December birding challenge
MAKE the most of the Christmas holiday and aim to achieve these goals this month. Let us know on Twitter using the hashtag #DecemberBirdingChallenge which ones you tick off.
Find a woodcock
Large numbers of Eurasian Woodcock spend the winter in Britain, with more than 80% being Continental birds. Most have arrived by the end of November, but cold weather could bring more. Found over the whole of Britain in winter, there are possibly more than a million in a good season, so there should be a bird in some damp woodland somewhere near you – but can you find it?
Swans a-swimming
See all three British wild swans during the month, and make sure they are all swimming! Not too hard with Mute Swan, but often Bewick’s and Whooper are seen feeding on fields – which doesn’t count. Pick the right place and you could see them all in a single day.
Ducks a-diving
How many species of diving duck can you find in a day? Common Pochard, Tufted Duck and Common Goldeneye should be easy, but can you make five? This isn’t so simple without the chance of Ruddy Duck, but all you need is a sawbill and one other and that will clinch it.
Finches a-flying
See if you can identify five species of finch in flight in a day. It doesn’t count if you first identify the bird when perched and watch it fly off. Every bird must be picked out as a fly-over, by call or plumage. Chaffinch, Greenfinch and Goldfinch are easy, but then you have to find Common Linnet, Lesser Redpoll, Eurasian Siskin or Brambling.
Mural of buntings
The collective noun for buntings is a mural, but you don’t have to see this collection together. The mission, should you choose to accept it, is to see five buntings in the month. These will probably be Reed and Corn Buntings and Yellowhammer, plus Lapland and Snow, unless you live in the South-West, where Cirl will be possible but the previous two more difficult. Chris Harbard