FIRECREST TOURS : Guided Birdwatching & Wildlife Days

Wood Warbler (BTO) Migrant birds are likely to be particularly vulnerable to climate change because they can be affected by changing conditions on the breeding grounds, wintering grounds or passage areas in between. Many  long distance migrants that breed in the UK and winter in Africa are in severe decline , and previous BTO work has shown this can be related to  changing conditions in Africa , which affect overwinter survival, as well as to  conditions on British breeding grounds . BTO research published last year showed that although  conditions in Africa can ‘carry-over’  and affect the timing of nesting in this country, the most important factor influencing breeding was spring temperature in the UK. A new study by the BTO and the  University of Sheffield  builds upon the work by considering the impacts of climatic variation in passage regions, as well as the breeding and non-breeding grounds. It focuses on three declining migratory s...

Redwing (BTO) Thanks to the efforts of over 1,600 volunteers, our Winter Thrushes Survey covered more than 3,000 different locations in the first year of fieldwork. Over 12,500 visits were made overall, with Sussex hitting the top of the county leader board for core site visits.  Initital exploration of the data  suggest that winter thrushes switch from feeding in trees to ground feeding as the autumn progresses and that this switch may occur at different times for the different species. http://www.bto.org/news-events/news/2013-07/winter-thrushes-survey-update

Cuckoo (BTO) Of the 18 Cuckoos we are tracking with satellite tags this year, 12 have already left the UK. Of the remaining six, three were tagged in Scotland and three in Norfolk. Those tagged in Devon, Sussex and Wales have already set off on migration. We currently have Cuckoos in France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Corsica.  Take a look at the latest positions and blogs here. http://www.bto.org/news-events/news/2013-07/two-thirds-tagged-cuckoos-have-left

A huge amount has happened in the eighty-year lifetime of the BTO. Whilst the life expectancy of a man has increased from 53 to 78 and that for a woman from 60 to 81, much of our bird life has fared rather less well. In five pages we focus on the range of the BTO’s achievements over eight decades – from its role in the discovery of DDT’s impact on raptor populations, via the reactions to Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring and on to more recent concerns about farmland, woodland and migrant birds. Throughout this period our members, whether amateurs or professionals, have helped to shed light on the issues facing Britain’s birds and the habitats we share with them.

Carrion Crow (BTO) A black crow flies over - but is it a Crow, a Rook or even a Raven? Our latest bird ID video attempts to help you to separate these confusing species, along with their smaller cousins: Jackdaw and Chough.  Watch the Corvids bird ID video now . If you enjoy our Youtube channel, subscribe for free to receive updates when new videos are posted. Related Downloads   Bird Table 70 - Jackdaw article   (343.5 KB) http://www.bto.org/news-events/news/2013-06/crow-rook-or-raven