So, back in Littlehampton for a brief period before our next adventure begins on the FARNE ISLANDS!! Some lovely birds around, only a few minutes from the house in the case of the first two, the long-staying first winter Kumlien's Gull and the second winter (3cy) Glaucous Gull. I have made two visits now, and both times they have been showing very well in the harbour mouth from West Beach. Light was poor on both occasions, but I managed to get a shot of both, with a nice one of the Kumlien's showing the brown wash in the primaries and the obvious dark tail band.
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| Kumlien's Gull, Larus glaucoides kumlieni |
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| Glaucous Gull, Larus hyperboreus |
Our second outing was to make the journey up to Warnham, which is always a lovely place to visit, but this time with the added incentive of a Mealy (or Common, whichever you prefer) Redpoll up for grabs. We spent 20 minutes watching the Redpolls, Siskins, Long-tailed Tits and others busy on the feeders before the star bird arrived for a brief showing. I managed a shot showing the two pure white wing bars, overall greyish tones and the contrasting dark ear covert spot, all key ID features. Also on the reserve was a Raven, many Grey Herons busy nest building and a nice pair of Great Crested Grebes.
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| Siskin, Carduelis spinus |
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| Long-tailed Tit, Aegithalos caudatus |
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| Lesser Redpoll, Carduelis flammea cabaret |
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| Mealy Redpoll, Carduelis flammea flammea |
