Cold, damp, dull and misty. Delightful. Mind you, today is the shortest day - from tomorrow each day will be a little longer. Phil coaxed me up to Kilmington this afternoon to look at
Chiffchaffs. There were 15 or so at the treatment works, and 2 looked good candidates for
tristis-type individuals - noticeably paler than collybita, without any green or yellow tones, etc. They weren't close enough to be analysed in great depth, or to hear them call, and - as it seems
tristis is pretty much unprovable anyway - I find myself relegating them to 'mildly interesting but not worth too much biro ink'. Shame. I'm so lazy....
Anyway, I was eager to be off to see the patch biggy that Phil had turned up earlier at Lower Bruckland Ponds - another
Tufty (it's been a great year)! A drake this time, and very obliging. Out came the camera.
The estuary next - the 2
Whitefronts just about visible on Colyford Marsh through the murk, but no
Golden Plover today. Lots of
gulls on the river. Lots! Phil had a 2nd-winter
Med which avoided me, but I still managed 3 adults, including (presumably 'the') almost unmarked one, which allowed me to take just one photo. Better still was a sub-adult (4th-winter type)
Yellow-legged Gull.
I've just been informed (by London Station) that 82
Barnacle Geese, plus (at the very least) 12
tundra Beans have invaded Rainham Marshes today, suggesting it's a little nippy on the Continent. I hope we are all about to get
Scaup and
Smew back on Phil!!
Pics:
1. Gorgeous beast. As can be seen from the
full tuft this individual is unsullied by genes that may have leaked from a
Scaup,
Ring-necked Duck,
Ferruginous Duck or any other sundry
aythya dross. It is PURE
Tufty, through-and-through!
2. Sinead the
Med Gull....
