Upton Warren - 23 Mar 22

Today I paid a visit to The Christopher Cadbury Wetland Reserve at Upton Warren near Droitwich in Worcestershire. It is managed by the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust. Entry fee £3, free to members of any Wildlife Trust.

The target species was the charismatic Avocet. There were about 30 birds present.

 That fine upturned bill is something else.

Well they are waders!

A reflective moment.

I did not get too many opportunities to show the wings open. Here was one. I am not sure why, or how, this one has managed to open the base of the bill.

Some dispute over a food item?

A short video of the way it sweeps its upturned bill as it feeds. A couple of photo-bombs by Black-headed Gulls.

There were not too many other species of wader. Usually a few pairs of Little Ringed Plovers breed but these usually early returning migrants were not present. Neither were there any passage waders, probably as a result of the very clear weather with birds flying straight over toward their breeding grounds. A few pairs of Lapwings were present.

There were also a few Oystercatchers, a species that often breeds near inland water bodies.

Digging for worms

The other notable breeding species is Black-headed Gull. Here a trio appear to be watching life go by. However with wings slightly akimbo this is used both as a threat and part of the display.

Almost all in full summer plumage. A good view of the wings.

Another view as one drops in to the water.

A Black-headed Gull colony is a noisy place.

A lot of posturing.

The bird on the left still has some white blotches on its head and has yet to acquire complete adult summer plumage. The wing pattern confirms it is an adult though.

I think what is going on here is that a female, or the right, is trying to persuade the male on the left to regurgitate some food for her to prove that he is a worthy mate and will be capable of helping her provide for the chicks.

And he may be rewarded!

The colony is not the place for what the gulls see as a predator – as this passing Grey Heron was finding out.

Several species of ducks were present. Here are two Shelduck. The bird on the left is a drake with the very bright bill and swollen base; and the wide chestnut band across the chest. The bird on the right seems to have a less clearly defined breast band but it still seems quite broad. It may be a first year bird – without being able to see the bill I cannot be sure.

If there was a drake Gadwall present I was going to point the camera at it.

(Ed Wilson)

Venus Pool - 10 Mar 22

Today there was a stiff breeze so it was good to sit in the hides at the SOS Venus Pool Reserve with the sun behind me giving good light for photos. Here is a selection.

There are usually many geese here, with Canada Geese usually outnumbering Greylag Geese. One of the former arrives from an adjacent field. This one seems unusually quiet....

 ..unlike this pair, the larger male leading the way.

The water-level was very high. Perhaps this had something to do with there being a preponderance of Shovelers. Here a drake is in need of a handkerchief.

Unusually the way this drake had folded its wings allowed part of the blue in the forewing to be glimpsed. It is usually only seen in flight.

A duck giving me a funny look. The bill is an adaptation for filter-feeding.

 A fine pair.

A fairly typical view of Shovelers, heads underwater; using their bills to sieve morsels dredged up from the bottom by their spinning action.

A pair of Eurasian Wigeon take to the air, the drake in the lead. Their pale bellies are a good way to identify this species when seen in flight even at a distance.

And here landing rather a long way away. Note the large white area on the drake's forewings and also his rather pointed tail.

Teal are dainty ducks. A distant drake arrives. Note the broad white area in front of the green speculum at the back of the wing and a very thin white trailing edge to the inner wing.

Two Oystercatchers announced their presence with their piping calls. The nearer bird looks slightly brown-tinged on its back and has the faint remnants of a white chinstrap suggesting it is a first year bird.

The orange bill and red eye gives the identity away as one of the two birds disappears in its bath.

A very enthusiastic bath at that. It was just too far away for me to attempt a video of this action. The camera has more 'reach' in photo mode.

There is always time to visit the woodland feeder to photograph the engaging Blue Tits.

Mr. Angry. They must have very flexible joints to sit like this.

And Long-tailed Tits. I seem to have brought my twig to put in the foreground!

Look: twig gone!

Probably highlight of the visit was this fine male Brambling. The white fringes to the feathers the head and nape are still to wear off. These areas will become jet black by the end of April. His preferred perch had shadows of branches waving across him in the breeze. Not too conspicuous here.

I don't normally photograph birds at feeders but there was no other way to show the orange shoulder flash and the back markings.

The supporting cast at the feeders included this fine female Greenfinch with the sun lighting up the delicate flammulations on her chest and belly.

Much more brightly marked is this handsome male Greenfinch.

Just as I was leaving I noted a small flock of fierce-looking Fieldfares in an adjacent field. These shy birds like open country in winter where they can see danger approaching. They can be hard to photograph.

An unwelcome low-flying helicopter – at least by the ducks which scattered in all directions. It is ZM514, a Eurocopter EC135 T3H. These are designated by the UK Military as Juno HT1. It is one of 30 or so based at RAF Shawbury flying as No. 1 Flying Training School (1 FTS) to train aircrew for the Royal Navy, British Army and the Royal Air Force.

(Ed Wilson)

Wirral - 4 Mar 22

Today I made another trip to the Wirral to try and see waders brought close on the high Spring tide. A few images:

Starting off at Hoylake I noted most birds flying off before getting very close. This lone Knot was an exception.

Note here it seems to have a growth in its throat. Perhaps it was unwell and why this normally gregarious bird was on its own.

Unwell indeed. Many Field Guides name this species as Red Knot to distinguish it from Great Knot, a South and East Asia species, very rarely seen as a vagrant to the UK. It is indeed red in breeding plumage. Most of the birds that winter in the UK have departed before they acquire this very different breeding plumage.

One more.

Supporting cast included many Shelduck. A fine drake here.

Most of the close birds were gulls. Here is part of a typical grouping. An adult Great Black-backed Gull towers over mainly immature Herring Gulls of various ages. The bottom left bird at the three at the top right are smaller Common Gulls. Note their slightly darker mantle (back) and greenish (rather than pink) legs.

A group take to the air. The smaller bird at the top right with the all dark tail is a first winter Common Gull. The others are immature Herring Gulls. [The white diagonal is part of a blade from one of the off-shore wind turbines.]

I then moved on to the always interesting RSPB Reserve at Burton Mere. A difficult place to photograph birds as it faces SW and you are looking in to the light. Here are two of the recently returned Avocets (front). They breed on the reserve. The other two birds are Black-headed Gulls.

In an adjacent field there was a group of distant Curlews. Here are four. Some are showing a few darker back feathers as they moult in to breeding plumage.

And here are three in flight clearly showing their unmistakeable long decurved bills. The smaller Whimbrel also has a decurved bill with the curve less even and accentuated towards the tip.