Batumi Raptor Count need count coordinators

Batumi Raptor Count are seeking enthusiastic and dedicated raptor-watchers to serve as a Count Coordinator and strengthen the team for the entire autumn 2013 season. The team of count coordinators lead the daily operation of the count and guarantee the quality of the monitoring. If you think you might wish to apply, please read more here: http://www.batumiraptorcount.org/news/count-coordinators-wanted.

Send your application by 20th May 2013 if you wish to be considered for the position.

RSPB Bempton seabird cruises

Gannet and Puffin Cruises

Take a gannet and puffin cruise and you’ll find yourself surrounded by thousands of seabirds, including colourful Puffins swimming around the boat, and other seabirds plunging head first into the sea to catch some fish. On the three-hour round trip from Bridlington Harbour, ideal for both beginners and experienced enthusiasts, you’ll visit the spectacular chalk cliffs at Bempton Cliffs and Flamborough Head — a seabird city home to hundreds of thousands of nesting seabirds.

Skua and Shearwater Cruises
Alternatively, instead of sailing to Bempton Cliffs, try our skua and shearwater cruises later in the season which sail out into the North Sea searching for migrating seabirds on their long journeys south. Look for shearwaters, skuas and terns amongst huge numbers of other seabirds including auks and gulls. These trips are slightly longer to allow time to go in search of these exciting seabirds.

GANNET AND PUFFIN CRUISES
Saturday 4 May at 9.30am
Saturday 11 May at 5.00pm
Sunday 19 May at 9.30am
Sunday 26 May at 6.00pm
Saturday 1 June at 9.00am
*Sunday 2 June at 10.00am — FAMILY
Saturday 8 June at 5.00pm
Saturday 15 June at 9.30am
Saturday 22 June at 4.45pm
Sunday 30 June at 9.30am
Sunday 7 July at 4.00pm
Saturday 13 July at 9.30am

SKUA & SHEARWATER CRUISES
Saturday 31 August at 9.00am
Saturday 7 September at 10.30am
Sunday 15 September at 9.00am
Saturday 21 September at 10.30am
Sunday 29 September at 8.30am
Saturday 5 October at 9.30am

All the cruises leave from Bridlington harbour and last between 3–3.5 hours (except for Family; see below).  Tickets are priced at £20 per adult, £10.00 per child under 14 or £50.00 per family ticket (2 adults + 2 children).

For those of you with children we are running a special family cruise this year tailored especially for them on Sunday 2 June at 10.00am.  This will be a much shorter cruise, lasting about 1.5 hours, and will include children's quizzes, special commentary and family competitions.  Ticket prices for this cruise will be just £10.00 per adult and £5.00 per child under 14.

For bookings, or more information on these and other events, please phone 01262 850959, email: bempton.cruises@rspb.org.uk, or visit www.rspb.org.uk/datewithnature

Atlas of Migratory Bird Hunting

Do you live in an area where hunting of migratory birds takes place? If so, Dr Paul Jepson of University of Oxford is interested to hear about it. Hunting of migratory species is still widespread but we lack any easily accessible overview of its distribution or trends.  The project aims to provide an opportunity for anybody who has witnessed migratory bird hunting or knows of places past or present where it occurs to their knowledge. You can help map the hunting of migratory birds by filling in this questionnaire: http://research.ouce.ox.ac.uk/limesurvey/index.php?sid=47842&lang=en

Ortolan Bunting

Tawny Owl on eggs

It may still be February, but breeding is well underway for Tawny Owls. The BTO website has a live web-cam pointing at and in one pair of Tawny Owls; you can watch what they're up to here: http://www.bto.org/news-events/news/2013-02/tawny-owl-clutch-complete

The pair's first egg was laid on 6th February and by 11th February there were three eggs in the nest. The female is now incubating the eggs — a task that will last about 28 days.

They're not the only birds to be nesting so early in the year. A Collared Dove in Thetford was on eggs before January was out! Full story here: http://btoringing.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/how-do-you-like-your-eggs-frozen.html

3rd Global Bird Watchers Conference, Gujarat

Back in January I received an email inviting me out to Gujarat, India, to visit the 3rd Global Bird Watchers' Conference — unfortunately for me, I was in Oman at the time and by the time I was back home it was too late to sort out the necessary visa for visiting India. Thus I sadly missed out on what I am assured was an excellent and successful conference. Uttej Rao kindly sent me a selection of photographs from the conference to show me what I missed out on, including some superb photos by Filipino photographer Ramon Quisumbing of the birds seen.

Uttej says: “The conference went of very well and was well appreciated by everyone. We had about 88 foreign delegates from 40 countries and about 210 Indian delegates. Here are some pics of what you missed. In a couple of pictures you might notice that the surface looks like snow. It is actually salt that has formed on the surface of the desert over a period of years. On bright moonlight nights it gives a awesome look as you can see a bed of white for miles on. This stretches for well over 100 kms.”

Sociable Plover — Ramon Quisumbing

Plain Prinia — Ramon Quisumbing

Painted Stork — Ramon Quisumbing

Green Bee-eater — Ramon Quisumbing

Cream-coloured Courser — Ramon Quisumbing

The 4th Global Bird Watchers Conference will be held in January 2014 (tentatively pencilled into the diary for 4th January). Details of the conference will be posted on the GBWC website; anyone wishing to attend can also contact Uttej Rao.

You can also read about Nick Moran's trip to the 1st Global Bird Watchers' Conference on our webzine here.

Off to a Flyer!

2013 got off to a flying start with butterflies seen on the wing and a small moth migration experienced during the first weeks of the New Year.

The unseasonably mild weather tempted a number of butterfly species out of dormancy with sightings of Brimstone, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Speckled Wood and, most surprisingly, Painted Lady all reported. At Perivale NR (London), David Howdon (one of our mothing buddies) found an overwintering Comma. Can you spot it below?

 

Red Admirals in particular seemed particularly drawn by the glorious New Year’s Day sunshine experienced in some parts of the UK with individuals seen in Surrey, Hampshire and Gloucestershire.

But it wasn’t just butterflies that were tempted out by the warmth. Early January is usually a barren moth for moth-ers with Winter Moths and the occasional Dark Chestnut the usual suspects.  But mild southerly winds from the Continent prompted a minor moth migrationwith reports of Rush Veneer (Nomophila noctuella), Silver Y (Autographa gamma), Diamond-back Moth (Plutella xylostella), Rusty-dot Pearl (Udea ferrugalis), Small Mottled Willow (Spodoptera exigua) and Dark Sword-grass (Agrotis ipsilon) recorded along the south coast of England during the mild spells.

Thanks to Liam Creedon at Butterfly Conservation. To keep up to date on the latest butterfly sightings visit First Sightings 2013.

BTO raffle 2012–13

Once again, the BTO has some great prizes in this year's raffle. The proceeds raised will support the second year of our new Winter Thrushes Survey.  Members and Garden BirdWatchers will be sent a sheet of tickets in the Annual Review and/or the September issue of Bird Table. If you don't receive these publications and would like to take part, or would just like to request more tickets, please contact Rachel Gostling on 01842 750050 or email at rachel.gostling@bto.org.

This year's fantastic prizes up for grabs are: 

Ist Prize:  A seven night wildlife break for two people in the Scottish Highlands with the Bird Watching and Wildlife Club at the Grant Arms Hotel (worth around £1300 

2nd Prize: A pair of Opticron Verano 8x42 Binoculars (SRP £439) 

3rd Prize: 5 x £100 worth of Ernest Charles Bird Food

Tickets are just £2 each and will help fund our work to learn more about charismatic winter visitors like the Redwing and Fieldfare!  Return your tickets, payment and completed slips to BTO Winter Thrushes, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU by the 1 February 2012. The draw will take place on the 8 February. All prize winners will be informed within one week. Don't forget to ask your friends and family whether they would also like to be in with a chance to win one of these lovely prizes. Full terms and conditions, and more information about each of the prizes, can be found on the BTO website. Good luck!