Feather types
All birds have feathers. They provide birds with insulation and physical protection, the means to flight and also provide most of the colour used for display, sexual selection and even camouflage. Feathers are extremely light in weight and replaceable and regularly replaced. Feathers are moulted regularly and discarded individual feathers are frequently encountered, especially compared to finding dead birds. Different structures of feathers perform different functions on a bird. Feathers can be broadly divided into down feathers (which are the insulation under the main feathers) and vaned feathers which form the body (contour) feathers as well as the longer tail and wing feathers. If you find a long, narrow feather it is probably either one of the longer tail feathers (called rectrices) or one of the flight feathers of the wing (called remiges). The longer flight feathers (eg the primaries) are usually particularly asymmetrical, with a narrower leading edge, and broader pattern. SAVI’S WARBLER BIRD RACES PHEASANT JAY GREY HERON Early May is the best time to take on a ‘bird race’, or what our American friends would call a ‘Big Day’. The idea is to see (or hear) as many different birds as possible in a 24-hour period. In its purest sense, there is no limit as to where you watch, but most bird races have some kind of geographic limit, perhaps most often within a given county. But you may want to try your local parish, patch or country park, or even your garden. In the extreme, you may even carry out what the Americans have called the Big Sit, where you are restricted to what you can record strictly from within a predetermined tiny area (often defined as being a 17 foot diameter circle). Number of House Martin nests on UK houses Year of only accepted occurrence of Purple Martin
Number of times Tree Swallow has occurred in UK Here are 10 tips to bird race success Carry out reconnaissance to find out where the birds are
Include a wide range of habitats in your route
Plan your route in advance Stick to your plan Use both night periods
Find the best possible dawn chorus spot you can
Don’t be distracted by rare birds seen off route
All birds count the same, so don’t waste too much time on one bird
Heard-only counts, so don’t try to see everything
Learn flight calls! BARN OWL