Black-headed Gull

Chroicocephalus ridibundus

Appearance:

Small gull

Red bill and legs

Pale gray back
White underparts

White edge along forewing

Black wing tips

 Breeding: (above)

      Dark brown head
Non-breeding: (to right)

     White head

     Dark spot behind eyes

Listen to its call.  

Non-breeding plumage - in flight

These gulls are a common sight in England.  I often see them flying overhead and hanging out in the parks in London.  

Learn more about the Black-headed Gull.

Rook

Corvus frugilegus

Appearance
Large black bird
Large grey-black bill, with bare grey-white skin around base
  
Listen to its call. 

I saw a large number of these birds in the fields along the river trail between Ware and Hertford. I determined they were Rooks for the following reasons: 1) "untidy" leg feathers, 2) bare grey-white skin at base of bill, and 3) Rooks are sociable birds while Carrion crows are usually found alone or in pairs.

Learn more about the Rook.

Jackdaw

Corvus monedula

Appearance
Small black crow
Silvery sheen to back of head
Pale grey (almost white) eye

Listen to its call.

While walking along the Lea River from Ware to Hertford in Hertfordshire, I saw this bird in a nearby field along with a substantial number of larger crows. The pale eye as well as the size distinguished this bird from the others. It wasn't until I reviewed the pictures later that I noticed the grey nape and shoulders.

Learn more about the Jackdaw.

Shoveler

Anas clypeata

Appearance:
Dabbler duck

Large, spoon-shaped bill

Male:               

    Green head
    White chest
    Rusty sides

    Black bill

Female :(pictured)

     Mottled brown

     Gray and orange bill

Listen to its call.

I love these ducks. They are so odd looking with their huge bill.  I saw this one in Regent's Park last week.  There was only the one though; no male in sight.

Stretching after bathing

Comb-like projections on bill used to strain food from the water.  

Learn more about the Shoveler.

Pied Wagtail

Motacilla alba yarrelli

Appearance 
Slender bird
Long tail
Black above (very dark grey in female) and white below
White face
Black cap, throat and breast
White outer tail feathers and wing bars
Winter (above)
      Plumage is greyer
      Less black on the breast
      Grey flank
Juveniles (below)
     Often tinged with yellow

I struggled trying to identify these birds which I saw this afternoon on the lovely grounds of The Vyne outside of Baskingstoke in Hampshire.  The yellow face on the one was throwing me off completely. After hours of deliberating,  I finally found a forum on the RSPB website that confirmed its identity (thankfully).

Learn more about the Pied Wagtail. 

Starling

Sturnis vulgaris

Appearance:
Medium-sized passerine bird
Short tail
Pinkish legs  
Summer
       Iridescent black plumage
       Yellow bill  
Winter (pictured)
       Brown-black plumage speckled with white
       Black bill

 Listen to its call.

A pair of these birds were trying to have a little bath in the boating lake in Regent's Park this afternoon. Unfortunately, their efforts kept being thwarted by a Mute Swan trying  to bite them. The Starlings weren't too upset by this though, as they continued to run back and forth to the water between nips.  

Learn more about the Starling.

Great Crested Grebe

Podiceps cristatus

Appearance:
Medium to large aquatic bird
Largest member of the grebe family
Long neck and head
Long bill 
White face with a black line from the base of the bill to the eye
Red eye
Dark olive-green feet
Breeding plumage:
    Chestnut feathers on side of head
    Black crown and head crest
    Dark brown wings
    White underparts
    White patches on wings
Non-breeding plumage:
    No crest or tippets
    Dark crown bordered by a white face 
    White extends down the foreneck and chest
Juvenile:
     Striped black and white head and neck

I took these photos in September 2014 on one of our visits to London.  I believe they were taken in Regent's Park, as that is my regular stomping ground.  

Learn more about the Great Crest Grebe. 

Smew

Mergus albellus

Appearance:
Small, compact diving duck
Short, hook-tipped, serrated bill
White wing patches
Male:
   White with black mask
    Black markings on back and breast
    White crest lined with black
    Pale-gray flanks and belly   

male

Female & Juveniles: 
   Grey with reddish-brown head
   White cheeks

female

I saw this pair at the London Wetlands in early April.  Despite being rather petite, they stood out as a result of the male's dazzling breeding plumage.  Magnificient!

Learn more about the Smew. 

Pochard

Aythya ferina

Male

Female

Appearance:
Medium-sized diving duck
Triangular head shape
Male:
   Long, dark bill with grey band
   Reddish-brown head and neck
   Black breast and tail
   Grey body
   Dark bill with pale grey saddle
   Red eyes
Female:
   Brown head and body
   Dark bill with narrow grey band

I photographed this handsome couplr in Regent's Park along with a Red-crested Pochard (photo below).  The Common Pochard breeds here and is considered a wild bird as it does not derive from captive stock.  However, although the Red-crested Pochard also breeds in the park, it cannot be counted as a wild bird at this location.

Red-crested Pochard

Learn more about the Common Pochard. 
  

Ring-necked Parakeet

Psittacula krameri

Appearance:
Large parrot
Long tail
Green/yellow plumage
Upper bill dark red tipped with black
Lower bill black with dark red at base
Yellow eye
Male: (photographed)
    Black chin
    Wide black stripe across lower cheeks
    Pink collar
    Nape of neck washed with blue

Female:
     No head markings
     Faint yellow/green collar
     Shorter tail


It always strikes me as odd to see these birds in London, as parrots are found mostly in tropical climates.  Apparently, the feral population in Britain is a result of escaped or deliberately released pets over the years, dating back to Victorian times.  

 Learn more about the Ring-necked Parakeet. 

Egyptian Goose

Alopochen aegyptiacus

Appearance:
Large waterbird
Reddish-brown to grey-brown upper parts
Buff-coloured underparts
Pale buff head and neck
Reddish-brown patch around eye and at base of bill
Orange eyes
Pink bill with black tip, nostrils and edges
Reddish-brown collar 
Brown chest patch
White wing patch
Black tail
Cinnamon-coloured undertail coverts
Pink legs and feet
Male:
     Green secondaries

Although called the Egyptian Goose, this bird isn't really a goose. It is most closely related to the Shelduck, which incidentally isn't a duck at all but a cross between a goose and a duck. Who knew?


Learn more about the Egyptian Goose.

Moorhen

Gallinula chloropus

Appearance:
Medium-sized water bird
Dark plumage with white line along flank
White undertail
Red frontal shield
Red bill with yellow tip
Yellow-green legs and feet
Toes are lobed, not webbed
Red eyes

These birds are common throughout the UK and I have seen them in freshwater marshes, pond and canals. What I hadn't seen before is the awkwardly adorable chick.  Looks like it needs to grow into those feet!  Like the Coot, the Moorhen has long chicken-like toes that help it walk on the top of floating vegetation and the mud.

Learn more about the Moorhen. 

Lapwing

Vanellus vanellus

Appearance:
Pigeon-sized wader
Wispy crest extending upwards from back of head
Iridescent green and purple upperparts
White breast and cheeks
Orange-brown under tail
Pink legs
Summer:
     Black throat
Winter:
     White throat
     Buff-coloured border to the feathers of the upperparts

Yet another eye-catching bird I saw at the Wetlands earlier this week.  Apparently, the name refers to its peculiar, erratic way of flying.  Although referred to simply as Lapwing in the UK, elsewhere it is known as the Northern Lapwing.  It also goes by the name of Green Plover and Peewit.

Learn more about the Lapwing.

Blackbird

Turdus merula
  
Appearance:
Male
    Black plumage
    Yellow-orange bill
    Yellow eye-ring
Female
    Dull brown plumage
    Brownish-white throat
    Mottling on the breast
    Dull yellowish-brown bill

The Blackbird is one of the commonest UK birds. The bird photographed is still showing some brown in the wings. This indicates it is a first year male.

 Learn more about the Common Blackbird.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Dendrocopos major

 
Appearance:
Starling-sized woodpecker
Black crown and nap
White forehead, cheeks and throat
Black back, tail and wings
Large white patch on shoulder
Small white spots on wings
Buff-white upperparts
Red under tail
Black bill
Greenish-grey legs
Male: (photographed)
   Red spot on the nape
Juvenile:
   Red top of the head between the bill and the center of the crown

This is another of the striking birds I saw at the Wetlands yesterday.  Initially, I saw him gripping the bark of a tree and probing the trunk for insects.  Then, he decided to take the easy way out and moved over to the feeder. Lazy thing!

Learn more about the Great Spotted Woodpecker. 

Blue Tit

Cyanistes caeruleus

Appearance:
Bright blue crown
White forehead and cheeks
Dark blue line passing through eyes and encircling the white cheeks to the chin
Blue nape, wings and tail
White bar on wings
Yellowish-green back
Yellow underparts with a dark line down the abdomen
Black bill
Bluish-grey legs

I spent today at the London Wetlands. As their website says, it is an urban oasis and definitely worth a visit. One of the many birds I saw there was this handsome Blue Tit.  It was checking out the interior of a little birdhouse.  I initially thought that it was feeding little ones inside, but apparently it's too early for that.  According to the internet, late May is the time for Blue Tit chicks to hatch.
  

juvenile

Learn more about the Blue Tit.

Goldfinch

Carduelis carduelis

Appearance:
Red chin and forehead
Black lores and crown
White cheeks
Tawny brown upper parts
White belly and rump
Black wings with large yellow band

I saw this bird while wandering around the village of Nettlebed in the Chiltern Hills. She was carrying dried grass in her bill, most likely gathering material for her nest. I say 'she' as it is the female goldfinch that builds the nest.

It is possible to tell the difference between the sexes by their appearance; the red on the male extends behind the eye while on the female it doesn't. Unfortunately, the angle of this photo doesn't provide the view needed to make this determination.

Learn more about the European Goldfinch.

Robin

Erithacus rubecula

Appearance:
Small, plump bird
Adult:
   Orange breast and face edged with grey
   Olive-brown upper parts
   Whitish belly
   Black bill and eyes
Juvenile:
   Speckled buff-brown



The European Robin is one of the cutest birds around. It's no wonder it is a favorite and the unofficial national bird of the UK.  Although I've seen these birds throughout England, I've never been able to get a great picture of one. Luckily, they are prolific breeders so I'm sure I'll get many more chances.

Learn more about the European Robin.

Additional photos:

Tufted Duck

Aythya fuligula

male

female

Appearance:
Medium-sized diving duck
Grey-blue bill
Yellow eye
Male:
   Black with white flanks
   Long, black head tuft (less prominent in non-breeding plumage)
Female:
   Brown with paler flanks
Juvenile:
     Similar in appearance to female
     Colour less vibrant
     Tuft less pronounced

Although similar in appearance to the Scaup, which I am familiar with, the long head tuft on the male made this fellow immediately stand out.  He is just one of the many ducks that frequent the Boating Lake in Regent's Park.

Learn more about the Tufted Duck.

Little Grebe

Tachybaptus ruficollis

Appearance:
Small water bird
Short, pointed black bill
Fluffy, whitish rear end 
Breeding plumage: (above)
   Dark back
   Rufous-coloured cheeks and sides of the neck
   Yellow gap at base of bill
Non-breeding plumage:
   Brownish-grey back
   Pale buff on lower quarters
Juvenile
   Yellow bill with a small black tip
   Black and white streaks on cheeks and sides of the neck

I saw this little fellow while strolling around Regent's Park yesterday.  It was a gorgeous day and everyone, including the waterfowl, were enjoying the sunshine. 

Learning more about the Little Grebe.

Red Kite

Milvus milvus
 
Appearance:
Medium-large bird of prey
Pale grey head
Long forked tail
Rufous body, upper tail and wing coverts
White primary flight feathers
Black wing tips

We spent Easter weekend exploring the beautiful countryside of southern Oxfordshire. We were charmed by everything, from the thatched roof cottages to the friendly locals. Red Kites could be seen soaring above us everywhere we traveled. Definitely the place to go if you're looking for these birds!

Learn more about the Red Kite.