For illustrated talks on natural history and history see www.peterlovetttalks.co.uk

For illustrated talks on natural history and history click here for www.peterlovetttalks.co.uk

Saturday 20 February 2016

Black-headed gulls, Common gulls, Tufted ducks and a cormorant in the Loder valley last week

Thirty or more gulls were lined up on the rails in the lake in the Loder valley, Wakehurst Place, (http://www.kew.org/visit-wakehurst) last week.  Most look like black-headed gulls in various stages of transformation to their summer black headed plumage.  They have red legs.
See RSPB info'.  Click on any picture to expand it.


Common gulls have yellow/green legs and lack the dark spot behind the eyes of the Black-headed gulls.  They are normally slightly larger than Black-headed gulls as some examples here show.


Tufted ducks numbered perhaps twenty or so and a couple of Great-crested grebes, below, were around too.
Unusually no herons were seen and a drumming woodpecker flew off before I could get a picture.
A large herd of Roe deer were in an adjacent meadow.





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