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Wood Pigeons Columba palumbis
Portland Bird Observatory, Dorset, UK. April 2008
 
The UK’s largest and commonest pigeon, the Wood Pigeon Columba palumbis is basically grey with a white neck patch and white wing patches which are clearly visible in flight. Although shy in the countryside (where it is commonly shot as a pest of crops) it can [...]

Towards the end of last year I took a series of photos of a confiding American Buff-bellied Pipit Anthus rubescens. Pipits can be a very confusing bunch of birds to separate in non-breeding plumages, and for a long time the northern hemisphere group that includes Rock, Water, and Buff-bellied Pipits were considered almost inseparable in [...]

Skylarks Alauda arvensis
Portland, Dorset May 2005

The Skylark has declined hugely throughout the UK (see below for details), but on Portland a combination of protected land and low-intensity farming has resulted in a relatively healthy population. Breeding birds - there are thought to be between 30 and 40 pairs - are augmented by migrants, particularly in [...]

Northern Wheatears Oenanthe oenantheUK, various dates
 

!st summer male, Portland: May 2005
 

!st summer male, Portland: May 2005
 

!st summer male, Portland: May 2005
 

!st summer male, Portland: May 2005
 

!st summer male, Portland: May 2005
 

Female, Portland: May 2005
 

Female, Portland: May 2005
 

 
All photographs © Charlie Moores.