20211030 Short-toed Lark, West Runton

 

20211030 Short-toed Lark
Early morning, dull and overcast.
Bird flew to near Coast Path but had a seed in its muddied bill...
Also tertials appeared dark and damp in the morning.

20211030 Short-toed Lark
In evening sun and dried out.
Front of cap shaded to a orange brown.

20211108 Short-toed Lark
In strong evening light.
Overall paler and more uniform than Skylark.
Flew with c10 Skylark to weedy stubble feild and was impossible to see here.
Overhead noticably smaller and more rapid flight action than Skylark.
Flight call: a short 'jeep' or 'drit'... not as drawn out 'prrreet' of Skylark.

20211028 Great Grey Shrike & Hen Harrier, Waxham

 

20211028 Great Grey Shrike
Wide ranging zoomer in evening light.
Pale bill base and flank barring of juvenile.

20211028 Great Grey Shrike
Faint greater coverts bar showing.
Of note, the large white primary base patch, almost white upper tail coverts and developing white forehead...

20211028 Hen Harrier
Juv. in warm evening light.

20211028 Hen Harrier
Primary profile and large rump patch of Hen.

20211028 Great Grey Shrike

20211028 Great grey Shrike
White base to tail feathers as homeyeri...

20211008,19 Baltic Gull, Cley Marshes pre-roost

 

20211008 Baltic Gull
Pats pool roost, 1747hrs for 10mins.
Note 'Langham Dome Head', comparible with a slender Iceland Gull.
Long mirror against shaft on P10 suggest male as minimal in female, also a large bird.
White tips of new inner primaries show, older tips worn off.
Full breeding plumage retained into October. 

20211008 Baltic Gull
Left side of bird not seen.
Clean white head and nape as Yellow leg adult behind, cf other LBB head streaking in shot.

20180605 Baltic Gull 
RSPB Titchwell
Domed head and high contrast bill.
White primary tips worn away by early June.

20211019 Baltic Gull
Juvenile in Pats roost on 19th.

20211019 Caspian Gull
Large and snouty 1st winter bird into Pats roost.

20211008 Baltic Gull ID plate

Baltic Gulls pending, comments from BBRC and NRC.

Top left to centre image:  8^th Oct 2021 Cley Marshes pre-roost. Foreground adult Baltic Gull Larus fuscus fuscus, in retained breeding plumage as 3^rd summer and older. Showing smaller domed head and thinner bill than congeners.
Thin but obvious mirror on P10 and primary tips worn. Brownish tint to black upperparts. Full breeding plumage retained on this well built individual.
Centre bird adult winter Lesser Black-back, L fuscus intermedius. Extensive head and neck striking in October and blueish dark grey upperparts, appraoching blackish... Single wide mirror on P10 and well tipped primaries.
Rear bird adult winter Yellow-legged Gull, L michahellis.  Minimal Head streaking in this species winter plumage and mid bluish grey upperparts. Large squarer head and heavey bill.

Bottom left image:  5^th June 2018 Titchwell Freshmarsh. 2^nd summer Baltic Gull. Near adult plumage with browner tones in wing coverts. Long primary projection beyond tail gives an extremley attenuated rear end of Baltic Gull. Mirrors could not be detected in this birds primaries. Domed head and thinner high contrast bill on which a hint of a dark sub-terminal band could be seen.

Bottom right image: 20^th August 2016 Cley Marshes. Remains of black band on bill agan. Its worth waiting for a full body stretch with any suspect Gull such as this to reveal remnants of a black band in tail and to check moult progression in remiges. Single small mirror on P10 without any white tips as in adult plumage, although P1-P3 look new with unwarn wide tips.  

The potential for pure L f fuscus vagrants is still on the cards following some concern over there status. See Dominics Mitchells article 'identity crisis' Birdguides and British Birds 111: 499-511.