Paxton Eclipse Ducks

Many of the ducks are in eclipse plumage. Ducks moult all their flight feathers at once, and so for a month are unable to fly and are very vulnerable to predators. So the males moult and replace their bright body feathers by duller brown ones, much like the females. They will display this eclipse plumage for a few weeks or months depending on the species of duck, before another second moult occurs when the male will once again grow back his full colours. One way of distinguishing the species is to look for the speculum (coloured patch on wings) so the Teal in first images is showing the green speculum while the Mallard has just a glimpse of the blue speculum. No problem with identifying the Shovellers with their beak and the black-bottomed Gadwall.

RSPB Titchwell Marsh Birds

Here a selection of distant and closer shots at Titchwell - not all in the best direction for the light but gives a flavour of the variety and sheer numbers of geese (Pink-footed and Brent), ducks (Shelduck,Shoveller, Teal and Widgeon) and waders (Golden Plover) there in the winter plus distant view of Marsh Harriers as in the first shot.

 

Paxton Kingfishers etc

I spent an hour at Paxton Pits today after a morning work party and was rewarded with views of at least two Kingfishers - neither of them the same as last weeks which was a female. Lovely light and reflections for the water birds - Coot, Dabchick, Shoveller, GC Grebe, Mallard, Gadwall, Teal, Raven and Heron

Titchwell RSPB Reserve Before the Rain

 Yesterday the RPS Nature Group managed a shortish morning's bird photography before the rain set in which was fine as most people were journeying considerable distances back home. There were very large flocks of Lapwing and Golden Plover settling on the scrapes in beautiful light showing off their colourful but very good camouflage plumage in with Teal, Dunlin, Wigeon etc. Down on the beach there weren't the expected numbers of waders, certainly compared with the huge flocks at Hunstanton, but most of the species were there in small numbers. Here a couple of Bar-Tailed Godwits and an Oystercatcher with mussel. A lone Black-winged Stilt with a ring (?escapee) posed beautifully.