Dear Readers, a few months ago we had a quiz on autumn migrants to the UK but now, as the seasons turn, they are leaving and the spring migrants are arriving. So, this week, can you match the name of the bird to the photo? I have only chosen birds that are summer visitors only (in some species there are residents and migrants), but even so there are still twenty species, so just as well I’ve given you a week :-). I have also been cheeky and sometimes chosen two closely-related species just so that you don’t get bored.

As I was preparing the quiz I noticed two things. Firstly, there are a lot of summer visitors, especially amongst the ‘little brown jobs’ such as the chats and the warblers, so I am going to do a separate quiz on this bunch in a few weeks for the masochists among you. Secondly, spring is such an exciting time for birdwatchers in the UK! With any luck we’ll be able to get out and about a little bit more this year, Covid willing. I have never noticed the comings and goings of creatures as much as I have this year, and there is something rather nice about tuning in in this way. I’m sure a lot of those reading this will have had similar experiences. Earlier on this week I was asking about those ‘magic animals’ that turn up rarely, but when I was watching my hairy-footed flower bees earlier this week, I thought about how precious those ‘regular’ creatures are too.

As usual, the solutions will be published next Friday (2nd April) so if you would like to be marked, please put your answers in the comments by Thursday 1st April. As soon as I see any answers I will acknowledge them and then ‘disappear’ them so that they don’t influence other people, but if you’re easily swayed by other people’s brilliance (like me 🙂 ) you might want to write your answers down first.

Match the species name to the photo. So if you think the bird in Photo 1 is an osprey, your answer is 1) A)

Onwards!

Species Names

A. Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

B. Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus)

C. Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla)

D. Sand Martin (Riparia riparia)

E. Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)

F. Little Tern (Sterna albifrons)

G. Garganey (Anas querquedula)

H. Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus)

I. Sooty Shearwater (Puffinus griseus)

J. Puffin (Fratercula arctica)

K. Great Skua (Stercorarius skua)

L. Ring Ouzel (Turdus torquatus)

M. Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea)

N. Arctic Skua (Parasitic Jaeger) (Stercorarius parasiticus)

O. Manx Shearwater (Puffinus puffinus)

P. Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius)

Q. Hobby (Falco subbuteo)

R. Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur)

S. Swift (Apus apus)

T. House Martin (Delichon urbica)