February 23, 2012

You are here: Home / Bird Watching

Urban Birds and Urban Birding

February 28, 2011 By
Urban Bird Watching

Urban Bird Watching

I hear that ‘Urban Birding’ is quite popular and ‘cool’ at the moment and I think it is such a good thing that it has been featured in various television programmes and has been highlighted quite frequently in the media, as it has made so many people much more aware of our beautiful birds that are out there in abundance, not just in the country but in our towns and cities too and not only does it bring pleasure to the city dwellers who have become more aware of this, therefore noticing more birds than usual which is enough to cheer up anybody’s day on their way to work in the hustle and bustle of the morning rush hour for example, but the birds are sure to gain benefit too as there will be more of us feeding them in order to attract them into even the smallest garden and yard of our homes in the city.

After the two very cold snaps and ‘big freeze’ of 2010, it has been reported that our countryside birds, such as Woodcocks and Herons, are moving into towns and cities because food has been harder to find.  Great news for the Urban Birders amongst us.  I would say these two species are not the type of birds you would expect to see anywhere near a city.  Birds that have also been spotted are Redwings, Fieldfares and the Yellowhammers (although still in rapid decline). The simple reason for this is just that they have been desperate for food as their usual berries and seeds and also crops have been frozen over.

This is a negative for our more traditionally spotted birds such as the Tits and Wrens as they constantly require food to keep their energy levels high and with the influx of more and more birds to our city gardens, they are fighting for food so it is so important to keep on feeding all our birds via the Feeders each and every day.

At the end of the day, nature is all around us and that you don’t have to be in the middle of the countryside to see it and appreciate it,  cities and urban areas are rich with wildlife, we just need to be more aware of it and open our eyes that little bit wider.

Filed Under: Bird Watching, Urban Birds Tagged With: , ,

Four Of The Latest Birds On The Decline

February 7, 2011 By
turtledove

turtledove

Sad but true, below are four beautiful birds which have been reported to be on the decline:
-  Cuckoo
-  Willow Warbler
-  Turtle Dove
-  Yellowhammer
I was rather shocked to find out this information.
Cuckoos have been in rapid decline since the early 1980s.I don’t know why I was so surprised to learn this as I can’t remember the last time I heard the enchanting call of a Cuckoo, it must have been when I was growing up in the 1980’s actually.  There is a continuing strong decline in England and Wales, but not in Scotland. Cuckoo numbers may have fallen because the populations of some key host species have also declined such as Meadow Pipit and Dunnock, along with certain British moths which may have reduced food supplies for returning adults and the species may also be suffering difficulties on migration or in Winter.

Willow Warbler population and territories are in rapid decline and this came about during the 1980s and early 1990s. This decline occurred mainly in southern Britain, however, accompanied by a fall in survival rates, Scottish populations remained unaffected although figures since 1994 indicate a stark contrast between an initially upward trend in Scotland and in Northern Ireland and continued severe decreases in England and in Wales.  Again, like the Cuckoo, migration difficulties are likely to be affecting the population as is a reduction in habitat quality on the breeding grounds and there is a small but very important decrease in the number of fledglings per breeding attempt.  Numbers have shown widespread moderate decrease across Europe since 1980 also.

Turtle Doves have been reported to be in severe decline and this began in the late 1970s and is still continuing to this present day.  It is said that hunting during migration is a possible cause of the UK decline.  The productivity per nesting attempt has increased through the analysis of nest record cards and ringing data for farmland Turtle Doves, but the annual survival has fallen, therefore Turtle Doves today have a substantially earlier close to the breeding season and consequently produce barely half the number of clutches and young per pair they did in the 1960s for example.  Turtle Dove is one of the most strongly declining bird species in Europe.

Yellowhammer also in rapid decline.  Again, the decline came about in the mid 1980s on farmland especially, except in Scotland and unfortunately, has continued.  Although there is information stating that survival rates have decreased during the period of decline and the breeding performance has also tended to improve, there are declines in clutch and brood size and the success of the nest.  It is reported that reductions in the availability of winter seed food as a result of agricultural intensification, are widely believed to have contributed to the population decline.

Filed Under: Bird Watching, Endangered Birds Tagged With: , , ,

Birdwatching – Where to Begin / What is Involved

February 3, 2011 By
rspb

rspb

What is needed for ‘Birdwatching’ (also referred to as ‘Birding’ or ‘Twitching’ which is normally reserved for those that travel specifically to spot a rare breed of bird) – if you are simply interested in just spotting birds in your own back garden, you will only require a supply of bird food in order to persuade the birds into your garden or a simple bird box if you wish to see birds nest and rear their own families!   You will be amazed at just how many different breeds of bird will enter your garden.
If you wish to become a more ‘serious’ birdwatcher, perhaps a pair of binoculars (birding binoculars can also be purchased, there are a vast range of birdwatching binoculars (e.g. RSPB, Leica, Olympus to name but a few) or even a spotting scope would be useful (Leica, Nikon, Kowa to name a few good models) and of course, in order to improve your knowledge, there are many books on the different breeds/species of birds.  It is so thrilling and amazing just to learn about the many different types of beautiful birds.  You will most certainly need a notepad/book to record all your wonderful sightings.  A few books I recommend are listed as follows:-
• Colins Bird Guide (Lars Stevenson, Killian Mullarney, Dan Zetterstrom, Peter J Grant)
• RSPB Children’s Guide to Birdwatching
• RSPB Pocket Guide to British Birds
• Collins Complete Guide to British Birds: A Photographic Guide to Every Common Species (Paul Sterry)
• A Field Guide to the Rare Birds of Britain and Europe (Ian Lewington)
• The Macmillan Field Guide to Bird Identification (Alan Lewis)

There is also a more scientific side to this hobby, known as Ornithology.   There is an organisation named The British Trust for Ornithology, an organisation founded in 1932 for the study of birds in the British Isles and they carry out research into the lives of birds by carrying out breeding surveys and also bird ringing.  It is usually volunteers who carry out such activities for the BTO, these birdwatchers are not necessarily experts, even people who like to birdwatch in their own back garden can take part by making a weekly count of birds.
As most of us will know, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is another organisation which is heavily involved in the protection and conservation of birds.  This is a huge, charitable organisation which incorporates around 1,500 employees along with over 12,000 volunteers, it is actually the largest Wildlife Conservation Charity in Europe with over 1 million members.  There are many local groups in your area and approximately 150 Reserves throughout the UK, these Reserves usually have bird hides and also Visitor Centres which also give information regarding all the wildlife which can be seen there, not just birds.

Filed Under: Bird Watching, RSPB Tagged With: , , ,

Why is Bird Watching a good hobby?

January 7, 2011 By
birding

birding

For lovers of nature, bird watching is one of the easiest hobbies to have. Bird watching or birding as it is sometimes known can literally be done anywhere from your garden at home, on walks, in the park, at bird sanctuaries and there are even holidays specifically for bird watching.
What do i need to go bird watching:
If you’re just spotting birds in your own garden all you need is a supply of bird food to persuade the birds to your garden and then just by being quiet and relaxed you will be suprised at just how many different species of bird will enter your garden.
For the more serious bird watcher you will need a pair of binoculars or even a telescope and of course books on the different breeds/species and types of birds is always a useful tool.

Bird watching is a very peaceful and relaxing hobby and anyone of any age can take part. Spotting your first ever rare breed of bird can also be extremely thrilling for a twitcher.

Filed Under: Bird Watching Tagged With: , , ,