AUTUMNGUIDE

Lisa Geoghegan/Alamy*
Goldcrest
The tiny Goldcrest (the UK’s
smallest bird) is even smaller than
the Wren. They are surprisingly
common little birds, but easily
overlooked, partly because of their
size, but also because they often
hang out in well vegetated conifers
or other bushes, where they are
easily concealed behind foliage.
Often, it is the very high-pitched
'see-see-see' call or song which
betrays their presence.
Goldcrests are not typical visitors
to birdfeeders.
Bullfinch
The lovely Bullfinch is one of our
most handsome smaller birds,
particularly the pink-breasted males
(females are duller, but share the
males’ black head and tail, and the
white rump). If you see one Bullfinch,
another will usually be present
nearby, as these birds, a bit like
Great Tits, usually hang about in pairs
or, in the finches’ case, in small
parties. Bullfinches feed on fruit
seeds and buds and usually come to
garden in search of these, rather than
to visit feeders.
WILDLIFE GmbH/Alamy*
Colin Varndell/Alamy*
Redwing
Our smallest true thrush, slightly smaller
than a Song Thrush, like the Fieldfare,
the Redwing is a winter visitor to the UK.
They are somewhat like Song Thrushes,
but have boldly patterned faces, with a
prominent pale supercilium (‘eyebrow’)
and a reddish patch on the flank and
similarly rusty underwing.
Redwings, like Fieldfares, visit
gardens mainly in search of fallen
fruit and berries; but like their larger
cousins will also sometimes look for
invertebrates on lawns in larger
gardens in mild conditions.
BW
The Hawke Endurance ED 12-36x50 spotting
scope is the perfect compact scope, offering
excellent optical performance in a small and
lightweight package – perfect if you’re planning to
do some birdwatching abroad, or if you're also
carrying photographic gear.
It boasts dielectric coatings designed to increase
light reflectivity, fully multi-coated optics to
produce sharp images, close focus down to 2.5m,
BAK-4 porro prisms for intense colour and contrast,
a dual focus knob to achieve ultra fine focusing, a
stay-on soft scope cover for maximum protection,
twist-up eye cup and pull out sunshade, and
digi-scope compatibility for use with your camera.
And it all weighs in at just 700g, and costs just
£399.99.
For further details on it and Hawke’s other
scopes, go to hawkeoptics.com
hawkeoptics.com
14 Get To Know Garden Birds 2018