I popped into Tongwell to have a look around the lake this afternoon.
There was a definite increase in duck numbers with quite a few Tufteds, twenty or so Gadwall and 3 Shoveler mixed in with the regular Mallards.
A Kingfisher sat on the edge of the dam and a Grey Wagtail paddled in the adjacent stream, but the star of the show today was a Black-headed Gull. A group of these stood on the dam wall and I noticed one was bearing a metal ring.
My usual trick is to take a few photos of the bird and to blow up the pictures on the computer to see if I can read what it says.
This bird though seemed to know what I was up to and although it allowed me to approach relatively close, the minute I lifted the camera it retracted it's leg into it's feathers and stood there on one leg.
This standoff carried on for five minutes or so until the leg came back down, but for only for a couple of seconds, when the bird decided to sit down !
Another five minutes and then it moved, but this time on to the water in front of me !
I did get some photos eventually, but then someone over the far side arrived with some bread and the flock headed off.
Looking at the photos I have concluded that the bird was not ringed in this country, but where I'm not sure as I only have part of the inscription
PITFE
THEM
3582
Shame as would have loved to have known where this little chap came from. He was a real character.
There was a definite increase in duck numbers with quite a few Tufteds, twenty or so Gadwall and 3 Shoveler mixed in with the regular Mallards.
A Kingfisher sat on the edge of the dam and a Grey Wagtail paddled in the adjacent stream, but the star of the show today was a Black-headed Gull. A group of these stood on the dam wall and I noticed one was bearing a metal ring.
My usual trick is to take a few photos of the bird and to blow up the pictures on the computer to see if I can read what it says.
This bird though seemed to know what I was up to and although it allowed me to approach relatively close, the minute I lifted the camera it retracted it's leg into it's feathers and stood there on one leg.
This standoff carried on for five minutes or so until the leg came back down, but for only for a couple of seconds, when the bird decided to sit down !
Another five minutes and then it moved, but this time on to the water in front of me !
I did get some photos eventually, but then someone over the far side arrived with some bread and the flock headed off.
Looking at the photos I have concluded that the bird was not ringed in this country, but where I'm not sure as I only have part of the inscription
PITFE
THEM
3582
Shame as would have loved to have known where this little chap came from. He was a real character.
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