NOT ALL BIRDS ARE ADULT MALES

One classic ‘beginner pitfall’ that we all tumble into from time to time is forgetting that birds don’t all come as illustrated ‘in the book’. There is a natural bias towards thinking of birds in breeding plumage, male, adult and pristine. In reality, birds don’t always look like their illustrations. At this time of year, be particularly aware that young birds may be swimming around or patrolling the edges of water bodies. Take juvenile Moorhen (below), as an example. Drab and brown, without the brightly coloured bill and shield, these fully grown juveniles can even be seen feeding tiny fluffy young, as they help their parents with the next brood...