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  • Wind Turbines Winterton Norfok UK
    139556.jpg
  • Black Mustard - Brassica nigra blowing in the wind on the cliffs below Lizard Lighthouse, Cornwall
    153745.jpg
  • Black Mustard - Brassica nigra blowing in the wind on the cliffs below Lizard Lighthouse, Cornwall
    153746.jpg
  • Black Mustard - Brassica nigra blowing in the wind on the cliffs below Lizard Lighthouse, Cornwall
    153747.jpg
  • Black Mustard - Brassica nigra blowing in the wind on the cliffs below Lizard Lighthouse, Cornwall
    153748.jpg
  • Common Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna Rosaceae Height to 15m. Spreading deciduous tree or shrub. Bark Fissured with vertical grooves. Branches Densely packed, with sharp spines. Leaves To 4.5cm long, deeply lobed, with teeth near apex. Reproductive parts Flowers white, 15mm across, in flat-topped clusters of 10–18 (May). Fruits (‘haws’) rounded and red. Status Common native of hedgerows and scrub, especially on chalk.
    135360.jpg
  • Dunlin - Calidris alpina
    163296.jpg
  • 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.
    157025.jpg
  • Storm damage in Matley Wood in the New Forest near Lyndhurst, Hampshire, 2014
    155908.jpg
  • Sessile Oak Quercus petraea Fagaceae Height to 40m<br />
Sturdy, domed deciduous tree. Bark Grey-brown, fissured. Branches Rather straight and radiating. Buds have long white hairs. Leaves Lobed, dark green with hairs below on veins; on yellow stalks, 1–2.5cm long, and lacking basal auricles. Reproductive parts Flowers are catkins. Acorns egg-shaped, stalkless; sit directly on twig in small clusters. Status Common in W and hilly areas on poor soils.
    144516.jpg
  • Stormy sea - Hurricane Ophelia, Isles of Scilly
    161509.jpg
  • Stormy sea - Hurricane Ophelia, Isles of Scilly
    161507.jpg
  • Stormy sea with Gannet - Hurricane Ophelia, Isles of Scilly
    161506.jpg
  • Stormy sea - Hurricane Ophelia, Isles of Scilly
    161508.jpg
  • Small Scabious - Scabiosa columbaria
    161271.jpg
  • Swift - Apus apus
    164171.jpg
  • Stormy Sea - Hurricane Ophelia, Isles of Scilly
    161510.jpg
  • Dawn waves break over a large rock in Old Town Bay, St Mary's. Isles of Scilly
    159692.jpg
  • By The Wind Sailor - Velella velella
    142353.jpg
  • By The Wind Sailor - Velella velella
    160065.jpg
  • Grey Poplar Populus x canescens (Salicaceae) HEIGHT to 37m. Stable hybrid between White Poplar and Aspen. When fully mature, grows into an impressively large tree with a good solid bole. In spring the tree has a whitish appearance when the wind displaces the leaves, but it is not as brilliantly white as the White Poplar. BARK Whitish with diamond-shaped fissures. LEAVES Rounded to oval and toothed with regular blunt, forward-pointing teeth; borne on long petioles. Leaf upper surface is glossy grey-green and lower surface is covered with a greyish-white felt. By mid- to late summer the leaves lose some of the white felt and the tree looks greyer. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male and female catkins are borne on separate trees. Fe¬male trees with green, pendulous catkins are rare. Male catkins are elongated and pendulous, giving whole tree a purplish col¬our when they swell before opening in spring. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of mainland Europe and introduced into Britain very early, probably with the White Poplar.
    133949.jpg
  • by the wind sailor<br />
velella velella
    136914.jpg
  • Grey Poplar Populus x canescens (Salicaceae) HEIGHT to 37m <br />
Stable hybrid between White Poplar and Aspen. When fully mature, grows into an impressively large tree with a good solid bole. In spring the tree has a whitish appearance when the wind displaces the leaves, but it is not as brilliantly white as the White Poplar. BARK Whitish with diamond-shaped fissures. LEAVES Rounded to oval and toothed with regular blunt, forward-pointing teeth; borne on long petioles. Leaf upper surface is glossy grey-green and lower surface is covered with a greyish-white felt. By mid- to late summer the leaves lose some of the white felt and the tree looks greyer. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male and female catkins are borne on separate trees. Fe¬male trees with green, pendulous catkins are rare. Male catkins are elongated and pendulous, giving whole tree a purplish col¬our when they swell before opening in spring. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of mainland Europe and introduced into Britain very early, probably with the White Poplar.
    133206.jpg
  • Grey Poplar Populus x canescens (Salicaceae) HEIGHT to 37m <br />
Stable hybrid between White Poplar and Aspen. When fully mature, grows into an impressively large tree with a good solid bole. In spring the tree has a whitish appearance when the wind displaces the leaves, but it is not as brilliantly white as the White Poplar. BARK Whitish with diamond-shaped fissures. LEAVES Rounded to oval and toothed with regular blunt, forward-pointing teeth; borne on long petioles. Leaf upper surface is glossy grey-green and lower surface is covered with a greyish-white felt. By mid- to late summer the leaves lose some of the white felt and the tree looks greyer. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male and female catkins are borne on separate trees. Fe¬male trees with green, pendulous catkins are rare. Male catkins are elongated and pendulous, giving whole tree a purplish col¬our when they swell before opening in spring. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of mainland Europe and introduced into Britain very early, probably with the White Poplar.
    132478.jpg
  • Grey Poplar Populus x canescens (Salicaceae) HEIGHT to 37m <br />
Stable hybrid between White Poplar and Aspen. When fully mature, grows into an impressively large tree with a good solid bole. In spring the tree has a whitish appearance when the wind displaces the leaves, but it is not as brilliantly white as the White Poplar. BARK Whitish with diamond-shaped fissures. LEAVES Rounded to oval and toothed with regular blunt, forward-pointing teeth; borne on long petioles. Leaf upper surface is glossy grey-green and lower surface is covered with a greyish-white felt. By mid- to late summer the leaves lose some of the white felt and the tree looks greyer. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male and female catkins are borne on separate trees. Fe¬male trees with green, pendulous catkins are rare. Male catkins are elongated and pendulous, giving whole tree a purplish col¬our when they swell before opening in spring. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of mainland Europe and introduced into Britain very early, probably with the White Poplar.
    130239.jpg
  • Fishing Boat with following gulls, with Sheringham shoal wind turbines in background,  Norfolk UK
    157084.jpg
  • Off-shore wind turbines, Sheringham shoal, Norfolk UK
    155720.jpg
  • by the wind sailor<br />
Velella velella
    142352.jpg
  • Grey Poplar Populus x canescens (Salicaceae) HEIGHT to 37m <br />
Stable hybrid between White Poplar and Aspen. When fully mature, grows into an impressively large tree with a good solid bole. In spring the tree has a whitish appearance when the wind displaces the leaves, but it is not as brilliantly white as the White Poplar. BARK Whitish with diamond-shaped fissures. LEAVES Rounded to oval and toothed with regular blunt, forward-pointing teeth; borne on long petioles. Leaf upper surface is glossy grey-green and lower surface is covered with a greyish-white felt. By mid- to late summer the leaves lose some of the white felt and the tree looks greyer. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male and female catkins are borne on separate trees. Fe¬male trees with green, pendulous catkins are rare. Male catkins are elongated and pendulous, giving whole tree a purplish col¬our when they swell before opening in spring. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of mainland Europe and introduced into Britain very early, probably with the White Poplar.
    133905.jpg
  • Grey Poplar Populus x canescens (Salicaceae) HEIGHT to 37m <br />
Stable hybrid between White Poplar and Aspen. When fully mature, grows into an impressively large tree with a good solid bole. In spring the tree has a whitish appearance when the wind displaces the leaves, but it is not as brilliantly white as the White Poplar. BARK Whitish with diamond-shaped fissures. LEAVES Rounded to oval and toothed with regular blunt, forward-pointing teeth; borne on long petioles. Leaf upper surface is glossy grey-green and lower surface is covered with a greyish-white felt. By mid- to late summer the leaves lose some of the white felt and the tree looks greyer. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male and female catkins are borne on separate trees. Fe¬male trees with green, pendulous catkins are rare. Male catkins are elongated and pendulous, giving whole tree a purplish col¬our when they swell before opening in spring. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of mainland Europe and introduced into Britain very early, probably with the White Poplar.
    133207.jpg
  • Grey Poplar Populus x canescens (Salicaceae) HEIGHT to 37m <br />
Stable hybrid between White Poplar and Aspen. When fully mature, grows into an impressively large tree with a good solid bole. In spring the tree has a whitish appearance when the wind displaces the leaves, but it is not as brilliantly white as the White Poplar. BARK Whitish with diamond-shaped fissures. LEAVES Rounded to oval and toothed with regular blunt, forward-pointing teeth; borne on long petioles. Leaf upper surface is glossy grey-green and lower surface is covered with a greyish-white felt. By mid- to late summer the leaves lose some of the white felt and the tree looks greyer. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male and female catkins are borne on separate trees. Fe¬male trees with green, pendulous catkins are rare. Male catkins are elongated and pendulous, giving whole tree a purplish col¬our when they swell before opening in spring. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of mainland Europe and introduced into Britain very early, probably with the White Poplar.
    132483.jpg
  • Grey Poplar Populus x canescens (Salicaceae) HEIGHT to 37m <br />
Stable hybrid between White Poplar and Aspen. When fully mature, grows into an impressively large tree with a good solid bole. In spring the tree has a whitish appearance when the wind displaces the leaves, but it is not as brilliantly white as the White Poplar. BARK Whitish with diamond-shaped fissures. LEAVES Rounded to oval and toothed with regular blunt, forward-pointing teeth; borne on long petioles. Leaf upper surface is glossy grey-green and lower surface is covered with a greyish-white felt. By mid- to late summer the leaves lose some of the white felt and the tree looks greyer. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male and female catkins are borne on separate trees. Fe¬male trees with green, pendulous catkins are rare. Male catkins are elongated and pendulous, giving whole tree a purplish col¬our when they swell before opening in spring. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of mainland Europe and introduced into Britain very early, probably with the White Poplar.
    130255.jpg
  • French Tamarisk Tamarix gallica (Tamaricaceae) HEIGHT to 8m. Straggly, windswept tree. BARK Purplish-brown. BRANCHES Numerous and fine. LEAVES Greenish-blue, scale-like, to 2mm long, clasping young shoots. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Minute pink, 5-petalled flowers, in tapering racemes, to 2.5cm long; each petal is less than 2mm long. Seeds are wind-dispersed. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native to SW Europe; long-established in our region, planted as a windbreak, or for soil stabilization.
    132437.jpg
  • French Tamarisk Tamarix gallica (Tamaricaceae) HEIGHT to 8m. Straggly, windswept tree. BARK Purplish-brown. BRANCHES Numerous and fine. LEAVES Greenish-blue, scale-like, to 2mm long, clasping young shoots. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Minute pink, 5-petalled flowers, in tapering racemes, to 2.5cm long; each petal is less than 2mm long. Seeds are wind-dispersed. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native to SW Europe; long-established in our region, planted as a windbreak, or for soil stabilization.
    132418.jpg
  • French Tamarisk Tamarix gallica (Tamaricaceae) HEIGHT to 8m. Straggly, windswept tree. BARK Purplish-brown. BRANCHES Numerous and fine. LEAVES Greenish-blue, scale-like, to 2mm long, clasping young shoots. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Minute pink, 5-petalled flowers, in tapering racemes, to 2.5cm long; each petal is less than 2mm long. Seeds are wind-dispersed. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native to SW Europe; long-established in our region, planted as a windbreak, or for soil stabilization.
    132414.jpg
  • French Tamarisk Tamarix gallica (Tamaricaceae) HEIGHT to 8m. Straggly, windswept tree. BARK Purplish-brown. BRANCHES Numerous and fine. LEAVES Greenish-blue, scale-like, to 2mm long, clasping young shoots. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Minute pink, 5-petalled flowers, in tapering racemes, to 2.5cm long; each petal is less than 2mm long. Seeds are wind-dispersed. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native to SW Europe; long-established in our region, planted as a windbreak, or for soil stabilization.
    132417.jpg
  • French Tamarisk Tamarix gallica (Tamaricaceae) HEIGHT to 8m. Straggly, windswept tree. BARK Purplish-brown. BRANCHES Numerous and fine. LEAVES Greenish-blue, scale-like, to 2mm long, clasping young shoots. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Minute pink, 5-petalled flowers, in tapering racemes, to 2.5cm long; each petal is less than 2mm long. Seeds are wind-dispersed. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native to SW Europe; long-established in our region, planted as a windbreak, or for soil stabilization.
    132413.jpg
  • French Tamarisk Tamarix gallica (Tamaricaceae) HEIGHT to 8m. Straggly, windswept tree. BARK Purplish-brown. BRANCHES Numerous and fine. LEAVES Greenish-blue, scale-like, to 2mm long, clasping young shoots. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Minute pink, 5-petalled flowers, in tapering racemes, to 2.5cm long; each petal is less than 2mm long. Seeds are wind-dispersed. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native to SW Europe; long-established in our region, planted as a windbreak, or for soil stabilization.
    132412.jpg
  • Melodious Warbler Hippolais polyglotta (L 12-13cm) occurs most regularly and recalls an outsized Willow Warbler. It has uniform olive-green upperparts with a brownish hue to the wings; the underparts (paler in juveniles than adults) are pale yellow, the colour most intense on the throat and breast. The legs are greyish brown and there is a pale eyering. Members of this interesting genus of warblers are summer visitors to mainland Europe. Unfortunately, none breeds in Britain but we do get occasional visits from passage migrants; look for them at coastal migration hotspots in autumn after south-easterly winds. As a group, Hippolais warblers are superficially similar to Phylloscopus warblers but have proportionately large heads, a peaked rather than rounded crown, a relatively large, broad-based bill and pale lores.
    157614.jpg
  • Melodious Warbler Hippolais polyglotta (L 12-13cm) occurs most regularly and recalls an outsized Willow Warbler. It has uniform olive-green upperparts with a brownish hue to the wings; the underparts (paler in juveniles than adults) are pale yellow, the colour most intense on the throat and breast. The legs are greyish brown and there is a pale eyering. Members of this interesting genus of warblers are summer visitors to mainland Europe. Unfortunately, none breeds in Britain but we do get occasional visits from passage migrants; look for them at coastal migration hotspots in autumn after south-easterly winds. As a group, Hippolais warblers are superficially similar to Phylloscopus warblers but have proportionately large heads, a peaked rather than rounded crown, a relatively large, broad-based bill and pale lores.
    157609.jpg
  • Evergreen (Holm) Oak - Quercus ilex (Fagaceae) HEIGHT to 28m. Broadly domed tree; crown is often very dense and twiggy. BARK Very dark with shallow fissures, eventually cracking to form squarish scales. BRANCHES Appear from low down on bole. Young shoots are covered with white down. LEAVES Variable: usually ovate to oblong with a pointed tip and a rounded base on mature trees, but more like holly leaves on a young tree. Leaves are dark glossy above, paler and downy below with raised veins; on 1–2cm-long, hairy petioles. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male catkins appear in spring, their golden colour contrasting with silvery new leaves and darker twigs. Acorns, to 2cm long, sit deeply in cups covered with rows of small hairy scales. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of S Europe, planted here, mainly in mild areas and as a shelter-belt tree in coastal areas, to protect more tender species from winds and salt spray.
    157479.jpg
  • Alpine Swifts Apus melba, which winter in Africa and breed in southern Europe, turn up in small numbers in spring, carried here on strong southerly winds.
    155164.jpg
  • Alpine Swifts Apus melba, which winter in Africa and breed in southern Europe, turn up in small numbers in spring, carried here on strong southerly winds.
    154285.jpg
  • Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti. When high pressure builds over Scandinavia in the autumn, a strong easterly flow of air usually floods across Europe and brings with it a scattering of unusual passerine birds from as far away as Siberia or central Asia. Typically records relate to juveniles whose migratory instincts have failed them. Easterly winds continue to bring unusual sighting right through to the start of winter. Just when it seems that autumn migration has finished, a spell of easterly winds in November will sometimes bring a surprise in the form of a Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti, which by rights should be spending the winter in Africa, the Middle East or south Asia.
    153883.jpg
  • Evergreen (Holm) Oak Quercus ilex (Fagaceae) HEIGHT to 28m. Broadly domed tree; crown is often very dense and twiggy. BARK Very dark with shallow fissures, eventually cracking to form squarish scales. BRANCHES Appear from low down on bole. Young shoots are covered with white down. LEAVES Variable: usually ovate to oblong with a pointed tip and a rounded base on mature trees, but more like holly leaves on a young tree. Leaves are dark glossy above, paler and downy below with raised veins; on 1–2cm-long, hairy petioles. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male catkins appear in spring, their golden colour contrasting with silvery new leaves and darker twigs. Acorns, to 2cm long, sit deeply in cups covered with rows of small hairy scales. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of S Europe, planted here, mainly in mild areas and as a shelter-belt tree in coastal areas, to protect more tender species from winds and salt spray.
    132377.jpg
  • Evergreen (Holm) Oak Quercus ilex (Fagaceae) HEIGHT to 28m. Broadly domed tree; crown is often very dense and twiggy. BARK Very dark with shallow fissures, eventually cracking to form squarish scales. BRANCHES Appear from low down on bole. Young shoots are covered with white down. LEAVES Variable: usually ovate to oblong with a pointed tip and a rounded base on mature trees, but more like holly leaves on a young tree. Leaves are dark glossy above, paler and downy below with raised veins; on 1–2cm-long, hairy petioles. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male catkins appear in spring, their golden colour contrasting with silvery new leaves and darker twigs. Acorns, to 2cm long, sit deeply in cups covered with rows of small hairy scales. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of S Europe, planted here, mainly in mild areas and as a shelter-belt tree in coastal areas, to protect more tender species from winds and salt spray.
    132345.jpg
  • Evergreen (Holm) Oak Quercus ilex (Fagaceae) HEIGHT to 28m. Broadly domed tree; crown is often very dense and twiggy. BARK Very dark with shallow fissures, eventually cracking to form squarish scales. BRANCHES Appear from low down on bole. Young shoots are covered with white down. LEAVES Variable: usually ovate to oblong with a pointed tip and a rounded base on mature trees, but more like holly leaves on a young tree. Leaves are dark glossy above, paler and downy below with raised veins; on 1–2cm-long, hairy petioles. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male catkins appear in spring, their golden colour contrasting with silvery new leaves and darker twigs. Acorns, to 2cm long, sit deeply in cups covered with rows of small hairy scales. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of S Europe, planted here, mainly in mild areas and as a shelter-belt tree in coastal areas, to protect more tender species from winds and salt spray.
    132344.jpg
  • Evergreen (Holm) Oak Quercus ilex (Fagaceae) HEIGHT to 28m. Broadly domed tree; crown is often very dense and twiggy. BARK Very dark with shallow fissures, eventually cracking to form squarish scales. BRANCHES Appear from low down on bole. Young shoots are covered with white down. LEAVES Variable: usually ovate to oblong with a pointed tip and a rounded base on mature trees, but more like holly leaves on a young tree. Leaves are dark glossy above, paler and downy below with raised veins; on 1–2cm-long, hairy petioles. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male catkins appear in spring, their golden colour contrasting with silvery new leaves and darker twigs. Acorns, to 2cm long, sit deeply in cups covered with rows of small hairy scales. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of S Europe, planted here, mainly in mild areas and as a shelter-belt tree in coastal areas, to protect more tender species from winds and salt spray.
    132343.jpg
  • Evergreen (Holm) Oak Quercus ilex (Fagaceae) HEIGHT to 28m. Broadly domed tree; crown is often very dense and twiggy. BARK Very dark with shallow fissures, eventually cracking to form squarish scales. BRANCHES Appear from low down on bole. Young shoots are covered with white down. LEAVES Variable: usually ovate to oblong with a pointed tip and a rounded base on mature trees, but more like holly leaves on a young tree. Leaves are dark glossy above, paler and downy below with raised veins; on 1–2cm-long, hairy petioles. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male catkins appear in spring, their golden colour contrasting with silvery new leaves and darker twigs. Acorns, to 2cm long, sit deeply in cups covered with rows of small hairy scales. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of S Europe, planted here, mainly in mild areas and as a shelter-belt tree in coastal areas, to protect more tender species from winds and salt spray. Naturalised occasionally.
    117567.jpg
  • Alpine Swifts Apus melba, which winter in Africa and breed in southern Europe, turn up in small numbers in spring, carried here on strong southerly winds.
    127945.jpg
  • Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti. When high pressure builds over Scandinavia in the autumn, a strong easterly flow of air usually floods across Europe and brings with it a scattering of unusual passerine birds from as far away as Siberia or central Asia. Typically records relate to juveniles whose migratory instincts have failed them. Easterly winds continue to bring unusual sighting right through to the start of winter. Just when it seems that autumn migration has finished, a spell of easterly winds in November will sometimes bring a surprise in the form of a Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti, which by rights should be spending the winter in Africa, the Middle East or south Asia.
    132573.jpg
  • Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti. When high pressure builds over Scandinavia in the autumn, a strong easterly flow of air usually floods across Europe and brings with it a scattering of unusual passerine birds from as far away as Siberia or central Asia. Typically records relate to juveniles whose migratory instincts have failed them. Easterly winds continue to bring unusual sighting right through to the start of winter. Just when it seems that autumn migration has finished, a spell of easterly winds in November will sometimes bring a surprise in the form of a Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti, which by rights should be spending the winter in Africa, the Middle East or south Asia.
    132575.jpg
  • Alpine Swift Apus melba, which winter in Africa and breed in southern Europe, turn up in small numbers in spring, carried here on strong southerly winds.
    135901.jpg
  • Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius. If you live in western Britain or Ireland you will not need reminding that autumn is the season for westerly gales, which sweep across the Atlantic and batter our shores. Just occasionally, a few American birds, which began migrating south down the North American eastern seaboard, are swept across with these strong winds. Being strong fliers and long distance migrants, it is perhaps not surprising that several wader species turn up regularly.
    136120.jpg
  • Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti. When high pressure builds over Scandinavia in the autumn, a strong easterly flow of air usually floods across Europe and brings with it a scattering of unusual passerine birds from as far away as Siberia or central Asia. Typically records relate to juveniles whose migratory instincts have failed them. Easterly winds continue to bring unusual sighting right through to the start of winter. Just when it seems that autumn migration has finished, a spell of easterly winds in November will sometimes bring a surprise in the form of a Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti, which by rights should be spending the winter in Africa, the Middle East or south Asia.
    141080.jpg
  • The Melodious Warbler Hippolais polyglotta (L 12-13cm) occurs most regularly and recalls an outsized Willow Warbler. It has uniform olive-green upperparts with a brownish hue to the wings; the underparts (paler in juveniles than adults) are pale yellow, the colour most intense on the throat and breast. The legs are greyish brown and there is a pale eyering. Members of this interesting genus of warblers are summer visitors to mainland Europe. Unfortunately, none breeds in Britain but we do get occasional visits from passage migrants; look for them at coastal migration hotspots in autumn after south-easterly winds. As a group, Hippolais warblers are superficially similar to Phylloscopus warblers but have proportionately large heads, a peaked rather than rounded crown, a relatively large, broad-based bill and pale lores.
    143160.jpg
  • The Melodious Warbler Hippolais polyglotta (L 12-13cm) occurs most regularly and recalls an outsized Willow Warbler. It has uniform olive-green upperparts with a brownish hue to the wings; the underparts (paler in juveniles than adults) are pale yellow, the colour most intense on the throat and breast. The legs are greyish brown and there is a pale eyering. Members of this interesting genus of warblers are summer visitors to mainland Europe. Unfortunately, none breeds in Britain but we do get occasional visits from passage migrants; look for them at coastal migration hotspots in autumn after south-easterly winds. As a group, Hippolais warblers are superficially similar to Phylloscopus warblers but have proportionately large heads, a peaked rather than rounded crown, a relatively large, broad-based bill and pale lores.
    145357.jpg
  • Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti Length 14cm<br />
Well-marked wheatear, adapted to desert and semi-desert habitats. Breeds across North Africa, Middle East and central Asia. Winters within range, retreating further south and east from cold parts of its range. Easterly winds bring vagrants to Britain, mostly in late autumn and early winter. All birds have diagnostic uniformly dark tail. Adult male has black hood and black wings; plumage otherwise sandy-buff.
    145576.jpg
  • Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti Length 14cm<br />
Well-marked wheatear, adapted to desert and semi-desert habitats. Breeds across North Africa, Middle East and central Asia. Winters within range, retreating further south and east from cold parts of its range. Easterly winds bring vagrants to Britain, mostly in late autumn and early winter. All birds have diagnostic uniformly dark tail. Adult male has black hood and black wings; plumage otherwise sandy-buff.
    145578.jpg
  • Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti Length 14cm<br />
Well-marked wheatear, adapted to desert and semi-desert habitats. Breeds across North Africa, Middle East and central Asia. Winters within range, retreating further south and east from cold parts of its range. Easterly winds bring vagrants to Britain, mostly in late autumn and early winter. All birds have diagnostic uniformly dark tail. Adult male has black hood and black wings; plumage otherwise sandy-buff.
    145579.jpg
  • Melodious Warbler Hippolais polyglotta (L 12-13cm) occurs most regularly and recalls an outsized Willow Warbler. It has uniform olive-green upperparts with a brownish hue to the wings; the underparts (paler in juveniles than adults) are pale yellow, the colour most intense on the throat and breast. The legs are greyish brown and there is a pale eyering. Members of this interesting genus of warblers are summer visitors to mainland Europe. Unfortunately, none breeds in Britain but we do get occasional visits from passage migrants; look for them at coastal migration hotspots in autumn after south-easterly winds. As a group, Hippolais warblers are superficially similar to Phylloscopus warblers but have proportionately large heads, a peaked rather than rounded crown, a relatively large, broad-based bill and pale lores.
    157610.jpg
  • Holm Oak - Quercus ilex (Fagaceae) HEIGHT to 28m. Broadly domed tree; crown is often very dense and twiggy. BARK Very dark with shallow fissures, eventually cracking to form squarish scales. BRANCHES Appear from low down on bole. Young shoots are covered with white down. LEAVES Variable: usually ovate to oblong with a pointed tip and a rounded base on mature trees, but more like holly leaves on a young tree. Leaves are dark glossy above, paler and downy below with raised veins; on 1–2cm-long, hairy petioles. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male catkins appear in spring, their golden colour contrasting with silvery new leaves and darker twigs. Acorns, to 2cm long, sit deeply in cups covered with rows of small hairy scales. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of S Europe, planted here, mainly in mild areas and as a shelter-belt tree in coastal areas, to protect more tender species from winds and salt spray.
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  • Evergreen (Holm) Oak - Quercus ilex (Fagaceae) HEIGHT to 28m. Broadly domed tree; crown is often very dense and twiggy. BARK Very dark with shallow fissures, eventually cracking to form squarish scales. BRANCHES Appear from low down on bole. Young shoots are covered with white down. LEAVES Variable: usually ovate to oblong with a pointed tip and a rounded base on mature trees, but more like holly leaves on a young tree. Leaves are dark glossy above, paler and downy below with raised veins; on 1–2cm-long, hairy petioles. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male catkins appear in spring, their golden colour contrasting with silvery new leaves and darker twigs. Acorns, to 2cm long, sit deeply in cups covered with rows of small hairy scales. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of S Europe, planted here, mainly in mild areas and as a shelter-belt tree in coastal areas, to protect more tender species from winds and salt spray.
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  • Melodious Warbler Hippolais polyglotta (L 12-13cm) occurs most regularly and recalls an outsized Willow Warbler. It has uniform olive-green upperparts with a brownish hue to the wings; the underparts (paler in juveniles than adults) are pale yellow, the colour most intense on the throat and breast. The legs are greyish brown and there is a pale eyering. Members of this interesting genus of warblers are summer visitors to mainland Europe. Unfortunately, none breeds in Britain but we do get occasional visits from passage migrants; look for them at coastal migration hotspots in autumn after south-easterly winds. As a group, Hippolais warblers are superficially similar to Phylloscopus warblers but have proportionately large heads, a peaked rather than rounded crown, a relatively large, broad-based bill and pale lores.
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  • Melodious Warbler Hippolais polyglotta (L 12-13cm) occurs most regularly and recalls an outsized Willow Warbler. It has uniform olive-green upperparts with a brownish hue to the wings; the underparts (paler in juveniles than adults) are pale yellow, the colour most intense on the throat and breast. The legs are greyish brown and there is a pale eyering. Members of this interesting genus of warblers are summer visitors to mainland Europe. Unfortunately, none breeds in Britain but we do get occasional visits from passage migrants; look for them at coastal migration hotspots in autumn after south-easterly winds. As a group, Hippolais warblers are superficially similar to Phylloscopus warblers but have proportionately large heads, a peaked rather than rounded crown, a relatively large, broad-based bill and pale lores.
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  • Alpine Swifts Apus melba, which winter in Africa and breed in southern Europe, turn up in small numbers in spring, carried here on strong southerly winds.
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  • Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius. If you live in western Britain or Ireland you will not need reminding that autumn is the season for westerly gales, which sweep across the Atlantic and batter our shores. Just occasionally, a few American birds, which began migrating south down the North American eastern seaboard, are swept across with these strong winds. Being strong fliers and long distance migrants, it is perhaps not surprising that several wader species turn up regularly.
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  • Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius. If you live in western Britain or Ireland you will not need reminding that autumn is the season for westerly gales, which sweep across the Atlantic and batter our shores. Just occasionally, a few American birds, which began migrating south down the North American eastern seaboard, are swept across with these strong winds. Being strong fliers and long distance migrants, it is perhaps not surprising that several wader species turn up regularly.
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  • Alpine Swifts Apus melba, which winter in Africa and breed in southern Europe, turn up in small numbers in spring, carried here on strong southerly winds.
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  • Alpine Swifts Apus melba, which winter in Africa and breed in southern Europe, turn up in small numbers in spring, carried here on strong southerly winds.
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  • Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti. When high pressure builds over Scandinavia in the autumn, a strong easterly flow of air usually floods across Europe and brings with it a scattering of unusual passerine birds from as far away as Siberia or central Asia. Typically records relate to juveniles whose migratory instincts have failed them. Easterly winds continue to bring unusual sighting right through to the start of winter. Just when it seems that autumn migration has finished, a spell of easterly winds in November will sometimes bring a surprise in the form of a Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti, which by rights should be spending the winter in Africa, the Middle East or south Asia.
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  • Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti. When high pressure builds over Scandinavia in the autumn, a strong easterly flow of air usually floods across Europe and brings with it a scattering of unusual passerine birds from as far away as Siberia or central Asia. Typically records relate to juveniles whose migratory instincts have failed them. Easterly winds continue to bring unusual sighting right through to the start of winter. Just when it seems that autumn migration has finished, a spell of easterly winds in November will sometimes bring a surprise in the form of a Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti, which by rights should be spending the winter in Africa, the Middle East or south Asia.
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  • Evergreen (Holm) Oak Quercus ilex (Fagaceae) HEIGHT to 28m. Broadly domed tree; crown is often very dense and twiggy. BARK Very dark with shallow fissures, eventually cracking to form squarish scales. BRANCHES Appear from low down on bole. Young shoots are covered with white down. LEAVES Variable: usually ovate to oblong with a pointed tip and a rounded base on mature trees, but more like holly leaves on a young tree. Leaves are dark glossy above, paler and downy below with raised veins; on 1–2cm-long, hairy petioles. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Male catkins appear in spring, their golden colour contrasting with silvery new leaves and darker twigs. Acorns, to 2cm long, sit deeply in cups covered with rows of small hairy scales. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of S Europe, planted here, mainly in mild areas and as a shelter-belt tree in coastal areas, to protect more tender species from winds and salt spray.
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  • The Roller Coracias garrulus is a colourful bird that is widespread in summer in southern and eastern Europe. A few turn up in Britain in late spring during south-easterly winds.
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  • Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti. When high pressure builds over Scandinavia in the autumn, a strong easterly flow of air usually floods across Europe and brings with it a scattering of unusual passerine birds from as far away as Siberia or central Asia. Typically records relate to juveniles whose migratory instincts have failed them. Easterly winds continue to bring unusual sighting right through to the start of winter. Just when it seems that autumn migration has finished, a spell of easterly winds in November will sometimes bring a surprise in the form of a Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti, which by rights should be spending the winter in Africa, the Middle East or south Asia.
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  • Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti. When high pressure builds over Scandinavia in the autumn, a strong easterly flow of air usually floods across Europe and brings with it a scattering of unusual passerine birds from as far away as Siberia or central Asia. Typically records relate to juveniles whose migratory instincts have failed them. Easterly winds continue to bring unusual sighting right through to the start of winter. Just when it seems that autumn migration has finished, a spell of easterly winds in November will sometimes bring a surprise in the form of a Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti, which by rights should be spending the winter in Africa, the Middle East or south Asia.
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  • The Melodious Warbler Hippolais polyglotta (L 12-13cm) occurs most regularly and recalls an outsized Willow Warbler. It has uniform olive-green upperparts with a brownish hue to the wings; the underparts (paler in juveniles than adults) are pale yellow, the colour most intense on the throat and breast. The legs are greyish brown and there is a pale eyering. Members of this interesting genus of warblers are summer visitors to mainland Europe. Unfortunately, none breeds in Britain but we do get occasional visits from passage migrants; look for them at coastal migration hotspots in autumn after south-easterly winds. As a group, Hippolais warblers are superficially similar to Phylloscopus warblers but have proportionately large heads, a peaked rather than rounded crown, a relatively large, broad-based bill and pale lores.
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  • The Melodious Warbler Hippolais polyglotta (L 12-13cm) occurs most regularly and recalls an outsized Willow Warbler. It has uniform olive-green upperparts with a brownish hue to the wings; the underparts (paler in juveniles than adults) are pale yellow, the colour most intense on the throat and breast. The legs are greyish brown and there is a pale eyering. Members of this interesting genus of warblers are summer visitors to mainland Europe. Unfortunately, none breeds in Britain but we do get occasional visits from passage migrants; look for them at coastal migration hotspots in autumn after south-easterly winds. As a group, Hippolais warblers are superficially similar to Phylloscopus warblers but have proportionately large heads, a peaked rather than rounded crown, a relatively large, broad-based bill and pale lores.
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  • The Melodious Warbler Hippolais polyglotta (L 12-13cm) occurs most regularly and recalls an outsized Willow Warbler. It has uniform olive-green upperparts with a brownish hue to the wings; the underparts (paler in juveniles than adults) are pale yellow, the colour most intense on the throat and breast. The legs are greyish brown and there is a pale eyering. Members of this interesting genus of warblers are summer visitors to mainland Europe. Unfortunately, none breeds in Britain but we do get occasional visits from passage migrants; look for them at coastal migration hotspots in autumn after south-easterly winds. As a group, Hippolais warblers are superficially similar to Phylloscopus warblers but have proportionately large heads, a peaked rather than rounded crown, a relatively large, broad-based bill and pale lores.
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  • The Melodious Warbler Hippolais polyglotta (L 12-13cm) occurs most regularly and recalls an outsized Willow Warbler. It has uniform olive-green upperparts with a brownish hue to the wings; the underparts (paler in juveniles than adults) are pale yellow, the colour most intense on the throat and breast. The legs are greyish brown and there is a pale eyering. Members of this interesting genus of warblers are summer visitors to mainland Europe. Unfortunately, none breeds in Britain but we do get occasional visits from passage migrants; look for them at coastal migration hotspots in autumn after south-easterly winds. As a group, Hippolais warblers are superficially similar to Phylloscopus warblers but have proportionately large heads, a peaked rather than rounded crown, a relatively large, broad-based bill and pale lores.
    145356.jpg
  • The Melodious Warbler Hippolais polyglotta (L 12-13cm) occurs most regularly and recalls an outsized Willow Warbler. It has uniform olive-green upperparts with a brownish hue to the wings; the underparts (paler in juveniles than adults) are pale yellow, the colour most intense on the throat and breast. The legs are greyish brown and there is a pale eyering. Members of this interesting genus of warblers are summer visitors to mainland Europe. Unfortunately, none breeds in Britain but we do get occasional visits from passage migrants; look for them at coastal migration hotspots in autumn after south-easterly winds. As a group, Hippolais warblers are superficially similar to Phylloscopus warblers but have proportionately large heads, a peaked rather than rounded crown, a relatively large, broad-based bill and pale lores.
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  • Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti Length 14cm<br />
Well-marked wheatear, adapted to desert and semi-desert habitats. Breeds across North Africa, Middle East and central Asia. Winters within range, retreating further south and east from cold parts of its range. Easterly winds bring vagrants to Britain, mostly in late autumn and early winter. All birds have diagnostic uniformly dark tail. Adult male has black hood and black wings; plumage otherwise sandy-buff.
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