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

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.

Cold Edge

Kestrel female

Blackbird juvenile. Ginger

Also:  Willow Warbler 2,  Spotted Flycatcher 1

Cold Edge

Gadwall female. The bird was seen at quite close range when I stepped up from the path west of Leadbeater dam to view Haigh Cote dam. It was swimming with the 'resident' juvenile Scaup. It was flighty, and quickly departed east, while the Scaup stayed put. My photo is not sharp, but shows enough to make the identification. The head is quite plain, and paler brown than the body. The bill is slim, with the proximal two thirds of its side orange. Some of the dull white in its speculum is visible. The tail side is brown, not white.

Stonechat juvenile moulting into adult plumage

Cold Edge

Stonechat 6, including 1 juvenile and a female carrying food

Ogden

Great Crested Grebe 1

Cold Edge

'Continental' Cormorant, P c sinensis. The rear edge of the yellow gular patch drops vertically from the gape. This bird was present 2 days ago: it stood away from the carbo birds, and was noticeably less bulky than them.

Greenfinch adult female and juvenile. The female's underparts are streaked. The juvenile has streaked upper- and underparts, and there is only a small amount of yellow in the wing margin.

Stonechat juvenile. The wing margins and rump are orange

Some of 31 Lapwings

Scaup 1 juvenile

Buzzard 2

Another shot of the immature sinensis Cormorant, showing the rear edge of the gular patch dropping vertically from the gape

Cold Edge

Cormorant: 1 adult, 2 immatures. The adult is 'British', P c carbo, with the rear edge of the yellow gular patch sloping forward below the gape

Withens Head - 19th August

A Black Redstart fem/imm appeared to arrive late afternoon along with 3 Whinchats and a juvenile Stonechat. No camera with me but thankfully had the scope which is always a help up there, They appeared around 16:30 and were still around when I left. Best viewed from the roadside opposite the wind-farm car park.

20th August - no sign of them this morning though the heavy rain did not help ! 

I went to check Fly Flats, the mist was in and out with the rain. Again,a scope job found 3 Common Sandpipers present and 50+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 2 Black-headed Gulls along with a single female type Tufted Duck.

A message from BS at Ogden with a nice find of a single Ruff on the shoreline prompted me down there. I just got very wet and failed to re-locate it.

Cold Edge

Kestrel, female or juvenile

Carrion Crow adult with 3 juveniles

Adult Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls. The Herring Gull is missing white-tipped primaries, probably P7-10, exposing the distal part of the tail

Scaup 3 juveniles. The bills are diagnostic