Page 1 of 1

Bird ID

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 10:41 pm
by Lee Hurrell
The closest I can come up with is a female Linnet?
IMG_4520.jpg
And what's that behind the Oystercatcher - is it a Bar Tailed Godwit?
IMG_4528.jpg
Thanks

Lee

Re: Bird ID

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2012 1:01 pm
by 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

Re: Bird ID

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2012 3:28 pm
by 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...

Re: Bird ID

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2012 7:27 pm
by 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

Re: Bird ID

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2012 7:47 pm
by 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 ? :)

Re: Bird ID

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2012 10:08 pm
by 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 :D

Best wishes,

Lee

Re: Bird ID

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 8:27 pm
by 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] :)

Re: Bird ID

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 8:29 pm
by 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.

Re: Bird ID

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 9:17 pm
by 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! :wink:

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

Cheers mate,

Seth.

Re: Bird ID

Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 2:33 pm
by 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