New Mystery Photo quiz

[Ghostly Vision]

[FONT=Arial][SIZE=2]

Here's the first in my very own Photo quiz. All photos are taken in the UK.

The first is a bird that is also seen the the Nearctic, however.

Please have patience if I don't post answers straight away - I already spend too much time on here!!

[Brian Stone]

Can I kick off with Slavonian (Horned) Grebe (Podiceps auritus)?

[nigelblake]

I think its an Auk, probably a Puffin!

[tom mckinney]

Female Common Scoter?

[Ghostly Vision]

Incorrect, both guesses.

Can see where you are both coming from though.


Sean

[Ghostly Vision]

Sorry - posted last message before Tom's guess.

He is the nearest so far, by a long way.....

Sean

[Ben Rackstraw]

L.T. Duck?

[Didier Godreau]

a female of Long-tailed Duck ?

;-)

[mattpau]

Surf scoter?

[Ghostly Vision]

Ben - you obviously get a lot of them down in Sussex!!!

Well done, here is another photo of the little blighter.

There will be another tomorrow

Sean

[Ghostly Vision]

..........And well done Didier - this is an adult female, taken in August at a reservoir as far away from the sea as possible, in Derbyshire.

Sean

[Ghostly Vision]

Right then, try this one.

Perhaps a little easier than the last, as much more bird showing.

Again, one seen both sides of the Atlantic, and again, taken in the UK.

Will be leaving you all to guess until tomorrow, so this should be easy to gen up on....

[Jules Sykes]

Starter for ten Shaun
Baird's Sand (without a book)

[Ghostly Vision]

The answer will come tomorrow, Jules, you cheeky monkey.

Any other guesses before my bedtime?

Sean

[Larry Lade]

Pectoral Sandpiper.

I would like to have seen side view, front view, legs and bill, but that may have been to easy then.

[Michael W]

I'll also try Pectoral Sandpiper.

I'm glad you're starting a quiz too, because I'm about out of mystery photos...

[Tim100]

White-rumped Sandpiper

[Ben Rackstraw]

I'll go for Baird's Sandpiper too. I seem to remember you posting some more pics of this a while back Sean, if it's the bird I think it is! I suppose that counts as cheating.

[M Cowming]

Baird's Sand.

[Bluetail]

Baird's Sand for me too.

[Brian Stone]

Starter for ten Shaun
Baird's Sand (without a book)

Perhaps it has got a book but you just can't see it in the grass there. Then again, none of the Baird's Sands I've seen have had a book.
:h?:
Sorry!

[lou salomon]

Baird's is my guess, too, without a book.
Lou

[Jane Turner]

Bairds for me.. though worried about the bill tip shape a bit

[Jules Sykes]

Perhaps it has got a book but you just can't see it in the grass there. Then again, none of the Baird's Sands I've seen have had a book.
:h?:
Sorry!

Don't be sorry Brian you've just put a smile on a face now at the back end of a bad day. Anyway would most likely to have a television and be called John Logie. ;)

[Ghostly Vision]

To all those experts who said Pec sand - Wrong!

Yes, it is a (John Logie) Baird's. Taken in Cornwall in September. Only my wife and myself watching this bird - smallest crowd I've ever seen at a rarity!

Ben - you lose points for cheating, you scoundrel!

Here is another picture of it.

The bill had recently been in mud, which is why it had a slight bulge.


Another follows in the next post.............

Well done all

Sean

[Ghostly Vision]

Now, this is either going to be extremely hard, or extremely easy.

No clues this time, but it was once again taken in the UK.

It is worth y'all out there having a go, though!


Sean

[tom mckinney]

EASY!!!

I DO know this. Of course it helps if you were with the photographer when the pic was taken!

[RecoveringScot]

Now, this is either going to be extremely hard, or extremely easy.

No clues this time, but it was once again taken in the UK.

It is worth y'all out there having a go, though!


Sean

Ovenbird?

Phil

[Bluetail]

JUst what I was thinking, Phil.

[Tim Allwood]

me too Phil

[Dimitris]

Nice bum,who is the owner?

[RecoveringScot]

Stone the crows. I'm usually embarrassingly crap at this sort of thing.

Phil

[Ben Rackstraw]

Oh no. I'm going to lose points again.

To me it looks like an Ovenbird. Analysis of the pine needles would suggest it was taken in the South West of the UK, and by the angle of light, I reckon it might have been October 2004.

The photo was taken in one of two ways...either the photographer was hassling the vagrant, and stood on top of it, to take a picture with his phone

...or, the photographer was sat quietly, and took the picture making full use of his swanky digital camera's zoom facility, as the bird approached him of its own accord.

(I say swanky digital camera, as I've just bought myself a Coolpix 4500 (after getting bored of grabbing stills from footage obtained by digicamcorderscoping or whatever it's called), and know that Mr Cole is part of the club I've joined)

[Ghostly Vision]

There is officially too much cheating going on for this picture.

Shame it was an OLIVE-BACKED PIPIT!!!

Tommo - you shouldn't tell people publicly that we were holding hands.

Ben - you have already been warned about it! Cheats never win! Nice deduction though.

Jason, Timmmeee, Phil - one point each. Because yes, it was an (nay, THE, Ovenbird really).

I'm now going to dig out some of my older pics off the CD's, taken in Derbyshire - I know nobody goes birding there, so should be safe from the cheats.

Watch this space

Sean

[Ghostly Vision]

Right then,

These will keep you all going for a few hours until I return.

All taken UK, not saying where or when.

Come on Ben - I also want time of year, and the circumstances under which photos were taken...............

Sean

[Ben Rackstraw]

No.1 : Twite. I can deduce that the photographer was standing behind the bird.

No.2 : Have to come back to this one, when I've had a chance to have a play in photoshop. Not even certain whether it's a duck or a swimming wader. I can deduce, however, that the photographer was drunk when trying to focus the shot.

No. 3 : Something is saying Ring-billed Gull to me. Need to check a few things out before committing though. I can deduce that the bird is sulking, because the photographer's supply of bread has run out.

No.4 : Hmm. Juv tern. Looks as if it could be just a Common, but need to do a bit of swotting up again though. I can deduce that the photographer was annoyed when yet another bird decided to hide just as he pressed the shutter release.

[tom mckinney]

Well I'm not going to be boring and copy Ben's so have a laugh at these:

1) juv Serin/Canary
2) Pec Sand (wing too long for a Teal?)
3) 1st summer Common Gull
4) Bollox to it - Ross's Gull

[Gerry Hooper]

No.2 looks like a Ruddy Duck with that tail. (opposite end to the head).
Apart from that Ben's suggestions seem Twite reasonable.

[Jules Sykes]

Nice one Shaun, struggling big time though.
1. Serin
2. Pec Sand (I like Tom's call on this)
3. Med Gull (just to be different)
4. Arctic Tern

[Tim Allwood]

hey folks, this is Derbysire remember.

I left it to actually see some birds

Sean, I reckon i couod do some locations as well!

I'll keep out of this one but the terns legs look a strange colour to me

[Ghostly Vision]

Well, some of Ben's are only partial guesses, except for his Twite. So I'll only count that guess, Ben, until you have done your research.

Allowing for this there is only one correctly identified bird.

Sean

[Tim Allwood]

one is a twite in heather, up in the Goyt Valley/Derbyshire bridge area?

[Ghostly Vision]

Timmmeee

Actually only one of the photos were taken in Derbyshire. But they were all taken in the UK, before I got my Coolpix....

Sean

[Tim Allwood]

can't help it.....

last is a Little Tern with those legs? Titchwell?

[lou salomon]

grrrrmbl.
1. Twite
2. Dunlin? (haha)
3. Ring-billed
4. Arctic T. juv???
hmmm

[Ghostly Vision]

Before I go (til later)

Altogether, with all firm guesses (inc Ben's single guess), two correct

Sean

[James Lowther]

errrrr,
twite, sharp-tailed sandpiper, ring-billed gull and little tern

[Ben Rackstraw]

I'll commit with Ring-billed Gull now.

No.2 actually looks a bit like a Red-necked Phalarope (ear covert patch, patterning on its back and its bill). Don't know what's going on with its overall colouration or on the breast though.

[tom mckinney]

My first thought was Phalarope, but it doesn't quite fit the bill...

[Bluetail]

1. Twite
2. Red-necked Phalarope
3. Ring-billed Gull
4. Common Tern

[Spede]

juv Serin
Pintail, ad female
Common Gull
Arctic Tern

About the "Pintail": It's got to be some duck, right? And not so many of them have light brown head with dark grey bill and a body without any white markings, except the white vent. Let's see...

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I'm going for Golden Plover on number 2. I think the long-billed look is an illusion created by the masterful photographer.

[Harry Hussey]

1) Juv. Twite
2) I'm guessing that the brownish tones to the face etc are a photographic artefact, and that the bird is a juvenile phalarope. That said, which one is it? I'll go with Grey to be different, think I can make out a few grey 1st-winter feathers....
3)I'd guess that 1st-w Ring-billed would be most likely (though the worn tertials don't help)
4)Hmm...juv. Little (realising that I may well be wrong here)

Harry

[Jane Turner]

wtf.. is pic two changing all the time? looks like a Blue-winged teal now

[Tim100]

I thought blue-winged teal on first look at 2. However my guesses are...

1 - Twite
2 - Baird's Sandpiper
3 - Ring Billed Gull
4 - Ross Gull

[jurek]

Twite, Dunlin, RB gull, Common Tern ?

[Jules Sykes]

can't help it.....

last is a Little Tern with those legs? Titchwell?

How about Least Tern at Rye Harbour (think that was where it was)?.

[Jane Turner]

I have number two swimming.... does everyone else?

[Bluetail]

Well, floating, yes. It looks to me as though the ripples around it are circular.

[Spede]

I have number two swimming.... does everyone else?

Yes, that's why I suggested Pintail.

[Ben Rackstraw]

Number 2 didn't happen to be taken at a zoo did it Sean?

...I have something in mind that isn't in Cat A or C of the British List, as far as I can recall.

[Larry Lade]

I guess #2 looks more like a Ruddy Duck than anything else I can think of.

[Spede]

I guess #2 looks more like a Ruddy Duck than anything else I can think of.

Nice to hear that someone else also thinks it's some wildfowl species. I think that eye-patch don't fit to Ruddy Duck, shouldn't it's eye be within the dark crown? Let's wait and see..

[Harry Hussey]

Hi all,
1) Juv. Twite
2) I'm guessing that the brownish tones to the face etc are a photographic artefact, and that the bird is a juvenile phalarope. That said, which one is it? I'll go with Grey to be different, think I can make out a few grey 1st-winter feathers....
3)I'd guess that 1st-w Ring-billed would be most likely (though the worn tertials don't help)
4)Hmm...juv. Little (realising that I may well be wrong here)

Harry
I have messed around with No.2 a bit (enhanced contrast etc) and can't square its appearance with that of a phalarope any more. Think it might be a Calidrid, will go for Dunlin (probably way off the mark there)
Harry

P.S. Have just realised that my answer to No.4 was a bit vague! Little TERN is what I meant, of course.

[Harry Hussey]

Hi Sean,
Then I shall change my guess for No.4 to Common Tern and wonder what the answer to No.2 is....
Harry

[Ghostly Vision]

Ben and Harry - hope you didn't see the post I've just had to remove - it was WRONG!!!

no's 2, 3, 4 have been identified correctly.

They are
2 -Pec sand (bathing). Well done all those who spotted that it was a calidrid, especially Tomm McK who got it straight away
3 - Ring-billed gull - actually a 2w
4 - Common tern juv

Number 1 has not been named correctly by anybody.

Once they are all id'd correctly, I will add different pics of the birds to prove I'm not fibbing!!

Have to go until tomorrow morning though folks, so will leave you with that tempter....

Sean

[Tim100]

1 - Is it a juv Yellowhammer?

[Harry Hussey]

Hi Sean,
I did see that post, unfortunately (though it did lead to me getting No.4 right!).
No.1 is a devilish pic: really seemed like a Twite! Juv. Linnet, perhaps...?
Harry

[M Cowming]

I'm going for Yellowhammer too...was my first thought.
Glad I refrained from guessing No.2 as i would have been hilariously wrong. No.1 certainly is Bunting like.

[Jane Turner]

Hi Sean,
I did see that post, unfortunately (though it did lead to me getting No.4 right!).
No.1 is a devilish pic: really seemed like a Twite! Pinkish legs, bill shape etc point towards Common Rosefinch, despite the warmth of the face...or can 2nd cal males in autumn look like this...?
Harry

Its the crsipness of the tertial edges that had me wallowing

[Tim Allwood]

juv. canary?

[Binocularface]

My guess is juvenile Linnet too!

[Ghostly Vision]

Its the crsipness of the tertial edges that had me wallowing


Wow Jane - I'd love to see a rarity submission from you!!

Yellowhammer is wrong. But now we are getting somewhere.

The photo was taken in Staffodshire, and I know the i.d. is correct, as it was singing..........oh, too easy now!!

Here are the others, to prove I'm not cheating....I put the Pec sand next to a duck just to show you all the differences between the families ;)

By the way, I don't have a better picture of no.1 so will have to explain why it is what it is.

Sean

[Ghostly Vision]

Sorry - here they are!!


S

[Harry Hussey]

Hi Sean,
Corn Bunting for No.1, but that bill looks very fine (and short) for the species.
Harry

[Binocularface]

Ok Sean, bearing in mind the bird obviously looks nothing like the species it is...................Is it a Corn Bunting?

[Ghostly Vision]

......Oh Harry, apologies, the Ring-billed gull was taken in May (in Cornwall), so is a 1st summer. I have to watch out, as I know you will be able to instantly correct me!!

Only the Pec sand was photographed in Derbyshire, oddly enough!!

The Common tern was with its parents at the home of rare birds, Whitemoor Haye in Staffs, ten miles from my home. :bounce:

Sean

[Ghostly Vision]

:clap: :clap: :clap:

Well done Harry and Tristan.

1 Corn Bunting
2 Pec sand
3 Ring-billed gull
4 Common tern

[Dimitris]

1st cirl bunting
2nd teal,female
3rd moulting 1st winter common gull
4th juv. common tern.

Hope I'm right.Love the quiz Ghostly Vision! :clap: :clap: :clap:

[Dimitris]

oups...

[Harry Hussey]

Hi Sean,
......Oh Harry, apologies, the Ring-billed gull was taken in May (in Cornwall), so is a 1st summer. I have to watch out, as I know you will be able to instantly correct me!!
Coming from a man who took great care to point out the differences between Calidris sandpipers and Anas ducks.... ;)
Can't compete with that, so wasn't going to mention the age of the Ring-billed. Now that you draw it up, however....
Harry

[tom mckinney]

Great quiz Mr Cole.

Keep 'em coming...

[lou salomon]

what? corn bunting with that bill? ok it's a photo...my problem with corn b's is that there are too many down in Romania, so I don't look at them anymore. I should!
Lou

[Ghostly Vision]

Watch this space - there will be more later.

Want 'em hard or easy???

Sean

[tom mckinney]

A mixed bag, Sean.

Go for it...

[Spede]

clear pictures from hard species :)

[Ghostly Vision]

Here we go then boys and girls.

I have put five together, all nice and easy.

This time, for reasons that I will withold (should that have two "h's"?), I won't tell you which country they were taken this time....

Leave you all to it for a few hours.

Sorry to our American friends, these are pretty much European only birds....



Sean

[tom mckinney]

Not seen any other answers...

1 - Black-throated Diver
2 - Great Crested Grebe
3 - juv Rose-coloured Starling
4 - 1w Citrine Wagtail
5 - Short-toed Treecreeper

[Ghostly Vision]

Spede - difficult enough? Good enough quality?

Ben - can I also have a run-down of hte circumstances, time of year, etc, please - the last one was so funny.

Tom - not telling you your score 'til later, but check out a book or two.....

Sean the tease

[Jane Turner]

Creeper is a Tree creeper..

Wagtail looks like partial albino White Wag

[Spede]

Good quality! :)

quick reply without books, have to look more at home if no one give the correct list before that..

1. Great Northern Diver
2. Slavonian Grebe
3. Rose-Coloured Starling
4. Citrine Wagtail
5. Short-toed Treecreeper

[tom mckinney]

I take it that means 0/5 Sean!

[Tim100]

1 - Red throated diver
2 - Baikal teal
3 - Sedge warbler
4 - Citrine wagtail
5 - Short-toed treecreeper

[Ben Rackstraw]

Not much to be said about the circumstances for the first two...er...they were on a lake.

I'd go for Red-throated Diver for #1, based on overall spottiness.

#2 colouration says juv G.C. Grebe, but have no refs to hand to look up what the other spp look like. With juv grebes I usually just assume they're the same species as the bird they're riding on.

Agree with juv Rose-coloured Starling for 3, White Wagtail for 4 and Treecreeper no.5.

Photos 3-5 show the varying results obtained with the photographer's newest bit of kit, for getting shots of tricky passerines... a cricket bat.

#3 - perched just too high up to get it to turn around.
#4 - only managed to clip its tail.
#5 - success at last...a direct hit.

[tom mckinney]

After checking Collins, there's definitely one possibly two I'd change...

possibly three or four...

[Spede]

I think I'd better change my #1 to Red Throated, I suppose that Great Northern should have clearer black edge and whiter throat. Nothing to do with what others have answered ;-)

[jurek]

Black-throated diver, great crested grebe, rose-colored starling, white wagtail, comon treecreeper?

[James Lowther]

same as jurek, only with red-throated diver. I don't have an original bone in my body. ;)
James

[Bluetail]

1. Red-throated Diver
2. Great Crested Grebe
3. Rose-coloured Starling
4. White Wagtail
5. You haven't sneaked in a Brown Creeper here, have you? ;)

[Harry Hussey]

1)Black-throated Diver
2)Great Crested Grebe
3)Rose-coloured Starling (juv)
4)White Wagtail (1st-w)
5)Treecreeper

Harry

[M Cowming]

Red-throated Diver
Great Crested grebe
Rose coloured starling
Citrine wagtail
Treecreeper

[Ghostly Vision]

Now the suspense ends...........

Jurek is the first to name ALL FIVE correctly (Post no. 97). However, Jane, you appeared to get them right by correcting Tom's two wrong answers, so also spot on.

All WERE taken in the UK, but that would have given away the Treecreeper, wouldn't it?

Actually Ben, no Cricket bat - Airguns are the digiscoping equivalent! They were taken with my old camera, so I was well practised at getting crap shots by then!!!

The White wag had missing tail feathers, so it looked white-tailed.

The creeper was left on my doorstep by next-door-but-one's cat!! Need I say more.

Incidentally, Jason - you raise a good point. If a Brown Creeper were to be able to make it to the UK, how would we identify it????

I'm afraid I am off to visit Harry's home City of Corcaigh tomorrow, so we will have to continue this episode on Tuesday. Look out for it then, chaps and chapesses.

I promise you all, I have some REALLY good ones for you then........


Sean

[Ghostly Vision]

.....And well done Harry as usual.

To re-iterate

1 Black-throated diver, poss 1st summer, Derbyshire, May 03
2 GC Grebe, juv
3 Rosy pastor, juv, Cornwall, Oct 03
4 White Wag (I thought ad at the time?) Cornwall, Oct 03. Harry - interested in your 1w theory. Will post another pic or two of this to help
5 Common treecreeper, RIP (as will the cat when the neighbours are out). This was july, so poss a juv in its first set of proper feathers?

Well done all, see you Tuesday

Sean

[tom mckinney]

One for Sean ;) :

[Ghostly Vision]

One for Sean ;) :


Think this might be some kind of plastic duck, though can't tell which one......

Obviously photo taken among the reeds and grass to make it appear more wild, and zoomed out to make it look wary.

By angle of light, I'd say May, northern isles by the vegetation.

Species - desperateman's duck??

Sean

[Bluetail]

Incidentally, Jason - you raise a good point. If a Brown Creeper were to be able to make it to the UK, how would we identify it????According to Harrap and Quinn's Tits, Nuthatches and Treecreepers, it's doubtful that it could be distinguished (it's often considered conspecific with Treecreeper).

Compared to the britannica race of Treecreeper, the Canadian race of Brown Creeper (americana - there are 12 races in the americas!) has slightly more prominently streaked upperparts (so it appears less spotted) with the streaks whiter on the mantle and scapulars. "Dark-phase" birds are also slightly colder and darker (thus closer to Short-toed). I've only seen one Brown Creeper - a late spring bird in Ontario: that one struck me as noticeably more "mealy" looking than Treecreeper, perhaps even more so than Short-toed (though I've limited experience of that too).

The wing pattern of Brown Creeper is pretty much identical to Treecreeper except that the white, "hooked back" crescents on the tips of the flight feathers are on average slightly better defined and the inner web of the longest tertial, though variable, is usually dark enough to contrast with the whitish tip of the outer web, while the dark on the outer web is always darker and contrasts strongly (this being intermediate between Treecreeper and Short-toed, but nearer to the latter) and the blackish bar on the outer four secondaries is about equal in width across all feathers (thus similar to Short-toed).

The song is different and more variable than either Treecreeper or Short-toed, but we're unlikely to hear that. It's closer to the latter's: a short, weak warble comprising 4-8 thin, highpitched and somtimes sibilant whistled units, often introduced by a tsree note, e.g. tsee-tuti-sedu-wee or twee-trrrr-sit-tu-tee; the phrase lasts one second and is repeated several times, sometimes to make a very long song. There are regional dialects (e.g. in California the "northern song" is introduced with a buzzing note; the "southern song" terminates in a buzz).

Calls are rather similar to Treecreeper: a soft, but penetrating, high-pitched, drawn-out, sibilant seee or trseee, a pure, tinkling or bell-like ti or tyt and an incisive tsit, sometimes repeated, tsit, tsit, tsit.

[Jane Turner]

Now the suspense ends...........

However, Jane, you appeared to get them right by correcting Tom's two wrong answers, so also spot on.
Sean

I'm a lazy cow .. it has to be said

[Larry Lade]

Think this might be some kind of plastic duck, though can't tell which one......
Sean
When someone uses the term "plastic" to describe a bird, does this mean it is some sort of hybrid/exotic or does it mean something else?

[Spede]

One for Sean ;) :

Anas cyanoptera

[Dimitris]

1-great northen diver
2-great crested grebe
3-hill sparrow(?)
4-1st winter grey wagtail
5-confusing...Has quite a long hind claw...I'll go for treecreeper.

P.S good photos!!!

[jurek]

One for Sean ;) :

Naming the file "cinn_teal.bmp" could be a sort of hint :)

[M Cowming]

Lol...I didn't want to state the obvious Jurek but you did. Someone had to do it!

[Jos Stratford]

When someone uses the term "plastic" to describe a bird, does this mean it is some sort of hybrid/exotic or does it mean something else?


Hi Larry,
I think this term is used to describe a bird which is generally regarded as having skipped out of the nearest cage or collection, i.e. escaped species.

[Ghostly Vision]

Hello, all - back again from sunny Ireland.

Firstly - Dimitris - you gave the best answers to the last five, even though some were wrong!!

Secondly - Tom has a little private joke about Cinnamon teals, so to those guessing, this was his little humorous interlude....

Thirdly - this is officially the last post on this thread. Go to my new one "Even newer mystery bird quiz".

Jason - thanks for that on the Brown Creeper. Harry - get out there next Autumn onto the Dingle.....

Sean