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Features
22
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at the biggest
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Contents
September 2018
67
28
Golden Eagles
Numbers of this
great bird are on
the up in Scotland
40
Clever corvids
Decipher the
messages of the
Raven’s ‘cronk’
46
Young birder
Meet teenager Mya Bambrick
– one of a new generation of
young birders!
64
Ruth Miller
Puffin power in
all its glory on the
Farne Islands
67
Super snaps
Bird Photographer
of the Year
shortlist gallery
80
Sedge Warbler
Dominic Couzens
on a real life
‘super-bird’!
46
16
PAGE GUIDE
INSIDE
4 September 2018

COVER STORY l COVER STORY l COVER STORY l
BEYOND BIRDWATCHING
James Lowen suggests
what insects to
look out for in
September. Page 12
28
6
In The Field
35
Your Birding Month
Birds to find this month
include Sabine’s Gull,
Redstart and Barred Warbler
ID Challenge
Rise up to our monthly
challenge and see how many
garden birds you can identify
News & Views
14
17
Weedon’s World
What does England’s World
Cup performance and Mike’s
year list have in common?
Grumpy Old Birder
Bo Beolens wants better
decisions made on
countryside management
53
Go Birding
Ten great destinations to
choose from for a future
birding trip!
72
Your View
The best of the month’s
readers’ photos and letters –
is yours among them?
74
Q&A
Your birding questions
answered and mystery
photos identified
78
Garden birding
Measures to help protect
our feathered friends from
a visiting cat
40
80
Birding Gear
94
96
97
Gear Review
Photographer
David Tipling on
mirrorless cameras
94
Books
The latest book releases
reviewed, including
Birdwatching London
Wish List
Birding goodies this month
include a 1,000-piece Tawny
Owl jigsaw!
114
85
92
Back Chat
Filmmaker and writer
Ceri Levy answers our series
of birding-related questions
Travel
99
102
Sun, sea and birds
How the Spanish city of
Valencia is putting itself on
the birdwatching map
Urban birding
David Lindo continues his
birding tour of London,
heading south of the river
Bird Sightings
Rarity Round-up
The best rare birds seen
in the UK and Ireland
throughout June
UK Bird Sightings
A comprehensive round-up
of birds seen in your area
during June
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birdwatching.co.uk 5

WHAT TO SEE AND HOW TO SEE IT
PEREGRINE FALCON
IRD OF THE MONTH l
BBIRD OF THE MONTH l
Before World War II, there were perhaps
1,000 pairs of Peregrines in the UK. The war
took a massive toll, though, as the perceived
threat of the falcons to carrier pigeons
bringing vital messages, led to deliberate,
legalised extermination. More than 600 birds
were killed and many nests destroyed, and the
population was effectively halved.
Though they made a decent post-war
recovery, the plague of organo-chlorine
agrichemicals in the early 1960s was to deal
another terrible blow to the UK’s Peregrines,
with the already reduced population having
only 16% breeding success.
The ban of DDT and similar chemicals was
vital in the recovery of the falcon’s population,
and by the 1990s there were already more
Peregrines than before the war.
Roll on a further 30 years or so, and these
majestic birds now have a British population of
some 1,500 pairs and growing. Peregrines
are now breeding in cities across the country,
as well as the sea-cliffs and uplands
‘traditionally’ occupied.
Peregrines are all about power and speed,
and they look powerful and speedy even
when perched. The flight profile is classically
‘anchor shaped’, with a deep chest, thick set,
shortish tail and broad-based pointed wings.
They are larger, chunkier and shorter tailed
than Kestrels, and much more thickly set than
rakish, ‘Swift-like’ Hobbies. And they are
much deeper chested and larger than Merlins.
They are specialist bird hunters, and all that
power is to chase down speedy prey such as
waders, ducks and pigeons. Females are
notably bigger and more robust than males.
Plumage-wise, they are similar though, with
steel-blue-grey backs, black heads and
moustaches, and finely barred breast.
Christopher Cook/Alamy
6 September 2018

irdwatching.co.uk 7

FIVE TO FIND in September
September is to autumn what
April is to spring. Just as
April hasn’t quite the same
illustrious reputation as May,
so September falls somewhat into
October’s shadow. But both April and
September are powerful players in
the calendar. Indeed, some years,
September can produce even rarer
birds than the later month. For now,
however, here are five birds to try for
this month; five birds for which
September is a peak period.
RARITY RATINGS
Common, widely distributed
Localised – always a treat
Very scarce or rare
TELL US WHAT YOU’VE SEEN!
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JUVENILE KNOT
JUVENILE CURLEW SANDPIPER
1
In autumn, juvenile waders (ie those
hatched this year) tend to greatly outnumber
adults. This is certainly true of the relatively
scarce Curlew Sandpiper. Many of us were,
in our birding youth, brought up with field
guides that didn’t even address juvenile
wader plumages. And, as a hangover from
this, there is still a lot of confusion about
juvenile shorebirds, which are often
strikingly different from breeding and
non-breeding plumaged adults. Don’t fall for
the trap of thinking that juveniles will be
REDSTART
speckled, fluffy birds, like young garden
birds! Juvenile waders are usually handsome,
very neatly patterned birds, with much
fresher plumage than their adult equivalents.
Juvenile Curlew Sandpipers have neatly
scaled upperparts and wings and a peachy
wash to the breast (leading to confusion with
juvenile Ruff); the flanks are ‘clean’ white
(not streaked or spotted), the rump is white,
and the supercilium prominent. Also, they are
longer legged, longer necked and longer billed
than somewhat similar juvenile Dunlins.
Nature Photographers Ltd/Alamy
One of the ‘forgotten juvenile waders’ is the Knot. Most
birdwatchers know Knots as dull grey ‘winter’ birds in
far-from dull super flocks, or (less familiarly) as gorgeous
brick-red visions of breeding splendour. But the juvenile
plumage is also pleasing and distinctive. The supercilium
(‘eyebrow’) and breast have a peachy wash and the
upperparts (back and wings) are finely ‘scaled’ with fine
black-and-white fringing to the feathers. All Knots are
mid-sized, dumpy and short-billed, with juveniles and
non-breeders in particular having pale greenish legs.
2
WILDLIFE GmbH/Alamy
3
Redstarts are summer visitors
to the UK, and at this time of
year, they are heading south
to the wintering grounds. So,
they turn up at coastal
migration spots, as well as in
smaller numbers at suitable
inland areas, where they can
find the magic combination
of hedges, or lines of trees
(or, indeed, fence lines with
nearby cover) and short grass
on which to pounce on
insects. In the autumn, they
are both in their freshest
plumage and at their least
striking. Like many
songbirds, the freshly
moulted plumage comes
with buff tips to the feathers,
which wear off before the
spring to reveal the glories of
the brighter feathers
beneath. So, for instance,
don’t expect autumn males
to have black throats, but
rather to have a ‘pale
covering’ over that throat,
so looking more like females.
All ages have warmer
underparts than Black
Redstarts and all have the
quivering orange tail that
gives the bird its name.
FLPA/Alamy
8 September 2018

4
RARITY PREDICTOR
It is September and rare birds will certainly
turn up this month. That is a given. But
which rarities will turn up? Here are some
of our semi-educated guesses.
DID YOU
KNOW?
Sabine’s Gulls are
Arctic breeders,
but may winter as
far south as
South Africa
SABINE’S GULL
September is the month of high winds, gales from the Atlantic, often associated with
the end of the hurricane season on the other side of the ocean. One spin-off from
these high winds is the displacement of birds from the open sea to the inshore area or
even the land. One such bird of the pelagic area is the Sabine’s Gull, one of the most
sea-faring of ‘sea gulls’. They are lovely little gulls, half way in size between a
Kittiwake and a Little Gull, with distinctively patterned wings (divided into ‘triangles’
of colour), and with a shallowly forked tail. Adults in breeding plumage have grey
heads and distinctive yellow tipped dark bills. Juveniles have brown backs and
forewings and black tips to the tail.
BARRED WARBLER
All Canada Photos/Alamy
UPLAND SANDPIPER
Seen less frequently than annually and
with fewer than 60 UK records, this quirky
and charismatic North American wader is
a much-desired rarity. Most records have
come from Scilly, Cornwall or Shetland,
but they do turn up elsewhere.
SOLITARY SANDPIPER
The North American equivalent of the
Green Sandpiper is an even rarer bird than
the Upland Sandpiper, with a distinct bias
toward Scilly in the UK records. Though
similar to Green Sandpipers, they have an
almost Wood Sandpiper-like jizz and have
dark (not white) rumps.
Steve Young/Alamy*
James Mundy, Nature’s Ark Photography/Alamy
5
One of the most skulking members of a
genus (Sylvia) which has some pretty shy
members (think Lesser Whitethroat or
Dartford Warbler), the Barred Warbler is
often a very tough bird to see. They are
also pretty scarce (borderline rare) passage
migrants, which makes it even harder to see
them! And don’t expect to see a well
marked, beautifully barred adult, as just
about all passage Barred Warblers which
turn up in the UK are ‘this year’s birds’
(juveniles/first-winters). These look like
big, robust, chunky, thick-billed Garden
Warblers, with crescents of brown on the
undertail coverts, a scaly rump and a
couple of buffy wing bars.
Robin Chittenden/Alamy
SIBERIAN THRUSH
Siberian Thrush is a seriously rare thrush
from Siberia (the clue is in the name).
Males are blackish with a bold white
supercilium, females dark brown with
a heavily dark scaled breast. Nearly all
recent records have come from Shetland.
AGAMI Photo Agency/Alamy
birdwatching.co.uk 9

TRACKS & SIGNS
Waders with webbed feet
Most waders (or shorebirds, if you prefer), have three normal-sized
toes pointing forward and a tiny fourth one at the back. There are
exceptions to this general rule, such as the Sanderling or many
plovers, which lacks that tiny hind toe. In most cases, the toes are
discreet, making three-toed footprints (with occasional marks from
the rear toe, if present).
However, in a few cases, there is partial webbing between the
front toes. These include avocets (which are accomplished
swimmers; such as this Avocet with chick, right), stilts, and stonecurlews
and one or two odd-balls within normally ‘unwebbed’
groups, including a couple of rare American species, the
Semipalmated Sandpiper and the Semipalmated Plover. In fact,
these partial webbings can be used to distinguish these rarities
from their close European relatives (eg Little Stint and Ringed
Plover). Note that the most ‘aquatic’ of all waders, the phalaropes,
which are habitual swimmers, do not have webbed feet. Instead
they have lobed toes, more closely resembling (at least in shape,
though not in size), those of grebes or Coots.
SKUA IN NUMBERS
2,100
1,300
Number of pairs of
Arctic Skua nesting
in the UK
7
Number of skua species
in the world (if you recognise
Chilean, South Polar
15
and Brown
Skuas as separate species)
Length in cm of the
protrusion of the tail
streamers of the
Long-tailed Skua
9,600
Number of pairs of Great Skua (above) in the UK,
nearly two-thirds of the world population
Ian Butler Bird/Alamy*
FIELDCRAFT
TIME IN THE FIELD
It is far from an original idea, but it is easy to forget (and
get caught in a comfortable life of lie-ins and lazy afternoons):
the more time you put into looking for birds, the more birds you
will find. If you want to have the glory of finding birds on your local
patch (or somewhere else for that matter), you need to be in it to
win it (in the field that is).
Finding birds is much more pleasurable than chasing ‘someone
else’s birds’. So, get out early, stay out late and spend as much time
birding as you can! Early and late birdwatching make more sense
when you consider that birds are usually at their most active at this
time. Also, birds may arrive overnight and so appear as if by magic
first thing in the morning (and can also move on early) and can feed
and prepare for departure late in the day.
WHAT’S IN A NAME
POMARINE SKUA
Of the three ‘smaller’ skuas, the Pomarine Skua is the largest,
deepest chested and most robust; and the one which has the long
‘spoon’ shaped central tail feathers. These smaller skuas are also known
as ‘jaegers’, particularly in North America, from the German Jäger,
meaning hunter. The word skua itself has an uncertain etymology,
with some authorities believing it is somehow imitative of the birds’
calls. Others point to its origin being the Faroese word skúgvur, used
for the Great Skua.
The Pomarine part of the name is curious, but at least not quite as
obscured by history. The original name for this particular skua was the
Pomatorhine Skua, literally meaning ‘lid-nosed skua’ referring to the thin
plates which overlay the nostrils (at the base of the bill); although that
feature is shared by all the skuas.
Nature Photographers Ltd/Alamy MediaWorldImages/Alamy* Arterra Picture Library/Alamy
10 September 2018

AUTUMN CHATS
Here are three chats you may encounter in autumn. Note that the bright plumage of all
three is ‘masked’ by the buff tips of the freshly grown feathers.
WHINCHAT
A small species, which habitually
perches high up on weeds or small
bushes, or on fence lines, searching for
food on the ground below, The broad,
pale supercilium (‘eyebrow’) and white
on the sides of the base of the short tail
are useful ID features.
WHEATEAR
Large (for a chat), slightly smaller than
a Starling, the Wheatear is usually a bird
of the ground, liking ploughed fields and
short-cropped grassy areas on
migration. Males, females and
first-winters are all more or less pale
brown on the upperparts, with fringed
dark wings. The rump is white as are the
tail sides, while the centre and terminal
band are black.
BLACK REDSTART
A scarce passage bird (and rare resident
breeder), autumn Black Redstarts of
both sexes and all ages are grey brown
all over except the striking orange tail,
which is rapidly quivered on landing or
moving. These are birds of rocky terrain
or something similar, like buildings,
readily perching on boulders or roofs.
Nature Photographers Ltd/Alamy
Simon Dack/Alamy
UK TIDES
September
The times below are
for high tide, when
waders and wildfowl
will be pushed closer
to dry land...
Find the location closest to
your destination and add or
subtract the hours and minutes
from the high tide time at
London Bridge, below.
Date Time m Time m
1 Sa 05:02 6.61 17:16 6.69
2 Su 05:39 6.38 7:56 6.55
3 M 06:22 6.16 18:45 6.39
4 Tu 07:18 5.93 19:49 6.19
5 W 08:39 5.80 21:22 6.17
6 Th 10:12 5.97 22:46 6.46
7 F 11:30 6.36 23:59 6.86
8 Sa 12:35 6.77
9 Su 01:00 7.21 13:28 7.06
10 M 01:52 7.43 14:15 7.26
11 Tu 02:39 7.52 14:57 7.39
12 W 03:21 7.52 15:37 7.45
13 Th 04:02 7.40 16:15 7.39
14 F 04:40 7.15 16:53 7.18
15 Sa 05:16 6.79 17:30 6.87
16 Su 05:51 6.41 18:10 6.50
17 M 06:30 6.06 18:57 6.12
18 Tu 07:18 5.74 19:59 5.79
19 W 08:27 5.51 21:17 5.67
20 Th 09:55 5.55 22:37 5.88
21 F 11:15 5.92 23:45 6.28
22 Sa 12:11 6.34
23 Su 00:35 6.62 12:55 6.65
24 M 01:16 6.82 13:33 6.82
25 Tu 01:51 6.91 14:08 6.94
26 W 02:24 6.99 14:40 7.05
27 Th 02:56 7.05 15:12 7.13
28 F 03:29 7.05 15:45 7.13
29 Sa 04:03 6.92 16:20 7.04
30 Su 04:38 6.70 16:56 6.89
SOUTH WEST
Weston-Super-Mare
(+5:05)
Barnstaple (+4:30)
Newquay (+3:32)
Falmouth (+3:30)
Plymouth (+4:05)
Torquay (+4:40)
Bournemouth
(-5:09)*
Portland (+4:57)
St Peter Port
(+4:53)
Swanage (-5:19)*
Portsmouth (-2:29)
Southampton (-2:53)
SOUTH EAST
Ryde (-2:29)
Brighton (-2:51)
Eastbourne (-2:48)
Dungeness (-3:05)
Dover (-2:53)
Margate (-1:52)
Herne Bay (-1:24)
Southend-on-sea (-1:22)
Clacton-on-sea (-2:00)
EAST ANGLIA
Felixstowe Pier (-2:23)
Aldeburgh (-2:53)
Lowestoft (-4:23)
Cromer (+4:56)
Hunstanton (+4:44)
WALES
Colwyn Bay (-2:47)
Holyhead (-3:28)
Barmouth (-5:45)
Aberystwyth (-6:11)
Fishguard (+5:44)
Swansea (+4:42)
Milford Haven (+4:37)
Cardiff (+5:15)
NORTH WEST
Whitehaven (-2:30)
Douglas (-2:44)
Morecambe (-2:33)
Blackpool (-2:50)
NORTH EAST
Skegness (+4:29)
Grimsby (+4:13)
Bridlington (+2:58)
Whitby (+2:20)
Hartlepool (+1:59)
Blyth (+1:46)
Berwick (+0:54)
SCOTLAND
Leith (+0:58)
Dundee (+1:12)
Aberdeen (-0:18)
Fraserburgh (-1:28)
Lossiemouth (-2:00)
Wick (-2:29)
Lerwick (-2:50)
Stromness (-4:29)
Scrabster (-5:09)
Stornoway (+5:30)
Ullapool (+5:36)
Gairloch (+5:16)
Oban (+4:12)
Greenock (-1:19)
Ayr (-1:44)
Campbeltown
(-1:12)
Girvan (-1:51)
Kirkcudbright Bay
(-2:25)
IRELAND
Londonderry (-5:32)
Belfast (-2:47)
Donegal (+4:20)
FLPA/Alamy
*Approximate times due to large variance between the
month’s neap and spring tides. All times are GMT.
birdwatching.co.uk 11

BEYOND BIRDWATCHING
September is still summer, suggests James Lowen, so insects should top your agenda this month
Discover
more wildlife
in our centre
section
INVERTEBRATE
FLAMING SUMMER
Although most common in south and
east England, Ruddy Darter is
spreading north and west. It also both
disperses and migrates, so keep an eye
out for it anywhere. This compact
dragonfly is more of a habitat-specialist
than Common Darter, favouring
well-vegetated waterbodies, canals and
ditches. The attractively scarlet males
are neatly proportioned, with a narrow
waist and clubbed tip to the abdomen.
CARNIVAL QUEEN?
LAST YEAR, QUEEN OF SPAIN FRITILLARIES TOOK
UP TERRITORY ON A CHALKY FIELD IN SUSSEX. WILL
THIS EUROPEAN SPECIES, A CONCEIVABLE
COLONIST, RETURN?
INVERTEBRATE
DAY AT THE BEACH
In Britain, Grey Bush-cricket is at the
northern end of its range, which
probably explains why it occurs
particularly along the coastlines of
southern England and Wales. This is a
shy species, preferring dense cover and
fleeing at the first sign of danger. It is
also tricky to track down by ear, as its
timid, chirping song is barely audible
above the sea breeze. When seen
well, however, its ‘urban’ colour
scheme of taupe, iron and charcoal
is subtly attractive.
INVERTEBRATE
BROWN IS THE NEW BROWN
One of my favourite late-summer sights is a Brown Hawker
patrolling the edge of a shrubby-fringed gravel pit. The amber
wings of this large, distinctive dragonfly quickly catch the eye.
But it also repays close inspection, being striped with lemon or
lime and having surprisingly blue eyes.
Pictures: James Lowen
INVERTEBRATE
BOLD AS BRASS
I find it rather pleasing when pretty
moths are common. Granted,
Burnished Brass is amply garbed
brown, but that coloration fades into
insignificance when sunlight glints and
glimmers with unending variation off
the two brassy green-gold stripes
adorning its wings. Widespread across
the UK, this moth inhabits overgrown
locations, from woodland margins to
neglected gardens, with a particular
fetish for Stinging Nettles. September
sees the year’s second brood take to
the air and grace moth-traps.
LANDSCAPE
FINAL FLOURISH
We think of chalk downland as a spring or early summer
habitat, but September typically sees an impressive final
flourish. Among late-flowering plants, look for Autumn
Gentian. In southern England, the second brood of
Adonis Blue joins the first of Chalkhill Blue and, in
favoured locations, Silver-spotted Skipper.
INVERTEBRATE
FAST AND FURIOUS
This month features the second coming
of our most attractive ‘brown’ butterfly.
The Wall (aka Wall Brown) flashes
burning orange in its rapid flight, often
making you think you’ve come across
a fritillary. Once it pauses and opens its
wings, however, ‘eye’ spots on the wings
reveals its true identity. For reasons
unknown, Wall has vanished from many
inland sites in England. Fortunately, it is
holding its own on the coast and in the
north. It favours short, sandy grassland
smattered with open ground.
12 September 2018

WEEDON’S WORLD
Mike has been struggling to keep football-related superstitious
behaviour out of his mid-summer birding...
I
try to be a rational person, fighting
off the temptations of superstition.
But there are some aspects of my
life, where I suspend disbelief and
become a fool, riddled with
nonsense. Take football, for example. No,
I don’t have lucky pants, but I do
somehow believe that my support while
watching the TV or listening to the radio
will make a difference. And if someone
walks in front of the telly, while I am
watching footie, I believe my team will
concede a goal. Ridiculous!
Take the World Cup. Remember that?
The dear lovable lads of England did
rather better than expected, and I
attributed a fair proportion of their good
fortune to me not shaving my beard
between games. I’m ashamed to say
things fell apart against Croatia after I
had got rid of my itchy beard following
the Sweden quarter-final.
What has this got to do with
birdwatching? Well, remember all that
‘Football’s coming home’ stuff? For a
short while it looked possible that
England could really really win that
lovely, iconic, gold trophy. Well, this
year, my Peterborough area year list is
going better than expected. Much better,
in fact, and it really looked like the year
list record was going to be beaten. Until
England got knocked out of the World
Cup, that is…
As you may recall ‘The Record’ is
189 species of bird, set
back in 2008. As the
World Cup started, my
2018 Peterborough
Bird Club recording
area (PBC) year list
stood on 181. Less
than half the year
gone and only nine
species needed for a new record!
And remember this was the year of the
Beast from the East, which froze up a big
chunk of March. And this is the year of
the Weird Spring, when wader passage
seemed non-existent or at least
exceptionally late. Swifts and House
Martins seemed to come so late that
serious questions were being asked. And,
around here, the spring flooding made
huge lakes of the washlands in the local
Fens, seemingly ruining the wader
breeding season. But, against the odds,
and by some big slices of luck, my year
list has gone very well. I have even added
three new birds to my PBC all time list:
Against the odds,
and by some big slices
of luck, my year list has
gone very well
American Wigeon, Montagu’s Harrier and
Bluethroat (the former two thanks to top
Cambs birder Steve Cooper). Highlights
have included Red-throated Diver, Roughlegged
Buzzard, Black-winged Stilt,
Temminck’s Stint, all five grebes in
breeding plumage and Kittiwake. And my
top personal local finds, this year, have
been Goshawk, Green-winged Teal, Cattle
Egret and Bluethroat.
Like England’s route
to the semi-finals,
things have been going
almost too smoothly.
The irrational part of
my brain is telling me
that something is
bound to go wrong.
Of course, the World Cup itself has
rather got in the way of year listing. How
are you supposed to go out birding when
there are two games a day to watch? To
add to this, the weather has been
absurdly hot and dry, hardly good
birdwatching conditions.
But, in early July, as the World Cup
was nearing its conclusion, the Nene
Washes were still somewhat damp.
Despite the spring flooding, the Blacktailed
Godwits had their most successful
breeding season for ages; and the
numbers of long-legged wading birds
enjoying the concentrated food in the
retreating pools is staggering.
Spot the Cattle Egret.
Little Egrets, Grey Herons and
a single Cattle Egret vie for
space in the flooded fields of
the Nene Washes, July 2018
In gap days between games, I was
there, looking (unsuccessfully) for a
reported Purple Heron. On one evening,
around a single, partially-flooded field,
I counted more than 160 Little Egrets,
more than 100 Grey Herons and a single
Cattle Egret. Elsewhere on the washes,
there were more than 100 other Little
Egrets, three Great White Egrets and a
Spoonbill (year tick 182). Scenes
unimaginable in the UK the last time
England reached a World Cup semi-final.
I found myself saying that the World
Cup was an omen. If England triumph
and bring back the World Cup, then
surely this year I will break the
untouchable 189. But, sadly, England fell
for the curse of my shaven beard and
came a hugely respectable fourth. The
dream was over, and so, logically and
reasonably, my year list was doomed.
But this is all poppycock. Now the
footie is over, I can come out of my
superstitious trance and start to
concentrate on things I can influence.
I need to go and find birds again. There
are still plenty of tap ins (Whinchat,
Merlin, Hen Harrier etc) to get me to the
magical 190. Come on, birds!
Mike is an obsessive patch lister and keen wildlife
photographer in his home city of Peterborough, where he
lives with his wife, Jo, and children, Jasmine and Eddie.
You can see his photos at weedworld.blogspot.com
Mike Weedon
14 September 2018

NEW PRODUCTS & GREAT SAVINGS
FOR ALL YOUR BIRDING NEEDS
GEARSPECIAL
Mirrorless cameras have a
huge advantage in the ‘silent’
shutter, so disturbance to
sensitive birds is minimised
MIRROR IMAGE
Top wildlife photographer David Tipling discusses the
pros and cons of mirrorless vs DSLR cameras
Photography: Daivid Tipling
Earlier this year I was offered the
loan of a mirrorless camera
system. Although sceptical that
it could replace my DSLRs,
I gratefully received the kit and promised
I’d give it a good test. After shooting a
first few frames of a Barn Owl floating
towards me that evening, then
scrutinising the results back home on my
computer, I was an immediate convert. It
was a wrench to give the loaned kit back.
Within a week, I had sold my 400mm
f2.8 lens and with the proceeds invested
in a body, two lenses and a converter and
still had change. I am not alone. A quiet
revolution is sweeping through the bird
photography world – the switch to
mirrorless cameras and notably the micro
four-thirds (MFT) format.
The DSLR could soon be yesterday’s
tech. The major difference between a
DSLR and a mirrorless body is the lack of
a mechanical mirror. Instead a mirrorless
camera has an electronic viewfinder. The
big advantage of this is that mirrorless
cameras are silent, no loud shutter sound
to annoy grumpy birders in hides or scare
off shy birds. Because they do not require
a mirror system they are much slimmer
too. The MFT format developed by
Olympus and Panasonic helps reduce
the cameras size even more owing to a
smaller sensor, giving a 2x crop factor
compared to a full frame DSLR.
This means a 300mm lens becomes a
600mm lens, an attribute that is a perfect
fit for bird photography.
Hunting the hunter
For the first three months of the year,
I guide photographers in the field, with
our most sought-after target being
hunting Barn Owls. Although I have
worked with the occasional owl that will
tolerate camera shutter noise, a prolonged
burst of more than half a dozen shots is
likely to send the owl off in the opposite
direction. With a silent shutter, this
does not matter, and couple this with
a blazing 18 frames per second on my
model of camera, and it’s like stepping
from a Ford Focus into a Ferrari.
For birders, it is the size and weight
coupled with high image quality that
makes this system so compelling. With
a 300mm lens and 1.4 x teleconverter,
I have an 840mm f5.6 combination that
is almost as light as my old DSLR body
without the big heavy lens1 My monopod
and tripod are suplerfluous, as both
Olympus and Panasonic have built-in
camera stabilisation, allowing handheld
shots with no blurring from camera
shake. I have handheld my 840mm
combination and made tack sharp images
at 1/15 sec. Having a light setup means
you can walk all day hardly noticing you
are carrying camera gear, and it makes
you very nimble, giving the ability to
swing into action at the blink of an eye.
So, what are the downsides when you
compare against a DSLR? The electronic
viewfinder does take some getting used
to in mirrorless cameras. The
viewfinder’s electronic refresh rate is not
high enough to avoid the image becoming
a little unclear when panning to keep up
with a flying bird. I have got used to this,
94 September 2018

David bumped the
ISO slightly to freeze
this snowy battle of
Fieldfare and
Blackbird
Swallow in full light
The adapter gives
you a solid base from
which to work
Great Spotted
Woodpecker
but the odd flight shot is missed;
following Swifts is particularly
challenging! This is a part of the
technology which I would expect to
rapidly improve.
Image quality is for me of paramount
importance. As a professional, I rely on
reproduction fees from the web,
publishers, advertisers and calendar
companies. I shoot pictures for
commercial catalogues and for packaging
on boxes and labels and these same
pictures are then often used on point of
display materials and posters. I also sell
my pictures as fine art prints up to and
sometimes beyond A2 in size.
So, I need a camera that will output
files good enough to cover all these
eventualities; something my DSLRs
A young Blackbird
captured ‘mid-beg’
would do with no worries. It stands to
reason that a smaller sensor is likely to be
compromised in some way. At low ISO up
to 400 ISO, I would challenge anyone to
spot the difference between pictures
taken on a MFT camera and DSLR.
Consider the ISO
Smaller sensors do suffer at higher ISOs,
though; noise becomes more apparent in
shadow areas and overall image quality
is degraded. Some users will find pictures
taken on ISOs as high as 3,200 ISO
acceptable. However, I do not like to go
above 800 ISO and will stick at 400 ISO
or lower when I can, but I am keen to
keep the quality as high as possible for
reproduction. The image stabiliser offsets
this for static subjects, as you can shoot
at very low shutter speeds so keep your
ISO low. It is more challenging if trying
to capture action in low light.
However, in March, when snow blanketed
the ground and the light was poor, I had
a territorial Fieldfare chasing Blackbirds
away from apples in front of my
woodland hide. To capture the action
required a shutter speed in excess of
1/1,000 sec which could only be achieved
by using an ISO of 1,600. The resulting
pictures were more than acceptable. So,
in scenes where there is snow or light,
background noise is far less prevalent.
Videoing birds is becoming ever more
popular and these cameras perform
admirably, offering detailed 4K footage.
The Panasonic GH5 can even capture
slow motion sequences in high definition.
A tripod is essential for rock solid video
with a telephoto lens and, although the
screen on the back of the camera offers
all you need, I attach an external monitor
to assist in seeing more clearly what I am
filming. I also use a fluid tripod head to
aid in lining up and following my
subjects. Having said this, if you simply
want to grab some video on the go
without carrying extra gear, and don’t
mind shaky bits, then the stabilisation
offers the ability to capture video
sequences that can be fairly steady if the
camera is propped up against something
or held really still.
Taking stills from 4k video clips is
possible, too, and the quality is excellent.
It is an exciting time to be a bird
photographer. As technology advances, so
does our ability to push the boundaries.
With mirrorless MFT systems being so
portable, photography is being embraced
by some of my birding friends who
I never imagined would catch the bug. BW
birdwatching.co.uk 95

GEAR
WISH LIST
More stuff to spend your hard-earned cash on this month
WORDS: DAVID CHANDLER & MIKE ROBERTS
VORTEX VIPER HD BINOCULARS, FROM £559
The new Viper HDs
focus closer and have
a wider field of view
than their
predecessors
– 1.5m/7.8° for the
8x42, and 1.5m/6.5°
on the 10x42. They
are a bit heavier, but
not heavy – 690g
and 700g
respectively, and
have “outstanding
edge-to-edge clarity”. The package includes a Binocular
Harness Pack – a protective case that can be carried in four
ways. And they are the same price as the older version. Watch
out for a full review or grab a Viper at the Birdfair.
newprouk.co.uk
ALPKIT AURA FLEECE GLOVES, £12
The Aura is a polyester fleece glove that can be used on its
own (ideally with other clothes) or with a shell glove over the
top for added protection. Each one is supplied with a bit of
dexterity, so you won’t have to keep taking them off to dig into
your pockets for example.
The fit is close and
comfortable with an
elasticated
cuff. One
glove weighs
20g and both
are covered
by Alpkit’s 3
year ‘Alpine
Bond’. Available
in black or black.
S-XL.
alpkit.com
QUECHUA MH500 WOMEN’S SHORT-SLEEVED
MOUNTAIN HIKING T-SHIRT, £7.99
Here’s a low-priced t-shirt that’s designed for walking in the
mountains, but I bet it works at
lower altitudes, too! It’s
lightweight, quick-drying,
breaths, and will resist
wear and tear from a
backpack. The main
fabric is 82% polyester
and 18% elastane for a bit of
stretch, and polyamide mesh
inserts under the arms ‘limit
odour’, so lifting your bins to your
eyes shouldn’t be too
embarrassing. Available in five
colour options. XS-2XL.
M weighs 110g. Two-year
guarantee. decathlon.co.uk
BILLINGHAM GALBIN BINOCULAR CASE,
£120/£135
Designed for 8x32/42s (Galbin 8) and 10x42s (Galbin 10) this
high quality product will provide a high level of protection for
a very long time. The main flap has a contoured fit and a
quick-release clogball fastening. A drawstring closure provides
additional internal protection. The Galbin has a detachable
shoulder sling, leather belt loops and a slip pocket to stash a
notebook or your phone in. In sage fibrenyte with chocolate
leather trim or black canvas with black leather trim. Five-year
guarantee. billingham.co.uk
NIKON MONARCH HG 8X30/10X30
BINOCULAR, £899/£949
These new Monarchs are compact, lightweight (about 450g),
deliver a “sharp and clear view all the way to the periphery”
have ED glass, a field flattener lens system, a 60.3°/62.2° field
of view and a 2.0m quoted close-focus. They are waterproof
and fogproof, have scratch-resistant
coating on the
outer lens
surfaces, and
long eye-relief
so should be
good for glasses
wearers. And
there’s no lead or
arsenic in the
glass – that
sounds good to
me. nikon.com
TAWNY OWL JIGSAW, £11.99
They’re not too hard
to hear, but not that
easy to see, and this
one isn’t that easy to
put together… This
Tawny Owl is
surrounded by
autumn leaves and the
whole scene has been
carved up into 1,000
pieces. If there’s a
jigsaw addict in your
life, especially one that
likes owls, you could
buy them this. The
completed puzzle is
58cm x 58cm, and, completed or not, it has FSC certification.
shopping.rspb.org.uk
CHORE ADJUSTABLE TALL BOOTS, £115
These Muck Boots are available in black or moss for men (size
6-14) and women (size 3-9). They are tough, easy to clean,
handcrafted from natural rubber and totally waterproof.
There’s an adjustable waterproof gusset for a decent fit
around the calf, the toe and heel are
reinforced, and there’s additional arch
support and a steel shank; 5mm
neoprene provides flexibility, and
breathable air mesh helps keep the
boot temperature down when the air
temperature goes up.
muckbootcompany.
co.uk
SMIDGE QUICK UNTICK CARD, £4.99
This credit card sized tool has a notch for removing big ticks,
another one for small ticks (or splinters, thorns or bee stings)
and a 3x magnifier. It’s easy to carry and if you get ‘ticked’, you
could be very glad to have it with you. It works on people, and
it works on pets, too. You don’t want Lyme Disease – buying
one of these could be a small amount of money that proves to
be very well spent.
smidgeup.com
ODOR-EATERS FOOT &
SHOE SPRAYS,
FROM £3.69
Keep your feet dry and odour-free on
future birdwatching trips with a foot
and shoe spray which promises to
“destroy odour under the toughest
conditions”. To do this, the spray
apparently “utilises one of the best
anti-perspirant ingredients,
Alumiunum Chlorohydrate, to stop
excessive foot sweating”. The
company behind the product say
protection lasts for 24 hours and use
daily for best results. It comes in two
versions, with the Sport variant ideal
for those whose pursuits are a bit
tougher on their feet.
boots.com & superdrug.com
birdwatching.co.uk 97