Wednesday, September 09, 2026

Cold Edge

Teal. I think this is an eclipse male. The top photo shows a small pale yellow triangle on the undertail: a female or juvenile would have a white line here. 'Europe's Birds' says eclipse males often have a dark cap and pale cheeks: this bird approaches this. Its belly is pale: 'Collins Bird Guide' says juveniles have darker bellies than adults.

British Cormorant, P c carbo
Pheasant: 2 males (one with no tail), 1 female



Monday, September 07, 2026

Blackstone Edge

Linnets + 2 juvenile Goldfinches



Saturday, September 05, 2026

Cold Edge

Herring Gull adult. Like the bird posted on 19 August, this bird has moulted its primaries, and no white primary tips are present. However, the new primaries here have grown well past the tail tip, while the primary tips of the 19 August bird were level with the tail tip. (It could be the same bird?)



2 Greylags




Wednesday, September 02, 2026

Blackstone Edge

Ringed Plover: 2 non-breeding adults. Non-breeding Ringed Plovers lose the black frontal bar above the forehead, while juveniles have pale fringes on the upperpart feathers.

The LEFT bird above has a fairly broad breast band and dull orange legs.
The RIGHT bird is warmer brown and has a thin breast band. Its legs are dark with just a hint of orange.
The thinner breast band, darker legs, and warmer brown upperparts made me wonder if the right bird is female - with the other being male - but I cannot find any authority to support this idea.


Tuesday, September 01, 2026

Cold Edge

Scaup juvenile still here



Monday, August 31, 2026

Blackstone Edge

3 white Greylag Geese. The question is, are they leucistic or albino? Collins Bird Guide (2022, Svensson et al): LEUCISM - innate pigment deficiency leading to pale, washed-out colours of the plumage; ALBINISM - innate lack of pigment, usually in the feathers, leading to partly or completely white plumage. So these birds are albino, and the above definition still lets them have coloured legs and bill and orbital ring.


Saturday, August 29, 2026

Cold Edge, 28 August

These photos of the Collared Doves support Mick C's comment about their collars. The black of the male's is thicker, with even white margins not seen in the female's. Only the upper edge of the female's collar has a white margin



Friday, August 28, 2026

Cold Edge

Collared Doves, with one preening the other. This species is not as common as it used to be

These birds are clearly a pair. Collins Bird Guide (Svensson et al, 3rd edition) describe Collared Doves as "rather uniformly pale buff-grey with somewhat browner tone on back . . .", but then say "male on average purer pink with faint bluish sheen on head, neck and breast than female, which is more buffish-grey." Personally I cannot see any pink on these birds, but I can see a slight colour difference. I see the grey of the crown and body of right bird (the female?) with a hint of buff, that is not present in the (presumed) male. And I would simply describe the crown and underparts of the male as pure grey.

Thursday, August 27, 2026

Cold Edge

Kestrel female

Blackbird juvenile. Ginger
Also:  Willow Warbler 2,  Spotted Flycatcher 1