Birds of a feather flock together – and so do translators! After Amélie and I bonded over our shared love of birds, we decided to set up a bilingual blog all about them. And to get it under way, we’ve both answered a few questions about our birding experiences so far. Read on to find out more – including which species is the elusive “one that got away”. And when you’re done, don’t forget to read the interview with Amélie: Birdwatcher and Translator
Hello, where do you live?
I live in Ripon in Yorkshire. It’s a tiny city in northern England and there’s a lot of farmland nearby, but we do also have a few small forests and plenty of rivers and streams. In fact, three rivers converge here, so there’s quite a range of different habitats.
What are your favourite species?
This is a trick question, isn’t it? If I had to limit myself to two, it would be the Eurasian bittern or the osprey.
I’ve spent many an hour staring at reeds, knowing a bittern is probably in there somewhere. Their camouflage doesn’t look like much, but watch them take two steps into the reeds and they simply vanish. And no other bird has a call quite like the bittern’s.
One of my favourite all-time birding memories is watching an osprey dive into Findhorn Bay in the north of Scotland and emerge with an unhappy-looking fish. They’re amazing birds, and watching them hunt was a real privilege!
What’s your favourite reserve?
The best place locally is Nosterfield nature reserve. It’s where I saw my first (and so far only!) bittern, it gets all sorts of rare and wonderful visitors and it’s generally inhabited by extremely knowledgeable birders who can tell a sedge warbler from a reed warbler at half a mile.
Having said that, I’d have to give the top spot to RSPB Otmoor in Oxfordshire. The first time I ever went, there were kingfishers, red kites, hobbies, a turtle dove, great white egrets and more, including the star of the show, a marsh harrier who put on a brilliant close-up display for us. (The second time I went, I barely saw a single bird, but that’s birdwatching for you!
How did you get into birdwatching?
I’ve always been interested in the natural world, and birds are one of the easiest creatures to spot. I started with the garden birds – for me, that was sparrows, blackbirds, robins and the like – and it all spiralled from there. Marrying a fellow birdwatcher has only encouraged me!
Which bird have you always wanted to see?
It’s a bit of a cliché, but I’ve never seen a golden eagle. I’ve seen what’s often called the “tourist’s eagle” – aka a common buzzard – a thousand times, but never the real thing. Perhaps one day!
Which bird are you unluckiest with?
I once went on a boat trip off the coast of western Scotland specifically to see the “flying barn door” – the white-tailed eagle. We saw lots of great wildlife, but no eagles of any kind! There’s a reintroduction project down south, on the Isle of Wight. I’m hoping they do well!
What’s your funniest birdwatching story?
A couple of months ago, I was working at my computer very early one morning when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a pigeon land on the porch outside my window. So far, so normal. I slowly realised it was very large for a pigeon, and as I turned to look, I found it was actually a grey heron standing a few feet away from me! I’m not sure who was more surprised. We just stared at each other for a few seconds before it flew away.
And finally, do you have any birdwatching advice to share?
Other birdwatchers are an invaluable resource. If you’re at a reserve, they’ll know what to look for and when, and you can normally spot them by their expensive-looking equipment. But you don’t need a lot of money to start birdwatching – even a basic pair of binoculars can really help. If you don’t recognise a bird (and it happens to us all!), try to snap a shot on your phone. Even if it’s blurry, you might just capture a detail that will help you identify it later.
But the most important tool to have is patience! You never know when the next big sighting is going to come along, and if you just stay another five minutes, well…
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Amélie Le Jeune – Traductrice de l’anglais vers le français
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