Help please with identifying these.

Cul a cnoic

Good evening all.
Was out walking with with my neighbour today in the hills of Donegal and had a most enjoyable walk with lots of wildlife to be seen. First was the common lizzard, then the birds I am asking about below, red grouse and finally partridge or plover, wasnt close enough to get a good look or photo but 18 or 20 of then got up together and landed together. poor quality snapshot here, http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/2540/screen06apr112158.jpg

The photos below is of the five or six birds we seen on the side of the mountain, has anyone any idea as to what they are?






Photo quality is not good but hopefully someone can help.



Now for the droppings question, can anyone help identify the dropper?


And below possibly fox or badger?? Again taken well up on the side of a mountain.



And to finish off, seen this yellow box pinned down in the middle of nowhere on the top of the mountain, any ideas? And its still in its original location, just pulled it up for the photo.




Thanks for your time in reading this and hopefully someone can elighten me.

Judgement Day

The bird is a Wheatear but the other items are not my bag - sorry!


Further info here: http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/w/wheatear/index.aspx

Cul a cnoic

Judgement Day wrote: »

The bird is a Wheatear but the other items are not my bag - sorry!


Further info here: http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/w/wheatear/index.aspx

Thanks judge, thats looks like them alright

boneless

The yellow box is somebody's point marker for a GPS reference, possibly for a Total Station or such other survey device. I hope that you put it back in the exact spot ! I have had awful trouble with people moving these on me in the past!

The droppings are a bit out of my league though...

Cul a cnoic

boneless wrote: »

The yellow box is somebody's point marker for a GPS reference, possibly for a Total Station or such other survey device. I hope that you put it back in the exact spot ! I have had awful trouble with people moving these on me in the past!

The droppings are a bit out of my league though...

Thanks Boneless, it went back exactly where it came out of.

Judgement Day

Been having a think about the fibrous droppings and think perhaps they may belong to a Red Grouse see here: http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/384735 - possibly the birds you saw in your pic?

Cul a cnoic

Judgement Day wrote: »

Been having a think about the fibrous droppings and think perhaps they may belong to a Red Grouse see here: http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/384735 - possibly the birds you saw in your pic?

Your very good Judgement Day, we did see grouse on that side of the mountain. Thanks.

Connacht

(Northern) Wheatear and Red Grouse droppings are right.
Other dropping possibly not either fox or badger. They're usually more elongated, the fox's usually not quite so black - although colour does vary - and the badger's often in a kind of semi pit (shallow). Pic shows dark mass, so hard to tell. Is it not just a lump of wet sheep dropping ?

Cul a cnoic

Connacht wrote: »

(Northern) Wheatear and Red Grouse droppings are right.
Other dropping possibly not either fox or badger. They're usually more elongated, the fox's usually not quite so black - although colour does vary - and the badger's often in a kind of semi pit (shallow). Pic shows dark mass, so hard to tell. Is it not just a lump of wet sheep dropping ?

Thanks Connacht, did see a few sheep but they were about a mile away.