A glimpse of birdlife through a lens

Shaun Radcliffe, of Bradford Ornithological Group, explained why he had chosen a particular route for a morning's birdwatching.

The circular walk goes through Hirst Wood in Shipley, then back along the Leeds-Liverpool Canal, with views across the River Aire.

Different habitats are home to different species, so clutching binoculars, off we went. But sight is only one of the senses that proves useful when you're birding.

Hearing plays an important role. "The call of a bird lets you know it is there," says Shaun, who is the group's chairman. "So you can look carefully for it."

"When you are interested in birdwatching you get to know the characteristics of the birds. One of those is the call, so if you cannot see the birds, you can hear them.

He turns and looks to the left, towards a tall shrub. I can't see it, but there's a bird making a tsee-tsee-tsee' sound. "That's a blue tit," he says.

Quickly, I focused my binoculars on the spot, but failed to find the common woodland and garden bird.

Being able to identify birds by their song is particularly useful in summer, adds Shaun, when there is a lot more leaf cover. "At that time of year it is harder to find birds and their calling helps to locate them."

Some birds produce a range of notes. "The great tit, for instance, has lots of different calls," says Shaun. His calls include a pink' which is similar to that of a chaffinch, and others are louder versions of notes made by other tits, so great care is needed in identification.

Another distinguishing characteristic is a bird's jizz' - the way it flies. "You can recognise a bird flying past by its flight," says Shaun, "The great spotted woodpecker, for instance, has an undulating flight. A kestrel hovers."

Another way to identify a bird is by the way it searches for grubs. Says Shaun: "Treecreepers move up the bark of the tree, while the nuthatch goes down."

A moment later, we hear a loud tuk-tuk' from high up in the trees. "That's a mistle thrush," says Shaun. He peers through his binoculars and spots one, although not close enough for us to get a good look.

Now in its 21st year, Bradford Ornithological Group organises walks at locations across the district. In June a walk from Bingley to Hirst Wood is planned.

"We will be looking for signs that birds have successfully bred," says Shaun. "We may see them with their young, or going into thickets carrying food, or carrying the faecal sac (containing droppings) away from the nest."

The group has 180 members. In spring they meet on Saturday mornings for outings to Hirst Wood, the River Aire and Shipley Glen. Local outings to other spots are held around three times a year.

Sites frequented by the group include Addingham Moor, Dowley Gap Works, Chelker Reservoir, Chellow Dene, Esholt and Buck Woods, Ilkley Moor and Harden Moor. Sightings are recorded on the group's informative website - the most recent include a glaucous gull on Cullingworth Fields, a Siberian white-fronted goose in Hawkesbridge Lane, Oxenhope, and seven snow buntings on Soil Hill above Thornton.

The group - which produces a monthly newsletter - also give talks about birds and birdwatching to schools across the district.

Among the bird population, Shaun particularly admires the whitethroat, a summer visitor to heaths, commons, scrub and hedgerows. "He comes from Africa and arrives in late April or May and returns in August or September.

And he also loves to spot the agile tree climber, the nuthatch. "It is a lovely bird to photograph - a slate grey colour with an interesting shape."

As a pastime, says Shaun, birdwatching is very relaxing. "It is therapeutic. It is particularly enjoyable in spring when you get a whole influx of new birds flying over from Africa - like the white throat, warblers such as the willow warbler and the chiffchaff."

He adds: "If we were walking in Hirst Wood in April or May it would sound like an aviary."

He adds: Birdwatching also gets you out of the house, you visit different areas of the countryside which make up different habitats - woodland, moorland, wetlands, lakes, reservoirs. There are so many within this district, we concentrate on what is local."

Spotting a rare bird is not, Shaun stresses, a common occurrence. So it is all the more thrilling when it does happen. "About 12 years ago I saw a black stork flying through the Wharfe Valley near Barden Tower. It had been spotted in Lancashire the previous day so the sighting was confirmed. It was on what we call a migrant fly-through', moving up the Continent but being blown across the country. I had my binoculars with me and my wife saw it too."

As we emerged from the wood, rain started to fall. A couple of blue tits sought refuge in an evergreen shrub beside the footpath.

We turned onto the canal towpath, spotting a couple of mallards bobbing about on the water. "There's a heron," Shaun said, looking skywards. Sure enough, the large shape was gracefully flying overhead, its long neck to the front and legs stretched out behind.

Two minutes later, Shaun was lucky again. "A jay, in the wood," he exclaimed.

There it was, in a tree at the far side of the canal, its pink plumage and flashes of blue standing out against the brown background. The bird - the most colourful member of the crow family - is normally shy, but stayed on the branch in full view, for many minutes.

Then, to our delight, it was joined by a second jay, which also didn't seem too camera shy, enabling the T&A photographer to grab a couple more close-up snaps.

"Many of our members take photographs," says Shaun, "We put some of them on the website." Some of them are reproduced here.

Had the river not been in flood, Shaun pointed out, we might have been lucky enough to see a goosander, the handsome diving duck belonging to the sawbill family, so-called because of their long, serrated bills used for catching fish. "When the river is in flood they go elsewhere, like reservoirs," Shaun explained.

A passing walker stopped to chat, telling us how he recently saw a kingfisher. "Marvellous," he said.

Birdwatching is a social pastime. In fact, I can't see any drawbacks. Not every hobby offers fresh air, exercise and countless, feathered, points of interest.

• Bradford Ornithological Group offers family or individual membership. For more details contact Shaun Radcliffe at 8 Longwood Avenue, Bingley BD16 2RX e-mail: shaun.radcliffe@tesco.net or the group's membership secretary Ruth Porter, Loen', Low Springs, Baildon BD17 6BG.

• Membership costs £12 individual and £20 for a family.

• The group's most recent annual report can be obtained from Jennie Barker, 4 Chapel Fold, Slack Lane, Oakworth, Keighley BD22 ORQ. It costs £6 plus £1 p+p.