Great tits need a closer look !

First winter great tit with a male great tit for comparison

It really stood out as being very pale

Mantle colour is darker than the common gull next to it. It is probably from the northern european populations.


Larus argentatus agentatus

Large white primary spot is visable on p10

Prescot reservoirs,

The Chiffchaff is still singing but no other migrants yet. A dunlin went over and green woodpecker showed and called in the meadow late afternoon. Also 16 goldeneye,1little grebe, 4 great crested grebe with a pair displaying, 2 gadwall,4 shellduck, 2 teal,80 lapwing 17 oystercatchers, 2 raven, 1 peregrine, 6 red legged partridge and 2 redpoll .

62 lesser black backs, 8 great black backs, 120 common gull ,100 black headed, and 100 herring gulls with and adult argentatus amongst them.

At the feeding station a great tit caught my eye. It was a washed out version of the other great tits present.Its breast being a pale cream colour as opposed to the bright yellow of the others and its mantle being a grey blue as opposed to the green of the others. I at first I suspected this was scandinavian race of great tit but in fact it is a first winter female great tit.