The British Birding Year

January’s bitter cold doesn’t freeze the birder’s enthusiasm for starting a new year list, with even ordinary species provoking a thrill. February may not be so chilly and may even prompt the odd bird into song; it’s time to mop up the more difficult winter visitors. March sees the arrival of our first non-resident breeders and lowers the curtain on Act One. But the drama continues in a 12-month portrait of the natural spectacle of Britain.

Plus a checklist ordered by Britain’s most common birds and our migrants’ early/late dates.

January 20th, 2011

Amazing that it took a year in Portishead to see a goldcrest at the Port Marine development but one flitted through saplings at the end of Phoenix Way this morning. It was close enough to show its golden crown stripe without binoculars. What a gorgeous bird. And our smallest, despite the incorrect answer of wren to the original Trivial Pursuit question. Did they ever fix that?

Under the IOC (International Ornithological Congress) taxonomy, goldcrest precedes the wren family and follows the Australian white-eyes. This is no surprise for those who have seen all three. Yet this little bird’s flash of colour sets it magically apart. Perhaps magic is how it survives our winter, especially the weather we had this time through December.

Also new yesterday was a pochard in Bristol’s Floating Harbour, probably two: from the bus I couldn’t establish the identity of the bird with it. I also later had singing blackbirds and song thrushes. Clearly spring comes early in the big city. Actually a song thrush was in full cry through nearby Eastwood this afternoon, as well as many great tits.

Will they all get a shock in the next few weeks? Enter shop for price or check the eBook. Now also available as an ePub!