Belvide Reservoir - 21 Apr 21

Today I paid a visit to the members only West Midlands Bird Club reserve at Belvide. Here are a few photos.

A favourite of mine - a drake Gadwall

There were a few terns flying around. It is not easy to separate Common and Arctic Terns at any distance and this is where the camera comes in handy. Here on a very much enlarged shot it is just possible to make out the black tip to the bill making it a Common Tern. An Arctic Tern would also show longer tail streamers and less black in the wing-tip area.

And here is the Common's dark 'wedge' on the outer wing. An Arctic would show only a thin black trailing edge to the primaries.

And the underwing.

Oystercatchers regularly nest at this site in very small numbers. This one is wearing a gaudy set of rings! If you look between its legs there are two eggs.

"Where's my horse?". Cramp from sitting astride while brooding the eggs no doubt.

Apart from a few Lapwings the only other waders present were Common Sandpipers. Here is one.

Here it is with a summer plumaged Black-headed Gull. There is a noisy breeding gull colony on islands provided for them and Common Terns.

The reeds and adjacent vegetation are full of Reed and Sedge Warblers during the breeding season. More often heard than seen. Here is a Sedge Warbler with a prominent white supercilium. It has a much faster and less 'grumpy' song.

Part of the reserve is adjacent to farmland and open fields. A typical perch for migrating Wheatears stopping off for a quick snack. A female here.

Even better was this male Whinchat. This species has declined markedly in the last few decades and is a delight to see.

Another view of this splendid bird.

A feature here is a small breeding population of Tree Sparrows. They leave every Autumn and go to who knows where.

Unlike House Sparrows this species is not sexually dimorphic - i.e. males and females cannot be separated on plumage.

The dark mark on the cheek is well-seen here.

One with fluffy plumage!

Perhaps the equivalent of a bad-hair day with a tail-wind?

Birds often look angry when seen from the front.

Two hides have adjacent feeders and afford good views of common birds. A Blue Tit here.

Much under-rated is the subtly-marked female Chaffinch.

(Ed Wilson)