Bird_Watching_UK_-_January_2020

228 DAYS 9900 MILES 270 SPE Be inspired by a #My200BirdYear motorhome odyss FAMILY FAVOURITE How Titchwell Marsh became the perfect reserve for all ages UK Bird Sightings All the news from YOUR area *Naresh Jariwala* JANUARY 2020 £4.60 Why now’s the time to see the beautiful Goldeneye PLUS GO BIRDING! ID Challenge Learn to 10great new site guides identify displaying ducks from around the UK “ “UK’S MOST INTERESTING BIRD Dominic Couzens discovers there’s much more to the Moorhen

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Sign up for our 200 Bird Year challenge in 2020! birdwatching.co.uk/my200 MEET THE TEAM Matt saw his first Black Brant on a recent trip to Spurn Mike Weedon, assistant editor, is already feeling nostalgic for the birding year just past, and wants to share his happy memories. P14 Mike Roberts, production editor, is hoping to start the new year with a Waxwing sighting – will they head to his area soon? *Naresh Jariwala* OUR CONTRIBUTORS Stephanie Perks recalls Welcome NATURE PHOTOGRAPHERS LTD/ALAMY* how a seven-month motorhome tour of Iberia T he first birds that most of THE BIG QUESTION: MCPHOTO/SCHAEF/ALAMY yielded an impressive us learn to recognise, I’d tick-list of more 270 birds! guess, are ducks, geese and WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE Page 20 swans – who, as a toddler, WILDFOWL SPECIES? wasn’t taken to feed them Ian Parsons heaps down at the park? Matt Merritt: Harlequin praise on the bird with a Duck, seen close-up in Iceland link to British spy James Some of us, though, later forget just – I mean, just look at them! Bond. Will you add the COVER IMAGES: MAIN - IMAGEBROKER/ALAMY; PURPLE SANDPIPER - PHILIP MUGRIDGE/ALAMY*; MOORHEN - OUR WILD LIFE PHOTOGRAPHY/ALAMY great Goldeneye to your how gloriously varied and endlessly Mike Weedon: A drake 2020 list ? Page 26 Red-breasted Merganser: interesting they can be. But this is the perfection in a duck! Renowned bird author Dominic Couzens perfect time of year to reacquaint yourself with them. I’ve asks whether the Moorhen is the UK’s been doing just that, catching up with Bewick’s Swans, “most interesting bird?” Find out why on page 33 Red-breasted Mergansers, and my first-ever Black Brant in Gordon Hamlett recent weeks, and this issue has plenty of ideas on how to heads to family favourite Titchwell Marsh RSPB, in see even more. Go to watch Goldeneye doing their INCAMERASTOCK/ALAMY* Norfolk, and reveals why it should be on your 2020 wonderful heads-up display, learn to ID other displaying must-visit list, too! P38 ducks, or remind yourself of the wonders of Titchwell Bird guide Ruth Miller gets up close to some Marsh, where wildfowl are never in short supply. wonderful species in the former Soviet republic of And that, I’d say, is the recipe for a bird-filled start to Georgia. Read about her adventure on page 44 a Happy New Year! May 2020 bring you all the birds you wish for. GET THREE CHRIS GRADY/ALAMY* ISSUES FOR £5 – PAGE 18 Matt Merritt, editor GET IN TOUCH: @ Mike Roberts: There is no more elegant duck than the Bird Watching, Media House, [email protected] spectacular Pintail. Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6EA facebook.com/BirdWatchingMag twitter.com/BirdWatchingMag birdwatching.co.uk 3

ContentsJANUARY *Naresh Jariwala*20 26 ON THE COVER FEATURES 33 38 20 #My200BirdYear tour 20 Motorhome odyssey 26 Goldeneye 33 Moorhen How a seven-month motorhome trip 38 Titchwell RSPB covering 9,900 miles yielded 270 47 ID Challenge birds for a #My200BirdYear list! 53 Go Birding 97 UK Bird Sightings 26 Gorgeous Goldeneye Will you soon catch sight of one of these beautiful ducks displaying spectacularly? 33 Marvellous Moorhen Dominic Couzens reveals some fascinating facts about this common backwater species! 38 Titchwell Marsh RSPB Why this jewel in the crown of Norfolk’s birding sites is a great place to head for in 2020 44 Birding in Georgia Ruth Miller is rewarded with some great species on a trip to a little- known birding hotspot SIGN UP NOW BIRDWATCHING.CO.UK/ FOR 2020 MY200 4 January 2020

12 6 IN THE FIELD *Naresh Jariwala*80 NEWS & VIEWS 6 Your Birding Month BIRD THE WORLD 14 Weedon’s World Birds to add to your list this month 75 Reader holiday Mike looks back on the best birds include Water Pipit, Glaucous Gull (and other wildlife) he saw in 2019 and Black-tailed Godwit How you can join the Bird Watching team for a spring wildlife break 16 NewsWire 12 Beyond Birdwatching 76 Lombardy New report offers cause for cautious It’s a month of contrasts, with some optimism for birds creatures hunkering down, but Excellent wine, beautiful scenery others fervently active and lots of species make this Italian 17 Grumpy Old Birder region a great place to head for on 47 ID Challenge a birding holiday Bo Beolens revisits a topic sensitive to many – cats and birds Test yourself on how many 80 Hatfield Forest displaying ducks you can identify 68 Your Questions A unique forest brimming with 53 Go Birding wonderful wildlife, including more Our expert panel answers your than 60 species of bird birding questions 10 great birding destinations to head to for brilliant birdwatching 84 Tunis, Tunisia 72 Garden birding SUBSCRIBE NOW! David Lindo glances skywards Why doing a garden bird survey is in this bustling city the perfect way to start the year GET THREE ISSUES FOR 87 Somerset sightings 114 Back Chat A FIVER! Starling spectaculars and spring Nene Washes RSPB site manager, SEE P18 birding opportunities Charlie Kitchin, on his birding life TUTORIAL BIRD SIGHTINGS 88 Camera School 97 Rarity Round-up A tutorial of insights into where, The best rare birds seen in the UK when and how to get the best and Ireland during November images of the Robin 100 UK Bird Sightings A comprehensive round-up of birds seen in your area during November GEAR & REVIEWS 90 Gear We test a Country Innovation jacket and trousers 92 Books The latest releases – including The Birdwatcher’s Handbook 2020 93 WishList Heated gloves, a wash bag and boots are among the selection birdwatching.co.uk 5

YOUR *Naresh Jariwala* BIRDING ANDREW DARRINGTON / ALAMY* MONTH JANUARY BIRD OF THE MONTH SPARROWHAWK Sparrowhawks are little masters of the stealth attack. In fact, stealth seems to be a key feature in most parts of the Sparrowhawk lifestyle. This is quite a different approach from that of our commonest falcon, the Kestrel, which we featured as Bird of the Month in November, and which is a positive show-off compared with a Sparrowhawk. Kestrels spend much of their time hovering in full view (though the idea is not to be seen by their mammalian prey!), or perched on telegraph poles, on the top of trees, and so on. Sparrowhawks are largely hidden in woodland or sneakily within a bush, occasionally dashing low over the ground and bush or fence-hopping to surprise their avian victims. Yes, they do sometimes soar, and shortly will be performing their ‘sky dancing’ courtship display, flying high with the under-tail coverts spread and diving and twisting. But the rest of the time they are stealthy. You may be surprised that the estimated breeding population of the Sparrowhawk is not so very different from that of the Kestrel (35,000 pairs compared to 46,000 respectively). And while we are on the subject, you may be even more surprised that, in addition to our most common small diurnal raptors, there are an estimated 50,000 pairs of Tawny Owl in the UK, keeping the nocturnal small woodland mammals on their tiny toes. Sparrowhawks, however, are almost exclusively bird hunters, hence the need for stealthy strikes. If you find piles of feathers on the lawn, these will most often be a result of Sparrowhawk strikes. You probably won’t notice it at the time, and only see the feathers some time later. These are, after all, the stealthiest of hunters. 6 January 2020

*Naresh Jariwala* DiD you know? imageBROKeR / alamy Many Sparrowhawks have seemingly random white spots on their mantles birdwatching.co.uk 7

FIVE TO FIND IN JANUARY It is a new year, a new start, *Naresh Jariwala* BUITEN-BEELD / ALAMY time to take a fresh new look at birds and birding. 1 WATER PIPIT Here are five January birds which would be a great The Water Pipit is an extraordinary bird. It breeds in high mountains, such as the Alps and kick-start to any year list. Pyrenees, yet winters in low, wet areas (hence the name). It is a scarce winter visitor to the How many can you see UK, and owing to its preferred habitat, most of the 200 or so individuals over here are this month? found in the east of the country, around suitable flooded meadows, ‘scrape’ edges and so on. Once considered conspecific with the Rock Pipit, the Water Pipit is very similar in size twitter.com/BirdWatchingMag and structure to that species, but quite different in appearance (as well as habitat choice), being altogether paler, with largely white underparts, which are only lightly streaked and facebook.com/BirdWatchingMag whiter outer tail feathers. Like Rock Pipits, Water Pipits have a single strong ‘feest’ call. Unlike Rock Pipits, they are annoyingly shy, and will fly off a considerable distance and RARITY RATINGS ‘disappear’ if flushed (perhaps returning later when the coast is clear). Common, widely distributed 2 WHOOPER Localised – always a treat SWAN Very scarce or rare There are about 11,000 of these DID YOU stately ‘wild’ swans wintering in the KNOW? UK. So, they are hardly exactly ‘scarce’, yet they have a magical In North America, in presence which makes them place of Whooper instantly exciting. Part of this is Swans, there are their very wildness, as they are shy Trumpeter Swans and easily disturbed, letting (similar, but with intruders know they see them with black bills) distinctive barking honks. And part of it is knowing they have crossed a substantial amount of INCAMERASTOCK / ALAMY the Atlantic, usually from Iceland, to be with us. They are about the same size as Mute Swans, but lack the latter’s flamboyant S-shaped neck and extrovert raised wings and fondness for duck ponds. These are stiff-necked, almost rectilinear birds, which feed in fields and usually come to water to bathe and drink etc. Look for the large size, the straight neck, the extensive yellow from the eye to the pointed V on the bill; and listen for that honk. 8 January 2020

3 GOOSANDER YOUR BIRDING MONTH The cormorants of the duck world, these big, gorgeous sawbills are fish specialists, using their RARITY beautiful, narrow, serrated-edged, red bills to grab their slippery prey after diving from the PREDICTOR surface. Unlike Red-breasted Mergansers, which are mostly found at the coast in winter, Goosanders have a liking for freshwater, patrolling suitable, fish-rich lakes, rivers and so on. Here are some of our ‘educated guess’ Though they are largely Scottish breeders (with pairs also in northern England and Wales), the predictions for major rarities which could turn 12,000 or so which winter here are spread across the rest of the country at this time of year. up during January Males are whitish or salmon pink with blackish-green heads and black backs. Females are grey bodied and red-headed, with a clean divide between the red-brown upper and buff lower neck. BLICKWINKEL / ALAMY *Naresh Jariwala* DAVID CH BLACK-THROATED THRUSH 4 GLAUCOUS GULL More than 30 of the 80-something accepted AGAMI PHOTO AGENCY / ALAMY* UK records of Black-throated Thrush were in The Glaucous Gull is a scarce winter visitor from the far north Shetland and 18 occurred during January usually fewer than 200 individuals found across the country (m (though half of records were in October). This north, particularly the northern and western isles). Along with is one of a handful of rare birds which have a Iceland Gull, Glaucous Gull is a so-called ‘white-winged gull’, habit of turning up in domestic gardens. named because at all ages the flight feathers are pale, and alw lack black feathers. In the UK most birds seen in winter are AMERICAN BITTERN juveniles, which very from milky coffee coloured to almost wh a dark eye and a pink and black bill. Second-winters have pale There have been very few American Bitterns in Adults are like large Herring Gulls with no black in the wing. the UK this millennium, but most serious Check rubbish tips, gull roosts or coastal gatherings of gulls fo listers have it on their list, thanks to the these handsome/ugly, beautiful brutes. long-staying male at Carlton Marshes, Suffolk, during 2018 (which even put on displays and did bouts of booming!). Still, what a find this would be, and a great way to start the year list in style. Check every bittern carefully! BILL COSTER / ALAMY SIMON STIRRUP / ALAMY* 5 BLACK-TAILED GODWIT BUFF-BELLIED PIPIT There are two distinct subspecies of the Black-tailed Godwit which occur regularly in the UK. This rare pipit from North America (also called These are the nominate subspecies limosa, which breeds in continental Europe and in very small American Pipit) has increased greatly in its numbers in England (mainly at the Nene Washes, Cambridgeshire); and the Iceland breeding frequency in the UK over the last decade or so, islandica. The latter are shorter legged, slightly smaller and, in breeding plumage, are notably with multiple records being expected. darker red. The islandica birds are also the subspecies which makes up the bulk of the UK However, this has died down in the last couple wintering population of some 45,000 birds. While Bar-tailed Godwits in the UK are almost of years. Most arrive in the autumn, but exclusively birds of the coast, wintering Black-tailed Godwits will readily spend the colder months over-winterers are possible. at suitable inland sites (particularly in east Anglia, as well as north-west England), such as partially flooded fields etc, as well as enjoying estuarine environments. birdwatching.co.uk 9

TRACKS & SIGNS Shrike larders Shrikes are the closest thing we have to ‘passerine raptors’. They are little, hooked-billed, tough guys which pounce on small mammals, small birds and large insects. In the winter in the UK, the large (thrush-sized) Great Grey Shrike is the most likely species to see. Like all shrikes, they don’t necessarily eat their prey items straight away. Instead, they take them to a favoured thorny bush (or stretch of barbed wire fence) and impale the victims as a sort of larder to be visited later, as the need arises. This is, of course, why shrikes are also called ‘butcherbirds’, as they hang carcasses like a butcher. FIELDCRAFT Wind direction and photography (the take off) When photographing perched birds, especially larger species, such as birds of prey, it is often very useful to take into account the direction of the wind. This is for anticipation of the perfect take-off shot: larger birds tend to take off directly into the wind, to give extra lift. So, if you prepare for this and position yourself accordingly, you have the advantage when shooting the exciting take-off shot. MINDEN PICTURES / ALAMY WINTERING WADERS (PART ONE) *Naresh Jariwala* 650,000 Number of Lapwings wintering in the UK FLPA / ALAMY* DUNCAN USHER / ALAMY Wintering population of Golden Plovers in the UK WHAT’S IN A NAME? 350,000 Teal Dunlins which spend the winter in the UK Which came first, the colour or the bird? In this case, the blue-green 320,000 colour teal is named after the Teal’s Total UK count of wintering Knot iridescent green speculum (coloured panel in the secondary wing feathers), 340,000 which in certain lights looks blue- Number of Oystercatcher green… The bird itself apparently wintering in the UK derives its name from the Middle English tele, which is related to the BL CKW NKEL / ALAMY REMO SAVISAAR / ALAMY* West Frisian tjiling, Middle Dutch teling (taling in modern Dutch) and Middle Low German telink. In other words, it is an old name for a small duck in western Europe.

YOUR BIRDING MONTH 6 MORE TO SEE... UK TIDES JANUARY True tits The times below are We have six species of resident tit in this country. That is not counting the Long-tailed Tit and the Bearded Tit, for high tide, when which are not in the same family (nor the rare vagrant Penduline Tit, which is also not a true tit). waders and wildfowl will be pushed closer to dry land... Find the location closest to your destination and add or subtract the hours and minutes from the high tide timeat London Bridge, below. *Naresh Jariwala* NURLAN KALCH NOV / ALAMY* NIGEL DOWSETT / ALAMY* Date Time m Time m Great Tit Blue Tit 1W 05:08 6.28 17:41 6.23 2Th 05:42 6.14 18:20 6.05 Easily our largest tit, approaching a sparrow in size. Black Very small and unmistakable, the little Blue Tit is our only 3F 06:22 5.96 19:06 5.86 4Sa 07:12 5.76 20:06 5.73 head and bib with white cheeks. Green back and yellow tit with a blue cap and one of two (the other being Crested) 5Su 08:19 5.62 21:15 5.73 6M 09:46 5.70 22:20 5.90 underparts with a central black stripe (broader in males). to have a white supercilium (‘eyebrow’) above a black 7Tu 10:51 5.98 23:21 6.16 8W 11:48 6.31 White outer tail feathers. Great Tits often feed on the eyestripe. Blue Tits are generally acrobatic arboreal feeders 9Th 00:16 6.43 12:39 6.62 10F 01:06 6.64 13:26 6.86 ground and have a bewildering range of repetitive calls. and have a variety of peeping and chattering calls. 11Sa 01:54 6.77 14:13 7.04 12Su 02:39 6.85 14:59 7.18 M KE BRYANT / ALAMY DAV D SEWELL / ALAMY* 13M 03:24 6.90 15:45 7.26 14Tu 04:06 6.90 16:30 7.23 15W 04:48 6.84 17:17 7.09 16Th 05:33 6.73 18:07 6.87 17F 06:21 6.59 19:02 6.64 18Sa 07:17 6.43 20:03 6.44 19Su 08:24 6.31 21:06 6.29 20M 09:33 6.24 22:12 6.20 21Tu 10:42 6.25 23:23 6.23 22W 11:49 6.37 23Th 00:26 6.37 12:48 6.56 24F 01:18 6.52 13:38 6.73 25Sa 02:02 6.64 14:22 6.84 26Su 02:42 6.71 15:03 6.88 27M 03:17 6.73 15:39 6.84 28Tu 03:49 6.71 16:12 6.73 29W 04:19 6.65 16:42 6.60 30Th 04:48 6.56 17:12 6.46 31F 05:18 6.45 17:43 6.30 SOUTH WEST NORTH WEST Weston Super Mare Whitehaven ( 2:30) (+5:05) Douglas (-2:44) Barnstaple (+4:30) Morecambe (-2:33) Newquay (+3:32) Blackpool (-2:50) Coal Tit Crested Tit Falmouth (+3:30) Tiny (closer to a Goldcrest than a Great Tit), the Coal Tit is This ‘brown tit’ is really nothing like the other two (below). Plymouth (+4:05) NORTH EAST particularly common in coniferous woodlands, though does We have our own Scottish subspecies of the Crested Tit, Torquay (+4:40) Skegness (+4:29) occur in mixed and broad-leafed forests, parks etc. Black which lives almost exclusively in remnants of the Bournemouth Grimsby (+4:13) crown (white on nape) and broad bib and white cheeks. Buff Caledonian Forest. Seen well, these crested beauties are ( 5:09)* Bridlington (+2:58) underparts, blue-grey upperparts. unmistakable. They even have a pleasant trilling call. Portland (+4:57) Whitby (+2:20) St Peter Port Hartlepool (+1:59) (+4:53) Blyth (+1:46) Swanage ( 5:19)* Berwick (+0:54) Portsmouth (-2:29) Southampton (-2:53) SCOTLAND Leith (+0:58) SOUTH EAST Dundee (+1:12) Ryde ( 2:29) Aberdeen (-0:18) Brighton ( 2:51) Fraserburgh (-1:28) Eastbourne (-2:48) Lossiemouth (-2:00) Dungeness (-3:05) Wick (-2:29) Dover ( 2:53) Lerwick (-2:50) Margate ( 1:52) Stromness (-4:29) Herne Bay ( 1:24) Scrabster (-5:09) DP W LDL FE VERTEBRATES / ALAMY* Southend on-sea(-1:22) Stornoway (+5:30) ANDREW DARR NGTON / ALAMY* Clacton on sea (-2:00) Ullapool (+5:36) Gairloch (+5:16) EAST ANGLIA Oban (+4:12) Felixstowe Pier (-2:23) Greenock (-1:19) Aldeburgh ( 2:53) Ayr (-1:44) Lowestoft ( 4:23) Campbeltown Cromer (+4:56) (-1:12) Hunstanton (+4:44) Girvan (-1:51) Willow Tit Kirkcudbright Bay Marsh Tit The other of the very similar species, the highly localised WALES (-2:25) Willow Tit has a more consistently wholly white cheek, One of two very similar species. The Marsh Tit has a black which contributes to the appearance of it being a larger- Colwyn Bay (-2:47) cap, white cheeks and a small black bib. The upperparts are headed bird than the Marsh Tit. There is no white mark on plain brown and the underparts are buff. Listen for the the cutting edge of the bill and there is often an obvious Holyhead (-3:28) IRELAND ‘pitchoo’ and ‘chickadeedeedee’ calls and (in photos) the tiny pale panel in the secondaries (visible in the folded wing). white wedge near the cutting edge of the upper bill (which Barmouth (-5:45) Londonderry (-5:32) you can just see in the above photograph). Aberystwyth (-6:11) Belfast (-2:47) Fishguard (+5:44) Donegal(+4:20) Swansea (+4:42) Milford Haven (+4:37) Cardiff (+5:15) *Approximate times due to large variance between the month’s neap and spring tides. All times are GMT.

YOUR BIRDING MONTH Beyond Birdwatching The first month of the year is one of contrasts, FUNGI with some creatures hunkering down but others fervently active Splash of colour BY JAMES LOWEN The Scarlet Elf Cup catches the eye like a post-Christmas bauble, brightening the ground or a rotting log. A thin-lipped disc fungus, its shape varies – I once found one shaped like a heart on Valentine’s Day – but is usually cup-like. I love peering at the scarlet interior, watching the light bounce around its smooth surface as I shift aspect. *Naresh Jariwala* SNOW GO? PLANT In mild western areas, the year’s first Snowdrops Berry nice will protrude above ground this month. In November, I celebrated Ivy MOTH flowers as a nectar source, greatly appreciated by late-autumn insects. Winter flyer This month, it is Ivy berries that attract attention. These spherical Dark Chestnut moths emerge during autumn but overwin purplish-black fruits provide some adults, some surviving into March. They are regularly found flying on mild winter nights. Although common and f the last winter sustenance widespread in England and Wales, Dark Chestnut is less available for birds such as frequent than the closely related Chestnut, from which it differs in its wings exhibiting a straighter outer edge and pointed tip. rushes. No wonder, because – am for gram – this plant’s rries are thought to offer as ny calories as a Mars Bar. MAMMAL FUNG PLANT Breeding like... Not just Winter bloom for Rabbits will be pregnant for the first time this year Christmas Although it is a non-native that has breached – but not the last! Females can produce a litter of the wider countryside from the supposed up to seven young every month between January Undulating and wavy, sanctity of gardens, I am uncommonly and August – although, in total, most produce concentric and pleased each time I come across Winter ‘only’ 20 offspring across the whole year. colourful, Turkeytail is Heliotrope on a January walk. After all, there Conservationists are concerned at the dramatic a dramatic bracket is not much else in bloom at the outset of the decline in some UK Rabbit populations: rare fungus in the shape of year, rendering the flowers’ ivory and pink Breckland flora and Stone-curlews are suffering a fan – hence its colour scheme most welcome. Indigenous from the absence of these mammalian mowers. common name. It can populations grow in Mediterranean Africa, exhibit colours as varied as charcoal and but it entered cultivation in Britain but the outermost ring is always white o Although at its best in autumn, Turkeyt PICTURES: JAMES LOWEN fruits throughout the year and seems particularly noticeable amid the greynes of winter. Growing on trees and dead wood, it forms overlapping tiers as if eac individual fruiting body were jostling fo optimum position. 12 January 2020

*Naresh Jariwala*

patcH diary Mike looks back on the best of the birds and other wildlife seen (and heard) close to his home during the past year Happy New Year, everyone. Yes, it has come round in the blink of an eye, once again. And so, another year list starts, and there is barely time to reflect on the glories of the year gone by. But, here goes, anyway. I hope 2019 was a good birding year for you. For me, it was a year packed with wholesome birdy goodness. As ever, this was just about all on my birdwatching*Naresh Jariwala* doorstep in the Peterborough Bird Club recording area (PBC area). Though not quite reaching the dizzying heights of 2018 (when I set my record total of 195 bird species in a year in the PBC area), it came mighty close, with my second best ever figure of 190. And such was the wealth of the avian riches, that the rest of this column is going to seem something like a m ke weedon list in itself. Please forgive me, and instead try to see and hear (with your mind’s eye and ear), the lovely birding experiences I am about to relate. So, here goes with the highlights, in a slightly a couple of Little Stints, a handful of Knots and Above Kittiwake, haphazard order. Firstly, I added one bird to my all time Turnstones; small groups of my favourite wader, the Ferry Meadows CP, Peterborough, PBC list: the spectacular Baikal Teal. There may well be Bar-tailed Godwit; and a very obliging Whimbrel. March 2019 arguments about whether this gaudy eastern drake on In addition to these local rarities, though, there have Mike Weedon is a lover of all the Nene Washes was ‘plastic’ or ‘real’, but it elevated been some wonderful ‘better-than-a-tick’ birding wildlife, a local bird ‘year lister’, and a my all-time local list to 250 birds. experiences, which will live long in the memory. In the keen photographer, around his home city I had a couple of welcome local ‘find ticks’, too, dark of a midsummer night, I was perhaps 15m from an of Peterborough, where he lives with with Red-necked Grebe (in December) and Curlew unseen duetting pair of Spotted Crakes, ‘whipping’ for his wife, Jo, and children, Jasmine Sandpiper (September), taking my all time PBC find list all they were worth. And there were the ‘dancing’ and and Eddie. You can see his photos at to 214 (I know: could do better!). gyrating baby Long-eared Owls, who were later warned weedworld. blogspot.com Other decent personal finds included Tree Pipits in away from the ‘intruding’ birder by a yelping adult. spring and autumn (a bird which was, for many years, Most encouragingly, in this age of population a PBC a big bogey bird for me); a couple of Sandwich declines, I am pleased to say that breeding Spotted Terns; and a Cattle Egret during one of my morning Flycatchers, Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers and Corn autumn ‘vis mig’ sessions. I found an Osprey very close Buntings are still hanging on around Peterborough. to home; and a summer-plumaged Black-necked Grebe; Best of all, it was very heartening to see our local and I could argue for a piece of a Purple Heron (which, Turtle Doves finally turning a corner, and seemingly like a fool, I initially called as a Bittern!). I also found flourishing, with multiple pairs found for the first time three of the five Redstarts I saw locally in 2019. in years, near the villages north of Peterborough. But there have been so many The year has not been all other exciting birdy things It was heartenIng about birds, either; 2019 will be going on around here: it was to see our local remembered (by me at least) as the first year I have seen two a great mammal year. I saw at different Hooded Crows, turtle Doves fInally least 10 Otters, including family locally, for instance. There was turnIng a corner groups at three sites, and a delightful singing Wood encountered some wonderful Warbler; a lovely, long-staying Badgers, Stoats and Weasels. insect-picking Kittiwake; and there were two Rough- We even had a Muntjac taking up residence in our city legged Buzzards (the king of winter raptors); a glorious garden for several weeks, and a family of Foxes have summer-plumaged Red-necked Grebe, a couple of also taken a liking to our back yard. Tundra Bean Geese and a dozen or so White-fronted And it was a great summer for butterflies around Geese. I saw four Ring Ouzels, five Cattle Egrets, three here, notably with burgeoning populations of Dark Hen Harriers and three Ospreys, locally, during the Green Fritillary and Purple Emperor. And, dragonfly- year, as well as perhaps a dozen Merlins! wise, 2019 will be remembered as the year Willow Twenty-eight species of PBC area wader during the Emerald Damselfly conquered Peterborough. year included an incredible 25-plus Wood Sandpipers, What will 2020 bring? Watch this space. 14 January 2020

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ALL THE BIGGEST BIRD NEWS & EVENTS CONCERN Mixed fortunes for birds A new report has offered cause for The Cetti’s Warbler cautious optimism for the future of population is going up... some British bird species *Naresh Jariwala* T he Wild Bird and 26% falling between 2012 NEIL WALKER/ALAMY* Populations in and 2018. Within this group, NATURE PHOTOGRAPHERS LTD/ALAMY*fortunes of 26 species, of short-term, several species have the UK 1970-2018 Sky Lark, Corn Bunting, Reed which roughly a third each are shown a strong increase, report is an Bunting and Linnet populations declining, stable and increasing. including Razorbill and Great annual stocktake have all shown short-term The Cetti’s Warbler has Black-backed Gull. of certain species groups, increases, and Tree Sparrow, increased rapidly both over termed ‘indicators’, for habitats Starling, Lapwing and Kestrel the long-term and the short- Dr David Noble, principal including farmland, woodland, have all remained stable; but term, while the Yellow Wagtail ecologist at the British Trust for breeding wetland, wintering Grey Partridge populations are has shown a strong decline for Ornithology (BTO), said: wetland and seabirds. These still in decline. both time periods. “Despite a wide range of are presented alongside an ‘all pressures continuing to affect species indicator’, made up of Declines Where seabirds are many of our UK bird trends for 130 widespread concerned, 38% of the 13 populations, and driving species. The ‘all species’ The woodland birds indicator is species monitored have declined declines in many of our habitat indicator shows that over the 30% lower than in 1970; the long-term, but 46% increased specialists, there are a few long-term (1970-2018), positives short-term picture is not too short-term. Strong declines have positive stories where species and negatives are balanced good either with more than half been seen for both Arctic Skua could be responding to more – with 29% of species on the of the woodland birds and Herring Gull populations nature-friendly management up and 28% experiencing monitored (37 species), showing over both the long-term and and spreading northward to decline. The short-term trend, declines. But there are glimmers short-term, while in the suitable landscapes.” 2012-2017, sees a similar story, of hope, with the short-term with 35% of those species trend for Song Thrush showing increasing and 33% decreasing. a 22% increase against a backdrop of long-term decline. The long-term picture for farmland birds isn’t good with The trend for water and wetland birds covers the Yellow Wagtail numbers are going down...

news & opinion news in Brief Gru m p y O ld Bi rder Viewing tower This month, Bo reveals the steps he has taken to try and make his garden a cat-free area Lee Valley Regional Park, on the Hertfordshire/Essex border, is *Naresh Jariwala* ithink I may have thrown the birding baby out couple of moggies that snuck in but made Garfield to get a new five-metre viewing with the feline bathwater! shapes against the netting trying to scramble out tower, to replace the 30-year- Regular readers will know that I fight a again. Most encouraging… we are hopeful that old Bittern Information Point at running battle with the neighbourhood cats, when the circuit of wire is complete, we can be Fishers Green, near Waltham whose owners let them roam night and day. feline-free! We beamed with pride over the Abbey in Essex.O  verlooking I decided that the only way to stop them leaving burgeoning pot plants. We grinned with the Seventy Acres Lake, it is one of a mass of bloody feathers beneath my feeders, or anticipation of a secure boundary, but over the days the best places in the country to the mangled corpses of frogs by my pond is to since, our heads have been hanging low. Where are see Bittern. Set to open to the cat-proof my domain. all the birds? Have we deterred birds while trying to public in June 2020, the f  ully As you may not block your neighbours’ light by stave off their Waterloo? accessible hide and information opaque fencing more than six feet high, my only point will include a two-tier choice is to add a further few feet of wire netting. Since the sparrow decline, they have built their viewing area at ground level with The trouble was that over the two decades I’ve numbers by stuffing their faces until a flock of 40 a separate wildlife information lived here, my shrubs have tried to escape over would regularly descend. Goldfinches chatter on room. It  will provide  visitors with the fences while one neighbouring absentee the telephone wires until we leave the garden and close-up access  to wildlife. landlord has allowed his garden to become an Ivy they flock down to fill crops with sunflower hearts. jungle beginning to push over our shared fence. Dunnocks and Robins, Blackbirds and doves skitter Red Kite death We started by pulling the Honeysuckle off the beneath the feeders. Starling bully boys snaffle the Lilac tree, as several branches had been strangled fat-balls and tits flit in and out for suet banquets. North Yorkshire Police and to death. Then we tackled an evergreen bush that We’ve even had a regular Jay managing to winkle the RSPB are appealing for was hanging three feet over the fence. Suddenly, it great chunks of fat-ball from the feeder. information on the death of a was like someone had turned on the lights. Things Red Kite, found poisoned in an were so overgrown that our tiny yard had been But, this week, we had hardly any visitors at all. area of the county with the worst thoroughly shaded. Between jobs, the planters A tit or two and the odd Goldfinch. Half a dozen record for the illegal killing of madly flourished. Finding the burst of colour to our sparrows still roost in the pyracantha but ignore all birds of prey in England. The bird delight, we set about removing another large the food. There hasn’t been a single Starling on the was found dead in Blazefield, evergreen shrub of the same sort, next to our peanut butter and even our regular two pairs of just outside Pateley Bridge, feeding station, in the darkest corner of the garden. Dunnocks have deserted our domain. Nidderdale in March 2019. North Once more the planted pots bloomed anew, Yorkshire Police submitted the delighting the bees. Whenever I look out of my study window, there bird to be tested for poison and Behind the feeders was the invading massed Ivy. aren’t even any Collared Doves or Feral Pigeons results show the bird tested It took a few pleading phone calls for the owner’s loitering about. positive for the insecticide agent to act. We asked that the Ivy be trimmed so bendiocarb – one of the top we could add our netting. Instead of the requested Is it the disturbance that has put them off? Have five most commonly abused inch they went a mile, trimming back their huge I removed too much cover? Did the very Ivy that substances involved in raptor pyracantha tree and stripping out a corridor hid the crouching cat offered them the delusion of poisoning cases. If you have any through the Ivy jungle against our fence. sanctuary! Over the fence, a fat feline is smirking information, tel: 0300 999 0101. More light flooded in, and we have begun to top a ‘serves you right’ expression across her whiskers. the fences with netting, much to the disdain of a Tit survey Bo Beolens runs fatbirder.com and other websites. He A national Willow Tit survey will be run in spring 2020, after the get in RSPB, Rare Breeding Birds Panel touch (RBBP), Welsh Ornithological Society, Natural England, Natural Do you agree – or disagree Resources Wales and county bird – with Bo’s comments? clubs joined forces to look into the species’ alarming decline. Email us at birdwatching@ The highly sedentary species has bauermedia.co.uk been lost from much of southern and eastern England during the See next month’s issue for past 30 years, with UK numbers your responses on the crashing by 94% between 1970 issue of cats. and 2012. To join in, email either [email protected] or PhotoAlto/AlAmy* Left An unwelcome [email protected] visitor in Bo’s garden birdwatching.co.uk 17

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SUBSCRIPTION OFFER *Naresh Jariwala* PRINT ONLY n 3 issues for £5 then pay £25.50 every 6 months when you pay by direct debit SUBSCRIBE TODAY “Our mission is to bring you TERRY MATHEWS/ALAMY* & BENEFIT FROM: everything you need for brilliant birding – and with this offer you n We will deliver for FREE can subscribe to the magazine and n Seek out new birds & explore nature get 3 issues for a fiver. Don’t miss n Never miss an issue out – take advantage of this great n 3 issues for just £5 offer today!” Matt Merritt, editor Easy online sign up! greatmagazines.co.uk/bw birdwatching.co.uk 19

228 *Naresh Jariwala* DAYS Picos De Europa PICTUREBANK/ALAMY 9900 MILES 270 BIRDS... Will Stephanie Perks’ and Sally Westwood’s seven-month motorhome odyssey round Iberia inspire you to hit the road for your #My200BirdYear challenge? WORDS: STEPHANIE PERKS 20 January 2020

#MY200BIRDYEAR ROADTRIP ‘Pale’ Crested lark PORTO DE RIA DE SANTANDER ESPASANTE RIBEDEO SANTOÑA RIA DE FOZ PICOS DE ROSES EUROPA PLAYA DE BELANER DELTA EBRE CASTROJERIZ PENISCOLA PRAIA DE SOESTRPAUNTA FAXILDA CALPE ALTEA OIGROVE BELLO EL CAMPELLO RIA DE VIGO SAN PEDRO DEL PINATAR LOS ALCÁZERES RIO MINHO ESTUARY CABO DE GATA MADRID PORTO SOBREDA MONFRAGÜE FIGUEIRA TRUJILLO DU FOZ CÁCERES LISBON BADAJOS DOÑANA RAMBLA DE MORALES MALAGA TABERNAS TARITA *Naresh Jariwala* STEPHANIE PERKS CASTRO MARIM BOCA DO RI0 FARO Lesser Kestrels STEPHANIE PERKSPart of the fun of the Choughs #My200BirdYear challenge is shaping the challenge to suit STEPHANIE PERKS your own birdwatching. We had a very interesting time travelling around Spain and Portugal in Frankie, our motorhome. The rewards were fantastic, including seeing 270 different species of birds on our seven- and-a-half-month journey over a course of 9,900 miles. A wide range of terrains and habitats were visited, from dusty deserts to swampy fields; from icy mountain peaks to wind-blown sand dunes. We started out with two main challenges. We wanted to see birds we hadn’t seen before, and to get some reasonable photographs. Some of the birds we encountered were rare or scarce, and that made the experience even more exciting. The Wallcreeper was the biggest challenge. We received a hot tip from a kindly birder who had recently seen one in the Asturias, in northern Spain, two weeks before we arrived. So, we made a detour to the planned route, with a visit to Santoña straight from the ferry, and first saw waders including Whimbrel and Greenshank, plus Little Egrets and Great Egrets. Then we set off with the hope of seeing a Wallcreeper. We drove through the mountain passes in Asturias, and arrived at a long bridge that was fairly high, but not high enough for Frankie, our motorhome. We would have had an inch to spare if we had gone through. We were unsure if the height for Frankie included the TV aerial and two solar panels on the roof, so we decided to move on to Galicia. Later, when we were in the Ebro Delta on the Spanish east coast, we received a birdwatching.co.uk 21

#MY200BIRDYEAR ROADTRIP message from another friendly birder, *Naresh Jariwala*EP ROIG/ALAMYSant Pere de Rodes monastery who had seen a Wallcreeper on the wall of Southern Grey Shrike the Sant Pere de Rodes Monastery, north STEPHANIE PERKS Sally on a birding adventure NATURE PHOTOGRAPHERS LTD/ALAMY Western Orphean Warbler of Roses, near the French border. We Stephanie scans the area for rare birds visited the monastery, but didn’t see one. Towards the end of the journey, however, another birder suggested that we visit the Picos de Europa mountain range. We took the cable car up at Fuente Dé, where Wallcreepers had been reported as nesting in the past. We were not too hopeful, as our friend had been visiting the nest area every year for eight years and had not seen one, but we hoped to see Snowfinches, Alpine Accentors and Alpine Choughs, at least. But we had a surprise. We sat on some rocks watching out for birds. Then, I spotted a movement on the rock face behind us. I saw a bird with grey colouring, and looked for red and pale blue. It was a Wallcreeper. Then another arrived. They flew higher up, along the path. I followed and saw three pairs of Wallcreepers. The males were displaying to the females. It was a very special moment. And we also saw the Snowfinches, Alpine Choughs and Alpine Accentors. Rare firsts Another rare bird was the Bald Ibis. There are only a handful left in the world. We visited a known location in Tarifa, but were not hopeful due to the gale force easterly winds blowing along the whole coastal area. However, we had been informed that Bald Ibis had been seen at this one location, some distance along the sand dunes, on a tower. The tower was a known nest site, and STEPHANIE PERKS BEZERGHEANU MIRCEA/ALAMY* er over the Other firsts were Black Wheatears, w a large Goshawk, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Bald Ibis. Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, Wallcreeper, our last day Snowfinch, Alpine Accentor, Alpine rewarded by Chough, Scops Owl, Wood Sandpiper, ng in a small Short-toed Lark, Lesser Short-toed Lark, waiting Citril Finch, Ferruginous Duck, Penduline Tit, Moustached Warbler, Red-necked Western Nightjar, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Baillon’s I had taken Crake, Spectacled Warbler, Bald Ibis, at, but Brown-necked Raven from Africa, and ater, I realised a pale (possibly leucistic) Crested Lark Warbler – a first which may have come from Africa. Wallcreeper

Cranes at Laguna de Gallocanta NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY/ALAMY *Naresh Jariwala* Bald Ibis Black-bellied Sandgrouse INSADCO PHOTOGRAPHY/ALAMY* DAVID TIPLING /ALAMY* Photographic challenge I spent time sitting, over two days, and Frankie coped and so did I with my eyes waiting for a Kingfisher to come nearer closed (I wasn’t driving at the time!). At the outset of the journey I had set to me, at the Ebro Delta, and got the shot Occasionally, we only became aware of myself the challenge of obtaining on the second day. the inclines when we saw the winding reasonable photographs of Cetti’s Warbler, route on the satnav, which it’s all too easy Zitting Cisticola and Kingfisher. It didn’t Although Frankie is a large vehicle, to become dependent on. work out with the Cetti’s, but I was lucky we managed to drive very near to bird with a Zitting Cisticola. I sat down low on hotspots, and being in a motorhome, We arrived at Laguna de Gallocanta my chair on a path by a flooded marsh in we could get up early to go birding. expecting to see about 5,000 Cranes on Galicia and watched Zitting Cisticolas on Sometimes, it was not quite so easy to my birthday, the 10 November. We were distant reed stems. Suddenly one popped reach the hotspots, though, as many of pleasantly surprised. The area had up on a stem about 10 metres from me. the roads were winding, narrow, and received heavy rain and the Laguna had I got my shot. I got many distant shots of steep. The Asturias and Picos de Europa water. A bird count revealed 26,000 were a Kingfisher flying away over water. had steep roads and sharp inclines, but on and around the Laguna. That was birdwatching.co.uk 23

#MY200BIRDYEAR ROADTRIP Doñana National Park *Naresh Jariwala* JUAN AUNION/ALAMY* amazing, since the Laguna had been White Stork ROLF NUSSBAUMER PHOTOGRAPHY/ALAMY* dry for about 16 years. flexibility with the route was a strategy for But things didn’t always turn out as We visited Doñana, Monfragüe seeing many species of birds, particularly National Park and Ca´ceres when the during migration. planned. Several accidents occurred with spring migration was underway, and saw the greatest variety of species in those We met birders from all over Europe Frankie. A puncture, then a burst tyre, areas, and we tried to be at the best spots and made new friends. Other birders when migration was occurring. We were frequently gave us information about then a lorry hit the rear-lights when going to stay for 10 days at Tarifa, b birds they had seen in the area. We ended up staying for three weeks. introduced ourselves to people working Frankie was being transported on a trailer, at nature reserves and talked about the We drove along the coast, guided birds on their land, and they gave us the gas leaked over the cooker and caught direction of the strong wind. There details about the birds we possibly could always the possibility that we were see around the area. Gussie, Stephanie’s fire (the neighbours on the campsite were missing birds further along or behind us, 16-year-old deaf Beagle, took it all in his but it was fantastic to see about a stride. Every time he stepped out of a little concerned with the flames). thousand Cory’s Shearwaters fly over the Frankie, he had new smells. As a Beagle water from the Atlantic Ocean to the and a scent hound, he never had a chance Several catches on the drawers broke, as Mediterranean at dawn, and the hundreds to get bored with the same walk or the of Black Kites, hundreds of White Storks, same smells. He loved it. did the hinges on the bathroom door. The several Red Kites, Egyptian Vultures, Short-toed Eagles and Booted Eagles. inverter went ‘pop’ and stopped working, When the rain was heavy and constant, we continued on the route, but sometimes the driver’s seatbelt broke, and the internal we made a detour, guided by tips received from kindly birders. batteries never worked well. But we had For example, we received details about replacements and repairs carried out, a Brown-necked Raven in Murcia, which was a rare bird in Spain. We added new getting by with limited Spanish and places to the route – Roses, Santoña, and Picos de Europa – on the advice of others. Portuguese (it is helpful to be able speak And we left some time free on the route to allow for changes, when birding was good, some of the country’s language so as to or if something special was about. The cope with unexpected events). BW 24 January 2020

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*Naresh Jariwala*opportun Its links to British spy James Bond may be the stuff of legends, but the Goldeneye is a beautiful bird to be admired in its own right WORDS: IAN PARSONS T he male Goldeneye is a lovely looking duck: beautiful black-and-white markings on the body, a large, green-glossed head adorned with a round white spot by the bill and topped off with that very golden eye. These attractive diving ducks breed in small numbers in Britain, but it is in winter that they become familiar to birders all over the country. I always enjoy seeing them and whenever I do, a certain Hollywood movie theme tune always pops in to my head. Ian Fleming’s James Bond is a globally-recognised brand. There have been, to date, 26 James Bond films and one of these was, of course, called Goldeneye. Pierce Brosnan’s Bond debut was named after Fleming’s estate that the author had built in Jamaica just after World War II. There is some debate as to what the Goldeneye estate was actually named after, but one thing is for certain, Ian Fleming was a keen birdwatcher, so perhaps the estate’s name owes something to this duck. James Bond himself definitely owes his name to birding. When writing his first Bond book, Fleming was looking for a very normal sounding English name, and being a birder living in Jamaica, he had a copy of Birds of the West Indies close to hand. The author of this field guide was none other than James Bond. It is strange to think that one of the world’s best known fictional characters acquired his name from birdwatching. Goldeneye (the ducks that is) are found breeding right around the northern hemisphere, from Alaska, through 26 January 2020

*Naresh Jariwala*goldeneye species birdwatching.co.uk 27Shaun Cunningham/alamy

SPECIES GOLDENEYE Europe and all the way across Russia. Sky-pointing display SPECIES FACTFILE Since 1970, they have also bred here in GOLDENEYE Britain in the Scottish Highlands. These Goldeneye female with ducks are hole nesters, nesting high up attendant brood Scientific name: Bucephala clangula in trees using the old nests of large Length: 42-50cm woodpeckers, especially Black Width: 65-80cm Woodpecker and, in North America, the UK numbers: 200 breeding pairs; Pileated Woodpecker. As with many other 27,000 wintering birds hole nesting birds, Goldeneye have readily Habitat: Lakes, large rivers, sheltered coasts taken to nestboxes and it is thanks to the Diet: Mussels, insect larvae, small fish and plants putting up of suitable nestboxes that the British breeding population has become *Naresh Jariwala*IMAGEBROKER/ALAMY* established. To go back to the movie theme, if you build it, they will come. Spectacular display There are now about 200 breeding pairs of Goldeneye in the Highlands, enabling some British birdwatchers to have the chance to see their spectacular courtship display. It is a loud and vigorous one – the males make a terrific two syllable whistle that is heard long before the ducks, or even the water that they are on, come in to view. The males try to out-compete one another to impress the watching females. They toss their heads back over their backs, then stretch their necks upright, with their bills pointing skyward. When they get really excited they accompany this with lots of foot-splashing, spraying water everywhere. These are not inconspicuous ducks. Like many birds that breed in northern latitudes, Goldeneye are migratory, heading south to escape the harsh chill of winter. Birds from eastern Europe and Scandinavia begin to head south and west in August, with between 20,000-30,000 of them reaching Britain. Ringing recoveries show that the majority of our wintering Goldeneye breed in Scandinavia, WHERE TO SEE... GOLDENEYE These winterers can be found right around the country in a variety of watery habitats, from sheltered coastal bays to inland lakes and reservoirs, large rivers and tidal estuaries. They begin to arrive in August and continue to do so throughout the autumn, heading back to their breeding grounds in February and the beginning of March. Short winter days are when the Goldeneye are at peak numbers in Britain and they certainly brighten up a day’s birding. The likelihood is that you will have somewhere near to you that plays hosts to these birds in the winter months, so make sure you take the opportunity to find some. 28 January 2020

The drake’s head is thrown HOW TO AVOID ID CONFUSION... back in display Male Smew SABENA JANE BLACKBIRD/ALAMY* Male Goosander *Naresh Jariwala* SIMON LITTEN/ALAMY IMAGEBROKER/ALAMY* Goldeneye attempting There are some other winterers that may to mate pose confusion with a male Goldeneye, particularly at a distance. Both the male Smew and (much larger) drake Goosander ARTERRA PICTURE LIBRARY/ALAMY have a black-and-white plumage and both dive after their food, but given longer views they are easily discernible from the Goldeneye. However, ours is not the only Goldeneye. The Barrow’s Goldeneye is a very closely related duck that breeds in North America, Greenland and Iceland. It is a real mega for Britain, with only three accepted records, so it is extremely unlikely that you will see one, but then that is the beauty of birding, you just never know what may turn up. It would certainly leave you feeling shaken and stirred if you found one. birdwatching.co.uk 29

SPECIES GOLDENEYE KRYS BAILEY/ALAMY* 5 MORE WINTER DUCKS TO SEE but others breed in Germany and also in Russia, so some of our birds, at least, Male Long-tailed Duck could be said to come from Russia with Female Scaup love! Unlike many ducks, Goldeneye can Male Pochard be rather shy and don’t tend to form large Female Velvet Scoter groups, but look past the large formations of Wigeon and Teal and you may well Female Smew spot one or two of them. The conspicuous behaviour of the breeding males has gone, but the striking plumage remains, meaning that they are fairly easy to spot. Like a lot of diving ducks they also have the annoying tendency to dive just as you are about to point them out to your fellow bird watchers, or, as always seems to happen to me, just as you press the shutter button on your camera! In the winter, these diving ducks are mainly after crustaceans, catching crabs, crayfish and shrimps, while during the breeding season, they also take advantage of the numerous aquatic insects that they share the water with. MIKE LANE/ALAMY* *Naresh Jariwala* Bird in a hurry The males are fairly unmistakable, but the females, in common with most ducks, aren’t so obviously marked. They share the large round head profile of the males, but the head colouring is a rich brown colour, which ensures that the pale golden eye stands out clearly, and they lack the curious white spot DAVID CHAPMAN/ALAMY* of the male. The body of the female is a mottled grey, giving, to my mind at least, a scaly impression. Towards the rear of the bird a small white triangle, the speculum, appears to poke out from beneath the wing, interrupting the grey plumage. Goldeneye in flight give the impression of a bird that is in a hurry, with rapid wings beating hard. The male shows lots of black and white in the upper wings Drake Goldeneye flapping Drake Goldeneye and body, with the dark underwings contrasting with the white belly and neck, the dark head is obvious and the MIKE LANE/ALAMY* white spot by the bill is clearly visible. The female also has a white belly and neck that contrasts clearly with the dark head and dark underwing pattern. The upperwings and body are generally grey in colour, but the wing has a large white rectangle, crossed by two dark stripes, that runs from the rear trailing edge almost completely up to its leading edge, giving the bird a very distinctive appearance. WILDSCOTPHOTOS/ALAMY* Goldeneye are brilliant ducks to see, whether you are able to see them displaying in the early spring at Loch Garten or diving for food on your local reservoir or estuary, but remember, they are not for your eyes only… BW 30 January 2020

IMAGEBROKER/ALAMY KRYSTYNA SZULECKA PHOTOGRAPHY/ALAMY* birdwatching.co.uk 31 *Naresh Jariwala* Female Goldeneye ALL CANADA PHOTOS/ALAMY*

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*Naresh Jariwala* DOMINIC COUZENS ON THE... PRISMA BY DUKAS PRESSEAGENTUR GMBH/ALAMY Is this commonly-seen backwater species the most exciting ‘unexciting’ bird around? It certainly boasts some interesting characteristics… birdwatching.co.uk 33

I t’s a preposterous thing to say, *Naresh Jariwala*Full-on fighting is one of the perhaps, but there are grounds for most obvious behaviours believing that the Moorhen is the Moorhens indulge in most interesting bird in Britain. This might seem to be a ridiculous SPECIES FACTFILE proposition. After all, the Moorhen doesn’t MOORHEN do anything spectacular. It wanders over the grass, swims very badly, makes a lot Scientific name: Gallinula chloropus of clucking sounds and flashes its white Length: 32-35cm undertail coverts. Its most frightening Width: 50-55cm rapturing manoeuvre is to turn over UK numbers: 270,000 breeding pairs/ a floating leaf suddenly to see what is 330,000 wintering lurking on the underside. Habitat: water Its most animated displays are its fights, Diet: Water plants, fruit, insects, seeds, small fish in which individuals clash breast-to-breast, kicking each other and, if they are floating, making a lot of splashing. It is more amusing than amazing, and if the clash was reported by football pundits, they might describe it as “handbags.” It looks too silly to be serious, but spats can last a long time and birds will sometimes attempt to drown each other. However, even if we find Moorhens unexciting, we can at least admit that they are successful. Almost every moist backwater has at least a pair of Moorhens (the origin of the name is ‘Mere-hen’), and they are common wherever the combination of freshwater and reasonably dense waterside vegetation meet. At this time of year, in the midwinter, Moorhens live in loose flocks of anywhere between single figures and 30 birds, but in favourable habitat, such as a densely vegetated canal, birds will stay put on a territory all year. What’s a Moorhen doing there? fh f h hh OUR WILD LIFE PHOTOGRAPHY/ALAMY The feet are huge at to the safety of elevated but not webbed ches to roost, as equally ruous Pheasants or Peacocks utumn and winter, Moorhens berries with the best of them, mpeting with Blackbirds and for Yews, rose-hips, Hawthorn part of a wide-ranging diet. s had webbing between their up trees would be much . However, they don’t. They of the rail family, not ducks. ebbing does affect their hich is effective enough, but hilariously laboured. There is odding of the head as the bird es, not necessarily in time rward stroke, as if the effort

WHERE TO SEE THEM MOORHEN SPECIES Moorhens can be seen around ponds, lakes, Moorhens are more often streams, river or farmland ditches and they can seen out of water (or on ice) also live in cities as well as the countryside. than Coots They are scarce birds in northern Scotland, the uplands of Wales and northern England. *Naresh Jariwala* LEE WEBB NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY/ALAMY* OUR WILD LIFE PHOTOGRAPHY/ALAMY was exhausting and the swimmer was Lacking webbed feet, navigating through treacle. swimming can look a struggle If you were cruel, you might say that ITSIK MAROM/ALAMY Moorhens were fairly useless at everything – not just climbing and swimming, but flying, too. It is true that their flight also looks awkward and laboured, particularly when they take off with much spluttering and fuss. Yet they are perfectly capable of significant flights, such as over the English Channel or North Sea, which they do at night. It is better to look at a Moorhen as an all-rounder, quite good at everything. It would obtain a clutch of GCSEs, but maybe not excel in any. One thing that Moorhens do with alacrity is to flick their brilliant white undertails. Sometimes they do this to signal to other birdwatching.co.uk 35

A clutch of Moorhen eggs How many of these babies are from the same parents? Who knows? *Naresh Jariwala* VASILIY VISHNEVSKIY/ALAMY Moorhens – indeed, turning their back THE MORE EXPOSED A MOORHEN FEELS, OR THE and lifting the tail is an aggressive act. NEARER SOMETHING DANGEROUS IS, THE FASTER THE RATE OF UPLIFTING ITS TAIL BECOMES However, it has been shown that rear-end-flicking has a different reader of you, but I find the female preference for The trouble is, destroying or removing the signal in mind – a predator. The more small stature and less than perfect an egg that might be someone else’s is exposed a Moorhen feels, or the nearer streamlining rather cheering. a considerable risk to your own something dangerous is, the faster the rate productivity, so most Moorhens play safe. of uplifting its tail becomes. The Moorhen The pair enters into what might is letting the predator know it is alert, be termed a ‘complicated’ breeding season. Nest and mate sharing healthy and ready to flee if necessary. The fascinating range of behaviours is what lies at the heart of my assertion at the start More surprisingly, a few Moorhens It so happens that Moorhens signal that Moorhens are seriously interesting occasionally go in for the nuclear, son-of- their health in other ways, too, by both the birds. You might as well take a bird Cuckoo parasitic option, and lay extra orange and waxy-yellow coloration on the biology book, read the section on eggs in the nests of other species. Coots are bill. The brighter the colours, the healthier reproduction and Moorhens will do it. their most frequent hosts, although the the bird is, which can be useful information latter do have a nasty habit of killing any in the breeding season. If you look closely Firstly, Moorhens are frequent parasites extra chicks that they cannot feed, so the at a Moorhen, you might also notice the of their own kind, behaving in a Cuckoo- fate of the foisted egg could be dodgy. thin red ‘garter’ at the top of the legs – lite fashion, laying their eggs in the nests of Bizarrely, in the Mediterranean, Moorhens this must surely give a similar message. their neighbouring conspecifics. Putting up occasionally lay in the nests of Little eggs for adoption by reluctant foster parents Bitterns. The latter are good candidates for Another signal of fitness is the size of is a great way to boost your productivity, colonisation of Britain in the next few years, the frontal shield, as it is for the Moorhen’s and it often works well. Moorhens are not to the Somerset Levels and beyond. The last relative, the Coot, and to be honest, this is particularly strong in the counting thing these beautiful herons would like to the deal-breaker. In a winter flock, those department (as well as flying, swimming meet is an exploitative native. with large frontal shields are dominant over etc.), and should a bird come back to the those less well endowed. Apparently, nest to find an extra egg, it isn’t always sure Secondly, there is a degree of nest females prefer small, plump males more of how many eggs it left when last there. sharing, and mate sharing. Two females than anything, so long as the frontal shield is up to scratch. I don’t know about 36 January 2020

MOORHEN SPECIES Baby Moorhens are adorable! *Naresh Jariwala* BLICKWINKEL/ALAMY BLICKWINKEL/ALAMY* will sometimes use the same nest, each Brown youngsters hatched in the same year often help the contributing to the clutch. In such a system, next brood to reach maturity it is apparently common for both females to be inseminated by the same male. The twist is that the females are sometimes mother and daughter and the attendant male is the younger females’ father! The other variation in breeding strategy is a much more wholesome one. Moorhens will often have more than one brood in a year (in South Africa, pairs have been known to carry on producing clutches ad nauseam, regardless of the season). When this happens, a pair will appreciate having some extra help in feeding the next set of chicks. Not only do siblings from their earlier clutch frequently chip in, but apparently sometimes some complete strangers do as well. From the above, you can see that nothing is entirely straightforward in the Moorhen’s breeding life. But look a little closer and you will see a pattern. The Moorhen is a master of nothing, but able to pursue multiple STOCKIMAGES/ALAMY* options. Omnivorous by nature, amphibious by shape, it is multilocular in breeding strategy. It is the multitasking, multifaceted marvel of the marshes. BW birdwatching.co.uk 37

well is one of the UK’s most popular g hotspots and it’s easy to see why... WORDS: GORDON HAMLETT *Naresh Jariwala* PHILIP MUGRIDGE/ALAMY* RSPB TITCHWELL MARSH AM TITCH A149 The North Parrinder Hide overlooking Volunteer Marsh 38 January 2020

brilliant birding titchwell it was a simple plan. For our holiday, But, whisper it quietly, there have been quieter, just come early in the morning, we would start off in north Norfolk mutterings among the local birders that the or after 3pm when the visitors start and work our way round the East place isn’t as good as it used be, and that it heading home. As a bonus, the light’s Anglian coast down into Suffolk, was beginning to feel a bit sad and tired. Is much better then, too. birding all the way. On day one, we there any truth in the rumours, or are found a nice bed and breakfast near birders just looking at things through The reserve has a justifiable reputation Titchwell Marsh RSPB and I can still rose-tinted binoculars? I took the for being one of the friendliest in England vividly remember our first visit, even opportunity to pick the brains of Hayley (I would put it joint first with Saltholme though it was over 35 years ago. Roan, the senior site manager for Titchwell RSPB) and people are always happy to let I picked out a Barn Owl, hunting over and Snettisham, to see what lay in store for you look through their telescopes, or try the back of the reeds. Chris, my wife, had one of the RSPB’s flagship reserves. a different pair of binoculars. They are never seen one before and there then happy, too, to give their opinions on bird followed a horrible five minutes. No matter how it all started... identification. Accuracy, though, seems to what directions I gave, she just couldn’t get be inversely proportional to the number of onto the bird. Panic and frustration Titchwell was bought by the RSPB back juvenile Ruff and Dunlin on the scrape. increased in equal amounts as my in 1973, originally to protect a pair of descriptions of where the bird was in Montagu’s Harriers breeding in the It really doesn’t matter, though, if you relation to the church became ever more reedbeds. The harriers promptly moved get it wrong. If you can name a bird, then desperate. What chance have you got of on, though they were replaced by their great. If you can name it correctly, then finding a small bird, when you can’t even larger cousins. Marsh Harriers can be seen even better, but the key thing is to enjoy find the church? We’ve all been there. throughout the year, but, for a special treat, what you are seeing. As Nobel Prize- But the birding gods favoured us and the come in winter to witness the impressive winning physicist Richard Feynman said, owl stayed out in the open long enough for harrier roost. Just before dusk, it is not “You can know the name of every single her to finally see it. We fell in love with the unusual to see more than 30 of these bird in the world, but it doesn’t mean that place, instantly. Our plans disintegrated, magnificent raptors in the air at once, often you know anything about birds”. Just and we never moved from our B&B. Even accompanied by a Hen Harrier or two. count the number of “wows”, instead, as to this day, there are large chunks of the you show someone, young or old, their first coast between Great Yarmouth and The reserve attracts about 80,000 visitors Avocet or Spoonbill through a telescope. Minsmere that remain unexplored. We a year and there are times when you feel have been returning ever since, and it that if you turn round too quickly on the Some people are horrified at the thought remains our favourite Norfolk reserve. main path, your tripod legs will that reserves have to be managed at all. accidentally sweep three people into the Surely, you just dig yourself a scrape and freshmarsh. If you prefer something a bit wait to see what drops in. If only it was *Naresh Jariwala* that simple. When I lived in Peterborough, SJ ImageS/alamy birdwatching.co.uk 39

Merlin PHILIP MUGRIDGE/ALAMY* *Naresh Jariwala*Aerial view of saltmarsh andI can remember the ranger in the local lagoons at RSPB Titchwell country park having a blazing row with one of the visitors. The latter considered it an act of considerable vandalism when some of the trees in the woods were earmarked for removal. Arguments about coppicing, removing dangerous trees in 40 January 2020

BRILLIANT BIRDING TITCHWELL Titchwell Marsh RSPB THERE ARE FEWER FUNNIER SIGHTS THAN WATCHING YOUNG SPOONBILLS BOUNCING ALONG AS THEY PESTER THEIR PARENTS TO BE FED... *Naresh Jariwala* SIMON DACK/ALAMY* tank road prove irresistible in autumn the best place to check the tops of and you can often see family parties of bushes for wintering Stonechats and the canopy to allow light to reach the Blackcaps and Lesser Whitethroats passage Whinchats (in spring and under-storey all fell on deaf ears. gorging themselves on the berries. autumn). Most of the interest though is This year, staff have been putting out off to your right. Bearded Tits ping from If trees need to be managed in seed on the path here to provide better the reedbeds and often show right next woodlands, then it won’t come as a great views of Turtle Doves. to the path on still days. Look for a long surprise to learn that managing water is line of smiling, grinning birders just the main concern when you run an area Patsy’s is sufficiently deep to attract before you reach Island Hide and you of wetland. Talking to one of the staff, diving ducks and this is the best place to will soon know if they are showing well. he was explaining that they had drained look for Red-crested Pochards. Bitterns a particular area so that they could get are seen regularly, though they haven’t The scrape comes into its own in in and cut the reeds back. Several days bred since 2013. Again, water levels need autumn, with a bewildering number of of heavy rain had quickly put paid to to be improved and apparently, it all waders in an even more bewildering array that idea. comes down to increasing the number of of plumages. Recent trips have seen 750 ditch to reed interfaces (no, me neither). Avocets and mid-hundred counts of Add warblers to your list Planning consent for this project has Black-tailed Godwits and Dunlin, all been given the green light. offering excellent photographic At Titchwell, some of the drains and dykes opportunities. You can expect a few leak, and are in urgent need of repair. The The horse paddocks here attract rarities, too. In the last couple of years, sluices are getting old and need replacing passage Wheatears, flycatchers and Ring I’ve seen Lesser Yellowlegs, Pectoral and there are plans to put in several new Ouzels, though they tend to move off Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper and ones. But there is a double whammy. As fairly early in the morning. Barn Owls Purple Sandpiper, if not quite close enough well as the freshwater to worry about, often hunt hereabouts. Increasing to stroke, then not so far short. there are problems from the sea numbers of raptors float over Willow encroaching, too. As with much of the Wood, including Buzzards, Red Kites and One highlight this year was watching north Norfolk coast, the sea defences have the occasional Goshawk. a group of half a dozen Ruff, in full been breached a few times over the last few breeding finery, start lekking right in years, resulting in all sorts of devastation. There are fewer funnier sights than front of the hide. A really good day (at young Spoonbills (‘teaspoonbills’ as one the right time of year) could produce 26 As you head out via Fen Trail towards wag named them), bouncing along as they or 27 species of wader. Patsy’s Pool and East Trail, you should pester their parents to be fed. Counts can soon get eight or nine species of warbler on be spectacular and I really enjoyed Birding rewards your list in spring; Garden Warbler is watching 19 flushed by a Marsh Harrier surprisingly scarce. The bushes on the the other day. They really look prehistoric Check the edge of the reedbed, too. As when they fly, with their weird bills, the summer progresses, you should be kinked necks and long trailing legs. rewarded with Reed Warblers, more Bearded Tits, especially juveniles One of the main development plans is which come on to the mud to pick for to create a new scrape here with the seeds, Snipe, Jack Snipe and Water Rail. intention of encouraging Spoonbills to stay If you are really lucky, this is best place to and breed. There is already a large Little see a Spotted Crake, which turn up here Egret roost. Great White Egrets breed a few every couple of years or so. miles down the road. With Cattle Egrets increasingly seen, and an adult and Turtle Dove juvenile Purple Heron spending extended periods on the reserve, it is not beyond the realms of possibility to imagine a super, exotic heronry in the next few years. The path to the sea The main path from the visitor centre down to the sea is about half a mile long and adds another selection of habitats. Visitors are often surprised and upset to see shooting taking place on Thornham saltmarsh to left of the path, but that land isn’t owned by the RSPB and there is nothing that they can do about it. Good numbers of dark-bellied Brent Geese gather here from late autumn, with a few individuals lingering into May. This is 1

Moving round to the Parrinder Hide, for DAVID TIPLING/ALAMYmany heading to Scolt Head. However, forMale Marsh Harrier a different angle on the freshwater marsh,DAVE PORTER/ALAMY the last couple of years, several hundred look for lizards basking on the wall on the *Naresh Jariwala*have appeared right in front of the hide beach. One of the sea side of the path on the first warm days for a couple of weeks in spring. A few problems all around the of spring. The edge of the lagoon here can this year started displaying and staff are north-west coast of be excellent for Water Pipit in winter. looking to see what could be done to Norfolk has been the encourage them to stay and breed. recent decline of nesting A few years ago, an anti-predator fence Common and Little Terns regularly Ringed Plovers. The RSPB was put in on the freshwater lagoon, appear on the scrape in summer and ostensibly to protect the breeding Avocets. there is usually a Little Gull or two has been liaising with I think that it is fair to say that this fence is lingering for a few weeks. other land owners not among Titchwell’s most popular such as the features. Black-headed Gulls moved in en Long term plans involve re- National Trust to masse, though ironically, they are now profiling the freshwater marsh, come up with being outmuscled themselves by creating bunds to increasing numbers of Mediterranean divide it into three suitable plans to reverse Gulls (57 pairs this year). Help might be main areas, one this trend, hopefully encouraging at hand, though. This year, a female managed for the birds to nest on the reserve itself, Marsh Harrier discovered that gull chicks breeding birds, the rather than the beach. were an excellent source of food, and was other two sections Autumn can produce some decent even seen training one of her offspring hopefully bringing seawatching. Arctic and Great Skuas are how to hunt there. in even more regular, with Pomarine and Long-tailed passage waders. Skuas noted occasionally. You should get Strange happenings... a reasonable assortment of wildfowl, I’ve never seen anything exceptional on waders and seabirds passing with onshore Another complaint is that the water levels the Volunteer Marsh, with one exception. winds and that big, dark oil slick offshore are far too high in spring, resulting in This is the best place by far to find Grey will eventually resolve itself into a couple wader flocks coming in off the sea, circling Plovers on the reserve, from early August of thousand Common Scoters. the scrapes for a bit, not seeing anywhere through to late April. The birds, at either to land, then flying off elsewhere. Research end of their stay on the reserve, are often European funding in doubt done by Warden Lizzie Bruce, suggests found in their breeding plumage, one of that the figures are pretty much the same the smartest waders you will ever see. There is, of course, one massive problem as previous years, both in terms of that still needs to be addressed: money. numbers of birds and variety of species. As you head down towards the sea, The management team know exactly what In truth, spring migration anywhere along you never know what you might come they want to do in terms of improving the the north Norfolk coast can be pretty poor. across. One woman I was talking to habitat; it’s now a question of how they are If the weather is fine, the birds just keep didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. actually going to pay for it. The good news heading north over the Wash. “I was just watching my first ever Snow is that, hopefully, the funding is in place. Bunting” she said, “when it was taken by Something strange is happening to my first ever Merlin.” The bad news is that the money is Norfolk’s Sandwich Terns. The colony on supposed to come from Europe and who Blakeney Point seems to have moved off, Look for Sanderling and Bar-tailed Godwits among the many waders on the A view over reedbeds at Titchwell Marsh RSPB 42 January 2020

Barn Owl BRILLIANT BIRDING TITCHWELL knows whether some, any or all of The beach at that money will ever materialise. Titchwell Marsh The plans may happen soon, or in NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY/ALAMY* several years time, or be put on an NATURE PHOTOGRAPHERS LTD/ALAMY* indefinite back burner. Or, the stars might *Naresh Jariwala* GRAHAM UNEY/ALAMY just align and, the day after reading this article, your numbers will come up on the lottery at a time when you are feeling particularly philanthropic. So, that’s Titchwell. Write it large, because it is a brilliant reserve, especially if you are a beginner or improver. Sure, some may find it a bit grey, or complain about the architectural design of Parrinder hide, or whatever. But there aren’t many reserves where you can turn up at any time of year and expect to see 60-70 species in a day; with more than 100 species on a good day. And what about those awful staff members who run the place so badly? Well, they only want to go and make it even better. If that’s the case, you can certainly book me in for the next 35 years. Providing of course that the Barn Owl is still there. Or the church hasn’t moved. BW Snow Bunting birdwatching.co.uk 43

RUTH MILLER ’ll admit that before visiting, I’d *Naresh Jariwala* have struggled to pinpoint It’s not a destination that immediately springs to mind Tbilisi, in Georgia, on the map. for a birding trip, but a visit to Georgia will reward you However, it’s well worth looking with some fantastic sights for as the gateway to some very exciting birdwatching where east because of the snow drifts. We were stuck, species down to more manageable levels meets west. Georgia is further not an auspicious start to our trip. and we were treated to incredibly close east than you might think. views of mouth-watering birds such as Tbilisi is on the same longitude as Looking up, however, we realised the dapper black-red-and-white Güldenstädt’s Baghdad, and the country itself is weather wasn’t delaying migration. A steady Redstarts and impressively large, raspberry- central to the neck of land between the stream of raptors was passing overhead, all red Great Rosefinches, both of which were Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. As such, heading north as if following the same high on our most-wanted list. it acts as a funnel for birds migrating aerial highway up the valley: Pallid Harrier, north in spring from Africa to their Steppe, Golden, Booted and Lesser Spotted Birds up close breeding grounds in Siberia and Eagles, Black Kites and Steppe Buzzards returning south to overwinter in Africa. were all wending their way northwards. We hiked further uphill through deep snow It’s also one of the most eastern to look for Caucasian Snowcock, whose countries included in the Western It was an uplifting sight which also Curlew-like calls echoed around the Palearctic region, so for anyone keeping heralded a change of fortune. Our 4x4 mountains, increasing the challenge of a ‘Western Pal’ list, it’s a useful country vehicle could overtake the lorries and locating them against this huge backdrop. to visit to add some Asian specialities, squeeze through the alarmingly rough and any bird with the word Caucasian tunnels before emerging into a magical However, luck was now on our side and in its name will be a key target. sunlit world deep within the Caucasus our mountaineering efforts were rewarded We visited in April, in theory after the Mountains. The scenery was breath-taking by at least five individuals pottering around winter snows had receded. However, and not just from the 3,000m altitude. high above us among the snow-covered weather chaos had impacted here as Pristine icing-white snowfields were rocks, distant but still clear to see in our elsewhere around the world and heavy punctured by jagged, craggy summits all telescopes. Caucasian Black Grouse took a snow still blocked the main road north round us, and the narrow valley road bit of searching, too, but again, our scopes from Tbilisi to Kazbegi when we arrived. wended its way between these Behemoth brought these birds into close view, and all It was cold, snowy, foggy and visibility peaks, revealing an amazing new these birds were enjoyed in the most perfect was down to a few feet. panorama round every bend. winter wonderland conditions. The mountain pass was blocked by miles of massive juggernauts queuing to The birds were superlative, too. The At slightly lower altitude in the valley drive north through the tunnels into heavy snow had driven the high altitude bottoms, we were treated to yet more special Russia which were unable to move 44 January 2020

OBSERVATIONS Ruth Miller is one half of The Biggest Twitch team, and along with partner Alan Davies, set the then world record for most bird species seen in a year – 4,341, in 2008, an experience they wrote about in their book, The Biggest Twitch. Indeed, Ruth is still the female world record- holder! As well as her work as a tour leader, she is the author of the Birds, Boots and Butties books, on walking, birding and tea-drinking in North Wales, and previously worked as the RSPB’s head of trading. She lives in North Wales. birdwatchingtrips.co.uk birds. By a dam on the River Terek we were *Naresh Jariwala*Alpine Choughs, Lammergeier entertained by several pairs of Wallcreepers perfectly suited to life (should these have been Damcreepers?!) among these dramatic passed unseen in who crept over the dam walls like mice and mountains. From a side valley, flicked their wings like a performer doing a huge raptor flew head-on the fog on our the fan dance to show a teasing glimpse of towards us. It was hard to identify their glorious red-black-and-white feathers. from that view, but it kept coming arrival. All around closer until the massive bird flew We took so many photographs as we tried almost within touching distance of us, Russian and to capture the moment these birds fully us: unmistakably a Lammergeier! extended their Hoopoe-like wings, finally What a thrilling moment. Georgian tourists with success. On the outskirts of Stepantsminda, we encountered a delightful Shuffling accentors took selfies while we flock of Red-fronted Serins, among whom were several males whose beacon-like red Our days were spent birding in the scanned the melting snow forehead positively glowed with colour. gorgeous mountain scenery and our nights were spent in extremely and newly exposed grass for In a patch of early-budding willows, comfortable accommodation we encountered a Red-breasted Flycatcher enjoying delicious traditional feasts birds. Our two worlds passed like sh p and a Caucasian Chiffchaff looking for called supras and sampling a few of early insects. The chiffchaff was another the 156 varieties of Georgian wine. the night, as most visitors were totally new life bird for us, an exciting bird to see, even if this drab-coloured warbler All too soon we had to leave the unaware of the confiding Alpine Accentor was overshadowed by other more impressive Greater Caucasus mountains and handsome local specialities. drive back to Tbilisi. This time at the top of shuffling about at their feet, or the two the pass we enjoyed far-reaching vistas in It was lovely to hear the familiar call full sunshine, so we stopped at the Russian of Choughs flying over the hillside and Georgian Friendship Monument that we’d among the flock were banana-billed Wallcreeper Caucasian Chiffchaff Shore Larks chasing each other over the snowfields. We returned to Tbilisi, but our Georgian birding adventure didn’t end here, as we turned eastwards towards the vast open plains on the Azerbaijan border. A tempting array of harriers, NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY/ALAMY FLPA/ALAMY* AGAMI PHOTO AGENCY/ALAMY wheatears, warblers, wagtails and buntings awaited us, plus rolling steppe, dramatic gorges, historic towns and a 5th Century monastery. But that, as they say, is another story. BW birdwatching.co.uk 45

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TEST YOUR SKILLS! IDChallenge Here are six displaying ducks. All you have to do is identify them... ILLUSTRATIONS: LAUREN NICHOLSON Contrary to many people’s plumage. This, of course, is the Bird 3: expectations, drake ducks ‘drab’, female-like plumage drakes (if you forgive the clumsy take on to be less obvious when their expression) are among the summer wing moult makes them most spectacular birds we have in potential predation victims. Come the UK. It is not the wonderful mid-winter, though, they are at their colours and patterns, and the best again and in full mood for a splashes of iridescence, it is the spot of display, showing off their range of body shapes and bill shapes impressive looks and moves to and sizes which makes this such an potential mates. Simply name these attractive group. But then they go ducky show-offs and turn the page and spend half the year looking dull for solutions and answers; and turn and dreary, in what we call ‘eclipse’ again for some ID tips. *Naresh Jariwala* CAN YOU NAME THESE WOO rd 4: Bird 5: Bird 2: Bird 6: TURN THE PAGE To see how many you got right! birdwatching.co.uk 47

Answers & solutions ID TIP! Compare your answers with our answers and reasoning below. During display, many drakes produce How well did ou do, this month? different sounds from what you may expect, such as the whistle of Mallards White spots on SUSAN & ALLAN PARKER/ALAMYDark head with BIRD 1 cheeks ALL CANADA PHOTOS/ALAMY*‘hamster cheeks’ Here is what (from all we can see) is a black-and-white drake, White breast and throwing its head back, so its bill appears to point skyward. Our body view is of the white breast, the chin and the underside of the *Naresh Jariwala* bill. From what we can see of the flanks, they are pure white, like the breast. But what other clues are being shown here? The bill is broad and quite short (it is not the bill of a ‘sawbill’), The black head seems quite wide at the sides (like it has ‘hamster cheeks’) and there are two white areas showing either side of the bill. What we can see of the back is black and there appear to be some thin black lines on the white wings on show here. All these features should be enough to identify this bird as a drake Goldeneye, throwing its head back in typical display. Key features n White body, black back n Black head with white cheek spots n Short, rounded 'duck bill' n Black striped white wings Grey-brown with Long, very narrow INCAMERASTOCK/ALAMY* black rear end red bill Vermiculations Spiky cres NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY/ALAMY MIKE LANE/ALAMY* White speculum ‘Grey’ body feathers BIRDPIX/ALAMY BIRD 2 BIRD 3 In some ways this drake is showing more features doing its head flicking This bird almost looks in pain! It has plunged its breast below the surface and bobbing display than it would normally show, when just swimming by of the water while raising its head and bill, as well as its rear end. Perhaps (see inset). It is not the most striking drake, with largely grey or the most striking thing is that open bill: it is so fine, so narrow and so red; grey-brown plumage (though close inspection reveals that the plumage with a hint of a tiny hook at the tip. Next most striking is the spiky black is really finely vermiculated). The black bill is a classic ‘duck bill’ a bit like crest on the back of the black head (with red eye). There is a white ‘collar’, that of a Mallard (at least in shape). The rear end appears solidly black and the body is a mix of grey (or fine vermiculations) with a black-and- and the belly emerging from the water looks white. Finally, there is a pure white back and white belly. Finally, the leg and foot are red. This can only white panel in the wing, the so-called speculum. Well, there is only one be a merganser of some kind. Goosanders lack the spiky punk crest and drake with this rather toned down combination, complete with the white have white or salmon flanks and dark (not red) eyes. All the features ‘sugar cube’ speculum. This is, of course, a drake Gadwall. confirm this is a Red-breasted Merganser. Key features Key features n Generally grey-brown standard duck n Long thin red bill n Black rear end n Spiky crest on black head n White speculum n Black back, ‘grey’ flanks and tail n Black bill n Red legs 48 January 2019

*Naresh Jariwala*