Lymm

Jack Snipe - 1cy. This bird proved relatively easy to age, showing two generations of feathers in the wing coverts. This is most obvious in the upper lesser coverts and lower marginal coverts where the heavily worn brown old feathers contrast with the neatly edged black new feathers. Contrast in the rest of the wing is a little harder to spot; older feathers show a narrower and whiter fringe than the wider buff fringe on newer feathers. Leg colour is also helpful for ageing, being distinctly dull and grey, especially when compared to the legs of the adult below.




Jack Snipe - adult. All of the wing feathers are of the same generation, all relatively fresh and with wide buff fringed. Indeed, the feather fringes seem to be wider and more saturated than the new 'adult-type' feathers on the 1cy bird, especially so on the marginal coverts. Perhaps '1st winter' and adult feathering is different, or perhaps this is just within the range of individual variation. The legs are much greener on the adult bird compared to the dull greyish legs of the 1cy. Perhaps the most infallible characteristic for separating the two age classes is the shape of the primary coverts, shown in the final photo. The adult bird shows broad almost square-tipped feathers with a neat narrow white fringe at the tip. In contrast, the 1cy birds narrower primary coverts that are rounder at the tip with a wider and slightly less defined white fringe.

Woolston No. 3 bed

Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1cy female. Aged by the contrast between the newly moulted inner greater coverts and the 6 retained juvenile greater coverts, the brown-tinged retained juvenile primary coverts and the contrast within the alula. The dull brownish tinged iris (just visible in this photo) is another sign of immaturity, being brighter red in adults.


Water Rail - ad. The grey chin with only extremely limited white under the base of the bill, the relatively plain lores, the clean bright red eye, and the fairly extensive red on the bill all help to age this bird.

Meadow Bank Farm, Broxton

Linnet - 1cy female. This bird has moulted just a single greater covert as part of its post-juvenile moult. As is typical for some species, gc9 has been moulted but not gc10. The tail gives a good opportunity to compare juvenile and adult-type feathers with R5 on both sides having been moulted. The new adult-type feathers are broader the the remaining juvenile feathers, rounder tipped, have a broader white fringe on the inner web and are slightly shorter.

Oxmoor LNR

Redwing - ad race iliacus (Scandinavian). Aged by the uniform wing coverts with no greater covert moult limit, relatively broad and round-tipped tail feathers and narrowly fringed white tertials (cf. an obvious white tip extending up the feather shaft in 1cy birds).



Magpie - 1cy. Aged my the limited white on the outer primaries. Note the strategically placed bag to avoid any unwanted attention from the bird's bill!

Woolston No. 3 bed

Firecrest - 1cy male. This bird can be easily sexed by the degree of bright almost luminous orange in the crown feathers (though note how concealed these feathers are when the bird has its crown flattened!). The age of the bird is primarily based on the pointed tail shape, though it's worth remembering that adult birds probably very seldom show a tail shape as rounded as that shown in Svensson. Close examination of the wing helps to confirm the age with a moult limit present in the greater coverts, the new inner greater coverts contrasting with the six old, slightly shorter, whiter tipped and narrower fringed outer greater coverts.

Woolston No. 1 bed

Song Thrush - 1cy. A rather grey looking bird. The most obvious ageing criteria is the moult limit within the greater coverts, with 6 OGCs. The contrast in colour, length, and the extent of the pale tip is particularly evident on the closed wing.

Woolston No. 1 bed

Greenfinch - 1cy male. This bird is interesting in that it has undergone eccentric moult of two of its primaries, P5 and P6, as part of its post-juvenile moult. Although not the best photo, the two moulted feathers can be seen to be fresher, blacker, and with a brighter yellow outer web. As the name implies, eccentric post-juvenile wing moult does not follow the same pattern as adult wing moult and typically starts with P6 then progresses to P5, then to P7, and radiate outwards from there. Note that this bird has not moulted the corresponding primary coverts. Typically, the rest of the birds moult has been extensive with no juvenile greater coverts, all three feathers of the alula and the entire tail moulted.


Greenfinch - 1cy male. Again, sadly, another awful picture; this time with the use of flash! This bird has carried out an extremely extensive post-juvenile moult and, indeed, is still in the process of actively moulting flight feathers. P3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9 (and presumably the vestigial P10) and S1 have all been moulted, with P8 & 9 and S1 still growing. Note that this bird has moulted some primary coverts: those corresponding with P4, 5 & 6. 1cy birds carrying out eccentric moult of the primaries during their post-juvenile moult appear to be increasingly encountered in the British Isles while in some southern countries, such a Spain, complete juvenile moult of Greenfinches is not uncommon! The question is, how much longer before Greenfinches in fully 'adult plumage' can no longer be accurately aged?



Common Treecreeper - 1cy. Aged by the pattern of the outer primary coverts. Note that the pale tip is fairly extensive, especially so on the outer web of the feather giving the pale tip a thorn-like appearance. Adults generally lack any pale tip to these primary coverts though some birds do show a small tip, generally extending less than 1 mm up the feather shaft and more-or-less equal in size on both the inner and the outer web of the feather.



Common Treecreeper - 1cy. Again, note the pattern of the outer primary coverts.





Kingfisher - 1cy female. Aged by the dusky-brown breast feathering and the dark orange-brown feet (vs. bright coral red on adults); sexed by the orange on the lower mandible.