Ring Ouzels
TV’s Nick Baker shares his 20-year passion
May 2011
25 years as the UK’s number one
Long-tailed Tit
The daily dangers faced by our cutest garden bird
Bank holiday birding
10 brilliant new sites to explore
Middleton Lakes First look at the country’s newest reserve
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Corn Crake comeback
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repellent kits to be won
The inside story of the Corn Crake’s battle for life in our modern farmland
Top tips on how to ID Tree and Meadow Pipits
The new Visionary Fieldtracker ED 8x42 tested
How science revealed the epic tale of one bird’s migration
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Pipit pointers optics review nightingale
month
Your birding
When, where and how to see more birds
classic book Birdscapes
March and April have brought some goodies our way, but May is the big month for spring migration, bringing everything fom warblers to terns and plenty of rarities. Here are just a few of the species to be on the lookout for while you’re out and about this month.
Coming in Grasshopper Warbler Like the Nightingale, Quail and Spotted Crake, a summer visitor which is far easier to hear than see. It is a bird of tangled wild roses and small twisted Hawthorns, and has a marvellously mechanical insect-like rattle. Turtle Dove is a bird to be treasured these days
Turtle Dove One of the classic sounds of summer, the purring of the Turtle Dove is as soothing and pleasing on the ear as freshly mown grass is on the nose. Sadly, the sight of the wheeling song flight has become much rarer in recent years.
Spotted Crake A scarce but widely distributed bird of open wetlands and damp grassland, this migrant crake betrays its presence (mostly at night) by its whip-like, farcarrying ‘whit whit whit whit’ song. Head out to listen for them at night Neil Bowman (FLPA - Images of Nature)
Jeremy Mynott (2009) A recent one, this, but it’s fully deserving of the tag “an instant classic”. Subtitled ‘Birds in our Imagination and Experience’, it moves from the more technical and theoretical aspects of ornithology, right the way through to bird folklore and the respresentation of birds in the arts. Best of all, it’s thoroughly readable, packed full of the sort of avian titbits that’ll make you unbeatable at your next bird club quiz night.
on the move in May
top ten birding Olympians
Thanks to Steve Boyce, Paul Casey, Malcolm Arnott and everyone else who took part. Next month we’d like to hear your birding comedians, such as Hen Dodd and Chris Rock Thrush. Send your puns to birdwatching@bauermedia.co.uk or write to the postal address on page 108. 6 Bird Watching 2011
Passing through Whinchat Always a delight to find, a spring male Whinchat is a Whinchat at its best, when the feather tips have worn to reveal the peachy orange breast, and the striking face pattern at its finest. Check fences, tall weeds, tops of little bushes, etc, by weedy fields. Black Tern Another bird usually at its best in spring, Black Terns don’t breed here, but pass through in May, appearing at freshwater bodies, from lakes, reservoirs and gravel pits across the country.
Whinchat can be found perched high on fences and bushes
Oliver Smart
1 Cisticola Budd 2 Kris Akabluetit 3 Tessa Sanderling 4 Curlewis 5 Gail Divers 6 Colin Jacksnipe 7 Matthew Pintail 8 Merlin Ottey 9 Steve Redstart 10 Audley Harrishawk
Many birders know this bird as a passage or wintering wader. Flocks, particularly of the Icelandic race, can number a few thousand, out of a total wintering population of perhaps 15,000 birds (with 12,000 on passage). In winter they are grey birds, but develop the striking brick orange colours of breeding birds as they prepare for their northward journey. Less familiar to most British birders are birds of the European subspecies Limosa limosa limosa. This is the lankier, paler race (the Icelandic birds are darker red and shorter legged, more closely resembling Bar-tailed Godwits). The lack of experience most of us have with breeding godwits is partly because there are perhaps only 50-odd pairs breeding in the country. Most of the British population breed on the damp grassy ‘washes’ a few miles east of Peterborough in Cambridgeshire. There are one or two spots where it is possible to watch and listen to displaying godwits without disturbing them. And it really is a wonderful experience to witness the display flight of these birds. The song/call, which can be transliterated as ‘godwit godwit godwit’ more closely resembles the tone of an angry bird of prey than a typical wader. This is screamed from the ground or in a rocking display flight, when the bird sways from side to side, almost as if it has wonky or injured wings, then tilts the other way to repeat the pattern, while all the time shouting its surname. They become highly territorial and defensive of their nesting area, and will chase off any intruders, from Lapwings and crows to Marsh Harriers. They have even been seen chasing Swifts in a life and death dogfight with this vicious fly-eating predator...
Mike Weedon. MAIN IMAGE: Steve Knell (rspb-images.com)
British blacktailed godwits
Where to see displaying Black-tailed Godwits RSPB Nene Washes (Eldernell), Cambridgeshire The Nene Way follows the southern edge of the Nene Washes, and can be accessed from Eldernell Lane, just east of the village of Coates. From the raised bank (especially west of the car-park), you have a good chance of seeing and hearing displaying godwits.
WWT Welney, Norfolk/Ouse Washes RSPB, Cambridgeshire Both these sites have recorded breeding Black-tailed Godwits, though the latter has suffered from excessive flooding in recent years. Welney has taken over as a more suitable site, and has additional breeding Avocets, Snipe and Lapwing.
RSPB Elmley, Isle of Sheppey, Kent One of the few sites in the UK where you can hope to see displaying godwits year-in, year-out, the reserve also has breeding Lapwing and Redshank to enjoy in full spring display. Said to have the highest density of breeding waders in the south of England.
OVER THE PAGE How to find and ID gamebirds this May
TV presenter Nick Baker reveals why the Ring Ouzel means so much to him
Nick Baker monitors Ring Ouzels on Dartmoor for the RSPB
ring ouzel
L
eaving the RSPB’s South West office last year, after my first ever job interview, I felt I had put forward my case reasonably well, but would the total lack of anything on my CV associated with birds count heavily against me? I took a bike ride up to the top of my nearest Tor as soon as I got home. It was a beautiful April evening and I sat and whispered a few hopes and prayers to the freshly arrived and dapper Wheatears that were bouncing from rock to rock and eyeing me curiously from the tops of the lumps of granite. It appears they heard me and passed on my words to their fellow travellers, because within a fortnight I was grunting my way up some of the more vertical slopes that Dartmoor has to offer in pursuit of a very different career – one that came in the rough shape of a Blackbird. I was now a professional ouzel hunter. I had got the job. I had always harboured a fondness for this bird, ever since seeing my first one the year I moved to the West Country – 1991. I remember it vividly. That lonely, cold feeling of abandonment as I thanked the kind driver I’d hitchhiked with to the top of the moor. I slammed the car door and felt like the only soul alive on Dartmoor that day. I was left standing at the side of the road, clutching Where to Watch Birds in Devon and Cornwall’under my arm and trying to believe that somewhere just in front of me “was one of the most productive places for watching birds on Dartmoor”. It was, it also helpfully informed me, “the easiest place on Dartmoor for finding Ring Ouzels”. The only problem was I couldn’t see further than a few metres in front of my nose. I was alone on the moor it seemed. There was no noise; life was muffled by the low cloud and the murk. I took one step off the asphalt onto the spongy grass and that was when I heard it: somewhere not too far in front of me something sang; a plaintive but strident tri-syllabic note. I didn’t realise it at the time but I had just heard my first Ring Ouzel. I never did get more than a fleeting glimpse of the bird that day which, with any other bird, might be regarded as a little disappointing. But with ouzels this is often the way it is, the way it’s supposed to be. The ouzel’s prerogative, as it were.
A bird of many quirks
The Ring Ouzel is a rather surprising bird in many ways, not least for its curious name. It is the only member of its clan to retain the Old English name ‘ouzel’ derived from ‘osle’ which is the Old English word for the common Blackbird. Shakespeare also refers to the Blackbird in A Midsummer Night’s Dream as the Woosell; yet another variant on the word. The other bird traditionally referred to as an ouzel is the unrelated Dipper. Why the Ring Ouzel retained this warm and satisfyingly old fashioned name is a mystery. Maybe we simply forgot it was up there in the peaks and it missed out on the process of the name cleansing and homogenisation. www.birdwatching.co.uk 21
go Bernard Jones
TOP TIP presented by
The White Horse Inn at Pulverbatch (4 miles) is ideal for lunch.
Site guide Grid ref: SO 393 965 Difficulty
5 Shropshire
Bridges
A special place between the Stiperstones and the edge of Long Mynd
S
ometimes it’s interesting to look at the smaller spots that usually get dominated by larger and perhaps more well-known places. This walk is a good example – squeezed between the Stiperstones and the Long Mynd, it has a character all of its own. There are a few optional routes so the choice is yours, but this one gives plenty of variety. It’s a bit strenuous in parts, perhaps, so you’ll be ready for a visit to the local inn on your return! We have the Darnford Brook,
woodland, fields and hillsides, allowing a good variety of birdlife to make the day enjoyable. There are some nestboxes to encourage Spotted and Pied Flycatchers and other woodland birds to keep your interest. As a little aside, if you notice the sign to the village of Ratlinghope be aware that the locals pronounce it ‘Ratchop’! Now climbing the valley into the open areas, apart from the splendid views, look out for those Buzzards and croaking Ravens. Take care
crossing the road then follow the lane past a small, private fishing lake, which is worth a look. Then pick up the track round the edge of the hill back to the Shropshire Way. It’s always worth looking at the river (the River East Onny) so you may wish to have a wander down past the Inn to see what is about. Bernard Jones
Shrewsbury 13m
V5 OS 1:50,000 Region 2 Central England www.memory-map.co.uk 0870 743 0121
How to get there: From Shrewsbury take the minor road signposted Longden. In about 8 miles go through the hamlet of Bridges and, as the road turns right over the River East Onny, a small road goes straight on to the Horseshoe Inn (The inn itself is currently closed down). Park here. Postcode: SY5 0SP Where to park: Just by the Horseshoe Inn at grid ref: SO 393 965. Distance and time: About four miles, but allow three to four hours, as it’s hilly. Terrain: Level in parts, but also very hilly in others. Accessibility: No disabled access. Some stiles and gates. Dogs under strict control. Facilities: None on site but all in nearby Shrewsbury. Public transport: Nearest railway stations are Shrewsbury and Church Stretton (connect to Bridges via the Shropshire Hills Shuttle – www. shropshirehillsshuttles.co.uk) Sites nearby: Go Birdings – Carding Mill Valley (May 2011), Brook Vessons (April 2010), Stiperstones (July 2004).
LOcal guide Organisations: The Shropshire Wildlife Trust, www.shropshirewildlifetrust.org. uk Club contact: Shropshire Ornithological Society, 01743 761507, www.shropshirebirds.com County Recorder: G Holmes, 22 Tenbury Drive, Telford Estate, Shrewsbury SY2 5YF, 01743 364621, geoff.holmes.4@btinternet.com Maps: OS Explorer 217, OS Landranger 137.
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Walk for about 0.25 miles along the road then go over the stile on your left and follow the track alongside the Darnford Brook checking for Blackbird, Song Thrush, Dunnock, Great Spotted Woodpecker and the possibility of Lesser Spotted. It’s worth checking the brook for Dipper. Note also the nestboxes for tits, flycatchers and maybe a Redstart. Look also for Garden and Willow Warblers, Blackcap or Chiffchaff. 56 Bird Watching 2011
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After about 0.5 miles take the track north-west, checking the woodland for Nuthatch or Treecreeper with the possibility of Goldcrests in the pines. Sparrowhawks may well be around. Up over the hilly open area you could see Wheatear or Meadow Pipit, with the possibility of a Curlew. Take care crossing the road, then as you cross the river it’s worth pausing to check for Kingfisher.
Follow the gradually rising road over an open area with Sky Lark, Swallow and Swift around and focus your binoculars on the ‘private’ fishing lake to your right – you never know! Walking round the edge of the hill check the skies for Buzzards thermalling like gliders, Ravens and the possibility of an overflying Red Kite.
MAY 2011
David Saunders
TOP TIP presented by
Visit Bosherston Lakes, where there is a good chance of seeing an Otter.
Site guide Grid ref: Sr 995 942 Difficulty
6 Pembrokeshire
Stackpole Head
Another coastal gem with good birding on land and offshore
T
he National Trust’s Stackpole Estate has a romantic history. In the 17th Century, Alexander Campbell, heir to Cawdor (of Macbeth fame) was a regular visitor to Stackpole to meet his undergraduate friend Gilbert Lort. On one occasion a great storm prevented his departure by sea for Scotland and as a result he met and fell in love with Gilbert’s sister Elizabeth. They were married in 1689 and when Elizabeth inherited Stackpole it passed into the Campbell
family. Their great-grandson was created Baron Cawdor in 1796 and his son Earl Cawdor. The estate subsequently passed to the nation and so the National Trust in 1976 as part of the death-duty arrangements following the death of the fifth Earl. The cliffs and maritime grasslands in spring and early summer are a blaze of flowers, including Sea Campion, Thrift, Vernal Squill, Viper’s Bugloss and Wild Carrot. The cliffs support small colonies of
Guillemots and Razorbills. Are there still Puffins? A tiny population nested at the Head in the past. Black Guillemots, which have bred in recent years in North Pembrokeshire, have recently been observed here. The clifftop maritime grassland is ideal feeding ground for Choughs and Wheatears, while a little inland where scrub begins to appear look out for Stonechat and Whitethroats. What chance a Dartford Warbler also? David Saunders
Pembroke 4m
V5 OS 1:50,000 Region 3 Wales www.memory-map.co.uk 0870 743 0121
How to get there: From Pembroke, which is easily reached from the east by the A4075 or A4139 from the north and east, take the B4319 south for Castlemartin. After the tight bends at St Petrox the road descends through woodland, at the foot of which, take the turning left on the minor road for Stackpole. Continue through village heading east for 0.5 miles, now turn right on to an even narrower road descending to Stackpole Quay and eventually a well hidden car park. Postcode: SA71 5LS Where to park: At the National Trust car park, fee payable, grid ref: SR 992 957. Distance and time: From car park to the Head is a mile, with a further mile to Broad Haven. Terrain: Mostly a coastal footpath, with a steep descent to the sands of Barafundle Bay and an equally steep climb from the Bay as you continue towards Stackpole Head itself. Similar steep terrain at Broad Haven. Public transport: Bus and train services to Pembroke. From Pembroke the Coastal Cruiser bus passes Stackpole Quay several times a day during the summer months, less frequent in winter. For information, contact Traveline Cymru, 0871 200 2233, www.travelinecymru.info Sites nearby: Go Birdings: Cleddau Estuary (January 2001), Stack Rocks (June 2001), Bosherston Lakes (November 2001), Caldey & St Margaret’s (June 2005), Angle Bay (October 2005), Pembroke Mill Ponds (November 2006), Pembroke River (January 2010).
LOcal guide
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Take your time after parking, the surrounding woodland supports a variety of birds which normally include Robin, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Jackdaw and Goldfinch, while in the more open area as you climb towards the cliff, look for Wren, Dunnock and Whitethroat. With few vantage points, most of the cliff birds on the east side of Stackpole Head will be seen in flight or
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May 2011
on the water and include Fulmar – what finer sight than this bird sweeping along the clifftop in a strong easterly breeze. Herring Gull, Guillemot, Razorbill and Rock Pipit should all be encountered. The cliffs here become more indented and the small colonies of Guillemots are easily seen, though take great care on the rough clifftops. Razorbills are less obvious and it was
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hereabouts that Puffins once nested. Find a comfortable spot and scan out to sea, Manx Shearwaters and Gannets are always likely to be passing. Chough, Raven and Peregrine are resident, the former finding the well-grazed turf ideal feeding areas. Wheatears are present from early March onwards and while away from the clifftop look out for Stonechats.
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Organisations: Pembrokeshire Bird Group, www.pembsbirds.blogspot.com or www.pembrokeshirebirdgroup. blogspot.com Club contact: Lyndon Lomax, 17 Maes Y Dre, St David’s, Pembrokeshire SA62 6QQ, 01437 721859. County recorder: Jon Green, Crud yr Awel, Bowls Road, Blaenporth, Cardigan SA43 2AR, 01239 811561, jonrg@tiscali.co.uk Maps: OS Explorer 36, OS Landranger OS 158. www.birdwatching.co.uk 61
gear
Your birding
visionary Fieldtracker 8x42 Matt Merritt tests Visionary’s new ED glass model, EmeralD (see what they’ve done there?)
Y
ou’re probably sick of hearing us say that advances in optical technology and binocular design have started to have a major impact at the budget end of the market. It’s absolutely true, though. Features such as ED glass, which start off as the exclusive preserve of the pricier models, quickly become common and then even standard right through the ranges. The delay between that first unveiling and general adoption has grown shorter and shorter, too, so the trickle-down effect is even more pronounced. Visionary’s ED model in their new Fieldtracker range is a handsome-looking binocular, with an open-bridge design that makes it extremely comfortable in the hand. It feels good, too, with green rubber armour that’s reassuringly solid yet compact and lightweight, something that could apply to this model generally. That impression of excellent build quality extends to the eyepieces, which are rubberised, nicely moulded, and twist up and down to three different positions. The same applies to the focus wheel, which is around 1.25 fingers wide and with prominent enough ridges to make getting a grip easy even with the coldest fingers. It moves beautifully smoothly, too, taking almost two anti-clockwise turns from close focus to infinity, with a little above average resistance. Best of all, it’s quick and easy to find exactly the right position. The dioptre adjustment, a ridged twist-ring on the right barrel, is fine. It’s not calibrated, but it refuses to move accidentally when in use in the field, which is pretty much all that I ask. So, they look good, feel good, but how do they
FACTFILE
List price: £289.99 Dimensions: 155mm x 125mm x 50mm Weight: 730g Close focus: 2m Field of view: 119m@1,000m Contact: Optical Hardware Ltd, Mount Osborne, Oakwell View, Barnsley S71 1HH, 01226 203275, info@opticalhardware.co.uk Warranty: 10 year
user satisfaction
First week with Fieldtracker EmeralD
Open bridge, compact and streamlined – quite a looker. time
80 Bird Watching 2011
A bit of a halo on the image? Maybe…
Ah, that’s better. Halo gone, nice and sharp.
Field of view not the widest, but sharp all the way.
Good close focus – nice bonus.
Copes well with rain, hail and murk – excellent!
EmeralD
and is very impressed
Rubberised eyepieces twist up and down to three different positions
Focus wheel is smooth and very easy to use, even in gloves or with frozen fingers
perform optically? Well, initially, I had one or two concerns about a slight halo around the outside of the image, but this soon disappeared, so I suspect it had more to do with my eye position than the binoculars themselves. With that sorted, I was able to get on with enjoying that ED glass, which produces a bright, sharp image with excellent contrast. I tested them in all sorts of conditions, including some very murky evenings with drizzle and hail, and they came through very impressively (the lenses clean very easily, too). There’s perhaps a very slight warm, yellowish cast, but basically the view you get is very natural. Colour fringing, too, was notable by its absence, no matter how hard I looked for it in a variety of different situations. As with pretty much any binoculars, you can find it if you really try, but I think you’d struggle to notice anything to disturb the view while you’re actually watching birds. Field of view was slightly enigmatic. On the one hand, it doesn’t feel quite as wide or ‘walk-in’ as one or two other 8x42 EDs out there. On the other, sharpness to the edge of the image is really excellent, and that large ‘sweet spot’ means that you get full value for what FOV there is. In short, it feels more than wide enough for everyday birdwatching. Close focus is somewhere between 1.5 and 2m (or was for me), which along with their lack of bulk makes these an excellent option for more general wildlife watching. That brings me to the price. At £280, these represent a real bargain, meaning not only that a relative beginner can sample the pleasures of ED glass without breaking the bank, but also that these are potentially a good second pair for someone who already has a more expensive pair of bins. Their all-round solidity and effectiveness makes them perfect for stashing in a rucksack, for example, when out hiking, or in the glove compartment, for a bit of birding on the daily commute. The accessories include objective lens covers, a slightly flimsy-looking but actually very useable rainguard, a fabric case, and a decent neoprene strap. In conclusion, it’s hard to fault these for value. The optics are excellent, they’re nicely put together, and above all they’re easy and very enjoyable to use. Give them some serious thought if you’re in the market for some ED glass.
Win! Mosi-guard Natural
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To submit your answer, visit www.greatcompetitions.co.uk/bw or fill in the form below and send it to Mosi-guard Competition, Bird Watching, ResponsAbility, PO Box 57, Coates, Peterborough PE7 2FF. Closing date for entries is 31 May 2011. Name................................................................................................................................................................ Address............................................................................................................................................................ ............................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................... Daytime tel................................................................................................................................................... Email.................................................................................................................................................................. The answer is A ■ B ■ C ■ Please enter this information so that Bauer Media (publishers of Bird Watching) can administer this competition. Bauer Consumer Media Limited (publisher of Bird Watching) would also like to keep you informed of special offers and promotions via post, email or telephone. Please tick the box if you do not wish to receive these from Bauer Media ■
www.birdwatching.co.uk 81
The rasping ‘crek, crek’ of the Corn Crake was once a familiar sound throughout the British countryside, but a number of factors have seen it virtually wiped out. Can it stage a remarkable comeback? 26 Bird Watching 2011
corn crake
The
Crex of the matter The never-ending, ever-changing battle to bring Corn Crakes back from the brink. By Mark Hicken Images by Mark Hicken
I
n the 19th Century, when fields were still scythed by hand or mowed late in the year, a Corn Crake’s life cycle was synchronised with farming’s seasonal rhythms, and the birds thrived among the thick mowing grass of traditionally managed grasslands. With time to breed safely prior to the harvest, two broods were often successfully raised. Nesting began as early as May and as late as the middle of August. The traditional hay meadow, with its colourful proliferation of wild flowers left to grow until mid-summer before being cropped and dried for winter cattle fodder, has now largely been lost, given over to heavily grazed sheep pasture, or harvested early to produce fermented silage. In either case the result is the same: a reduction in the diversity of plants, insects and birds like the Corn Crake. The story of the Corn Crake over the majority of the 20th Century, therefore, has been one of rapidly shrinking numbers, with the bird already absent from much of England, Wales and mainland Scotland by the time of World War Two, as breeding habitat was lost to agricultural progress.
www.birdwatching.co.uk 27
Often shows pale spot at rear of ear-coverts
Submoustachial stripe is distinctly broad and looks paler than Meadow Pipit’s
Faint but significant dark eye-stripe begins at lores and just about reaches behind the eye
Broad pale supercilium is obvious
Heavy bill with pink base
Note white outer tail feathers (shown by both species)
Thinner submoustachial stripe, a tad darker than Tree Pipit’s
Plainer face, in which the pale eye-ring often stands out
Only the hint of a supercilium
Thinner, sharper bill than Tree Pipit
Always seems to call in flight, a weak ‘tsip’. Tree Pipit has stronger, more buzzing ‘tweez’
Slightly paler than Meadow Pipit
More decisive and less fitful in flight than Meadow, flies away further
Has very light, feeble flight. Very much a small, weedy bird
meadow pipit
Tends to look slightly heavier in flight than Meadow Pipit
Tree pipit
Display flight
Rather plain head, giving it slightly gormless look
Top tips
Don’t neglect habitat; the open woodland and heathland profile of Tree Pipit is key. Otherwise, the two species are really similar, but the Meadow Pipit is a nervy and overwrought bird. If you flush a Meadow Pipit it flies up with panicky and endless ‘sip-sip’ calls, flying this way and that but often not far, and is uncertain where to land. Tree Pipits simply fly off up and away, often distantly. Note also that Tree Pipits have a smooth gait on the ground and are furtive; a Meadow Pipit’s walk is jaunty and carefree. Tree Pipits also have a habit of lifting up their tails with a pumping action.
TREE PIPIT FACTS
2 Lake District, Cumbria Tree Pipit is a common bird almost throughout this large area; look for them in valley bottoms and wooded hillsides.
1 Thetford Forest, Norfolk One of the sites where Tree Pipits occur in young conifer plantations.
Hind-claws are long
Streaks on mantle and back are sometimes more obvious than those of Tree Pipit
Streaked evenly down from breast to flanks; the streaks are just as strong lower down as they are on the breast
No real contrast between ground colour of breast and belly
5 Deeside area, Aberdeenshire Tree Pipits are part of the scene here and can be found commonly over a wide area in their usual woodland edge habitat.
4 Loch of Lowes, Perth and Kinross You might be here for Ospreys, but Tree Pipits are a common part of the supporting cast.
3 Elan Valley, Radnorshire There’s lots of suitable habitat hereabouts; listen for them on the hillsides.
Great places to see tree pipits
Meadow Pipit rises from the ground in display flight and usually lands on the ground at the end
Tree Pipit always lifts off from a tree to perform its song flight, rises steeply and then usually lands on a tree when it has finished
Both pipits have display flights in which they rise from the ground, reach a height and then parachute down with wings rigid and legs dangling – they look a bit like paper aeroplanes
Bold head markings
Size: 15cm Weight: 24g Wingspan: 26cm Habitat: Lowland heaths, open woodland, young conifer plantations Diet: Insects and spiders. Some seeds and berries, especially in autumn UK Population: 74,000 pairs When to see them: Summer visitor, arriving in April and departing in August and September
Hind claws are short and strongly curved
Legs are sometimes brighter pink than those of Meadow Pipit
Streaks on flanks are thinner and weaker than those on breast: contrast can be a useful pointer
Streaks are bold and broad on breast
Often shows a noticeable contrast between a pale buff breast and white belly
Slightly plumper and more substantial than Meadow Pipit