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  • Two tone cliffs and lighthouse at Hunstanton, Norfolk, Uk
    154432.jpg
  • Two tone cliffs and lighthouse at Hunstanton, Norfolk, Uk
    154431.jpg
  • Two Barred Crossbill - Loxia leucoptera
    138307.jpg
  • Gibbaranea gibbosa - Female. Cryptic in colour and behaviour but is found frequently in southern Britain on trees and bushes. It is by far the commonest two humped orb web spinner.
    156298.jpg
  • Common Snipe - Gallinago gallinago L 25-28cm. Distinctive, even in silhouette: has dumpy body, rather short legs and very long, straight bill. Feeds by probing bill in a sewing machine-like manner. Sexes and ages are similar. Adult and juvenile have mainly buffish brown upperparts, beautifully patterned with black and white lines and bars. Note distinctive stripes on head, streaked and barred breast and flanks, and white underparts. Voice Utters one or two sneeze-like kreech calls when flushed. Performs ‘drumming’ display in breeding season: sound caused by vibrating tail feathers. Status Locally common and invariably associated with boggy ground. In breeding season, favours marshes, meadows and moorland bogs. Winter numbers boosted by migrants and then found on wide range of wetland habitats. Sadly, tens of thousands of birds are shot each year.
    157021.jpg
  • Evarca arcuata - Two males sparring over female spun up in leaf. Salticidae. A species of lowland wet heath.
    155132.jpg
  • Brent Goose Branta bernicla L 56-61cm. Our smallest goose – similar size to Shelduck. Subtle plumage patterns allow separation of two subspecies that winter here: Pale-bellied Brent B.b.hrota (breeds on Svalbard and Greenland) and Dark-bellied Brent B.b.bernicla (breeds in Russia). Seen in sizeable and noisy flocks. In flight, looks dark except for white rear end. All birds have a black bill and black legs. Sexes are similar. Adult Pale-bellied has blackish head, neck and breast; side of neck has narrow band of white feathers. Note neat division between dark breast and pale grey-buff belly. Back is uniform dark brownish grey. Adult Dark-bellied is similar but belly is darker and flanks are paler. Juveniles are similar to respective adults but note pale feather margins on back and absence of white markings on side of neck; white on neck is acquired in New Year. Voice Very vocal, uttering a nasal krrrut. Status Winter visitor to coasts
    154962.jpg
  • Bactrian Camel Camelus bactrianus Shoulder height to 2.2m Large, sturdy ungulate with two humps. Native range is steppes of central Asia but also widely domesticated.
    132830.jpg
  • Brent Goose Branta bernicla L 56-61cm. Our smallest goose – similar size to Shelduck. Subtle plumage patterns allow separation of two subspecies that winter here: Pale-bellied Brent B.b.hrota (breeds on Svalbard and Greenland) and Dark-bellied Brent B.b.bernicla (breeds in Russia). Seen in sizeable and noisy flocks. In flight, looks dark except for white rear end. All birds have a black bill and black legs. Sexes are similar. Adult Pale-bellied has blackish head, neck and breast; side of neck has narrow band of white feathers. Note neat division between dark breast and pale grey-buff belly. Back is uniform dark brownish grey. Adult Dark-bellied is similar but belly is darker and flanks are paler. Juveniles are similar to respective adults but note pale feather margins on back and absence of white markings on side of neck; white on neck is acquired in New Year. Voice Very vocal, uttering a nasal krrrut. Status Winter visitor to coasts.
    136060.jpg
  • Brent Goose Branta bernicla L 56-61cm. Our smallest goose – similar size to Shelduck. Subtle plumage patterns allow separation of two subspecies that winter here: Pale-bellied Brent B.b.hrota (breeds on Svalbard and Greenland) and Dark-bellied Brent B.b.bernicla (breeds in Russia). Seen in sizeable and noisy flocks. In flight, looks dark except for white rear end. All birds have a black bill and black legs. Sexes are similar. Adult Pale-bellied has blackish head, neck and breast; side of neck has narrow band of white feathers. Note neat division between dark breast and pale grey-buff belly. Back is uniform dark brownish grey. Adult Dark-bellied is similar but belly is darker and flanks are paler. Juveniles are similar to respective adults but note pale feather margins on back and absence of white markings on side of neck; white on neck is acquired in New Year. Voice Very vocal, uttering a nasal krrrut. Status Winter visitor to coasts.
    137383.jpg
  • Brent Goose Branta bernicla L 56-61cm. Our smallest goose – similar size to Shelduck. Subtle plumage patterns allow separation of two subspecies that winter here: Pale-bellied Brent B.b.hrota (breeds on Svalbard and Greenland) and Dark-bellied Brent B.b.bernicla (breeds in Russia). Seen in sizeable and noisy flocks. In flight, looks dark except for white rear end. All birds have a black bill and black legs. Sexes are similar. Adult Pale-bellied has blackish head, neck and breast; side of neck has narrow band of white feathers. Note neat division between dark breast and pale grey-buff belly. Back is uniform dark brownish grey. Adult Dark-bellied is similar but belly is darker and flanks are paler. Juveniles are similar to respective adults but note pale feather margins on back and absence of white markings on side of neck; white on neck is acquired in New Year. Voice Very vocal, uttering a nasal krrrut. Status Winter visitor to coasts.
    143003.jpg
  • Stock Dove Columba oenas L 33cm. Similar to Woodpigeon but slimmer proportions and separable using plumage details. Rather solitary but forms flocks outside breeding season. In flight, wings are flicked. Sexes are similar. Adult has blue-grey upperparts and paler grey underparts. Note pinkish maroon flush to breast, iridescent green patch on side of neck; wings have two narrow black bars on upper surface and broad, dark trailing edge. Juvenile is similar but wing bars are faint. Voice During breeding season, utters repetitive oo-u-look call. Status Locally common in lowland, wooded farmland, and arable fields in winter.
    143517.jpg
  • Brent Goose Branta bernicla L 56-61cm. Our smallest goose – similar size to Shelduck. Subtle plumage patterns allow separation of two subspecies that winter here: Pale-bellied Brent B.b.hrota (breeds on Svalbard and Greenland) and Dark-bellied Brent B.b.bernicla (breeds in Russia). Seen in sizeable and noisy flocks. In flight, looks dark except for white rear end. All birds have a black bill and black legs. Sexes are similar. Adult Pale-bellied has blackish head, neck and breast; side of neck has narrow band of white feathers. Note neat division between dark breast and pale grey-buff belly. Back is uniform dark brownish grey. Adult Dark-bellied is similar but belly is darker and flanks are paler. Juveniles are similar to respective adults but note pale feather margins on back and absence of white markings on side of neck; white on neck is acquired in New Year. Voice Very vocal, uttering a nasal krrrut. Status Winter visitor to coasts.
    145902.jpg
  • Stock Dove Columba oenas L 33cm. Similar to Woodpigeon but slimmer proportions and separable using plumage details. Rather solitary but forms flocks outside breeding season. In flight, wings are flicked. Sexes are similar. Adult has blue-grey upperparts and paler grey underparts. Note pinkish maroon flush to breast, iridescent green patch on side of neck; wings have two narrow black bars on upper surface and broad, dark trailing edge. Juvenile is similar but wing bars are faint. Voice During breeding season, utters repetitive oo-u-look call. Status Locally common in lowland, wooded farmland, and arable fields in winter.
    156341.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
  • 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.
    139523.jpg
  • Brent Goose Branta bernicla L 56-61cm. Our smallest goose – similar size to Shelduck. Subtle plumage patterns allow separation of two subspecies that winter here: Pale-bellied Brent B.b.hrota (breeds on Svalbard and Greenland) and Dark-bellied Brent B.b.bernicla (breeds in Russia). Seen in sizeable and noisy flocks. In flight, looks dark except for white rear end. All birds have a black bill and black legs. Sexes are similar. Adult Pale-bellied has blackish head, neck and breast; side of neck has narrow band of white feathers. Note neat division between dark breast and pale grey-buff belly. Back is uniform dark brownish grey. Adult Dark-bellied is similar but belly is darker and flanks are paler. Juveniles are similar to respective adults but note pale feather margins on back and absence of white markings on side of neck; white on neck is acquired in New Year. Voice Very vocal, uttering a nasal krrrut. Status Winter visitor to coasts.
    143802.jpg
  • Oystercatchers in flight - Haematopus palliatus. 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.
    153777.jpg
  • Two-barred Crossbill - Loxia leucoptera - adult male drinking
    156403.jpg
  • Two-barred Crossbill - Loxia leucoptera - adult male drinking
    156404.jpg
  • The beach at Hunstanton taken from the cliff top, Norfolk, Uk
    154430.jpg
  • Little Owl - Athene noctua
    163258.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.
    156881.jpg
  • Bee-eater Merops apiaster L 26-29cm.Stunning bird that catches insects in flight. Sometimes perches on dead branches. Sexes are similar. Adult has chestnut crown and nape, grading to yellow on back and rump; uppertail is green and note 2 projecting central tail feathers. Underparts are blue except for black-bordered yellow throat. In flight, wings are chestnut and blue above. Juvenile is duller and lacks tail projections. Voice Utters a bubbling pruuupp call. Status Has bred here but best known as a rare migrant visitor in spring and autumn.
    156814.jpg
  • Bee-eater Merops apiaster L 26-29cm.Stunning bird that catches insects in flight. Sometimes perches on dead branches. Sexes are similar. Adult has chestnut crown and nape, grading to yellow on back and rump; uppertail is green and note 2 projecting central tail feathers. Underparts are blue except for black-bordered yellow throat. In flight, wings are chestnut and blue above. Juvenile is duller and lacks tail projections. Voice Utters a bubbling pruuupp call. Status Has bred here but best known as a rare migrant visitor in spring and autumn.
    156815.jpg
  • Chalkhill Blue - Polyommatus coridon - mating pair. Wingspan 40mm. Iconic downland butterfly, males of which are a unique colour amongst British blues. Adult male has pale sky-blue upperwings; female’s are dark brown with orange submarginal spots. Underwings of both sexes are grey-brown with spots. Flies July–August. Larva feeds on Horseshoe Vetch; sometimes discovered at dusk being attended by ants. Very local and restricted to chalk and limestone grassland in southern England.
    156597.jpg
  • Barge cruising the River Thames in autumn near Newbridge, Oxfordshire, Uk
    156263.jpg
  • American Golden Plover - Pluvialis dominica - Mating pair
    146050.jpg
  • Macaronesian Shearwater - Puffinus baroli
    155753.jpg
  • Lesser Kestrel - Falco naumanni - Mating pair
    155220.jpg
  • Lesser Kestrel - Falco naumanni - Mating pair
    155221.jpg
  • Black Tern - Chlidonias niger
    153822.jpg
  • Little Gull Hydrocoloeus minutus L 25-28cm. Our smallest gull. Has buoyant, tern-like flight. Sexes are similar. Adult in summer has pale grey upperwings with white wingtips, dark hood, dark bill and short, reddish legs. In flight, upperwings have white trailing edge and rounded white wingtip; underwings are dark with white trailing edge. In winter, similar but loses dark hood; otherwise white head has dark smudges on crown and ear coverts. Juvenile has striking black bar (forming letter ‘W’) on upperwings and back. Note dark markings on mantle, nape and ear coverts, and dark tail band; plumage is otherwise white. 1st winter is similar to juvenile but back is pale grey, hence dark bar is seen only on wings. Adult plumage acquired over next 2 years. Voice Utters a sharp kyeck call. Status Regular but scarce passage migrant and winter visitor; mainly coastal.
    154053.jpg
  • Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena L 40-45cm. Smaller and more stocky than Great Crested, with striking summer plumage. Note diagnostic yellow-based bill. White wing panels seen in flight. Sexes are similar. Adult in summer has red neck and upper breast; head has white-bordered pale grey cheeks and black cap. Upperparts otherwise grey-brown and underparts whitish with grey streaks on flanks. In winter, loses neck colours but often retains hint of reddish collar. Cheek pattern is less well defined and ear coverts are grubby. Juvenile is similar to winter adult with more extensive red on neck. Voice Mostly silent. Status Scarce winter visitor to sheltered inshore seas and estuaries; occasional on inland lakes and reservoirs.
    154134.jpg
  • Zino's Petrel - Pterodroma madeira
    154222.jpg
  • Silver-washed Fritillary Argynnis paphia Wingspan 60mm. An iconic woodland butterfly associated with sunny rides and clearing; adults are often seen feeding on flowers of Bramble and thistles. Adult has orange-brown upperwings with black markings; underside of hindwing has silvery sheen. Flies June–August. Larva feed on violets.  Status Locally common woodland species in S and SW England and Ireland.
    127436.jpg
  • Winter Moth Operophtera brumata Wingspan 22-26mm. The classic moth of winter, whose rounded wings (only males have wings) are held flat at rest. Often seen flying in car headlights, or found resting on walls near outside lights. To see wingless female, look for mating pairs by torchlight on foodplant. Adult male has grey-brown wings with concentric cross lines. Flies November–February. Larva feeds on most deciduous trees and shrubs. Widespread and common.
    120914.jpg
  • Wild Pear Pyrus pyraster Rosaceae Height to 15m <br />
Deciduous spreading shrub or small tree. Bark Grey-brown, breaking into square plates. Branches Spreading and spiny; twigs smooth and greyish brown. Leaves To 7cm long, elliptical with toothed margin. Reproductive parts Flowers white, 5-petalled, long-stalked; produced in quantity. Fruits rounded, hard, to 3.5cm across, yellowish brown. Status Local native.
    134546.jpg
  • Sika Deer Cervus nippon Shoulder height 70-90cm Has body proportions of Fallow Deer but pointed antlers like Red Deer. Adult is reddish brown with whitish spots in summer, dark grey-brown in winter. Rump is whitish with black margin; tail is white with dark median line above. Male’s antlers appear in spring, mature in autumn, and are shed in winter Number of antler points increases with age. Calf is reddish brown with whitish spots. Male utters blood-curdling screams during autumn rut. Introduced to Britain from Far East. Feral populations exist in several parts of the region. Favours wooded country. Mainly nocturnal.
    135627.jpg
  • Pygmy Shrew Sorex minutus Length 7-10cm Our smallest land mammal. Active throughout the 24hr period. Hunts invertebrates mainly at ground level, but also climbs well and sometimes found in bird boxes. Adult has dense fur; dark brown on upperparts and flanks, contrastingly pale greyish on underparts. Note the pointed, whiskered snout, and small, beady eyes; ears partly hidden by fur. Tail is long relative to body length. Utters high-pitched squeaks. Widespread and common in woodland margins, hedgerows, meadows and moors.
    136541.jpg
  • Common Frog Rana temporaria Length 6-10cm Widespread amphibian. Adult male has smooth, moist skin. Usually olive-yellow or greyish brown with variable dark blotching and spots. Darker red animals occur in uplands. Eye has yellow iris with dark, oval pupil. Dark mask runs from eye to eardrum. Underparts are greyish white with faint darker marbling. Hind feet have five webbed toes. In breeding season, acquires bluish throat and swollen nuptial pads on innermost digit of front feet, used for gripping female when mating. Adult female is similar but larger with white granulations on the flanks. Juvenile, when newly metamorphosed resembles miniature adult but with large head. Male utters low-pitched croaking calls when courting. Found in a wide range of habitats if still water is present for breeding. Easy to see in early spring when courting.
    144202.jpg
  • Brown Hare Lepus europaeus Length 50-75cm Rabbit-like mammal but with longer legs and ears. A fast runner; does not burrow. Performs ‘boxing’ displays while courting. Adult has brown coat grizzled with grey and black, especially on back. Coat is thicker, darker and redder in winter than summer. Ears are black-tipped; tail is dark above with pale fringe, and whitish below. Has ‘wild’ looking eyes located high on sides of head. Mostly silent. Has declined due to farming practises and persecution but still locally common on farmland and grassland.
    144255.jpg
  • Grey Seal Halichoerus grypus Length 2.2-3.2m Bulky seal with proportionately large head. Inquisitive in water. Hauls out for long periods. Adult is greyish overall with dark blotchy spots; fewer, larger spots than on Common Seal. Males are larger and darker than females. In profile, looks ‘Roman nosed’: bridge of nose is convex, more pronounced in males than females. From the front, nostrils are distinctly separated and more or less parallel to one another, not V-shaped. Fore flippers have sharp claws and hind flippers propel the animal through water. Pup is born with white fur; moulted after a few weeks.Voice Utters low, moaning calls. Often found on rocky shores and tolerates rough seas heavy waves. Widespread on west coast of Britain and locally in North Sea.
    144308.jpg
  • Northern Bottlenose Whale Hyperoodon ampullatus Length 7-9m Colour is blue-grey to buff and animal has a bulbous, rounded forehead, single blowhole and pronounced beak. It is a deep-water species and under normal circumstances it is seldom seen close to land.
    144338.jpg
  • Red Deer Cervus elaphus Shoulder height 100-130cm Male (stag) is our heaviest deer. Size varies with region – southern animals are larger than northern ones. Lives in separate sex herds for much or year. Adult is reddish in summer but dark brown in winter. Has whitish rump patch and buffish brown tail. Only male has antlers: appear in spring, mature in autumn, shed in winter. Number of antler points increases with age. Calf is reddish brown with white spots. Female (hind) bleats and male utters bellowing roars during autumn rut. Common and native in Scotland. Locally also in Lake District, Exmoor, the New Forest and Norfolk.
    144371.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
  • Laughing Gull - Larus atricilla Breeding pair in courtship display
    133546.jpg
  • Knot Calidris canutus L 25cm. Dumpy, robust wader. Forms large flocks in winter. Has white wingbar but otherwise lacks distinctive features in non-breeding plumage. Sexes are similar. Adult in winter has uniform grey upperparts and white underparts. Bill is dark and legs are dull yellowish green. In summer plumage (sometimes seen in late spring or early autumn) has orange-red face, neck and underparts; back is marked with black, red and grey. Legs and bill are dark. Juvenile resembles winter adult but has scaly-looking back and peachy flush to breast. Voice Utters a sharp kwet call. Status Non-breeding visitor to Britain and Ireland. Locally common in winter on estuaries and mudflats.
    136865.jpg
  • Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola L 28cm. Plump-bodied coastal wader. Best known in winter plumage but breeding plumage sometimes seen in newly-arrived, or shortly-to-depart, migrants. In flight, note black ‘armpits’ on otherwise white underwings. Typically solitary. Sexes are similar. Adult in winter looks overall grey but upperparts are spangled with black and white and underparts are whitish. Legs and bill are dark. In summer plumage, has striking black underparts (sometimes rather mottled in females) separated from spangled grey upperparts by broad white band. Juvenile resembles winter adult but has buff wash to plumage. Voice Utters diagnostic, trisyllabic pee-oo-ee call, like a human wolf-whistle. Status Nests in high Arctic; coastal, non-breeding visitor to Britain and Ireland.
    137114.jpg
  • Greylag Goose Anser anser L 75-90cm. Largest Anser goose and only one that breeds in Britain. Feral populations confuse species’ wild status. Compared to other ‘grey’ geese, bulky and more uniformly grey-brown. Pink legs and heavy, pinkish orange bill help with identification. In flight, pale forewings, rump and tail contrast with darker flight feathers. Sexes are similar. Adult is greyish with dark lines on side of neck, barring on flanks and pale margins to back feathers. Bill is pale-tipped. Juvenile is more uniformly grey-brown than adult and bill lacks pale tip. Voice Utters loud, honking calls. Status Locally common resident, mainly in N. Wild migrants boost numbers in winter. Favours wetlands and reservoirs with adjacent grassland.
    137342.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.
    143202.jpg
  • Razorbill Alca torda L 41cm. Bulky seabird with distinctive bill and essentially black and white plumage. Swims well and flies on whirring wingbeats. Sexes are similar. Adult in summer has black head, neck and upperparts, and white underparts; note white wingbar. Bill is large and flattened with vertical ridges and white lines. In winter, similar but throat and cheeks are white and bill is smaller. Voice Mostly silent. Status Locally common on rocky coast seabird colonies in W and N. Nests under boulders and in crevices on cliff ledges. Pelagic outside breeding season; healthy birds seldom seen close to land. Vulnerable to oil spills.
    143505.jpg
  • Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus W 70-85cm. Skims low over sea on stiffly held wings. Contrasting dark upperparts and mainly white underparts are seen as bird banks and glides. Gregarious when feeding is good. Sexes are similar. Adult has blackish upperparts and mainly white underparts with dark wing margins. Juvenile is similar to adult. Voice Silent at sea; strangled coughing calls uttered after dark when nesting birds. Status Fairly common summer visitor. Seen mostly at sea; only visits land to breed, after dark. Nests in burrows on remote islands.
    143509.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.
    145209.jpg
  • Greylag Goose Anser anser L 75-90cm. Largest Anser goose and only one that breeds in Britain. Feral populations confuse species’ wild status. Compared to other ‘grey’ geese, bulky and more uniformly grey-brown. Pink legs and heavy, pinkish orange bill help with identification. In flight, pale forewings, rump and tail contrast with darker flight feathers. Sexes are similar. Adult is greyish with dark lines on side of neck, barring on flanks and pale margins to back feathers. Bill is pale-tipped. Juvenile is more uniformly grey-brown than adult and bill lacks pale tip. Voice Utters loud, honking calls. Status Locally common resident, mainly in N. Wild migrants boost numbers in winter. Favours wetlands and reservoirs with adjacent grassland.
    145746.jpg
  • Little Owl - Athene noctua
    163259.jpg
  • Puffin - Fratercula arctica
    162900.jpg
  • Alpine Swift - Apus melba
    162394.jpg
  • Alpine Swift - Apus melba
    162383.jpg
  • Common Stump Brittlestem - Psathyrella piluliformis
    135333.jpg
  • SCARLET WAXCAP Hygrocybe coccinea Strikingly colourful toadstool. Cap is up to 6cm across, broadly conical, scarlet and greasy. Gills are scarlet with a pale edge. Stem is same colour as cap. Grows in grassland.
    134227.jpg
  • BLACKENING WAXCAP Hygrocybe conica Variable but nevertheless distinctive toadstool. Cap is up to 8cm across and conical; intially it can be red, orange and yellow but all specimens gradually turn uniformly black with age. Gills are greyish at first, blackening with age. Stem is similar colour to cap at first, but blackening with age. Grows in grassland.
    134228.jpg
  • Great Egret - Ardea alba
    160569.jpg
  • Black-browed Albatross - Thalassarche melanophris - adult feeding chick
    160481.jpg
  • Southern Elephant Seal - Mirounga leonina - Juvenile males rearing and fighting. Falkland Islands
    159583.jpg
  • Black Tern - Chlidonias niger
    157960.jpg
  • Common Forester - Adscita statices
    157536.jpg
  • Pacific Loon - Gavia pacifica - summer adult
    150784.jpg
  • Mottled Duck - Anas fulvigula - male and female
    150315.jpg
  • Bar-headed Goose - Anser indicus
    157245.jpg
  • Lapwing Vanellus vanellus L 30cm. Pied-looking wader with a spiky crest. Has rounded, black and white wings and distinctive call. Sexes are separable in summer. Adult male in summer has green- and purple-sheened dark upperparts; underparts are white except for orange vent and black foreneck. Note black and white markings on throat. Adult female in summer has less distinct black neck markings and shorter crest. Winter adult is similar to summer female but throat and foreneck are white, and back feathers have buffish fringes. Juvenile is similar to winter adult but crest is short and back looks scaly. Voice Utters a choked pee-wit call. Status Fairly common nesting species of undisturbed grazed grassland, moors and arable farmland; numbers have declined seriously. Migrants from Europe boost numbers in winter.
    157195.jpg
  • Little Cormorant - Phalacrocorax niger
    157222.jpg
  • Little Cormorant - Phalacrocorax niger
    157210.jpg
  • Bar-headed Goose - Anser indicus
    157201.jpg
  • Drapetisca socialis - female. An unusual linyphiid species adapted to life on the vertical surfaces of tree trunks in sheltered woods. It is easiest to find on Beech trees in the late summer and autumn.
    157126.jpg
  • Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus L 21-23cm. Plump-bodied wader with a bobbing gait. Unobtrusive and often first observed when flushed: note white rump and yelping alarm call. Tail is marked with a few, broad dark bands. Sexes are similar. Adult has rather dark brown upperparts with small pale spots. Head and neck are streaked; note clear demarcation between dark, streaked breast and clean white underparts. Pale supercilium is bold only in front of eye and legs are greenish yellow. Juvenile is similar but pale spotting on upperparts is more noticeable. Voice Utters a trisyllabic chlueet-wit-wit flight call. Status Widespread and fairly common passage migrant, found on freshwater habitats. Winters in small numbers.
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  • Short-beaked Common - Dolphin Delphinus delphis. Length 1.8-2.3m Our most regularly encountered dolphin. Gregarious, living in schools of 10s or 100s of animals. Adult is streamlined, with pattern of overlapping stripes and bands of pigmentation. Body is overall dark grey above and whitish below with broad, tapering yellow band on flanks from eye and mouth to just behind dorsal fin; grey band continues along flanks towards tail. Overall, yellow and grey patches resemble an hourglass. Flippers are narrow and black, with a black line running forward from base to throat. Dorsal fin is broadly triangular and curved backwards slightly.
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  • Greater White-fronted Goose - Anser albifrons
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  • Great Horned Owl - Bubo virginianus
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  • Bonelli's Eagle - Aquila fasciata - 2 year old male
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  • Bee-eater - Merops apiaster L 26-29cm.Stunning bird that catches insects in flight. Sometimes perches on dead branches. Sexes are similar. Adult has chestnut crown and nape, grading to yellow on back and rump; uppertail is green and note 2 projecting central tail feathers. Underparts are blue except for black-bordered yellow throat. In flight, wings are chestnut and blue above. Juvenile is duller and lacks tail projections. Voice Utters a bubbling pruuupp call. Status Has bred here but best known as a rare migrant visitor in spring and autumn.
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  • Bee-eater Merops apiaster L 26-29cm.Stunning bird that catches insects in flight. Sometimes perches on dead branches. Sexes are similar. Adult has chestnut crown and nape, grading to yellow on back and rump; uppertail is green and note 2 projecting central tail feathers. Underparts are blue except for black-bordered yellow throat. In flight, wings are chestnut and blue above. Juvenile is duller and lacks tail projections. Voice Utters a bubbling pruuupp call. Status Has bred here but best known as a rare migrant visitor in spring and autumn.
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  • Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia L 70-80cm. Unmistakable. Flattened, spoon-shaped bill is swept from side-to-side in shallow water to catch small fish and crustaceans. Sleeps with bill tucked under wings - confusion with Little Egret possible. Sexes are similar. Adult has whitish plumage and black bill with yellow tip; in breeding season, has crest and base of bill and breast are flushed yellow. Juvenile is similar but legs and bill are dull pink. Voice Mostly silent. Status Scarce nesting species and non-breeding visitor from mainland Europe. Most records are coastal.
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  • Great Crested Grebe - Podiceps cristatus - courting pair. L 46-51cm. Graceful waterbird with slender neck and dagger-like bill. White wing panels revealed in flight. Dives frequently. Sexes are similar. Adult in summer has grey-brown upperparts and mainly whitish underparts; head has black cap and crest, and orange-buff ruff bordering paler cheeks. Bill is pink and eye is red. In winter, has drab grey-brown and white plumage. Juvenile recalls winter adult but has dark stripes on cheeks. Voice Utters wails and croaks in breeding season. Status Locally common breeding species on lakes and reservoirs. Widespread in winter, when also found in inshore seas.
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  • Chalkhill Blue Polyommatus coridon Wingspan 40mm. Iconic downland butterfly, males of which are a unique colour amongst British blues. Adult male has pale sky-blue upperwings; female’s are dark brown with orange submarginal spots. Underwings of both sexes are grey-brown with spots. Flies July–August. Larva feeds on Horseshoe Vetch; sometimes discovered at dusk being attended by ants. Very local and restricted to chalk and limestone grassland in southern England.
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  • Chalkhill Blue - Polyommatus coridon - mating pair. Wingspan 40mm. Iconic downland butterfly, males of which are a unique colour amongst British blues. Adult male has pale sky-blue upperwings; female’s are dark brown with orange submarginal spots. Underwings of both sexes are grey-brown with spots. Flies July–August. Larva feeds on Horseshoe Vetch; sometimes discovered at dusk being attended by ants. Very local and restricted to chalk and limestone grassland in southern England.
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  • Chalkhill Blue - Polyommatus coridon - mating pair. Wingspan 40mm. Iconic downland butterfly, males of which are a unique colour amongst British blues. Adult male has pale sky-blue upperwings; female’s are dark brown with orange submarginal spots. Underwings of both sexes are grey-brown with spots. Flies July–August. Larva feeds on Horseshoe Vetch; sometimes discovered at dusk being attended by ants. Very local and restricted to chalk and limestone grassland in southern England.
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  • Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus W 70-85cm. Skims low over sea on stiffly held wings. Contrasting dark upperparts and mainly white underparts are seen as bird banks and glides. Gregarious when feeding is good. Sexes are similar. Adult has blackish upperparts and mainly white underparts with dark wing margins. Juvenile is similar to adult. Voice Silent at sea; strangled coughing calls uttered after dark when nesting birds. Status Fairly common summer visitor. Seen mostly at sea; only visits land to breed, after dark. Nests in burrows on remote islands.
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  • Barge cruising the River Thames in autumn near Newbridge, Oxfordshire, Uk
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  • Belted Kingfisher - Megaceryle alcyon
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  • Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella L 15-17cm. Colourful bunting with diagnostic song. Forms flocks outside breeding season. Sexes are dissimilar. Adult male has mainly yellow head and underparts, and reddish brown back and wings. Note faint dark lines on head, chestnut flush to breast and streaking on flanks; rump is reddish brown and bill is greyish. In winter, similar but duller and more streaked. Adult female has streaked greenish grey head and breast, streaked pale yellow underparts and brown back; note reddish brown rump. Juvenile is similar to adult female but more streaked. Voice Has a rasping call. Song is rendered ‘a little bit of bread and no cheese’. Status Fairly common resident of farmland and open country with scrub and hedges. Winter flocks often feed on arable fields.
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  • American Avocet - Recurvirostra americana - Adult breeding pair
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  • American Coot - Fulica americana
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  • American Coot - Fulica americana
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  • Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus L 36-38cm. Similar to Black-headed but has stouter bill; adult has uniformly pale wings. Sexes are similar. Adult in summer has pale grey back and wing coverts, and white flight feathers. Note black hood and white ‘eyelids’; bill is mainly red, with yellow tip and black sub-terminal band. Legs are deep red. In winter, loses dark hood; whitish head has menacing look created by dark smudges. Juvenile has grey-brown upperparts with pale margins to back feathers. Note darkish flush on breast. Bill and legs are dark; tail has dark terminal band. 1st winter bird is similar to juvenile but with plain grey back and dark smudges on head. Adult plumage is acquired by 3rd winter. 2nd year bird resembles adult (at respective times of year) but with variable black in wingtips. Voice Utters cow-cow-cow call. Status Very locally common, usually with Black-headeds. Small numbers nest in S England. More widespread outside breeding season.
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  • Greylag Goose Anser anser L 75-90cm. Largest Anser goose and only one that breeds in Britain. Feral populations confuse species’ wild status. Compared to other ‘grey’ geese, bulky and more uniformly grey-brown. Pink legs and heavy, pinkish orange bill help with identification. In flight, pale forewings, rump and tail contrast with darker flight feathers. Sexes are similar. Adult is greyish with dark lines on side of neck, barring on flanks and pale margins to back feathers. Bill is pale-tipped. Juvenile is more uniformly grey-brown than adult and bill lacks pale tip. Voice Utters loud, honking calls. Status Locally common resident, mainly in N. Wild migrants boost numbers in winter. Favours wetlands and reservoirs with adjacent grassland.
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  • Smew Mergus albellus - Adult winter male. L 38-44cm. Elegant little diving duck. Male is stunning and unmistakable. Female might be confused with grebe in winter plumage. Sexes are dissimilar. Adult male looks pure white at a distance but close view reveals black patch through eye and black lines on breast and back. In eclipse (not seen here) resembles adult female but retains more extensive white on wing. Adult female, Juvenile and 1st winter birds (so-called ‘Redhead’ Smews) have orange-red cap and nape, white on cheek and throat, and grey-brown body. Voice Silent. Status Occasional and unpredictable winter visitor. Turns up on flooded gravel pits, reservoirs and lakes.
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  • Woodpigeon Columba livia L 41cm. Plump, familiar bird whose ‘song’ is a countryside familiar sound, as is loud clatter of wings heard a bird flies off. Forms flocks outside breeding season. Sexes are similar.<br />
Adult has mainly blue-grey plumage with pinkish maroon on breast. Note white patch on side of neck and, in flight, prominent, transverse white wingbars, dark wingtips and dark terminal band on tail. Juvenile is similar but white mark on neck is missing. Voice Sings a series of oo-OO-oo, oo-oo phrases. Status Abundant on farmland and lightly wooded countryside generally. Also increasingly in towns
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  • Teal Anas crecca L 34-38cm. Our smallest duck. Forms flocks outside breeding season. Often nervous and flighty. In flight, both sexes show white-bordered green speculum. Sexes are otherwise dissimilar. Adult male has chestnut-orange head with yellow-bordered green patch through eye. Plumage is otherwise finely marked grey except for black-bordered yellow stern and horizontal white line along flanks. Bill is dark grey. In eclipse, resembles adult female. Adult female has mottled grey-brown plumage. Bill is grey with hint of yellow at base. Juvenile is similar to adult female but warmer buff. Voice Male utters a ringing whistle, female utters a soft quack. Status Associated with water. Nests in small numbers beside pools and bogs mainly in N. Locally common outside breeding season on freshwater marshes, estuaries and mudflats.
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  • Teal Anas crecca L 34-38cm. Our smallest duck. Forms flocks outside breeding season. Often nervous and flighty. In flight, both sexes show white-bordered green speculum. Sexes are otherwise dissimilar. Adult male has chestnut-orange head with yellow-bordered green patch through eye. Plumage is otherwise finely marked grey except for black-bordered yellow stern and horizontal white line along flanks. Bill is dark grey. In eclipse, resembles adult female. Adult female has mottled grey-brown plumage. Bill is grey with hint of yellow at base. Juvenile is similar to adult female but warmer buff. Voice Male utters a ringing whistle, female utters a soft quack. Status Associated with water. Nests in small numbers beside pools and bogs mainly in N. Locally common outside breeding season on freshwater marshes, estuaries and mudflats.
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