RANGER RALPH'S BIRDWATCH
AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2008 August can be a difficult month in which to see large numbers of birds : breeding is over, food is plentiful, so many birds just do nothing! Because they are largely inactive, it is more of a challenge to spot them. Young birds of prey are an exception – yesterday I watched six Kestrels soaring and hovering over the moor and they seemed to be flying just for the joy of it. Young Buzzards will also be enjoying the feel of the wind under their wings.
If you are looking at ducks this month, you may wonder where all the males have gone. The answer is that they are still there but are in 'moult' : this is the process of renewing their feathers and during this time the drakes are growing new feathers which make them resemble ducks (this is called 'eclipse') until the new bright male feathers grow back in the autumn. September is one of the best birdwatching months. Migration is in full swing with our own summer visitors leaving and many more birds which have spent the summer further north passing through Devon on their journey south. Most of the House Martins and Swallows that have been whizzing around overhead will be leaving at the end of the month, so enjoy them while you can – you won't see them again for six months! It is also a good time of year to test your identification skills to see if you can separate the 'migrants' from the 'locals' and the juveniles from the parents. You will need to rely on your eyes as birdsong is all but finished. Birds become much more sociable now as they don't need to defend breeding territories. Robins and Wrens are exceptions as they like to keep their boundaries intact all through the year. Speaking of Wrens, we have had a breeding pair nesting above our back door. Their domed moss nest was built on top of an old Swallow's mud cup nest and six youngsters were hatched successfully. These young birds still return to their nest most evenings and spend the night there, probably to keep warm and out of reach of predators. There is a record of 63 Wrens roosting in a single nest box one very cold winter! Don't forget to look for birds feeding on seeds, nuts and berries - find a good patch of thistles or a group of rowan trees laden with berries, a thicket of blackberries or wild roses with hips or a clump of conifers with spruce and pine cones. Keep a watch on any of these and the birds will soon appear to take advantage of this abundance of food while they can. If you would like to watch a video diary of a Blue Tits nesting why don't you visit Blue Tit nesting box on the edge of Dartmoor, Buckfastleigh. (external link, opens new window) Next Page STARBIRD -THE GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER
by Ranger Paul S |
