Birds

Bird musings

Grasshopper Warbler

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The Grasshopper Warbler, as its name suggests, sounds like an incredibly loud grasshopper. This secretive bird is more often heard than seen, sulking and creeping in the undergrowth after it arrives in April from North and West Africa.

Grasshopper Warblers are rather nondescript brown/buff-coloured birds, heavily streaked with dark marks on their backs. They have pale underparts with some spotting on their breast and a faint eye streak behind the eye. Juveniles are brighter and more yellow. Identification is easiest from their song - a high, insect-like, reeling call.

Like most Warblers, the Grasshopper Warbler feeds on insects and other invertebrates such as moths, beetles, aphids, dragonflies, mayflies, spiders, caterpillars and woodlice. It picks its food from the ground or off vegetation.

The male Grasshopper Warbler attracts a female by walking or running along the ground with his tail spread and fluttering his wings above his back while carrying grass or a leaf in his beak. Both mum and dad build the cup-shaped nest in thick vegetation on or near the ground. Mum lays 4-7 eggs which hatch after 14 days. The youngsters are fed by both parents and can fly 13 days later. They will usually have two broods.

Sadly, a dramatic population decline has made the Grasshopper Warbler a Red Listed species. The decline is mainly due to habitat loss, both here and in Africa. An estimated 16,000 pairs come here in spring.

Their Latin name is 'locustella naevia' where 'locustella' is Latin for a grasshopper (and also locust) and 'naevia' is Latin for 'spotted '.

Rock Pipit

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The Rock Pipit is a smudgy, darker version of a Meadow Pipit and is found mainly on the coast, hence its name. It is the only British songbird that nests by the sea. It is a tough, hardy bird, untroubled by wind or rain.

The size of a Starling, the Rock Pipit has weakly streaked greyish-brown upperparts and buff underparts marked with poorly defined brown streaks. They have a pale eye-ring and dark legs. Their song is a sequence of about twenty tinkling "cheepa" notes, followed by a rising series of thin "gee" calls, and finishing with a short trill flourish.

Rock Pipits mainly feed on small invertebrates, such as beetles and small molluscs, as well as some small fish and seeds. They hop, walk, or run as they forage, picking food from between rocks or venturing into shallow water after the retreating waves.

The breeding season begins in mid-March. The male Rock Pipit puts on a song display in which he flies high above the ground, then circles or descends to the ground with a fluttering 'parachute' flight - singing as he goes. Once paired, mum builds a cup-shaped nest under coastal vegetation or in a cliff crevice. It is made from seaweed and dead grass, and lined with finer fibres or hair. She lays 4-6 eggs in April which hatch after 2 weeks. Both parents look after the youngsters until they can fly 16 days later. There will sometimes be two broods before breeding ends in August, when mum and dad do a complete moult.

The overall British population of Rock Pipits is stable, with around 35,000 pairs. Further birds arrive here from Norway to spend winter. Their major threat is coastal pollution, like oil and plastic waste. The average lifespan of a Rock Pipit is 9 years, a long time for a small bird.

Their Latin name is 'anthus petrosus' from the Latin 'anthus' for a small grassland bird and 'petrosus' meaning 'rocky', from 'petrus' for 'rock'. Rocky by habitat and as hard as nails.

Waxwing

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Waxwings are absolutely gorgeous birds and visit Britain in the winter. They are not long-distance migrants, but move nomadically outside the breeding season to find food. Numbers arriving in Britain depend on whether it is a good or poor berry year on the continent, as Waxwings are all about fruit.

Waxwings are pinkish-brown and pale grey with distinctive smooth plumage in which many body feathers are not individually visible. They have a black and white eyestripe, black under the chin, a prominent crest, a square-cut tail with a yellow tip, and pointed wings. Some wing feathers have red tips, like sealing wax, which gives them their Waxwing name. In flight, the wings look triangular. The Waxwing's call is a high-pitched, buzzing "sirrrrr" like a bell.

Waxwings mostly feed on fruit, which they eat from early summer (strawberries, mulberries, and serviceberries) through to autumn (raspberries, blackberries, cherries, and honeysuckle berries) and into winter (juniper berries, crabapples, rowan berries, rose hips, cotoneaster fruits, dogwood berries, and mistletoe berries). They will eat two or three times their body weight in fruit each day! When fruits are unavailable, they will feed on sap, buds, flowers and insects.

They breed in north European forests, often near water, with their late May nesting timed to coincide with the ripening of summer fruits. Their courtship display involves, unsurprisingly, passing fruit to each other. Mum builds a loose nest at the fork of a branch, well away from the tree trunk. The nest is made of twigs, grass, and lichen, and lined with fine grass, moss, and pine needles. She may camouflage it by dangling bits of grass, flowers, lichen, and moss to keep it well hidden. Mum alone incubates the 3-7 eggs while dad brings her food. The eggs hatch after 14 days and both parents feed the youngsters for 15-17 days until they leave the nest. With the late start, there is only one brood.

Despite the large annual variation of numbers in Britain, Waxwings are Green Listed as European numbers are stable. Threats like human disturbance during the breeding season or habitat destruction are limited as Waxwing breeding grounds are further north than most northern European towns and cities.

Their Latin name is 'bombycilla garrulus' where 'bombycilla' comes from the Greek 'bombux' for 'silk' and the Latin 'cilla' for 'tail', and 'garrulus' is the Latin for 'talkative'. Silktail is right, but Waxwings are hardly talkative - though often talked about.

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

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The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, as its name suggests, is tiny compared to the Great Spotted Woodpecker. It is the smallest European Woodpecker and can be hard to see as it creeps about in the tops of tall trees hunting for food. Most Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers are found in southern Britain.

The Sparrow-sized male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker has a crimson crown, a brown forehead, broad barring on the wings and narrower bars across the black lower back. The underparts are white. The female is similar but lacks the red crown. Their call is a loud, shrill "keek" and a vibrating rattle, and their 'drumming' is much quieter, less vigorous, and more evenly paced than that of the Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Like Great Spotted Woodpeckers, they feed on insects by drilling or chipping away rotten wood to find them, then grabbing them with their long tongue.

Each year, they make a new nesting hole in a tree high above the ground. In May, mum lays 5-8 eggs and both parents incubate them for 2 weeks with dad usually doing the nightshift. The youngsters are fed with insects, such as aphids and larvae, until they fledge 3 weeks later. There is usually only one brood.

Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers are mostly resident, seldom wandering far from their nest sites. Numbers can fall in harsh winters. There are about 1,000 in Britain and their main threat is the removal of dead trees that they need for nesting.

Their Latin name is 'dryobates minor' where 'dryobates' is from the Ancient Greek 'druos' meaning 'woodland' and 'bates' meaning 'walker' and 'minor' is Latin for 'smaller'. The English name pretty much sums them up. A tiny spotted Woodpecker. Another name is the 'Barred Woodpecker' from the narrow white bars across their back.

Turtle Dove

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The 'purring' of a Turtle Dove is mentioned in the bible. They are our only migrant Dove and come here from Africa in April and return in September. In Roman mythology, the Turtle Dove was one of the emblems of Fides, the goddess of trust and good faith.

The Turtle Dove has distinctively mottled chestnut and black upperparts, a black tail with a white edge, and a black-and-white-striped patch on the side of its neck. Their bill is black and the legs and eye rims are red. Juveniles are duller and browner without the neck patch. Their flight is direct, but not very swift. The Turtle Dove's song is a vibrating "turr, turr" which sounds like a 1970s trim phone.

Like other Doves, Turtle Doves eat mainly seeds such as chickweed, oilseed rape, and cereal grains. They feed on the ground in weedy areas or stubble fields.

Turtle doves are monogamous and pair for life. The male performs a high, circling courtship flight like a Woodpigeon's, while making a whip-crack noise with his downward-flicked wings. Their flimsy twig nest is built in a thorny hedgerow or in scrub. Mum lays two eggs in May, and both parents incubate them until they hatch 14 days later. The youngsters are fed on 'crop milk' like other Doves and can fly after 21 days, quickly becoming independent.

The rapid and sustained population decline of Turtle Doves is thought to be caused by a lack of food in the breeding season due to modern farming methods and the shooting of them in the Mediterranean, particularly Malta. The Turtle Dove has been on the Red List in Britain since 1996 and numbers have fallen by 90%. Conservation efforts with farmers to create nesting and feeding habitats across Southern and Eastern England are helping to halt the decline.

Their Latin name is 'streptopelia turtur' where 'streptopelia' is from the Ancient Greek 'streptos' meaning 'collar' and 'peleia' meaning 'dove'. The 'turtur' is Latin for Turtle Dove. The English name comes from the Latin. They are often used as emblems of love and appear in the 'Twelve Days of Christmas', folk songs, and even in one of Shakespeare's poems.

Several subspecies include the Asian Oriental Turtle Dove and the African Dusky Turtle Dove.

Golden Oriole

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The Golden Oriole is a gloriously yellow summer migrant. Despite being so vibrant, it is surprisingly hard to see amongst the leaves of the trees. They prefer open broadleaf forests, copices and orchards, and are usually seen from April to the middle of June.

The Blackbird-sized male Golden Oriole has a striking bright yellow body with black wings and a black eye stripe. The female is a drabber green with a speckled back and white belly. They have a looping, thrush-like flight and their call is a harsh "kweeaahk", though their song is a lovely, fluty "weela-wee-ooo" which is unmistakeable once heard.

They feed on insects and berries using their bills to pick insects out of crevices. During their autumn migration, they go via the Eastern Mediterranean where they will feed on fruit and are often considered a pest by Greek farmers.

Golden Orioles start breeding when they are two years old. Pairs may stay together from one season to the next, using the same nest site. The deep cup-shaped nest is placed high in a tree and built by mum, while dad supplies the materials. It is lined with grass, feathers or wool. The 3-5 eggs hatch after 15 days and are incubated and fed by both parents. The youngsters can fly 15 days later but rely on mum and dad for a further two weeks.

Very few pairs of Golden Orioles breed in Britain. The last confirmed breeding was in 2009 in East Anglia. A small number also pass through during migration in spring and autumn. The loss of suitable broadleaf woodlands might be why numbers have fallen. Overall, the worldwide population of Golden Orioles is stable.

Their Latin name is 'oriolus oriolus' where 'oriolus' and the English name 'Oriole' are derived from the Latin 'aureolus' meaning golden. In medieval England, it was called a 'woodwele' from its song.

Lesser Whitethroat

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The Lesser Whitethroat is a slightly smaller version of its cousin, the Whitethroat. They arrive here in April and return to Africa in autumn. Lesser Whitethroats are most likely to be heard around woodland and scrub with their distinctive, single-note, rattling "tet, tet, tet" call.

Lesser Whitethroats have plain greyish upperparts, white underparts, a white throat and a grey head with a darker 'bandit mask' through the eyes. Unlike most warblers, the male and female are almost identical.

Like his cousin, the Lesser Whitethroat mainly eats insects such as beetles, flies, ants, midges, and caterpillars. Before migrating, they change their diet to berries to build up fat stores for the long flight ahead.

Lesser Whitethroats begin breeding almost as soon as they arrive. The male builds several incomplete 'cock nests' in low hawthorn scrub or brambles. The female chooses one and together they turn it into a deep cup-shaped nest made of twigs, grasses and lined with hair. Mum lays 4-5 eggs which hatch after 12 days with dad helping to incubate them. The youngsters stay in the nest for another 12 days before fledging. If there is a good food supply, they will raise two broods.

There are about 75,000 territories in Britain and numbers have remained stable. Their main threat is the overuse of insecticides, reducing the availability of insects for food. The Lesser Whitethroat is rather slow in setting off back to Africa, hanging around until September while finishing their moult. When they do set off, they take a scenic route and stop off for a brief break in Italy on the way.

Their Latin name is 'curruca curruca' where 'curruca' is the Latin word for an unidentified bird mentioned by the Roman poet Juvenal. The English name comes from its obvious white throat. They are also locally known as a 'Hazel Linnet'.

Quail

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The Quail is a ground-nesting bird from the Pheasant family. It breeds here in the summer but spends winter in Africa! It is the only British game bird that migrates and is more often heard than seen. Quails are also reared as poultry for their eggs and meat.

Quails are streaked brown with a white eyestripe. The male has a white chin with a black throat and the female is generally slightly bigger than the male. As migrating birds, they have long pointed wings compared to other game birds. Their call is three chirps, in quick succession, that sounds like "wet my lips".

They mainly eat insects and seeds on the ground while keeping well hidden in crop fields. They are reluctant to fly and prefer creeping away instead.

Nesting begins in May. The male arrives first and calls to attract a female. Once paired, mum makes a shallow scrape on the ground which she lines with vegetation. She lays 8-13 eggs at one-day intervals and incubates them for 20 days. The eggs hatch one by one and the youngsters can immediately feed themselves. Mum alone looks after them, and they fledge after 19 days but stay in a family group for at least a month. Dad deserts mum early on and may shack up with another female.

Quails are heavily hunted in the Mediterranean, with large numbers caught in nets. Recent declines made them Amber Listed, but numbers are slowly recovering thanks to hunting quotas. In some years, known as 'quail years', the numbers arriving in Britain are much greater than usual, reaching several thousand, but normally numbers are less than a thousand. The oldest known wild Quail lived for 8 years.

Their Latin name is 'coturnix coturnix' where 'coturnix' is the Latin for a Quail. The English name is derived from the French name 'caille'. There are several subspecies of Quail worldwide, like the Japanese Quail.

Long-eared Owl

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The Long-eared Owl (also known as the Cat Owl) likes partially open ground around the edge of woodland as it likes to roost in dense bushes but hunt over fields. It is the most widely distributed and numerous owl species in the world.

Long-eared Owls have head feathers (known as ear tufts, even though they are not ears) which they raise when alarmed to make themselves look bigger. It is light brown with darker brown streaks, deep orange eyes and long wings. Their call is a soft, deep "hoo" similar to the sound you make when blowing across the top of a milk bottle.

They are a somewhat specialised predator, focusing their diet almost entirely on small rodents, especially voles, which often comprise most of their meals. They hunt at night by sweeping through clearings and fields in a zig-zag flying pattern, scanning the ground for any movement. Once prey is spotted, they swoop down and kill their victim on the ground by biting the back of its head. When voles are in short supply, they will eat birds and insects.

Owls do not build their own nests, but use nests built by other animals. The Long-eared Owl especially likes those built by Crows. They are unique in that they often share their roost with other Long-eared Owls. Breeding starts from February onwards. The male displays by making repeated hooting calls and bringing his wings together when flying to create a soft clapping sound. Once paired, mum and dad generally stay together for life. Mum lays and incubates 3-5 white eggs while dad supplies her with food. The eggs hatch after 28 days and the owlets beg for food using a squeaking whistle like a squeaky gate. Mum feeds the noisy chicks and dad continues to provide her with food. He may forage over two kilometres to find their favourite voles. The youngsters leave the nest after 22 days but are initially flightless, often climbing about on surrounding branches being daring. At about 35 days, they are fully fledged and can fly well, but will follow their parents around, who feed them for 2 more months until they become fully independent. In high vole years, they will have two broods.

There are about 3,500 pairs of Long-eared Owls which breed across Britain. In autumn, northern birds migrate southwards and are joined by birds from Europe to spend the winter in the UK. Southern birds mainly stay put and only move short distances to find food. With high numbers in Europe and elsewhere, Long-eared Owls are Green Listed.

Their Latin name is 'asio otus' where 'asio' is the Latin name for a type of horned owl and 'otus' is the Greek name for a horned or eared owl. The English name is also from its tufty ears, so definitely an owl with ears.

Woodlark

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The Woodlark is like a smaller woodland version of a Skylark, though they are not related. It is very much a bird of managed wooded heath, like the New Forest and Dartmoor. A few poets, including Robert Burns, have written odes to the Woodlark because of its beautiful song. It is best seen in February or March, when feeding in winter flocks.

The Woodlark is a streaky brown bird, with a noticeable beige-white eye stripe, which meets across the back of its neck. Its head feathers can stick up in a punk crest. Its unusually short tail and broad, rounded wings are noticeable during the bobbing flight with closed-wing glides. There is a white, black and buff patch on the edge of the wing. It has a lilting, melodious, descending "lu, lu, lu" song, which it sings while flying.

Woodlarks eat seeds and insects like beetles, flies and moths. During the winter months, they will gather in small feeding flocks close to their breeding areas. As many as 50-60 birds can be seen together. A few Woodlarks will overwinter on the continent.

They nest in a grassy tussock or a heather bush. Their nest is a shallow scrape lined with bracken, grass and moss. Nesting starts early, often before the end of March. Mum incubates the 3-5 eggs which hatch after 15 days. Both parents feed the youngsters which leave the nest 13 days later. The family will stay together for the summer and into autumn. Two, sometimes three, broods will be raised each year.

About 3,000 pairs breed in Britain. Recent surveys show that numbers are increasing thanks to better heath habitat management.

Their Latin name is 'lullula arborea' where the 'lullula' is derived from the sound of its song and 'arborea' is from the Latin 'arbor' for a tree. The English name, Woodlark, is a little misleading. Although it likes perching on treetops, its usual haunt is heaths. The German name, the 'heidelerche' or 'heather lark', is much more fitting.