Friday, September 13, 2019

Blackstone Edge

6 Canada geese.
Also, Whiteholme:  1 Wheatear

8 comments:

Brian Sumner . said...

Blown up, to me they,re Canadas Pete.

Peter Smith said...

Interesting. I've taken some prints from the camera which are enlarged a fair bit. I can't see any white chin straps. The rear ends of the smaller birds seem too low in the water for Canadas. And the size difference between one of them (male?), and the other 5, seems more than you see in geese.

Brian Sumner . said...

The one with its neck up shows the face pattern whilst the others are lower in the water with necks down.Maybe someone else wants to come in on this??

David Sutcliffe said...

This is a poser !!! The larger bird looks like a Canada with the white chin strap and neck length (blown up on the computer) but the other ones??? juveniles ??? Can't get enough on them at all to be sure.
Scoter males and females, there is not so much size difference in the sexes.

Brian Sumner said...

Brian said... Id say a definite 3 Canadas and 2 probables with some facing away making them look smaller. My bedtime now...

Peter Smith said...

I think Brian is right, and that they are all Canada geese. When I blow up to the max on my camera, I can see - in spite of the pixellation - chin straps on a number of the birds, in different shots (I took 9 altogether). I suspect the reason I did not see them fly off is that they went ashore and were camouflaged against the banking. You live and learn!

Peter Smith said...

Useful reminder of what happens when the sun is behind the birds.

Brian Sumner . said...

We,re doing that all the time Pete. Canadas at Fly Flatts can be very deceiving at distance with the sun behind them. I,ve panicked several times taking them for something else and no doubt will do again.