A few photos from Belvide today:
So that is why they are called ‘Goldeneye’. Forget all those Tufted Ducks with yellow eyes: these really are golden.
There were >400 Lapwing present, as usual flying round and round, settling for a while and then flying up again. This is proof that if you take enough photos then at least a few capture the essence of this bird. When I looked at this photo I was surprised to see the mauve/brown colour at the base of the tail. I knew the undertail was this colour but had never noticed it on top before.
Both the colour at the base of the tail and the green sheen on the wings are seen here.
And two together.
“You’ve lost your bicycle”.
Here is a confusing – first-winter gull.
Here is the upper view. The slightly paler inner primaries rule out Lesser Black-backed Gull that would also show darker coverts. On a Herring Gull the inner primaries would be more contrasting. What about a Yellow-legged Gull? That should show a neat tail-band rather than the scruffy ending here. Other points to note are the large all-black bill and the sheer size of the primary and secondary feathers. This bird has to be a Great Black-backed Gull, probably a female – they are smaller – as it did not look that ‘lumbering’. While clearly larger than the nearby adult Lesser Black-backed Gull some Herring Gulls are very large. Also the head is not clearly ‘white’ as are many Great Black-backed Gulls.
A very different view of this bird. It had just had a bathe and took off, shaking itself dry as it did so.
Must have a cute Blue Tit.
I know I have done many Tree Sparrow pix. This is included because of two points. Firstly it is another – I assume – bird showing a small grey patch on the shoulder. Secondly it illustrates the edging on the tail-feathers.
And here is a couple of likely lads (of course the sexes are indistinguishable to look at, so ...).
A Goldfinch taking the sun between feeding on the Alder cones.
Just possible to make out a seed from one of the cones inside the bird’s bill.
(Ed Wilson)
