Sunday, February 07, 2010

Brookfoot/Ski Lake


Thans all for ID on duck and today at 1400 no problem as she was alongside a male, also on the lake were 10 Tufted, 1 Pochard, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 5 Goosander, 3 Grey Herons,c120 B/H/Gulls. 8 Common Gulls, 8 Mallard, 4 Coot and 11 Cormorant of which 2 were of the sinensis race thanks to martynbirder but too many people around now that the towpath has been tarmacadamed.photo of garden visitor last thursday morning.

3 comments:

David Sutcliffe said...

That's a great photo Mike.

martynbirder said...

A little care is needed to I.D. Cormorants of the race "sinensis". Whilst I have no doubts that the one in the previous photo was one, because of the sheer amount of grey on the head, some old summer plumaged birds of the nominate race "carbo" can show quiet a bit of grey on the head (like us really, although I have never seen a bald one!).I'm not sure what old is but Cormaorants can live up to 20 years. Unfortunatley the amount of grey is not covered very well in books and the illustration in the Collins Bird Guide of the adult summer is almost certainly of a "sinensis" race. Having seen quite a few of these grey headed types over the years my own theory is that if they have grey speckling they are probably "carbo" but obvious grey they are probably "sinensis"

Mike Stead said...

Super photo, Mike - I reckon it's the one that's not been seen in my garden for a few months !
Good sightings of Treecreepers up this way: one or two regularly at Coach Road and two together near Priestley Green this morning.