RW, 3rd December

Some extremely confiding Redwings

Female Blackbird

Hawfinch in sunlight

Hawfinch, RW

A confiding female feeding on maple key's and hawthorn berries. The light was past it's best by the time she came low.

Mouth like a food blender

The best way to locate it was to listen for cracking seeds.

Watching a passing Sparrowhawk

A few recent gulls and things, Rutland Water

Two adult Caspians and adult Glaucous Gull

Between 15-20 Caspian Gulls have visited in recent weeks. Some have been one nighters whilst others are virtually resident. It can be difficult keeping up with the number of adults as some are very alike.

Rock Pipit, presumably littoralis, Lagoon 4. In the afternoon sunlight it appeared quite brown with pale underparts, pale supercilium and whitish outer tail. Whilst feeding in shade it seemed darker and more like a British Rock. 

Whitish outer tail (not a trick of the light)

The regular adult male Peregrine

I found five Water Pipits during a very wet afternoon. I spent four hours the following morning studying them in the sun although they were extremely hard to approach 

I managed to draw three of them and as usual was amazed how their colours and markings changed with the light.

Adult Caspian Gull

The atlantis Yellow-legged Gull from mid October showing wing pattern and hood in failing light