Tuesday, September 21, 2004

Throat to throat action

Once more, I was lured down to Coney Meadows, the scrubby, 'wild' area at Ferry Meadows Country Park, Peterborough, on Sunday morning (20.9.04). Ostensibly to hunt for an elusive Tree Pipit, I ended up watching a Lesser Whitethroat happily feeding in a rose bush (seemingly on the hips or on insects on them), before a Whitethroat came along and bullied the poor fellow off. So, I never did get to photograph the Lesser's tail... And the Tree Pipit was nowhere to be seen or heard, either.

Lesser Whitethroat, Ferry Meadows, 20.9.04. Note the compact shape; dark bill; darker ear coverts; broken white eye-ring; grey iris; grey-brown plumage; dull brown/grey wings; and dark grey legs.


Whitethroat, same bush as above, Ferry Meadows, 20.9.04. Note longer-tailed elongate shape; pale-based bill; brown head; bold white eye-ring; warmer-brown plumage; 'rufous' wings with dark tertial centres; reddish iris; and buff-pink legs.

No comments: