Mystery Bird warmup

[Brian Stone]

These poor digipics are rather better quality than the video grabs to come and shouldn't prove too problematic. The quality will decline I promise ;). All will be Western Palearctic birds.

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Hmm 'nice' pics Brian. I'm tempted to let Jane have first crack but mine will be mostly wrong anyway:

1) Least Sandpiper
2) Long-billed Dowitcher
3) Garganey
4) Black-necked Grebe
5) Err well there's 4 Canada Geese and a Tufted Duck. Oh you want the one circled? Well maybe a rather lost Little Auk.

[Michael Frankis]

# 3 is a wildfowler's plastic decoy. The ring on the back for lifting it out of the water shows all too clearly :-O
Probably modelled on Garganey though.

#1 I'd go for Ruff
#2 don't know.
#4 B-n Grebe a.k.a. Eared Grebe
#5 storn-driven Manx Shearwater?

Michael

[Jasonbirder]

1. Turnstone
2. Bar-tailed Godwit
3. Garganey
4. Slavonian grebe
5. ????

[Brendan T]

Fear what's to come if this is the warmup!!
1. Curlew Sandpiper
2. White-rumped Sandpiper?
3. Garganey
4. juv Little Grebe
5. ??

[Brian Stone]

3 named correctly so far. Best is 2 right. Clearly harder than I thought it would be and the duck is a real one. It got off the water all by itself. The loop is an odd bit of weed I think. Keep going.

[Jane Turner]

Oh nearly missed this and its my bedtime

1 Pectoral Sandpiper
2 Curlew sandpiper
3 Garganey
4 Black-necked grebe
5 Manxie

[Brian Stone]

Wow! Didn't even break into a sweat eh Jane? All these were photographed recently around Peterborough and the Manx appeared on a gravel pit in calm, sunny weather. There were a couple of others inland on the same day (17 Sept).

The video grabs start later today.

[Jane Turner]

The mantle fringes and bill length gave the CS up. My first guess for bird one was Long-toed Stint....! Then I realised it was too big... was the Pec and adult?

[Brian Stone]

The Pec was a juv as was the Curlew Sand. Better pics of both here:
http://pbc.codehog.co.uk/gallery/pec_sand_sep_03.htm
http://pbc.codehog.co.uk/gallery/curlew_sand_aug_03.htm

[Jane Turner]

It managed to hide its mantle lines nicely!

[Andrew Whitehouse]

We are all mere infants at your feet Jane!

[Jane Turner]

Is that a skit a my advancing years?

[Brian Stone]

Is that a skit a my advancing years?

I am sure it was more a reference to us being being in a kindergarten compared to your university of ID skills. o:)

There will be a short delay getting more ID pics sorted out as my lunchtime was taken up with this little beauty. Very late for 'round here and extremely confiding.
:t:

[Joern Lehmhus]

Lesser whitethroat?

[Jane Turner]

I'd say so.. Racial ID might be interesting though.... I'm supposed to be working...but might be attempting a wingformula instead!

[Brian Stone]

I'd say so.. Racial ID might be interesting though.... I'm supposed to be working...but might be attempting a wingformula instead!

Yes, we immediately started fretting about race. Ought to start a new thread for this really. Don't know if another pic might help. (Also working hard! :gn: )

[Michael Frankis]

Not checked the wing formula, but this bird certainly looks rather brownish without much in the way of a dark mask . . .

Thoughts of another minula? - one was ringed in Yorks a week or two ago (and still there) . .

[Brian Stone]

I have started a new thread including these pics.
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=10283