Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Three humbugs: an update


OK, it wasn't so very long ago I posted this photo of three young Great Crested Grebes just offshore from the Watersports car-park at Ferry Meadows, CP, Peterborough. Well, the three are still around, though much larger and still being fed by their parents. What I hadn't realised when I took this shot was that the bird on the left is much paler than the other two. Now they are larger, the bird's pallidity is obvious in the field, and it clearly is a bit leucistic, or has some form or schizochroism which has made it sepia-toned rather than black and white. Last Friday, I noticed that this pale individual was not being fed by its parent nearby, who was feeding one its begging, normally coloured siblings. Indeed, it was even being rather viciously pecked as it approached its parent. I feared for its survival. However, it is Wednesday, today, and it seems to be thriving and growing, along with the other two. So, perhaps the apparent persecution was a temporary blip, and the little pale grebe will make it. It would be interesting to see what it looks like when fully feathered. I don't remember seeing a Great Crested Grebe with aberrant plumage coloration previously.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Another wee ditty

Zundchorus by Weedons World

Canary on my finger


Canary-shouldered Thorn, new for the garden, last saturday (night of 18th)

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

White-spotted Pinion




This lovely moth is pretty rare (pRDB), but a bit of a speciality of the neighbouring vice county of Huntingdonshire. It was a great addition to my garden list on the saturday of the Birdfair (night of 18th). Also, on saturday morning, I had my first Canary-shoulded Thorn (which was perched on my shoe!) and a fly-over Tree Pipit, new for the garden and only my second PBC record. Not a bad morning.

Wednesday, August 08, 2012