Help,im getting nowhere fast!

[christine]

Hi all,

Been interested in birds for nearly a year now,but until this point,have only been watching birds in my garden.
As Hampstead Heath is only a twenty minute walk away,ive been up there a few times to see what i could see,problem is,i dont seem to be able to see anything.
When i say anything i mean apart from the usual crows,magpies,and blue tits.Ive heard that there are at least 200 different bird species on the heath,so i must be doing something wrong!
Ive sometimes sat very quietly in undergrowth waiting for something to happen,is this wrong?!What time of day is best?
I went up today in the hopes of seeing a Nuthatch,as ive never seen one.
Any advice would be very gratefully received,

Christine :hi:

[AlanJones]

Hi Christine,
Have you thought about joining a local group/club. I did this several years ago and found an excellent local birder with a wealth of knowledge, which helped me with my birding way beyond anything I had known before. We have remained V good friends and over the years have had many great birding moments together ( our wifes are starting to get worried ). By the way one of the best methods of finding a Nuthatch is to listen out for one of its calls, the only trouble is you need a pro to explain or point it out to you......nuff said

[seb_seb]

Or can go to the birdsong section of Birdforums and listen to it and hopefully remember or take a recording?

[Bluetail]

Hi Christine

I don't know Hampstead Heath personally, but how much you see there is going to vary depending on 1) the time of year and 2) the time of day.

I'd imagine there are fewer birds there now than there would be in spring, but to maximise your chances you really need to get out at dawn, if at all possible.

To give an example, I used to live opposite a park that had a small river and a bit of woodland. There never seemed to be any birds there at all. However, when I started birding, I tried a dawn visit and found the place teeming with them: woodpeckers, nuthatches, kingfishers, all sorts of things.

But, as Alan has said, it definitely helps if you can find one or two birding companions to show you the ropes.

Jason

[walwyn]

The only time I've seen a Nuthatch away from a woodland feeder, was a couple of weeks ago in Ryton Woods warks. and just like buses two came along together (well not quite but).

The first was doing the normal nuthatch thing up and down the trunk of a tree.

The second some 200 yds away was drumming on a tree. Busily tossing debris about and generally making quite a racket.

[Tero]

Just wait till spring, more bird action!

[Pol]

Hello Christine

When I first started birding I joined a local RSPB group. They organised field outings and some some interesting indoor meetings too - you could always try looking in your local library for any nearby bird clubs and naturalist clubs. I have found that people generally love to share their knowledge and certainly don't laugh at what you may think of as "silly" questions.

Of course, there is also loads of advice on Birdforum.

Pol

[christineredgate]

Christine,when you are walking around look and listen.You do not even to know the exact bird call,but you will be aware that a bird is in the area.This is a good time of year to see birds which are in the bushes and trees as there are no leaves and if you see a rustle of branches ,just stand quietly and you will be amazed what you might see.
As has already been mentioned,the early morning is a good time,and dusk,before the sun goes down ,as the birds are looking for food before they go to roost.
When you are out walking in a built up area,keep an eye on roof tops,and gutters.Don't be downhearted because you perhaps cannot see many,the mornings are getting lighter and Spring is on it's way.
Christine.

[christine]

Hi everyone,
Thanks for all your replies,did email a local birdwatching group,but no reply as yet.
Bluetail,when you say dawn do you really mean the very first rays of sunlight?!
If i did get up there early,would i see much at this time of year?
Also tried the bird call section,the media player appears and seems to be doing its stuff,but cant hear anything!
Christine

[christineredgate]

No,Christine,it does not have to quite so early,but if you beat the dog walkers it helps,also the joggers,for which Hampstead Heath is well known.
As to bird calls,there is a cd available called British Bird Sounds( I used to listen to it whils't I was ironing).I think it came from Birdguides,but am not sure.
Christine.

[Elizabeth Bigg]

The only time I've seen a Nuthatch away from a woodland feeder, was a couple of weeks ago in Ryton Woods warks. and just like buses two came along together (well not quite but).

The first was doing the normal nuthatch thing up and down the trunk of a tree.

The second some 200 yds away was drumming on a tree. Busily tossing debris about and generally making quite a racket.


We have a nuthatch visiting one of our feeders many times a day - it selects several black sunflower seeds until if finds just the right one, then flies up into the hedge to eat it. We have several trees on our boundary, and scrubby common land beyond a neighbour's garden, but it's not woodland.

[Bluetail]

Bluetail,when you say dawn do you really mean the very first rays of sunlight?! If i did get up there early,would i see much at this time of year?Yes. The birds need to feed after the long night, so they will all be about their breakfasts as soon as it is light. They will go on feeding at intervals during the day, but the frequency gets less, so there appear to be fewer birds. TO answer the second part of you question you really need someone who knows Hampstead Heath, but you'd certainly see more than, say, in the early afternoon.

By the way,if you can get hold of the book "Birding with Bill Oddie", it has a whole chapter about working Hamstead Heath. I seem to recall it tell you where the best spots are and what birds you will see there.

Jason

[Bluetail]

Incidentally, that's "Birding with Bill Oddie" (published by the BBC), not "Birdwatching with Bill Oddie" (published by Macmillan). They're two different books - very confusing! It may be out of print, though.

Jason

[Karl J]

Hi there Christine, I don't know London at all so maybe way off here .... but might it be worth visiting a reserve somewhere nearby, say Barnes Wetland centre

[cuddy]

Christine just did a search using "Bird watching on Hampstead Heath" and there is a bit of info including organised bird walks and information including telephone numbers just use your search engine, as i do not know the area i cant advise as to where everthing is but im sure you will find something to suit you.

Brian.

[christine]

Thanks for that Bluetail,i'll see if i can get hold of it,it would be a great help.
Did see Bill Oddie up there one summer,if all else fails,i'll grab him!
Christine,i reckon those joggers are up with the birds,dont think i'll be able to escape them!
Elisabeth,you're so lucky to have a nuthatch in your garden,are they really noisy then?Dont think i'd ever get one here,i have a very small garden,quite a few trees,if you include my neighbours,but smack bang in the middle of kentish town,very very noisy!
But hey,i can dream!

Christine

[Elizabeth Bigg]

Nuthatches have a very distinctive call - I hear them quite often in neighbouring gardens.

[pduxon]

Did see Bill Oddie up there one summer,if all else fails,i'll grab him!


You'll make Euan jealous!! Just keep looking it really is amazing when you realise you are getting better!

Another good read is Bill Oddie's Introduction to Birdwatching. Very easy to get hold of and very readable.

Listen for song, even if you can't recognise the bird (I can't 90% of the time)

[christine]

Hi all,
Tero,the only problem with spring is that the trees are covered in leaves and i cant see a thing,can hear them though which makes it really infuriating!
Carlos,ive heard of Barnes Wetland centre,bit far from here though,do want to visit it at some point though,maybe when im a bit more proficient(that may take some time!)
Pete,Bill oddie doesnt live too far away,but w'ell keep it a secret!!

Christine

[digi-birder]

Hi Christine,
Have you thought about joining a local group/club. I did this several years ago and found an excellent local birder with a wealth of knowledge, which helped me with my birding way beyond anything I had known before. We have remained V good friends and over the years have had many great birding moments together ( our wifes are starting to get worried ). By the way one of the best methods of finding a Nuthatch is to listen out for one of its calls, the only trouble is you need a pro to explain or point it out to you......nuff said

Alan, just noticed that this was your first post, so on behalf of admin and all the moderators, let me offer you a warm welcome to Bird Forum.

I hope you enjoy participating in the discussions and we look forward to hearing more about your birding experiences.

[Adey Baker]

A couple of points from earlier in this thread - firstly the 200 species you mentioned will be the total number ever seen there including, no doubt, some that have only been seen once.

Also, where birds are resident in this type of area they get used to joggers and dog-walkers, etc. If anyone puts food out for the birds on a regular basis (everywhere like this seems to have a regular 'Bird-lady!) then the birds will totally ignore people - one Nuthatch in my local wood actually perched on a dog owned by a regular bird-feeding lady whilst it was waiting for her to scatter the seed!

[Alastair Rae]

Christine,

I've been taking my bins for the occassional walk on Hampstead Heath for many years. In the centre of Ken Wood, at the top of a little hill, there is a clearing with a bench. Try sitting there for a while. You should get a nuthatch. I've also seen all three species of woodpecker at that spot.

Also listen out for the screech of the ring-necked parakeets which have established themselves on the Heath in recent years.

Check out the reedy pond south of the Ladies' Pond for kingfisher.

Good luck!

[Surreybirder]

I took my fiancee to Hampstead Heath when she rashly expressed a mild interst in birds. Didn't see much except great tit, as far as I can remember! But i lived in central London for several years and it was surprising how much you could see with persistence. For example the lakes in St James Park and Hyde Park often held quite a few 'wild' birds. I saw quite a few migrant species in St JP (spotted flycatcher, common sandpiper, whitethroat etc) so persistence is probably the key.

[Tero]

Hi all,
Tero,the only problem with spring is that the trees are covered in leaves and i cant see a thing,can hear them though which makes it really infuriating!
Carlos,ive heard of Barnes Wetland centre,bit far from here though,do want to visit it at some point though,maybe when im a bit more proficient(that may take some time!)
Pete,Bill oddie doesnt live too far away,but w'ell keep it a secret!!

Christine

I know the leaf problem, but lots of birds are out before all the trees are in leaf. And they will boldly announce their territory so you can find them in spring by that.

As already pointed out, in winter, birds are out early, so your first hour of daylight is best. Coffee, take a walk, more coffee when back! Then breakfast.

[christine]

Thanks guys,i guess its just a matter of persistence then.
Will try and get up there early one morning,the weather doesnt look too inviting at the moment though!Am i right in thinking that you all go out in all weathers,cos im starting to feel lazy here?!

Christine

[christine]

Alistair,the area around Kenwood is probably my favourite bit of the heath,you can really forget you're in London.
Had a quick look at your website,smashing pictures,how long did you have to wait for that owl to pop its head out of the bird box?(im presuming it was a birdbox?)

Christine

[Tero]

Almost never go out in rain.

[pduxon]

Not all weathers. I have been out in wind and rain BUT not that often!!

[Gill Osborne]

It depends on the weather as to whether I go out....went out in all sorts of conditions when I was younger. Has to be really bad monsoon rains though to keep me indoors...if the weather outside is even halfway decent then i feel guilty if I stay indoors! Do a lot more housework during the winter months!!! Summer evenings are for getting out to the coast and watching the terns at St Mary's!!!
Have watched birds in all conditions but REALLY heavy rain doesn't seem to produce much of note!
As one person has already said...it'll soon be spring and everything will get going again...and being outdoors early on before most folk even get out of bed is sheer heaven!

GILL XXX

[orniebernie]

hi christine!
you must be more patient. always keep your eyes open everywhere and try to go birding as much as you can. the more you will be birding, the more you will see.
greetings from the netherlands, bernou

[Elizabeth Bigg]

hi christine!
you must be more patient. always keep your eyes open everywhere and try to go birding as much as you can. the more you will be birding, the more you will see.
greetings from the netherlands, bernou

Hi bernou - I've just noticed this is your first post - so welcome to the Forum!

[tom mckinney]

Or can go to the birdsong section of Birdforums and listen to it and hopefully remember or take a recording?


Where is the birdsong section?

[Bluetail]

Tom, it's under the "Resources" drop-down menu at the top of the page.

Jason

[rogerk]

All weathers are good, except perhaps when it's particularly windy as the birds will stay in deep cover for as long as they can.
A nuthatch's call is a fairly loud 'twiddit twiddit' and can usually be heard above most other woodland calls, also they prefer taller rather than shorter trees, good luck!

[samuel walker]

You'll make Euan jealous!! Just keep looking it really is amazing when you realise you are getting better!

Another good read is Bill Oddie's Introduction to Birdwatching. Very easy to get hold of and very readable.

Listen for song, even if you can't recognise the bird (I can't 90% of the time)
A trick I learned from a seasoned birder was watch and listen to the corvids.Crows and jays are very intolerant of raptors.If you here and see a band of crows circiling a tree there's likely to be a hawk or owl in it.A large hawk or owl won't fight them they run and you can get fantastic views of the bird.Accipiters and falcons will turn and attack.Gulls will mob herons.
Happy birding
Sam

[christine]

Hi guys,
well ive been out & about a few times up the heath & seem to be making some progress.
Saw my Nuthatch & a male Goldcrest so im making some progress.Hoping to go up there tomorrow or monday as the weather report looks promising, i'll let you know how i get on.
And yeah, i'd definitely recommend bill oddies books.Very readable and a great incentive!
Take care everyone,

Christine

[Gill Osborne]

That's a good point Sam...one that I'll certainly keep in mind when I'm out birding!
Especially the one about crows mobbing a raptor. In January 2002 I was at work and it was early - about 7.45am - just started when I heard one hell of a commotion from across the road. All I could see were about 50+ Jackdaws, calling very loudly and what looked like two of them on the ground really scrapping away! It reminded me so much of a playground battle...two of them scrapping whilst everyone else gathered around and yelled encouragement! Even my boss came into the front of the shop to see what all the commotion was!
I thought that one of the Jackdaws was being picked on so decided to intervene and ran across the road to break them up. As I approached and was just feet away a male Sparrowhawk suddenly broke free from the commotion and flew away! What I had seen was a Sparrowhawk on the ground, on it's back with talons trying to rake the Jackdaw which was on top of it...surrounded by all it's mates 'egging' it on...well, ok, they were probably making so much noise to warn of a predators presence!
Was an amazing experience and one that had me buzzing all day...and I wonder why they think I'm strange! Just wish I'd been able to share it with more folks and show them how wonderful nature is and how the unexpected can pop up at any moment!

GILL