Ok, just for fun and to assist the Ornithologically challenged among us like myself and hopefully to encourage those who think you have to be a serious birder to enjoy birds let's start a quick reference thread for all the birds that have been sighted on the island or on the surrounding rivers, as a rule lets only submit photo's taken on the island, it doesn't matter how good or bad they are, i'll get the ball rolling, please feel free to add your own photo's, and don't forget to add tags so that we can attract more people to our site!!
BOB
The Greylag Goose what a proud looking bird!! Came across it just sitting under the sea wall.
And a Male and Female Mallard in the borrow dyke.
A Male Reed Bunting, it's main recognition feature is the broad white band around the back of the neck.
Red-Breasted Mergansers (Thanks for the info WB) beautiful wintering visitors, a joy to watch as the boys (the colourful ones on the left and right) bob their heads to woo the plainer coloured ladies (centre in this photo).
Growing up, my Mum always claimed to feel bad when a bird would slam head-first into our living room window. If she "really" felt bad, though, she'd have moved the bird feeder outside.
Nice pics BOB! Hope you get some pals from our group to join in soon...
Hilary
I've gone wild on Wallasea!
A very long distance shot but you can clearly identify these as Great Crested Grebe, see those feathered "horns" on the back of the head and that lethal looking needle sharp beak. Just click on the photo for a better look
And here we have the imaginitavely named Black headed Gull.
And of course a Male Corn Bunting, taken yesterday (04/04/11) on a post half way down the road between Grapnells farm and the Marina turning.
And here we have the stunning Yellow Wagtail, it's always a joy to see these colourful Summer visitors back at Wallasea, thanks to Sid for the photo, taken on the 16th of April near the car park.
A Swallow, sits on the telephone cables at Grapnels farm, it's a joy to watch these summer visitors dazzling displays of aerial mastery as they hunt over Wallasea.
A beautiful little Ringed Plover patrols the Wallasea foreshore
This Brent Goose clearly suffered an injury to its left wing over the winter at Wallasea and had to stay behind when the rest of its clan departed, it seems to be feeding well and will no doubt be pleased to see the return of the others in the autumn.
Here we have a rather poor shot of a Sedge Warbler but you can still make out that distictive stripe above the eye.
And here are a pair of Oystercatchers that were hanging around where the old hay stack was.
And finally today a Meadow Pipit, very similar to the Skylark but without the crest of course, in the air you can tell them apart by the way the Meadow Pipit sings as it parachute glides back down to earth whereas the Skylark will stay aloft singing.
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Corn Bunting, making a lot of noise at the car park. Saturday 14/5/11
Colin
I thought I'd just add a couple of photo's as we've all been quiet for a while, nothing spectacular I'm afraid, all rather poor shots but hopefully some of you will follow suit and add some nice shots of birds we haven't covered here yet - Hint hint!!!
This one here I'm thinking is a Kestrel sitting on the bank of the southern borrow dyke , but I didn't have a scope on me and it was tricky to get close to it without spooking it.
Here we have a Heron standing tall against the back drop of the Rape seed crop.
Ha ha, I caught a Redshank asleep!! First time I've managed to get close enough for any sort of shot, even a poor one like this, but it somehow feels like a minor victory, they're not called the sentinels of the Marshes for nothing!!
And here we have a young Cormorant (very young I think) sitting on a sign on the south east corner.
Hi BOB, good to see you've been out with the camera again! Hope the rest of our group will now join in. H
Again, not a great shot due to the range involved - but I had the privilege of watching a couple of young Common Terns being fed by their parents out on the east side of the island on Sunday 31st July, I could have sat watching the skilful parents plunge-diving all day!