Mystery bird

[pcolbeck]

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?

[Sniper68]

Dunnock(also referred to as a Hedge Sparrow but is actually part of the Thrush Family)?


Sometimes the white bars on the wings are more prominent than in that photo.

[pcolbeck]

No we have loads of Dunnocks. Longer legged and slighter than that.

[Sniper68]

Female Chaffinch?

[pcolbeck]

Ahh that may be it. There were some Chaffinches about.

[pcolbeck]

Definitely now I have looked at another picture:

[Sniper68]

Sorted then

[Pingu]

Dunnock(also referred to as a Hedge Sparrow but is actually part of the Thrush Family)?


Sometimes the white bars on the wings are more prominent than in that photo.

Accentor

[Tail End Charlie]

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.

[Jaded]

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


(2)


(3) Greenfinch?


(4)


(5) Thrush?


(6)  Blue tit

[Pingu]

2 = House sparrow (damp)
3 = Greenfinch (male)
4 = Greenfinch (female or juvie)
5 = Song thrush I think

[Jaded]

Thanks! Everything is damp at the moment...

[Jaded]

I think this may be a redpoll? (poor photo through glass as it was snatched quickly!)

[Pingu]

Yup, lesser. I'm guessing a female at this time of year.

[Ben T]

'awk.

[Steph]

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.

[Peter]

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!

[Wowbagger]

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.

[Steph]

Willow arbler and chaffinch are both descending songs, but the chaffinch normally adds a "wheedly-ooh!" to the end.