The Lincolnshire Bird Club

http://pewit.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/blu ... llery.html

more images on link above -- clearly 2 males and a female (but maybe not) but ageing still under discussion? I have sent pics off to a major authority in the states and hopefully there will be enough to age and sex them all --

Still showing well this morning with two of the birds climbing on to the
broken part of the raft.
Also a Black-tailed Godwit, not a common bird for the mere.
Pete

Where's the best place to park, I haven't been there before?
Hoping they stay until tomorrow afternoon!!

Many thanks to Julian Hough who directed my query re these birds to Peter Pyle and to Peter for a brilliantly quick and comprehensive reply from the authority on he subject. Peter's reply is below. Looks like we got things a bit wrong!

Hi Graham -

I have to run right now but am fairly happy that your BW Teal are indeed two adult males and one young male. Besides the shape and pattern to the greater coverts, note the rectrices of Bird 1 are brown and notched (juvenal), compared with the full and darker adult rects on the other two, and the outer primaries are browner and more pointed on Bird 1, glossier and immaculate on Birds 2 and 3. Bird 1 is a male (for a young bird) based on the extent of white to the greater coverts, the brightish blue lesser coverts, and the blackish bill without spots to the upper surface. I have copied out the BWTE account from Identification Guide...Part 2, for your reference (sorry the pages are flipped but if you can print it out...).

Hope this helps,

Peter

Park behind the bowling alley on triton road,walk through the car park,by the lamppost there's a gap in the hedge,through here,across the railway,alongside the drain,then cross over drain when you reach the sluice gate,turn left,reserve entrance on right up a bank. Hope that helps

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thats the birding done i'm off for a cider.

The three drake Blue-winged Teal (see comment on ageing and sexing above) were still at Boultham Mere today. Initially no where to be seen they were apparently flushed out of the main drain by some walkers at c11.30am and spent the next hour or so in their favored location in the west bay. They then flew over the far eastern side of the mere where they were visible distantly from the hide.

Also of note were 2 Bittern both showing out in the open together for around 20 mins this afternoon.

Cheers

Grahame with Andy Sims and John Hayes

The three Blue-winged Teal are still present in the west bay this morning.

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Regards,

Andy.

Myself and another guy couldn't find them this afternoon

The three Blue-winged Teal are still present this afternoon, viewable from west bay.

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Regards,

Andy.

The three blue-winged teal eventually put in an appearance after over an hour of waiting. On the verge of giving up my vigil in the west bay the three birds popped out of the reeds totally unexpectantly just as two guys arrived from Derbyshire. The birds eventually were frightened off by a juvenile female marsh harrier. I failed to relocate the birds. opefully they will return to the west bay

What bus would I need from the railway station to get to the mere?

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Not sure that there is a bus that goes anywhere close. Not the easiest place to find

The three Blue-winged Teal were still present in the west bay this morning. Two were feeding close in, away from other ducks, but the third was further out with a group of Common Teal.

Also present was a female Pintail (patch year tick 109).

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Regards,

Andy.

The three Blue-winged Teals still present this morning but rather elusive spending a lot of time in the NW reeds.

Also present 1 Bittern stood in open on edge of NW reeds, 2 female Pintails & 2 Wigeon.

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Regards,

Andy.

The three Blue-winged Teal were still present this morning. Early on they were in the west bay where I watched them bathing and preening, they then flew to in front of the hide where they gave excellent close views before being flushed by two people who went round the side of the hide!! They then flew down the mere into the east bay where they were lost to view. In flight two of the birds, presumably the adults, showed much more prominent blue forewings than the third bird. They are still showing no signs of coming out of eclipse.
Also present were 126 Gadwall, 1 female Pintail, 38 Shoveler, 11 Teal, 4 Tufted Duck and 7 Cormorants.
The first Goldcrest of the autumn was in bushes by the steps.

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Regards,

Andy.