Young Birders

More documents

Recommendations

Info

THE NEXT GENERATION Stand up and b <strong>Young</strong> birdwatchers are already playing a huge part in tackling the many threats facing the BY IEUAN EVANS nat DEVELOPING A PASSION for birdwatching at an early age is a great start, but how do you go about broadening and deepening your knowledge, meeting like-minded young people, and contributing to preserving the natural world in the face of multiple threats, all without breaking the bank or taking up every waking minute? Getting involved in the varied work of the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and other conservation organisations can help you to do all of that, and much more – read on for some brilliant ideas on how to improve your birdwatching, enjoy the best of Britain’s wildlife and landscapes, all while making a real difference to the natural world around us. BIRD RINGING Learning to ring birds (or band them, as US birders would say) is a fantastic way to develop your birding skills. By regularly handling and studying birds in the hand, you’ll not only learn to distinguish between different species, but also to age and sex birds of the same species. The information provided by the recovery of ringed birds can help track regular migration routes or more irregular bad weather movements, establish the life spans of wild birds, and indicate population trends. Get a feel for what ringing involves by attending a ringing demonstration or a ‘learning to ring’ training course – bto.org/volunteer-surveys/ ringing/ringing-scheme Herring Gull Arterra Picture Library / Alamy Great Tit being ringed BTO David Chapman/ Almay 6 February 2016
e counted! he natural world – could you join them and help ensure Britain’s birds have a brighter future? BIRDTRACK Keep a record of whatever you see, wherever you are – not only will you be contributing to conservation, but you can also keep track of your own records. Just sign up at the BirdTrack website (app.bto.org/birdtrack/main/datahome.jsp) and start adding records. You can easily access these at a later date. If you wanted to check which species you saw at your local gravel pits on 5 February 2015, with a view to repeating a particularly memorable sighting, for example, it’s all there. There are also statistics and graphs on national trends, allowing you to predict when and where hard-to-find species might turn up, and there’s also a great BirdTrack app, allowing you to record sightings in the field. Kestrel UNIVERSITY BIRDWATCH CHALLENGE If you’re a student, get your university to take part in the University Birdwatch Challenge (afocusonnature. org/projects/university-birdwatch). There’s one team per university, but no limit to the number of people in each team, and you compete to collect bird records from university-owned land. It’s a great way to improve your ID skills while also contributing to conservation. Tom Bailey ONE TO WATCH TOBY CARTER, 14 BW: What first got you interested in birds and wildlife? AR: When my grandparents took me to RSPB Titchwell Marsh for the first time and I saw all the birds close up – my favourite was the Oystercatcher. BW: Which bird surveys/conservation projects are you involved in? I’m involved in a few of the BTO’s surveys; Nest Record Scheme (NRS), Ringing Scheme – in which I’m part of Rutland Water Ringing Group (RWRG) and the Humber Wader Ringing Group (HWRG), in which we colour ring Bar-tailed Godwit, Redshank and Curlew. I also enter my bird sightings onto Birdtrack and my local birding club, which is Leicestershire and Rutland Ornithological Society (LROS), plus my dad and I have started a House Martin survey which links in with the BTO’s study on them, where we are looking at the whole nesting stage and ringing the birds to track if the same birds use the same nest each year. BW: What has been your most memorable birding moment? AR: Well, my most memorable birding moment expands over a period of a week. Back in October, for the first time I went to Scilly with my family, it was a brilliant experience, having 14 lifers while I was there, highlights being, Hudsonian Whimbrel, Blyth’s Pipit, Red-flanked Bluetail and finding my own Ortolan Bunting. BW: What would be the one piece of advice you’d give to other young birders? AR: Just get outside and open your eyes and ears, and not to be afraid to admit to others that you’re a birder. BW: If you could make one change to the UK’s environmental policies, what would it be? AR: Make outdoor learning part of the national curriculum, so pupils can learn about everything around them. Instead of sitting down, playing their PlayStations, they are getting out and exploring the world outside their front door. birdwatching.co.uk 7
Page 1 and 2: THE NEXT GENERATION blickwinkel / A
Page 3 and 4: ONE TO WATCH... ALEX RHODES, 19 BW:
Page 5: STEVE LINDRIDGE / Alamy their impen
Page 9 and 10: VISIT A BIRD OBSERVATORY Situated i
Page 11 and 12: Nightingale TAKE PART IN ANY BTO SU
Page 13 and 14: k his roots TOM him back to his you
Page 15 and 16: Bewick’s Swans Greater Flamingo O

Young Birders

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?