Winter watching for Siskins, Yellowhammers and Linnets

At about this time of year you may have seen the last of the summer migrants – Swallows and House martins – gathering on wires prior to their imminent departure south for the winter. While we know that the bulk of Britain’s Swallows winter in South Africa, the precise area where our House Martins spend the winter is still very much of a mystery. On very few occasions birds have been seen south of the Sahara, and there is only one recovery of a British-ringed bird in Nigeria. It is believed that they winter in the humid zone and may spend the winter high above the African rainforests, possibly sleeping on the wing (as Swifts are known to do).

A sobering report by Natural England published in July this year assessed the potential threats posed by large-scale future climate change to a range of plants and animals. A number of birds which are typically found on and around Dartmoor are estimated to be at ‘very high’ risk of decline; these include Red Grouse, Golden Plover, Dunlin, Curlew, Woodcock, Snipe, Short-eared Owl, Wood Warbler, Ring Ouzel, Redstart, Whinchat, Pied Flycatcher, Tree Pipit, and Lesser Redpoll. On the bright side, several birds are predicted to almost certainly benefit from a warmer climate, including Nightjar, Hobby, Grasshopper Warbler, Woodlark and Dartford Warbler.

There are two recent publications about birds which may be of particular local interest. The sight and sound of a soaring Buzzard is a common everyday experience in Devon. In ‘The life of Buzzards’ Peter Dare gives a fascinating account of a long-term study of Buzzards, including their life history and ecology, which he carried out on Dartmoor and elsewhere. The ‘Devon Bird Atlas 2007-2013’ is due to be published this autumn; covering six years of fieldwork from winter 2007/8 to summer 2013, it gives an up-to-date account of the status of all of the birds recorded in Devon, both breeding and wintering, and shows how their fortunes have changed over the last 40 years. The Atlas covers 480 species and gives distribution maps for over 200 birds.

Now that birds have returned to feed in our gardens in some numbers, remember to clean out your feeders regularly (every few weeks) to prevent the spread of disease. It is always a treat to watch Siskins feeding; these small green, black and gold finches with fine bills love to feed on Nyjer seed or sunflower hearts. Although Siskins do breed in Devon, mainly in the conifer plantations, many of the birds you see in winter will be visitors from breeding grounds in northern Britain and even Scandinavia. They normally feed on the seeds of birch and alder and small flocks are sometimes seen feeding in streamside alders. In gardens Siskin numbers peak in late winter/early spring, March and April, when the supply of natural food is exhausted. It is also worth keeping a look out for scarcer garden visitors; last winter several people had Lesser Redpolls on feeders, and Yellowhammers, Reed Buntings and even Linnets may occasionally visit gardens to feed.