Friday, April 10, 2026

Whiteholme

Reed Bunting male

Little Ringed Plover
White Wagtail. Its upperparts and flanks are silver grey. There is a sharp contrast between black nape and silver grey mantle, and when the neck is flexed the border between these looks diffuse - suggesting a female.
(The upperparts and flank of female Pied are sooty grey, and the Pied's rump is black.)



It is not easy to say where the rump ends and the tail begins. 'Europe's Birds' by Hume et al point to the rump being between the inner tertials. My 3rd photo when enlarged (even though not fully sharp) does show mid grey - not black - between the inner tertials.

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