Date: Sat, 15 Jul 2000 17:48:02 GMT From: sbpoley@xs4all.nl (Stephen Poley) Organization: XS4ALL Internet BV Newsgroups: uk.rec.birdwatching uk.rec.birdwatching - Frequently Asked Questions This document is a source of information for readers of the Usenet news group uk.rec.birdwatching, covering questions which come up frequently in the group (plus one or two questions which perhaps *should* be asked a bit more frequently!). It is posted to the group about every two weeks. It is recommended that new participants should read this before posting to the group. This FAQ is not an "official" document, and any status it has is from being commented on, corrected and accepted by the contributors to the group. Please let the editor (see the end of the FAQ) know of any corrections needed or improvements you would like to suggest. It is based largely, but not exclusively, on postings in the group. Some parts are copied verbatim - with editing for spellign etc - and for these I have credited the author. Should anyone not want to see their contributions quoted here, let me know and I will of course remove them. General caveat on web-sites: these were all active at the time this FAQ was put together. However it is in the nature of the web that sites move or disappear from time to time. Please let the FAQ editor know of any changes you may come across (but bear in mind that sites may disappear temporarily due to technical problems). The editor has not reviewed all of the sites for quality of information, so please also flag any that you find to be unreliable. ======================================================================== Version 12, 15 July 2000 Changes from the previous version: - some more links added to sections 9, 11 and 12. ======================================================================== Contents 1. What is the purpose of this news group? 1.1 A few don'ts 1.2 The birdwatcher's code of conduct 2. What books are recommended for birding? 2.1 Field Guides 2.2 Location Guides 3. Optical equipment - what can you recommend? 3.1 Binoculars and telescopes 3.2 Straight versus angled telescopes 3.3 Zoom versus fixed-focus lenses 3.4 Tripods 4. Where can I see some birds in London? 4.1 How about the rest of the UK? 4.2 ... and the rest of the world? 5. Garden birds 5.1 What bird feeders should I use, and where? 5.2 What seed do you recommend for bird feeders? 5.3 When should I stop feeding? 5.4 Which direction should nestboxes face? 5.5 How do I set about making a nestbox? 6. What CD-ROMs about birds are worth buying? 7. I have seen a bird I can't identify - how can I get help? 8. Where can I find information on UK rarities on the WWW? 9. Where can I find travel reports on the WWW? 10. Are their any tide-tables on the net? 11. How about web sites covering specific areas in Britain? 12. Where can I find other bird resources on the net? 12.1 Songs 12.2 Pictures 12.3 Web cameras 12.4 Previous postings to uk.rec.birdwatching 12.5 Links to other web sites 12.6 Translations of bird names 12.7 FAQs 12.8 News groups 13. What on earth is a "gropper"? 14. How do I stop birds from pecking at my windows? 15. A bird has flown into my living-room - what should I do? 16. I have found an abandoned baby bird. What should I do with it? 17. What is the law regarding bird protection in the UK? 17.1 What is the situation with rare breeding birds? 18. I've seen what I think is someone breaking the law. What should I do? 19. Is there an e-mail address for reporting ringing recoveries? 20. What birds can I count for my list? 21. Did I just hear a nightingale singing last night in the middle of winter? 22. I just saw a bird like a Red kite by the M40. Is this possible? 23. I just saw a bird that looked like a Little egret. Is this possible? 24. I just saw a large flock of Pied wagtails. Is this unusual? 25. How do I stop cats from attacking birds in my garden? 26. Magpies - the scourge of songbirds? 26.1 And how about Sparrowhawks? 27. Where are the abundance charts? 28. What mosquito repellents are good? 29. What is the collective noun for ... ? 1. What is the purpose of this news group? This group is for the discussion of birdwatching matters of interest to birders in the United Kingdom. The topics that this can include are many and varied, such as sightings, good birding locations, optical equipment, literature, identification problems, biology of birds as related to birdwatching (for example behaviour or colouration), feeding wild birds, nestboxes, birding software, bird photography and so on. At http://www.usenet.org.uk/uk.rec.birdwatching.html#uk.rec.birdwatching you can read the charter of the group. (You may somewhere encounter a different charter. In 1998 a new charter was agreed within the group, but never received the usenet.org blessing, due to a misunderstanding. It has now been agreed to stick with the old charter.) If you are a newcomer to Usenet, please read the semi-official articles about etiquette in the newsgroup news.announce.newusers before you post. You will also find useful information about Usenet in general, and the UK hierarchy in particular, at http://www.usenet.org.uk/. To clear up one frequently recurring issue: this group is for topics relevant to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Something of a problem on the group is the number of people who see the word "bird" in the title and dive into a posting without checking what the group is for. The net being what it is, most of them are American, which has generated a certain aversion to questions about hummingbird feeders and purple martin nests (much though most of us would love to find a ruby- throat or a purple martin in our gardens). On the other hand, it happens not infrequently that regular contributors also post messages which are not strictly on-topic, such as notes on foreign trips, or on other wild animals such as butterflies or mammals. Even more frequently, discussions which start on UK birds wander amicably off into related subjects, and sometimes even subjects where the ornithological relationship is pretty tenuous. The dividing line between a bit of welcome variation and an irritating off-topic post defies definition. It is politely suggested that you stick closely to the charter until you've followed the group long enough to be able to judge what is likely to be of interest. It is certainly not the case that the group is restricted to UK birders, and relevant contributions from other countries are very welcome. Although we have had a few unfortunate incidents on uk.rec.birdwatching, for the most part it is one of the more friendly and good tempered groups within Usenet. Please help us keep it that way. 1.1 A few don'ts Without wanting to give the impression of laying down the law, your chances of making friends in the group will be much improved if you avoid doing the following. As with all Usenet text news groups: - no binaries (pictures or sound files etc); - no HTML (users of Netscape and MS products please turn it off! - if you are unsure how to do this, try http://www.usenet.org.uk/ukpost.html) Please no messages all in CAPITAL LETTERS - this is generally considered impolite in the same way that shouting is. The group is not intended for discussion of cage birds (try rec.pets.birds) or falconry (try alt.sport.falconry). It is also not intended for commercial advertising. However a brief (3-4 lines, say) factual, once-off advertisement referring to a web site for further information is unlikely to cause offence - provided that what you are selling is relevant to UK birders, of course. Private advertising (e.g. by someone who has just bought new binoculars and wants to sell the old ones) is OK. If you wish to publicise your web site, the recommended way is a brief 'sig' (signature file) under your postings. Frequent posts for the sole purpose of advertising your site are not appreciated. VERY IMPORTANT: please do not give information on the nesting sites of rare birds in the UK! Unfortunately the UK suffers badly - worse than most countries - from egg thieves, who are keen to get hold of this sort of information. For more information, see question 17.1, What is the situation with rare breeding birds? And finally, please don't post messages which say "just a test" - there are special test groups like uk.test for that. If you want specifically to test your use of this group, how about posting a message about birds? 1.2 The birdwatcher's code of conduct This code should be familiar to all birdwatchers. It has been drafted after consultation between the BOU, RSPB, BTO, SOC, WWT and editors of BB. 1. The welfare of the birds must come first. 2. Habitat must be protected. 3. Keep disturbance to birds and their habitat to a minimum. 4. When you find a rare bird think carefully about whom you should tell. 5. Do not harass rare migrants. 6. Abide by the bird protection laws at all times. 7. Respect the rights of landowners. 8. Respect the rights of other people in the countryside. 9. Make your records available to the local bird recorder. 10. Behave abroad as you would when birdwatching at home. Full copies, with detailed explanation, may be obtained from the RSPB, The Lodge, Sandy, Beds, SG19 2DL ---ooo--- 2. What books are recommended for birding? 2.1 Field Guides Gordon Hamlett has produced a guide to these. Pending its arrival on a web site, you can find it by searching deja.com (see question 12.4, Previous postings to uk.rec.birdwatching) for the subject "UK field guide FAQ" with author "Hamlett". 2.2 Location Guides The "Where to Watch Birds in ..." series of location guides published by Helm seem to be generally well thought of. Further there is The Birdwatcher's Yearbook, compiled by John Pemberton and published by the Buckingham Press at about 13. "It includes details of over 500 reserves open to the public in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, plus a few in the Republic of Ireland, including names, addresses and phone numbers of wardens and an indication of what can be seen and when. And this is just a small proportion of the excellent and up-to-date information contained in the book." (Malcolm Ogilvie) ---ooo--- 3. Optical equipment - what can you recommend? 3.1 Binoculars and telescopes Undoubtedly the leading makes of optical equipment for birding - the ones that the majority of keen birders own, and many of the rest would like to own - are, in no particular order, Leica (formerly Leitz), Zeiss, Swarovski and Kowa. All make equipment which is optically outstanding and robust enough to withstand intensive use in the field. However, they have prices to match. (The top-of-the-range Nikons and Questar are also top makes, but have even higher prices.) It is unlikely that a new birder would wish to immediately purchase top- of-the-line equipment in any case. Of course there is a lot of more modestly priced but good kit available. In fact, compared to as little as 25 years ago, the general standard of optical equipment is remarkably high. But there is also some cheap rubbish around (and just possibly some expensive rubbish as well). So look before you leap. A useful introduction to optics for birding is the Optics FAQ at http://www.optics4birding.com/ (mirrored at http://www.gorp.com/gorp/activity/birdofaq.htm) A few things to bear in mind when choosing binoculars (or a scope) are: - Try them before committing yourself; what someone else likes may not suit you. - Compare different makes and magnifications: in the field if at all possible. - For preference test them out on a dull day; it's easier for mediocre binoculars to seem good in bright sunshine. However looking into the sun (no, not *at* the sun! - I mean with the sun shining on the lenses) can also be a good test of the lens coatings. - Check out a high-contrast line, such as the edge of a roof silhouetted against the sky. If you see bright coloured fringes (and in cheap bins you will) remember that you will see similar fringes when trying to see the colour of a bird's legs or beak. - Remember that cheaper binoculars are probably less robust and not waterproof. Other URLs which may be useful are: http://members.tripod.com/~robertus/scope.htm (In Dutch, but look for the articles marked "engels") http://www.gwi.net/sing/BVD.html 3.2 Straight versus angled telescopes With some telescopes the eye-piece directly faces the direction of view, while with others the eye-piece is angled downwards at 45 degrees. Which is better? The answer is that it basically comes down to personal preference. There is no difference in optical quality. The most important difference is that an angled scope requires the tripod head to be lower than for a straight scope. The advantages of straight scopes are: - many people find the viewing position more natural (though probably most people will get used to an angled scope quite quickly); - they are easier to use in hides, the viewing ports being at eye-level (angled scopes can often be rotated so that the eye-piece is horizontal, but the resulting viewing position is awkward - you are now looking 45 degrees sidewards). - they have advantages when looking over the top of bushes or walls; - they can be used on car-window mounts; - they are less prone to collecting raindrops on the eye-piece. On the other hand, for angled scopes: - they can be used on a shorter (thus lighter/cheaper) tripod; - it is easier to share a scope between people of different height (bending forward is easier than stooping); - it is easier to follow flying birds without cricking your neck; - they are better for (occasional) astronomical use. 3.3 Zoom versus fixed-focus lenses This is a much-discussed issue. The advantages of a zoom lens on a telescope are fairly obvious. The disadvantages are that the zoom is more expensive than a fixed-focus lens (though usually cheaper than two lenses), the optical quality is lower, and the field of view is narrower. Having said that, the best zooms nowadays are very good, and many people find the quality loss to be negligible. It comes down to personal preference again: go to a supplier where you can compare the two lenses for yourself. On one point however, practically all birders agree: zoom binoculars are not worth bothering with. 3.4 Tripods In contrast to the situation with optical equipment, with tripods there is no clear handful of brand leaders. My own experience is that Manfrotto tripods are decently stable, but rather heavy and slow to put up; Velbon and Vanguard tripods are quick to put up and very portable, but even the sturdier ones can't cope with more than a light breeze. There are some enthusiastic users of Benbo tripods in the group. These have a design permitting them to be put up in a wide variety of positions. There is also the Uni-Loc - a Jessops own-brand "clone" of the Benbo. Slik tripods have received mixed reviews, with some positive comments, but also complaints about the legs being difficult to lock into position. A more detailed answer was: "Ian Middleton wrote: >Any advice on buying a tripod to be used with a Kowa TSN3 telescope? >I've seen some brochures (Manfrotto and Cullmann) but am somewhat >bewildered by the range of options. I want something that's steady, >and can be used seated on the ground as well as standing up. I don't like Cullmann at all. Manfrotto makes fairly decent tripods, try the Manfrotto 144 (quite stable and not too heavy) or the Manfrotto 55C. Both are pretty good. Alternatively have a look at Gitzo. I know they're not that widespread in the UK, but they are generally speaking better than the Manfrottos - they seem to be the most commonly used tripods among professional photographers. Extremely well-made, very stable for the weight, very reliable. The models I'd consider are the Gitzo 224 and the Gitzo 226. My old Gitzo 224 is more than 12 years old and still going strongly, despite some considerable abuse. My lightweight Gitzo Sport (out of production, unfortunately) lasted 11 years before I managed to break it. However, I don't think there are many tripods that would have survived that situation. >What is the best type of head to use? The best head is in my opinion the Manfrotto 128. It does have its faults, but there isn't anything better on the market at the moment. All the better heads are way too heavy." (Hermann Oldenburg) ---ooo--- 4. Where can I see some birds in London? This question could of course equally well be posed for any part of the UK, but London seems to crop up particularly frequently, presumably due to the number of people who come for brief visits. Hyde Park is centrally located and a good spot to find some of the commoner species. Other recommended spots, a bit further out, include: - Hampstead heath - Walthamstow marshes / Lea Valley reservoirs (Tottenham Hale or Blackhorse Road stations) - Wimbledon common / Richmond Park - Dagenham Chase (Elm Park station) - Barnes reservoirs - Heathrow gravel pits area Note that most of the ducks in St James' Park are captive. 4.1 How about the rest of the UK? If you like, you can check out tips that have already been given for other areas using deja.com (see question 12.4, Previous postings to uk.rec.birdwatching). Otherwise feel free to ask the group - that's one of the reasons the group is here. Do try to be reasonably specific about where you are interested in (just saying "Scotland" is not terribly specific...) and approximately how long you will be visiting (so that people don't give long lists of sites to someone who only has a day to spend anyway). Also mention if you are dependent on public transport. 4.2 ... and the rest of the world? Although questions about good birding spots in the rest of the world are not strictly on-topic, requests for information are in fact usually answered, sometimes in great detail. Note however that for the Americas, especially North America, you will almost certainly do better in the news group rec.birds. See also section 9, "Where can I find travel reports on the WWW?" ---ooo--- 5. Garden birds 5.1 What bird feeders should I use, and where? You should consider both ground-feeding birds (use a bird table, or simply spread food on the ground) and climbing feeders such as tits (use a hanging feeder). Don't be disheartened if the birds don't immediately find the food. It may take several days or even weeks before they change their feeding routes to include your garden. Spreading food around on the ground (including large items like bits of bread and apples) may make it more visible to them. Distribute your feeders around the garden. If they are close together, one or two particularly aggressive birds may keep the others away. Provision of cover (bushes and trees) is a tricky issue. Birds like to have cover to retreat to in case of danger, but on the other hand cats like to have cover in order to sneak up on birds! It is probably best to place the feeders something like a couple of metres from the nearest bushes. A good way of feeding is to provide suitable shrubs. Almost any berry- bearing shrubs will do, but hawthorn, holly, rowan, yew, firethorn (Pyracantha) and Berberis are particularly good. You may like to try http://birding.about.com/hobbies/birding/library/weekly/aa020798.htm for further information (though make allowances for this being an american site). In addition, goldfinches are very fond of teasels. "They also like burdock, if you dare incur the wrath of your neighbours by allowing one to grow." (Richard Candeland) 5.2 What seed do you recommend for bird feeders? Peanuts are a perennial favourite, but black sunflower seed and sunflower seed hearts, or mixtures containing these, are also recommended. Buying in bulk is a lot cheaper than buying small packets at supermarkets etc. A couple of contributors have recommended CJ Wildbird food - see http://www.birdfood.co.uk. (You may like to read their "Feeding Tips" page.) Buying from a local seed merchant may well be the cheapest option. A seed cake made of seeds and nuts embedded in fat is usually much appreciated. If you have any old apples going a bit soft, thrushes (especially blackbirds) like them. Bread is not ideal, but tossing out a bit of bread occasionally is unlikely to do any harm. 5.3 When should I stop feeding? It is sometimes recommended to stop putting food out for birds at the beginning of the breeding season, as nestlings can choke to death on, for example, peanuts. However informed opinion now seems to be that you can carry on the whole year round. This is because parent birds will only give such food to their nestlings if there is a severe shortage of other food, and the nestlings are at risk of starving anyway. To reduce the risk further, provide peanuts in mesh feeders (not loose on the bird table), so that the birds can only remove a small bit at a time. 5.4 Which direction should nestboxes face? "Away from the wall. :-) No honestly - keep it: - In shade; - out of direct sunlight; - so cats etc. can't get at it; - roughly head height; - so the prevailing wind doesn't come through the hole! It also depends where in the country you are - in Anglia an East wind is bitter - in Aberystwyth an East wind is warm! Just really don't worry about the exact direction. I've plonked nest boxes up all over my garden and it is pot luck really if they are used or not!" (James Cracknell) 5.5 How do I set about making a nestbox? There is a lot of information at: http://www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/nottinghamshire/Fact%20Sheets/nestbox.htm Two other sources which have been recommended are: "Bird Boxes And Feeders For The Garden" by David Mackenzie, published by Guild of Master Craftsman Publications Ltd ISBN 1 861108 065 4. (15) "Nestboxes" by Chris du Feu - BTO Guide 23, published by the British Trust for Ornithology. Can be ordered by ringing the BTO on 01842 750050. (about 5) Another plan for a simple tit box can be found at http://www.tmac.clara.co.uk/cormaic/garden/build01.htm ---ooo--- 6. What CD-ROMs about birds are worth buying? Some answers which have been given to this are: (1) "Avoid the CD-ROM 'Birds of Europe version 2.0' produced by the Expert Centre for Taxonomic Identification and published by Springer-verlag, Heidelberg, 1996, price 43 GBP. I reviewed it for British Birds and concluded my review thus: 'The first edition of Birds of Europe was extremely primitive. This second edition, although incorporating much new material, cannot be recommended. The CD-ROM Guide to all the birds of Europe, produced in a set of 5 CDs by Bird Guides of Ewden, 1996, for 149 GBP was much better though by no means perfect, especially at that price'." (Malcolm Ogilvie) (2) "FWIW I was given the Birdguides CD-ROM Guide to British Birds at Christmas and have found it thoroughly absorbing. I have a number of excellent field guides but find it an excellent addition. It aids identification through selection of identified features, habitat, mannerisms etc then listing likely species to consider. Many, though not all, of the video clips are very helpful as, of course, are the songs and calls. The facility to compare species side by side is also very handy. Also the quiz has helped me brush up on some less familiar species." (Hedley Wright) (3) The CD-ROM Birds of the Western Palearctic contains the full text of the nine-volume book, widely regarded as the most authoritative work on the birds of this area. Opinions of it have so far been scarce in the group, perhaps because several people had problems installing and/or running it. A new version is due out soon. The FAQ editor would welcome comments. ---ooo--- 7. I have seen a bird I can't identify - how can I get help? Probably the best way is if you can get a decent photograph of it and scan it in. However please DO NOT post it directly to the group. Many people have news-readers which cannot handle binaries, and other people do not want their telephone bills increased by downloading large files. Load it on a web-site, and post a message to the group giving the URL. Failing this, post as detailed a description of the bird as you can, including comparisons with similar birds. In either case, don't forget to supply any other relevant information, such as where you saw it (both geographically and whether it was e.g. in a small garden or a piece of woodland), what it was doing (running around on the ground, perching in the top of a tree ...) any calls heard etc. ---ooo--- 8. Where can I find information on UK rarities on the WWW? http://www.focalpoint-uk.com http://www.birdguides.com "There's an article on the Bucks Bird Club web site at http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Forest/1809/articles.htm which covers Bird Twitching Information on the Internet -- written by Yours Sincerely so be careful what you say about it!" (Elaine Cook) ---ooo--- 9. Where can I find travel reports on the WWW? Here are some sites to try: http://www.camacdonald.com/birding/birdeurope.htm http://www.azstarnet.com/~lisab/triplist.html http://www.crosswinds.net/~birdtrips/TripReports.html http://ats.com.au/~aviceda/ http://www.birdtours.co.uk http://worldtwitch.virtualave.net/ ---ooo--- 10. Are their any tide-tables on the net? http://www.ybw.com/ybw/search/tides.htm (23 Ports around UK & Ireland for 14 days in advance). http://tbone.biol.sc.edu/tide/sites_allalpha.html#alphatide (Worldwide) "Try http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Horizon/1195/wxtide32.html I downloaded the program, and am quite impressed. Not only tables for around 100 locations in the UK, but also for locations in just about every country you could imagine (would you believe 7000 locations?). A word of warning - I had difficulty downloading the program from this site - I followed the suggested link from this site to 'Peter Bennett's FTP site' and downloaded it with no problems." (John Pegler) "Download Autotide, available free from http://www.autotide.com. This gives tide graphs and heights for hundreds of sites world-wide as well as excellent UK coverage. It is easy to use and is able to calculate well into the future." (Peter Nash) ---ooo--- 11. How about web sites covering specific areas in Britain? Here are a few that happened to come to my attention. Some are linked into the UK birding web ring, which links numerous sites together. Scotland http://www.abdn.ac.uk/~nhi019/intro.html http://homepages.which.net/~andy.wakelin/basin.htm North-West England St Helens: http://users.computerweekly.net/swamphen/sthbhome.htm Wigan: http://www.mike.hill.care4free.net Dee Estuary: http://www.deeestuary.freeserve.co.uk Sunderland point: http://www.birdtours.co.uk/sunderland Witton (Cheshire): http://www.ukbis2.fsnet.co.uk/wacg/wacgportal.htm Midlands Rutland Water: http://www.rutlandwater.u-net.com Birmingham: http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/birds Southern England Bucks: http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Forest/1809/ Herts: http://fly.to/hertsbirdclub S. Hampshire: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ralphhollins/ Sussex: http://freepages.pavilion.net/users/iofage/sos.htm Site with many links: http://www.netesprit.com/fatbirder/uk/index.html ---ooo--- 12. Where can I find other bird resources on the net? 12.1 Songs Some sites with bird song recordings: http://www-stat.wharton.upenn.edu/~siler/masi/eurosongs3.html (this site seems to change URL from time to time; if it moves again, go via http://www-stat.wharton.upenn.edu/~siler/birding.html). http://www.hacom.nl/~birdy/startpage.html (in Dutch; click on the link "enkele geluiden" - that page doesn't seem to have its own URL). http://people.frankfurt.netsurf.de/Stefan.Wehr/index.htm (in German) http://www.sirius.pisa.it/guests/lipupisa/snd/ (Italian site) http://people.a2000.nl/fveen/birdsounds/ (requires Real Audio) http://www.wildsong.demon.co.uk/ (requires Real Audio) And mainly non-European ones: http://members.tripod.com/Thryomanes/AnimalSounds.html (world-wide collection) http://www.mbr.nbs.gov/bbs/song.html http://birding.miningco.com/msub7.htm http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/G_Kunkel/homepage.htm 12.2 Pictures http://www.birdsofbritain.co.uk (online bird guide) http://www.rspb-images.com/menu.html http://www.gregscott.com/rwscott/rwscott.htm http://www.wildpicture.com http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/place/xcj80/ 12.3 Web cameras Live coverage of birds, mostly nests: Here are some white storks: http://www.fedtke.de/storch.htm http://www.storchennest.de/nest/kamera-cgi.html http://www.vattenriket.kristianstad.se/stork/frame.htm Some peregrines: http://www.videorepeater.co.uk/peregrine/index.htm http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/odnr/wildlife/diversity/falcon/columbus/falcons .html http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/falcon/falcon.htm http://www.transarc.com/Falcon/camera.html Some others: http://websites.cable.ntl.com/~david.jones23/ (Robins) http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/webcams/owlcam.shtml (Barn owls) http://www.goosecam.com/goosecam.htm (Canada goose) http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Vines/8660/box1.htm (House sparrows) http://www.jps.net/dnaprice/index.html (American kestrel) http://members.aol.com/owlbox/owlhome.htm (Barred owls) And some links to other cameras: http://www.pitt.edu/~dziadosz/ http://birding.miningco.com/msub5-cams.htm http://www.wbu.com/feedercam_home.htm 12.4 Previous postings to uk.rec.birdwatching Most news servers keep postings for only a few days, or a couple of weeks at most. To find out what has previously been said about a subject here (or in any other news group) go to http://www.deja.com/home_ps.shtml and enter what you are looking for. Articles in which the author has set the X-No-Archive flag to Yes are not archived however. 12.5 Links to other web sites The following have lots of links. Follow them all and you'll find (eventually) a good fraction of all the birding info available on the web. http://www.ntic.qc.ca/~nellus/link_eur.html - a particularly impressive world-wide collection http://www.york.biosis.org/zrdocs/zoolinfo/grp_bird.htm - more zoological http://www.jjstroud.freeserve.co.uk http://www.abdn.ac.uk/~nhi019/intro.html http://www.netesprit.com/fatbirder/links_geo/ http://birding.start4all.com http://home.sol.no/~tibjonn/birds.htm http://www.birder.com/birding/index.html (somewhat America-oriented) http://dir.yahoo.com/Recreation/Outdoors/Birding/ Some of the other sites mentioned in this FAQ also have links pages. 12.6 Translations of bird names The following site translates bird names between several European languages: http://www.mumm.ac.be/~serge/birds/ And this works on larger chunks of text: http://www.babelbird.de/start_e.html 12.7 FAQs For other views on life, try: - the UKBN FAQ at http://www.calidris.demon.co.uk/ - the rec.birds FAQs at ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet-by-group/rec.birds/ 12.8 News groups Other more or less related news groups that you might possibly like to visit are: rec.birds (In principle a world-wide birding group; in practice overwhelmingly North American.) uk.rec.natural-history rec.photo.technique.nature uk.environment.conservation uk.rec.gardening uk.sci.weather ---ooo--- 13. What on earth is a "gropper"? Like many other activities, birding has its own technical terminology and its own slang. Here are a few terms that have come up in the group (slang terms in quotation marks): bonxie great skua (Shetland name, now in more widespread use) corvid crow, rook, magpie, jay or other member of that family "dip" fail to see a bird you had hoped to see "gropper" grasshopper warbler hirundine swallow or martin leucistic a bird with an abnormal plumage containing less than the usual amount of pigment, giving it a washed-out appearance. "oyc" oystercatcher Palearctic see below passerine see below "plastic" a bird that has escaped from captivity raptor bird of prey - falcon, hawk, buzzard etc "twitch" make a special journey to see a particular rare bird Palearctic: biologists divide the world into seven regions, each with its own characteristic fauna. The Palearctic ("old north") covers approximately the Old World north of the tropics. The Western Palearctic comprises Europe, including European Russia, the Middle East (but excluding most of the Arabian peninsula) and Africa north of the Sahara. Passerines: birds are classified into 27 orders, such as the Columbiformes (pigeons) and Piciformes (woodpeckers). One particularly large order contains about as many species as all the others put together. This is the Passeriformes, literally meaning "sparrow-like", whose members are referred to as perching birds, or songbirds, or passerines. They include most of the common garden birds, such as finches, tits, thrushes and warblers, and also families such as the larks, swallows (but not swifts!) and crows. For anatomical terms such as coverts, culmen, lores, tertials etc, it would be best to consult the diagrams in a good field guide. ---ooo--- 14. How do I stop birds from pecking at my windows? They are probably attacking their reflections. They think that their reflection is a rival and try to drive it away. One way of dealing with this is to make the reflection less prominent by putting something pale inside the windows, such as pale paper. If you go outside and look in, you should be able to judge how effective this is. Alternatively, sticking a silhouette of a raptor on the window may help to keep the birds away. You may also be able to put something up outside the windows as a temporary measure. ---ooo--- 15. A bird has flown into my living-room - what should I do? Admittedly one thing you probably will not be doing is switching on the computer and consulting the FAQ! However, here are some suggestions which may help in an emergency. - Draw the curtains (except across any open windows) and turn down the lights if relevant. - If you can readily shoo the bird outside without handling it and without alarming it unduly, do so. If not, proceed as follows. - Ideally catch the bird with a butterfly net if you have one. - Otherwise try throwing a towel over the bird. Don't try to grab the bird if it is about to get away - let it go and start again. - Don't let the wings flap against hands - it could cause broken bones and muscle strain. Wing bones and collar bones especially are very delicate. - If possible find a cotton bag with drawstring to put the bird in once caught - the less handling the better. Turn the bag inside out, so legs/claws don't get caught on loose threads. Bank bags are ideal - or even cloth seed bags. Don't use plastic. - When releasing birds, release them onto your hand or open the bag to let them go. Do not let a bird go without having something just beneath it - if the bird is disoriented it might just drop to the ground. - For birds of prey, use a towel - make sure the towel doesn't go with the bird! Don't forget that the talons are extremely sharp - keep your hand well away. Don't worry so much about the bill, though pencils can be useful as a good "chew" - it's the talons that are the problem. Release them onto the ground. - For very small birds you can hold the legs above the knee joint without causing problems. Remember that the knee joint is tight up under the feathers - not the (ankle) joint half way up the visible part of the leg. ---ooo--- 16. I have found an abandoned baby bird. What should I do with it? If it is in immediate danger, such as the middle of a road, move it (or shoo it) to the nearest available safe spot. Otherwise you should probably do nothing. If this seems defeatist, consider the following. First ask yourself if you are certain it has been abandoned. Could it not just be waiting for a parent to return with food? If it has fallen out of a nest, it may seem sensible to try to put it back in the nest. In some cases the parents may continue to look after it. The problem is that you may cause the other nestlings to desert the nest, in which case you have caused more harm than good. Further, the natural mortality of young birds is enormous. The three or broods of four young Blackbirds reared in your garden every summer will probably only result in one or two young birds surviving to the end of the following winter. Any efforts on your part to save a single chick have very little effect. Rearing any small bird is both difficult and very time-consuming, even if you can obtain the correct food. Large quantities of insects or caterpillars are easier for the parent birds to find than for you. In addition, with a few exceptions, rearing a wild bird is illegal unless you can guarantee that you will be able to release it back into the wild. For some rarer species, for example birds of prey, only registered keepers may attempt to do this. ---ooo--- 17. What is the law regarding bird protection in the UK? This is well covered on the Department of the Environment web site. See http://www.wildlife-countryside.detr.gov.uk/crime/law/index.htm 17.1 What is the situation with rare breeding birds? Rare breeding birds in the UK are afforded the protection of Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This means that special penalties are in force should the bird be disturbed while breeding - at ANY stage. European law may also be protecting that bird, so be aware. Schedule 1 birds are listed at http://www.indaal.demon.co.uk/rbbp.html We would ask on uk.r.b that you refrain from mentioning breeding sites of these birds unless the site has been published by a conservation agency and is fully protected. For example, Osprey at Loch Garten and Avocet at Minsmere. If in doubt - don't shout! Should you believe you have found a schedule 1 bird breeding, phone the RSPB on 01787 680551 or your county recorder. You can also e-mail the Rare Breeding Birds Panel secretary - rbbp@indaal.demon.co.uk . The findings of the RBBP are published in British Birds on an annual basis. The BTO breeding birds atlas contains the public information that is available on these birds. All information on schedule 1 should be treated in confidence. Remember the more people know, the greater the threats to these birds. People who wish to vandalise nest sites, egg collectors etc. will stop at nothing - and some of them do go out armed. You also put members of the public at risk and not just the bird. If you think a schedule 1 bird is under threat use the phone and call 999 and please mention that they are listed in law by the Dept. of the Environment as being afforded special protection. (James Cracknell) ---ooo--- 18. I've seen what I think is someone breaking the law. What should I do? Perhaps you have seen someone taking eggs, destroying a nest, using an air rifle to shoot at birds, or rock-climbing in a seabird colony. For birds not on Schedule 1, or where the damage has already been done, ringing 999 is not appropriate. "Virtually every police force in the country has one or more Wildlife Liaison Officers. Phone your local police station and ask how you can get in touch with the nearest WLO. If it is a serious crime, e.g. you have found what you think is a poisoned bird of prey, it may also be worth phoning the RSPB (01767-680551)." (Malcolm Ogilvie) ---ooo--- 19. Is there an e-mail address for reporting ringing recoveries? Contact the British Trust for Ornithology in the first instance - e-mail ringing@bto.org Include: - ring number - check it very carefully; - date, time; - place, including grid reference if possible; - how the bird died and approximately how long ago, if you can tell; - if the bird is colour ringed, the sequence of rings on the leg e.g. left - dark red above dark blue right - metal above light blue. You can also submit details of colour ringed birds you have seen alive in the field, not just dead ones. If you can provide further info. on a bird, such as age/sex it's all worthwhile data. Don't forget to include a postal address in your message so the person whose project it is can get back to you by the usual mail system! Be patient after sending in ringing details. At certain times of year the Ringing Office can get up to two months in arrears in dealing with recoveries. Also don't necessarily even expect an e-mail acknowledgement. (with thanks to Paul Winter and Malcolm Ogilvie) More information on ringing can be found at: http://www.ping.be/cr-birding/cr-birding.htm http://www.landguard-birdobs.freeserve.co.uk/links ---ooo--- 20. What birds can I count for my list? Most birders keep lists of the birds they have seen. Some birders have strong views about what can be included on such lists: e.g. whether introduced species can be counted, or species that you have only heard singing, but not seen, or birds that might have escaped from captivity. But I think I am speaking for the majority of the group if I say: count whatever you like! (But expect some funny looks if you start counting birds you've seen on television.) ---ooo--- 21. Did I just hear a nightingale singing last night in the middle of winter? Sorry to disappoint you, but no. In mid-winter nightingales are in Africa and are not singing. Actually, contrary to popular opinion, nightingales are not by any means the only birds which sing at night. Common mid-winter singers include robin, wren and song thrush. Of these, robins seem particularly prone to singing at night under street lights. Incidentally, a common summer night singer is the sedge warbler. ---ooo--- 22. I just saw a bird like a Red kite by the M40. Is this possible? The short answer is: yes. The longer answer goes something like: yes, but they haven't come from Wales under their own steam. There has been a release program in the Chilterns, with birds introduced from Wales, Sweden and Spain. The first release was in 1989. The birds have done well and have become quite common in the area where the M40 cuts through the hills, and are slowly spreading further afield. Releases have also taken place elsewhere in the UK. ---ooo--- 23. I just saw a bird that looked like a Little egret. Is this possible? Yes. Until recently the Little egret was a rare bird in the UK, and it is shown as such in many bird books. There has been something of an invasion in the past few years, and it is now fairly common in parts of southern Britain. A roost on Thorney Island has reached well over 250 egrets. ---ooo--- 24. I just saw a large flock of Pied wagtails. Is this unusual? No - at least in winter - this is not at all unusual. "Pied Wagtails have the interesting habit of roosting communally at night during the winter months, often in very urban situations. It is assumed this is a survival strategy, based on the fact that overnight temperatures are several degrees warmer in town centres than out in the country. You can also often see them around motorway service areas, where they seem particularly attracted to poplar trees. In Cheltenham there are long-established winter roost sites in trees in the town centre, where the birds mostly use quite small trees, often overhanging the road or pavement. Once settled, they seem quite unaffected by the closeness of traffic or people. The numbers can be huge; once the flurry of arrival at dusk is over, they sit quite still, and from below look like cotton wool balls stuck to the branches - they are also quite unnoticed by passers-by. Last year I counted the birds nightly for 6 weeks. (!) The maximum number on one night was 774 birds, and the largest collection in a single tree was 522 - approximately." (Mike Sutcliffe) ---ooo--- 25. How do I stop cats from attacking birds in my garden? This is undoubtedly a Frequently Asked Question, so here are several answers. The FAQ editor however offers no guarantees of success! "The best cat-deterrent is a dog. Our very old, fat and lazy golden retriever hates cats, and all we need do is open the backdoor and say "Cat!!!" She's never caught one yet.... but the neighbourhood cats have learned not to come into our garden!" (Tina MacDonald) "I found that a collar with a bell was pretty effective - didn't stop my cat hunting but reduced his success rate from one a month to none at all - until one day he came in with a young feral pigeon and no collar! ... a resident cat with a bell and a low tolerance of other cats can be an excellent cat deterrent." (Jane Barton) "Try hosing the cat(s) from a hidden point. If they don't actually see you doing it they may associate the garden with an unpleasant drenching, and henceforth avoid it. Does the cat(s) no harm whatsoever ... If you get seen by the cat(s) the er ... "cat's out of the bag" and it won't work anymore except if you are there all the time to keep hosing the cat(s)." (Peter Gallagher) "We've heard that planting a wormwood border can be effective at keeping out mammals. I've seen dogs take a sniff and disappear quite quickly." (Kevin Heath) "I have used an electronic cat deterrent purchased from RSPB shops and can confirm it is VERY effective. For around 9 months now we have had NO CATS in the garden at all. I would urge you to use the mains adapter otherwise it will cost a fortune in batteries. Check out your local RSPB reserve with a shop, total cost around 75 but what price the life of a bird?" (Brian Ludwig) "I have heard that Lion (or any other large predator) poop works very well. Any plucky Tom trying his luck in your garden will take one whiff and think 'I not exactly sure what sort of cat they've got in there, but I don't intend finding out'. Contact your nearest zoo or wildlife park and ask for any spare lion dung (unless you live on Bodmin Moor, where hopefully the Beast may deposit some for free)." (Dave Nesbitt) ---ooo--- 26. Magpies - the scourge of songbirds? This is a controversial topic. Many people are under the impression that predation by magpies is a major cause of population decreases in songbirds. How often one hears complaints that magpies have all but wiped out the small birds in such-and-such an area, and the magpies must be killed if we want to keep any songbirds at all. However field research by organisations such as the British Trust for Ornithology repeatedly shows that this is not the case. Certainly magpies do take eggs and nestlings, but this is not the same as wiping out a population. Increases in magpie populations may even coincide with increases in populations of smaller birds. The major cause of declining populations of small birds is the loss of suitable habitat. It may however happen that magpies cause significant losses in some small areas, particularly those of disturbed habitat where the cover for nesting birds may be insufficient and the nests easy for magpies to reach. The fact that gardens are often just such areas means that magpie predation is particularly visible. Culling magpies here would however be ineffective because it would just provide a magpie vacuum that would quickly be filled from outside. In brief then, culling magpies over a small area is ineffective and over a large area is unnecessary. (And if trying to score points off someone in the pub, you could point out that magpies are oscine passerines and thus are strictly speaking songbirds themselves). 26.1 And how about Sparrowhawks? Research has a similar story to tell in the case of sparrowhawks. The report of the UK Raptor Working Group, released in February 2000, summarised: "It has been suggested that the recovery of some birds of prey has caused declines of formerly common farmland birds. Although the declines of many formerly common songbirds have coincided with the recovery of sparrowhawks, on the basis of evidence presented to the Working Group, we have concluded that there is no scientific evidence that birds of prey have affected population levels of British songbirds. These declines are rather a consequence of changing types of lowland agriculture." ---ooo--- 27. Where are the abundance charts? The question has been posed as to why one in the UK rarely comes across the abundance charts which are frequently used in American publications: these give the relative abundance of a species in the different weeks or months of the year in the form of bars of different thickness. No-one seems to know for sure. However, to encourage their use, I have produced an Excel workbook with a macro which converts numeric data into appropriate bars. If you would like a copy you can e-mail me (see below for the address). It needs the MS Line Draw font, which is nowadays supplied with Windows. If you do not have it, it can be downloaded from http://www.whollygenes.com/html/files.htm ---ooo--- 28. What mosquito repellents are good? "Mosquito Milk distributed by Searle is very good. Allegedly available in all Boots branches. I've just learned something today via Wanderlust magazine - 100% DEET is less effective than 50% DEET as it is oily and is very easily sweated off the skin. Mosquito milk is, IIRC, 35% DEET and has a small % of another ingredient. I have always found it to be very effective." (Liz Leyden) ---ooo--- 29. What is the collective noun for ... ? A flock. It doesn't matter which species of bird you're talking about, "flock" will do fine. Various fanciful collective nouns were dreamed up in Victorian times, such as a "charm" of goldfinches, but such terms are not nowadays used (apart from in quizzes and crosswords). Apart from a handful of terms relating to gamebirds, specific collective nouns were probably never in regular use. ---ooo--- 94. Who wrote this FAQ anyway? Stephen Poley Barendrecht, Holland (but formerly of Stoke Gabriel, Devon) sbpoley@xs4all.nl 95. Why is the uk.rec.birdwatching FAQ written by someone who lives in Holland? Search me.