ML539864951

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

female on sea off Valley Pier; twitched Initially halfway out off pier, then flew toward shore and landed close in just off rocks to south-east. Pleasantly obvious ID in field. Female. Long, tapered, bill, with classic ‘broken nose’ appearance giving a tiered impression. Peaked crown before eye in most postures. Face wet, but two distinct pale patches on face, one before eye and one brighter + larger patch on ear coverts. Body moult more advanced than when first reported, flanks largely complete and seemingly contrasted with rest of darker body. Upper belly/lower flanks pale brown, true belly appeared paler (only seen in flight). Legs/feet appeared all dark, bill also all dark. Eye dark. White secondaries obvious when diving, also regularly in level swimming. Feathering at bill base also visible when bird was close; extends well towards nostril then ends abruptly as 90° angle. Largely relaxed swimming/feeding, occasionally swam with purpose with neck leaning forward and tail cocked.

Technical information

Model

Canon EOS R5

ISO

640

Focal length

500 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire

f-stop

f/7.1

Shutter speed

1/1250 sec

Dimensions

3000 pixels x 1687 pixels

Original file size

1.31 MB