Tuesday Teaser Too: Memories of Summer

Ok, so, last week I failed spectacularly to fulfil my intentions for the Tuesday Teaser. My little bit of fun - a brief distraction from the wind and rain and unrelenting gloom - turned out to be downright impossible. I created a monster only the brave or good-hearted would approach, whilst the majority inspected from a safe distance and then quietly (and very sensibly) retreated. With the benefit of hindsight, and hoping to spread a bit of winter cheer, I thought I’d rustle up a second helping of the Tuesday Teaser. I can’t guarantee that it’s any less monstrous than last week but I have tried. I’ve also included a little something for the Lepidopterists amongst us...

Another impenetrable beast or a tame pussy cat..?

Three photos

A moth. A bird. A butterfly

All were seen in Hertfordshire this summer

Can you name the species from the thumbnail showing only part of the whole?

Comments can be left anonymously. Extra points for early entry. An extra clue given after 3 entries.

Results on Saturday folks!

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EDIT: Sorry….make that, results on Sunday folks!

College Lake: Great Northern Diver & Pintails

While an exhausted Great Skua battled a windy Wilstone last Sunday morning, I snoozed in blissful ignorance. This weekend, the windblown rarity had the good sense to wait until after midday before it was found at College Lake, giving me ample time to sleep and to assemble a vast array of winter woollies. Goodbye balmy 16°C November days; hello finger-freezing, -2°C, 40mph northwesterlies.

The adult Great Northern Diver was riding the waves towards the furtherest end of College Lake when I arrived at about 13:30. I scoped it from the hide nearest the visitors centre and then headed down to the Octagon hide for a closer view. The bird looked pretty lively and in good condition. It dived two or three times, snorkelled for fish and carefully preened its glistening, silvery-white belly, its back and its flight feathers. Unfortunately, it remained a good 350-400 metres away, meaning photos/video were rubbish (case in point, below).

Having spent an easy hour absorbed in Diver antics, I turned my attention to the marsh. Along with the GND, Rob A had found a male Goosander so I was keeping an eye out for that. Instead, I found a couple of Pintail ducks. Initial impressions, viewing into the sun, were of a scruffy male, still moulting out of eclipse, and a female. But, something didn’t sit right and I tied myself in countless knots before help arrived and the fly in my identification soup was plucked out. They were “first winter birds” of course.

I enjoyed the Diver but I learnt a lot more from untangling the features of immature Pintails!

College Lake from hide near visitors centre. Octagon hide circled, right. Great Northern Diver & Pintail pair record shots

The Tuesday Teaser: Revealed

There’s a distinct possibility that even I underestimated my own sneakiness. Having said that, it did inadvertently level the playing field: there was only one way to get thumbnail 2 correct and that was by guessing. Patches of red feathers appear on a number of bird species and there was no way of deducing which one I’d chosen. As for the others, it’s fair to say a good dollop of guesswork was the key to success. Expertise in bird identification was absolutely no use whatsoever in 99.9% of the quiz. Hmm....

And so, to the much anticipated results.

In first place is Si with 4 points (1 correct answer and 3 points for being the first to respond in the comments box).

In second place is Ben with 2 points (2 points for being the second to respond in the comments box).

Thanks guys for jumping in. You’re pioneers of the Tuesday Teaser and I’ll try to be less sneaky next time around, I promise. For you, Ben, I might even throw in a moth or two.

If you're curious to find out what the birds were, here are the (impossible) thumbnails revealed... Did anyone get more than one right?!

Common Crossbill 

During eruptive years, Wendover Woods is the place to look.

Redstart

A regular passage migrant, frequently found on Ivinghoe Hills.

Black-tailed Godwit

These are juveniles on Startop’s End Reservoir. They're a regular passage migrant at Tring Reservoirs.

Ring Ouzel

A regular passage migrant. This one was on Ivinghoe Beacon

Grey Heron

Resident. This photo of a preening juvenile was taken at Wilstone Reservoir

Water Pipit

In recent years, Tring Reservoirs has frequently been the home to at least one wintering bird. I took this shot at the end of March 2012, at Startop's End Reservoir, when the bird had all but finished its transition into its smart breeding plumage.






P.S. One highlight from this week: during a brief spell of dry weather, when the sun shone weakly over the scrub and saplings at Heartwood Forest (St Albans), 8 Lesser Redpolls and 5 Reed Buntings were taking it in turns to bathe in a big muddy puddle next to their hedgerow perch. All splashes and head dunking and wing flapping. Birds make bath time look like so much fun!

Plus, very glad to still have 2 Coal Tits and 1 Goldcrest visiting garden feeders and bird bath. They seem to hold their own amongst countless Blue and Great Tits, Blackbirds, Robin, Wren and Dunnocks. They also have to keep their wits about them in case the local Sparrowhawk chances by.

A Teaser on a Tuesday

Here’s the thing. I'm all out of inspiration and energy but thought a quiz might provide a welcome distraction from driving winds and rain. At least for 5 minutes.

Six pictures.

Six bird species.

All have been seen in Hertfordshire or Buckinghamshire.

Hopefully, there’s a mix of the easy and the hard.

Can you name the species from the thumbnail section showing only part of the bird?

Results on Friday folks!