4 mystery birds

[Brian Stone]

Four rather cruddy video stills for identification.

[CJW]

1) Rough-legged Buzzard
2) Scandinavian Rock pipit
3) Merlin
4) Errr, no idea.

[Darrell Clegg]

Agree with CJW on 1,2 &3 though I suppose 2 could be a Water Pipit. How about Golden Oriole for 4?

Darrell

[Michael Frankis]

I'll go for Great Reed Warbler for #4

Michael

[Jane Turner]

I think all the work is done.

[jpoyner]

I'll go for

1. Rough-legged Buzzard
2. Water Pipit
3. Merlin
4. A guess at Great Reed Warbler

JP

[Brian Stone]

Not all named correctly so far.

[Michael Frankis]

Meadow Pipit for #2 instead?

[CJW]

It's the last one that no-one has got yet, I reckon.

Meadow Pipit, Michael?

[Brian Stone]

Someone has three right and one is yet to be mentioned.

[Jane Turner]

Ok plant bods...is that standard Phragmites that bird 4 is i? If so the bird is too small for Great Reed

Looks like one though.. how about Clamourous Reed Warbler

[CJW]

So why go for a bigger bird than Great Reed, Jane?

[Michael Frankis]

So why go for a bigger bird than Great Reed, Jane?
BWP Concise gives Great Reed as 20% larger than Clamorous ;)

[CJW]

I'm only messing Michael. God!

[Jane Turner]

Actually I thought it wasn't standard Phragmites but it did look like a big acro and the head-shape looks wrong for Thick-billed

[Michael Frankis]

Not convinced that grass is Phragmites either, but the pic doesn't show enough detail to identify it.

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Without looking at the others' answers:
1) Rough-legged Buzzard
2) Water Pipit
3) Merlin
4) Great Reed Warbler

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Oh I guess I've got at least one wrong as well then!

[Jane Turner]

While we strugle with bird 4, lets experiment with the rest.

I can't get past Rought-leg for the Buzzard. The build looks right and the tail pattern should be conclusive.

The pipit.. has the thrushy stance of Water/Rock, the contrast between the throat and the breast looks very Rock. Can't see how it could be anything other than this species pair.

The falcon looks like Merlin... I guess the only other thing it could possibly be is a Kestrel.... though the colour looks merlin as do the underparts.

[Brian Stone]

This help at all?

[Harry Hussey]

1)Common Buzzard:it does look good for RL Buzzard,but apparently pale Buzzards can show such a tail pattern,and most such birds show an obvious pale patch at the base of the primaries on the upperwing,as this bird does.
2)Hard to say,but I'll go with littoralis Rock Pipit(though it may be Water)
3)Merlin
4)Great Reed Warbler
Harry H

[Jane Turner]

Only in the implication that we all got the Buzzard wrong.

1.Common Buzzard (how did it get that tail?)
2.Rock Pipit
3.Meriln
4.Great Reed warbler

[Brian Stone]

Another view of the errant buzzard and a couple of the troublesome pipit.

[Jane Turner]

Still looks like a (scandi-ish) Rock Pipit to me.

[Andrew Whitehouse]

On the Buzzard, it could conceivably be a Long-legged Buzzard with that clear dark trailing edge. I'm put off a bit by the background - not very east Mediterranean. I still think that looks like a Water Pipit, although maybe wouldn't rule out a littoralis.

[Michael Frankis]

Methinks now a very pale Common Buzzard, from that latest pic.

The pipit still looks most like littoralis Rock - has Rock been eliminated or not? (CJ - that's why I suggested Meadow as a poss alternative, I thought we'd in effect been told it wasn't Rock or Water, but I may have been mis-interpreting things).

Michael

[Brian Stone]

OK. The Common Buzzard is an extremely pale example that has been resident near my house for a year or so. The Merlin is very straightforward and the Great Reed was a brute that would have had me going if it wasn't for the fact it rattling away like mad outside my apartment window. And it is in some giant reed like plant.

That just leaves the pipit. It was identified as Water Pipit at the time and I am fairly happy with that. There was another, much more typical and less scruffy Water Pipit with it at times. Crucially the outer tail feathers appeared white. A tricky pair.

[Jane Turner]

Littoralis Rocks can have white outers, it white on the second outer that is crucial.

[Joern Lehmhus]

Oh; I see I missed the fun, working outside on the field yesterday...
The grass the great reed warbler was in looks mostly like Miscanthus sinensis german name Riesenchinaschilf-translated, that would be giant chinese reed ;

but thats only a guess-cant do much more with that photo

[Brian Stone]

The very pale Common Buzzard featured here posed for some shots at the weekend. Now in its third winter in the same location.
http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=15288
and
http://pbc.codehog.co.uk/gallery/pale_buzzard_dec_03.htm