hear what readers think, either in the comments here, or the Birdwatch forum.

Details of Nesting Neighbours is to be found at www.nestingneighbours.net, and we would still very much encourage readers to contribute to this worthy survey.

David Callahan
Staff Writer

Posted by Birdwatch

Hello Again...

25th March
...at least that what I thought I'd be saying to a Black Redstart that was at the local patch once more today. Except it was a different bird to the one that was there on Tuesday; in almost the same spot and singing but a brighter bird with more black on the head and white in the wings. Nice to see two in a week, but this one was almost impossible to photograph for some reason, taking flight as soon as anyone walked a yard forward
Wheatear (whoops sorry, Northern Wheatear) influx today with at least 14 birds around the reserve, while 2 White Wagtails were amongst a small group of Pieds.
Missed a Buzzard (Common) going over as I was stood with my hood up while trying to digiscope Northern Wheatears...yes that's correct, digiscoping...blogging and digiscoping in the same week, I just don't know how much more I can take...it can only get better, unless I end up digiscoping large gulls then write about them in a blog...that would be the end...a nightmare...need a cup of tea and a piece of cake.
That's better, coconut cake and tea; Looks like I'm in the "real" world at last; but only for a short while as digiscoping kit is for review and will be in the magazine at a later date.
The hoped for Alpine Swift is yet to arrive but there is still time; now that would be a good one to try and digiscope.

Steve Young
Photographic Consultant

Posted by Birdwatch

Here comes summer

A week ago I was birding in Ireland with Chris Harbard and Roy Beddard and, unsurprisingly enough on the Atlantic coast of the Emerald Isle at this time of year, it felt like winter. Strong winds, rain, seaduck, divers (including Pacific – yes!) and wild swans all evoked a feeling that summer was still a long way off.

And yet, within four days of arriving home, I was standing among a forlorn crowd of birders in east London hoping – in vain – for an Alpine Swift to make a reappearance. That day I’d already found my first Northern Wheatear (sorry Steve!) of the year at my regular stomping ground of Rainham Marshes, and now the pager was beeping incessantly with news of rare swifts, flocks of wheatears, Little Ringed Plovers, Garganey and Ospreys as the first big surge of summer migrants hit southern England. A lot can change in just a few days.

All of this is very timely practical revision, as here in the office we’re currently working on a new style of bird-finding itinerary which, in its first appearance in the May issue, will focus on finding all the regular summer visitors to Britain. We’ve managed to condense this feat into just five sites, albeit fairly widely scattered ones, so I’ve already got a fair idea of what I’ll be doing on most weekends come May. Anyone else out there starting to get their first returning summer birds?

Dominic Mitchell
Managing Editor

Posted by Birdwatch

"Boing"...said Spring as it sprung...

23rd March

Despite a very cool south-east wind which made it feel more like February, my spring list took shape this morning with my first Swallow and Little Ringed Plover, and at last my first Seaforth Wheatears, a male and a female. Suppose I should make that Northern Wheatears so that somebody doesn't have to make it politically correct...sorry Beccie! Also yesterday's Feral Pigeon should have been Feral Rock Dove...a name change too far anyone?

Also at the local patch today was a Black Redstart that we all thought was female until it started singing to prove it wasn't; but it was a very dull first year male. Still plenty of Goldeneye dotted around the pool, but the Scaup pair seem to have gone, while a large flock of Black-tailed Godwits included a few in gorgeous breeding plumage.

If the weather forecast is to be believed (!) the next few days look pretty wet so no more blogs until the sun shines again as I'm just a fair weather photographer these days. However, if an Alpine Swift decides on a local visit...

Steve Young
Photographic Consultant

Posted by Birdwatch

Monday, Monday...the pigeon can't trust that day...

22nd March
Oh well, the quest for a local patch Northern Wheatear at Seaforth continues with another dip yesterday, 21st. Also missed an early morning Swallow by not being out in the early morning. But the weekend was generally good as Everton won and Liverpool lost!

Sat at my desk Monday afternoon, bored with sorting photos and staring out blankly at one Great Tit and six House Sparrows on my back yard feeders; a cloud of feathers appeared, swiftly followed by a falling Feral Rock Dove in the talons of a huge female Sparrowhawk, which landed in front of the window about four yards away. Wow! A yard tick and one less pigeon to chase away.

Frantic dash to the camera bag while shouting daughter to "come see, quick, bring your camera". Lousy light and difficult angles, plus shooting through my not too clean windows (must have a word with the window cleaner), but one or two decent images were taken by both of us.

The Sparrowhawk fed for the next 20 minutes and all the time the pigeon was alive - ouch! A sudden hailstorm and strong wind saw the Sparrowhawk fly away, but a dull day had been transformed.

Steve Young
Photographic Consultant

Posted by Birdwatch

Has spring finally sprung?

It’s not often that I smile when woken up at 4 am, so what was different this morning? Well, the thing that woke me was the dawn chorus – a sound that’s been sorely missing for the past few months.

Yesterday morning my mum and I went birding in Abney Park Cemetery in north London. For those who don’t know it, this is a former garden cemetery that became a memorial park and nature reserve in 1991. It’s a true gothic beauty – crumbling old tombs and gravestones covered with ivy, trees growing every which way and an old abandoned chapel in the centre.

Our hoped-for birds at the cemetery were Tawny Owl and Goldcrest; both had been seen the week before. Typically we got neither. But we did get a singing Blackcap and a smart-looking Great Spotted Woodpecker.

At least as good as these, though, were all the signs of spring. Purple and orange crocuses and bright yellow daffodils were in bloom and the dark green spikes of Common Bluebell were starting to show. The park was also alive with the sound of bird song – the beautiful sounds of Wren, Robin and Blackbird, the familiar ‘teacher-teacher’ call of Great Tit and the trilling of Blue Tit and Long-tailed Tit. Somewhere above it all I’m sure I heard the high-pitched song of Goldcrest, but the species was nowhere to be seen.

We rounded off the day with a terrific Sunday lunch in the Birdcage pub. OK, so we didn’t get our target birds, but in many other ways it was a perfectly successful and enjoyable day.

Rebecca Armstrong
Sub-Editor

Posted by Birdwatch

Another Day...Another Blog...

18th March:
Despite finding my first Northern Wheatear at Plex Moss on 11th, while watching two Tundra Bean Geese, I've still not seen one on the local patch at Seaforth. There was no sign again today, until I was on the way home, when one was found on the Long Bank.

Still 50-plus Common Goldeneye on the reserve, with lots of displaying going on, a couple of Scaup and one RB Merganser; two LRPs in yesterday and a tatty Red Admiral on Tuesday 16th.

One Little Gull flying around the pool, an adult in winter plumage; hopefully the forerunner of hundreds of Larus minutus that should be around in a few weeks time. Except they are not Larus anymore. I noticed for the first time in the new Collin's Guide, that the scientific name is now something I have great difficulty in pronouncing; Sabine's changed too, but shorter and begins with X.

Next post will hopefully have some nice springy birds in it!

Steve Young
Photographic Consultant

Posted by Birdwatch

Adventures in blogging

Oh no – I guess this marks the start of my career in blogging. I’ve never blogged, twittered, been on Bookface, Twittering, or Bubo, so this marks a new beginning for Birdwatch’s photographic consultant – and maybe an end after this first blog (is that the correct term?).

Do I need a secret identity so I can say things about other photographers or birders? Maybe Just a Snap or Silver Fox. Who said Blurry Snapper?

So what has this member of the team Birdwatch bloggers been up to today? Nothing 'birdy', not even taken a picture, but looked at thousands from a trip to the Falklands and hundreds taken of a local Bittern on Saturday 13 March, which was showing at very close range.

But it was back to reality on Sunday with a distant American Wigeon at Martin Mere. "Showing well," said the pager. Hmmm, at 60x on a scope maybe!

Well, my first blogging, blog, tweet, post or whatever it is called is at an end and it’s time for tea; farewell blogging chums, twitter soon.

Steve Young
Photographic Consultant

Posted by Birdwatch

Spring time for Harbard

Coming back to the UK, having spent most of the winter in California, was something of a shock to the system. So few trees are in leaf, whereas the omnipresent Eucalyptus in San Francisco at least provides year-round greenery, as well as attracting Yellow-rumped Warblers to the flowers.

I refilled my feeders, which had been empty for months, and had to wait nearly a week for the first birds to rediscover it. Chaffinch was the first at the seed feeder, followed by a Coal Tit. This latter bird was a new species for the garden, as I have never had one in the eight years I've been here. There is clearly no suitable habitat locally for them (no conifers apart from some Leylandii) and I wonder where this bird has come from. Perhaps it has joined a local roving tit flock, driven into town by the bad weather earlier in the winter.

Fresh ice-free water has brought a few of the local birds back to the garden for a bath, but it is noticeable that the cold temperatures seem to be keeping down bird song. Only Robin, Greenfinch and Great Tit are at present vocalising near the garden - even my local Blackbirds don’t seem to be singing. Once warmer temperatures appear, and some buds, I’m sure there will be an upsurge of activity – I’m looking forward to it!

Chris Harbard

Posted by Birdwatch

A warm welcome

Welcome to the new-look Birdwatch website - your home of birding on the internet. Since we went live with the magazine's first full-blown website back in July 2007 we have become the number one online source of news about birds and birding, breaking many big stories and reporting discoveries, events and much more from around the globe.

News output will continue to be a big part of what we do, but this new website opens up many more possibilities - not only for us on the magazine, but for you too.

As well as our news and features sections, we now have online forums and galleries designed to enable you to contribute and help make the Birdwatch website bigger and better than ever.

Why not start a discussion in the forums, perhaps with an ID question for our experts or an opinion on a new book or binocular? Or be among the first to begin uploading images to our galleries, making your photos part of an important birding resource? You can even start blogging via the Birdwatch website - it's quick and easy, and you'll be up and running in no time at all.

You'll find much more to enjoy and share, including a trade directory, links to your local clubs, all the best bird books at bargain prices and the opportunity to subscribe to the print edition of Birdwatch at special rates (the March issue has just been published).

And, over the coming weeks and months, you can also keep up to speed with the exploits of the Birdwatch team, wherever we happen to be out birding. Please bookmark this page, tell your friends and, whether it's to report the odd gremlin or tell us how much you enjoy using it, let us know what you think of the new-look site.

Dominic Mitchell
Managing Editor

Posted by Birdwatch