I was out at Killard NR again and the tide was very high and there were Redshank, Greenshank, Turnstones, Purple Sandpipers and Ringed Plover feeding on the tiny flies that were on the rotting seaweed. I was lying there waiting for the waders to get closer when a Peregrine flew along the shore and all the waders flew off and I got this Greenshank as it flew by.
As well as the waders there were quite a number of Meadow and Rock Pipits on the seaweed as well.
I also got this Pied Wagtail having a stretch.It was surprisingly confiding.
2 comments:
Great shots!
Thanks for the Rock Pipit and Meadow Pipit photos.
We were trying to decide last night whether a bird was a R or M pipit, I thought it was a M pipit and from these pics I think I was right. The bird we were looking at didn't have the dark legs the R pipit had. Great shot of the wagtail.
I asked Eric last night why he thought the wagtails, pipits pumped their tails - he said his theory was that they're usually near water, water moves, the vegetation moves so the birds have learnt not to be 'still' so they don't stand out to predators.
But then when it came to chifchafs and willow warblers pumping their tails, he wasn't sure - maybe some trait passed on from much older birds they're related to.
Any thoughts on this?
I didn't get a chance to ask him about the Barn Owl - but I will.
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