Yet Another Cycling Forum
Random Musings => Miscellany => Where The Wild Things Are => Topic started by: pcolbeck on 30 April, 2019, 12:50:29 pm
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I keep catching site of a mystery bird in the garden. Bigger than a sparrow but no where near as big as blackbird. Slighter than a sparrow too. Overall a grey / pale brown but with white bars showing on its wings when folded. I think the beak is longer and less stubby than a finch or tit. The flaming thing is very flighty an disappears as soon as I try and get a good look. Any ideas?
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Dunnock(also referred to as a Hedge Sparrow but is actually part of the Thrush Family)?
(https://tse2.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.GtO7uTnHhPVMW3lxPNFEGwHaE8&pid=15.1&P=0&w=257&h=172)
Sometimes the white bars on the wings are more prominent than in that photo.
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No we have loads of Dunnocks. Longer legged and slighter than that.
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Female Chaffinch?
(http://www.garden-birds.co.uk/birds/images/chaffinchf.jpg)
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Ahh that may be it. There were some Chaffinches about.
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Definitely now I have looked at another picture:
(https://www.birdguides-cdn.com/cdn/LegacyBirdguidesArticles/00032209.jpg)
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Sorted then :thumbsup:
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Dunnock(also referred to as a Hedge Sparrow but is actually part of the Thrush Family)?
(https://tse2.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.GtO7uTnHhPVMW3lxPNFEGwHaE8&pid=15.1&P=0&w=257&h=172)
Sometimes the white bars on the wings are more prominent than in that photo.
Accentor (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accentor)
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Simon Barnes (The Times sports and bird journalist), who I think has a wonderful way of describing things, says the chaffinch song sounds like it's got a sneeze at the end of it. Makes me smile whenever I hear it.
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Not quite sure which thread to put this in, so it is here. Some birds I know, others I don't! I know they should all be simple ones...
(1) Goldfinch
(http://www.alfiecat.co.uk/yetacf/P5250671.jpg)
(2)
(http://www.alfiecat.co.uk/yetacf/P5250048%201.jpg)
(3) Greenfinch?
(http://www.alfiecat.co.uk/yetacf/P5250025.jpg)
(4)
(http://www.alfiecat.co.uk/yetacf/P5250056%201.jpg)
(5) Thrush?
(http://www.alfiecat.co.uk/yetacf/P5250064%201.jpg)
(6) Blue tit
(http://www.alfiecat.co.uk/yetacf/May%2025%202019%20P5250005.jpg)
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2 = House sparrow (damp)
3 = Greenfinch (male)
4 = Greenfinch (female or juvie)
5 = Song thrush I think
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Thanks! Everything is damp at the moment...
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I think this may be a redpoll? (poor photo through glass as it was snatched quickly!)
(http://www.alfiecat.co.uk/yetacf/May%2028%202019%20P5280013.jpg)
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Yup, lesser. I'm guessing a female at this time of year.
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'awk.
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2 = House sparrow (damp)
3 = Greenfinch (male)
4 = Greenfinch (female or juvie)
5 = Song thrush I think
Song (shouty) thrush. Mistle (miserable) has rounder spots, shouty has heart or arrow-shaped.
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Simon Barnes (The Times sports and bird journalist), who I think has a wonderful way of describing things, says the chaffinch song sounds like it's got a sneeze at the end of it. Makes me smile whenever I hear it.
The Willow Warbler's song is very similar in shape to that of a chaffinch but much more understated and polite!
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Simon Barnes (The Times sports and bird journalist), who I think has a wonderful way of describing things, says the chaffinch song sounds like it's got a sneeze at the end of it. Makes me smile whenever I hear it.
The Willow Warbler's song is very similar in shape to that of a chaffinch but much more understated and polite!
This is true, but these days I think of them as more like a legato chiffchaff, although they do tend to descend the scale whereas the chiffchaff sticks to (mostly) the same few quarter tones within a minor third. Having said that, I recall on one occasion only seeing a small warblerly bird singing in a completely different way - a proper song - which went on for quite a few seconds before it turned back into the normal chiffchaff song again. The RSPB website only give the normal "chiff-chaff" song.
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Willow arbler and chaffinch are both descending songs, but the chaffinch normally adds a "wheedly-ooh!" to the end.