Divers / Snipe

Very instructive pics of the Black-throated Diver Richard - it would be brilliant to get both birds in the same frame. From the separate pics, the sheer bulk of the Black-throat and angular head, especially the forehead, mark it out from the Pacific (and of course the flank patch). Interestingly it's a first-winter bird and quite scaly on the upperparts, though not as marked as the Pacific was last winter it seems. And I'm willing to bet that there's quite a size difference between the two should they appear side by side!

Re. the Wilson's Snipe posting, I agree with Annie/Bob that this must be a mistake - Wilson's are almost impossible to identify and require close views for extended periods - someting we rarely have the luxury of in this County. Just check out the debate about the bird(s) in Scilly this autumn.