Though the hot days of summer are traditionally a quieter period of the birding calendar, the month sees the start of return passage for some birds, and there are always great birds to enjoy, like these five.
RARITY RATINGS
Common, widely distributed Localised – always a treat Very scarce or rare
GREENSHANK
The elegant yet somehow equally gawky Greenshank is, like most of our waders, a northern breeding bird. This includes a population breeding in north and west Scotland, which may be as many as 1,000 pairs strong (though the last survey was more than 20 years ago). In July, we start to see juvenile birds returning from the breeding grounds and making their leisurely progress south, usually through freshwater sites. They are darker backed and more evenly marked than adults. Greenshanks are shy birds, and noisily declare when they are disturbed. These juveniles sound like they have the breaking voice of a teenager, as they shout out their ‘tew tew tew’ scolding calls.
SANDWICH TERN
As with many colonially nesting seabirds, avian influenza has had a devastating on this large, pale, shaggy-crested, black-billed tern. Almost exclusively a coastal species, specialising in eating small fish, in summer, birds may wander across land and turn up at pits, lakes, reservoirs etc to rest, preen and perhaps to feed before moving on. Alternatively, they can be seen at the coast, especially near their colonies.
CURLEW SANDPIPER
Like a tall, long-necked, long-billed, neater, ‘cleaner’ version of juvenile Dunlin, but with a white rump, the juvenile Curlew Sandpiper is a scarce treat. In July and into August, you may also see returning adults, which have a deep brick-red plumage (like a darker version of a Knot or Bar-tailed Godwit, in breeding feathers). They may also be moulting to the greyer winter plumage and so look a bit patchy. This is largely a freshwater species, favou
