Sunday 31 March 2019

Osprey


Redwing - one of two late birds that were heavily streaked below - candidates for Icelandic race?
 
Today's best bird was my first Osprey of the year. I was sat in the back garden, enjoying a cuppa with mum, dad and Lu, when it powered upriver leaving a trail of Oystercatchers and gulls in its wake. It flew through at 1620.
A dawn visit to Orcombe was followed up with a brief afternoon 'whiz round' which produced just a handful of sightings - c20/30+ Linnet, 1+ Blackcap, 1+ Bullfinch, 4+ Chiffchaff, 2 or 3 Willow Warblers, 2 Wheatear, 2+ Meadow Pipit, 1 Curlew, 2 Redwing and my first Swallow of the year.
On the 29th - 1 Snipe and 1 Goldcrest seen on a late afternoon visit to Orcombe with 1 Pale-bellied Brent Goose and 6 Dark-bellied Brent Geese off the Imperial.


A notable increase in Linnet numbers today.


This male Blackcap is singing on territory on Orcombe.





Always good to see the first Willow Warblers arriving on Orcombe - difficult to photograph though as they kept their heads down in the cold conditions.


Note the heavily-marked underparts with 'tear-drop' streaking extending down the flanks and strongly-marked under-tail coverts. 

 


 This last shot is of the second bird - another fairly swarthy individual.

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