Sunday, January 31, 2016

Starling

Starling, Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB, 28th January 2016 © James Hanlon

Short-eared Owl

Short-eared Owl, Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB, 28th January 2016 © James Hanlon

Common Gull

1st Winter Common Gull, Cambridge Research Park, 28th January 2016 © James Hanlon

Peregrine Falcon

Peregrine Falcon, Willingham, 30th January 2016 © Colin Brown

Common Gull

Common Gull, Willingham, 30th January 2016 © Colin Brown

Sparrowhark and Carrion Crow

Sparrowhawk and Carrion Crow, Willingham, 30th January 2016 © Colin Brown

Starling

Starling, Willingham, 30th January 2016 © Colin Brown

Green Woodpecker

Green Woodpecker, Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB, 28th January 2016 © Neil Bramwell

Goldeneye

Goldeney, Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB, 28th January 2016 © Neil Bramwell

Friday, January 29, 2016

Iceland Gull

Iceland Gull, Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB, 28th January 2016 © James Hanlon
1st winter dark variant.
James has asked me to add that this is the same bird that he photographed 8th January (posted 10th January) but labelled as Kumlein's Gull. He now believes the latest identification is more likely to be correct although definitive confirmation is still awaited. ED

Short-eared Owl

Short-eared Owl, Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB, 28th Januuary 2016 © James Hanlon

Monday, January 25, 2016

Iceland Gull

Iceland Gull, Cambridge Research Park, 23rd January 2016 © Jon Heath

Glaucous Gull

3rd Winter Glaucous Gull, Cambridge Research Park, 23rd January 2016 © Jon Heath

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Yellow-legged Gull and Caspian Gull

Yellow-legged Gull and Caspian Gull, Cambridge Research Park, 23rd January 2016 © James Hanlon

'With the legs invisible this species pair on the water can be a bit challenging - particularly at range in fading light (typical conditions when checking a gravel pit or reservoir roost!). I've noticed that Caspian tends to appear longer-bodied on the water and this is obvious here. The head and bill profile are obviously different - Caspian's sloping forehead and long bill making it look like it's been pulled by its bill! It is darker-eyed than the YLG and this holds true for the majority of birds. The eye-ring is another good feature - obvious and red on the YLG but less obvious on the casp - due in part because its head is turned slightly but also because it is orange. Another obvious feature visible here is 'P10' - the underside of the longest primary is mainly white in Caspian (broad black bar separates off the white tip) but mainly black in YLG, with a white mirror near the tip. The mantle shade is almost identical here but averages slightly paler on Caspian (both overlap broadly with Scandanavian herring gull). The narrow, incomplete dark band on the bill of the Caspian is another clue but isn't diagnostic. It is present to a degree on most adults in winter but only on subadult yellow-legged, adults of which also tend to have more brightly coloured (and shorter, stubbier-looking) bills. Beware herring gulls in late winter when they have clean white heads due to losing their streaks - dark-eyed Scandanavian birds are rare but a potential pitfall. The primary pattern is similar to that of Caspian and they are best separated on overall structure.' JH 
Written at my request as this image seemed a suitable opportunity to explain the differences - thanks James. ED

Caspian Gull

Adult Caspian Gull, Cambridge Research Park, 23rd January 2016 © James Hanlon

Slavonian Grebe

Slavonian Grebe, Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB, 23rd January 2016 © Neil Bramwell

Caspian Gull

Caspian Gull, Cambridge Research Park, 23rd January 2016 © Neil Bramwell
Top photo Adult, bottom photo Juvenile.

Yellow-legged Gull

Yellow-legged Gull, Cambridge Research Park, 23rd January 2016 © Neil Bramwell

Friday, January 22, 2016

Short-eared Owl

    Kestrel attacking
    Kestrel stealing vole
Short-eared Owl, Burwell Fen, 20th January 2016 © Geoff Harries

Kestrel

Male Kestrel, Paxton Pits, 21st January 2016 © Phil Smith

Glaucous Gull

3rd winter Glaucous Gull, Cambridge Research Park, 21st January 2016 © Steve Cooper

Caspian Gull

Adult Caspian Gull, Cambridge Research Park, 21st January 2016 © Steve Cooper

Yellow-legged Gull

3rd CY Yellow-legged Gull, Cambridge Research Park, 21st January 2016 © Steve Cooper

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Pintail

Drake Pintail, Wicken Fen, 20th January 2016 © Roger Cresswell

Wigeon

Drake Wigeon, Wicken Fen, 20th January 2016 © Roger Cresswell

Carrion Crow

Carrion Crow, Wicken Fen, 20th January 2016 © Roger Cresswell

Reed Bunting

Female Reed Bunting, Wicken Fen, 20th January 2016 © Roger Cresswell

Slavonian Grebe

Slavonian Grebe, Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB, 20th January 2016 © Nigel Sprowell

Goldeneye

Drake Goldeneye, Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB, 20th January 2016 © Nigel Sprowell

Tree Sparrow

Tree Sparrow, Ouse Washes RSPB, 20th January 2016 © Neil Bramwell

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Slavonian Grebe

Slavonian Grebe, Fen Drayton Lakes RSPB, 19th January 2016 © Garth Peacock