Birds for id please

[2dogs2000]

Had agreat day out at Pensthorpe Nature Reserve last week and now I have photos that need identifying please. Any help with these would be appreciated.

Wader but which one?


Egrets?


Merganser?


No idea

[htcdude]

1 & 2 - Black-winged Stilt
3 - I think Cattle Egret
4 - Little Egret
5 & 6 - Red-breasted Merganser
7 - Red-crested Pochard

Nige

[2dogs2000]

Thank you.

[Adam Cheeseman]

5 and 6 are a female Smew. All the rest are as suggested.
Not having been there I take it these are captive birds?

Cheers,

Adam

[2dogs2000]

Originally Posted by Adam Cheeseman

5 and 6 are a female Smew. All the rest are as suggested.
Not having been there I take it these are captive birds?

Cheers,

Adam

They have a breeding program for some of the scarce species such as the Eurasian cranes that were released on the Somerset plains. They are also breeding red squirrels. Most of the birds are around the lakes but some are kept in large avaries.I assume they are all captive birds (pinioned?) as there is such a variety that you wouldn't normally see. There are 200 acres of land that is open to the public and another 300 acres that is private.

[htcdude]

Originally Posted by Adam Cheeseman

5 and 6 are a female Smew.

Cheers,

Adam

Doh! I thought the bill was a bit too squared and pointed to be a Smew, it looks more Goosander/Merganser like

Nige

[GME]

From that angle the bill does look more Merganser-like. Although, I think it would be redder in the Red Breasted...

[Gill Catton]

Yes they're captive birds, the waders are in large well vegetated aviaries they seem happy enough to be breeding all over the place!!

There were mergansers in with the smew not native mergansers though. I have a picture of a red head smew from probably the same area actually.



I think five may be the merganser and smew number 6 Hope this helps.

[GME]

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

I think five may be the merganser and smew number 6 Hope this helps.

Yes, I think you're right Gill. I hadn't looked close enough to see they were in fact two different birds! I only clicked on the first pic presuming both were of the same one. When you open the second image it's definitely the Smew, presuming that is what Adam did but with the second image...?

[htcdude]

So they are, 2 different birds! That'll teach me to look properly next time :-)

6 definately a Smew you can see the difference in the bill between the 2 pics

Nige