Choosing the university course that’s right for you; a personal experience, by Alexandra Kinsey

I remember feeling under immense pressure as a sixth-former, as I had no idea what I wanted to do. I had quite a mixture of hobbies but none of them seemed to link together. The AS levels I was encouraged to take didn’t go quite to plan, so I left school with one A level, and a few AS levels.

I had mentioned that I enjoyed helping people, and my family were encouraging me to explore areas in healthcare, so I went to college for two years, and undertook fast-track A-levels, alongside part-time work, choosing to focus on Biology and ICT. Then, I went for something that interested me and started BSc Audiology at Swansea University. It was a fantastic course, but after two years and many months of placements around Wales I realised that this wasn’t the career for me.

It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make, and felt quite alone in doing so, but I ended up switching degrees completely and jumping into something I knew I would enjoy, despite worrying comments along the lines of "there is no career in that".

I am now in my final year of BSc Ecology, and have not looked back since.

This brings me on to what I believe is the most important thing:

1)    Go for something that you enjoy.

Whether this involves going to university and choosing a course, or looking for internships or apprentices, getting as much experience in your field of interest is the only way to find out if you will enjoy this career.

If you make the decision to apply to University, then there is still careful consideration needed when choosing a course.

If, like me, you have general interests, rather than specific ones, it may be worth looking for courses with a common first year, or foundation year where you may be able to move between similar subjects as you find out more about what you like. 

This is where: 

2)    Looking at the modules within a degree puts you at a great advantage.

I actually started studying Zoology at Cardiff, but Ecology had more modules which I found interesting as I realised in year one that I enjoyed field work more much more than laboratory work. Thanks to the Bioscience common first year at Cardiff University, I could choose to switch degree from Zoology to Ecology, without having to start again.

If you are preparing for the move to University, I fully recommend: 

3)    Join some societies.

There is Usually a nature or Wildlife and conservation society, and some Universities have an Ornithological society too. These groups can provide a key link to volunteering opportunities, experience or training. Universities list these online, so you can beat the crowds and take your time to find the ones that interest you, and get in contact.

During your degree:

4)    Try to be as proactive as possible...

...and look for experiences outside the classroom. Employers are looking for relevant experience in addition to higher education qualifications.

University examinations may seem daunting, but as long as you:

5)    Stay organised and read up on advised material, you will be fine.

For me A-levels were more difficult as you had to give a specific keyword to get the mark. In University lecturers mark your work, so there’s much more of a chance to show them what you know in so many different ways. These people chose a lectureship because they are passionate about this area, so give them something exciting, like current research papers, or question the science.

And finally:

6) Consider your health and well-being.

Sometimes our work load increases and this may put pressure on us and other aspects of our social and personal well-being. It is important to take time to relax, stay healthy and get out as much as possible. If you feel you are struggling, Universities offer a range of personal services which can help students who feel under pressure or who are struggling with work related or personal issues. These services are invaluable and I cannot recommend them enough.

One of the reasons I chose Cardiff is because it is such a green city, with parks, lakes and reserves in and around the City. One of my favourite breaks is to have a walk around Roath Lake Park, have a look at the birds and other wildlife and perhaps grab an ice cream or take a ride on a peddle boat.  Also, I enjoy going with a group of friends at dusk, to see the amazing abundance of bats, feeding among the trees and over the water.

This brings me to wish you the very best in your future career, whichever direction you choose to take. Apply yourself, steady yourself with the help of loved ones around you and seize new opportunities to make memories that will last a lifetime.

Thank you for reading.

Alexandra @I_amkinsey

President of Cardiff University Ornithological Society

Student Birding - By Cardiff University Ornithological Society (CUOS)

Cardiff University Ornithological Society (a.k.a bird club) is a gathering of students that share a common interest in, and appreciation of, all things feathery.

Anyone with a love of birds can join, no matter their level of experience! Our current members range from beginners to fully-fledged twitchers. We organise many activities and events, with the aim of enriching our understanding of birds and their fascinating behaviours. In addition, many of our members want to develop careers in ornithology, we try to facilitate this by hosting talks from professional bird researchers, ringers and even popular Wildlife TV presenters.

CUOS also gets involved in the conservation of UK bird species that desperately need help to survive.

This academic year CUOS has been given the exciting opportunity to take on BTO’s monthly Wetland Bird Surveys (WeBS) at Roath Park Lake (Cardiff). This is a fantastic opportunity for our members to gain experience in undertaking a national survey, and also to improve their wetland bird identification skills.

Many of our members do not have prior experience of bird surveys, nor expertise identification skills of wetland birds. However, the committee (experienced WeBS counters) have planned a range of teaching sessions so that everyone can take part. Roath Park is a perfect spot for beginners to WeBS and birds in general, as there are a fantastic range of species at numbers that are easily countable.

In October we did our first WeBS and recorded a fantastic 19 species!
The highlights of the count for us were: Little Grebe (4); Pochard (1); Shoveler (17); Teal (10); Tufted Duck (51); Wigeon (1) and Kingfisher (1).
We felt especially lucky to see a Pochard on the lake as it was early in the year to spot one.



We look forward to our future WeBS and hope that this is the start of something special for the society that will get passed on through generations of students and inspire more young birders to get involved with important surveying.

Follow us on twitter @CUBirds!

The Martin Garner Spurn Young Birder of the Year competition, by George Dunbar

This Spring, I entered the Martin Garner Spurn Young Birder of the Year Competition by submitting my entry to the BTO. There was an online questionnaire about my birding experiences. The form was easy enough to fill out, one of the questions asked "What got you into birding?". For me, this was regular, monthly visits to WWT Martin Mere. I was never interested in the captive birds, only in the 'real' ones! Here, I saw my first Marsh harrier, Ruff and many other species. Anyway, back to Spurn...

Entries from up and down the country were assessed by BTO and Spurn Bird Observatory. When I received an E-mail to tell me I was one of five young birders to reach the final, I couldn't believe it! I was elated and couldn't get downstairs to tell my parents quick enough! After parents, I was on the phone to my birding mentor, David Bowman who was just as excited as I was that I'd made it!

Next, revision! Any species that I wasn't too strong on (Gulls and waders) I looked up the key ID features to try and make picking them out in the field more likely. With having an inland patch, I don't get much chance to do sea watching or ID many waders. However, I had a trip to Bardsey Island coming up where I'd be able to gen up on my sea birds. My patch (Woolston Eyes) had begun to liven up with wader passage so I had an opportunity there too. My routine was a morning of ringing then going into the hide afterwards to do some birding for a few hours before heading home to catch up on school work (obviously just as important)..!

I arrived at the Spurn Migration Festival for 7:30 as the competition started at 9:15. I got out of the car, put on my boots and then heard the sound of people running as someone screamed "KENTISH PLOVER AT RIVERSIDE!" I was offered a lift and off I went, unfortunately when we got there the bird had flown off so the run through driving rain had not been worth it! I caught up with a few young birders and made my way over to Westmere Farm to register with my parents. The other young birders and I made it to the Warren just in time to dry off a bit before the briefing from Nick Whitehouse. Everyone was as soggy and frustrated as each other but the competition had to go on!

There were four parts to the competition. Sea-watching, Wader ID (Estuarine), Bushes and the dreaded Lab Test - *gulp*! Each section of the competition had a different assessor attached to it and we took it in turns going out and doing each part.

Firstly for me was the Lab test, and to be honest, I just wanted to get it out of the way! For this part, we were given a stuffed bird and asked to point to certain parts of it (eg. primaries, mantle). It was a test of our technical skill and the ringers amongst us were at an advantage! The second half of this was listening to various calls/songs and having to ID them. I, for one, was pleased to have revised my calls the night before!

Next was across the road from the Warren to scope some waders! I was asked to ID three species and was then asked a few questions about waders. For one of them, we were given a list of wader species and asked to pick out which didn't breed in Iceland - a real tricky one that my assessor confessed he didn't know previous to asking other people!!

It was then back across the road and up to Numpty's to do the sea-watch. Apart from the gales blowing out to sea and the torrential rain, the conditions were...perfect! Again, we were asked to ID 3 species out over the water. I got lucky as I was the only one to have a Red-throated Diver go past for the competition, and even better was the fact it was in Summer plumage! 

Finally, off to do the Bushes. This replaced the Visible Migration Watch that last year's birders did as the almost constant rain on Saturday meant almost all migration overhead had been brought to a standstill. You guessed it.. we were asked to ID 3 species and also some flight calls and, for me, the flight calls were Tree Pipit, Yellow Wagtail and Snipe. This was concluded with some questions on separating 'Eared' owls in the field and describing the breeding and wintering range of a songbird that visits the UK in large numbers...the Wheatear.

We headed back to the Warren for a buffet lunch that had been kindly organised by Nick Whitehouse. Once everyone had their food, Nick announced the winner, it was very close, but it turned out to be me! I was stunned. Never in a million years did I think I'd win a competition like this one. I guess putting in hours and hours of serious birding a few times per week had worked for me, but more than anything, it was because of all the help and patience that the guys at Woolston Eyes had given me! Days spent in the hide watching the comings and goings, explaining why something is what it is and picking up some of the extensive knowledge of the birders there!

I'd always been a nervous person when having to go up on stage in front of a lot of people, but on the Saturday evening, it was more excitement! I was going up, with four other like-minded young birders, in front of a crowd of people that were all there to support us. It was a brilliant evening and I was very pleased to receive my prize, a new pair of Swarovski binoculars from TV Presenter, Mike Dilger, and Director of the BTO, Andy Clements. It was very inspiring to meet them both and they provided all five young birders and  the others in the audience with much encouragement to pursue careers in wildlife and conservation as it would be us that it is handed down to.

While at Spurn I met lot of great people too, I caught up with a few other young birders and met a few of the Spurn regulars. It was also a real pleasure to meet Sharon Garner and to accept a copy of Martin's book, Winter Challenge Series. Also, David La Puma, the head of Cape May Bird Observatory, and Björn Malmhagen, head of Falsterbo Bird Observatory.

I'll definitely be back birding at Spurn soon as it really is a very special place and there's not really anywhere else like it (in the UK). It's a great place for young birders as all of the staff are very knowledgeable and will do anything they can to be of help!

Finally, I'd like to thank both Spurn Bird Observatory, the BTO and also everyone that attended for making it such a special weekend. It was a brilliant weekend and hopefully even more people will start to visit.

George Dunbar, @GeorgeDunbar_

Fair Isle - an adventure of a lifetime by Lewis Mitchell

I was fortunate to volunteer at Fair Isle Bird Observatory for 3 weeks in July 2016. It was an opportunity for

Fulmar by Lewis Mitchell

me to gain some experience in bird monitoring, surveying, ringing and habitat management, as well as obtaining contacts which could be essential in searches for employment later on in life. Furthermore, I was able to grow my knowledge of wildlife and improve my skills in wildlife identification.

Leaving home for 3 and a half weeks was always going to be strange. Independence is something I am trying to learn, ready for when I (hopefully) go to university. In order to get to Fair Isle I had to take the train to London, then the coach to Aberdeen, in Scotland, then the ferry to Lerwick in Shetland, which is Britain's most northerly town, the bus to the southern tip of mainland Shetland, and finally the tiny Good Shepherd IV (see picture below) ferry to Fair Isle, Britain's most remote inhabited island. In Aberdeen I met up with Sam Hood who I would be spending some of my time on Fair Isle with. We travelled the rest of the way together.

The Good Shepherd IV by Lewis Mitchell

At the observatory I was made to feel very welcome by all the staff as well as the guests. Food was cooked by the wonderful chef that is Orlando, who on one occasion managed to make carrots taste like cider because he put them in with the pork cooked in cider for dinner one day. That was a taste from home!

Whilst on Fair Isle, I helped in the ringing of the birds, as well as did some work on habitat management and bird surveying and monitoring. I ringed 18 storm petrels, c.20 puffin chicks (or, pufflings) (by putting my hand in their burrows), 3 herring gull chicks and a meadow pipit. All is valuable experience as I become a trainee ringer.  

On 10th July we were clearing the scrape just outside the observatory and came back to the obs for a drink as it was a warm day. Chris (also known to the staff team as Doddy) and Ciaran came to check out our handy-work. whilst stood on the patio, Doddy noticed something in North Haven. "Orca." Doddy mumbled to himself, unsure what was lurking beneath the waves. "ORCA!!!" Doddy, now confident in his discovery, yelled to alert everyone present. Shaking, I raised my binoculars to my eyes, and was greeted with a truly magnificent spectacle of a pod of 5 killer whales in close at North Haven. I was so excited to see this! A once in a lifetime experience. To this discovery, Doddy ran through the observatory, alerting guests on his way, with Ciaran and us volunteers following behind. I rushed to put my wellies on and ran out the door and across to Buness for a closer look. Peering over the cliff edge we saw the orcas within 60ft from us. They proceeded to hunt and kill two grey seals right in front of us. That definitely made my time on Fair Isle brilliant. Here is one of Sam's photos of the killer whales:

Orcas by Samuel Hood

During our stay the Euro 2016 was on so a few times us staff, as well as a few guests, all huddled in the warden's flat to watch the football games. this was great fun because we had a few passionate German fans in the obs. Also on the theme of football, a game took place on the island between a team from the observatory and a team of islanders and those on a National Trust for Scotland work camp. I think the final score was OBS 12 - 9 ISLANDERS. Here's a group photo:

In preparation for the match, us volunteers decided to have a kick about when all of a sudden a Fulmar burst out from under a van! It didn't have enough room to take off. It proceeded to vomit on the drive. Our bird was successfully caught by Sam and was ringed and safely released. Fulmars are seabirds who use projectile vomit as defence from predators. Here is a picture of a very photogenic one I saw on Fair Isle:

Fulmar by Lewis Mitchell

At the end of my stay we took part in the sheep round up and shearing. This was a new experience for me. Each crofter on Fair isle has 20 sheep that roam all over the island and then are rounded up by the locals and other volunteers (e.g. us volunteers). We did a lot of fencing, trap repairs, food sampling, bird monitoring and scrape management as well as some gardening for one of the islanders.

One day Oli Beacock, one of the volunteers found a long eared owl in the obs garden which was very wet from the rain. On another occasion we found a grey heron in a trap and it was brought back to the obs to be ringed, and was released after.

We spent most of our free time chilling in the lounge, catching up on sleep and going out across the island watching the wildlife and practising taking photos of many, many wheatears (I must have a few hundred wheatear photos) Here is a good take off shot I got:

Wheatear by Lewis Mitchell

The puffins on Fair Isle were extremely brave and I was able to get close to them.

Puffin by Lewis Mitchell

Here are the best of the rest of the photos:

A Great Skua looking angry as ever! By Lewis Mitchell

Angry Arctic Tern as I walked through its territory by Lewis Mitchell

I would like to thank the observatory staff for accepting me onto the team and making me so welcome. To achieve this I used the John Harrison Memorial Fund at Fair Isle Bird Observatory, as well as the BTO Young Bird Observatory Volunteer Fund.

My first solo Breeding Bird Survey by Gethin Jenkins-Jones

I’ve always got a kick out of doing bird surveys. It’s great going out knowing that your records will become a tiny piece of the jigsaw that’ll help answer the puzzles of ornithology. Over the last six years I have had a lot of fun doing various surveys for the BTO including Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) counts, Birdtrack, BTO Garden BirdWatch and the Winter Thrushes Survey. However this year I decided to go further and take on possibly the BTO’s most challenging survey - the Breeding Bird Survey.

The BTO’s Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) is the main scheme for monitoring the population changes of the UK’s common breeding birds. It involves two spring visits to a local Ordnance Survey 1-km square, to count all the birds you see or hear while walking along two 1-km lines across the square. These squares are randomly selected by the BTO and so, on a day around last Christmas, I sat down with my Dad to look at some which were on the list in Glamorgan. One particular square near Blackmill in the Ogwr Valley looked quite promising, with a nice variety of habitats and little disturbance. This was the square for me!

River Ogwr on the first transect

On a mild early March morning we checked out the site. Although it was just a reconnaissance visit, we also noted the different habitats present in the square – another essential part of the survey. The first kilometre transect seemed pretty promising for the season to come, with a small river nearby, some open lowland fields and a large old Oak woodland stretching along the path. Although just over 500m away, the second 1-km transect suggested we’d see a different selection of birds. Upland farmland was the dominant habitat here, although another Oak woodland at the end of the transect raised hopes of some decent woodland species too. I was very much looking forward to see what species I would get!

A month later on a quiet April morning, at a time when the majority of us teenagers are rarely awake, we left Cardiff and headed west. The day looked promising with good visibility, no rain and only a slight breeze.

At precisely 6:48 – you must note your start and finish time – we were ready to go. Our pace along the track also had to be taken into consideration: not too fast and not too slow. Each 1-km transect is split into 5 x 200m sections on your Field Recording Sheet with each 200m stretch expected to take 9-10 minutes. Although slower than my usual rambles, it gave me more of an opportunity to take everything in and to encounter more species.  The adrenalin began to pick up as I jotted the first species of the morning; a singing Robin and 2 calling Coal Tit within 25m of the footpath. But as so many birds were singing, calling and flying around, the stress began to build up!

Over the next 45 minutes recording the birds had some sort of rhythm to it; a singing Mistle Thrush over 25 metres away, a Nuthatch calling nearby, 2 Ravens ‘cronking’ overhead, and….hello, a Pied Flycatcher?! Yes, a female, and good views too. I pencilled the letters ‘PF’ on the sheet with a lot of satisfaction. It was the wakeup call I needed at such an hour and I began to enjoy the morning more and more from then on.

The longer we walked the easier it seemed to get, especially since we were encountering the same species again and again and I grew in confidence in remembering the two-letter BTO code of every bird. Our first 1km produced some nice birds. Along with the Pied Flycatcher we recorded many singing Willow Warbler (WW), some Blackcaps (BC) and singles of Green (G.) and Great Spotted Woodpeckers (GS).

I certainly enjoyed the survey, but as we finished the first 1km stretch and walked back to the car to travel to the start point of the second 1-km transect, I was happy to be able to switch off for a few minutes. The concentration required for BBS is intense, there’s no denying it!

The ridge of Oak woodland at Blackmill

We hopped into the car and after a 2 minute drive we clambered out and strode up the hill towards our second starting point. Before I knew it we were off again, and it was great to see some new species; Buzzard flying over distantly, Skylark singing above, a Linnet going over, calling.
About half way through our first transect we briefly saw another of the day’s specialities, a Redstart which flashed its rusty tail as it flew off. The fact we were on a hill (and most of the time in open country) meant we saw many more distant birds than in the first transect, and we saw more birds than we heard. The fields held many thrushes and Jackdaws that all went down on the Field Recording Sheet.

Wood Warbler by Allan Drewitt

Before long we were walking under the canopy of the Oak woodland and we pricked our ears upwards. A Redstart and Willow Warbler was a good start, although nothing prepared us for what we heard next. Among the chorus of bird song the cascading notes of the Wood Warbler echoed through the wood. Get in there! Dad was beginning to get jealous he didn’t have this square for himself. Scribbling down this species gave me more pleasure than the Pied Fly. I’m quite lucky, I thought, to have this square. Wood Warbler, Pied Flycatcher and Redstart: Welsh birds at their best!

Exhausted but happy!

Our final 2 x 200m sections were some of the best as we could still hear the woodland species to our right and also pick up farmland species to our left. Skylarks singing and, in the distance, a Red Kite was circling the area, making the day even more spectacular, another 2 singing Wood Warblers and some Swallows which were nesting in a nearby barn. As we walked further up the path I finally saw the finishing line – marked in yellow paint on the road by my father on our recce in March – which told me that I had at last completed my first BBS survey. Halleluiah! I don’t know if it’s the survey itself or my lazy teenage habits, but I was so tired that the road looked very comfy and all I wanted to do was to lie down on it, and that’s what I did!   You can see the finishing line between my feet.

I very much enjoyed doing this survey. You don’t need to be an expert to take part, but you should be able to identify common birds by sight and sound and even though the high levels of concentration needed to do it properly are challenging, I can’t wait to go there again next year. In a few years I will be able appreciate it even more by comparing the birds recorded year after year and see how the wildlife will change over time. For me, there aren’t many things better than that!

Gethin Jenkins-Jones, Cardiff

Cuckoos and Wrens by Sebastian Seely

An amazing series of photos taken by Peter Allman at the National Trust's Calke Abbey in Derbyshire caused quite a stir on social media last week. They show a juvenile Cuckoo being fed by a Wren (below). Lots of people got in touch to ask about this behaviour and about the behaviour of Cuckoos generally. Young birder Sebastian Seely has been here on work experience this week and spent a few hours in the BTO library researching answers to these questions...

Photo by Peter Allman

It has been known for birds to feed juveniles of another species even if they did not raise them themselves, as they are attracted to the sound of a hungry chick and have a strong instinct to feed them. However, in this particular case, the cuckoo has been observed being fed by the wren numerous times, so it is far more likely that it was raised by the wren in its nest. This is a relatively common occurrence in other European countries, however this is a relatively rare occurrence in Britain, there are only three or four records of it. This is probably most likely due to the fact that a wren nest isn’t really an ideal place to nest in as it is very small, and close to the ground. It could also be because wren nests are generally well hidden and hard to find, as well as being dark inside as a result of its dome-shape, making it more difficult to see and record cuckoo chicks.

How the cuckoo lays the egg in the wren’s nest is very much the same as they do for most bird species’ nests; the cuckoo simply clings to the nest, places her cloaca against the nest hole and squirts the egg in. The egg will then slide down inside the dome-shaped nest so it is quite unlikely that the egg will break. Sometimes the female cuckoo will take one of the wren eggs out with her beak, to make room for her own or just to eat as a snack.

The wren will probably not realise the cuckoo egg is not one of its own, and if it does, a wren will probably not try to reject it, because with rejection comes cost. For example, because the wren has such a small beak, it will find it very difficult to remove the egg so it may fall on its own eggs, smashing them, leaving it with no achievement at all. 

Cuckoo chick in a Reed Warbler nest. Photo by Kevin Carlson

As the cuckoo egg hatches, the chick will push the wren eggs, one at a time onto a curvature in its spine and push them out of the nest hole. The specially constructed wren nest makes it quite difficult for the cuckoo chick to eject the eggs so if it does not succeed in removing them all, it will outcompete the other wren chicks when they hatch as the cuckoo will grow into a much bigger bird very quickly.

Cuckoo chick being fed by a Dunnock. Photo by Derek Belsey

These photos also prompted many questions regarding why the cuckoo does not imprint on the wren as it is the first thing it sees, the same way a duckling can imprint on a human. The cuckoo may well spend the rest of its life thinking it’s mother is a wren, but it does not matter because after a few weeks it will become independent and most likely instinct will tell it to migrate to Africa, to eat caterpillars and to recognise and mate with other cuckoos. Some female cuckoos are known to lay their eggs in the same species’ nest as they were brought up in, suggesting that they do “remember”, their host parent or maybe just the habitat it was found in. Perhaps it’s a bit of both.

Sebastian Seely

Nocturnal Birding by Thomas Broom

When the sun is up, and the birds are singing, the world is a familiar place. We understand what goes on during the daylight hours. It’s well documented. After all, we are adapted to life during the day. So when the sun sets, the world becomes a different place; an alien place. An exciting place.

I myself haven’t done much nocturnal birding in the past. I’ve been out at dawn and dusk, but have only truly looked for birds in the dark a few times. But after a few recent experiences, it is certainly something I am going to make an effort to do more, because it’s definitely worth the late night. Let me tell you why…

The birds that hunt and operate after the sun has set are almost entirely different to the cast we’re all familiar with when the sun’s up. And, being harder to see and harder to spot, we don’t see them as frequently as our daytime birds, which makes finding them at night a whole lot more special. The common practice of bird ‘watching’ becomes interesting once it gets too dark to actually ‘watch’. Your other senses kick in to action, and you find yourself watching with your ears – listening for sound becomes a whole lot more important when there is minimal light.

So what are these nocturnal birds, and what makes them so special?

Tawny Owl by John Harding

Possibly the most famous night-time predators are owls. Of our owl species here in Britain, only 2 of the 5 are truly nocturnal: the Tawny and Long-eared Owl. Both these species, unlike birds like the Barn or Little Owls, are very hard to see during the day – spotting them roosting in trees is about the only way to see them. But after dark, they come alive. Tawny Owls and their haunting calls have inspired legends over the centuries, and when you’re stood in the forest in the dark, it certainly sends a chill down your spine. There are few things more exciting than actually watching a Tawny Owl hunt in the dark.

I was in Suffolk a short while ago when, as we were driving down a small country track late at night,
we heard a strange screech coming from the dense woods to the right of us. We stopped the car, turned off the engine and all the lights and just sat there in the dark. And sure enough, after a short, exciting wait as the sound got closer, the dark figure of a Tawny Owl came up and sat on a branch in front of us, before flying off into the forest. It continued its flybys through the trees for a while, before disappearing off back into the darkness like a phantom. You may not be able to clearly see the birds in great detail, but an experience birding at night is an experience to remember.

Nightjar by Chris Knights

For the majority of our other nocturnal birds, spring and summer are the best times to get out and have a go at spotting them. Possibly my favourite nocturnal birds, Nightjars, are migratory, so can only be seen in the UK between April and September. Nightjars are magical, mysterious birds, which can only truly be seen once it is almost too dark for binoculars. During the day, they hunker down, relying on their exquisite camouflage to hide them from predators. But once it gets dark enough, they become a magnificent nocturnal bird. There is nothing quite like watching nightjar flying silently over heathland, with their long wings almost folding over the rest of their body, which is relatively small in comparison. The peculiar, but strangely enchanting ‘churring’ sound produced by the males, and the clapping of their wings as they fly make them an incredible bird to be around at night, and makes any nocturnal birding trip worth it.

Another expertly camouflaged nocturnal bird is the Woodcock – a bird that is even harder to see. I

Woodcock by Hugh Insley

was very lucky to see two the last time I went out looking for Nightjar, as they flew across the area in front of me and into the cover of the forest. They are strange birds in flight – large, almost fat, with a very long bill and relatively short wings. Unfortunately, these birds are currently on the UK Red List, as their populations have declined as suitable habitat for them becomes rarer and rarer. But, if you’re in luck, you may just catch a glimpse of these rarely seen birds.

Above, I have highlighted only three nocturnal birds that are out there in the British countryside, waiting to be found. The mystery of the night and the amazing animals it holds is exciting, and I urge you to get out after dark and see what you can see. You won’t regret it.

Of course, nocturnal birding doesn’t come without a risk. Us humans aren’t made for working in the dark, so it is sensible to plan your nocturnal birding trip before you go out. First of all, go with an adult at all times – it’s safer, and they wouldn’t want to miss out on the experience anyway! You should also make sure you know the area you’re visiting well – you don’t want to get lost and it’s helpful to have an idea of what lives there before you go. And of course there are things you need to take, like any bird watching trip. A torch is a necessity and binoculars are still definitely useful; they’ll be usable until it is almost pitch black, and are still suitable for spotting birds in flight or in trees.

Nocturnal birding is an experience that I urge you all to have a go at and see what you can find. The experience of looking for animals in the dark is exciting and keeps you coming back for more. So if you can, at some point this summer, get out and give it a go! I know I certainly will.

Thomas Broom, www.exploringwildlife.blogspot.com

BTO Bird Camp 2016: Trip report by Max Hellicar

Thetford Forest, situated in the heart of East Anglia, contains a diverse variety of wildlife and is an area containing the only breeding populations of certain species in the whole of the UK. Thetford Forest has always been an area which I enjoy visiting and the afternoon of Friday 27 May saw me making my way to the area.

Thetford is an area which I am familiar with from going birding nearby many times previously, but I had never entered the BTO headquarters building before. This was the start of the Young Birder's weekend 2016, hosted by the British Trust for Ornithology, an event which I had been eagerly looking forward to since I first heard about it earlier in the year. A few of us arrived earlier than others so took ourselves on a walk around Nunnery Lakes which produced Kingfisher and Garden Warbler and chatted to the very friendly and helpful BTO staff. Soon everyone had arrived and it was time for introductions and dinner, then off to our nearby campsite at Two Mile Bottom, which was the first time some participants had experienced camping.

The next morning we were up bright and early at 04:30 and ready for some birding action!

We headed back to the Nunnery Lakes reserve and the 20 or so similarly aged birders were divided in to groups, working on different activities, each working on one activity for an hour throughout the morning. The activities consisted of bird surveying/mapping, nest finding, bird ringing, and general birding.

Reed Warbler nest by Max Hellicar

With thanks to Lee Barber and Justin Walker for 

Kingfisher by Toby Carter

leading the bird ringing demonstration, Mike Toms for leading the nest recording activities, Su Gough for leading the bird mapping activities and Paul Stancliffe for leading the general birding activities. One group working on ringing were fortunate enough to see a Kingfisher in the hand, whilst the nest finders found a Yellowhammer nest and the general birding group found a hepatic female cuckoo! By around half past ten all groups had completed the four activities, so headed back to the BTO headquarters to have some well earned breakfast (and lunch)!

 
It was soon time to get back out birding though, with a trip to Lakenheath Fen arranged for the afternoon! Off we set and after a jolly journey, we were once again eager for some birding. A nice circuit walk around the fen produced some particularly nice highlights including views of Crane, calling Cuckoo, a flyby Bittern and Bearded Tits! At Lakenheath we once again encountered Kingfisher - a blue bullet darting between the reed beds.

 

En route back to the BTO headquarters, we stopped off in some suitable Stone-curlew habitat where we were delighted to come across a pair of our target birds! Nice scope views of these were afforded, with Stone-curlew being a life tick for some of the young birders. Once we arrived back at the BTO building it was time for a barbecue dinner and some time to socialise with other trip participants - a good opportunity for young birders to make friends with others who have similar interests. This particular event was superb for social aspects because many of the young ornithologists who attended the event only previously knew each other from social media, or didn't know each other at all, so all appreciated the chance to have face-to-face bird related discussions!

Roughly an hour before dusk, we headed back out into the deepest darkest forest to meet Greg Conway. Greg explained some of his work and research over the past few years with a very mysterious and extraordinary bird - the crepuscular Nightjar. Greg's fascinating research included GPS tracking of individuals and was a topic many of us were intrigued to learn more about. As dusk began to set in, the mist nets had been set and it was now a waiting game. A handful of nets had been carefully positioned in the area with ringers carefully keeping each net in their sights. After around an hour of anticipation and waiting, a Nightjar was caught! This was a new bird which was previously unringed and once it had been processed and ringed, all of the young ornithologists had superb views of the bird 'in the hand' to admire it's cryptic camouflage plumage which blends in perfectly with the heathland they nest on. We were finished with the Nightjars at around 11PM after the success of seeing one up close, and managed to get a good few hours of sleep back at the campsite.

Nightjar by Elliot Montieth

Sunday morning began with another early start at around 5AM, when we were all eager to set off south east to Landguard Bird Observatory, on the tip of the Felixstowe peninsular. Arriving at around 06:30, we were greeted by the warden of LBO, Nigel Odin, who showed us around the observatory grounds. Nigel inspected the precious night's moth trap catch with us, which produced some nice moths including a Small Elephant Hawkmoth and a migrant Pearly Underwing was an early surprise.

We received an explanation of how Heligoland traps work for bird ringing and a walk along the beach provided views of nesting Ringed Plovers.

It was soon time to wave goodbye to Landguard, and a visit to some mixed heathland and woodland habitat near the Suffolk coast produced nice views of Dartford Warbler and Redstart - both superb birds. After this we visited Boyton Marshes where we had yet more success, with some of the trip participants managing to get decent views of two Garganey!

A well needed pub lunch in Woodbridge arranged by Ieuan was much appreciated by everyone.
On the journey back to Thetford, I am confident at least 90% of us youngsters fell asleep on the minibus. We were awakened by a stop off at some suitable habitat in the Thetford Forest and guided by the birding excellence that is Paul Stancliffe, we were afforded views of Tree Pipit and Woodlark - both fairly scarce Breckland species! After our success here, we headed back to the BTO headquarters to celebrate what a truly brilliant and memorable weekend it had been and say our farewells to each other. 

Personally I feel that this was a fantastic action-packed weekend and the BTO couldn't have done anything better to improve it. The opinions of fellow young birders echoed the fact that this event was a resounding success and I hope that this event has also encouraged other youngsters to continue with their passion of birding and recording and submit their valuable records to help improve the current scientific understanding of certain bird species. After the success of this weekend, I look forward to any future events held by the BTO as I'm sure many others do.

I would like to say a massive thank you to the BTO for hosting such an amazing event, especially Ieuan Evans, Viola Ross-Smith, Paul Stancliffe, and Lee Barber for their extraordinary efforts in organising this event and for being so supportive throughout the weekend, and thank you to anyone else involved with making this event so brilliant. Many thanks to the Cameron Bespolka Trust for funding the event and making it possible, and thanks to Next Generation Birders and A Focus on Nature - organisations involved in arranging the event.
It was great to see such a good turnout of keen young nature enthusiasts, so thank you all for attending and I hope this event has inspired you to keep up the good work for the future.

A great summary of tweets from the weekend by Ieuan Evans is available here. You can find more information about the BTO's incredible work on their website.

Max Hellicar. June 2016.

All photos by Max Hellicar unless otherwise stated (Twitter: MaxHellicar1).