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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Recent content by Dean Nicholson

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    presumed Mediterranean x Common Gull hybrid

    Good link thanks..... In reviewing i'm happy to consider that the bird in the OP could well be a Common x Black-headed hybrid
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    Gulls with black eyes from bird flu survival

    Been reading recently about seabirds (esp Gannets) showing an all dark iris as a consequence of getting and surviving bird flu... The attached sub-ad Herring Gull on my local beach in Mablethorpe, Lincs on Aug 11th shows such eyes.... not even any dark pupil visible, simply black. At first i...
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    Herring Gull with all dark eye

    And another apparently fully adult (on plumage) HG been hanging around Mablethorpe with dark pigmented eyes, looking black at a distance.... though i guess the dense hind-neck streaking could be a sign of Caspian genes?
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    presumed Mediterranean x Common Gull hybrid

    Had the attached 1w Gull near Grimsby, Lincolnshire on 20th Dec 2022.... When first found (at distance) it was stood amongst BHG's and i initial thoughts was a Med Gull but was slightly confused by its slightly larger size and subtly darker mantle, it also looked to have a rather long...
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    Herring Gull with all dark eye

    Hi, I've been seeing adult/sub-adult Herrings with dark iris's in small numbers over the years... some may or may not contain Caspian genes but these 3 were typical argenteus Herrings apart from eye colour.... Cheers Dean
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    Shoveler with eye-rings. Notts, UK

    The attached Shoveler was along the River Trent at Cottam, Notts on 12/10/21 Not entirely sure what's going on but I've certainly never seen a Shoveler with eye-rings before? it was rather rufous in colouration so considered some past Cinnamon Teal genes? But size and upperwing was just as...
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    Baltic pretender - Lincs 17/8

    I know unringed adults are deemed undoable however this one i had recently on my local patch of River Trent must certainly be up in the strong contender stakes.... *very small and dainty size, elongated proportions. *black mantle tone with an appreciable mahogany tint in the scope (not really...
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    Swollen belly on Goldfinch

    Sorry for the freak show peeps...... but what's this one all about? I've never seen anything like it before and the best i can come up with is perhaps a swollen/infected brood patch or something?? but happy to corrected..... Cheers Dean
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    head growth on Great Tit

    Anyone any ideas what this is all about?.... Not nice to see but this bird was seen daily in this state for a good 2 and half weeks before (presumably) succumbing? Rather incredibly she always seemed sprightly, always active, fed well, was seen bathing and preening regularly, the rest of the...
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    Common Gull, march 2019, NE-Germany

    Hi Alexander, I would tentatively agree with this bird being heinei.... *Paleness of head and underparts *pale underwing with unmarked axillaries with rather contrasting dark secs *limted moult in scaps/mantle (by that date) *unmarked upper and undertail covs *looks to be rather large/bulky...
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    Yellow legged Gull Lancashire

    Mantle tone, eye ring colour and large-ish mirror to p10 all suggest LBB x Herring hybrid to me....
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    presumed 1w Ring-billed/Common Gull x LBB - Penzance, 25/12/20

    And a few more....
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    presumed 1w Ring-billed/Common Gull x LBB - Penzance, 25/12/20

    Thoughts appreciated on the attached 1w that graced Penzance harbour in Cornwall for 40 minutes on Christmas Day.... Very small and dark looking and not particularly like anything i've ever seen over the years in terms of both size and plumage - things like Azorean Gull, Cape Gull, American...
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    YLG with pink legs? or HG ssp argenteus Kastoria northwest Greece

    The primary pattern (esp broad band on p5) and red eye-ring would suggest this is michahelis…. The pinkish legs might be simply be down to it being a 'younger' adult (the dark in the bill would also suggest this) or possibly caused by sickness or trauma? I recall a few years back seeing a...
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    putative American Herring Gull, Devon

    Good thinking Phil!....:t:
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