Bird ID

[Lee Hurrell]

The closest I can come up with is a female Linnet?

And what's that behind the Oystercatcher - is it a Bar Tailed Godwit?

Thanks

Lee

[Wurzel]

Alright Lee? The Godwits are tricky to separate during the winter. I use a rhyme to help I.D them "back is scaley, Barwit maybe; smooth back Black". When I say scaley it looks almost streaked like a Curlew. It's tricky to see on the photo as I'm on the iPhone but it looks more smooth than streaked with a clean flank so I'd go for Blackwit. Not to sure about the finch thingy, the grey head would suggest Linnet...

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Lancastrian]

The godwit looks to be a Bar-tailed Godwit, due to the slightly up-curved bill. However - Greenshank cannot be ruled out - the light is bad. A Bar-tailed Godwit should show some hint of a supercillium...

[Lee Hurrell]

Thank you both.

It was the up-turned bill and the length of it that led me to Bar Tailed. I opted for that over Black as it was the commoner of the two!

I will double check Greenshank though.

Best wishes,

Lee

[Lancastrian]

Hi Lee,

Did you see the said bird feeding ? If it was swaying its head side-to-side, Avocet style, it is a Greenshank . I do not know where you took the photograph but if it was not on an estuary (local gravel pit for example ?) a godwit would invariably just be resting up, not feeding (and usually have its head tucked under its wing roosting). Just a generalization really, but that is the trouble with trying to identify birds just from a single picture - "jizz" in the field is an ideal aid to identification..

Hope this helps ?

[Lee Hurrell]

Hi Lancastrian,

I can't recall seeing that motion, no - more of a jabbing up and down.

It was an estuary - I was on the river Medway, near Strood in Kent, in the shadow of the M2 bridge.

Thanks for your help

Best wishes,

Lee

[Nick Broomer]

Hi Lee,

In relationship to the size of the bill and the size of the Godwit to that of the Oystercatcher, i would say your bird is a Bar-Tailed Godwit.

The Greenshank has a smaller bill, so does not come into the equation.

As for your Linnet, my first impression was that it was infact a Dunnock, without reading that you had put it down as a Linnet. [but i do need a new pair of glasses]

[Nick Broomer]

Hi Lee,

In relationship to the size of the bill and the size of the Godwit to that of the Oystercatcher, i would say your bird is a Bar-Tailed Godwit.

The Greenshank has a smaller bill, so does not come into the equation.

As for your Linnet, my first impression was that it was infact a Dunnock, without reading that you had put it down as a Linnet. [but i do need a new pair of glasses]

All the best,

Nick.

[Gibster]

Hi Lee,

I'm with Nick on this one. My first thought was of Dunnock, you can just about make out the rear border of the ear coverts which are quite a distinctive shape and rules out Linnet. The poor light doesn't help much, the legs look the wrong colour but I guess that's an illusion? Plus that whacking great branch obscuring the head is just a slight hinderance!

Your wader is a Bar-tailed Godwit, and they certainly occur in that area (but so do Blackwits!)

Cheers mate,

Seth.

[Lee Hurrell]

Thanks, Nick and Seth

I must admit I thought Dunnock at first too but it was light and speckled enough to make me question it.

Thanks for the BTG ID - I was really surprised to see that and the Oystercatcher. I had no idea they could be found this far inland into Kent and I was only out for a walk while I waited for the car!

The poor light was due to my camera being on the wrong setting, hence no other bird photos....

Thanks again,

Lee