Bird ID

nekuchi

Hi all

I'm trying to identify a bird that visits the garden regularly (I have some kibbled peanuts/sunflower seeds in a dish) but unfortunately don't have a photo to share.
It's about the same size as a robin/chaffinch and the same colour as them but without the redbreast or the white bits on the wings.

Any ideas?

Thanks a mil.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Possibly a female or immature chaffinch. Is it among a flock of other birds?

nekuchi

Female chaffinches still have the white bit on their wing afaik? Not sure about immature ones though...
It's usually on it's own.

Bonedigger

A Dunnock perhaps?

keps

what is this duck ?

OpenYourEyes

keps wrote: »

what is this duck ?

Male Wigeon

keps

Thanks OpenYourEyes....

Just wondering then if this is a female wigeon in the background( a bit out of focus I know)

OpenYourEyes

keps wrote: »

Thanks OpenYourEyes....

Just wondering then if this is a female wigeon in the background( a bit out of focus I know)

Thats a Male Teal. Male ducks tend to be more colourful than the females - most female ducks here are a more dull version of the males, but similar in size and shape.

nekuchi

Bonedigger wrote: »

A Dunnock perhaps?

I think it may be a female blackcap, I've just seen a male one now.

DellyBelly

That is a Dunnock

nekuchi

DellyBelly wrote: »

That is a Dunnock

Sorry, I mean the bird I see in the garden is a blackcap, not the image. :-/

keps

Just wondering is what breed these are? Thanks!


Rogerstown this morning-

OpenYourEyes

keps wrote: »

Just wondering is what breed these are? Thanks!


Rogerstown this morning-

Three male Teal!

And thats their species, not their breed. In general, with wild animals we categorise them by species or subspecies. Dogs and Cats are talked about as 'breeds' because they are all variations on the same species.

keps

Just spotted this little fella foraging on the ground in the bushes?

whyulittle

A little Wren.

keps

whyulittle wrote: »

A little Wren.

Thanks:)

Adrianno28

Could it be this? If so its a redpoll.. I have them too !!

https://www.google.ie/search?q=redpoll&rlz=1C1GGGE_enIE473US492&es_sm=93&biw=1366&bih=667&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=TYK1VIPhGM_iaLPegqAI&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ#imgdii=_&imgrc=bqiOW6gKmnzThM%253A%3Bx8G8vxeZL8pCLM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252F3.bp.blogspot.com%252F-jCrTsajZ4c4%252FUM4zw4NCHvI%252FAAAAAAAABgM%252F9XyL_JVEMNU%252Fs1600%252Fredpoll.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fgasportnewyork.blogspot.com%252F2012%252F12%252Fredpolls-in-gasport.html%3B500%3B406

keps

This bird was in the garden this morning - I dont think it's a regular visitor.

OpenYourEyes

Male Reed Bunting - not a regular garden visitor! (depending on your proximity to a reedbed of course...)

keps

Thank you!

Yes I had gone onto the RSPB Bird identifying site and a bunting was the closest I got - but didn't think it would be a backgarden bird.

Could they normally be along the Liffey or Canal- I live about a mile from both?


b

Photos not great as taken though window glass

OpenYourEyes

Ah yeah - they associate with reedbed habitats along rivers and lakes, but thats not to say they can't move around a bit - particularly if this current cold spell is restricting feeding opportunities and food availability.

stevensi

It's actually a nicely marked male. Usually the black head is more faded in the winter. A nice garden bird indeed.

Zoo4m8

Not unusual to see them here with mixed finch and yellow hammer flocks round the hedgerows , the nearest reed bed is around three miles away... Though haven't seen any this winter and come to think of it the yellowhammers are few and far between as well...:(

keps

Zoo4m8 wrote: »

Not unusual to see them here with mixed finch and yellow hammer flocks round the hedgerows , the nearest reed bed is around three miles away... Though haven't seen any this winter and come to think of it the yellowhammers are few and far between as well...:(

Where is 'here'?

Bonedigger

Keps,this is the female of the species:



I took this down by the canal in Milltown,Co.Kildare yesterday. Interestingly, she was feeding alongside a Dunnock and there wasn't a male or other Reed Buntings to be seen.

Zoo4m8

keps wrote: »

Where is 'here'?

North Wicklow, near Greystones..

Birdnuts

Zoo4m8 wrote: »

Not unusual to see them here with mixed finch and yellow hammer flocks round the hedgerows , the nearest reed bed is around three miles away... Though haven't seen any this winter and come to think of it the yellowhammers are few and far between as well...:(

Saw the biggest Yellowhammer flock in my life last week on the edge of Blessington in a field of outwintered cattle which had a lot of thistles etc. They were hanging out with Goldfinches and a couple of Reed Buntings. Certainly weren't local birds as there is no tillage in this area. Probably winter migrants - possibly from the continent

Bonedigger

I was driving between the towns of Kilcullen and Athy in south Kildare this morning,and my eye was immediately drawn to a rather large,unusually coloured bird in a field. Needless to say, curiosity got the better of me and I pulled over to have a closer look. It was a good distance away(a couple of hundred metres) and didn't have my binoculars, so am still not sure what I was looking at!! The bird had light-brown coloured plumage(very reminiscent of the colour on the back of a male kestrel) on its back and tail, but the most striking thing was its creamy-white coloured breast plumage. It spent quite a significant amount of time on the ground, and when I tried to get closer it flew a short distance and landed back on the ground. It was definitely a raptor. The wings were long and broad, but I couldn't tell you what the tail shape was like. Given its size and the context in which it was seen (ie.walking about a field), I'm guessing it was either a Buzzard or Red Kite - but that creamy-white coloured breast plumage has me perplexed! How varied can a Buzzard's plumage colour be - does it lighten in colour during the winter months or could it have been a juvenile?
I'd dearly love to think it was a Red Kite and that's not inconceivable because
the area in which it was seen is a 'stone's throw' from the Wicklow mountains.I'm not sure though that a Red Kite would have bright-coloured neck and breast plumage,or would it?Any ideas guys?!!
By the way,has anyone seen Red Kites in this area before?
Thanks.

OpenYourEyes

Bonedigger wrote: »

I was driving between the towns of Kilcullen and Athy in south Kildare this morning,and my eye was immediately drawn to a rather large,unusually coloured bird in a field. Needless to say, curiosity got the better of me and I pulled over to have a closer look. It was a good distance away(a couple of hundred metres) and didn't have my binoculars, so am still not sure what I was looking at!! The bird had light-brown coloured plumage(very reminiscent of the colour on the back of a male kestrel) on its back and tail, but the most striking thing was its creamy-white coloured breast plumage. It spent quite a significant amount of time on the ground, and when I tried to get closer it flew a short distance and landed back on the ground. It was definitely a raptor. The wings were long and broad, but I couldn't tell you what the tail shape was like. Given its size and the context in which it was seen (ie.walking about a field), I'm guessing it was either a Buzzard or Red Kite - but that creamy-white coloured breast plumage has me perplexed! How varied can a Buzzard's plumage colour be - does it lighten in colour during the winter months or could it have been a juvenile?
I'd dearly love to think it was a Red Kite and that's not inconceivable because
the area in which it was seen is a 'stone's throw' from the Wicklow mountains.I'm not sure though that a Red Kite would have bright-coloured neck and breast plumage,or would it?Any ideas guys?!!
By the way,has anyone seen Red Kites in this area before?
Thanks.

I think you're on the ball with a Buzzard - the individual variation in plumage borders on the ridiculous, From very dark to very white.

Their French name is something along the lines of 'Buse variable', reflecting the considerable variation in plumage from bird to bird.

Bonedigger

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

I think you're on the ball with a Buzzard - the individual variation in plumage borders on the ridiculous, From very dark to very white.

Their French name is something along the lines of 'Buse variable', reflecting the considerable variation in plumage from bird to bird.

Thanks OYE!
It was obviously foraging for earthworms,leatherjackets,etc., in the field.

Birdnuts

Bonedigger wrote: »

I was driving between the towns of Kilcullen and Athy in south Kildare this morning,and my eye was immediately drawn to a rather large,unusually coloured bird in a field. Needless to say, curiosity got the better of me and I pulled over to have a closer look. It was a good distance away(a couple of hundred metres) and didn't have my binoculars, so am still not sure what I was looking at!! The bird had light-brown coloured plumage(very reminiscent of the colour on the back of a male kestrel) on its back and tail, but the most striking thing was its creamy-white coloured breast plumage. It spent quite a significant amount of time on the ground, and when I tried to get closer it flew a short distance and landed back on the ground. It was definitely a raptor. The wings were long and broad, but I couldn't tell you what the tail shape was like. Given its size and the context in which it was seen (ie.walking about a field), I'm guessing it was either a Buzzard or Red Kite - but that creamy-white coloured breast plumage has me perplexed! How varied can a Buzzard's plumage colour be - does it lighten in colour during the winter months or could it have been a juvenile?
I'd dearly love to think it was a Red Kite and that's not inconceivable because
the area in which it was seen is a 'stone's throw' from the Wicklow mountains.I'm not sure though that a Red Kite would have bright-coloured neck and breast plumage,or would it?Any ideas guys?!!
By the way,has anyone seen Red Kites in this area before?
Thanks.

The first Red Kite I saw was sitting on a post at roughly the distance you describe. It looked like a giant Kestrel and very unlike any buzzard I've seen

Bonedigger

Birdnuts wrote: »

The first Red Kite I saw was sitting on a post at roughly the distance you describe. It looked like a giant Kestrel and very unlike any buzzard I've seen

I've seen dozens of Buzzards in the past, but the colour of this particular bird just looked different.

keps

This photo was taken from the far bank of the Liffey and this is a large 'blow up' of a section of the pic.

Is the bird on the top left a greenfinch? The nearest I can get on Bird Identifier

OpenYourEyes

It's a Siskin - a bit more of a woodland specialist than the Greenfinch!

http://www.birdwatchireland.ie/IrelandsBirds/Sparrowsfinchesbuntings/Siskin/tabid/451/Default.aspx

keps

Thanks

I had keyed 'size' and 'woodland' into the id finder and both greenfinch and siskin along with about 20 others came up!

Woodville56

Just wondering about this gull phonescoped on local iced over lake in recent days - the smudgy head would indicate Lesser Black Backed, which I thought would be scarce enough inland in winter. Although dark gray in appearance didn't seem to have the bulky build of a Great Black Backed ? It didn't fly while I was watching so didn't get a look at wing pattern. Any thoughts ?

OpenYourEyes

Woodville56 wrote: »

Just wondering about this gull phonescoped on local iced over lake in recent days - the smudgy head would indicate Lesser Black Backed, which I thought would be scarce enough inland in winter. Although dark gray in appearance didn't seem to have the bulky build of a Great Black Backed ? It didn't fly while I was watching so didn't get a look at wing pattern. Any thoughts ?

Looks good for LBBG for me? Not too unusual to get inland in winter tbh!

stevensi

looks good for a lesser. The mantle on a Greater is a lot blacker. YOu couldn't rule out a yellow legged gull on that picture as the quality isn't great but as they are a lot rarer I would say it's a LBB Gull

Woodville56

stevensi wrote: »

looks good for a lesser. The mantle on a Greater is a lot blacker. YOu couldn't rule out a yellow legged gull on that picture as the quality isn't great but as they are a lot rarer I would say it's a LBB Gull

Thanks for ID - was thinking of yellow legged gull as I watched it but, as in the well distant phonescoped pic, the legs didn't really appear to be that yellow in colour compared to the bill, which made me wonder, as LBB's legs are yellowish also ? Range was just too far for a more detailed look. Will settle on LBB though , seems the most obvious !

keps

Just curious about the id of the bird on the right?
It has a distinctive 'strip' at eye level/

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

My eyes aren't what they used to be but it looks like a female house sparrow to me.

keps

thanks - guessed that ok

Capercaille

keps wrote: »

Just curious about the id of the bird on the right?
It has a distinctive 'strip' at eye level/
][/URL]

Supercillium

keps

Thanks guys- I had thought that with 4 male Reed Buntings in the garden a female might drop in

So I printed off a photo of a female Reed Bunting - and have it on the kitchen table- but looking through the lens to where the birds congregate - it's really difficult to know( for me that is).

keps

Now, here are 2 reed buntings in the garden this morning.






I am aware that the male's plummage changes and winter plummage is different from summer.... but are these 2 males?

OpenYourEyes

Both have (mostly) black heads, and a white 'collar' going all around the neck - they're both males.

keps

This bird seemed a bit bigger and more independent than the regular male sparrow?

OpenYourEyes

keps wrote: »

This bird seemed a bit bigger and more independent than the regular male sparrow?

'Bigger' here just means he has puffed out his feathers, usually for warmth. I've had a few house sparrows doing it today too, though it isn't particularly cold.

It can be a sign of illness I think, but much more often it's just to retain heat!

Zebrano

I seen these tiny birds the other day in the botanic gardens they could fit inside an Inclosed fist could not get close enough to photograph jus wondering if anyone knew what they were

Fruit1985

Treecreepers or Goldcrests most likely. I've seen tons of them up there.

Failing that - a kingfisher.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

If its a small flock then Goldcrest. Tree creepers don't flock and kingfishers will be at water and usually solo at this time of year. Kingfishers are also much larger. Goldcrest are 3 inches long, treecreepers are 5 and kingfishers are 6.5 inches. A wren, for comparison purposes, is 4 inches.