Oldt1mer - Keith's photos with the keyword: Wild

This is the Black-Tailed Godwit - Limosa limosa - in its winter plumage, (in summer it has a bright orangey-brown chest and belly), the white wingbars remain at all times. It is a large wading bird, approx 40-44 cm long with a wingspan of 70-82 cm, which eats mainly insects, worms and snails but will also take small insects like beetles and grasshoppers and some plants. There are just 53 (approx) breeding pairs in the UK, the remaining population arriving during winter months from the Icelandic region. It is also the national bird of the Netherlands. This one was seen at Martin Mere Wetlands. This Picture is fully © Copyrighted. None of my images may be copied, reproduced or altered in any form or manner or placed on the internet or any other social media, or in any form of publication either print or otherwise, in any form or manner without my written permission.

The beautiful Pied Avocet - Recurvirostra avosetta - is a wading bird in the same family as the Stilt. Although a wader, it has webbed feet so is also quite happy swimming as it looks for food which it does be sweeping its long upcurved bill from side to side looking for aquatic insects, crustaceans, worms and other small creatures. Living throughout temperate Europe and Western and Central Asia, they prefer brackish or saline wetlands, estuaries and other such areas where insect life is prevalent but they will also feed on exposed mudflats. The bird is the emblem of the RSPB. Seen from a hide at Martin Mere Wetlands. This Picture is fully © Copyrighted. None of my images may be copied, reproduced or altered in any form or manner or placed on the internet or any other social media, or in any form of publication either print or otherwise, in any form or manner without my written permission.

The Northern Lapwing - Vanellus vanellus - is a bird of the Plover family more commonly known as simply the Lapwing or Green Plover. It is also known in some areas as the Peewit (or Pewit), Tuit (or Tew-It) and the Pyewipe on account of its display calls. As a boy, I used to see many of these lovely birds feeding on worms and insects in the fields and farmlands and often coming across their ground scrapes with eggs which they fiercely defend by various tricks and deceits. Unfortunately they have suffered a decline and are now on the red list in the UK. It is a highly migratory bird, wintering as far away as North Africa, northern India, Nepal and even China, flying mainly by day in large flocks. This one was seen from a hide at Martin Mere, Burscough, Lancashire. This Picture is fully © Copyrighted. None of my images may be copied, reproduced or altered in any form or manner or placed on the internet or any other social media, or in any form of publication either print or otherwise, in any form or manner without my written permission.