Sunday, August 30, 2015
Saturday, August 29, 2015
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Unidentified Species
Possible Weaver Species, Dunkirk, 22nd August 2015 © Tony Martin
'I've been overseas for a good chunk of the year, and very busy workwise for the remainder, so haven't yet even hooked up my big lens in 2015. I did, however, open the nets in my garden belatedly a few days ago (22 Aug), and caught about 100 of the usual August migrants plus a nightingale and a critter that was a complete mystery.
I'm attaching a few photos. It's a small bird, with a wing length of only 57mm and a weight of just 13g. I haven't yet found anyone who has confidently identified it, but the best guess is that it's a weaver, and possibly a streaked weaver. Streaked weavers are from India and not known for trans-continental migrations. Methinks this bird did not get to the Fens under its own steam!' TM
Can anyone shed any light on this one? ED
The following was added 2nd September 2015 - ED
'After a lot of going around in circles, narrowing down the field of possibilities, I think we might have an answer to the identity of that weaver I captured at Dunkirk 10 days or so ago. Josep del Hoyo thinks it is a black-winged bishop and, having looked at some photos on the web, I agree with him in that nothing else looks this similar to the bird in the hand. This species has been previously recorded in the UK, as Josep notes:
Yes I can (I think)… It is a female-type plumage of the Black-winged Bishop (Euplectes hordeaceus). It is an Euplectes for sure, but the females, immature and non-breeding males of this genus can be very similar and somewhat variable; anyway, the intensity of the yellow wash makes me think that it is a Black-winged… Five species of this genus, including this one, have been recorded as escapees in UK… TM
'I've been overseas for a good chunk of the year, and very busy workwise for the remainder, so haven't yet even hooked up my big lens in 2015. I did, however, open the nets in my garden belatedly a few days ago (22 Aug), and caught about 100 of the usual August migrants plus a nightingale and a critter that was a complete mystery.
I'm attaching a few photos. It's a small bird, with a wing length of only 57mm and a weight of just 13g. I haven't yet found anyone who has confidently identified it, but the best guess is that it's a weaver, and possibly a streaked weaver. Streaked weavers are from India and not known for trans-continental migrations. Methinks this bird did not get to the Fens under its own steam!' TM
Can anyone shed any light on this one? ED
The following was added 2nd September 2015 - ED
'After a lot of going around in circles, narrowing down the field of possibilities, I think we might have an answer to the identity of that weaver I captured at Dunkirk 10 days or so ago. Josep del Hoyo thinks it is a black-winged bishop and, having looked at some photos on the web, I agree with him in that nothing else looks this similar to the bird in the hand. This species has been previously recorded in the UK, as Josep notes:
Yes I can (I think)… It is a female-type plumage of the Black-winged Bishop (Euplectes hordeaceus). It is an Euplectes for sure, but the females, immature and non-breeding males of this genus can be very similar and somewhat variable; anyway, the intensity of the yellow wash makes me think that it is a Black-winged… Five species of this genus, including this one, have been recorded as escapees in UK… TM
Monday, August 24, 2015
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Ferruginous Duck x Pochard Hybrid
Ferruginous Duck x Pochard Hybrid, Ouse Fen RSPB, 19th August 2015 © Richard Thomas
'In case of interest, a compilation of some of the least worst phonescoped pix I could get of the drake presumed hybrid Ferruginous x Pochard hybrid that's been lurking around the Fen. ' RT
'In case of interest, a compilation of some of the least worst phonescoped pix I could get of the drake presumed hybrid Ferruginous x Pochard hybrid that's been lurking around the Fen. ' RT
Marsh Harrier
Marsh harrier, Fowlmere RSPB, 16th August 2015 © Colin Brown
'....some
snaps of the harriers showing sibling rivalry with one trying to snatch food
from another, .... and some of the
male adult passing a catch to a juvenile.' CB
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Saturday, August 15, 2015
Thursday, August 13, 2015
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