Wednesday 13 March 2024

Venus Pool - Curlew

I missed a Dunlin by minutes this morning but the consolation prize was a Curlew! These are occasional birds of late and this one was showing well despite the dire light...


Showing well!


Until spooked...


It stayed for about 30 mins when this unwelcoming Canada got nasty...



It meant goodbye!

Wednesday 6 March 2024

Venus Pool - Great White Egret

I've had several long distance records of Great White Egret since the New Year but none produced any decent images. That was about to change...

The Venus Pool 'regular' had slipped out of the far reed bed and took me by surprise, flying down the middle of the pool!




After flying further away...




A Heron (out of view) had scrambled to steer the Egret off the reserve giving rise to an acrobatic dogfight and 'different' images!




As for the Egret - he will be back....

Venus Pool - Barnacle Goose

An un-ringed Barnacle Goose today at Venus Pool, a smart Goose whatever it's origin...

Distant at first, it paddled over the pool to the shingle island...






Waded into the shallows...


And always good to get a wingflap!





Tuesday 5 March 2024

Venus Pool - Redshank

My second Redshank of the year and a much closer bird than the distant Wood Lane one. Here it comes...





Letting sleeping Shoveler lie...


Best foot forward...


Happy on land!


Or deeper water...


Making the most of good light with the last two!



More waders are due hopefully?

Wednesday 28 February 2024

Venus Pool - Aberrant Teal take 2

I was hoping for better images of the mysterious aberrant 'Teal' after a no show the previous day. My luck was certainly in with the Teal showing really well early afternoon... 

A touch Leucistic on the breast (that was the first assumption)! The overall 'brown wash' to most of the underparts is the most dramatic aberration.





I had assumed it was simply a Eurasian Teal with an aberrant colour suite? 








I love this image of the aberrant duck with a normal Eurasian Teal taken at full throttle. They also indicate the differences point to a hybrid Teal. The burning question is which species?


I'm indebted to the birder behind @BirdHybrids for all his help for finally putting the mystery to rest. 

He asked another hybrid expert Jorn Lehmhus for advice... This is a 'sarcelle a bavette' literally translated as 'Teal with a bib'. A breed that started with crossing male Eurasian, Green-winged or Yellow-billed Teal with female black Call ducks - the offspring seemingly then crossed among themselves!

Many of these crosses have little evidence of of Teal ancestry but here is an example of domestic Mallard crossed with Teal...

If this duck was crossed again with a Teal, he considers you would end up with a duck very similar to the Venus Pool bird!

Huge thanks to Jorn Lehmhus, @BirdHybrids and @ed_keeble who also contributed to solving the puzzle...

Monday 26 February 2024

Venus Pool - Aberrant or hybrid Teal

The days merge into one with the same species at Venus Pool...  time to look a bit closer and I suspect this Teal has been overlooked? Question is What is it? An aberrant plumage form of Eurasian or a hybrid??

I picked it out fairly close and it doesn't look like an aberrant Eurasian Teal - colour scheme completely wrong?!


White breast, brown flanks and grey upper parts...


It does appear to be larger in this image but is it? No buff at the rear...




It was certainly up for some courtship, even if males were included!


In this comparison, seems to be no difference in size?

Answers on a postcard please and hopefully someone looking in can suggest what's going on?


Monday 19 February 2024

Venus Pool - Red Kites

There were two Red Kites quartering the arable field as I arrived early afternoon. A tractor topping the now redundant crop had clearly caught their attention! Hmm the pool could wait...

Here's a few close encounters...











Plus a couple of very close passes!!!




Utterly fearless...