The Old Elizabethan Association

Sunday September 10th 2006

What a glorious day to choose for the OE bird watching walk - no wind and clear skies (apart from a cloud that looked like a Road Runner which incidentally is part of the Cuckoo family.)

About 18 bright eyed budding ornithologists met by the Imperial Hotel at 6.30am and were ably lead on a splendid bird watching walk by Tim Earl and Judy Down.

Approximately 19 different species were spied throughout our 2 hour stroll. Luckily Tim gave us three very useful tips when bird watching.

First was how to use the binoculars. This involved looking at the bird with the naked eye, and while keeping your eyes on it, lifting the binoculars up to your eyes so the bird is still visible. This saved a lot of random movements trying to find the bird again in the view finder.

Secondly, he said how important it was to ‘follow through’, which involved watching the bird close up, but keeping your eye on it as it flew off into the distance, so that one day you could identify an approaching bird even when it was just a speck in the distance. I would be delighted if I could see the bird in the first place let alone identifying it when it is a speck in the distance!

Thirdly, that the birds change their plumage during the year as they go through their breeding season. Summer and winter plumage would be more accurately described as breeding and non breeding plumage.

On the beach we saw a beautiful white Little Egret, which is increasing in number as they have now mastered the survival techniques needed for living in Guernsey. A very hungry curlew was strongly pushing its curved beak into the sand, hunting for its prey, while the Redshank stood neatly by with its red sharp pointed beak. Apparently each species tend to have different beaks that are adapted to penetrate the sand to different depths, so that there is less competition for food.

A Black-headed Gull was seen without a black head! (I admire anyone who can identify the bird when it looks nothing like its name.) It only has a black head when it is breeding. Instead we saw it with little black thumb prints either side of its head, with the rest of its body being mainly white.

On walking towards the zigzag we saw a fat Wood Pigeon with its large white panel on wings and neck. It has a lovely 5-phrase song. This is different from the Collared Dove which has a 3-phrase song, which Tim demonstrated beautifully. A Robin, which is one of the few birds that sings in winter, was visible balancing precariously on a branch. A bird with a humbug coloured head and a curved yellowish beak was identified as a Whimbrel. They usually fly south in September, often following the wind currents as high as 10,000 feet! An Oyster Catcher flashed past showing off its black and white plumage, and bright orange pointed beak. Some Finches were spotted as well as a Willow Warbler and a Chiffchaff. One can tell if the Chiffchaff has over wintered in the olive groves in the Mediterranean as it has a black tufted feather patch just above its beak, where it is unable to reach to clean off the dirty sticky aphid deposits.

Next flying past us was a Peregrine Falcon, which tends to feed on other birds such as Pigeons, Storm Petrels and Ducks. Sometimes they kill a couple of birds while out at sea, leaving one ready to collect at a later time. The Peregrine Falcon population reduced in 1956 due to DDT. The DDT accumulated up the food chain which prevented the bird’s eggs from developing properly as it made the shells too thin for full chick growth. The other birds of prey mentioned were the hovering Kestrel, or as we saw it, sitting on a Hawthorn tree, and the Sparrow Hawk which may have caused the demise of the Sparrows several years ago, but the Sparrows have now outwitted them so their numbers are increasing again. The wise birds of prey were also discussed. Barn Owls have increased in numbers due to the owl boxes that have been placed around the island to replace the dead hollow Elms that they used to nest in. Although rarely seen in the day, as they are nocturnal, the Long Eared Owl nests in the pine trees and the chicks make a shrieking sound reminiscent of a squeaking gate.

Our last few birds spotted were the Yellow Wagtail and White Wagtail, with their familiar bobbing action. Tim also reminded us not to eat all the blackberries as they are a great food source for the birds. He also recommended that we left some of the Ivy in the garden, as the fruits are a good food supply for the birds over the winter months. I knew there was a good reason not to do so much gardening!

It was a fantastic morning at a marvellous location, followed by a hearty full English breakfast at the Imperial. Grateful thanks must go to Jerry Girard for organising the event and to Tim and Judy for their splendid leadership.

Sally Le Poidevin

Pictures from the morning