20191130 Goosander & Coal Tit Selbrigg Pond

20191130 Goosander

 2, 1st winter birds on a mist covered pond early morn.

20191201 Goosander

Birds in better light at midday.

20191130 Coal Tit

Seeds put out for birds here.

20191201 Mute Swan

5 Cygnets still doing well this year. Down from 6...

20191129 Caspian Gull 3rd winter, 2nd winter, 1st winter and Yellow-legged Gull of the NNorfolk Coast

20191210 1st winter Caspian Gull plate.

With congeners...

Gulling at Cley came to an abrupt halt in mid-March with the closure of the central hides and is still the case to date. This plate and ID pointers may therefore in some small way alleviate the ongoing pain and frustration felt by the Cley Gullers.

A few beyond the field guide bullet points depicted in the rangy male 1st winter Caspo plate:

• Stand out white, small and rounded head even valid with large rangy individuals as shown here.. Best described as a 'Golf ball head' but with a long face due to the bill, and enhanced by a dark nape shawl. In combination this can lead to a pear-shaped description of the head. But this may not be that helpful as the reference to whiteness is lost.
• Longer and more pointed wings than Herring Gull, one folded over the other creating an overlapped drooping tertial fan.
• Note skeletal, form and stance differences between 1st winter Herring Gull and Caspian.
• Note in top illustration the contrasting bill shapes between congeners, Common Gull and Black-headed Gull.
• Overall washed out and tinted burnt umber tone to upperparts compared with the high contrast and heavy edging in Herring Gull. Described sometimes as smooth and concolorous but this becomes less helpful in bright light.
• Nape shawl of 1st winter has heavily blotched streaks and is shaded contrasting with cleaner white head. Not seen in the shaded and blotched head and neck of 1st winter Herring Gull.
• Note tibia can look short when the bird is hunkered down and standing in water. Otherwise when at a level with the bird the legs are thinner and longer than Herring.
• Also, the 'hanging belly' is lost in the hunkered down posture but shows better when on a level with the bird in its more upright stance. 
• Scapula anchor and arrow shapes are always longer and larger in 1st winter Caspian Gull.

 

20191129 Caspian Gull

3rd winter at roost on Simmonds.
Compact female type. Fine streaks on nape shawl and small white head.
Extensive white mirrors on P10 shows here on both wings. Pale brown coverts retained.
Spindly legs noticeable from this rear angle. 

20191129 Caspian Gull, 3rd winter.
The bird only briefly turned side on when moving due to facing into a Northwest wind.

Note large tertial fan and some darker centred on 3rd winter bird.
Snouty face developing with dark eye in a small head, atop a high bulbus breast.
Bill has large black sub-terminal band smudging onto greenish yellow base.
Adult Yellow-legged Gull centre foreground.

20191129 Caspian Gull, 3rd winter.

Compact bird and not lanky therefore thought to be a female.

20191109 Caspian Gull

2nd winter in roost this evening.

20191109 Caspian Gull

Suspect female as bill is not long and therefore not an obviously snouty face. 

20191214 Yellow-legged Gull

The stunning and regular adult this winter. 

20191103 Yellow-legged Gull
Hefty head and bill.

20191210 Caspian Gull

1st winter Salthouse Marshes.

20200124 Caspian Gull

1st winter, left side showing right wing primaries and tertials overriding left wing. 

Sheringham Beach.

20200124 Caspian Gull

1st winter, right side, Sheringham Beach.

20191110 Isabelline Wheatear NWT Cley Marshes

20191110 Isabelline Wheatear

Sturdy bill pose and Isabella tones.

20191119 Isabelline Wheatear
Short tailed jizz obvious in this shot and frequent tail dipping today.

20191111 Isabelline Wheatear

Gape bristles and sturdy bill.

20191111 Isabelline Wheatear

Taken at dusk at 4m.

Passed by golfing couple on the East Bank fairway...

"you're leaving your shot a bit late??"

Looks like a double eagle on the eighteenth.

20191110 Isabelline Wheatear

1st winter on shingle ridge by Arnolds Marsh.
Having taken shots of Snow Bunting, this bird, spookthehorse and 'other finders' came along the shingle ridge!!

20191110 Isabelline Wheatear
Excellent black alula.

20191110 Isabelline Wheatear

Extensive black on tail. A central tail feather seemed to be missing.

20191110 Isabelline Wheatear

20191110 Isabelline Wheatear

Showing extensive black on undertail pattern and pale underwing coverts.

19980921 Isabelline Wheatear 

1st autumn bird and surprisingly far North on Fair Isle.

Melodious Warbler was also found here at this time.

20191110 Isabelline Wheatear

1st winter bird at Arnold's Marsh Cley.

1st winter Northern Wheatear illustrated for comparison.