Nightingales in November (60 page)

Still in their mixed species flocks, the Blue Tits will be continuing to work their regular beat close to where they bred, as they undertake the dual daily challenge of both finding enough to eat, yet avoiding being eaten themselves. Despite the mobile nature of these flocks they're thought to only range over a reasonably small area, with ringing data suggesting that urban and suburban Blue Tits roam even less than their country cousins. This may be down to a variety of
factors, such as conurbations being a degree or two warmer than the surrounding countryside, and urban areas offering more roosting spots and feeding opportunities, thanks to the provision of both nest boxes and food by enthusiastic householders.

Certainly it is highly unlikely that urban adult Peregrine Falcons will move far from the site where they raised their brood over the summer either. Once the young have finally dispersed, the reduced hunting burden will leave them free to concentrate on their moult, which in many cases should be approaching completion by the end of the month. Captive birds have been observed taking anywhere between 128 and 185 days to carry out their entire moult, a lengthy period, but one that is deemed essential for any species that must remain airborne throughout the entire process. To ensure the Peregrine will still be able to hunt effectively at this time, the feathers will need to be replaced in a precise and meticulous sequence to make sure any reduction in speed and agility is kept to the absolute minimum. This ‘new coat' will not only increase their hunting efficiency, but will also keep them both warm and well protected during the winter months. Aware that well maintained plumage will be one of the keys for survival, the Peregrine will spend a significant portion of its day meticulously preening as it attempts to keep each feather in as good a condition as possible, for as long as possible.

Any established Tawny Owls, which until now will have only been calling sporadically, will shift from first to fifth gear quickly as they reassert ownership of their territory with winter rapidly approaching. The classic hoot is a clear
territorial declaration that will quickly be backed up with aggressive intent, and even direct attack, if any intruding bird refuses to beat a hasty retreat. The call's depth of pitch will also vary between individual owls and is thought to be directly related to the bird's body mass. Additionally, the bigger, heavier males are also believed to be able to hold the last tremulous note for longer. Any trespassing owl eavesdropping on these hoots will be able to instantly process all this information in order to decide whether it might either fancy its chances, or simply exercise caution by beating a hasty retreat. Tawny Owls are even thought to be able to recognise individuals on the basis of their calls, enabling each bird to differentiate between a familiar neighbour in an adjacent territory, which may not even elicit a response, and a new owl on the block, which will instantly set off territorial alarm bells.

With most boundary disputes resolved, most resident Robins will by now be fully ensconced in their respective territories for the rest of the winter. Despite a lowering of the state of alert from red to amber, any territory-holding Robin will still be looking to drive out any other Robins caught trespassing, with some landlords busier than others. Interestingly, any Robins holding an inland territory will probably have to issue far fewer eviction notices than those individuals maintaining territories along the east coast, which at this time of year may also have to contend with an influx of continental Robins. The numbers crossing the North Sea will vary enormously each autumn, but in certain years the number of Robins arriving from Scandinavia and the Low Countries can be very high, such as the 1,500 recorded along the coast of Essex over just a couple of days in October 1988. Considered a different race to our resident Robins, the continental birds tend to have a yellowy-orange breast and a far more skulking nature than the confiding British race. Fortunately for our native Robins'
sanity this influx is only usually a temporary one, as the majority of these continental Robins will be doing little more than resting up and foraging before then moving down to spend the winter much further south in Spain, Portugal or even North Africa. The minority of continental Robins that do choose to stick around all winter, however, will pose more of a threat as they attempt to wrestle parcels of real estate off resident birds for the duration of their stay.

Possibly even more antisocial than the Robin, our Kingfishers will currently be spending the entire winter hunkered down alone in their respective territories, hoping that the winter will stay sufficiently mild to prevent their favourite fishing spot from freezing over. Very cold winters can have a huge impact on Kingfisher populations, with sub-zero temperatures forcing birds to either dive through ice or move elsewhere to find food. Even in those winters when the water keeps flowing, the depressed temperatures will make their quarry for more difficult to catch. To conserve energy during the winter, fish tend to be far more torpid and will frequently resort to remaining well hidden on the stream-bed or tucked along the riverbank, making them even more difficult to catch. Needing to eat frequently due to their diminutive size, it has been estimated that Kingfishers will need to consume around 60% of their body weight each day just to ensure they can generate enough heat to see them through the night. With so many demands placed on this tough little bird it is perhaps no surprise that relatively few will live to see their third birthday.

A far more catholic diet will ensure that the variety of feeding locations for Lapwings is way more diverse than for the
supremely specialised Kingfishers, but the weather will still play a critical role in deciding the precise habitat this sociable wader is able to use at any one time. The core historic winter distribution for Lapwings was across southern or central England, where mixed farmland containing livestock feeding on improved permanent pasture predominated, but due to the recent run of milder winters, more Lapwings are now being reported principally from arable lands in more easterly areas. The favoured fields of many flocks seem to be those which are cultivated for winter cereals, such as wheat, barley and oats, with oilseed rape rarely touched. While the arable crops seem to have richer feeding opportunities, they are also more prone to frosts, so if the ground temporarily becomes frozen, instantly rendering the soil invertebrates unobtainable, the flock will have a decision to make. Needing to move before risking starvation, the Lapwings will then either take a short flight to a habitat which will be more resistant to frost, such as nearby grassland, or tackle a much longer journey, to a more amenable climate further west. Being able to quickly find and exploit transient food sources provided by cultivation and harvesting means that providing the freeze is not too deep or widespread, the Lapwings will usually be able to find more than enough food to see them through the winter. In fact this uncanny ability to find food will often be taken advantage of by other species, with Golden Plover often using Lapwings to locate the best feeding sites. Large Lapwing flocks will also attract the unwelcome attentions of Black-headed and Common Gulls keen to use and abuse the Lapwings' food-finding attributes before then using their bigger bulk and bullying tactics to steal a free meal.

November

The slow inexorable slide to winter will quickly gather pace in November, as the rapidly declining temperatures and shorter days collude to take a firm grip on the wildlife. Certainly any mammal unable to cope with the cold and lack of food will have long since retired from view to hibernate. The mass-coordinated leaf fall will suddenly see the dreys of squirrels and empty bird nests standing out amongst the bare branches, with Ivy one of the few plants to buck the trend by providing a last splash of nectar for any insects also preparing to overwinter in a deep sleep. Many birds which opted to either stay in Britain or visit for the winter will find that the benefits of flocking together far outweigh those of a winter spent in splendid isolation, and now is the time to see wonderful aggregations of starlings, wagtails, tits, gulls and waders. With the summer migrants long since gone, by November it will be pretty
much one-way traffic across the North Sea, as a whole raft of different birds continue to exchange the cold continent for the milder climate on offer around the British Isles, thanks to its warm relationship with the Gulf Stream.