THE brilliant blue flash of a wing, the bright orange of a bill, the black silhouette of a tail streamer that seems to pierce the sky: birdwatching can be a feast for the eye like few other pastimes. Any one of the more than 600 different species on the official British List is well worth seeking, binoculars in hand— even if more than half of these are rare wanderers to our shores and unlikely to be encountered—but I’ve chosen 10 very special birds you really should make the effort to see at some point in your lifetime.
Some of these, such as the starling and swallow, are common and widespread stars; others, such as the puffin and crane, are a scarcer and more localised treat. All will delight, whether because of their striking plumage, their beautiful song, their fascinating behaviour—or even all three.
As you encounter each one, take the time to marvel at the incredible variety of Britain’s birdlife and appreciate why these—and the other species that make their homes in our towns, villages and countryside—need our care at a time of environmental change.
The wanderer returns
BRITAIN’S largest species of falcon is not only our fastest bird, it is also the fastest living creature on the planet, reaching speeds of up to 250 miles per hour when stooping. Peregrines (their name meaning ‘wanderer’) prey almost exclusively on other birds, taking anything from the smallest songbird to a large and bulky duck, but their favourite foods are pigeon and, in London, the feral, rose-ringed parakeet. Look out for a dark, powerfully built bird of prey with pointed wings, often causing other birds to panic when it appears near them.
Bu hikaye Country Life UK dergisinin July 12, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Country Life UK dergisinin July 12, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Happiness in small things
Putting life into perspective and forces of nature in farming
Colour vision
In an eye-baffling arrangement of geometric shapes, a sinister-looking clown and a little girl, Test Card F is one of television’s most enduring images, says Rob Crossan
'Without fever there is no creation'
Three of the top 10 operas performed worldwide are by the emotionally volatile Italian composer Giacomo Puccini, who died a century ago. Henrietta Bredin explains how his colourful life influenced his melodramatic plot lines
The colour revolution
Toxic, dull or fast-fading pigments had long made it tricky for artists to paint verdant scenes, but the 19th century ushered in a viridescent explosion of waterlili
Bullace for you
The distinction between plums, damsons and bullaces is sweetly subtle, boiling down to flavour and aesthetics, but don’t eat the stones, warns John Wright
Lights, camera, action!
Three remarkable country houses, two of which have links to the film industry, the other the setting for a top-class croquet tournament, are anything but ordinary
I was on fire for you, where did you go?
In Iceland, a land with no monks or monkeys, our correspondent attempts to master the art of fishing light’ for Salmo salar, by stroking the creases and dimples of the Midfjardara river like the features of a loved one
Bravery bevond belief
A teenager on his gap year who saved a boy and his father from being savaged by a crocodile is one of a host of heroic acts celebrated in a book to mark the 250th anniversary of the Royal Humane Society, says its author Rupert Uloth
Let's get to the bottom of this
Discovering a well on your property can be viewed as a blessing or a curse, but all's well that ends well, says Deborah Nicholls-Lee, as she examines the benefits of a personal water supply
Sing on, sweet bird
An essential component of our emotional relationship with the landscape, the mellifluous song of a thrush shapes the very foundation of human happiness, notes Mark Cocker, as he takes a closer look at this diverse family of birds