Author Topic: Bird ID please (Read 10373 times)

Sergeant Pluck · « **Reply #25 on:** 12 February, 2023, 05:54:12 pm »

It was to the north of Sawyer’s Hill, parts of which are heath-like and there are bits of gorse there, although gorse is more common elsewhere in the park.

Jaded · « **Reply #26 on:** 23 May, 2023, 05:19:51 pm »

As many of you will know, I know nothing about birds...

These are Turkish, but we are struggling to identify them. Are they common ones like we get here...?

Sergeant Pluck · « **Reply #27 on:** 23 May, 2023, 05:21:50 pm »

Don’t know, but if they move as fast as the ones we have here, those are superb photos.

Jaded · « **Reply #28 on:** 23 May, 2023, 05:26:08 pm »

they were fast!!!

Pingu · « **Reply #29 on:** 23 May, 2023, 05:32:01 pm »

Quote from: Jaded on 23 May, 2023, 05:19:51 pm

As many of you will know, I know nothing about birds...

These are Turkish, but we are struggling to identify them. Are they common ones like we get here...?

A delight. They look like (barn) swallows to me.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #30 on:** 23 May, 2023, 05:39:09 pm »

Were they carrying coconuts?

Yes, I think they are swallows as well. (Show my ignorance here: is the barn swallow what we normally just call a "swallow" in the UK?)

They nest in all kinds of interesting places. I have a photo somewhere of a swallow's nest, occupied by almost-fledglings, built on a pilot whale's skull in an old fisherman's cottage near Martin''s Haven, where you get on the boat to go to Skomer island.

Andy W · « **Reply #31 on:** 23 May, 2023, 05:39:47 pm »

Its a Swallow. Put bird species Swallow, into a search engine. Hey presto, its a Swallow.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #32 on:** 23 May, 2023, 05:43:22 pm »

Swallow's nest on pilot whale's skull.

A different Pembrokeshire swallow's nest. That's on a light fitting in the gents' loo at the Old Point House pub, overlooking Angle bay.

Sergeant Pluck · « **Reply #33 on:** 23 May, 2023, 05:48:11 pm »

Quote from: Wowbagger on 23 May, 2023, 05:39:09 pm

Yes, I think they are swallows as well.

I had assumed Jaded had got as far as “swallow” and was looking for the specific variant.

Pingu · « **Reply #34 on:** 23 May, 2023, 05:53:06 pm »

Quote from: Wowbagger on 23 May, 2023, 05:39:09 pm

... is the barn swallow what we normally just call a "swallow" in the UK?...

Yes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barn_swallow

Sergeant Pluck · « **Reply #35 on:** 23 May, 2023, 05:54:17 pm »

They have a very aerodynamic feet arrangement.

Jaded · « **Reply #36 on:** 23 May, 2023, 06:42:05 pm »

Barn Swallows

nicknack · « **Reply #37 on:** 23 May, 2023, 08:13:13 pm »

Quote from: Wowbagger on 23 May, 2023, 05:43:22 pm

A different Pembrokeshire swallow's nest. That's on a light fitting in the gents' loo at the Old Point House pub, overlooking Angle bay.

Yonks ago I remember visiting the gents in the Ringlestone Arms in Kent (a very basic not quite indoor affair) and found myself eyeball to eyeball with a swallow nesting in the corner above a water pipe.

Jaded · « **Reply #38 on:** 31 May, 2023, 10:40:45 pm »

Here's another fluffy tweety thing for ID.

Peter · « **Reply #39 on:** 31 May, 2023, 10:47:46 pm »

It looks like a sunset picture, maybe making it look a little browner than true. I think it may be a willow warbler. Steph will be along soon with the correct ID!

Pingu · « **Reply #40 on:** 31 May, 2023, 10:50:38 pm »

Quote from: Peter on 31 May, 2023, 10:47:46 pm

It looks like a sunset picture, maybe making it look a little browner than true. I think it may be a willow warbler. Steph will be along soon with the correct ID!

That or chiffchaff I thought.

Did you hear it sing, Jaded?

Jaded · « **Reply #41 on:** 31 May, 2023, 10:52:13 pm »

So, sunset, yes, a bit orangier than it should be.

I heard it sing, yes, from what I remember, short tweets.

andrew_s · « **Reply #42 on:** 31 May, 2023, 11:21:00 pm »

I'd go for chiffchaff.

Supercilium doesn't go much past the eye, there's a noticeable eyering, and the wings look on the short side (somewhat obscured by leaves though, as are the legs).
The chiffchaff sings it's name - chiff-chaff chiff-chaff etc, with the chaff note being slightly lower than the chiff note.
The willow warbler song is a very different csacade of descending notes.

Jaded · « **Reply #43 on:** 31 May, 2023, 11:35:59 pm »

I think I have a shot of it's wings slightly opened, will look tomorrow.

Jaded · « **Reply #44 on:** 01 June, 2023, 07:41:06 am »

Here it is, with the White Balance brought down a bit.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #45 on:** 01 June, 2023, 10:19:40 am »

Chiffchaff and willow warbler are notoriously difficult to tell apart from stills. Instantly recognisable if you hear them.

This may help:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnz3EyAZRG8&ab_channel=johnluk

When we were cycling in Scotland, in different springs, we noticed that we would cycle through different bits of woodland (mostly birch) and sometimes you would hear willow warblers and at other times chiffchaff. It was almost as though they had entered into an agreement that Wood A was a chiffchaff wood and Wood B was for willow warblers. We noticed this particularly on the ride between Claonaig and Oban.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #46 on:** 01 June, 2023, 11:14:50 am »

I've just read on the Woodland Trust's page "How to tell willow warblers from chiffchaffs":

Quote

The easiest way to tell these two birds apart is by leg colour. Chiffchaffs have black legs and willow warblers have light brown legs. This isn’t a foolproof method though, so there are a few other distinctions, if they’ll sit still long enough!

Chiffchaffs constantly flick their tails whereas willow warblers only do it occasionally.
Willow warblers have a whiter belly.

Ref; https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2018/03/chiffchaff-or-willow-warbler/

Peter · « **Reply #47 on:** 01 June, 2023, 11:17:25 am »

I think of the willow warbler's song, with it's dying fall, as like an apologetic chaffinch.

ravenbait · « **Reply #48 on:** 02 June, 2023, 12:14:51 pm »

Is anyone good at ID by song? I spotted this chap in the field beneath skylark central, and assumed he was a skylark when he landed, but I don't think skylarks carry on yelling on the ground? The Merlin app can't identify the species.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ravenbait/52944836386/

Sam

Wowbagger · « **Reply #49 on:** 02 June, 2023, 12:29:43 pm »

I let Merlin listen to your video and it said Lesser Goldfinch. I'd never heard of these and a google says it's a N. American bird, so I suspect Shome Mishtake.