Bird notes
A robin is more than a red breast
Notice the pause between movements, the round outline and the way a robin claims a small patch of garden.
Bird notes
Recognising the birds that share our gardens
Bird notes
Watching a blue tit work through a tree
The most revealing view may be a bird searching the underside of a leaf rather than facing the camera.
Bird notes
The great tit and its changing calls
A two-note song is a useful introduction, but this bird has more than one voice.
Bird notes
A coal tit among the conifers
A small pale patch at the back of the head can settle an identification that the face alone leaves uncertain.
Bird notes
Following a family of long-tailed tits
Give a passing flock time to cross the garden; the first bird is rarely the whole story.
Bird notes
Blackbirds on the lawn and under the hedge
The lawn, leaf litter and the top of a tree offer three quite different views of the same species.
Bird notes
Listening for a song thrush
Repeated phrases and a warm brown back are useful clues, especially when the singer stays high above you.
Bird notes
Separating mistle thrush from song thrush
Use shape, posture and several markings together; a single photograph of spots can be deceptive.
Bird notes
The social life of house sparrows
The sound inside a hedge can tell you where a sparrow group spends its time, even when few birds are visible.
Bird notes
The quiet bird beneath the hedge
Look low, look slowly, and pay attention to the narrow bill on this easily overlooked garden bird.
Bird notes
Finding a wren without seeing much of it
A short upright tail, a burst of movement and an unexpectedly loud voice are often all you get.
Bird notes
Goldfinches around seed heads
A yellow wing bar can identify a bird whose face is hidden, or whose juvenile face has no red yet.