|
Word
of an "odd" hobby at
Moor Green lakes started to appear on Birdforum and
then on July 11th on the
Berksbirds Yahoo group. The
finder, Allen Worgan, put his field notes up for scrutiny as he didn't feel
the bird looked right for a hobby and opined that it was a juv/1st summer
Red-footed falcon
Other locals went to see the bird and such were the
incongruities in the plumage that it wasn't until Saturday morning before
it was positively ID'd and put out as a Red-footed falcon on the usually superb:
www.berksbirds.co.uk.
After this all who came to see it found it odd that anyone had difficulties
- "it was so obviously a RFF" ... such are (some) birders!
The bird shows mostly juv plumage with replacement by some
adult
greater
coverts and scapulars - pale grey
with dark
bands, as apposed to the rusty-buff tips of the juv plum.
Dick Forsman
describes these features as that of a transitional
female - 2nd cy Spring bird. Marek, on his excellent
website, suggests that it "may be a first
year bird in arrested moult"
Click
HERE
to see a discussion on its plumage and ID by Oxon's knowledgeable Recorder
Previous entry
|
