Today I made another visit to the member-only West Midland Bird Club Reserve at Belvide Reservoir near Gailey in Staffordshire. Here are some images from a very enjoyable visit.
Highlight of the day was a pair of Black-necked Grebes. Here is one. In winter they have a black back, hind-neck and crown and are otherwise pale grey. In summer plumage they are little stunners. These birds had stopped off on migration, probably to Fennoscandia or Iceland, though a few pairs breed in Northern Scotland.
Here is the pair – the sexes are the same. A third bigger than Little Grebe, in winter they are tricky to separate from Slavonian (or Horned) Grebe. The peaked head is the main clue though that can depend on posture. The latter species has a red neck in summer so no confusion now.
More mundane and dependable grebes: a pair of Great Crested Grebes displaying. Most pairs have nests now so display is mainly to maintain the bond.
Most dabbling ducks, other than the resident Mallard, have left for their breeding grounds. Those still here are in full breeding plumage as shown by this drake Teal. The extent of the yellow edging to the green on the head varies. This bird is holding its wing to obscure the white line normally seen along the flanks of drake, but in so-doing gives a good view of the elongated feathers on the back.
“Are you looking at me?”
And going away. Note how the angle of the light can make the green on the head go mauve – just as it can with the head of drake Mallards.
And the same effect is shown here on a duck Teal where the green speculum looks blue.
Note the pale spot behind the bill, in front of the eye. Often noted in birds guides as the best indicator of a duck Blue-winged Teal – a rare visitor to the UK. Afraid not – even if the speculum looks blue.
I told you the speculum was green really.
Now it has gone (pale) blue again.
Back to green.
There was a brisk E wind blowing and the Black-headed Gulls were battling in to the wind and feeding on a hatch of flies which had attracted >1000 Sand Martins. Here a first-summer bird turns to go back downwind for another pass.
A full summer-plumaged adult.
And here the underside.
And if you want a real close-up ...
This adult just scraping the water with its left win-tip. A Coot looks on.
Almost by accident I got some shots that included Sand Martins.
Two birds here but not doing as well as ...
... The adult Black-headed Gull formation team.
More practice needed by these two.
Another first summer bird – will not breed this year.
If you look closely the bill is just in the water as it snatches a morsel. Note the feathers standing proud on the wing – what an aviator would call ‘stalled’ with no lift, allowing the bird to descend to the water. A change of wing angle will be enough to make the bird airborne again.
This adult is being equally aerobatic at snatching food from the surface.
Time for a rest and to look this way ...
... And that.
Sadly it remained a long way ‘off-shore’ – the Mediterranean Gull that has been here for several weeks joined the food hunt. This was the best I could do showing the comparison with a Black-headed Gull. The all-white upperwing, the differently shaped wing, the more extensive and blacker head and the thicker, redder bill are all to be seen.
The reservoir is bordered by hedgerows with the usual suspects nesting. Here a male Blackcap is a recent arrival and singing to establish his territory.
This all-black bee with the hairy leg is a female Hairy-footed Flower Bee (
Anthophora plumipes). The males are a rich brown colour. One of the earliest bees on the wing in Spring.
I don’t know why but pale flies look even more evil. Cannot identify the fly: the flower is an early Cow Parsley (
Anthriscus sylvestris).
With the usual proviso over my flower ID skills I think this is Ground-ivy (Glechoma hederacea).
A mammal that we do not want to see – it is an (American) Mink (
Neovison vison). An invasive species that escaped / was released when the Mink farming industry collapsed. Its only predator is the larger Otter (
Lutra lutra). It does serious harm to our resident fauna.
(Ed Wilson)
