Nightingales in November (2 page)

Also called ‘Pee-wit' or ‘Green Plover', there can be few British birds with as many alternative names as the Lapwing. With its big butterfly-like wings, there are very few as characteristic in flight either. A classic bird of farmland and marshland, the Lapwing has a breeding distribution across most of Britain and, despite recent declines, around 150,000 pairs still attempt to breed here each spring. Because of Britain's relatively mild winter climate, the resident population can be boosted to as high as a million birds by autumn, as immigrants flood over from the colder climate generally experienced in northern Europe. As the Lapwing is a bird that struggles to feed on frozen ground, on the few occasions when Britain in its entirety is hit by sub-zero temperatures, many of these birds will have little choice other than to simply pack their bags and take themselves off for a spot of French or Spanish winter sun – only to quickly return to more familiar surroundings once the thaw sets in.

Puffin

The Puffin's smart summer plumage, ornate and multi-coloured bill and engaging character put it at the top of the ‘must see' list of most novice birders. But away from its remote breeding sites in northern and western Britain, very
little is known about the movements of this truly pelagic and mercurial bird. Returning to their colonies in late March or early April, the Puffins will spend the first few days ‘rafting' at sea, before finally plucking up the courage to return to terra firma. Pairs often mate for life, and there will be a good deal of spring cleaning of the burrow and cementing of bonds before the single egg is finally laid in late spring. Initially incubated underground by both parents, the chick will then continue its subterranean existence for another six weeks before the strategic withdrawal of food finally sees the youngster forced into action. Emerging at night to scramble down to the sea, the young Puffin will immediately have to fend entirely for itself. By late summer, traditional breeding colonies will once again be Puffin-free zones, as the birds choose to spend the rest of the year out at sea, in a wide arc anywhere from northern Norway and the Faroe Islands, across to Newfoundland and down to the Canaries.

Cuckoo

The Cuckoo's call must rank as one of the most distinctive and iconic calls of any British spring. By manipulating host species like Meadow Pipits and Reed Warblers to carry out the exhausting work of raising their young, once mating and egg laying is completed, there will be little incentive for the adult Cuckoos to spend any more time in Britain before returning abroad. The exact location in which Cuckoos overwinter has been little more than guesswork until recent advances in satellite telemetry revealed that the majority will head for the impenetrable swamp forests of the African Congo. It has also been discovered that on their journey south the Cuckoos will have to choose between entering Africa via Italy or Spain – a case of two routes but one destination! Brought up by foster parents, upon fledging the youngsters must have the African tropics hardwired in as their destination, once they too leave Britain later in the autumn.

Tawny Owl

Heard far more frequently than seen, the classic hoot of this most suburban of all our owls, along with the bark of a Fox, must represent the classic soundtrack to a cold winter's night. Feeding primarily on woodland mammals or birds, many established Tawny Owl pairs will spend their entire lives within carefully marked-out territories, which they will defend both vociferously and physically, particularly during the breeding season. As nesting begins comparatively early in the year, the young Tawny Owls will often fledge well before many summer visitors have even hatched their broods. However, once out of the nest their extended adolescence means they will both be reliant on their parents' support and tolerated under the same roof until at least the autumn. Only once they have grasped the basic fundamentals of fine dining will they be unceremoniously ushered out by their parents, in order to try and find a territory to call their own nearby.

Kingfisher

Spending large amounts of time motionless at the water's edge as it looks for fish, it is perhaps not surprising that few people not keen on birds have ever had good views of a Kingfisher. When not keeping a low profile, this electric blue and orange bullet can be a remarkably common fixture as it whizzes on whirring wings up and down many clean rivers, streams and waterways across much of lowland Britain. The Common Kingfisher is our only native species of kingfisher, and the majority of individuals will be reticent to move from their summer breeding territories as the days begin to shorten and the temperature drops. In fact most Kingfishers will dig in like a tick during the winter, only ever budging when forced out by competition from other birds, heavy floods or freezing conditions. Even for those birds able to find reliable food sources, severe winters can have a devastating impact on the population. However, with the hardy survivors capable of rearing two or three broods of up to six young in their fortified
subterranean nests during subsequent breeding seasons, the Kingfisher is also a bird capable of great powers of recovery.

Swallow

Resplendent with its iridescent blue-black plumage, rusty-red face and long tail streamers, the Swallow is surely one of the best known and elegant of all avian visitors to grace our British summer. Clocking up an extraordinary mileage each year, Swallows make the arduous journey to Britain to capitalise on the seasonal yet bountiful supply of insects to rear at least a couple of broods during the long summer days. After moving down towards the south coast by autumn, crossing the English Channel on their southbound journey marks just the beginning of an epic migration, which will entail travelling through Europe and across the Mediterranean, before then flying over the Sahara on their way to southern Africa. Having arrived in their winter quarters, the Swallows will then divide their time between hawking for insects around the legs of elephants and gathering at huge night-time roosts. Only in late winter will they finally begin to leave southern Africa, as they undertake the 9,600km return journey, with the aim of arriving back in the rural British countryside by the following spring.

Robin

Most people consider their own familiar back garden Robin to be a year-long resident. But many human residents of Britain's east coast might be surprised to find ‘their Robin' could in fact be an immigrant from the continent, with the local breeding Robin having either opted for a break in another neighbourhood come the autumn, or strayed even further afield for a spot of winter Mediterranean sun. While some Robins exercise wanderlust, many individuals will opt to spend their entire lives within sight of their birthplace, by holding a territory right through the winter. Both a very visible and very vocal presence on their home patch, Robins
are able to brighten up the dullest December day with their jaunty song. Already on their breeding territory in early spring, a successful pair should certainly have sufficient time to raise two broods, before the days once again shorten and the available food becomes too scarce to support any more than just one beak.

Nightingale

When it comes to appearances, the Nightingale can hardly be called devastatingly handsome, but then who needs to look like George Clooney when you have a voice with more range than Pavarotti? The Nightingale's rich, melodic and powerful song has been celebrated for generations, but scour the literature and surprisingly little is known about the bird's life history. Famous for skulking, most birdwatchers can count on the fingers of one hand the number of decent views of a Nightingale they've ever had. Arriving in its British breeding grounds in spring, after the most incredible journey which began in West Africa and included both flights around the Sahara and over the Mediterranean, the male must first carve out a territory and find a mate. The main tool the male will use to achieve these twin aims is its beautiful and technical song, which upon arrival will initially be belted out day and night across all southern and eastern counties lucky enough to host this marvellous migrant for a few short spring and summer weeks.