Snow Bunting at Kinmel Bay

The Snow Bunting only moults once per year in the autumn, into the winter non-breeding plumage, and then the change to breeding plumage occurs simply by the wearing away of the winter plumage. 

Great Northern Diver in Chatham Docks

Easily spotted in the end, this bird showed a number of confirmatory characteristics.

There was a dark half collar at the base of the neck although this was variably obvious according to the bird's activity and its angle to the viewer. The flattened head, almost concave is visible here. The bill was held horizontal and was ivory-coloured except a narrow dark triangle along the top ridge of the upper section, referred to as the culmen.

Note the lack of a clear white flash on the flank, as would be expected in a juvenile Black-throated Diver.

In the next photograph, you can see the half collar again.

In the next photograph the markings on the back are nice and clear, possibly indicating the white fringed feathers of a juvenile bird. 

The bird was quite active and had regular periods of "splashing about" sometimes apparently with the legs, but with the wings also more or less ruffled. Incidentally, here the head outline looks quite concave.

At other times it is clearly the wings themselves being used to disturb the water surface.

After one of these episodes, the diver dropped its head below the surface, perhaps snorkelling, and then did an upright "flapping" display. Divers and Cormorants do this, Grebes never do:

Here is the same bird doing the same again!

The wing tips often "stuck up" in this bird.

Leybourne with Nain

A nice view of one of the two Common Gulls, Larus canus, at the North end of The Ocean, one chasing the second off its buoy. A nice view of the under-wing pattern, with a big white mirror at the tip, and a broad white trailing edge to the wing. The bill might have been yellow-greenish and had the dark sub-terminal band common to most individuals, and the legs looked somewhat yellowish. The eye was dark as always, and the head suitably streaked for winter.

Cliffe

About 2,000 Dunlin, 1,500 Lapwing, say 1,000 Golden Plover, 10 Grey Plover, 8 Redshank, 1 Heron, 2 male and 2 female Goldeneye, several dozen Mallard, only 4 Pintail seen, 1,000 plus Pochard, 200 Tufted Duck, Shoveller, Wigeon, only a couple of Teal at most, Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Coot, Wren, 3 Magpies, 1 female Marsh Harrier. Inland, a dozen Fieldfares, and a Songthrush and Robin in song.

The tide was too high for any birds on the river, but the hopper dredger Charlemagne, of Luxembourg registration, was emptying gravel into the bulk hopper at the start of the dragline taking the gravel and then dumping it onto a pile inland, and then Ocean Promise, London, took the first of the ebb tide downstream.

A gorgeous quiet day, with hazel catkins all along the A228.

Cliffe initially sunny

Not good photography today, although the sun was good initially. A lovely peaceful and beautiful day. Good views of at least one male and probably two female Marsh Harriers.

Good numbers of Coot, both Grebes, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Wigeon, Teal, Shoveller, Mallard, together with some Moorhen, Pintail and two male and three female Goldeneye. Huge flocks of Lapwings, one Grey Heron, two little Egrets, half a dozen Redshank, one or two Greenshank. Black-headed and Herring Gulls. One bird appeared in distant photographs that must have been an owl,

Teal and a score of Redshank in the mouth of the river channel.

A blustery Leybourne

A walk around the West side of the Ocean, and then on either arm of the Railway Lake. Most of the same birds as yesterday, with a few different shots.

And a shot in flight of a first winter bird. The two outer tail feathers are the last to moult so maybe haven't developed their black tips properly yet??

There was a beautiful Moorhen just by the bridge:

Leybourne with the camera today

As there was reasonable weather today I took the camera back to Leybourne, and very much enjoyed the birds through the lens.

The Black-headed Gulls, Chroicocephalus ridibundus, took starring roles of course, and here is an adult on one of the buoys by the feeding area, so well camouflaged against the background of the waves.

and another with better developed "headphones".

I tried to get some "in flight" shots, but most were very blurry, and I think the combination of poor light and limited ISO of 2000 meant the shutter speed was just too slow for the movement. 

Here is an adult in flight with coverts or perhaps scapulars(?) stalling: 

This photo is in because this appears to be an adult plumaged bird but with a rather light orange beak - compare with the other adults above, so perhaps a 2cy December bird. It also shows the white extreme tips to P 4 - 7.

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