20170227 Black-tailed Godwit L-YN/W

Black-tailed Godwit L-YN/W

RSPB Titchwell 27th Feb 2017.

islandica race colour ringed as adult female at Holbeach 2002 09 09.

She is now over15 years old and was recorded here in August 2005 but mainly winters at Cley. Although this winter up until now has been spent on the Dee Estuary Cheshire.

She is in Northern Iceland for June and July to breed.

2 months in Iceland is long enough for anybody....

Black-tailed Godwit BRY-LL

Cley 13th Aug 2016 for comparison.

limosa race colour ringed as chick, Netherlands 2015 05 14.

Now 3 years old passes through Cley and found to winter in Portugal.

20170213 Red-crested Pochard RSPB Titchwell

Red-crested Pochard

3 male and 2 female on Paty's Reedbed Pool and ready for the breeding season.

Five pairs bred at Titchwell in 2015.
Birds not seen during winter until this week.

Red-crested Pochard.

Favours dabbling with head submerged but will also dive.

20170130 Smooth Newt & Woodcock RSPB Titchwell

Smooth Newt
Male crossing the West Bank path.
Hibernates on land till end of January when they return to their breeding ponds for the summer.
They prefer fish free ponds and ditches, therefore nearer the VC than the Freshwater Marsh...

Smooth Newt
Note webbed feet and dark stripe through the eye.

Woodcock
In dyke by West Bank.

Woodcock

After dark by North Foreland Wood Cley.

ISO25600

20170128 Hybrid Gull Blakeney Quay

LBB/Herring Gull hybrid?

Pale and dull flesh coloured legs.

Upperparts darker grey than Yellow-legged Gull but not as dark as nearby LBB...

Primary projection as long as LBB.
'Hybrid Lesser Black-backed Gull x Herring Gull, Blakeney, 12th January 2019. This rather smart adult gull (of this presumed parentage) has been noted at and around Blakeney duck pond since at least January 2016.' ref SJM.

LBB/Herring Gull hybrid?

Feet a tone stronger pink than legs. No hint of yellow.

4th winter bird.