Cold Edge

Scaup. The bird was shy, staying on the opposite side of the dam from where I was sitting. It dived repeatedly. It has a steep forehead, and then its profile curved smoothly from crown to nape to hindneck. There was no crest or lump at the nape, although when it faced away from the wind, its nape feathers were at times slightly lifted by the wind (3rd photo). Its body is broad. It has a long broad bill, with black confined to the tip, and no pale grey subterminal band. Its wing bar is white, strongest on the secondaries - similar to Tufted.

Mixenden Reservoir - 15th Aug

 Had a stroll around Carrs Beck, Hunter Hill and Mixenden Reservoir this morning.

Not a great deal of activity other than lots of Swallows and a few House Martins on Hunter Hill. Several Stonechats about along with a Green Woodpecker calling.

Just got to Mixenden Res'r and a lot of commotion from the resident Carrion Crows. Seems they were giving an Osprey some hassle before it flew out over the water and made it's way up towards Ogden. Just about managed some distant photos, heavily cropped. 

A nice early returner, hopefully a few more reports pending as autumn approaches.

Whiteholme

Stonechat

Blackstone Edge

Common Sandpiper 2

Black-headed Gull 10, including 1 juvenile

Whiteholme

Whimbrel

 

Blackstone Edge

Goldfinch juvenile

Little Ringed Plover 1

Also:  Ringed Plover 3

Whiteholme

Meadow Pipit carrying food

And here are photos that have had me puzzled, not least because they are not very good. They show a compact brown bird with a large black eye in a plain face. An eye ring is visible in the first photo. The back is streaked dark brown: tertials have broad pale fringes and almost reach the wing tip. The tail is dark brown centrally with yellow-brown sides, (and no white), and rounded corners. Underparts are plain, with some faint streaking of the breast sides. The bill is pinkish brown, and the legs and feet are light pink.

My id is Grasshopper Warbler. I have only had one previous good look at a 'Gropper', and the feature that stood out for me then was the pinkness of the legs: I think this clinches the id here. It could be a juvenile because books say these are warmer brown than adults, and because of the way it stood out in the open.

(Earlier, I was walking NE along the track beside the reservoir when I flushed a bird at the side of the track just a few feet away: it was small and brown and I got nothing on it, and after about 25 yards it dropped into the long grass. Later, when I was returning, the same thing happened again. I had no idea what this bird was, but with hindsight it is interesting that Hume et al in 'Europe's Birds' say that Grasshopper Warbler "may flush at close range".)

PS (12 August): This bird is actually a young MEADOW PIPIT! See Mick Cunningham's erudite analysis in 'COMMENTS'.

Blackstone Edge

Wheatear 2.  The second bird is missing its left 5th(?) primary. Can anyone tell me please whether ALL passerines have a short first primary?

Ringed Plover 2

Herring Gull 2 west

Whiteholme

Ringed Plover 1

Lesser Black-backed Gull juvenile and adult

Blackstone Edge

Ringed Plover 3

Linnet 2 juveniles: birds lack white upper and lower eye crescents, and white cheek spot. Bill is different shape from Twite: base is deeper

Whiteholme

Whimbrel, with 3 Curlews. Thanks MH.

Blackstone Edge

Whimbrel. This bird showed how whimbrels are tamer than curlews: a dog (with walker following) approached to about 25 yards before the bird flew off.

I know my photos are not very good: just record shots. But I'm trying to contribute to local bird recording without using a car, and with equipment that in total cost less than 1K: Kite Lynx HD+ 10x30 bins and Lumix FZ82D (the D is vital) 60x zoom bridge camera. My usual Blackstone Edge/Whiteholme walk is over 4 miles, and aged 81 I could not do this with two heavy weights around my neck.

Baitings

Kestrel. I thought this bird was a male when it showed a grey tail on landing, but (with the help of Dick Forsman's 1999 'Raptors') I've identified it as an adult female.

The underparts have light streaking, and spots, - not the heavy streaking of a juvenile. The cere and feet are yellow, (tinged green in juv). The bird is moulting its flight feathers and tail: some primaries are missing and 3 tail feathers are not fully grown, (first such moult occurs when a year old).

The crown, posterior eye stripe, and moustache are pale - perhaps indicating a young bird (? 2 or 3cy). Upperparts are brown with typical black flat triangular bars. Tail has grey feathers with black bars and broad subterminal band, (Forsman quotes a study finding 40% of 2cy females with grey in tail, and up to 75% of older birds).

Whiteholme

Little Ringed Plover

Common Scoter pair

Great Crested Grebe 5

Blackstone Edge

Ringed Plover 2