Who has got muddy feet then! This Moorhen struggles through.
And the mud is sliding off the foot here and we can just make out some yellow on the foot.
You would not want to be a fish looking up at that bill and stare would you?
(Ed Wilson)
RSPB Burton Mere - 23 Oct 18
Today I visited the RSPB Reserve at Burton Mere Wetlands on the Dee Estuary. After some splendid Autumn days it was of course rather dull and windy
One of the spectacles here in winter is the gathering of Pink-footed Geese – up to 10000 in the fields in and around the reserve. Here is a trio. Each species of geese has a different flight call and that can be a way to separate them – there are Canada and Greylag Geese here as well. Here we see the pale grey forewing, not as pale as shown by Greylag Geese which also shows a darker contrasting inner area. The smaller bill is mostly dark with a pink band whereas a Greylag has a completely pink-orange bill.
Compare and contrast time: the waders with mottled backs and curved bills are of course Curlew. At the left are three Black-tailed Godwits with straight bills and ‘smoother’ plumage. Almost the same size as Curlew. The bird at the extreme right is a Ruff but you’d do well to identify it from this view. We can just about make out the rather mottled back, the rather short straight bill and the ochre wash on the face. But ...
Also compare and contrast: an escape Black Swan shares the pool with a rather unexpected ‘wild swan’ – a Whooper Swan. The other wild swan that visits the UK, Bewick’s Swan, is smaller with a shorter neck and less yellow on the bill. In front on the left is a Black-tailed Godwit. The smaller waders in front of the Whooper Swan are Common Redshank.
And here is a trio of Common Redshanks. When the legs are hidden underwater the bi-coloured bill and the white eye-ring are identification clues. Behind we see a drake Shoveler with its odd-shaped bill. Not quite yet in full plumage
Shoveler were bathing and behaving more like diving ducks. In an attempt to wet all his under-feathers this immature drake has exposed his pale blue forewing normally visible only in flight.
Also with muddy feet is this Little Egret having a bad hair day – it was rather windy! This species is separated from other ‘white herons’ by its yellow feet but if it has been in the mud that may not apply.
In close up we see the breeding ‘aigrets’ hanging over the back and sprouting from the breast. Note also the elongated feathers on the crown.
This was the highlight of the day. It is a Water Pipit. Frustratingly it stayed behind the sedges and I could not persuade the camera to focus through to the bird. This species nests on uplands mainly in Scandinavia but is a regular if scarce visitor to the UK in winter. At this time of year it is best identified by the rather prominent wing-bars. It is slightly larger than Meadow Pipit and the very closely-related and rather grey-toned Rock Pipit would be much less likely inland. In Spring the Water Pipit’s breast moults to a distinctive peachy colour.
At extreme range on reed-mace waving in the breeze we see a Stonechat. This is a male with the white collar. His feathers will abrade during the winter and in Spring he will be almost black and white with a peachy breast.