18-3-11, Whitemoor Haye.

Finally a day off but Im a bit of a recovering alcoholic after a decent night at a beer festival. Lots of beer and not much kip. I managed to get a couple of hours birding around Whitemoor mid morning before heading to town and doing some jobs at home. Birds noted were Tree Sparrow, Robin, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Black-headed Gull, Mistle Thrush, Skylark, Long-tailed Tit, Lapwing, Stock Dove, Corn Bunting, Blackbird, Chaffinch, Yellowhammer, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Dunnock, Mute Swan 39, Cormorant, Reed Bunting, Starling, Kestrel, Grey Partridge 4, Pied Wagtail, Buzzard, Greylag Geese, Tufted Duck, Redshank, Mallard, Canada Geese, Wigeon, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Greenfinch and Song Thrush.

This week my mother, who walks around Whitemoor Haye nearly every morning, has had a couple of Wheatears but as yet I have been unable to connect with them. Typical.

I have another photo from my contact in New Zealand. He thinks it is a leucistic Starling but some birders over in New Zealand think it is normal plumage for a juvenile moulting into adult. I have only seen Starlings in the UK and the juveniles here are brownish before turning into adult plumage. The photo shoes a bird with a whiteish head and think my contact is correct, however it might be a different race in New Zealand. I anyone has any comments to make that would be great to help Kerry in New Zealand.