BTO Bird Table magazine - interesting read

Just received this LINK to BTO Bird Table magazine via email after contributing to Tawny Owl survey three years ago !     Although I've only had a quick glance through it so far I thought it may be of interest to some of you;   I liked the ID tips for bumblebees too.      So many interesting articles and certainly worth browsing.   

  • How strange, after three years sending a link to the BTO magazine!

    I'm not sure how the stands with GDPR....

    I've downloaded the magazine to have a read through later.

  • I've no idea why the magazine suddenly arrived by email following three years since I participated in the Tawny owl survey (as well as garden bird survey at the last house with woodland garden) and not having renewed membership for some time but it was an interesting read. I agree that restricting the time bands for recording Tawny's seem to me not to give more accurate data; I've heard them at 10.30pm but also at 6 am in summer months like last week when a young sounding Tawny called and as I looked out of the window it flew straight past the balcony a couple of minutes later along the waterside south side of the apartments. !! No mistaking it was an owl (Tawny is the only one I've seen here although there are Barn Owls most likely outside the park on nearby farmland areas) This owl had all the hallmarks of Tawny with the colouration, very broad, rounded wing tips no neck ! etc... It glided past with no wing beat that I could detect as it had just taken off from the nearby tree but I would not have seen it had I not heard it call first before it took flight. At our previous house one of the memories that stuck with me was a female tawny calling to the juvenile and it calling back with that call young make when calling to be fed.; they must both have been in our garden calling one tree to the other although it was dark at the time and I didn't want to put a torch on to locate them. !! It was around 10.30pm during mid springtime. Happy times :) but can't complain at our new place as never would have imagined we would get almost 30 species on water below and on our balcony. !! Was thrilled to see a Greenfinch again which thankfully looked in peak health and the Siskins last week.

  • The Tawny Owl survey was sn easy one to do compared to some surveys. I sat in the bedroom with the windows open and I could read at the same time. I'm not very good at doing the weekly Garden Watch but catch up when Chris nudges me.
  • The Tawny Owl survey was sn easy one to do compared to some surveys. I sat in the bedroom with the windows open and I could read at the same time. I'm not very good at doing the weekly Garden Watch but catch up when Chris nudges me.