BTO Garden BirdWatch
View allAll Photos Tagged BTO
'Silent hunter' The beautiful male Hen Harrier quartering the heather in its protected habitat on The Isle of Mull, Argyll and Bute, Scotland.
The Hen Harrier has been severely persecuted for taking game species and has suffered massive declines in numbers as a result. Thankfully, conservation projects are underway to reduce conflict surrounding its controversial prey.
Of the UK's birds of prey, this is the most intensively persecuted. Once predating free-range fowl, earning its present name, its effect on the number of grouse available to shoot is the cause of modern conflict and threatens its survival in some parts of the UK, particularly on the driven grouse moors of England and Scotland. (RSPB Note)
While males are a pale grey colour, females and immatures are brown with a white rump and a long, barred tail which give them the name 'ringtail'. They fly with wings held in a shallow 'V', gliding low in search of food, which mainly consists of meadow pipits and voles. The Orkney population is famous for being polygynous, with males sometimes mating with multiple females on the island.
They are listed as a Schedule 1 species under The Wildlife and Countryside Act.
Many thanks for visiting my Flickr pages ...Your visits, interest, comments and kindness to 'fave' my photos is very much appreciated, Steve.
Hen Harrier Notes and information:
Category: Birds of prey
Statistics
Length: 48-55cm
Wingspan: 1.1m
Weight: 350-500g
Average lifespan: 7 years
Conservation status
Classified in the UK as Red under the Birds of Conservation Concern 4: the Red List for Birds (2021). Protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981.
When to see: January to December
About
The Hen Harrier nests on the ground among the heather of upland moorlands. It winters in the lowlands, particularly around the coast, on heathland and on farmland. It is one of the most endangered breeding birds of prey in the country; it sometimes feeds on small grouse and fowl (hence its name), bringing it into conflict with gamekeepers and farmers.
How to identify
The hen harrier is a slim bird. Males are blue-grey with a white rump, pale underside and black wing tips. Females are brown above and streaky below, with a white rump and a banded tail.
Distribution
Found in Scotland and parts of upland Wales, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man. Only a tiny handful of pairs now nest in parts of upland England. Winters in small numbers throughout the UK.
Habitats
Heathland, Moorland, Farmland, Coastal Wetlands, Woodland
Did you know?
Female Hen Harriers are known as 'ringtails' due to their distinctive tail banding. Both females and males attend the young; the males provide food, which is often passed, mid-air to the female in a spectacular display of 'throw and catch'. NWT Notes.
Robin on lichen covered branch. A European robin, Erithacus rubecula, perches on a lichen-covered tree branch in late winter in woodland London
Great Tits are among the commonest birds in the park, but even so it's remarkable how many there are all over this park, popping out of the bushes .. and hedgerows..It is naturally a woodland bird, found in open deciduous woods and conifer woods, but it will happily live in hedgerows, parks and gardens.
Great in name and great in stature, Great Tits are the largest tit in the UK, and they don’t let the other birds on the feeders forget it. Often telling other birds to wait their turn, Great Tits can hog bird feeders with a confidence rivalling that of Starlings. They’re noticeably larger than Blue Tits, and wear a splendid black head with white cheeks, yellow bellies and a central black stripe.
Robins – First Singers of Autumn..the Robin can be relied upon just now to break the silence with its crisp, melancholic ‘Autumn song’.
Species of the day: Blue Tit..With vividly bright plumage and a personable nature, the tiny Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus) is one of our most recognisable garden birds. A widely spread population of approximately 3.5 million pairs typically swells during winter, owing to the movement of substantial numbers from mainland Europe. This is most often the result of food shortages and it's during this time that almost all British gardens are likely to receive a visit from them.
'Seeing eye to eye'.
A magic moment having a close encounter and seeing things eye to eye with Albie the Bempton Black-browed Albatross, Thalassarche melanophris, Albie was far from home as he flew by and dwarfed me with his enormous wingspan of 210-250cm (7-8ft) ) (Photo: Taken on April 22nd 2022.)
Albie, as he has fondly been named...The Black-browed Albatross, Thalassarche melanophris captured here at RSPB Bempton Cliffs on the coast of Yorkshire having flown 7,794 miles (12,544 km) to get here! ... It is thought to have made its way to Yorkshire from the South Georgia Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean and very unlikely that it could find its way home! Albie is thought to be the only Albatross of its kind in the Northern Hemisphere. It was amazing to see a Black-browed Albatross in Yorkshire!
Many thanks for visiting my Flickr pages ...Your visits, interest, comments and kindness to 'fave' my photos is very much appreciated, Steve.
Black-browed Albatross Notes and Information:
The Black-browed Albatross is so efficient in the air that its in-flight heart rate barely rises above resting, these sub-Antarctic birds pack a stomach full of oil they can spit at would-be attackers.
Region: Antarctica
Destinations: Antarctic Peninsula, Ross Sea, Weddell Sea, South Georgia
Name: Black-browed Albatross, Black-browed Mollymawk (Thalassarche melanophris)
Length: 80 to 100 cm.
Weight: 3 to 5 kg.
Location: Southern Oceans.
Conservation status: Near Threatened.
Diet: Carrion, crustaceans, fish, offal, squid.
Appearance: White, grey to black wings. Yellow-orange bill. Black “eyebrow” above eye.
How do Black-browed Albatrosses feed?
Black-browed Albatrosses are opportunistic feeders, eating almost anything they can grab. They are known to try to snatch food from other birds and are one of the species of birds that will follow fishing trawlers for their offal. At sea they mainly pluck fish from near the surface, but they can dive as deep as 5 metres.
Are Black-browed Albatrosses social?
Black-browed Albatrosses are quite often seen flocking with their own and other species while feeding. However this is not quite “social” in the sense that they will try to steal food from other birds.
How fast do Black-browed Albatrosses fly?
Black-browed Albatrosses can reach speeds of up to 110 km per hour depending on the wind’s currents.
What are Black-browed Albatross birthing rituals like?
Almost all Black-browed Albatross nesting sites are on cliff walls or edges with the exception of the nest sites on the Falklands which are located on flat coastal grasslands.The breeding season varies a bit depending on where in the world a particular bird is located, but the season is generally held from late September through early November.
They are monogamous, pairing off for life.
One egg is laid. Both parents will take turns incubating the egg for about 70 days. Once hatched the chicks take another 4 months before they fledge (take their first flight).
Juveniles will return to the breeding colonies after about 3 years but usually this is just a dry run where they practice mating rituals; they usually won’t actually begin mating until they’re at least 7 years old.
How long do Black-browed Albatrosses live?
Black-browed Albatrosses have been known to live over 70 years.
How many Black-browed Albatrosses are there today?
Estimates place the Black-browed Albatross worldwide population at over 1.2 million.
Do Black-browed Albatrosses have any natural predators?
Black-browed Albatross eggs and young are prey to rats. Their nesting areas can also be destroyed by the burrowing of rabbits.
Seven Interesting Black-browed Albatross Facts:
Black-browed Albatrosses are the most common and the most widespread example of the Diomedeida family.
Black-browed Albatrosses create oil in their stomachs that can either be spit out at attackers or used as a source of nutrients during long flights.
Black-browed Albatrosses have a gland above their naval passage that exudes a saline solution in order to get rid of all the salt they swallow while diving for food in saltwater.
Melanophris comes from the Greek words melas or melanos which means “black” and ophris which means “eyebrow,” referring of course to the distinctive black eyebrow the bird sports above their eyes.
Black-browed Albatrosses live a mostly pelagic (exclusively at sea) life, returning to land only to breed.
About 75% of the world’s Black-browed Albatross population can be found in the Falklands and on the South Georgia islands.
A Black-browed Albatross’ flying heartrate is almost the same as when the bird is resting. This is due to the bird’s excellent ability to glide thanks to its large wings.
Beautiful little bird was so near taken on 55mm setting was taking pictures of tits turned around and he was almost on my shoulder..
British Railways Class '9F' locos outside Old Oak Common
On the right is well 'worn' 92185 fitted with a double chimney, whilst on the Roundhouse 'Out Road' is 92077
77 - in pristine condition and still with it's Toton 18A shed plates attached is freshly 'outshopped' from Old Oak's 'Factory'
A single chimney version, she'll take up 'residence' at OOC before becoming suitably care worn on the usual 9F freight workings
The powerful 2-10-0 9Fs had a short service life. Entering traffic in the late 1950s - they were mostly gone just some 7 or 8 years later
Both are OO Gauge by Bachmann
20240929_170249
Seen in Hope Street this Volvo B10M with Plaxton Derwent bodywork was a demonstrator and was later sold to Graham's of Paisley.Acquired when Graham's ceased in 1990 becoming Strathclyde AS4 and later SV405 with First Glasgow in 1998.
'Foraging on fields'. Female Chaffinch, caught in a Hawthorn hedgerow, West Yorkshire.
Many thanks for visiting my Flickr pages ...Your visits, interest, comments and kindness to 'fave' my photos is very much appreciated, Steve.
Chaffinch Notes:
That the Chaffinch is one of our most familiar birds, reflects its sizeable population – some six million territories – and the broad range of habitats within which it breeds. It is also a regular garden visitor, attracted to seed provided in hanging feeders and on bird tables, with gardens also used for nesting.
What’s in a name?
The Chaffinch’s scientific name Fringilla coelebs was assigned by Linnaeus in 1758 and makes reference to the bird’s migratory behaviour; ‘coelebs’ means ‘unmarried’ and Linnaeus gave the Chaffinch this name when he observed that the individuals wintering around his home in Sweden were male birds. The females from northern breeding grounds wintered further south than the males, a pattern of behaviour known as differential migration – where one sex or age class shows different migratory behaviour to another. Generally, we see females and juveniles winter further south than males and adult birds, suggesting that competition for resources may limit which classes can winter at higher latitudes.
Warts, diseases and all...
It is not unusual to see Chaffinches with leg growths, some of which can make one foot and/or leg appear much larger than the other. The growths are often grey or off-white in appearance and rather ‘crusty’ in outline. There are two main causes of these growths in British and Irish Chaffinches: some are caused by mites belonging to the genus Cnemidocoptes, while others are the result of a virus called Chaffinch papillomavirus. The symptoms are fairly similar in their appearance and there is evidence to suggest that both conditions can occur together in some individuals. Although most individuals showing signs of these diseases are bright, active and able to feed, some birds become lame and others may suffer from secondary bacterial infections. While captive birds with mites can be treated it is not possible to target wild birds with an appropriate dose of the medicines used to treat the disease, which leaves good hygiene practice at garden feeding stations as the recommended means to reduce the impact of these diseases. More advice on this is available from the Garden Wildlife Health project website (PDF), a partnership project with which the BTO is involved.
A downturn in fortunes
The recent declines seen in Chaffinch populations, as revealed through the BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) and BTO Garden BirdWatch, show a change in fortunes for a species whose populations had increased over recent decades. We know that Chaffinch populations were hit by the 2006 outbreak of finch trichomonosis (see the BTO research papers on this disease outbreak), with a decline of 21% recorded in the regions with the highest levels of disease incidence. Things seemed to improve after a couple of years, with the BBS index back up to pre-outbreak levels but there was a noticeable decline in the index in 2013 and 2014, a pattern also reflected in the weekly BTO Garden BirdWatch results for the same period. Could this have been linked to finch trichomonosis?
Changing plumage
It is well known that the plumage of the male Chaffinch changes through the course of the year, the birds being at their finest ahead of the breeding season. Interestingly, the steely-blue colouring of the head and nape, which contribute to the breeding plumage, is not produced by the bird moulting through new feathers. Instead, the colouring appears as the dull brown-coloured feather tips wear away to reveal the colour that had been hidden below. Individuals of the British and Irish race are slightly smaller but more brightly coloured than the continental immigrants who arrive to join our resident birds in late autumn. These arrivals often bring smaller numbers of the related Brambling with them, a real treat for garden birdwatchers. Arrivals of both species may be influenced by the size of the beech mast (seed) crop across Europe. In those years when the crop is poor we see more individuals arrive here, with many moving into gardens to take sunflower hearts and high energy seed mixes. BTO Notes.
'Sunning Himself’. Cock Pheasant, Phasianus colchicus, enjoying a stroll out in the morning sunshine, Keswick, Cumbria.
Many thanks for visiting my Flickr pages ...Your visits, interest, comments and kindness to 'fave' my photos is very much appreciated, Steve.
Notes:-
Pheasants are native to Asia, but were introduced into much of Europe by the Romans, possibly arriving in the UK with the Normans in the 11th century. Largely forgotten and locally extinct up until the 19th century, when they became a popular gamebird once again and are extensively reared by gamekeepers.
The barbaric shooting season for Pheasant starts on on the first of October ...The 'Glorious Twelfth' sees the start of the shooting season for Red Grouse, thousands of birds get killed outright but many fly away badly injured in this cruel 'sport'.
Former Dews of Somersham, Volvo Citybus B10M Reg E153 BTO waits in Mardens top yard shortly after arrival
10 March 2017