Saturday 5 December 2020

Russian White-fronts on Clapham Common

After numerous attempts at trying to find some White-fronts during this recent incredible influx, I finally decided it would be a lot easier to just go and twitch some, so when four were found by Nick Rutter yesterday on Clapham Common (of all places!) I stopped off there on my way to Oxford this morning (via the scenic route through the smoke). I got there while it was still dark and set off before 8am to avoid getting trapped in the gridlock, so grainy early morning photos only. Amazingly birds are scattered across various inner London sites including playing fields at Barnes and the central London parks. 

Russian White-fronted Geese (with Greylag and a dodgy Canada Goose), Clapham Common, looks like a young bird in there (with reduced dark belly markings) 
Greylags and White-fronted Geese, Clapham Common 
Surely the first time in history the 345 and Russian White-fronted Geese have been in the same field of view?
Another failed attempt at finding White-fronts at Beddington yesterday afternoon yielded the long-staying White Stork, the Shelduck, a Greylag and a photo op by a Grey Wagtail (a pretty stunning bird which I rarely give enough due admiration) 

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