Birding ID trivia

[Surreybirder]

I was playing around with my Adobe photo editing programme to see what it could do. It occurred to me that it might be fun to disguise some bird photos and then see if anyone could ID them. So to see whether anyone's interested, here's an embossed picture of a UK bird. Shouldn't be too difficult.

Others might like to submit more testing ones?

[Doug Lloyd]

I would say Great Spotted Woodpecker
Doug

[Paul Rule]

Me thinks it's a Great Tit
Paul

[KCFoggin]

It appears to be a woodpecker of sorts.

[Dave Smith]

This is interesting. I go with Paul on this, a Great Tit.

Dave

[Michael Frankis]

Great Tit here too, at its nest hole.

Michael

[robinm]

Great tit for me. It looks like it is on a feeder.

[birdman]

I would go with Great Tit also, but it's on a feeder.

[helenh]

My answer - Great Tit .... Great Spotted Woodpecker has the wing bar parallel(ish) to the wing edge rather than at right-angles to it (if you see what I mean).

Attached is an embossed woody.

[Andrew]

Great Tit cos there is a large cheek patch which is embossed heavily and that occurs with black.

[seb_seb]

great tit!!!!!!!!!

[Surreybirder]

Great tit it is... on a feeder as robinm suggested.
Nice woodpecker, Helen!
Anyone want to try posting a more difficult one?

[IanF]

Clue - it's in the water !

[birdman]

That's an Eider

[IanF]

Obviously too easy, how about this one then ?

[digi-birder]

Bar-tailed Godwit. I would also suggest that this may be somewhere around the Flamborough area!! Am I close?

[IanF]

Moot point Diane on the ID, you could be right. I still put it down as a Black Tailed - not from Flamborough though. Here's the original.

[Michael Frankis]

Bar-tailed it is!

Michael

[birdman]

You see I would've said Bar-tailed as well - upturned bill and I can write "bar" on the upper leg (thanks for that one digi-birder!).

[IanF]

Another fairly easy one, then I must be getting on, so someone else can have a go !

[Ashley beolens]

bee eater! yes got here first for once

[Michael Frankis]

Yep, Bee-eater, and I think I recognise the wire it is sitting on, too!

Bishop Middleham not too far away . . . ?

Michael

[Surreybirder]

presumably the normal European bee-eater?

[IanF]

Yep, right both counts - taken Bishop Middleham last June !

One more then, maybe a bit more tricky -

[birdman]

I'll start with first impression... Egyptian Goose.

[IanF]

You're too good for this ! Next time you say it's a Bar Tail or Whimbrel, I'll just say "Yes" ;)

Easy one to finish with

[Surreybirder]

bittern (Eurasian?)

Perhaps someone can 'disguise' a photo in some other way? A negative would be too easy as you can simply reverse the process. I believe that some photo editing software allows you to 'twirl' the photo (and some allows you to make it very windswept).

[birdman]

Oh beat me to it... unless IanF's throwing us a curve-ball!

[IanF]

Hey, I said it was easy !

No more for now, I'm off out.

[Michael Frankis]

Or maybe try something less distinctive . . . it'd be interesting to see if we'd be as successful with say, a Semi-palmated Sandpiper or a Blyth's Reed Warbler done embossed like this . .

Michael

[jeff]

What about.......

[birdman]

Willow Warbler?

[Ashley beolens]

A warbler of some sort, judging by size shape etc I'd say a Phylosc of some sort possible Chiffchaff?

Although it could be Wood warbler with the extra colouring around the breast

[Andrew]

I'll go for Willow Warbler.

[seb_seb]

chiffchaff

[IanF]

Willow Warbler

[Surreybirder]

Gosh, the gloves are really off now! Must admit that I haven't much of a clue. It's small compared with the blossom/buds and it's facing towards us, so you cannot really tell how long the bill is. But I'd think that warbler could be right. From the dipped tail, I think I'd guess chiffchaff.

Can I try a couple more teasers? First up is another common UK bird.

[Surreybirder]

also common

[Ashley beolens]

a) Dunnock?

b) Goldfinch

[Surreybirder]

British--possibly more testing?

[jeff]

Yep, chiffchaff.

[paulh]

Give Ian a chance to play from the other side. How about this one?

[Ashley beolens]

surrybirder c)Starling?

Paulh Goldfinch!!

[Michael Frankis]

Surreybirder Bird C - Song Thrush

Michael

[alan_rymer]

Goldfinch?.

Hows about this one?

[Surreybirder]

Ashley, dunnock and goldfinch are correct. I would agree with goldfinch for paulh's offering, too.
I'll reveal my third bird when there are a few more replies!
Any photos from outside the UK?

In the meantime--and before the moderators decide that I'm using up too much web spaceo:) here's bird D.
A little bit trickier, mainly because the original photo wasn't so good.

[Michael Frankis]

I'll guess Linnet for that last one.

Michael

[seb_seb]

blue tit

[Surreybirder]

Ashley and Michael are ace bird IDers. C is a starling and D a rather out-of-focus female linnet.
I'm cooking up a stinker when I get my scanner working!

[robinm]

I think Alan's post deserves an answer.

I reckon as the characters are Sesame Street they've obviously roasted Big Bird for Thanksgiving.

[IanF]

Sorry fo not partaking last night, I was out of action with the XP problems. If only I'd realised the site was still working on W98 though ???
A foreign one, occasionally seen in the UK !

[jeff]

Audouin's Gull

Looks like a Majorcan bird ;-)

[birdman]

Well robinm ided Big Bird, so I'll give you Ernie & Bert, The Count and Oscar the Grouch - but I can't put a name to the two on this side of the table!

Any help?

[Surreybirder]

Yellow-legged gull (michahellis)?

[birdman]

I'm with jeff for the gull.

[Ashley beolens]

I agree Audouins gull

Its Elmo and the cookie monster on this side of the table.

[IanF]

Jeff's too good at this - Audouin's it is !

Another one, UK bid

[birdman]

Whitethroat?

[jeff]

Whitethroat

[IanF]

All right I give in !

[birdman]

I've got a suggestion...

Does anyone else suppose that embossing tends to eliminate lots of superfluous detail, and emphasise distinguishing features?

I'm sure it depends on the bird, but it might be a neat trick for all you digiscopers out there!

[Ashley beolens]

On a ID note, does anyone else partake in Simon Woolley and Julia cassons Mystry bird comp?

http://www.jjcskw.demon.co.uk

Some tough birds, only 7 out of 110 people got last weeks bird right! oh yeah I WAS one of them!!

[paulh]

The goldfinch was obviously too easy, so I'll follow up Surreybirder's suggestion with one from outside the UK.

[jtibbetts]

Is it red cheeked cordon-bleu?

[Surreybirder]

Simon and Julia's mystery birds are very difficult... the latest looks like a lump of feathers in free fall to me! As it's clearly not a turkey I'll give it a miss!
Paulh's has me mystified as well. I wonder if it's one I've seen. My guess it that it's African--but I cannot find anything with a cheek patch that shape and what appears to be a split 'cut-throat' mark. The nearest I've found is one of the sparrow-larks but I don't have comprehensive African guides.

[paulh]

Nice one jtibbets, cordon-bleu is right.

[Surreybirder]

OK, who's going to get this one?... if no-one makes any progress I'll put up a clue or two!

[Ashley beolens]

A gull of some sorts, possibly kittiwake? or common gull?

[Surreybirder]

I have deliberately made this one tough!
But the enlarged picture might help...
Put it this way, if you can identify the gulls at the rear it could put you in the right place...

[Surreybirder]

Here are the background gulls unembossed... I think it was too difficult before.

[Ashley beolens]

Well thats just unfair, these aren't European gulls, so I have no idea, how about white eyed gull?

[Michael Frankis]

Heermann's Gulls, so we're in California or NW Mexico for this . . .

Either Western Gull or Yellow-footed Gull. It's got a heavy bill, so I'll go for Yellow-footed.

Subadult, probably second-summer, as it has a dark tip to the bill and no white mirrors on the primary tips.

Michael

[Surreybirder]

Well done, Michael. We are in fact in northern California.
Sorry, Ashley, but I did say it was a very difficult one and there was a clue about finding out where we were... ;)
I believe it's a Western gull but I'd be open to correction.

[Ashley beolens]

I managed to get that it was a gull, but as I view from work its very hard to check through books that are at home!! all my other guesses are from memory, gulls are not my strong point at the best of times, let alone ones I have never even come colse to seeing.

Well done Michael

[Michael Frankis]

Yep, Western (pink legs), not Yellow-footed (yellow). As Westerns age a bit more slowly than Y-fGs, probably 3rd or 4th summer - adult bill pattern, but no white mirrors, and still brownish on the secondary coverts & tertials.

Michael

[Surreybirder]

Well done, Michael.
Here's a nice easy British one...

[Surreybirder]

Originally posted by Michael Frankis
I'll guess Linnet for that last one.

Michael

Just to show how poor the original was, and how well Michael did!

[Michael Frankis]

Hi Surreybirder,

Thanks!

I'll let someone else claim the kudos for the new one, suffice it to say that it is a mega in Northumberland :-)

Michael

[Surreybirder]

It's becoming increasingly 'mega' in Surrey, I'm sad to say. One of my favourites!

[Ashley beolens]

Surrey birder, its either turtle dove (most likely) or Rufous/oriental turtle dove.

[Surreybirder]

Well, done, Ashley. I doubt if it's an oriental turtle dove in Surrey!
I'll attach the original in case you want to turn it into an otd--again not a brilliant shot, I'm afraid.

[Surreybirder]

I think this one is a tad tricky without embossing it. British.

[Ashley beolens]

Pied wagtail.

[Michael Frankis]

My first thought was Blackcap, but with that black on the throat??

It isn't Marsh or Willow Tit, the black doesn't go far enough down the nape, and the 'jizz' is wrong. And the tail's too short, and the rear edge of the black cap too abrupt, for Ashley's Pied Wag.

I reckon it is a Sylvia warbler of some sort, but which?

Rüppell's? Unfortunately no, that doesn't have a sharply demarcated rear edge to the black cap either.

I can only conclude, it is an aberrant Blackcap with a black patch on its throat. Nowt else British fits.

Michael

[Ashley beolens]

Take a look at the forked tail, its not a sylvia warbler, positioning gives me the impression of a long tail, black bib, black cap, and grey wings is what indicates a pied/white wagtail to me.

[Surreybirder]

Well I never! Keep guessing folks!

[Michael Frankis]

If it is one, I'm very surprised by the width of the plain grey nape without dark brown streaks, but I will try suggesting Reed Bunting.

Michael

[Surreybirder]

Well done, Michael.

Here's another tester.... British.

[Michael Frankis]

Yellowhammer, perched on a Hawthorn hedge

Michael

[Surreybirder]

The hawthorn is correct! But wrong bird.

[birdman]

Tree Sparrow?

[birdman]

No, Cirl Bunting!

[Michael Frankis]

Aye, if not Y'hammer, then Cirl

Michael

[Surreybirder]

Nope!

[birdman]

NOPE??? :eek!:

[Michael Frankis]

OK, female Reed Bunting - trying to pull a fast one by giving us the same species twice?!

Michael

[Surreybirder]

:t:
Well done, Birdman.

[birdman]

I did well there, didn't I!

(Obviously Michael deserves the plaudits, so I pass them on graciously!)

[Surreybirder]

Whoops, sorry Michael.
I've posted the original in the gallery.

[alan_rymer]

Well, how about this one?. No changes, its how it appeared on the camera. Its a British summer visitor and the photo's rubbish. I took 7 photo's and a couple are worse, but on some you can make out what it is!.

[Surreybirder]

If it's not an optical illusion, it certainly looks like one.
As a shot in the dark I'll try whitethroat.

[birdman]

It's a 6 x 6 round with a fibre core... oh... you mean the bird...? Erm.. Robin?

[alan_rymer]

You are noth wrong about the bird, but it is almost impossible to recognise as there are no discernable features. It was unfair of me to ask people to try to identify it.

Its a Chiff Chaff on a power line, so Surreybirder was closest

[Surreybirder]

Here's one I twirled earlier!

[Michael Frankis]

Egyptian Goose

Michael

[Surreybirder]

Correct! The eye patch is probably the best clue! We seem to have a growing no. of the things around where I live in East Surrey--saw 9 together the other day and there's certainly others. They don't seem to form flocks quite so readily as the Canadas do.

[birdman]

Rats... I nearly said Chiffchaff and talked myself out of it!!!
Would've got the Egyptian Goose though!

[peteh]

right try this one

[Michael Frankis]

Common Sandpiper . . . again. Maybe I should make that my stock answer??

Michael

[peteh]

damit

[peteh]

this one then
uk bird

[birdman]

OK... I'll go for Greater Black-Backed Gull

[peteh]

nope

[peteh]

(its flying away from us)

[Michael Frankis]

Prob'ly way out, but I'll try Gannet

Michael

[Andrew]

Sprawk?

[Pterodroma kid]

Fulmar?

Julian

[peteh]

nope.
(was over land)

[peteh]

woohoo ive stumped michael :)
wheres malvolio when u need him :)

[birdman]

Not sure what I'm using as scale, but it looks "big"... so for no other reason than that... Grey Heron

[Andrew]

Kestrel?

[CJW]

Peregrine.

[peteh]

ooo soo close andrew!!!!
bah cjw got it..
:)

[Andrew]

I knew it was a raptor by the bill shape. If I had gone through those cards I woulda got it!

[CJW]

And if I hadn't known that Pete had been out photographing Peregrine this morning, I wouldn't!!!!!

[Andrew]

Ah, ya swine and you say posting a JT moth is cheating!!!

[CJW]

I couldn't resist, but at least I admitted to it!

[Michael Frankis]

Insider trading!!

Michael