The Identification Thread

The Pheasant2

Many of the threads opened in this forum seem to be asking for ID on different animals, so I thought it might be a good idea to begin a dedicated ID thread?

I'll get the ball rolling - was walking my dog in forest in a Dublin park late last night and heard a high pitched chirping which sounded quite like a bat echolocating (I think), the animal was definitely in flight, the chirps were roughly a couple every second, frequency increasing at times.

I guessed perhaps a pippistrelle or a Leisler's bat but I've listened to recordings of their call and I don't think it was either...what else could it be?

New Home

How dark was it? If it was still bright enough it could have been long-tailed tits.

Tiercel Dave

The Pheasant2 wrote: »

.....perhaps a pippistrelle or a Leisler's bat but I've listened to recordings of their call and I don't think it was either.....

I presume the recordings you listened to were made using a 'Bat Detector', recording vocals that are way beyond the hearing of the average human so not giving you a true interpretation of what you heard on a 'park walk'. I've seen and heard Pippistrelles as they fly around my house, giving out an audible 'click' so that would be my guess.....

fryup

mods: can we have this thread as a sticky??

secondrowgal

There were two small, sparrow sized birds in my garden today. They look like sparrows until you get to the wings, which are black and yellow. I've googled to no avail as it keeps bringing up goldfinches, and they are definitely not those. They may be either friendly or territorial as they kept flying near me and then flying off. I've just never seen this kind of bird before and wondering if anyone can identify them from this vague description!

Lady Haywire

secondrowgal wrote: »

There were two small, sparrow sized birds in my garden today. They look like sparrows until you get to the wings, which are black and yellow. I've googled to no avail as it keeps bringing up goldfinches, and they are definitely not those. They may be either friendly or territorial as they kept flying near me and then flying off. I've just never seen this kind of bird before and wondering if anyone can identify them from this vague description!

Siskin?

secondrowgal

Lady Haywire wrote: »

Siskin?

Thanks, I googled that and some of the pics look like they MIGHT be them but there seems to be quite a difference in the images that come up.

The siskin seems to be more yellow around the head and main body. These looked more sparrow-like on the top of the body, and light coloured in the breast area. Perhaps it is them, juveniles?

This looks kind of like them all right:

http://www.rawbirds.com/2014/01/eurasian-siskin-carduelis-spinus.html

But this doesn't look like them at all :)
http://www.petmania.ie/wildlife/common-irish-garden-birds/siskin

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

secondrowgal wrote: »

Thanks, I googled that and some of the pics look like they MIGHT be them but there seems to be quite a difference in the images that come up.

The siskin seems to be more yellow around the head and main body. These looked more sparrow-like on the top of the body, and light coloured in the breast area. Perhaps it is them, juveniles?

This looks kind of like them all right:

http://www.rawbirds.com/2014/01/eurasian-siskin-carduelis-spinus.html

But this doesn't look like them at all :)
http://www.petmania.ie/wildlife/common-irish-garden-birds/siskin

Female and male in those images.

Lady Haywire

secondrowgal wrote: »

Thanks, I googled that and some of the pics look like they MIGHT be them but there seems to be quite a difference in the images that come up.

The siskin seems to be more yellow around the head and main body. These looked more sparrow-like on the top of the body, and light coloured in the breast area. Perhaps it is them, juveniles?

This looks kind of like them all right:

http://www.rawbirds.com/2014/01/eurasian-siskin-carduelis-spinus.html

But this doesn't look like them at all :)
http://www.petmania.ie/wildlife/common-irish-garden-birds/siskin

First picture is a female, second is male
Could have been a juvenile female you seen.

secondrowgal

Thanks guys/gals! That could be it - I'm obviously not a bird watcher! :pac:

New Home

Common garden spider, I'd say.

Ilyushin76

Anybody able to id this large bird I spotted on telephone/esb wire today not a great pic was a good distance away

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Ilyushin76 wrote: »

Anybody able to id this large bird I spotted on telephone/esb wire today not a great pic was a good distance away

Looks like a young, scruffy, hen pheasant.

New Home

I didn't think they could/would perch on wires, good to know.

New Home

Verity. wrote: »

Really? I thought his back was a bit different. The picture doesn't do him much justice, he is the size of one of the giant house spiders, sizable enough.

What about a Giant House Spider? The "zig-zag" pattern on its back seems to fit better.


https://spiderid.com/spider/agelenidae/eratigena/atrica/
https://spiderid.com/spider/agelenidae/eratigena/duellica/

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

New Home wrote: »

I didn't think they could/would perch on wires, good to know.

They roost in trees.

New Home

Cynthia Tinkling Suspicion wrote: »

They roost in trees.

Like my chickens.

11James11

Can anybody tell me whats wrong with this sparrow [IMG][/img]

Lady Haywire

11James11 wrote: »

Can anybody tell me whats wrong with this sparrow [IMG][/img]

Leucistic, just means it has more white pigment or colouring in it than it's supposed to.

Keplar240B

What this please
?

coin for reference,

New Home

Is it wooden-ish? Paper-ish? Clay-ish? Where did you find it? It could be a seed that's been eaten by a bug/larva of some sort, or it could be the "pod" or cocoon of a solitary or a carpenter bee or wasp (not sure what kind, though).

Keplar240B

New Home wrote: »

Is it wooden-ish? Paper-ish? Clay-ish? Where did you find it? It could be a seed that's been eaten by a bug/larva of some sort, or it could be the "pod" or cocoon of a solitary or a carpenter bee or wasp (not sure what kind, though).

Its woodish I found it under an oak tree.

New Home

An acorn eaten by a worm sounds the most likely explanation.

I'm sure someone else more knowledgeable will come along soon to confirm or to give a better explanation.

Lady Haywire

I think it's an oak gall?

captain_boycott

Gall wasp nest - https://goo.gl/images/99Wyg8

DBB

Hi folks,
I've just found this crayther hiding in a tight spot in a window frame. Around 15-20mm body length. Very shiny abdomen.
I'm usually okay on my native invertebrates... But is this a false widow?
Thanks in advance!

cd07

False widow

kayaksurfbum

Can anyone tell me what bird this is? I thought it was as wren. But I'm not sure.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

kayaksurfbum wrote: »

Can anyone tell me what bird this is? I thought it was as wren. But I'm not sure.

It's a Dunnock, or what we used to call a Hedge Sparrow - although not a Sparrow at all.

Alun

Cynthia Tinkling Suspicion wrote: »

It's a Dunnock, or what we used to call a Hedge Sparrow - although not a Sparrow at all.

You missed the cockerel and the owl

11James11

Anybody id these birds ?The regularly come mixed with the goldfinches but stay in the trees and never visit the bird feeder.

[IMG][/img]

Lady Haywire

Twite?

corks finest

Ilyushin76 wrote: »

Anybody able to id this large bird I spotted on telephone/esb wire today not a great pic was a good distance away

Pheasant ( hen)

tertials

11James11 wrote: »

Anybody id these birds ?The regularly come mixed with the goldfinches but stay in the trees and never visit the bird feeder.

Linnets.

captain_boycott

11James11 wrote: »

Anybody id these birds ?The regularly come mixed with the goldfinches but stay in the trees and never visit the bird feeder.

[IMG][/img]

Either linnet or redpoll.

Rosahane

Looks like Redpoll.

OpenYourEyes

They're Linnet.

MF290

Two birds in the garden throwing leaves about. The top half is an orange/brown (looks like a pigeon) but they also have a magpie's tail. Any ideas?

OpenYourEyes

MF290 wrote: »

Two birds in the garden throwing leaves about. The top half is an orange/brown (looks like a pigeon) but they also have a magpie's tail. Any ideas?

Sounds like Jays!

corks finest

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

MF290 wrote: »

Two birds in the garden throwing leaves about. The top half is an orange/brown (looks like a pigeon) but they also have a magpie's tail. Any ideas?

Sounds like Jays!

Correct

MF290

Thanks, never noticed them before. There are two hanging around an oak tree in garden.

happyday

MF290 wrote: »

Thanks, never noticed them before. There are two hanging around an oak tree in garden.

They are very noisy and kind of shriek at each other.

corks finest

happyday wrote: »

MF290 wrote: »

Thanks, never noticed them before. There are two hanging around an oak tree in garden.

They are very noisy and kind of shriek at each other.

More colours on the jays though,take a pic,Google jay and compare

MF290

Photos aren't great but they look like jays compared to online images.
Are they common?

corks finest

MF290 wrote: »

Photos aren't great but they look like jays compared to online images.
Are they common?

I've only seen them( noticed them) last 4/5 year's

corks finest

MF290 wrote: »

Photos aren't great but they look like jays compared to online images.
Are they common?

No pics

MF290

corks finest wrote: »

No pics

should be there now, I'll see if I can get a better one.

gzoladz

Almost sure it is a Jay. They are not uncommon, but very elusive.

Del.Monte

Jay's are shy birds and wary of humans. They have always been there but you rarely see them and often a bit like Kingfishers it's just a sudden flash of colour.

corks finest

Del.Monte wrote: »

Jay's are shy birds and wary of humans. They have always been there but you rarely see them and often a bit like Kingfishers it's just a sudden flash of colour.

Del.Monte wrote: »

Jay's are shy birds and wary of humans. They have always been there but you rarely see them and often a bit like Kingfishers it's just a sudden flash of colour.

Agree,but like the kingfisher ,once located,you will see them again,I see the kingfisher on the same stretch of my local river (two pot)and have done so for years

Poll Dubh

Found this bone out on an island in Clew Bay - any ideas?