Saturday 2 March 2013

2nd March 2013 Birling NE2 Overcast 7.45am - 8.45am

Red-throated Diver 10E, 3W
Gannet 14E
Scoter 2E
Razorbill 60E
Auk sp. 30E, 12W
Lesser Black-backed Gull 11 on beach
Bar-tailed Godwit 1E
Curlew 1E
Stonechat 2
Rock Pipit 5
Song Thrush 4






Rock Pipit at Birling
In winter plumage Rock Pipits are not assignable to form. Whilst effectively appearing as you would expect an A.p. petrosus, as A.p. petrosus hardly undergoes any spring moult (Vans Duivendijk 2010), it is interesting to speculate whether the disruption to this individual's breast feathering could be indicative of it being an A.p. littoralis only just commencing its moult into summer plumage... hopefully it will linger a while yet...


Lesser Black-backed Gulls at Birling
A typical early Spring passage migrant