Saturday 13 December 2014

Sunny winters day

 Male and female Teal
 An interesting large gull with heavy streaking around the crown and ear coverts, darkish mantle and scaps with dark centred juvenile feathers
Presumably this is first-winter male Gadwall? Other males nearby had clean grey vermiculated flanks. According to Madge and Burn, juvenile Gadwalls acquire adult plumage by the first-summer.
 
An interesting couple of days at the farmlands. Yesterday I had a third-winter Caspian Gull and an adult Yellow-legged Gull and today (I didn't see them all) there was a Black Redstart (the first one on site since April 5th 2008 found by Prof and Swift), Cetti's Warbler, the juvenile Garganey still (first December record), 1 Bullfinch, 11 Water Rail and 1 Green Sandpiper.
 
Hopefully a few things still around tomorrow (including the good weather) for the associate members winter bird day. 

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