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

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

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.

A Snow Bunting performs

19th January 2015 - Powderham

Here are a few shots of the very obliging Snow Bunting which has taken up residence on the cycle track near Powderham. Snow Buntings are often tame but this one seems to want to be photographed - to be honest I almost stepped on it, it was so close I had to move back to get it in focus.

Snow Bunting - 19/1/2015 Powderham

Snow Bunting - 19/1/2015 Powderham

When disturbed by passing walkers it just flew on to the wall or over to the rocks on the estuary side, always returning to feed in the shaded side of the path - maybe it was too hot in the sun?

Snow Bunting - 19/1/2015 Powderham

Snow Bunting - 19/1/2015 Powderham

So, a nice accommodating bird but, as ever, I can't resist digging a bit deeper to see if any more can be deduced - what age is it? Male or female? And, if possible, what subspecies? Apart from the obvious Svensson (1992) and, as it's a Bunting, Byers et al (1995), I also found Rae & Marquiss (1989) and Winters (2013) extremely useful.

The sex is the easiest to determine, the sharply pointed black centres to the scapulars indicate that it's a female (on a male they would be much more rounded). The underside of the primaries is also a safe character though often hard to see in the field, luckily it gave me a handy view as it preened. It showed a white underwing shading diffusely into darker grey primaries, this would be blacker and more sharply defined in a male.

Snow Bunting - 19/1/2015 Powderham

Its age is rather more difficult to decide. The shape of the tail feathers can be useful - pointed in 1cy, more rounded in adults - but this is hard to assess accurately, at times they looked pointed, at other times more rounded. The degree of wear on the tertials and greater coverts is also a guide - 1cy birds should look more worn than the more recently moulted adults. Again this is hard to judge but this next shot does show what look to be fairly worn inner GC's. However, the longest tertial doesn't look particularly worn so perhaps it's best left unaged.

Snow Bunting - 19/1/2015 Powderham

If ageing it is tricky maybe I shouldn't even think about subspecies but, fools rush and all that...

I can't help thinking that there's a degree of contrast between the pale and fairly cold fringes to the mantle feathers and the slightly warmer toned scapulars. Also the underparts are very white with only a hint of colour on the flanks. I would suggest, tentatively, that this points towards it being nominate nivalis since insulae (the commonest in winter in Britain) should look darker and warmer brown above and more saturated below. A diagnostic character is the amount of white on P2 (numbered descendantly); ≥ 60% = nivalis, ≤ 40% = insulae. I tried but I couldn't get it to fully spread a wing, or even fly much at all.

Nominate nivalis (coming from as near as Scandinavia) isn't all that rare in Britain (not sure about Devon) but it's believed to be less frequent than insularis (from Iceland and Scotland). Anyone got any opinions on this one?

References

 

Byers, C., Olsson, U., & Curson, J. 1995. Buntings and Sparrows. Robertsbridge.

 

Rae, R., & Marquiss, M., 1989. Ageing and sexing of Snow Buntings wintering on the Aberdeenshire coast, their biometrics and sex ratios. Ringing and Migration 10: 133-140.

Svensson, L. 1992. Identification Guide to European Passerines.
Fourth edition. Stockholm.

Winters, R., 2013. Snow Bunting: sexing, ageing and subspecies. Dutch Birding 35: 7-14.

Penduline Tits - third time around

10th January 2015 - Topsham

My third encounter with the Penduline Tits, this time at the Dart's Farm pools, proved rather more productive than the first two. This time the distance was about 20m so, despite the strong wind and generally poor light, I got more informative images (thanks to Keith B for the timely call).

There were three birds present, all with blackish masks, so two at least were additional to the usual BGM/Dart's Farm group; I wonder if they were the same party as the one I saw at The Rec on the 19th December. Two of the birds looked quite similar with narrow and somewhat patchy masks and showed little contrast between the warm brown mantle and the greyish nape and crown. The third individual had a more solidly black mask that was broader over the eyes and onto the forehead (where it merged into a thin band of dark chestnut). This bird's mantle was also noticeably darker than the other two, a more intense chestnut that often seemed to contrast strongly with the pale nape.

None of my photos showed enough detail to allow examination of the greater coverts - a moult limit/contrast in 1W, all coverts the same age in adults - so a definitive statement re ageing probably unwise. However, the two duller birds with narrower and less solidly black masks appear to be females, while the more contrasting bird with the broader, blacker mask looks more like a male.

Penduline Tit - 10/1/2015 Dart's Farm, Topsham. One of the duller, narrower masked birds - female?

Penduline Tit - 10/1/2015 Dart's Farm, Topsham. One of the duller, narrower masked birds - female?

Penduline Tit - 10/1/2015 Dart's Farm, Topsham. One of the duller, narrower masked birds - female?

Penduline Tit - 10/1/2015 Dart's Farm, Topsham. The more contrasty, broader masked bird - male?

Penduline Tit - 10/1/2015 Dart's Farm, Topsham. The more contrasty, broader masked bird - male?

Penduline Tit - 10/1/2015 Dart's Farm, Topsham. The more contrasty, broader masked bird - male?

Once again, the best available sources on ageing and sexing Penduline Tits are:


Blasco-Zumeta, Javier, and Heinze, Gerd-Michael. Identification Atlas of Aragón's Birds - Penduline Tit. PDF available here
[This work refers to Iberian populations - I'm not sure if the criteria are totally applicable to Northern European birds]
 
Svensson, Lars. Identification Guide to European Passerines, 4th edition 1992.

2014 - the good bits

31st December 2014 - Topsham

 

As is customary at this time of year, here's my brief, personal and mostly photographic round up of 2014 at Topsham Rec - a few hundred yards of river I think of as my own patch. If 2013 wasn't bad at all with Caspian Gull, Bonaparte's Gull and Lesser Yellowlegs, 2014 was, if anything, even better with two gulls I never realistically expected and a Christmas bonus that was my only self-found rare of the year, although I expect I'll never know which two (or all three?) of the group I can claim!

January

The Black Redstart was a surprise when it turned up in October 2013 - my first for the patch - and stayed well into 2014, though it never allowed particularly close views.

Black Redstart - 14/1/2014 Topsham Rec

Likewise the usual winter Water Pipit, annual these days at the Rec, but typically flighty.

Water Pipit - 27/1/2014 Topsham

Small parties of Bearded Tits were seen a few times by others, but only ever heard by me.

February

Bird of the month was a Yellow-browed Warbler that frequented some of the gardens at the back of the Rec. First seen by a visitor on 29th January, it was elusive and, despite some serious searching, I didn't get a look at it myself it until 18th February.

Yellow-browed Warbler - 18/2/2014 Topsham

A couple of Little Gulls dropped in briefly on the 26th, an adult and a 1st winter/2cy.

Little Gull 2cy - 26/2/2014 (I know it says 25th on photos) Topsham

Little Gull adult - 26/2/2014 Topsham

March

A Slavonian Grebe on the 25th showed well at times and hung around for a week or two.

Slavonian Grebe - 29/3/2014 Topsham

A 2cy Yellow-legged Gull on the 26th.

Yellow-legged Gull 2cy - 26/3/2014 Topsham

April

April Fool's Day produced a big surprise, a 2cy white-winger than turned out to be a Kumlien's Gull.

Kumlien's Gull 2cy - 1/4/2014 Topsham

Kumlien's Gull 2cy - 1/4/2014 Topsham

May

Three sightings of apparent hybrid gulls caused the usual head scratching. Here's a composite of one bird.

Larus sp. - 14/5/2014 Topsham

June

June was quiet with the main interest being the gull fest at nearby Bowling Green Marsh. At The Rec hybrid gulls and Mediterranean Gulls warmed things up for July's star attraction. This informative 4cy (small black mark on P9) was one of the few minor highlights.

Mediterranean Gull 4cy - 21/6/2014 Topsham

July

The BGM Ross's Gull finally showed up at The Rec and eventually gave great views. Unfortunately it didn't hang around to complete its moult and had disappeared by the end of the month; surely a bird in this state wouldn't go far? I wonder if one of the local Peregrines may have been responsible.

Ross's Gull 2cy - 21/7/2014 Topsham

Ross's Gull 2cy - 21/7/2014 Topsham

Ross's Gull 2cy - 22/7/2014 Topsham

August

My first juv/1cy Yellow-legged Gull of the season on the 6th August, always a pleasure.

Yellow-legged Gull 1cy - 6/8/2014 Topsham

A different bird on the 18th.

Yellow-legged Gull 1cy - 18/8/2014

September

A quiet month, more Hybrid Gulls and a Kingfisher taken by Peregrine.

Peregrine with Kingfisher -17/9/2014 Topsham

October

An early Water Pipit on 22nd which only stayed a week.

Water Pipit - 22/10/2014 Topsham

  
November

As usual gulls were the main object of interest. I found this argentatus Scandinavian Herring Gull (seriously rare in Devon) on the 28th October but didn't clinch it until 2nd November.

Scandinavian Herring Gull 4cy - 2/11/2014

December

My Bird of the Year? Got to be the three Penduline Tits on the 19th. Also my worst photos of the year.

Penduline Tits (three - count them) 19/12/2014 Topsham

My resolution for 2015? To find a nice obliging Caspian Gull - one that hangs around and sits for a few nice photos please.

Get out there and have a good one everybody.

The Five Bird Theory - Penduline Tits at Topsham Rec

19th December 2014 - Topsham

I'd just spent a frustrating hour hoping to get a better look at a Med Gull in order to read it's colour ring and wishing I'd brought my scope. I was on the point of leaving when the gulls all took flight briefly so, hoping my Med Gull had resettled somewhere closer, I turned back for a final scan before giving up. Behind the gulls I picked up three small passerines at the edge of the reeds, small for Reed Buntings I thought, and there was something familiar about the way they moved. Without a scope the only way I was going to get a better view was with my camera. Luckily the light was good and I could use a low ISO and not worry too much about motion blur, all the same I steadied my lens against a tree and blasted off a couple of dozen shots. Cropping in massively on the back of my camera I saw a couple of pale nondescript shapes and then a tiny masked bandit - pretty much as I saw at BGM on Sunday last week - Penduline Tits!

After a couple of minutes they disappeared and unless they prefer to feed on the edges the chances of seeing them again must be slim.

I expected my photos to be poor - the distance was a little over 100m - and they were, but they did reveal something interesting. At BGM on the 7th I saw one bird with a solid dark mask and two with only a faint ghost of a mask. All three of my birds appear to have prominent masks. Here's the photos - and though they may well be the worst I've ever posted I make no apologies. [edit - just realised I've labelled all photos with wrong date, should be 19/12/2014]

Penduline Tits - 19/12/2014 Topsham Recreation Ground. How many can you see?

Penduline Tits - 19/12/2014 Topsham Recreation Ground

Penduline Tits - 19/12/2014 Topsham Recreation Ground

I went through all the photos and cut and pasted to group images for each bird, I've labelled them A,B and C. I've also enlarged them for 'easier' viewing.

Penduline Tit - 19/12/2014 Topsham Recreation Ground - Bird A

Penduline Tit - 19/12/2014 Topsham Recreation Ground - Bird A

Penduline Tit - 19/12/2014 Topsham Recreation Ground - Bird B

Penduline Tit - 19/12/2014 Topsham Recreation Ground - Bird C

Finally here's a composite of both B and C together - I found them hard to separate in these shots.

Penduline Tits - 19/12/2014 Topsham Recreation Ground - Birds B and C

The apparent head pattern of each bird varies considerably between photos but each at times shows a strong dark mask; clearly the two faint masked birds from BGM are not here, and two new birds are. The obvious question now is: can they be aged and sexed?

Svensson (1992) states that Penduline Tits in autumn can be aged by the extent of the facial mask, 'small, short' in 1Y, and crown and nape 'largely brownish' (also by a moult limit in the greater coverts but we can forget about that from these photos); mask prominent and crown and nape 'grey, in some tinged brown' in adults. On the other hand Blasco-Zumeta and Heinz (date?) in their excellent guide to ageing and sexing Penduline Tits (for PDF see References) have photos showing 1Y males looking a lot like adults in the extent of their mask; whether this is just a feature of Iberian birds is not clear. So none of these three look like 1Y's according to Svensson at least. Two of the birds I saw last week certainly were not adults, as was a bird photographed by Dave Stone at Dart's Farm on the 15th, see Devon Bird News (his other bird, an adult, looks like a female to me). Incidentally, since all 1Y's will have undergone a partial moult by now they will be 1st winters rather than juveniles.

If they aren't 1Y's can they be sexed? According to Svensson there are three main features:

Mask - extensive and onto forehead in males, narrow and little on forehead in females.

Mantle - deep rufous in males, yellowish red-brown in females (from photos there should also be greater contrast with the nape in males).

Breast - much rufous flecking in males, no or little rufous in females.

While there is a definite mask on all three birds, on none does it clearly extend on to the forehead. There is a suggestion of a contrast between pale nape and dark mantle on some shots but I'm not confident about it. As for the difference in breast flecking, clearly not visible on these images. Frankly I think I may be pushing a little hard on what are some really poor photos but if anyone has other opinions I'd love to hear.

At the very least I can confidently say I've seen at least five Penduline Tits in Topsham this December, not to mention a new patch bird. Now we just need some more photos.

References

Blasco-Zumeta, Javier, and Heinze, Gerd-Michael. Identification Atlas of Aragón's Birds - Penduline Tit. PDF available here

Svensson, Lars. Identification Guide to European Passerines, 4th edition 1992.