I popped out to Penny mid-morning today whilst the rest of the family were out playing badminton in Bolton. The highlight of the trip was seeing my first
Nuthatch close up, but I also enjoyed seeing a group of six
Snipe, a
Grey Heron which flew right over me and some female
Goosander which had returned after breeding. Here's a summary of today's sightings in the order I visited the hides:
Bunting Hide
 |
| Nuthatch at Bunting Hide Feeding Station |
- Nuthatch
- Chaffinch
- Greenfinch
- Bullfinch
- Robin
- Magpie
- Moorhen
- Mallard
- Willow Tit
- Great Tit
- Blue Tit
 |
| Puffed up Blue Tit at Bunting Hide Feeding Station |
Teal Hide
 |
| Two female Goosander and a male Shoveller at Teal Hide |
- Goosander
- Shoveller
- Tufted Duck
- Lapwing
- Coot
- Gadwall
 |
| Male Gadwall at Teal Hide |
Ramsdale's Hide
 |
| Juvenile Black Necked Grebe |
- Juvenile Black Necked Grebe (thanks to Rob Thorpe)
- Gadwall
- Coot
- Moorhen
- Mallard
- Mute Swan and juveniles
 |
| Juvenile Mute Swan at Ramsdale's Hide |
Horrocks Hide
 |
| Six Snipe in front of four Canada Geese |
- Common Snipe
- Teal
- Cormorant
- Lapwing
- Great Crested Grebe
- Canada Goose
- Various Gulls
- Grey Heron
 |
| Grey Heron Flying over Horrocks Hide |
There was nothing much to see at Pengy's, Lapwing and Tom Edmonson's Hide whilst I was there today. I'm sure there were other birds around, but none that I could identify on my own.
Thanks to Rob Thorpe who identified the Black-Necked Grebe for me. Here's his reply ....
ReplyDeleteThe photo in your link is 100% certainly the juvenile Black-necked Grebe that's been hanging around for a while. Little grebes don't have the white on the face, throat and neck, they're more of a buff almost yellowish colour.
Also check the headshape and the contrast between the black "cap" and the pale cheeks, these are the best way of separating black-necked from little grebes.
You might also want to look at juvenile and winter plumage slavonian grebes, they can be difficult to separate from black-necked, but should show a smaller black "cap" and a different head shape.