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  • Gambel's Quail - Callipepla gambelii - Chicks
    148586.jpg
  • Gambel's Quail - Callipepla gambelii - Chicks
    148587.jpg
  • Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa - Adult at nest with chicks. L 32-34cm. Dumpy, well-marked gamebird. Forms small parties (covies), outside breeding season. Hunted and often wary. Prefers to run from danger but flies low on stiffly-held wings. Sexes are similar. Adult has red bill and legs, and white throat bordered with gorget of black spots. Plumage is otherwise mainly blue-grey and warm buff except for black and white barring on flanks. Juvenile has grey-buff plumage with hint of adult’s dark markings. Voice Utters a loud ke che-che, ke che-che… call. Status Introduced but well established, mainly on arable farmland with mature hedgerows and scattered woods.
    154637.jpg
  • Gambel's Quail - Callipepla gambelii - Chicks
    148589.jpg
  • Nightjar - Caprimulgus europeus - Chicks in nest. (L 24-27cm) may share nocturnal habits with owls but the similarities between these unrelated birds ends there. The Nightjar has a huge gape that it uses to catch flying moths. The species is hard to find in the daytime, thanks to its cryptic plumage and often observers have to satisfy themselves with the silhouette of a bird in flight: it looks long-winged and narrow-tailed. All birds have intricate brown, grey and black markings that, in combination, resemble tree bark; males have striking white patches near the wingtips and corners of the tail. Territorial males utter a distinctive churring song for hours on end, after dark. The Nightjar is a migrant visitor to the region, found mainly on lowland heathland (where it is easiest to find) and heather moors.
    156479.jpg
  • Reed Bunting - Emberiza schoeniclus - adult male at nest with chicks. L 14-15cm. Well-marked bird of wetland margins. Forms flocks outside breeding season. Sexes are dissimilar. Adult summer male has black head, throat and bib, and white collar and submoustachial stripe. Underparts are whitish with faint streaking, back is dark and wings have reddish brown feather margins. In all other plumages head has dark brown and buffish brown stripes and pale submoustachial stripe. Back has brown and buff stripes, wing feathers have reddish brown margin and pale underparts are streaked on flanks and breast. Males show hint of summer head pattern. Voice Utters a thin seeu call. Song is simple, chinking and repetitive. Status Locally common. In winter, flocks found on arable fields.
    154644.jpg
  • Great Blue Heron chicks - Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias
    160555.jpg
  • Great Egret - Ardea alba - adult feeding chicks
    160562.jpg
  • Great Egret - Ardea alba - adult feeding chicks
    160563.jpg
  • Great Northern Diver (Common Loon) - Gavia immer - chicks
    159512.jpg
  • Great Northern Diver (Common Loon) - Gavia immer - in summer plumage with chicks
    159511.jpg
  • Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos),Week old Golden Eagle chick in eyrie showing egg-tooth on tip of bill,Argyll, Scotland,early May
    143924.jpg
  • Great Northern Diver (Common Loon) - Gavia immer - in summer plumage with chick
    159510.jpg
  • Great Northern Diver (Common Loon) - Gavia immer - in summer plumage with chick
    164070.jpg
  • Grey Partridge Perdix perdix L 29-31cm. Well-marked gamebird. Usually seen in small parties. Hunted and consequently wary; prefers to run from danger. Sexes are separable with care. Adult male has mainly grey, finely marked plumage with orange-buff face, large chestnut mark on belly, maroon stripes on flanks and streaked back. Adult female is similar but marking on belly is small. Juvenile is grey-buff with hint of adult’s dark markings. Voice Utters a choked, harsh kierr-ikk call. Status Native of grassland and arable farmland with mature hedgerows. Once abundant, now scarce due to modern farming methods. Observation tips Easiest to see in winter.
    143960.jpg
  • Swallow - Hirundo rustica. L 19cm. Recognised in flight by pointed wings and long tail streamers. Sexes are similar but male has longer tail streamers than female. Adult has blue-black upperparts and white underparts except for dark chest band and brick-red throat and forecrown. Juvenile is similar but has shorter tail streamers and buff throat. Voice Utters sharp vit call in flight; male sings twittering song, often from overhead wires near nest. Status Common and widespread in summer. Usually nests in villages and farmyards, half cup-shaped mud nest typically sited under eaves or in barn. Migrants congregate over freshwater and roost in reedbeds.
    157686.jpg
  • Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted race) - Colaptes auratus - female
    150504.jpg
  • Common Loon - Gavia immer - Adult breeding
    148014.jpg
  • Wren Troglodytes troglodytes L 9-10cm. Tiny, dumpy bird that cocks tail upright. Unobtrusive and often creeps through low vegetation. Call is distinctive. Sexes are similar. Adult and juvenile have dark reddish brown upperparts with barring on wings and tail. Underparts are greyish white with buff wash to flanks; note striking, pale supercilium. Bill is needle-like and legs are reddish. Voice Utters a loud, rattling alarm call; warbling song ends in a trill. Status Widespread resident of all sorts of habitats with dense undergrowth.
    143119.jpg
  • Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus - at nest. L 27cm. Appreciably larger than Song Thrush. Unobtrusive but has distinctive call and song. Sexes are similar. Adult has grey-brown upperparts with hint of white wingbar. Underparts are pale with large dark spots and flanks are washed orange-buff. In flight, note white underwings and white tips to outer tail feathers. Juvenile is similar but back has white, teardrop-shaped spots. Voice Utters a loud, rattling alarm call. Song contains brief phrases and long pauses; often sung in dull weather. Status Fairly common resident of open woodland, parks and mature gardens.
    110125.jpg
  • Merlin Falco columbarius - at nest. W 60-65cm. Our smallest raptor. Typically seen dashing flight, low over in pursuit of prey such as Meadow Pipit. Also perches on fence posts or rocky outcrops. Sexes are dissimilar. Adult male has blue-grey upperparts and buffish, streaked and spotted underparts. In flight from above, note contrast between blue-grey back, inner wings and tail, and dark wing tips and dark terminal band on tail. Adult female has brown upperparts and pale underparts with large, brown spots. In flight from above, upperparts look rather uniformly brown with numerous bars on wings and tail. Juvenile resembles adult female. Voice Mostly silent but shrill kee-kee-kee… is uttered in alarm near nest. Status Scarce breeding season, found on upland moorland in spring and summer. Outside breeding season, moves S and to lowland areas and numbers boosted by migrants from Iceland.
    121275.jpg
  • Robin Erithacus rubecula L 13-14cm. Distinctive bird. Garden-dwellers are bold and inquisitive. Sexes are similar. Adult has orange-red face, throat and breast, bordered by blue-grey on sides but with sharp demarcation from white belly. Upperparts are buffish brown with faint buff wingbar. Juvenile has brown upperparts, marked with buff spots and teardrop-shaped streaks; pale buff underparts have darker spots and crescent-shaped markings. Voice Song is plaintive and melancholy. Alarm call is a sharp tic. Status Widespread resident, commonest in S. Observation tips Easiest to find in gardens and parks.
    101329.jpg
  • Blackbird Turdus merula L 25-28cm. Familiar ground-dwelling bird. Sexes are dissimilar. Adult male has uniformly blackish plumage. Legs are dark but bill and eyering are yellow. 1st winter male is similar but bill is dark and eyering is dull. Adult and 1st winter female are brown, darkest on wings and tail, and palest on throat and streaked breast. Juvenile is similar to adult female but marked with pale spots. Voice Utters harsh and repeated tchak alarm call, often at dusk. Male has rich, fluty and varied song. Status Common and widespread in gardens, but in woodland, farmland and coasts. Upland birds move to lower levels in winter and migrants arrive from Europe.
    122651.jpg
  • Swallow Hirundo rustica L 19cm. Recognised in flight by pointed wings and long tail streamers. Sexes are similar but male has longer tail streamers than female. Adult has blue-black upperparts and white underparts except for dark chest band and brick-red throat and forecrown. Juvenile is similar but has shorter tail streamers and buff throat. Voice Utters sharp vit call in flight; male sings twittering song, often from overhead wires near nest. Status Common and widespread in summer. Usually nests in villages and farmyards, half cup-shaped mud nest typically sited under eaves or in barn. Migrants congregate over freshwater and roost in reedbeds.
    127177.jpg
  • Coot Fulica atra L 36-38cm. Robust waterbird, often found with Moorhen. Has lobed toes. Feeds by upending, making shallow dives or grazing waterside vegetation. Gregarious outside breeding season. Sexes are similar. Adult has blackish plumage, darkest on head and neck. Note white bill and frontal shield on head, and beady red eye. Legs are pale yellowish. In flight, shows white trailing edge on otherwise dark, rounded wings. Juvenile has dark greyish brown upperparts and white on throat and front of neck. Voice Utters a loud kwoot call. Status Common resident, found on range of freshwater wetland habitats; numbers boosted in winter by influx of migrants.
    133038.jpg
  • Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos W 190-225cm. Majestic raptor. Distant flight view could be confused with soaring Buzzard but note proportionately longer wings (narrow appreciably towards base) and relatively long tail. Catches Mountain Hares and Red Grouse but also feeds on carrion in winter. Sexes are similar. Adult has mainly dark brown plumage with paler margins to feathers on back and golden-brown feathers on head and neck. Tail is dark-tipped and barred but can look uniformly dark in flight silhouette. Juvenile is similar to adult but has white patches at base of outer flight feathers; tail is mainly white but with broad, dark tip. Subadult gradually loses white elements of juvenile plumage by successive moults over several years. Voice Mainly silent. Status Resident of remote, upland regions, mainly in Scotland. Favours open moorland and mountains.
    143938.jpg
  • HEN HARRIER Circus cyaneus Wingspan 100-120cm. Britain’s most familiar harrier, usually seen gliding at slow speed, low over the ground. Adult male has pale blue-grey plumage except for white belly, white rump and black wingtips. Adult female is brown with darker barring on wings and tail, streaking on body underparts, and a narrow white rump. Juvenile is similar to adult female but breast and wing coverts are brighter. Voice – mainly silent. Status and habitat – Breeds on upland moorland, winters on lowland heaths and near coasts.
    143969.jpg
  • HEN HARRIER Circus cyaneus Wingspan 100-120cm. Britain’s most familiar harrier, usually seen gliding at slow speed, low over the ground. Adult male has pale blue-grey plumage except for white belly, white rump and black wingtips. Adult female is brown with darker barring on wings and tail, streaking on body underparts, and a narrow white rump. Juvenile is similar to adult female but breast and wing coverts are brighter. Voice – mainly silent. Status and habitat – Breeds on upland moorland, winters on lowland heaths and near coasts.
    143977.jpg
  • Mute Swan Cygnus olor L 150-160cm. Large, distinctive water bird and a familiar sight. Swimming birds hold long neck in an elegant curve. Family groups are a feature of lowland lakes in spring. Typically tolerant of people. In flight, shallow, powerful wingbeats produce and characteristic, throbbing whine. Sexes are similar but bill’s basal knob is largest in males. Adult has white plumage although crown may have orange-buff suffusion. Bill is orange-red with black base. Juvenile has grubby grey-brown plumage and dull pinkish grey bill. Voice Mostly silent. Status Our commonest swan; the only resident species. Found on freshwater habitats besides which it nests; in winter, also on sheltered coasts.
    143988.jpg
  • Starling - Juveniles being fed by parent Sturnus vulgaris L 20-22cm. Familiar urban and rural bird with swaggering walk. Forms large flocks outside breeding season. Sexes are separable in summer. Adult male in summer has dark plumage with iridescence seen in good light. Legs are reddish and bill is yellow with blue base to lower mandible. Adult female in summer is similar but has some pale spots on underparts and pale yellow base to lower mandible. Winter adult (both sexes) has numerous white spots adorning dark plumage and dark bill. Juvenile is grey-brown, palest on throat; bill is dark; spotted body plumage acquired in winter. Voice Varied repertoire of clicks and whistles including mimicry. Status Widespread and common but declining. Found in all kinds of open habitats in winter. Often nests in house roofs.
    144038.jpg
  • Swallow Hirundo rustica L 19cm. Recognised in flight by pointed wings and long tail streamers. Sexes are similar but male has longer tail streamers than female. Adult has blue-black upperparts and white underparts except for dark chest band and brick-red throat and forecrown. Juvenile is similar but has shorter tail streamers and buff throat. Voice Utters sharp vit call in flight; male sings twittering song, often from overhead wires near nest. Status Common and widespread in summer. Usually nests in villages and farmyards, half cup-shaped mud nest typically sited under eaves or in barn. Migrants congregate over freshwater and roost in reedbeds.
    145842.jpg
  • Swallow - Hirundo rustica. L 19cm. Recognised in flight by pointed wings and long tail streamers. Sexes are similar but male has longer tail streamers than female. Adult has blue-black upperparts and white underparts except for dark chest band and brick-red throat and forecrown. Juvenile is similar but has shorter tail streamers and buff throat. Voice Utters sharp vit call in flight; male sings twittering song, often from overhead wires near nest. Status Common and widespread in summer. Usually nests in villages and farmyards, half cup-shaped mud nest typically sited under eaves or in barn. Migrants congregate over freshwater and roost in reedbeds.
    157716.jpg
  • Pied-billed Grebe - Podilymbus podiceps - breeding adult
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  • Pied-billed Grebe - Podilymbus podiceps - breeding adult
    150948.jpg
  • Pied-billed Grebe - Podilymbus podiceps - breeding adult
    150947.jpg
  • Least Tern - Sternula antillarum - breeding adult
    149817.jpg
  • Golden Eagle - Aquila chrysaetos
    148635.jpg
  • Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus. Spring and early summer are the times when rare waders that breed in Asia turn up here. The Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus is unmistakable with its black and white plumage and ridiculously long, red legs
    156792.jpg
  • Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus. Spring and early summer are the times when rare waders that breed in Asia turn up here. The Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus is unmistakable with its black and white plumage and ridiculously long, red legs
    156793.jpg
  • Grey Partridge Perdix perdix L 29-31cm. Well-marked gamebird. Usually seen in small parties. Hunted and consequently wary; prefers to run from danger. Sexes are separable with care. Adult male has mainly grey, finely marked plumage with orange-buff face, large chestnut mark on belly, maroon stripes on flanks and streaked back. Adult female is similar but marking on belly is small. Juvenile is grey-buff with hint of adult’s dark markings. Voice Utters a choked, harsh kierr-ikk call. Status Native of grassland and arable farmland with mature hedgerows. Once abundant, now scarce due to modern farming methods. Observation tips Easiest to see in winter.
    156424.jpg
  • Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus L 43cm. Distinctive wader with striking black and white plumage and loud alarm call. Powerful bill used to hammer molluscs off rocks. Sexes are similar. Adult in summer has black upperparts and white underparts with clear demarcation between the two on breast. Note red bill, pinkish legs and beady red eye. In winter, similar but note white half-collar. Juvenile is similar to summer adult but black elements of plumage are brownish and bill and leg colours are subdued. Voice Utters a loud, piping peep call. Status Breeds commonly on coast and beside inland lakes and rivers in N. Mainly coastal in winter, favouring estuaries and mudflats.
    155723.jpg
  • Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata - Adult leaving nest. L 14cm. Charming, perky bird with unremarkable plumage. Recognised by upright posture and habit of making insect-catching aerial sorties from regular perches. Sexes are similar. Adult has grey-brown upperparts, streaked on crown, and pale greyish white underparts heavily streaked on breast. Juvenile is similar but has pale spots on back and dark spots on throat and breast. Voice Utters a thin tsee call. Song is simple and includes thin, call-like notes. Status Widespread summer visitor to open, sunny woodland, parks and gardens; often nests around habitation.
    115441.jpg
  • Wren Troglodytes troglodytes - at nest. L 9-10cm. Tiny, dumpy bird that cocks tail upright. Unobtrusive and often creeps through low vegetation. Call is distinctive. Sexes are similar. Adult and juvenile have dark reddish brown upperparts with barring on wings and tail. Underparts are greyish white with buff wash to flanks; note striking, pale supercilium. Bill is needle-like and legs are reddish. Voice Utters a loud, rattling alarm call; warbling song ends in a trill. Status Widespread resident of all sorts of habitats with dense undergrowth.
    115891.jpg
  • Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus L 11-12cm. Familiar garden and woodland bird. Sexes are similar. Adult has greenish back, blue wings and yellow underparts. Mainly white head is demarcated by dark blue collar, connecting to dark eyestripe and dark bib; cap is blue. Bill is short and stubby and legs are bluish. Male is brighter than female. Juvenile is similar but colours are subdued. Voice Call is chattering tser err-err-err. Song contains whistling and trilling elements. Status Common resident of deciduous woodland, parks and gardens.
    100295.jpg
  • Blackbird Turdus merula L 25-28cm. Familiar ground-dwelling bird. Sexes are dissimilar. Adult male has uniformly blackish plumage. Legs are dark but bill and eyering are yellow. 1st winter male is similar but bill is dark and eyering is dull. Adult and 1st winter female are brown, darkest on wings and tail, and palest on throat and streaked breast. Juvenile is similar to adult female but marked with pale spots. Voice Utters harsh and repeated tchak alarm call, often at dusk. Male has rich, fluty and varied song. Status Common and widespread in gardens, but in woodland, farmland and coasts. Upland birds move to lower levels in winter and migrants arrive from Europe.
    110126.jpg
  • Blackbird Turdus merula L 25-28cm. Familiar ground-dwelling bird. Sexes are dissimilar. Adult male has uniformly blackish plumage. Legs are dark but bill and eyering are yellow. 1st winter male is similar but bill is dark and eyering is dull. Adult and 1st winter female are brown, darkest on wings and tail, and palest on throat and streaked breast. Juvenile is similar to adult female but marked with pale spots. Voice Utters harsh and repeated tchak alarm call, often at dusk. Male has rich, fluty and varied song. Status Common and widespread in gardens, but in woodland, farmland and coasts. Upland birds move to lower levels in winter and migrants arrive from Europe.
    111327.jpg
  • Song Thrush Turdus philomelos L 23cm. Dainty, well-marked thrush with a beautiful, distinctive song. Sexes are similar. Adult has warm brown upperparts with hint of orange-buff wingbar. Underparts are pale but well marked with dark spots; note yellowish buff wash to breast. In flight, reveals orange-buff underwing coverts. Juvenile is similar but markings and colours are less intense. Voice Utters a thin tik call in flight. Song is loud and musical; phrases are repeated two or three times. Status Fairly common but declining resident of woodland, parks and mature gardens. Numbers boosted in winter by migrants from mainland Europe.
    111667.jpg
  • Robin Erithacus rubecula L 13-14cm. Distinctive bird. Garden-dwellers are bold and inquisitive. Sexes are similar. Adult has orange-red face, throat and breast, bordered by blue-grey on sides but with sharp demarcation from white belly. Upperparts are buffish brown with faint buff wingbar. Juvenile has brown upperparts, marked with buff spots and teardrop-shaped streaks; pale buff underparts have darker spots and crescent-shaped markings. Voice Song is plaintive and melancholy. Alarm call is a sharp tic. Status Widespread resident, commonest in S. Observation tips Easiest to find in gardens and parks.
    112324.jpg
  • Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus L 27cm. Appreciably larger than Song Thrush. Unobtrusive but has distinctive call and song. Sexes are similar. Adult has grey-brown upperparts with hint of white wingbar. Underparts are pale with large dark spots and flanks are washed orange-buff. In flight, note white underwings and white tips to outer tail feathers. Juvenile is similar but back has white, teardrop-shaped spots. Voice Utters a loud, rattling alarm call. Song contains brief phrases and long pauses; often sung in dull weather. Status Fairly common resident of open woodland, parks and mature gardens.
    112766.jpg
  • Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata L 14cm. Charming, perky bird with unremarkable plumage. Recognised by upright posture and habit of making insect-catching aerial sorties from regular perches. Sexes are similar. Adult has grey-brown upperparts, streaked on crown, and pale greyish white underparts heavily streaked on breast. Juvenile is similar but has pale spots on back and dark spots on throat and breast. Voice Utters a thin tsee call. Song is simple and includes thin, call-like notes. Status Widespread summer visitor to open, sunny woodland, parks and gardens; often nests around habitation.
    112767.jpg
  • Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus W 60-75cm. Widespread but secretive raptor that catches small birds in flight in surprise, low-level attacks. Has relatively short, rounded wings, long, barred tail, long legs and staring yellow eyes. Male is much smaller than female and also separable on plumage details. Adult male has blue-grey upperparts; pale underparts are strongly barred and reddish brown on body and wing coverts. Adult female has grey-brown upperparts and pale underparts with fine, dark barring. Juvenile has brownish upperparts, and pale underparts with broad, brown barring. Voice Utters a shrill kew-kew-kew in alarm. Status Common, associated mainly with wooded habitats, both rural and suburban.
    114556.jpg
  • Robin Erithacus rubecula L 13-14cm. Distinctive bird. Garden-dwellers are bold and inquisitive. Sexes are similar. Adult has orange-red face, throat and breast, bordered by blue-grey on sides but with sharp demarcation from white belly. Upperparts are buffish brown with faint buff wingbar. Juvenile has brown upperparts, marked with buff spots and teardrop-shaped streaks; pale buff underparts have darker spots and crescent-shaped markings. Voice Song is plaintive and melancholy. Alarm call is a sharp tic. Status Widespread resident, commonest in S. Observation tips Easiest to find in gardens and parks.
    118688.jpg
  • Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros (L 14cm) has benefited from urban sprawl and indeed often thrives in areas where industrial dereliction prevails. It is a bold bird that perches conspicuously, quivering striking red tail in an obvious manner. Adult males are particularly striking, with slate-grey body plumage darkest on the face and breast. By comparison, female and immature birds are rather drab, with mainly grey-brown body plumage. In a strange way, the Black Redstart’s song sometimes match its surroundings and includes curious crackling, static-like phrases. Between 50 and 100 pairs attempt to nest here each year but the species is more numerous as a passage migrant and occasional winter visitor to south coasts.
    120053.jpg
  • Gannet Morus bassanus W 165-180cm. Our largest seabird. Has deep, powerful wingbeats and glides on stiffly held wings. Bill is large and dagger-like. Dives from a height to catch fish. Sexes are similar. Adult has mainly white plumage with black wingtips; head has buffish wash. Juvenile has dark brown plumage speckled with white dots in first year; adult plumage acquired over next 4 years. Voice Silent at sea; nesting birds utter grating calls. Status Very locally common (3/4 of world population breeds here). Nests colonially but otherwise strictly marine.
    121954.jpg
  • Gannet Morus bassanus W 165-180cm. Our largest seabird. Has deep, powerful wingbeats and glides on stiffly held wings. Bill is large and dagger-like. Dives from a height to catch fish. Sexes are similar. Adult has mainly white plumage with black wingtips; head has buffish wash. Juvenile has dark brown plumage speckled with white dots in first year; adult plumage acquired over next 4 years. Voice Silent at sea; nesting birds utter grating calls. Status Very locally common (3/4 of world population breeds here). Nests colonially but otherwise strictly marine.
    122244.jpg
  • Marsh Tit Parus palustris L 12-13cm. Pugnacious woodland bird. Similar to Willow Tit but separable using subtle differences in plumage and voice. Sexes are similar. Adult and juvenile have black cap and bib; compared to Willow, cap is glossy, not dull, and bib is relatively small. Cheeks are whitish, upperparts are grey brown and underparts are pale grey-buff. Bill is short and legs are bluish. Voice Utters a loud pitchoo call. Song is loud and repeated chip-chip-chip… Status Locally common resident of deciduous woodland and mature gardens; commonest in S.
    122607.jpg
  • Little Owl Athene noctua L 22cm. Our smallest owl. Has large-headed, short-tailed and overall dumpy silhouette. Partly diurnal and seen perched on fenceposts and dead branches. Sometimes bobs head and body when agitated. Sexes are similar. Adult has brown upperparts with whitish spots; pale underparts have dark streaks. Note yellow eyes. Juvenile is duller and lacks spots on head. Voice Calls include cat-like kiu, uttered repeatedly in early evening. Status Introduced from mainland Europe in 19th Century. Now widespread and fairly common in S Britain. Nests in tree holes and cavities in stone walls.
    124708.jpg
  • Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs L 15cm. One of our most familiar birds. Forms flocks outside breeding season. Sexes are dissimilar. Adult male has reddish pink on face and underparts, blue crown and nape, and chestnut back. Note dark wings and whitish wingbars, and white undertail and vent. White outer tail feathers seen in flight. Adult female and juvenile are mainly buffish brown, palest on face and underparts; note pale wingbars (pattern similar to male) on otherwise dark wings. Voice Utters a pink pink call. Song comprises a descending trill with a final flourish. Status Common breeding species in a wide range of habitats. Numbers boosted in winter by migrants from N Europe.
    125539.jpg
  • Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia L 13cm. Skulking, unobtrusive warbler, heard more often than it is seen. Sexes are similar. Adult has streaked olive-brown upperparts; underparts are paler but flushed buffish brown on breast. Long undertail coverts are adorned with dark streaks. Juvenile is similar but underparts are usually tinged yellow-buff. Voice Utters a sharp tssvet call. Song is reeling and insect-like; sung mainly at night. Almost inaudible to people with poor hearing. Status Local summer visitor to rank grassland with bramble patches and clumps of rushes.
    125697.jpg
  • Magpie Pica pica L 45-50cm. Unmistakable black and white, long-tailed bird. Seen in small groups outside breeding season. Varied diet includes fruit, insects, animal road kills and eggs and young of birds. Sexes are similar. Adult and juvenile are mainly black with white belly and white patch on closed wing. Bluish green sheen on wings and tail seen in good light. In flight, outer half of rounded wings is white. Voice Utters a loud, rattling alarm call. Status Widespread resident of lightly wooded habitats and urban areas.
    126249.jpg
  • Great Egret - Ardea alba
    133965.jpg
  • Wren Troglodytes troglodytes L 9-10cm. Tiny, dumpy bird that cocks tail upright. Unobtrusive and often creeps through low vegetation. Call is distinctive. Sexes are similar. Adult and juvenile have dark reddish brown upperparts with barring on wings and tail. Underparts are greyish white with buff wash to flanks; note striking, pale supercilium. Bill is needle-like and legs are reddish. Voice Utters a loud, rattling alarm call; warbling song ends in a trill. Status Widespread resident of all sorts of habitats with dense undergrowth.
    137015.jpg
  • Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus L 14cm. Delightful, long-tailed bird with an almost spherical body. Seen in acrobatic flocks. Sexes are similar. Adult looks overall black and white but note pinkish chestnut patch on shoulders and whitish feather fringes on otherwise black back and wings. Head is mainly whitish with black band above eye; underparts are whitish, suffused pink on flanks and belly. Bill is dark, short and stubby. Juvenile is similar but duller and darker. Voice Utters rattling tsrrr contact call and thin tsee-tsee-tsee. Soft, twittering song is easily missed. Status Common resident of deciduous woodland, scrub and heathland fringes.
    137017.jpg
  • Whitethroat Sylvia communis L 13-15cm. Familiar warbler of open country. Males often perch openly. Sexes are dissimilar. Adult male has blue-grey cap and face, grey-brown back and rufous edges to wing feathers. Throat is white while; underparts otherwise pale, suffused pinkish buff on breast. Legs are yellowish brown and yellowish bill is dark-tipped. Dark tail has white outer feathers. Adult female and juveniles are similar but cap and face are brownish and pale underparts (apart from white throat) are suffused pale buff. Voice Utters a harsh check alarm call. Song is a rapid and scratchy warble. Status Common summer visitor to scrub patches, hedgerows and heaths.
    137566.jpg
  • Curlew Numenius arquata L 53-58cm. Large, distinctive wader with a long, downcurved bill. Call is evocative of lonely, windswept uplands during spring and summer, and coasts in winter. Sexes are similar although male has shorter bill than female. Adult has mainly grey-brown plumage, streaked and spotted on neck and underparts; belly is rather pale. Juvenile is similar but it looks overall more buffish brown, with fine streaks on neck and breast and appreciably shorter bill. Voice Utters a characteristic curlew call and bubbling song on breeding grounds. Status Locally common breeding species on N and upland habitats. Almost exclusively coastal outside breeding season.
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  • Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos W 190-225cm. Majestic raptor. Distant flight view could be confused with soaring Buzzard but note proportionately longer wings (narrow appreciably towards base) and relatively long tail. Catches Mountain Hares and Red Grouse but also feeds on carrion in winter. Sexes are similar. Adult has mainly dark brown plumage with paler margins to feathers on back and golden-brown feathers on head and neck. Tail is dark-tipped and barred but can look uniformly dark in flight silhouette. Juvenile is similar to adult but has white patches at base of outer flight feathers; tail is mainly white but with broad, dark tip. Subadult gradually loses white elements of juvenile plumage by successive moults over several years. Voice Mainly silent. Status Resident of remote, upland regions, mainly in Scotland. Favours open moorland and mountains.
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  • Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos W 190-225cm. Majestic raptor. Distant flight view could be confused with soaring Buzzard but note proportionately longer wings (narrow appreciably towards base) and relatively long tail. Catches Mountain Hares and Red Grouse but also feeds on carrion in winter. Sexes are similar. Adult has mainly dark brown plumage with paler margins to feathers on back and golden-brown feathers on head and neck. Tail is dark-tipped and barred but can look uniformly dark in flight silhouette. Juvenile is similar to adult but has white patches at base of outer flight feathers; tail is mainly white but with broad, dark tip. Subadult gradually loses white elements of juvenile plumage by successive moults over several years. Voice Mainly silent. Status Resident of remote, upland regions, mainly in Scotland. Favours open moorland and mountains.
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  • Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos W 190-225cm. Majestic raptor. Distant flight view could be confused with soaring Buzzard but note proportionately longer wings (narrow appreciably towards base) and relatively long tail. Catches Mountain Hares and Red Grouse but also feeds on carrion in winter. Sexes are similar. Adult has mainly dark brown plumage with paler margins to feathers on back and golden-brown feathers on head and neck. Tail is dark-tipped and barred but can look uniformly dark in flight silhouette. Juvenile is similar to adult but has white patches at base of outer flight feathers; tail is mainly white but with broad, dark tip. Subadult gradually loses white elements of juvenile plumage by successive moults over several years. Voice Mainly silent. Status Resident of remote, upland regions, mainly in Scotland. Favours open moorland and mountains.
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  • HEN HARRIER Circus cyaneus Wingspan 100-120cm. Britain’s most familiar harrier, usually seen gliding at slow speed, low over the ground. Adult male has pale blue-grey plumage except for white belly, white rump and black wingtips. Adult female is brown with darker barring on wings and tail, streaking on body underparts, and a narrow white rump. Juvenile is similar to adult female but breast and wing coverts are brighter. Voice – mainly silent. Status and habitat – Breeds on upland moorland, winters on lowland heaths and near coasts.
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  • HEN HARRIER Circus cyaneus Wingspan 100-120cm. Britain’s most familiar harrier, usually seen gliding at slow speed, low over the ground. Adult male has pale blue-grey plumage except for white belly, white rump and black wingtips. Adult female is brown with darker barring on wings and tail, streaking on body underparts, and a narrow white rump. Juvenile is similar to adult female but breast and wing coverts are brighter. Voice – mainly silent. Status and habitat – Breeds on upland moorland, winters on lowland heaths and near coasts.
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  • HEN HARRIER Circus cyaneus Female at nest with young. Wingspan 100-120cm. Britain’s most familiar harrier, usually seen gliding at slow speed, low over the ground. Adult male has pale blue-grey plumage except for white belly, white rump and black wingtips. Adult female is brown with darker barring on wings and tail, streaking on body underparts, and a narrow white rump. Juvenile is similar to adult female but breast and wing coverts are brighter. Voice – mainly silent. Status and habitat – Breeds on upland moorland, winters on lowland heaths and near coasts.
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  • HEN HARRIER Circus cyaneus Wingspan 100-120cm. Britain’s most familiar harrier, usually seen gliding at slow speed, low over the ground. Adult male has pale blue-grey plumage except for white belly, white rump and black wingtips. Adult female is brown with darker barring on wings and tail, streaking on body underparts, and a narrow white rump. Juvenile is similar to adult female but breast and wing coverts are brighter. Voice – mainly silent. Status and habitat – Breeds on upland moorland, winters on lowland heaths and near coasts.
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  • HEN HARRIER Circus cyaneus Wingspan 100-120cm. Britain’s most familiar harrier, usually seen gliding at slow speed, low over the ground. Adult male has pale blue-grey plumage except for white belly, white rump and black wingtips. Adult female is brown with darker barring on wings and tail, streaking on body underparts, and a narrow white rump. Juvenile is similar to adult female but breast and wing coverts are brighter. Voice – mainly silent. Status and habitat – Breeds on upland moorland, winters on lowland heaths and near coasts.
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  • Mute Swan Cygnus olor L 150-160cm. Large, distinctive water bird and a familiar sight. Swimming birds hold long neck in an elegant curve. Family groups are a feature of lowland lakes in spring. Typically tolerant of people. In flight, shallow, powerful wingbeats produce and characteristic, throbbing whine. Sexes are similar but bill’s basal knob is largest in males. Adult has white plumage although crown may have orange-buff suffusion. Bill is orange-red with black base. Juvenile has grubby grey-brown plumage and dull pinkish grey bill. Voice Mostly silent. Status Our commonest swan; the only resident species. Found on freshwater habitats besides which it nests; in winter, also on sheltered coasts.
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  • Mute Swan Cygnus olor L 150-160cm. Large, distinctive water bird and a familiar sight. Swimming birds hold long neck in an elegant curve. Family groups are a feature of lowland lakes in spring. Typically tolerant of people. In flight, shallow, powerful wingbeats produce and characteristic, throbbing whine. Sexes are similar but bill’s basal knob is largest in males. Adult has white plumage although crown may have orange-buff suffusion. Bill is orange-red with black base. Juvenile has grubby grey-brown plumage and dull pinkish grey bill. Voice Mostly silent. Status Our commonest swan; the only resident species. Found on freshwater habitats besides which it nests; in winter, also on sheltered coasts.
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  • Mute Swan Cygnus olor L 150-160cm. Large, distinctive water bird and a familiar sight. Swimming birds hold long neck in an elegant curve. Family groups are a feature of lowland lakes in spring. Typically tolerant of people. In flight, shallow, powerful wingbeats produce and characteristic, throbbing whine. Sexes are similar but bill’s basal knob is largest in males. Adult has white plumage although crown may have orange-buff suffusion. Bill is orange-red with black base. Juvenile has grubby grey-brown plumage and dull pinkish grey bill. Voice Mostly silent. Status Our commonest swan; the only resident species. Found on freshwater habitats besides which it nests; in winter, also on sheltered coasts.
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  • Stonechat Saxicola torquata - Male at nest. L 12-13cm. Small, compact bird. When perched, flicks short, dark tail and utters harsh alarm call. Sexes are dissimilar. Adult male has blackish head, white on side of neck, and dark back. Breast is orange-red, grading into pale underparts. In autumn, pale feather fringes make head appear paler. Adult female is similar but colours are muted and plumage is more streaked. 1st winter bird has streaked sandy brown upperparts and head, and buffish orange underparts. Voice Utters harsh tchak call, like two pebbles knocked together. Song is rapid and warbling. Status Locally common heaths, commons and gorse-covered slopes near coast. Some dispersal, mainly to coasts, occurs in winter.
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  • Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata - at nest with young. L 14cm. Charming, perky bird with unremarkable plumage. Recognised by upright posture and habit of making insect-catching aerial sorties from regular perches. Sexes are similar. Adult has grey-brown upperparts, streaked on crown, and pale greyish white underparts heavily streaked on breast. Juvenile is similar but has pale spots on back and dark spots on throat and breast. Voice Utters a thin tsee call. Song is simple and includes thin, call-like notes. Status Widespread summer visitor to open, sunny woodland, parks and gardens; often nests around habitation.
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  • Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita L 11cm. Tiny warbler, best known for its onomatopoeic song. Sexes are similar. Adult and juvenile have grey-brown upperparts and pale, greyish underparts suffused with yellow-buff on throat and breast. Bill is needle-like and legs are black; latter feature helps separate silent individuals from similar Willow Warbler. Voice Call is a soft hueet. Song is continually repeated chiff-chaff or tsip-tsap. Status Common summer visitor to mature deciduous woodland with a dense understorey of shrubs. Most migrate south to Mediterranean region in autumn but several hundred overwinter in S Britain.
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  • Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto L 32cm. Relatively recent arrival to Britain and Ireland but now a familiar sight and sound in urban areas. Often seen in pairs. Sexes are similar. Adult has mainly sandy brown plumage with pinkish flush to head and underparts, and dark half-collar on nape. Black wingtips and white outer tail feathers are striking in flight. Bill is dark and legs are reddish. Juvenile is similar duller colours and lacks black half-collar. Voice Utters repetitive song comprising repeated oo-oo-oo phrase. Status Spread NW through Europe in 20th Century and first seen here in 1950s.
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  • Coal Tit Parus ater L 10-11cm. Tiny, well-marked and warbler-like bird. Sexes are similar. Adult has white cheeks and white nape patch on otherwise black head. Back and wings are bluish grey and underparts are pale pinkish buff. Note two white wingbars and dark, needle-like bill. Juvenile is similar but colours and markings are less striking. Voice Utters a thin call. Song is repeated teechu-teechu-teechu…, higher pitched and more rapid than Great Tit.<br />
Status Fairly common resident of conifer forests and mixed and deciduous woodland.
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  • Barn Owl Tyto alba L 34-38cm. Mainly nocturnal but sometimes hunts from late afternoon onwards. Feeds mainly on grassland small mammals. Flight is leisurely and slow on rounded wings. Responds well to nestbox schemes. Sexes are similar. Adult and juvenile have orange-buff upperparts speckled with tiny black and white dots. Facial disc is heart-shaped and white. In flight, underwings pure white. Voice Utters blood-curdling at night. Status Vulnerable and generally scarce resident species.
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  • HEN HARRIER Circus cyaneus Wingspan 100-120cm. Britain’s most familiar harrier, usually seen gliding at slow speed, low over the ground. Adult male has pale blue-grey plumage except for white belly, white rump and black wingtips. Adult female is brown with darker barring on wings and tail, streaking on body underparts, and a narrow white rump. Juvenile is similar to adult female but breast and wing coverts are brighter. Voice – mainly silent. Status and habitat – Breeds on upland moorland, winters on lowland heaths and near coasts.
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  • HEN HARRIER Circus cyaneus Female with young at nest. Wingspan 100-120cm. Britain’s most familiar harrier, usually seen gliding at slow speed, low over the ground. Adult male has pale blue-grey plumage except for white belly, white rump and black wingtips. Adult female is brown with darker barring on wings and tail, streaking on body underparts, and a narrow white rump. Juvenile is similar to adult female but breast and wing coverts are brighter. Voice – mainly silent. Status and habitat – Breeds on upland moorland, winters on lowland heaths and near coasts.
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  • HEN HARRIER Circus cyaneus Wingspan 100-120cm. Britain’s most familiar harrier, usually seen gliding at slow speed, low over the ground. Adult male has pale blue-grey plumage except for white belly, white rump and black wingtips. Adult female is brown with darker barring on wings and tail, streaking on body underparts, and a narrow white rump. Juvenile is similar to adult female but breast and wing coverts are brighter. Voice – mainly silent. Status and habitat – Breeds on upland moorland, winters on lowland heaths and near coasts.
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  • HEN HARRIER Circus cyaneus Wingspan 100-120cm. Britain’s most familiar harrier, usually seen gliding at slow speed, low over the ground. Adult male has pale blue-grey plumage except for white belly, white rump and black wingtips. Adult female is brown with darker barring on wings and tail, streaking on body underparts, and a narrow white rump. Juvenile is similar to adult female but breast and wing coverts are brighter. Voice – mainly silent. Status and habitat – Breeds on upland moorland, winters on lowland heaths and near coasts.
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  • HEN HARRIER Circus cyaneus Female at nest with young. Wingspan 100-120cm. Britain’s most familiar harrier, usually seen gliding at slow speed, low over the ground. Adult male has pale blue-grey plumage except for white belly, white rump and black wingtips. Adult female is brown with darker barring on wings and tail, streaking on body underparts, and a narrow white rump. Juvenile is similar to adult female but breast and wing coverts are brighter. Voice – mainly silent. Status and habitat – Breeds on upland moorland, winters on lowland heaths and near coasts.
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  • HEN HARRIER Circus cyaneus Female at nest with young. Wingspan 100-120cm. Britain’s most familiar harrier, usually seen gliding at slow speed, low over the ground. Adult male has pale blue-grey plumage except for white belly, white rump and black wingtips. Adult female is brown with darker barring on wings and tail, streaking on body underparts, and a narrow white rump. Juvenile is similar to adult female but breast and wing coverts are brighter. Voice – mainly silent. Status and habitat – Breeds on upland moorland, winters on lowland heaths and near coasts.
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  • Starling - Juveniles being fed by parent Sturnus vulgaris L 20-22cm. Familiar urban and rural bird with swaggering walk. Forms large flocks outside breeding season. Sexes are separable in summer. Adult male in summer has dark plumage with iridescence seen in good light. Legs are reddish and bill is yellow with blue base to lower mandible. Adult female in summer is similar but has some pale spots on underparts and pale yellow base to lower mandible. Winter adult (both sexes) has numerous white spots adorning dark plumage and dark bill. Juvenile is grey-brown, palest on throat; bill is dark; spotted body plumage acquired in winter. Voice Varied repertoire of clicks and whistles including mimicry. Status Widespread and common but declining. Found in all kinds of open habitats in winter. Often nests in house roofs.
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  • Great Egret - Ardea alba
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  • Starling - Sturnus vulgaris - adult feeding fledgling
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  • Anhinga - Anhinga anhinga - family on nest
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  • Brown Quail - Synoicus ypsilophorus
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  • Brown Quail - Synoicus ypsilophorus
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  • Swallow - Hirundo rustica
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  • Brown Quail - Synoicus ypsilophorus
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  • Northern Flicker (Red-shafted race) - Colaptes auratus - male
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  • Anna's Hummingbird - Calypte anna - Adult female
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  • Great Tit Parus major L 14-15cm. Bold, well-marked bird with distinctive song. Sexes are separable with care. Adult male has white cheeks on otherwise black head; black throat continues as black line down centre of breast on otherwise yellow underparts. Upperparts are greenish and blue but note white wingbar. Adult female is similar but with narrower black line on breast. Juvenile is duller than adult. Voice Utters harsh tche-tche-tche alarm call. Song is variation on teecha-teecha-teecha theme. Status Common resident of lowland woodlands and gardens.
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  • Northern Flicker (Red-shafted race) - Colaptes auratus - male
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