Wednesday 25 February 2015

Penduline Tits

25th February 2015 - Topsham

 

I haven't posted much in the way of sketches recently so here are some of the Penduline Tits which are still performing occasionally at nearby Dart's Farm, although these pieces date from early January. These sketches are all of one of the presumed first winter females. I'm still no nearer figuring out what's going on with these birds, there seems to be only three now but what happened to the two with very faint masks (or none at all according to some reports)? Did they disappear, are they lurking somewhere nearby undetected or did they morph into two masked birds in the space of a few days?

Penduline Tits - 10/1/2015 Topsham

Penduline Tits - 10/1/2015 Topsham


Tuesday 17 February 2015

Glaucous Gull - Sker Point, Glamorgan

15th February 2015 - Sker point, Glamorgan

 

Another weekend away - this time visiting Father (in-law) Ted in South Wales - and another Glaucous Gull. This one was decidedly more approachable than the last, although it took an hour or so of careful clambering over some tricky rocks to get within range. A few respectable photos were the reward.

Glaucous Gull juv. - 15/2/2015 Sker Point, Glamorgan

Glaucous Gull juv. - 15/2/2015 Sker Point, Glamorgan

Glaucous Gull juv. - 15/2/2015 Sker Point, Glamorgan

Glaucous Gull juv. - 15/2/2015 Sker Point, Glamorgan

I've labelled this bird a juvenile rather than a first winter; sure, it's living through its first winter but in terms of plumage (and that's what matters) it's still a juvenile. As I'm sure you all know, it's a peculiarity of Glaucous Gull (and Iceland Gull) that many retain all (or nearly all) their juvenile feathers until the following spring. Some moult a few body feathers and scapulars but never as extensively as in more southerly breeding species such as Herring Gull. This individual certainly appears to have no second generation scapulars - it's harder to tell with body feathers but I can't see any - and that's why I've called it a juvenile.

This is a reasonably well-marked bird - many are a lot paler than this by February - and must have looked a sight when really fresh. Judged by its overall shape, size and bulk, I suspect this is a male. It carried its left leg constantly - a break or dislocation perhaps - so its prospects may not be the best.

In flight it looked even better. Beautifully marbled tail feathers, greater coverts and secondaries with almost white outer primaries - typically the palest part of the bird.

Glaucous Gull juv. - 15/2/2015 Sker Point, Glamorgan

Glaucous Gull juv. - 15/2/2015 Sker Point, Glamorgan

Glaucous Gull juv. - 15/2/2015 Sker Point, Glamorgan

Glaucous Gull juv. - 15/2/2015 Sker Point, Glamorgan

Friday 13 February 2015

A Tubenose Project Update

The local birding's been a bit hit-and-miss recently hence another long gap between posts. I'd hoped to have something to show from a weekend in West Cornwall - Kumlien's, Glaucous and Ring-billed Gulls - all quality birds but not even half-decent photos and certainly no sketches to show for it. I also hoped something, anything, might pop up at Topsham Rec but my highlights of the year so far have been three Med Gulls and a Red Kite.

I have been fairly busy though, with a couple more plates for the 'Tubenose Handbook' finished - before the inevitable corrections of course. Here's a couple of details/crops:

Streaked and Pink-footed Shearwaters (plus confusion spp.)

Wedge-tailed and Buller's Shearwaters (plus confusion spp.)

When published these two plates should face each other, something like this:

Plates 39 & 40 (with provisional labels)


There's still some way to go yet, though, I can already see a few things that need correcting/altering, not least the quality of the scan.