The Great British Bird Quiz

Yv

Yv

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Yvonne, pronounced Eve...
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A bit of fun this one really. As I mentioned in the Fly Catcher thread, I saw plenty of birds last week, some of which I know, others I am unsure of. So, I thought I would put it to the audience as it were. More to the point, I would be grateful for the help in identification, as I am still learning about this wold life lark, and loving every minute of it. I just wish we could have managed a shot of the stoats we saw running down the road, twice!!

I must apologise in advance for the quality, or lack thereof, of some of these images. For the majority, it was late afternoon under trees, and the more I start to do this kind of stuff, the more I am feeling the limitations of my sigma 70-300 with its F5 at the 300mm end. I predict a Nikon 70-300VR coming along soon .... or maybe even the 70-200 + teleconverter, but in the meantime, I am making do, and in good light the sigma is pretty fine.

So, here ya go, 9 different birds for you to identify, a couple I know, several I dont....no prizes I am afraid, though bragging rights are obligatory

#1
bird1.jpg


#2
bird2.jpg


bird2a.jpg


#3
bird3.jpg


#4
bird4.jpg


#5
bird5.jpg


#6
bird6.jpg


#7
bird7.jpg


#8
bird8.jpg


#9
bird9.jpg
 
Goldfinch
Thrush
Thrush
Female Chaffinch
Male Chaffinch
Blue Tit
Greenfinch
Dunnock
Coal Tit
Coal Tit

Nice selection.:)
 
Smart ass.....:LOL: Well, smarter than me when it comes to birdies. Could you not have made it iron birds from WWll like the Spit or Me110 etc? :rules:

Seriously though, good captures (I know how bl@@dy hard it is to get the little bu@@ers) and good on you CT for knowing them all. (Assuming they are right of course) :LOL::LOL::LOL:

David.
 
p.s. What's a Dunnock. Pardon my ignorance, I've never heard of it. (Genuinely interested BTW)

David.
 
:clap: Thankyou CT!! and weyhey, I did get a dunnock afterall :LOL: :LOL:

The thrushes seemed quite small, but as there were a lot of them hanging around with some pied wagtails on that black, rocky outcrop just outside a village, I wasnt sure that they were even thrushes. The goldfinch landed briefly, then disappeared again....lil swine!

The rest were taken at Sutton Moor Centre, sat on the cafe patio, right next to the bird feeders.... there was also another breed of tit that I was chatting to a elderly gentleman about, but unfortunately, my pics are too blurry to be worth posting. Now looking at the pictures they had there and chatting to this chap, they were either marsh or willow tits, but I couldnt tell the difference, and this chap said his eyesight was now too poor to see it either, though he had spent years bird watching in the area when he was younger.


I also have to say a big thankyou to CT, Ven and DD in particular, as its their pics that have inspired me to make more of an effort in this area, and I am enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would - until recently, things that had wings usually travelled round race tracks for me and my camera - so...well....THANKS GUYS!! :hug: :D
 
gwocni said:
p.s. What's a Dunnock. Pardon my ignorance, I've never heard of it. (Genuinely interested BTW)

David.
Click to expand...
A Dunnock is another commonly used name for a Hedge Sparrow or Hedge Accentor - that's all.

I'm far from a bird expert- all my birds are the common variety which you're likely to encounter in your average back garden and I'm in a pretty urban environment. So all these birds are what you could reasonably expect to get in your back garden. We shouldn't take that incredible variety for granted though.

When you get out in the sticks I'd be struggling with a lot of species which we don't see in towns. ;)
 
That's quite a young Dunnock LL as seen by the still remaining bits of yellow/orange plastic looking beak. The mature bird is somewhat more subdued in colour.

Mature Dunnock...

OY8N7610-01.jpg


Quite a sleek handsome bird if a little frustrating... they're always rummaging on the ground and rarely land anywhere which helps you as a tog.:D
 
Unfortunately my back garden includes two really fine predators in the shape of Jody and Toby who are two of the best feline bird scarers around. :LOL:

Having said that I have a little Robin who regularly takes the ****** out of them by singing from the top of my radio mast before lighting to get a feed in the garden. :LOL:

So..... No chance of a Dunnock then..... :shrug:
 
Hmmm... you could well be right Jojo. Summer colour is very variable apparently - according to my book anyway.:D

The Venomator will adjudicate in due course no doubt.:D
 
:shrug: For scale, #2, they were bigger then say a finch or tit, but smaller than a blackbird.... I also got th eimpression that some of the weird black rocks that were almost like solidified lava were hiding nests, but I could be wrong on that.


...and on that note, I shall leave you consulting books... icant decide form my book either....goodnight all!!
 
I think #2 is a Meadow Pipit, then again the Rock Pipit is a close match. I'm going with Meadow Pipit as the markings are more striking. Nice captures of some very shy birds. Nice one :)
 
Looks like you had quite a productive day LL ... :thinking: ... and captured some super images of some lovely little feathered friends ... (y) ... well captured and displayed set for your quiz ... ;)

Most of the earlier threads here pick up the correct make and model of your pics ... :D ... I'm so sorry but for once I have had to work out of the (home) office in London ... :shrug:

Anyway ... better late than never to contribute I suppose ... having said most of the birds have been identified I think there are one or two confusing models on display ...

#2 ... and the following un-numbered pic is a Meadow Pipit

And ...

Although #9 is the inimitable Coal Tit (great capture !) the model in #8 ... is likely to be a Marsh Tit imgo ... there is a distinct possibility it may be a Willow Tit and the only real decider would be on voice ... but all things considered I would stick my neck on the line with my first gut feel ... :D

Thanks for taking the time to post LL and set this challenging quiz ... :clap:



:p
 
Thanks Ven, and to everyone that has contributed :clap: Definately some stuff there I am not likely to see in our London garden, despite us being fairly well endowed with green stuff and only a mile or so from farmland and woodlands.


I would have liked the pics to be a bit better, but there is nothing like practice :D

Now then, how is everyones knowledge of the wildlife of Norway? :naughty: :D 5 weeks today I shall be in Bergen port, settling down for last night in ferry cabin, before hitting the road the following morning, so if I am lucky enough to capture any feathered or furry friends, you KNOW who will see them first ;)
 
LadyLens said:
Definately some stuff there I am not likely to see in our London garden,
Click to expand...

Actually, with the possible exception of the confusing two, you should get all the others in a London garden without too much trouble ... :shrug: ... you could even get a Willow Tit too ... we have had them in ours on the edge of a village 20 miles or so out of Londinium ... ;)

Have a great time in Norway LL ... (y) ... looking forward to seeing the images on your return ... :D




:p
 
And of course it's worth pointing out that identification can be particularly tricky at this time of year as there are lots of birds about which haven't yet got their full adult plumage. Generally speaking, a full on side view is the best aid to identification, but our little friends aren't always quite that obliging. :D
 
CT said:
Generally speaking, a full on side view is the best aid to identification, but our little friends aren't always quite that obliging. :D
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Amen to that Cedric (can I call you that now ... :shrug: ... ;) ) ... (y) ... and if our little friends aren't that obliging what about the little devils that want nothing to do with us ... :eek:


:D


:p
 
LOL. Like Nuthatches. :LOL:

And now it seems I've got an occasional Sparrow Hawk visiting.
 
LOL. Just give me half a chance and I'll do my best.:D
 
:LOL: this isnt the time to mention that one of the first birds I photographed with the D70s was a nuthatch! About march time I think last year on hampstead heath [well, kenwood to be totally accurate], freezing cold, but theres an old boy that goes along all the fence posts putting bird seed out for the local feathers, and I was sat on a bench with standard kit 18-70 lens. It was a tad blurry, mainly because my hands were so bloody cold I couldnt hold the camera, but I spent about an hour googling to find out what it was when I got home. ;)

as for side on, thats why I posted 2 of #2, but only had that one of the possible marsh/willow tit that was clear enough for posting...mind you, my friend was taking pics aswell, if she has any better ones, I shall borrow one, for ID purposes of course ;)
 
LadyLens said:
:LOL: this isnt the time to mention that one of the first birds I photographed with the D70s was a nuthatch! About march time I think last year on hampstead heath [well, kenwood to be totally accurate], freezing cold, but theres an old boy that goes along all the fence posts putting bird seed out for the local feathers, and I was sat on a bench with standard kit 18-70 lens. It was a tad blurry, mainly because my hands were so bloody cold I couldnt hold the camera, but I spent about an hour googling to find out what it was when I got home. ;)
Click to expand...


Don't tell Cedric then ... :cautious:


Of course we will require proof LL ... :thinking: ... :shrug:


Dig it out then ... :naughty:



:p
 
Organic said:
Mmmm. I appear to have joined the "invisible people" again.
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Not at all Organic ... :shrug: ... too sensitive by half ... ;)


Just adding my own view/confirmations ... :thinking: ... and you did appear to have only half convinced yourself having mentioned the Rock Pipit in the same 'breath' ... :D




:p
 
Venomator said:

Don't tell Cedric then ... :cautious:


Of course we will require proof LL ... :thinking: ... :shrug:


Dig it out then ... :naughty:



:p
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**I KNOW he is going to tell me this isnt a nuthatch now**

:LOL:

Did some digging on ExtHD and here it is.... although I lied, it was the 70-300 lens, taken on March 28 2006, which would make sense, as I bought that lens mid to late march so was probably giving it its first proper run out. This is the cropped version, definately blurry, but at least you can make it out ;)

nuthatch.jpg




Organic...definately not invisible... You definately get the gloating rights for that one, though Jo was also close with tree pipit ;)
 
Sorry guy and gals just having a bad day at work... :( Jo should take the credit as she put me on the right track and jogged my memory. :)
 
LadyLens said:
**I KNOW he is going to tell me this isnt a nuthatch now**

:LOL:

This is the cropped version, definately blurry, but at least you can make it out ;)
Click to expand...

:cautious: ... you have definitely got the wrong impression of me then ... ;)

That is a really nice image LL ... (y) ... OK so it is a little soft but the image itself is a typical view of the species and very well caught ... :D

And anyways it is far better than I have managed thus far from my daily visits from our 'resident' pair ... :thinking: ... and 100% better than anything even Cedric has come up with ... :naughty:


TFS ... :D



:p


 
It is always a tough call on these two LL and even experienced birders will confuse them ... :thinking: ... and as I said above voice would be the only real alternative to having one in the hand and studying feather detail close up ... :shrug:


Until proven otherwise I will stick with my original call ... :cautious: ... Marsh Tit ... :D


Good capture of a diminutive little Tit though Learner ... (y)



:p
 
That's a Nuthatch alright LL and it's so typical of them that pose, hanging head down off walls and all sorts of surfaces where you'd think they couldn't get a grip.

Shame it's not a bit sharper, but nice shot all the same. (y)
 
Just out of interest LL - whereabouts is this "Sutton Moor Centre"?

PS I knew most of those, although I did think #2 and #3 were pipits of some sort :D
 
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