Cold Edge

Reed Bunting 2

1cy Lesser Black-backed Gull. The bird looks quite pale in the bright sunlight, but two features clinch the id.

1. The outer greater coverts are dark - the 'midwing panel' visible in flight. In Herring Gull all the GCs are the same colour as the median and lesser coverts.

2. The tertials are dark proximally and white distally: there is no white edge extending back to the greater coverts. Most often in 1cy LBB, a tertial has a dark centre with a straight edge joining a thin white border. While in 1cy Herring a wavy line typically separates the tertial's dark centre and pale border, giving the centre a shape that recalls an oak leaf: and the pale border goes back to the GCs.

Cold Edge

Lapwing 8, (with Canada Geese). In the top photo, the faces of the right two birds show the buff tone of winter plumage, and between them the three birds show (similar to Pied Wagtail!) winter's white chin and throat, and black breast band

Mistle Thrush and Kestrel

Moorhen juvenile

Pied Wagtail, with the white chin of winter plumage

Dead mole. Impressive claws!

Blackstone Edge

Linnet 1, Meadow Pipit 4, Canada Goose +

A Tree Pipit would have a stronger supercilium, a thicker bill base, and a thin black loral stripe in front of the eye

Cold Edge

 Leucistic (see 31 August post) and normal Greylags

2 Reed Buntings

Stonechat female. The 2nd and 3rd photos show that the underwing coverts are pale: in Siberian Stonechat they are black

Cold Edge

Moorhen 1 juvenile. (Also 1 adult)

Robin

Stonechats

Part of a flock of 21 Greylags

Cold Edge

6 Greylags flew in from the east

The (probably for now) resident Herring Gull - see 19 Aug and 5 Sep - now has a white-tipped primary

Starling 60: adults and many juveniles. All birds now have a fresh spotted body and neat brown-edged flight and tail feathers. The juveniles' heads are pale - some more than others

Fly Flatts and Withens Head

 After finding very little at Fly Flats - scoping from the top road I tried Withens Head for half an hour or so. All quiet, then a Black Redstart turned up on the roof at the same time as a single Wheatear and c60 Meadow Pipits. All very flighty, most of the pipits stayed for several minutes then headed off, wall hopping then away across the moor. The Wheatear and Black Redstart headed off towards the  long pile of stones near Slade where I lost them. Just right time, right place I guess.

A Kestrel was about and on the thistle heads around 40 Goldfinch.

Cold Edge

Teal with Black-headed Gulls

Cold Edge

Stonechat juvenile

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