Ornithology
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Whinchat - Saxicola Rubetra (M)
The whinchat is a solitary species, favouring open grassy country with rough vegetation and scattered small shrubs. It perches in elevated locations ready to pounce on the insects and other small invertebrates that form its diet. The nest is built by the female on the ground in coarse vegetation, with a clutch of four to seven eggs being laid. The hen incubates the eggs for about thirteen days and then both parents feed the nestlings. Fledging takes place about eighteen days after hatching and the parents continue to feed the young for another fortnight. Moulting takes place in late summer before the migration southwards, and again on the wintering grounds in Africa before the migration northwards in spring. The whinchat is a common species with a wide range and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified it as being of least concern.
Fairly common but local summer migrant from winter grounds in Africa. Found in open country on heathland, moorland, rough grassland, often with bracken. Perches atop bushes and on fences, dropping to the ground to feed, where usually hops briefly before flying back up to a perch. Male distinctive, with bold white eyebrow, dark cheeks, and peachy-orange breast. Female duller but with ghosting of male pattern, especially pale eyebrow. In flight shows distinctive white bases to sides of tail.
Little Bunting - Emberiza pusilla
The little bunting breeds across the taiga of the far north-east of Europe and northern Eurosiberia to the Russian Far East. It is migratory, wintering in the subtropics in northern India, southern China and the northern parts of south-east Asia.
The birds remain in their winter quarters for quite long; specimens were taken in Yunnan in late March. It is a rare vagrant to western Europe.
This species is adaptable; in the mountains of Bhutan for example, where small numbers winter, it is typically found in an agricultural habitat, mostly between 1,000 and 2,000 metres (3,300 and 6,600 ft) ASL.
It breeds in open coniferous woodland, often with some birch or willow. Four to six eggs are laid in a tree nest. Its natural food consists of seeds, or when feeding young, insects.
Red Legged Partridge - Alectoris Rufa aka French Partridge
The red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) is a gamebird in the pheasant family.
It is sometimes known as French partridge, to distinguish it from the English or grey partridge.
This partridge breeds naturally in southwestern Europe (France, Iberia and northwest Italy). It has become naturalised in flat areas of England and Wales, where it was introduced as a game species, and has been seen breeding as far north as Cumbria and eastern Yorkshire and the western Isle of Man. It is replaced in southeastern Europe by the very similar rock partridge (Alectoris graeca). It is a non-migratory terrestrial species, which forms flocks outside the breeding season.
This species breeds on dry lowlands, such as farmland and open stony areas, laying its eggs in a ground nest.
The natural range of the red-legged partridge is France, Spain and Portugal. However, it was introduced from France to Great Britain in the 18th century, and has since become an important gamebird there. As it is a mediterranean species, it thrives in hot, dry areas with sandy soil. The ability to breed two clutches simultaneously has led to it being extensively reared in captivity, and released for shooting. The breeding of chukars (Alectoris chukar) and red-legged/chukar hybrids is prohibited, due to its impact on wild populations of red-legs. The red-legged partridge is believed to be in decline across its range.
Grey Wagtail - Motacilla cinerea
The species is always associated with running water when breeding, although they may use man-made structures near streams for the nest. Outside the breeding season, they may also be seen around lakes, coasts and other watery habitats. Like other wagtails, they frequently wag their tail and fly low with undulations and they have a sharp call that is often given in flight.
This slim wagtail has a narrow white supercilium and a broken eye ring. The upperparts are grey and the yellow vent contrasting with whitish underparts makes it distinctive. The breeding male has a black throat that is edged by whitish moustachial stripes. They forage singly or in pairs on meadows or on shallow water marshes. They also use rocks in water and will often perch on trees. They have a clear sharp call note and the song consists of trills.
The breeding season is April to July and the nest is placed near fast running streams or rivers on an embankment between stones and roots. The male in display, makes short flights up into the air and descends slowly with fluttering flight accompanied by a rapid series of chipping high notes. In Europe the nests are often made in holes in manmade structures. The clutch consists of 3–6 speckled eggs and multiple broods may be raised with declining numbers in the clutch in subsequent broods. The usual clutch size is five in Ireland and the breeding success is about 80% with predation of eggs or chicks being the main cause of breeding failure. The Canary Islands population typically have smaller clutches and the breeding season is not as short and well marked as in populations at higher latitudes. The incubation period is about two weeks with chicks fledging within a fortnight. They live for a maximum of 8 years in the wild.
In some parts of the its range the white-throated dipper nests in the same habitats as the grey wagtail and there are some records of interspecific feeding of dipper chicks by adult wagtails.
Population:
UK breeding:
38,000 pairs
Curlew - Numenius Arquata
They are one of the most ancient lineages of scolopacid waders, together with the godwits which look similar but have straight bills.
Curlews feed on mud or very soft ground, searching for worms and other invertebrates with their long bills. They will also take crabs and similar items.
Curlews enjoy a worldwide distribution. Most species show strong migratory habits and consequently one or more species can be encountered at different times of the year in Europe, Ireland, Britain, Iberia, Iceland, Africa, Southeast Asia, Siberia, North America, South America and Australasia.
The distribution of curlews has altered considerably in the past hundred years as a result of changing agricultural practices. Reclamation and drainage of marshy fields and moorland, and afforestation of the latter, have led to local decreases, while conversion of forest to grassland in some parts of Scandinavia has led to increases there.
Population:
UK breeding:
66,000 pairs
UK wintering:
140,000 individuals
Jay - Garrulus Glandarius
Although they are the most colourful members of the crow family, jays are actually quite difficult to see. They are shy woodland birds, rarely moving far from cover. The screaming call usually lets you know a jay is nearby and it is usually given when a bird is on the move, so watch for a bird flying between the trees with its distinctive flash of white on the rump. Jays are famous for their acorn feeding habits and in the autumn you may see them burying acorns for retrieving later in the winter.
The word jay has an archaic meaning in American slang meaning a person who chatters impertinently.
The term jaywalking was coined in 1915 to label persons crossing a busy street carelessly and becoming a traffic hazard. The term began to imply recklessness or impertinent behavior as the convention became established.
In January 2014, Canadian author Robert Joseph Greene embarked on a lobbying campaign among ornithologists in Europe and North America to get Merriam-Websters Dictionary to have a "Jabber of Jays" as an official term under bird groups.
Population:
UK breeding:
170,000 territories
Pied Flycatcher (M) - Ficedula hypoleuca
The European pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) is a small passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family. One of the four species of Western Palearctic black-and-white flycatchers, it hybridizes to a limited extent with the collared flycatcher. It breeds in most of Europe and western Asia.
It is migratory, wintering mainly in tropical Africa.
It usually builds its nests in holes on oak trees. This species practices polygyny, usually bigamy, with the male travelling large distances to acquire a second mate. The male will mate with the secondary female and then return to the primary female in order to help with aspects of child rearing, such as feeding.
The European pied flycatcher is mainly insectivorous, although its diet also includes other arthropods. This species commonly feeds on spiders, ants, bees and similar prey.
The European pied flycatcher predominately practices a mixed mating system of monogamy and polygyny. Their mating system has also been described as successive polygyny. Within the latter system, the males leave their home territory once their primary mates lays their first eggs. Males then create a second territory, presumably in order to attract a secondary female to breed. Even when they succeed at acquiring a second mate, the males typically return to the first female to exclusively provide for her and her offspring.
Males will sometimes care for both mates if the nests of the primary and secondary female are close together. The male may also care for both mates once the offspring of the primary female have fledged. The male bird usually does not exceed two mates, practicing bigamy. Only two cases of trigyny had been observed.
Population:
UK breeding:
17,000-20,000 pairs
Yellow Wagtail (M) - Motacilla Flava
The yellow wagtail can be spotted running about, chasing insects on lowland damp marshes and meadows during summer. As its name suggests, it does wag its tail!
Classified in the UK as Red under the Birds of Conservation Concern 4: the Red List for Birds (2015).
The Yellow Wagtail likes damp marshes, meadows and farmland, and spends much of its time running about on the ground, chasing insects disturbed by the feet of livestock. Yellow wagtails nest on the ground or in long grass, using plants, grasses and stems to build a cup-shape which they line with fur. They can have up to two broods, each with five or six eggs. A summer visitor, they arrive from their African wintering grounds from March onwards.
The yellow wagtail is olivey-green above and yellow below, with a yellow face and a black-and-white tail. Males are brighter than females. The similar grey wagtail also has a yellow belly, but has a grey back and black wings. Yellow wagtails have much shorter tails than the other two species of breeding wagtail in the UK.
Distribution
Widespread, mostly in the lowlands of Central and Eastern England, Wales and southern Scotland.
Habitats
GrasslandFreshwaterFarmlandWetlands
Did you know?
Eight different subspecies of yellow wagtail can be found in Europe, differing in the colour of the males' heads. For example, in France and Germany, you will find the blue-headed wagtail; in Italy, the grey-headed wagtail; and in Finland, the ashy-headed wagtail.
Long tailed Duck (f) - Clangula Hyemalis
Diving duck that favors saltwater in winter and Arctic tundra pools in summer. Males are distinctive with black, white, gray, and brown patterns and long pointed tail. Male plumage changes dramatically from winter to summer. Females and immature males are brownish overall with whiter face and large dark cheek patch. Dives frequently to feed mainly on invertebrates.
"A small, dark heron arrayed in moody blues and purples, the Little Blue Heron is a common but inconspicuous resident of marshes and estuaries in the Southeast. They stalk shallow waters for small fish and amphibians, adopting a quiet, methodical approach that can make these gorgeous herons surprisingly easy to overlook at first glance."
Cornell Lab of Ornithology"
Photograhed in the wild, Florida, USA.
male Red-headed Weaver in breeding plumage while working on its nest in Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa
anaplectes rubriceps
scharlaken wever
anaplecte écarlate
Scharlachweber
Nikon D500 with Sigma 150-600mm f/5.0-6.3 Sport
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My photos may not be used on websites, blogs or in any other media without my written and explicit permission.
Hello Everyone,
Yesterday morning was rather exciting because there were several Wood Ducks in the pond. I don't know what got them going, but they were all on the move and speeding around in different directions. It made for quite the challenge, especially because I'm just starting to get outside with the camera again.
Thanks a million for taking a look and leaving me a comment. I do love hearing from you!
Have a fantastic day!
©Copyright - Nancy Clark - All Rights Reserved
Hello Everyone!
I haven't posted a bird in quite some time, so I thought today was the day! This Tree Swallow was enjoying the morning sun during spring. It had been a cool morning, so it wasn't in any rush to fly off on me. I took a few images and it stayed on the perch to sunbathe a little longer!
Thank you for looking and for adding a comment. I do love hearing from you! May you have a fantastic day and weekend ahead!
©Copyright - Nancy Clark - All Rights Reserved
Parque Natural El Hondo, Alicante, España (Spain)
Canon EOS 7D Mark II
TAMRON SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 AO22
ƒ/7.1, 600.0 mm, 1/1600, ISO400
Chttps://www.flickr.com/uploadanon jsnchezyage's photos on Flickriver
Toujours un très grand plaisir à pouvoir saisir la beauté de ce superbe oiseau même si l'instant peut être très fugace.
Always a great pleasure to be able to capture the beauty of this superb bird even if the moment can be very fleeting.
Campanario, Formations rocheuses "dents de chien" | "dog teeth" rock formations | formaciones rocosas "dientes de perro"
Common Tern - Sterna Hirundo
It is strongly migratory, wintering in coastal tropical and subtropical regions. Breeding adults have light grey upperparts, white to very light grey underparts, a black cap, orange-red legs, and a narrow pointed bill. Depending on the subspecies, the bill may be mostly red with a black tip or all black. There are a number of similar species, including the partly sympatric Arctic tern, which can be separated on plumage details, leg and bill colour, or vocalisations.
Breeding in a wider range of habitats than any of its relatives, the common tern nests on any flat, poorly vegetated surface close to water, including beaches and islands, and it readily adapts to artificial substrates such as floating rafts. The nest may be a bare scrape in sand or gravel, but it is often lined or edged with whatever debris is available. Up to three eggs may be laid, their dull colours and blotchy patterns providing camouflage on the open beach.
Population:
UK breeding:
12,000 pairs
White-throated Dipper (Cinclus cinclus) captured at Deosai, Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan with Nikon D500 and 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR.
For detailed information about Birds of Gilgit-Baltistan visit www.birdsofgilgit.com
Himalayan White-browed Rosefinch (Carpodacus thura) captured at Altit, Hunza, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan with Nikon D500 and 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR.
For detailed information about Birds of Gilgit-Baltistan visit www.birdsofgilgit.com
"Laughing Falcon’s habitat preference is almost certainly related to its diet, which is largely restricted to snakes: snakes often visit forest edges to sunbathe. Laughing Falcon is named for its long series of yelps given at dawn and dusk, and a single series of which may last for up to five minutes. Though it is heard more often than it is seen,...." Neotropical Birds, The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Photographed in the wild, San Blas, Nayarit, Mexico.
San Diego, California, USA
Canon EOS 7D
TAMRON SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD AO11
ƒ/6.3, 600.0 mm, 1/4000, ISO640
Chttps://www.flickr.com/uploadanon jsnchezyage's photos on Flickriver</a</a</a</
Little Egret - Egretta garzetta
The little egret (Egretta garzetta) is a species of small heron in the family Ardeidae. The genus name comes from the Provençal French Aigrette, egret a diminutive of Aigron, heron. The species epithet garzetta is from the Italian name for this bird, garzetta or sgarzetta.
It is a white bird with a slender black beak, long black legs and, in the western race, yellow feet. As an aquatic bird, it feeds in shallow water and on land, consuming a variety of small creatures. It breeds colonially, often with other species of water birds, making a platform nest of sticks in a tree, bush or reed bed. A clutch of bluish-green eggs is laid and incubated by both parents. The young fledge at about six weeks of age.
Its breeding distribution is in wetlands in warm temperate to tropical parts of Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. A successful colonist, its range has gradually expanded north, with stable and self-sustaining populations now present in the United Kingdom.
It first appeared in the UK in significant numbers in 1989 and first bred in Dorset in 1996
In warmer locations, most birds are permanent residents; northern populations, including many European birds, migrate to Africa and southern Asia to over-winter there. The birds may also wander north in late summer after the breeding season, and their tendency to disperse may have assisted in the recent expansion of the bird's range. At one time common in Western Europe, it was hunted extensively in the 19th century to provide plumes for the decoration of hats and became locally extinct in northwestern Europe and scarce in the south. Around 1950, conservation laws were introduced in southern Europe to protect the species and their numbers began to increase. By the beginning of the 21st century the bird was breeding again in France, the Netherlands, Ireland and Britain. It has also begun to colonise the New World; it was first seen in Barbados in 1954 and first bred there in 1994. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed the bird's global conservation status as being of least concern..
Laughing Gulls
Avalon, NJ
The young gull is still trying to get fed while the parent is sending it off to be on its own. People have been wondering why there are so many dead gulls on the road. The reason is the young ones don't know to fly when the cars come while they are finding food on the road.
Nuthatch - Sitta europaea
The Eurasian nuthatch or wood nuthatch (Sitta europaea) is a small passerine bird found throughout temperate Asia and in Europe, where its name is the nuthatch. Like other nuthatches, it is a short-tailed bird with a long bill, blue-grey upperparts and a black eye-stripe. It is a vocal bird with a repeated loud dwip call. There are more than 20 subspecies in three main groups; birds in the west of the range have orange-buff underparts and a white throat, those in Russia have whitish underparts, and those in the Far East have a similar appearance to European birds, but lack the white throat.
The preferred habitat is mature deciduous or mixed woodland with large, old trees, preferably oak. Pairs hold permanent territories, and nest in tree holes, usually old woodpecker nests, but sometimes natural cavities. If the entrance to the hole is too large, the female plasters it with mud to reduce its size, and often coats the inside of the cavity too. The 6–9 red-speckled white eggs are laid on a deep base of pine or other wood chips.
The Eurasian nuthatch eats mainly insects, particularly caterpillars and beetles, although in autumn and winter its diet is supplemented with nuts and seeds. The young are fed mainly on insects, with some seeds, food items mainly being found on tree trunks and large branches. The nuthatch can forage when descending trees head first, as well as when climbing. It readily visits bird tables, eating fatty man-made food items as well as seeds. It is an inveterate hoarder, storing food year-round. Its main natural predator is the Eurasian sparrowhawk.
It breeds throughout England and Wales and has recently began to breed in southern Scotland. It is a resident, with birds seldom travelling far from the woods where they hatch.
Population:
UK breeding:
220,000 territories