Sunday 7 October 2012

Red Knot







But it's not red, I hear you cry! True, although there are glimpses of red plumage on this rather confiding Knot that was present at Frampton Marsh today. The bird was on its own, quite happily feeding close to the path and giving me extremely good views. The numbers of this bird will now start to increase in The Wash area as they arrive from their breeding grounds in the north to spend the winter here.

The Knot is a familiar sight to birdwatchers in this country, hundreds of thousands of these birds spend the winter on our shores and they do so in rather drab, grey plumage. However, in their breeding finery they are a rich, brick red colour (giving the bird its full name of Red Knot), some of which remains on this bird on its belly, as is shown on the photo below.


10 comments:

  1. Very nice photos! Red Knots are beautiful...especially when the red is in!

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    1. Hi Tammy,
      Thank you. I was lucky enough to see a Knot in full breeding plumage earlier in the year, although was unable to photograph it. They are a fairly rare occurrence in Peterborough!
      J

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  2. Fabulous shots John. What a nice specimen.

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    1. Hi Roy,
      Thank you. It was a lovely, confiding bird, showing the subtleties of the grey plumage very well.
      J

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  3. Cracking images John... it's a lovely bird to see.

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    1. Thanks Andrew, unusual to see one on its own, but I am sure that it will be joined by others soon.
      J

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  4. Hi John. What is a 'confiding' bird? Did it share any secrets with you? This looks like a bird that is really well adapted to it's chosen life-style.

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    1. Hi Bazza,
      No secrets, just didn't seem bothered by my presence, so allowed to get quite close.
      A bird perfectly designed, but then again, they all are, I suppose.
      J

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  5. What a beautiful bird, John! It has a very similar look to our Bar-tailed Godwit (stature & markings) but without the extremely long beak.
    Lovely captures!!

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    1. Thanks Liz,
      Knot are birds that tend to go under the radar, so to speak, because of their dull winter plumage, but the subtleties in the markings and different grey colours make them a beautiful bird in my opinion.
      J

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