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clutch of mallard ducklings huddle on a stone by the Coalport Canal, while their mother
stands guard. Note the blue "speculum" (wing patch) which is characteristic of
hen mallards. |
Two views of a collared dove, a close
relative of the pigeon. Now fairly common in the UK the collared
dove was unknown here until 1952. I watched this one for an hour or
so collecting nesting material on a hot August day (a strange time
of year to be nesting, I thought). |
Barnacle Geese breed in the far north
(Coasts of Scandinavia and parts of Russia) and travel south for the
winter, mostly to Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands. This one
(and its fellows) were photographed in Surrey in August where,
presumably, they were captive. |
| Mike
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Canada Geese are common visitors to our
parks and wetlands. They were first introduced into Britain in
1665 as an addition to the royal collection in St.James' Park,
London. In 1991 there were around 65000 in the UK. In many places
they are considered a nuisance. |
The rock dove is more usually called a
pigeon. They are common in areas where humans live but their native
habitat is on cliffs. |
This male chaffinch was waiting for his
turn at the bird feeder. |
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The blackbird is a member of the thrush
family. This male with his characteristic yellow bill was collecting
worms and other minibeasts to feed his chicks. Both parents care for
the chicks. |
The Corvidae (crow family) are reckoned
to be among the most intelligent of birds. The family also
includes jackdaws, ravens, magpies and rooks. |
Hooded crows fill the same ecological
niche in much of mainland Europe as the familiar British crow. This
one (or was it two?) was in Riga, Latvia. |
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Mike Freedman |
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The jackdaw is the smallest of the crow family. It is easily
recognisable by its grey nape and it s higher pitched cry of "Jack!
Jack!" |
The magpie is another corvid. Magpies
are predators and, among other things, they eat chicks of smaller
birds such as blackbirds. |
Three views of green finches. The green
one is a male, the brown one the female. Many bird species have
colourful males and dull coloured females. The dull colouring makes
them less conspicuous to predators when they are sitting on a nest
of eggs or chicks. |
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Mike Freedman |
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Moorhens are a common sight on ponds and
other still waters. This one had built its nest on a section of
canal in Shropshire. |
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