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  • Blue Whale Balaenoptera musculus Length 25-30m World’s largest living animal. Feeds on tiny, swarming planktonic crustaceans (krill). Adult has huge, streamlined body; bluish grey overall but mottled with greyish white. Seen just below water surface, body looks very blue. Flippers are relatively small. Single ridge extends from nostrils to tip of rostrum. Throat has 70-90 pleats that allow a huge expansion when feeding. Tail stock is thick and dorsal fin is small and set far back. Decimated by 20th Century whaling and possibly recovering.
    123026.jpg
  • The Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybridus (L 24-27cm) is more like a miniature Common Tern in breeding plumage but at other times it is mainly white with pale grey upperwings and blackish speckling on hindcrown.
    129069.jpg
  • Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis L 25-29cm. Dumpy, buoyant waterbird with powderpuff of feathers at rear end. Dives frequently for fish and aquatic invertebrates. Wings are rounded and uniform grey-brown. Sexes are similar. Adult in summer is mainly brownish but neck and cheeks are chestnut. Pale-tipped dark bill has lime-green spot at base. In winter, has mainly brown upperparts and buffish underparts. Juvenile recalls winter adult but with pale throat and black stripes on face. Voice Utters a whinnying trill. Status Ffairly common resident of freshwater ponds and slow-flowing rivers; in winter, also seen on sheltered coasts and estuaries.
    133057.jpg
  • Little Stint Calidris minuta L 13-14cm. Tiny wader, like a miniature, short-billed Dunlin. Constant, frantic feeding activity helps with identification. Legs and bill are dark in all birds. Sexes are similar. Adult in summer has white underparts, reddish brown on back and variable suffusion of rufous on head and neck. Note yellow ‘V’ on mantle, and pale supercilium that forks above eye. In winter, has grey upperparts and white underparts, with white on face between bill and eye. Juvenile has white underparts. Reddish brown and black feathers on back and wings have pale fringes that align to form white ‘V’ markings. Note buffish flush on side of breast, pale supercilium that forks above eye, pale forecrown and dark centre to crown. Voice Utters a shrill stip call. Status Regular passage migrant, most numerous in autumn when juveniles predominate.
    141327.jpg
  • 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.
    142976.jpg
  • Dartford Warbler Sylvia undata (L 12-13cm), often seen perched on a Gorse spray with its tail cocked up, is emblematic of heathland conservation. Adults have blue-grey upperparts, reddish underparts with a white belly, a beady red eye and reddish eyering, and pinkish yellow legs; males are brighter than females. The species is often first detected by sound: it utters a tchrr-tche alarm call and has a rapid, scratchy warbling song. Dartford Warblers are restricted to Gorse-covered heathland areas in southern England and are mainly resident.
    143143.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.
    144068.jpg
  • Black-throated Diver Gavia arctica L 60-70cm. Swims buoyantly with bill held level. Dives frequently. Sexes are similar. Adult in summer has blue-grey nape and head, and black throat; sides of neck have black and white lines. Back is dark with white spots; underparts are white. In winter, upperparts mainly grey-black and underparts whitish; note white patch on flanks at water level in swimming birds. Juvenile is similar to winter adult but grubby-looking. Voice Mostly silent. Status Rare breeding species on large Scottish lochs. Scarce in winter, mainly in coastal waters.
    144706.jpg
  • Marsh Tit Poecile 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.
    144783.jpg
  • Laughing Gull - Larus atricilla - summer adults
    160591.jpg
  • Long-tailed Jaeger - Stercorarius longicaudus - summer adult
    150093.jpg
  • Red-throated Diver - Gavia stellata - winter. L 55-65cm. Swims low in water, head and dagger-like bill tilted upwards. Dives frequently. Sexes are similar. Adult in summer has blue-grey on face and sides of neck, red throat and black-and-white lines on back and lower sides of neck. Upperparts are otherwise brownish grey and underparts are whitish. In winter, grey upperparts are spangled with small white spots; underparts are white. Juvenile is similar to winter adult but grubby-looking. Voice Mostly silent. Status Scarce breeding species; nests beside freshwater pools. Outside breeding season, found in shallow coastal seas; locally common in winter.
    157301.jpg
  • Grey Heron - Ardea cinerea L 90-98cm. Familiar wetland bird. Stands motionless for long periods. Flies on broad wings with slow, deep wingbeats; neck is held hunched. Sexes are similar. Adult has whitish grey head, neck and underparts with dark streaks on front of neck and breast; note white forecrown and black sides to crown leading to black nape feathers. Back and upperwings are blue-grey; flight feathers are black. Dagger-like bill is yellowish. Juvenile is similar but crown and forehead are dark grey. Voice Utters a harsh krrarnk in flight. Status Common resident. Favours freshwater wetlands but also on coasts in winter.
    156889.jpg
  • Double-crested Cormorant - Phalacrocorax auritus
    148265.jpg
  • Double-crested Cormorant - Phalacrocorax auritus
    148266.jpg
  • Cassin's Kingbird - Tyrannus vociferans
    147810.jpg
  • Cassin's Kingbird - Tyrannus vociferans
    147812.jpg
  • Aquatic Warbler - Acrocephalus paludicola
    156415.jpg
  • Black Tern - Chlidonias niger
    153825.jpg
  • Great Egret - Ardea alba
    133047.jpg
  • Pochard Aythya farina L 42-49cm. Distinctive diving duck with long bill, curving forehead and peaked crown. Gregarious in winter, often with Tufted Ducks. Both sexes have dark bill with pale grey band. In flight, all birds have uniform grey wings with dark trailing edge to outer flight feathers. Sexes are dissimilar in other regards. Adult male has reddish orange head, black breast, finely marked grey flanks and back, and black stern. In eclipse, black elements of plumage are sooty brown. Adult female has brown head and breast, grey-brown back and flanks, and pale ‘spectacle’. Juvenile resembles adult female but plumage is more uniformly brown. Voice Mostly silent. Status Scarce breeder but locally common in winter: migrants arrive from mainland Europe. Favours flooded gravel pits, reservoirs and lakes.
    136034.jpg
  • Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus L 150-160cm. Similar to Mute Swan but separable using bill shape and colour. Typically holds neck straight, not curved. Seen in medium-sized flocks comprising several family groups. Sexes are similar. Adult has mainly pure white plumage although head and upper neck is sometimes stained orange. Bill is triangular and rather long, with yellow patch that extends beyond nostril. Juvenile has grubby buffish grey plumage and dark-tipped pale pink bill. Voice Utters loud, bugling calls. Status Handful of pairs breed here each year, but best known as a winter visitor; several thousand present Oct-Mar.
    140935.jpg
  • Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis L 14-15cm. Rather nondescript, streaked brown bird. Forms loose flocks outside breeding season. Sexes are similar. Adult has streaked brown upperparts and pale underparts with dark streaks; has buffish yellow flush to flanks and breast, most noticeable in autumn. Has pale, unmarked throat, pale eyering and hint of short, pale supercilium. Legs are pinkish and outer tail feathers are white. Juvenile is similar but with less extensive streaking. Voice Utters a pseet-pseet-pseet call. Descending song is delivered in flight but starts and ends on ground. Status Common and widespread resident. Favours rough, grassy habitats; upland birds move to lowlands outside breeding season and European migrants boost winter numbers.
    143348.jpg
  • Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis L 14-15cm. Rather nondescript, streaked brown bird. Forms loose flocks outside breeding season. Sexes are similar. Adult has streaked brown upperparts and pale underparts with dark streaks; has buffish yellow flush to flanks and breast, most noticeable in autumn. Has pale, unmarked throat, pale eyering and hint of short, pale supercilium. Legs are pinkish and outer tail feathers are white. Juvenile is similar but with less extensive streaking. Voice Utters a pseet-pseet-pseet call. Descending song is delivered in flight but starts and ends on ground. Status Common and widespread resident. Favours rough, grassy habitats; upland birds move to lowlands outside breeding season and European migrants boost winter numbers.
    143349.jpg
  • 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.
    144077.jpg
  • 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.
    144690.jpg
  • Double-crested Cormorant - Phalacrocorax auritis
    160527.jpg
  • Great Blue Heron chicks - Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias
    160555.jpg
  • Great Egret - Ardea alba
    160566.jpg
  • Pacific Loon - Gavia pacifica - summer adult
    150781.jpg
  • Red-wattled Lapwing - Vanellus indicus
    157226.jpg
  • Double-crested Cormorant - Phalacrocorax auritus
    148264.jpg
  • Double-crested Cormorant - Phalacrocorax auritus
    148268.jpg
  • Cassin's Kingbird - Tyrannus vociferans
    147809.jpg
  • Brandt's Cormorant - Phalacrocorax penicillatus
    147282.jpg
  • Yellow-headed Blackbird - Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus - Adult male breeding
    153543.jpg
  • Spotless Starling - Sturnus unicolor - Male
    155204.jpg
  • Spotless Starling - Sturnus unicolor - Male
    155205.jpg
  • Moorhen Gallinula chloropus L 32-35cm. Familiar wetland bird. Swims with jerky movements and constantly flicks its tail. Often tame on urban lakes. Sexes are similar. Adult can look all-dark but has dark blue-grey head, neck and underparts, and brownish back, wings and tail. Has yellow-tipped red bill and frontal shield, and yellow legs and long toes. Note white feathers on sides of undertail and a white line along flanks. Juvenile is greyish brown with white on throat, sides of undertail coverts, and along flanks. Voice Utters a loud kurrrk. Status Common resident on all sorts of wetland habitats, from village ponds to flooded gravel pits and lakes.
    154912.jpg
  • Black Tern - Chlidonias niger
    153822.jpg
  • Black Tern - Chlidonias niger
    153823.jpg
  • Black Tern - Chlidonias niger
    153824.jpg
  • Black Tern - Chlidonias niger
    153834.jpg
  • Black Tern - Chlidonias niger
    153835.jpg
  • Black Tern - Chlidonias niger
    153840.jpg
  • Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus L 11cm. Similar to Chiffchaff but separable using subtle plumage details, colour and voice. Sexes are similar. Adult has olive-green upperparts, yellow throat, whitish underparts and pale supercilium. Overall, plumage is brighter than Chiffchaff and primary feathers project further. Note pale supercilium and pinkish yellow legs. Juvenile is similar but paler and more yellow, particularly on underparts. Voice hueet call is similar to Chiffchaff. Song is a tinkling, descending phrase that ends in a flourish. Status Widespread and common summer visitor to wooded habitats including birch woodland and willow scrub.
    145963.jpg
  • 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. Observation tips Easy to see and hear.
    145976.jpg
  • Great Northern Diver Gavia immer L 75-85cm. Buoyant waterbird. Large bill is held level or very slightly elevated. Sexes are similar. Adult in summer has black neck with two rows of white stripes. Upperparts are blackish with white patches on mantle and spots elsewhere. Underparts are gleaming white. Bill is dark. In winter, has dark grey upperparts and whitish underparts with dark half collar on neck. Bill is greyish. Juvenile is similar to winter adult but slightly grubby-looking. Voice Silent in our region. Status Non-breeding visitor to coastal seas, favouring both rocky shores and large bay; occasional on inland reservoirs.
    127223.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.
    127406.jpg
  • Great Egret - Ardea alba
    133065.jpg
  • Reddish Egret - Juvenile - Egretta rufescens
    133599.jpg
  • Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis L 16-17cm. Confiding, plump-bodied bunting. All birds have extensive white on inner wing, rump and tail. Sexes are dissimilar. Adult male in summer has mainly white plumage with blackish back, black on wings, and black bill and legs. Adult female in summer is similar but back is brownish and has brown and buff streaking on head, neck and sides of breast. Winter birds have mainly white underparts and buffish orange upperparts. Adult males are whitest on wings, face and underparts. Bill is yellowish and legs are black. Voice Has tinkling flight call. Song is twittering. Status Small numbers breed in Scottish mountains but best known as winter visitor, commonest on E coast; saltmarshes, coastal grassland and beach strandlines are favoured.
    137337.jpg
  • Eurasian Black Vulture - Aegypius monachus
    137590.jpg
  • Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria L 28cm. Beautifully marked wader. Call is evocative of desolate uplands in summer. Gregarious outside breeding season; often associates with Lapwings. In flight, note white underwings. Sexes are sometimes separable in summer. Adult in summer has spangled golden upperparts bordered by white band. In most males, belly is black, grading to grey on neck and face. Most females have less distinct dark underparts and face is often whitish. Breeders from N Europe (seen on migration) have darker underparts than British birds. In winter, underparts are pale, and head, neck and back are streaked golden. Juvenile is similar to winter adult. Voice Utters peeoo flight call and plaintive pu-peeoo in summer. Status Locally common breeding species on N upland moors and mountains. Widespread in winter on grassland and arable fields.
    138824.jpg
  • Puffin Fratercula arctica L 30cm. Endearing seabird. Flies on narrow wings with whirring wingbeats. Swims well and dive frequently for fish. Sexes are similar. Adult in summer has mainly dark upperparts with dusky face; underparts are white. Legs are orange-red and bill is huge, flattened and marked with red, blue and yellow. In winter, similar but with dark grey face and smaller, duller bill. Juvenile is similar to winter adult but with small, dark and dull bill. Voice Utters groaning calls at nest. Status Locally common. Only comes ashore in breeding season. Colonial nester, excavating burrows in grassy cliffs. Only storm-driven, sick or oiled birds are seen near land in winter.
    145838.jpg
  • Pacific Loon - Gavia pacifica - summer adult
    150779.jpg
  • Marbled Godwit - Limosa fedoa - breeding adult
    150232.jpg
  • Long-billed Dowitcher - Limnodromus scolopaceus - breeding adult
    149997.jpg
  • Cassin's Kingbird - Tyrannus vociferans
    147813.jpg
  • Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis. Spring and early summer are the times when rare waders that breed in Asia turn up here. A number of possible contenders exist but the Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis (L 22-25cm) is one of most elegant and keenly-sought; it resembles a miniature Greenshank but with a thin, needle-like bill.
    156317.jpg
  • 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.
    156189.jpg
  • Anhinga - Anhinga anhinga - Adult female
    146217.jpg
  • Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica - Winter Adult. L 35-40cm. Large wader with long, slightly upturned bill. Looks shorter-legged than Black-tailed. In flight, note absence of wingbar on upperwing; white rump extends as wedge to lower back and tail is barred. Sexes are dissimilar in summer. Adult male in breeding plumage has reddish orange head, neck and underparts. Back is spangled grey, black and pale buff. Adult female in breeding plumage has buffish orange wash on head, neck and breast, pale belly and greyish back. Winter adult has grey-brown head, neck and upperparts; underparts are pale. Juvenile recalls winter adult but has buffish wash to head, neck and upperparts. Voice Utters a sharp kve-wee call in flight. Status Nests in Arctic; non-breeding visitor to coastal Britain and Ireland.
    155403.jpg
  • Moorhen Gallinula chloropus L 32-35cm. Familiar wetland bird. Swims with jerky movements and constantly flicks its tail. Often tame on urban lakes. Sexes are similar. Adult can look all-dark but has dark blue-grey head, neck and underparts, and brownish back, wings and tail. Has yellow-tipped red bill and frontal shield, and yellow legs and long toes. Note white feathers on sides of undertail and a white line along flanks. Juvenile is greyish brown with white on throat, sides of undertail coverts, and along flanks. Voice Utters a loud kurrrk. Status Common resident on all sorts of wetland habitats, from village ponds to flooded gravel pits and lakes.
    154911.jpg
  • Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus - Winter. 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.
    154650.jpg
  • Black Tern - Chlidonias niger
    153836.jpg
  • Grey Phalarope - Phalaropus lobatus. L 20-21cm. Confiding wader that habitually swims and spends its non-breeding life at sea. Bill is shorter and stouter than similar Red-necked, and has yellow base. Sexes are dissimilar in breeding plumage (seen here occasionally). Winter adult has grey upperparts, white underparts, dark cap and nape, and black ‘panda’ mark the eye. Adult female in summer has orange-red neck and underparts, dark crown, white face patch, and buff-fringed dark back feathers. Adult male in summer is similar but duller. Juvenile recalls winter adult but plumage is tinged buff and back feathers are dark with buff fringes. Voice Utters a sharp pit flight call. Status Nests in high Arctic, winters in tropical seas and seen here on migration, mostly in autumn but sometimes spring. Mainly coastal but sometimes on reservoirs.
    153970.jpg
  • Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus L 11cm. Similar to Chiffchaff but separable using subtle plumage details, colour and voice. Sexes are similar. Adult has olive-green upperparts, yellow throat, whitish underparts and pale supercilium. Overall, plumage is brighter than Chiffchaff and primary feathers project further. Note pale supercilium and pinkish yellow legs. Juvenile is similar but paler and more yellow, particularly on underparts. Voice hueet call is similar to Chiffchaff. Song is a tinkling, descending phrase that ends in a flourish. Status Widespread and common summer visitor to wooded habitats including birch woodland and willow scrub.
    145962.jpg
  • Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus L 11cm. Similar to Chiffchaff but separable using subtle plumage details, colour and voice. Sexes are similar. Adult has olive-green upperparts, yellow throat, whitish underparts and pale supercilium. Overall, plumage is brighter than Chiffchaff and primary feathers project further. Note pale supercilium and pinkish yellow legs. Juvenile is similar but paler and more yellow, particularly on underparts. Voice hueet call is similar to Chiffchaff. Song is a tinkling, descending phrase that ends in a flourish. Status Widespread and common summer visitor to wooded habitats including birch woodland and willow scrub.
    145965.jpg
  • Pygmy Cormorant - Phalacrocorax pygmaeus
    137546.jpg
  • Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus L 150-160cm. Similar to Mute Swan but separable using bill shape and colour. Typically holds neck straight, not curved. Seen in medium-sized flocks comprising several family groups. Sexes are similar. Adult has mainly pure white plumage although head and upper neck is sometimes stained orange. Bill is triangular and rather long, with yellow patch that extends beyond nostril. Juvenile has grubby buffish grey plumage and dark-tipped pale pink bill. Voice Utters loud, bugling calls. Status Handful of pairs breed here each year, but best known as a winter visitor; several thousand present Oct-Mar.
    143458.jpg
  • Puffin Fratercula arctica L 30cm. Endearing seabird. Flies on narrow wings with whirring wingbeats. Swims well and dive frequently for fish. Sexes are similar. Adult in summer has mainly dark upperparts with dusky face; underparts are white. Legs are orange-red and bill is huge, flattened and marked with red, blue and yellow. In winter, similar but with dark grey face and smaller, duller bill. Juvenile is similar to winter adult but with small, dark and dull bill. Voice Utters groaning calls at nest. Status Locally common. Only comes ashore in breeding season. Colonial nester, excavating burrows in grassy cliffs. Only storm-driven, sick or oiled birds are seen near land in winter.
    144024.jpg
  • Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus L 150-160cm. Similar to Mute Swan but separable using bill shape and colour. Typically holds neck straight, not curved. Seen in medium-sized flocks comprising several family groups. Sexes are similar. Adult has mainly pure white plumage although head and upper neck is sometimes stained orange. Bill is triangular and rather long, with yellow patch that extends beyond nostril. Juvenile has grubby buffish grey plumage and dark-tipped pale pink bill. Voice Utters loud, bugling calls. Status Handful of pairs breed here each year, but best known as a winter visitor; several thousand present Oct-Mar.
    144075.jpg
  • Mallard Anas platyrhynchos L 50-65cm. Our most familiar duck. In flight, both sexes show white-bordered blue speculum. Sexes are dissimilar. Adult male has yellow bill and green, shiny head and upper neck, separated from chestnut breast by striking white collar. Underparts are grey-brown except for black stern and white tail. Back is grey-brown grading to reddish brown. Legs and feet are orange. In eclipse, male resembles adult female but note yellow bill and well-defined reddish brown breast. Adult female has orange-brown bill and mottled brown plumage. Legs and feet are dull orange-yellow. Juvenile is similar to adult female. Voice Male utters whistles and nasal calls. Female utters familiar quack. Status Widespread, commonest on lowland lakes, rivers and urban ornamental lakes.
    145931.jpg
  • Black Tern - Chlidonias niger
    157960.jpg
  • Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis L 14-15cm. Rather nondescript, streaked brown bird. Forms loose flocks outside breeding season. Sexes are similar. Adult has streaked brown upperparts and pale underparts with dark streaks; has buffish yellow flush to flanks and breast, most noticeable in autumn. Has pale, unmarked throat, pale eyering and hint of short, pale supercilium. Legs are pinkish and outer tail feathers are white. Juvenile is similar but with less extensive streaking. Voice Utters a pseet-pseet-pseet call. Descending song is delivered in flight but starts and ends on ground. Status Common and widespread resident. Favours rough, grassy habitats; upland birds move to lowlands outside breeding season and European migrants boost winter numbers.
    157560.jpg
  • Black-throated Diver - Gavia arctica - Summer adult. L 60-70cm. Swims buoyantly with bill held level. Dives frequently. Sexes are similar. Adult in summer has blue-grey nape and head, and black throat; sides of neck have black and white lines. Back is dark with white spots; underparts are white. In winter, upperparts mainly grey-black and underparts whitish; note white patch on flanks at water level in swimming birds. Juvenile is similar to winter adult but grubby-looking. Voice Mostly silent. Status Rare breeding species on large Scottish lochs. Scarce in winter, mainly in coastal waters.
    157402.jpg
  • Pacific Loon - Gavia pacifica - summer adult
    150782.jpg
  • White-tailed Plover - Vanellus leucurus
    156217.jpg
  • Black-eared Wheatear - Oenanthe hispanica - Male, black-throated eastern form.
    154316.jpg
  • Black Tern - Chlidonias niger
    153826.jpg
  • Dartford Warbler Sylvia undata (L 12-13cm), often seen perched on a Gorse spray with its tail cocked up, is emblematic of heathland conservation. Adults have blue-grey upperparts, reddish underparts with a white belly, a beady red eye and reddish eyering, and pinkish yellow legs; males are brighter than females. The species is often first detected by sound: it utters a tchrr-tche alarm call and has a rapid, scratchy warbling song. Dartford Warblers are restricted to Gorse-covered heathland areas in southern England and are mainly resident.
    143146.jpg
  • Neotropic Cormorant - Phalacrocorax brasilianus - breeding adult
    150440.jpg
  • Neotropic Cormorant - Phalacrocorax brasilianus - breeding adult
    150439.jpg
  • Cassin's Kingbird - Tyrannus vociferans
    147811.jpg
  • Black Tern - Chlidonias niger
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  • Dotterel Charadrius morinellus L 22cm. Beautiful and tame, pot-bellied mountain wader. Role-reversal seen when nesting: duller male incubates eggs. Adult female in summer has reddish orange breast and belly, black-bordered white collar, and blue-grey throat. Face is whitish and has white supercilium and dark cap; upperparts otherwise grey-brown, back feathers with brown margins. Legs are yellow. Adult male in summer is duller. Winter adult is grey buff with broad, pale buff supercilium and pale breast band. Juvenile is similar to winter adult but with scaly-looking back. Voice Utters a soft pierrr call. Status Rare migrant visitor, mainly to Scottish Highlands. Migrants linger briefly at traditional hilltops staging posts in England, or on coasts.
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  • Turnstone Arenaria interpres L 23cm. Pugnacious wader with stout, triangular bill, used to turn stones in search of invertebrates. Feeds unobtrusively. All birds have reddish orange legs and black and white wing pattern in flight. Sexes are similar. Adult has orange-red on back, white underparts and bold black and white markings on head. Males have brighter back colours than females and more distinct black head markings. Winter adult has grey-brown upperparts, the head and neck. Breast is marked with blackish band that shows a clear demarcation from white underparts. Juvenile is similar to winter adult but upperparts are paler and back feathers have pale fringes. Voice Utters a rolling tuk-ut-ut in flight. Status Non-breeding visitor to coasts. Widespread and common.
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  • Little Egret - Egretta garzetta
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  • White-crowned Black Wheatear - Oenanthe leucopyga
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  • Little Egret - Egretta garzetta
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  • Little Egret - Egretta garzetta
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  • Snow Bunting - Plectrophenax nivalis
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  • Stone Curlew - Burrhinus oedicnemus
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  • Stone Curlew - Burrhinus oedicnemus
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  • Black Swan - Cygnus atratus
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  • Ruff - Philomachus pugnax
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  • Spur-winged Plover - Vanellus spinosus
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  • Turtle Dove - Streptopelia turtur
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  • Little Egret - Egretta garzetta
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