Author Topic: Bird ID (Read 2174 times)

Pingu · « **on:** 08 March, 2014, 10:13:49 pm »

Are all three of these mallards?

Basil · « **Reply #1 on:** 08 March, 2014, 11:16:57 pm »

Well, the two chaps certainty seem to think she is.
I've had a quick flip though the wildfowl section of the Collins Bird Guide and can't see any obvious candidates.

nicknack · « **Reply #2 on:** 08 March, 2014, 11:27:11 pm »

A farmyard special?

Wowbagger · « **Reply #3 on:** 09 March, 2014, 01:51:56 am »

Haven't we done this before? I think that there are loads of mallard variants with many plumage patterns.

In another species of duck, think about the white-headed / ruddy duck problem.

Steph · « **Reply #4 on:** 01 April, 2014, 11:19:28 pm »

Simple analogy: are all three of these [notional] feral pigeons rock doves?

Answer[loosely]: yes.

Ruth · « **Reply #5 on:** 01 April, 2014, 11:59:05 pm »

Eider know ...

Peter · « **Reply #6 on:** 02 April, 2014, 12:02:44 am »

Eid duck if I were you, Ruthie!

Steph · « **Reply #7 on:** 02 April, 2014, 09:39:18 am »

I wouldn't crow about it...

Sergeant Pluck · « **Reply #8 on:** 06 May, 2014, 07:17:51 pm »

What’s this?

Best I can do with my camera. It has red and white on its head.

Deano · « **Reply #9 on:** 06 May, 2014, 07:21:03 pm »

Goldfinch, I reckon.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/g/goldfinch/

Basil · « **Reply #10 on:** 06 May, 2014, 07:28:01 pm »

Yeah, prolly a juvenile goldfinch. (Is it too early for juvenile?)

Sergeant Pluck · « **Reply #11 on:** 06 May, 2014, 08:13:13 pm »

Yep, that’s it - thanks! I usually imagine finches as being in groups but this one was on its own for quite some time in the recently trimmed tree out the back.

Crumbling Nick · « **Reply #12 on:** 06 May, 2014, 09:59:14 pm »

I'm impressed. I see lots of goldfinches in the Warwickshire lanes, mostly on my "commutes", but have never seen one stay perched for long enough to identify, never mind take such excellent photos.

That plumage looks too smart to be anything less than an adult in the breeding season. What's the tree btw? Lime?

Sergeant Pluck · « **Reply #13 on:** 06 May, 2014, 10:14:53 pm »

Those are crops of photos at max zoom with a little point and shoot. The bird was pecking at one particular spot of the tree for several minutes before moving off slightly to where the photos were taken. Looked like a new shoot from a recently pruned branch.

Yes, I think it is a lime, mercifully pruned a couple of months ago by the neighbours - it was blocking all the sunlight into our garden. Quite cleverly pruned actually - the shape of the tree has been maintained when looking from the house, a perfect crown, but all branches extending in the other dimension have been taken off, so that it is like a lollipop. They also left a small number of twigs scattered here and there, I presume to allow some early growth.

Pingu · « **Reply #14 on:** 06 May, 2014, 10:29:44 pm »

Quote from: Crumbling Nick on 06 May, 2014, 09:59:14 pm

I'm impressed. I see lots of goldfinches in the Warwickshire lanes, mostly on my "commutes", but have never seen one stay perched for long enough to identify, never mind take such excellent photos.

Put up a sunflower and/or niger seed feeder and you'll probably get a flock.

Sergeant Pluck · « **Reply #15 on:** 06 May, 2014, 10:58:11 pm »

It’s cat central around here so small birds seem to avoid our garden, sadly.

Crumbling Nick · « **Reply #16 on:** 06 May, 2014, 11:59:56 pm »

Quote from: Pingu on 06 May, 2014, 10:29:44 pm

Quote from: Crumbling Nick on 06 May, 2014, 09:59:14 pm
I'm impressed. I see lots of goldfinches in the Warwickshire lanes, mostly on my "commutes", but have never seen one stay perched for long enough to identify, never mind take such excellent photos.

Put up a sunflower and/or niger seed feeder and you'll probably get a flock.

I grew sunflowers several years ago to feed YD's hamster, but the tree rats trashed them just before the seeds were ripe. Several years of battle against the tree rats have ensued, including a lot of effort in rat-proofing my bird feeders, which might have helped the surviving native titmice & diminishing numbers of finches. It's still a work in progress. Meanwhile, the sparrows & starlings had departed about 3 decades ago. That's AIUI; we've only been here for 2 decades. Before we moved here we had sparrows & starlings nesting under our roof tiles.

I put up a niger seed feeder a few years ago after spotting numerous goldfinches feeding on thistle heads about a km from here. After several cycles of empty, clean, refill, I passed the remaining seeds to son & d-i-l whose garden wildlife is in a much healthier state than ours.

I have a very low opinion of cats & dogs, but have absolutely no evidence that they've contributed to the decline in the variety of Solihull's birdlife. I suspect other causes.

Pingu · « **Reply #17 on:** 12 May, 2014, 09:07:27 pm »

What's this goose?

IMG_3203 by The Pingus, on Flickr

SteveC · « **Reply #18 on:** 12 May, 2014, 09:41:21 pm »

Don't think it's a 'proper' wild bird, but more likely an escapee from a collection. But we can't identify it beyond that.

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #19 on:** 12 May, 2014, 09:43:38 pm »

There was a 'matching' brown one with it, presumably a female?

jacdaw · « **Reply #20 on:** 12 May, 2014, 11:29:56 pm »

Upland goose (Chloephaga picta)? From Argentina.

Pingu · « **Reply #21 on:** 13 May, 2014, 06:05:33 pm »

Thanks jacdaw, that looks like it

They weren't in Argentina though, they were in Belgium.