Sunday 28 August 2016

Wood Sandpiper

28th August 2016 - Topsham


You wouldn't normally find me in the hide at Bowling Green Marsh on a Bank Holiday weekend; to be honest, I don't much care for the place when I've got it to myself. Still, with a rather nice Wood Sandpiper showing off in the channel in front of the hide, I forced myself - it took a while, it's been there over a week. I took photos, rather too many as usual and none very good but juvenile Wood Sands are such neat birds I think I'll indulge myself and post a few.

Wood Sandpiper - 28/8/2016 Topsham

Wood Sandpiper - 28/8/2016 Topsham

Wood Sandpiper - 28/8/2016 Topsham

Wood Sandpiper - 28/8/2016 Topsham

Wood Sandpiper - 28/8/2016 Topsham

Wood Sandpiper - 28/8/2016 Topsham

Wood Sandpiper - 28/8/2016 Topsham

Wood Sandpiper - 28/8/2016 Topsham

Wood Sandpiper - 28/8/2016 Topsham

Wood Sandpiper - 28/8/2016 Topsham

Wood Sandpiper - 28/8/2016 Topsham



Sunday 14 August 2016

Yellow-legged Gull - what took you so long?

13th August 2016 - Topsham


Less than satisfactory photos. I'm afraid, but here's my first juvenile michahellis of 2016. A fairly typical bird and not one of the monsters that occasionally turn up. It can be difficult to convey just how straightforward these things can be; you can describe finer points of structure, of tertial edges and tail patterns or degrees of wear and moult and yet sometimes it just comes down to an immediate impression: it just looks like one. (I should also admit that they can sometimes be very tricky, variation within LWHG taxa can be astonishing and that's not even starting on hybrids!)

Yellow-legged Gull juv/1w - Topsham Rec 13/8/2016
 Pretty much my first view and really all you need to id it.

Yellow-legged Gull juv/1w - Topsham Rec 13/8/2016
 Long wings, long legs, deepish bill and square head.

Yellow-legged Gull juv/1w - Topsham Rec 13/8/2016
 White head with dark eye patch, quite well-marked flanks.

Yellow-legged Gull juv/1w - Topsham Rec 13/8/2016
 Simple fringes to tertials (only tips) wing coverts and scapulars - not much barring or notching. Much more worn than juv HG or LBBG with obvious moult in scaps.

Yellow-legged Gull juv/1w - Topsham Rec 13/8/2016
 It spent most of it's time doing this, shuffling a few metres when the tide rose.

Yellow-legged Gull juv/1w - Topsham Rec 13/8/2016
 Whitish tail base with a few large blackish spots and a neat black tail band.

Yellow-legged Gull juv/1w - Topsham Rec 13/8/2016

Yellow-legged Gull juv/1w - Topsham Rec 13/8/2016
 Square head and deep hatchet bill.

Yellow-legged Gull juv/1w - Topsham Rec 13/8/2016
 Dark inner PP and largely dark based GC.

Yellow-legged Gull juv/1w - Topsham Rec 13/8/2016
White upper TC and tail very white at sides (a little over exposed I admit).

Friday 5 August 2016

Least Sandpiper - well, one of them...

Black Hole Marsh, Seaton - 4th August 2016


Posts getting few and far between I'm afraid. Still, having a blog at least means I can post as many photos as I like of this superb Least Sandpiper at Black Hole Marsh, Seaton - a fantastic site, really must get over more often. Apparently a real team effort by the good folks at BHM in its finding and identification - cheers guys.

Least Sandpiper 4/8/2016 Seaton, Devon

Least Sandpiper 4/8/2016 Seaton, Devon

Least Sandpiper 4/8/2016 Seaton, Devon

Least Sandpiper 4/8/2016 Seaton, Devon

Least Sandpiper 4/8/2016 Seaton, Devon

Least Sandpiper 4/8/2016 Seaton, Devon

Least Sandpiper 4/8/2016 Seaton, Devon

Least Sandpiper 4/8/2016 Seaton, Devon

Least Sandpiper 4/8/2016 Seaton, Devon

Least Sandpiper 4/8/2016 Seaton, Devon

Least Sandpiper 4/8/2016 Seaton, Devon
It's an adult of course, still mostly in breeding plumage with obviously worn scapulars, wing coverts and tertials, many of the longer scaps have been dropped and at least one new upper is visible on the right side.

Incredibly a second Least Sandpiper was found on the 4th (after I'd left) and for a brief time the two were apparently in view concurrently, though not apparently together. Had there always been two? The many fine photos of this bird (it showed down to less than 3m) see here, and here for e.g. all show the same individual: the same dropped scaps, the same new upper scap on the right side and the same degree of wear to greater coverts. The second bird was only on view for a short time and was distant but Tim White's photos clearly show a (different) adult Least Sand; different dropped scaps and degree of wear to greater coverts on left side, and of course the two were in view at the same time.

The chances of two turning up independently at the same time and place are tiny so I presume they travelled together. As adults they'll have already made at least one successful return journey to their wintering grounds in the Caribbean or South America. If they can do it right once, what happened this year?