Late August Forays: Xbill Quandary, Snipe Spat, and a Wader Wooosh...

22 August 11: Stock Hill, Somerset.

Good numbers of Common Crossbill around the forest. Small flocks of 5 - 10 birds through a 2 hour walk, and some reasonable, if neck-aching views.

Male Common Crossbill on Spruce. Note bill.

Back at the car-park Crossbills were visiting the stone wall that surrounds it, and flying up into lower branches of Scot's Pines. But also feeding on the cones here. We thought at the time they looked very stocky and thick-billed, with more of a "choop-choop" than a "chip-chip" resonance to their calls.

It was only after examining the downloaded photos next morning, that I realised these birds really did look different. The width of the upper and lower mandibles being roughly equal, as opposed to the thick/thin of the Common Xbills we'd photographed.

3 Views of "The Scot's Pine Xbills." Note thick-set, hefty-billed appearance compared to Common Xbill photo...

Some sketches done after to "flesh-out" the differences in these birds.

Although the photo evidence isn't that good, it does show to an extent the parrot-like bills of these birds. Compared to the others with slimmer beaks.

I have Two-Barred Xbill in the back of my mind  always when visiting Stock Hill (some hopes!), but hadn't expected  to encounter a quandary like this. As it stands I do not have enough evidence to present a case on the merit of these photos. But, still, something niggles at me about these birds. Common Crossbill bills are variable after all, and Parrot Crossbill would be a five star bird in Somerset. But these birds were odd, and quite different from the other Xbills we'd seen that afternoon. Hefty billed, thick-necked bruisers!

We must return soon, and hopefully get better photos.They appeared quite tame and allowed approach to a few metres. I would really like to solve this little mystery. Maybe they are odd thick-billed stocky CCs. But I would like to be sure...
Also in the forest a good crop of this year's Goldcrests, Coal Tits, Siskins, and a few Chiffchaff. Speckled Woods abounded and a few Gatekeepers were seen. The Silver-Washed Fritillaries seen earlier in the month were now gone. A doe Roe Deer was the only Mammal.

Doe Roe. ;)

Rose-Bay Willow Herb around car-park.

Chew Valley Lake. 23 Aug 11.

Heron's Green Bay: A smart juvenile Spotted Redshank in the toe of the bay.

Digi-Scope Spot Red

Heron's Green Pool: Of note 6 Green Sands, 7 Yellow Wags over going South, and a delightful spat between a Water Rail and our first Common Snipe of the Autumn.(Owing to its longer bill, and some flashy side-on tail fan-work the Snipe won!)

Fight!

Herriot's Bridge: 3 Blackwit, 2 Green Sand and a juv Wood Sand on the mud at the back of the pool. 2 Water Rail in the channel to main lake.

Juv Wood Sand (distant!)

A Reed Pig

Slimbridge WWT. 24 Aug 11.

Hogarth Hide: 200+ Blackwits, 2 Greenshank, 3 juvenile Ruff (male and 2 females.)

Juvenile Ruff

Kingfisher Hide: Pair of Dabchick on nest. 2 stripey hatchlings and an egg still being incubated. During a heavy rainstorm one of the birds switched from fishing duties, and spent a long time building up the level of the nest, by collecting weed. A safety measure against the potential threat of rising water levels due to the rain.

Little Grebes at Home

Rushy Pen: 2 Blackwit, 1 Green Sand and 4 Little-Ringed Plover.