Finding Out About… Swifts

Image by lamcopphis, CC BY-ND 2.0 “From the churchyard I can hear the calls and sounds of both turtle dove and spotted flycatcher, whilst the swifts, newly arrived from Africa, circle excitedly round the church tower.  They will nest here and also under the thatch on the nearby cottage.  The loud screaming reflects the old… Read More

Finding Out About… Common Terns

Image by Natural England It used to be said that all you had to do was dig a hole, fill it with water, and down come the ducks!  To some extent, that really is true, but they still need somewhere to breed of course, often as far away as the Arctic.  Other wetland birds have… Read More

Finding Out About… Nightingales

Nightingale image by Rob Zweers, CC BY-ND 2.0 So much has already been written about this iconic bird, hailed by many as the worlds greatest song bird, that you may think there is nothing new to say? However this article may prove helpful as background as we enter the birds most important time here in… Read More

Finding Out About…. Black-headed Gulls

Black-headed gull image by William, CC BY 2.0 Why do birdwatchers not take too much notice of gulls? This bird is one of our most familiar local birds, but is very little known to most people, being called a “seagull” by most of my friends? So, if the herring gull (a declining species) is the… Read More