Try birdwatching in the Chilterns for a cheep thrill

I STARTED birdwatching when I moved to Cookley Green in 1999.

After noticing some birds in the garden, I bought a bird table, a birdbath and some feeders. Soon the birds were visiting regularly.

I bought a book and began identifying the easy ones. Binoculars and a zoom lens for my camera followed and I was hooked.

Doing the Garden Bird Survey was the next step. Sponsored by the British Trust for Ornithology, this is a weekly survey where you count all the birds you see at one time in your garden and record them. It’s fun and makes me more observant about the birds I see. I then began recording for the Breeding Bird Survey, also sponsored by the trust. This year is my 18th. In preparation for this survey , I studied bird calls so I could identify unseen birds hidden by leaves, bushes etc.

However, my ornithological life really began in 2013 when I met Ray Kimber, a naturalist living in north Norfolk. Over the years, he has taught me all about waders, shore birds and other farmland birds.

He also tried to get me interested in butterflies and plants but I was only after the birds (at least until lockdown began).

I’d like to share a few tips to help you enjoy birdwatching in the Chilterns.

First, you probably can already identify many birds, even if you aren’t technically a birdwatcher. Some of the most common birds in the Chilterns are featured in this article.

Look around while you’re taking a walk, relaxing in the garden or playing golf and you will no doubt see them.

Be aware of slight movements in the trees or on the ground — train your eye to really look at what is around you; you’ll be surprised at how many birds you observe.

Another way to watch birds is to take your time, sit down — whether on a garden bench or a fallen log in the woods — and wait. If you are still, the birds will relax and come to you. Think of the world as a stage set — you are waiting for the curtain to rise and the birds to appear. They will come as long as you aren’t making noise or sudden movements. Patience is key.

It’s very true that the early bird catches the worm — birds are most active and visible early in the morning when they are busy looking for food and building up their strength after a long night. The earlier in the day you can go bird-watching, the better. Shortly after sunrise is the best time but any time up to around 9am should be fine.

If you have binoculars, take them with you on a walk and practise locating and focusing. By this I mean, pick an area on a tree or bush and try to focus your binoculars on that exact spot the first time you put them to your eyes. This does take practice but it means that if you spot a bird, you’ll manage to catch it in your binoculars before it flies away.

Birds seem to have a sixth sense about being watched and don’t like it. They much prefer their privacy and many will fly away as soon as they realise you’re looking at them, so the speed with which you can locate them in your binoculars will enrich your bird-watching experience.

Buying a bird identification book is the next step to further your ornithological hobby. If you see a bird you can’t identify, leaf through the book until you find it. You will automatically be absorbing the other birds in the book so that when you spot a new one in the future, you may remember it, or you’ll know where to find it in the book when you get back home.

Here’s another tip: look up the bird as soon as you get home while it’s still fresh in your mind — it’s amazing how quickly you can forget subtle details. Better yet, take a small bird guidebook along with you.

It’s also fun to write down your bird sightings and the date in a notebook. As you build up your sightings over the years, you’ll see a pattern emerging and begin to know when to expect to see certain birds. I never thought I’d get so much enjoyment from bird- watching but the thrill of spotting something new cannot be described.

What is so exciting is that if you detect an amazing bird, it is complete chance — look in a different direction or one second later and you’ll have missed it.

So every single birdwatching outing is an exhilarating opportunity to see something you might never have seen before. Get out there and try it yourself — you live in an area rich with birds and they shouldn’t be ignored. I am posting daily photos of nature in the Chilterns on my Instagram page,
www.instagram.com/quiltmaniac1

You can also follow me on Facebook atg www.facebook.com/
profile.php?id=100008344875064

To contact me, visit my
website, www.lindaseward.com

• Linda Seward is the co-author, with Kate Findlay, of The Little Book of Birds, which is available from https://artsfindlay.co.uk/
product/little-book-of-birds

©2021 Linda Seward