Bird Log

Blackbird, common

The oldest blackbird recorded by Euring was aged 21 years and 10 months.
Ringed birds' ages are counted from when they were first caught. So, unless it was ringed when it hatched, the bird is actually even older!
The average lifespan is 3 years.

Buzzard, common

Wildlife photography is my passion. This beautiful species was nearly persecuted to regional extinction in the 1900s. It's now the UK's commonest raptor!

Coot, Eurasian

First thought this was a moorhen. Coots have white beaks and black feathers.
Moorhens have red beaks and white under-tails.

Cormorant, great

There's a long history of their training in various countries for use in fishing!

Crow, carrion

This was a charming bird. Stood on his fencepost and took off every time someone walked past. He'd use the wind to hover in place two metres up and land once they left.

Dove, collared

Naturalised to the UK, like a lot of resident wildlife here. But it wasn't introduced - its range spread from Europe and Asia to Norfolk in 1955 and it is now found across the UK.

These two are friends. [:

Duck, tufted

Charming black-and-white birds with crested heads and yellow eyes.

I saw goldeneyes the same day but I didn't realise until later they were different species. Unlike tufted ducks, goldeneyes have white spots on their cheeks.

Dunnock

The dunnock has a grey head and chest, a brown back, and pink legs. It seems to act quite shy. It has a very high pitched voice, like a wren without its rattle.

Goose, greylag

Ancestor of most domestic goose breeds. Except for the African and Chinese geese, which descend from the swan goose.

Grebe, great crested

I saw three on the same day. Very exciting! Beautiful birds.

Gull, black headed

A flock of them was skimming over the water. Catching insects, maybe!

One of my favourite birds. I love their winter plumage. They lose the dark heads except for a spot on their cheek.

Gull, herring

This juvenile lived on the roof of my workplace for a summer! We had another pair the year after.

Gull, lesser black backed

Distinguished from the herring gull by its larger size and yellow legs. And from the yellow legged gull by its darker back.

Heron, grey

They can have a 6ft wingspan, but weigh less than 2kg!

Jackdaw

Small corvids. Dark grey bodies and black heads with blue eyes.

Jay, Eurasian

So excited to finally get a picture... they're known for eating acorns and other tree nuts, but also eat bugs, and other birds' eggs and young!

Kestrel, common

Chased after this poor beast on my bicycle to get a picture. Kestrels 'wind-hover' by flying into the wind at its same speed. Buzzards and other birds do this to look for prey too, but aren't nearly as good at keeping their head so still.

Some people think kestrels can hover without wind. In 1884 Richard Jeffries thought this could be the secret to 'the construction of an aerial machine'.

Kite, red

These birds were persecuted to extinction in Scotland and England in the 1870s. Britain is now home to ~1800 pairs! The Welsh population still descends from a single female.

Magpie, Eurasian

Caught this one taking off. "One for sorrow, two for joy..."

Mallard

Ancestor of most domestic duck breeds. Except for muscovies: those come from the Americas.

Martin, house

Got on the wrong train and met these beasts at the next station!

Moorhen

So stoked to get a picture of this moorhen so close. And then from the bank its little furball of a chick appeared!

Pigeon, feral

Always loved these guys. The rock dove, the feral pigeon's ancestor, was domesticated over 6000 years ago in the Middle East.

Redshank, common

Please take my word for it

Robin, European

Size Of One Molecule

Rook

A rook has a bare, whitish face and beak. It has a lower 'caw' than a crow and its head is pointier upwards.

Swan, mute

Non-mated juveniles can form flocks of hundreds of birds!

Tern, common

Beautiful sleek birds that nest coastally and inland during the summer in the UK. They have a nice whirring sort of call.

Tit, great

Managed to capture the exact moment the bird took off.

A darker head than a bluetit, with an unbroken black stripe down the chest. They have a recognisable 'see-saw see-saw' call.

Treecreeper

I was lucky enough to get a picture of the first treecreeper I ever saw, but I couldn't get one of its partner. I've heard its call often but never knew who it was. Nice to put a name to a voice!

Turnstone

Turnstones visit the UK from Europe, Greenland and Canada. They are about the size of a mango.

This is their winter plumage! In summer their backs are lighter brown and barred.

Wagtail, grey

Struggled so hard getting a picture of her (a female due to the partly white belly). Formerly red-listed, but their population is increasing!

Wagtail, white

There are 9+ subspecies. This is a 'pied' wagtail. I watched it try to break into a car for 5 minutes.

Wigeon

Took this photo through a binocular lens to get a good zoom. Beautiful ducks. The males have dark red-brown heads with pale foreheads.

Woodpecker, green

I saw a green woodpecker! Special picture-less entry for this because I was so excited.

Woodpigeon

This beast sat and watched me play Hades through the window.