Spots and Dots

I remember the first time I saw a Snowy Owl. It was in the middle of a large dark windswept Lincolnshire field. The bird appeared in Norfolk towards the end of it’s stay. I saw it then too. I’ve also seen a couple more since but they are one of those enigmatic birds you just have to see. So when one turned up at Titchwell last weekend I just felt obligated to go and see it.

It was distant. I mean, really distant. A scope pulled out a little more detail, but it was still a long way away. A dot on the horizon. However, it was still good to see.

With so many other focusing in on the owl it was a shame the nearby Spotted Redshank got such little attention. Even the flyby Peregrine got short thrift from the assembled masses. All in all the day was a collection of spots and dots.

 

Spotted, but not Spotted

One wader that seems to set more problems for my customers than any others is the winter plumage Spotted Redshank.

In summer plumage when the bird is as black as coal from bill tip to toe nail … no problem. It;s when it enters the cold grey plumage of winter it takes on the guise of its commoner cousin. A half decent flight view will sort Common Redshank from Spotted; the lack of white on the trailing edge of the wings is obvious. On the deck the dark eyestripe and white supercilium which appears to extend the length of the thin drooping bill being the most obvious. The whiter belly and grey plumage are also good pointers to it being spotted. This one was photographed at Kelling the other day.