It was Spring-tide again this week so I paid another visit to search Wirral's Wonderful Waders, concentrating on Hoylake. Here I waited for the rising tide to bring some of the many thousand waders that winter on the Dee estuary in to close view. It was a rather breezy day with passing squalls and intermittent bright sun.
Here a few images:
By far the greatest number of birds were Oystercatchers. Here are just a few of the thousand. Behind them the smaller pale grey birds with short all-black bills are Knots. The most distinctive feature visible here is the barring on the rear flanks.
One of the Knots takes to the air showing that the banding on the flanks extends on to the rump. The back-most of the three Oystercatchers shows a white chinstrap indicating it is a first-winter bird.
A closer view of some of the Oystercatchers.
A passing Oystercatcher showing the wing-pattern. The bright sunshine has made the bill look paler than it does in reality.
Here is an oddity. Yes it is an Oystercatcher with extensive unusual white areas on its head. All the other pigmentation is more or less as normal.
Here alongside an ordinary Oystercatcher it appears its bill is slightly paler.
Here it is again along with three others.
Once again: in a bigger group with at the top left the only Bar-tailed Godwit of the day. Note the godwit has a pink-based, slightly upturned bill.
A closer view of the Bar-tailed Godwit. Note a first-winter Oystercatcher is the closest bird on he left. It shows a dark-ended bill and paler legs.
A whole group of Oystercatchers where four the white-chinned first winter birds show the darker tips to their bills.
I was lucky that the godwit took off while I was waiting for it to emerge between Oystercatchers. It is obvious why it is called a Bar-tailed Godwit. Again the bright sun has made the bill and underwing look much paler than reality.
(Ed Wilson)
By far the greatest number of birds were Oystercatchers. Here are just a few of the thousand. Behind them the smaller pale grey birds with short all-black bills are Knots. The most distinctive feature visible here is the barring on the rear flanks.
