Wild Bird Wednesday 687 - Tufted Duck

Although reasonably common in the UK, I always enjoy seeing Tufted Ducks (Aythya fuligula) especially at close range, where their bright yellow eyes seem to give them a loo of surprise or impending mischief.  

(I know that such anthropomorphism is a not really a scientific viewpoint - but what the heck!)

The Tufted Duck is a resident breeder in much of the UK, but its number swell in the winter when birds from colder parts of Europe join the residents on a wide range of water bodies.  As residents there are probably under 20,000 pairs in the UK, but in winter the population swells to approximately 140,000 birds.  This probably accounts for my perception of them a winter bird.

These pictures were taken in the spring in South West England, so they could be of late departing winter birds or residents.

I really like the way some of these picture pick up the colours in the males plumage, and of course I enjoy their rather dapper crest!

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WBW 686 - Snettisham (2)

A while ago I posted about a trip to Snettisham RSPB reserve in the UK, and promised more pictures to follow.  Well, here they are!

The text below is from my original post, but I think it's worth reposting an edited version to set the context.

Stettisham is a small town on the on the east coast of The Wash in the UK. There is an RSPB reserve there that gives 'views across brackish lagoons, salt marsh and a vast expanse of mudflats'.  It's basically wader heaven.

I was there on two days when very high tides coincided with the sunrise.  This means that huge flock of Red Knot are pushed off their muddy feeding grounds by the rising tide.  

This does two things - firstly it makes the Knot (and other waders) fly around in huge groups over the mud, and secondly, once the birds have been pushed off the mud they roost in there 10's of thousands on a shingle bank just inshore from the high-tide line.

These are some pictures from the shingle bank.  The majority of birds are Red Knot, or just Knot, in the UK (Calidris canutus).  The black and white birds are Eurasian Oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus), there are Greylag Geese (Anser anser) on the water, and in a few places you can pick out a few Godwits.

It really was a remarkable sight.

In case you haven't worked it out, the shingle is the golden coloured material, and the grey blobs are not rocks, they are Knot!

Hope all is well.  As ever, to join in with WBW click on the link below.  SM

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Wild Bird Wednesday 685 - Welcome Swallow.

The Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena) is Australia's most widespread - and familiar - swallow.  It occurs over most of the continent and is only absent from some parts of the more arid western areas.

The Welcome Swallow is very closely related to the Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) which is the most widespread species of swallow in the world.  The Barm Swallow does occur in Australia, but is restricted to the far north coast.

Unlike the Barn Swallow, the Welcome Swallow is not a truly migratory bird - while a large number of birds from southern Australia do move north for the winter (remember, this is the southern hemisphere, so north is warmer!) not all of them do so.  This means that on any given day of the year it is not really a surprise to see these birds.

The structure that these birds are sitting on is a protective barrier around an outflow pipe at Werribee.  These birds were part of a much larger group of swallows than I have seen in a while, so perhaps they represent the return of the northern birds for the summer season.  The weather over the last few days has certainly be suggestive of spring, even if the calendar suggests other wise.

Interestingly these birds can even be seen at sea — the name ‘Welcome’ swallow comes from sailors who knew that the sight of a swallow meant that land was not far away.

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Wild Bird Wednesday 684 - Jackdaw

The Jackdaw (Coloeus monedula) is a small black crow with a distinctive silvery grey sheen to the back of its head. Its pale eyes stand out from its plumage.  This species is also known as The Western Jackdaw, the Eurasian jackdaw, or the European jackdaw.

The Jackdaw is found through all of Europe, and is the smallest crow in the region.

The Jackdaw's name is said to an onomatopoeic rendering of its call.  If this is the case, then I think the bird should be called a 'tchackdawa' as its familiar call is normally rendered  as 'tchack'!

Jackdaws will often nest in chimneys, buildings, rock crevices and tree holes,  and I seem to associate them with old buildings, castles and churches! That may say more about the kind of place I used to live in, rather than the bird - but who knows.

These birds were feeding on the grass around the ponds at Slimbridge in the UK.

I like the look of concentration on the face of the closest bird.

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