Uk Bird Quiz

[the oilbird]

See there hasnt been a new quiz for a while. And as I was going through planning to delete some bad photos thought could use a few for a quiz!

All found in the UK.

Three parts. 4 in each.

Ill run a separate thread for a perhaps tougher rest of the world quiz.

First check on answers tomorrow night.

Good guessing!

[the oilbird]

2nd part

[the oilbird]

3rd and final part

[Steve Lister]

Can we assume you are following Black Wheatear's lead and offering a free holiday in Panama as a prize?

Steve

[the oilbird]

HAHA.

currently residing in cambridge!

guess could offer a weekend in my pad with a bed on the floor and a trip to the norfolk coast in my knackered car?

sure to get them flocking in

[dantheman]

You should've spread the 3 parts out!! Got some of them, and some ideas, but will return later (to copy others' answers ;)) when I have a tad more time. . .

[the oilbird]

looks like the quiz layouts have changes since my last visit here many months ago! Hadnt realised holidays and lateral thinking were now par for the course! Gone are the days of people posting a few pics and veryone guessing immediately.

PM me your answers and Ill post your score back on this thread. So as there no copying!

Rest of the world quiz can hold off for another time.

[dantheman]

looks like the quiz layouts have changes since my last visit here many months ago! Hadnt realised holidays and lateral thinking were now par for the course! Gone are the days of people posting a few pics and veryone guessing immediately.

PM me your answers and Ill post your score back on this thread. So as there no copying!

Rest of the world quiz can hold off for another time.

Edited my post-(smilie)- of course I wouldn't cheat! 'Onest guv! Couldn't get to sleep so had a go. Not sure if that was such a good idea. . .

[paulwfromtheden]

3rd and final part

When are you setting the 'easy' quiz?

[teamsaint]

do we need to PM you the answers

[dantheman]

That's what he said! I sent mine last night. . . more than one correct and I'll be reasonably happy!

[the oilbird]

Ok...as promised some scores on the doors.

Dan the man - 9/12 numbers 1, 3 and 6 wrong
deborah4 - 9/12 numbers 1, 2 and 9 wrong
James Lowther - 10/12 numbers 2 and 3 wrong
PaulWfromtheden - 3/12 mate, numbers 2, 5 and 7 correct so far
Alan Henry - 6/12 numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 8 and 12 wrong
mini-colster - 8/12 1, 3, 6 and 9 wrong
Dan Pointon - 11/12, just number 2 eluding you
Frenchy - 10/12, 3 and 8 still to get

PM me with your changed answers if you see fit.

One person has them all right, but as he himself admitted he was at something of an advantage as he'd seen many of the birds with me! hahaha....still the prize of a trip to norfolk overnighting at mine still stands....if you find yourself up this way JC?

Ill post all answers on here (and perhaps some ID pointers for the difficult ones if people would like?).....on Sunday night...so as to give anyone else a chance to enter...and plus Im on the road most of the weekend.

Good luck

[joe cockram]

Awww, thats not fair, there must be at least 5 that i wasn't photographing at the same time.

joe

[paulwfromtheden]

Ok...as promised some scores on the doors.

Dan the man - 9/12 numbers 1, 3 and 6 wrong
deborah4 - 9/12 numbers 1, 2 and 9 wrong
James Lowther - 10/12 numbers 2 and 3 wrong
PaulWfromtheden - 3/12 mate, numbers 2, 5 and 7 correct so far
Alan Henry - 6/12 numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 8 and 12 wrong
mini-colster - 8/12 1, 3, 6 and 9 wrong
Dan Pointon - 11/12, just number 2 eluding you
Frenchy - 10/12, 3 and 8 still to get

PM me with your changed answers if you see fit.

One person has them all right, but as he himself admitted he was at something of an advantage as he'd seen many of the birds with me! hahaha....still the prize of a trip to norfolk overnighting at mine still stands....if you find yourself up this way JC?

Ill post all answers on here (and perhaps some ID pointers for the difficult ones if people would like?).....on Sunday night...so as to give anyone else a chance to enter...and plus Im on the road most of the weekend.

Good luck

I got as many as three? I'm well chuffed! If I had guessed, I would have got more right!!

[dantheman]

I got as many as three? I'm well chuffed! If I had guessed, I would have got more right!!

Eek- Maybe you'll have to scrub birder of your interests in your profile now!! lol

(Don't know if there's a more tactful way to respond to your post, I'm probably not the one for it ;)) Reminds me of someone back when I was at school who managed to get 2% on a multiple choice exam. Even random guessing 1 out of the 4 choices would have given him 25%!

[paulwfromtheden]

Eek- Maybe you'll have to scrub birder of your interests in your profile now!! lol!

The only way is up. Bill Oddie must have known less about birds than me once!

[dantheman]

The only way is up. Bill Oddie must have known less about birds than me once!

I think knowing birds from jizz, even in a photo comes into it, so general experience does count, along with all that feather tract jazz!!

Cool concept- I've seen more bird species than Phoebe Snettinger, and know more about Pipit id than any guru you care to mention!!

[Joe Ray]

Is it too late for me to have a go?

[dantheman]

Is it too late for me to have a go?

Go for it, why not. (Just don't get them all right, please!)

[teamsaint]

how many did i get right then?

[the oilbird]

An update on the scores....

Of those who have already entered.

Dan the man +1 numbers 1 & 6 wrong still 10/12
Deborah4 +2 just number 1 to go! 11/12
Dan Pointon +1 you got it 12/12!!

And new entrants...

Sean F - just number 3 to get 11/12
Lou Salomon - numer 1 is wrong 11/12
Jyothi Ray - numbers 3 & 8 incorrect 10/12
A Stevenson - still need number 3 11/12
Brian Bullough - number 1 and 10 wrong 10/12
Kendon - numbers 3, 6, 8 and 9 wrong 8/12
Team Saint - numbers 4, 8 and 9 incorrect 9/12
and....
Jurij Hanzel - a 2nd entrance with 12/12!!!

Jurij youll have to fight it out with Joe Cockram to decide who gets the spare bed and who gets the sofa if you want a trip to Norfolk!!!

As a few more people have entered over the weekend, Ill give those late visitors another day or so to enter. Full answers posted here on Tuesday evening.

Thanks for taking part.

[deborah4]

Hi Oilbird

I'm going to leave it at 11/12 which is what I should have got the first time if I'd not rushed through them! (I'll use Collins next time ;) ) Will hopefully get up to Norfolk later in year anyway.

Thanks for the quiz - lots of fun and less embarrassing than posting attempts on thread LOL!

[Ghostly Vision]

Can I have a go? I'm suspicious of no12, which looks like it might have been taken on the continent, though if you got views like that of a Hazel grouse I'm definitely out for a day with you!!

And wait til you see my lateral thinking quiz before you criticise it, cheeky.
GV

[Joe Ray]

12 is a female Caper isn't it?

[paulwfromtheden]

An update on the scores....

Of those who have already entered.

Dan the man +1 numbers 1 & 6 wrong still 10/12
Deborah4 +2 just number 1 to go! 11/12
Dan Pointon +1 you got it 12/12!!

And new entrants...

Sean F - just number 3 to get 11/12
Lou Salomon - numer 1 is wrong 11/12
Jyothi Ray - numbers 3 & 8 incorrect 10/12
A Stevenson - still need number 3 11/12
Brian Bullough - number 1 and 10 wrong 10/12
Kendon - numbers 3, 6, 8 and 9 wrong 8/12
Team Saint - numbers 4, 8 and 9 incorrect 9/12
and....
Jurij Hanzel - a 2nd entrance with 12/12!!!

Jurij youll have to fight it out with Joe Cockram to decide who gets the spare bed and who gets the sofa if you want a trip to Norfolk!!!

As a few more people have entered over the weekend, Ill give those late visitors another day or so to enter. Full answers posted here on Tuesday evening.

Thanks for taking part.

I retired from birding after DanTheMan's ascerbic comments (though I have left the word 'birding' in the 'interests' section of my profile - just for the sake of posterity).
Like Mike Tyson, I dont think I have retired for good, I may make a comeback at JoanneChattaway's Cuckmere bash, provided the purse is right!

[Sean F]

12 is a female Caper isn't it?

You should PM your answers!

[nick patel]

I have sent my answers to Oilbird now.

[dan pointon]

My guesses are:

First 4 pics:
Upland sandpiper, Lapland buntings, Great black backed gull, Mediterranean gull.

Second 4 pics:
Cuckoo, Red breasted flycatcher, Wryneck, Juvenile Arctic tern.

Third 4 pics:
Cory's shearwater, Pectoral sandpiper, Ring necked duck, Capercaillie.

Not sure how good my guesses are, but there you have it!

PM the answers to him!!! These answers are rather good so if you could hide em quick that'd be good...

D

[paulwfromtheden]

PM the answers to him!!! These answers are rather good so if you could hide em quick that'd be good...

D

No wonder I couldnt get many right!!!! WTF's an 'Upland Sandpiper'????
Make a note...late New Years Resolution..."Dont enter Birdforum id quizzes!"

[Jurij Hanžel]

Dan, you better "unquote" Nick's post!

[teamsaint]

flower power saves the day: ;)

[dantheman]

flower power saves the day: ;)


Funny, I came out of your link and it doesn't work anymore. Pprobably a good thing- could cause lasting eye damage otherwise ;))

[the oilbird]

haha

Sorry for the delay folks in final answers postings, and looks like between a lat guess and a quote most of them hav been guessed correct!

Some extra scores/additonal entries since the weekend

Nick patel - number 2 wrong 11/12
Harry Hussey - 12/12!
Ghostly vision - just number 3 to get 11/12
Kendon - 6 and 8 wrong 10/12
Dantheman - still on 10/12
Frenchy - now at 12/12
Dafi - 6/12
Jyothi - still need number 8 - 11/12
Sean F - now got em all 12/12!

So three people got them all right on their first go.
Joe Cockram, Harry Hussey and Jurij. Well done guys...Norfolk awaits!!!

[the oilbird]

THE ANSWERS
Part 1
1. Upland Sandpiper - Somerset
2. Skylark - Bath race course
3. Great black backed gull - Scilly pelagic
4. Mediterranean gull - Porthloo, Scilly

Part 2
5. Cuckoo - Peninis, Scilly
6. Red breasted flycatcher - Garrison, Scilly
7. Wryneck - Garrison Scilly
8. Arctic tern - Scilly Pelagic

Part 3
9. Cory's shearwater - Scilly Pelagic
10. Pectoral sandpiper - Lower Moors, Scilly
11. Ring necked duck - Abbey pool, Scilly
12. Capercaillie - actually taken in Northern Sweden!

Thanks for taking part, will try to do the (much?) harder rest of the world bird quiz later this week.

Adios

[dantheman]

I retired from birding after DanTheMan's ascerbic comments (though I have left the word 'birding' in the 'interests' section of my profile - just for the sake of posterity).

Acerbic comments?? When?? I was only agreeing with you!! (Should have put more smilies in! ;)??)

I admit I just wasn't thinking rare enough on this quiz, oh well, liked it and the format anyway, cheers oilbird,
Dan

[paulwfromtheden]

Acerbic comments?? When?? I was only agreeing with you!! (Should have put more smilies in! ;)??)

I admit I just wasn't thinking rare enough on this quiz, oh well, liked it and the format anyway, cheers oilbird,
Dan

No probs, apologies for any confusion!!

[Ghostly Vision]

Hi Oilbird

I like to play fair and I got two wrong; 8 looked like Common tern to me, as the black on the crown looked too extensive for Arctic. Perhaps I got it right and it's just a mis-identification on your part? ;) Or perhaps I should have gone with my first instinct and not looked in a sodding crappy book.

Good quiz - you should do more. There's a second Catchbird due from someone else you know (but only when mine's finished)

GV

[Frenchy]

Hi Oilbird

I like to play fair and I got two wrong; 8 looked like Common tern to me, as the black on the crown looked too extensive for Arctic. Perhaps I got it right and it's just a mis-identification on your part? ;) Or perhaps I should have gone with my first instinct and not looked in a sodding crappy book.

Good quiz - you should do more. There's a second Catchbird due from someone else you know (but only when mine's finished)

GV

Interesting that we both got the same two wrong...

Common seabirds are clearly not our thing!!!

[the oilbird]

Always thought numbers 3 and 8 would be the ones people got wrong...

A few additional photos that might help to persuade you as to the correct ID... happy to be proved wrong...think young terns especially are particularly tough unless given a good view.

1st up the Arctic Tern...

To me...the all dark, short, fine bill, and the "torch paper" quality to primaries AND secondaries in the photo in the quiz were the hints towards an Arctic as opposed to a common...

These additional photos also show a very black and white appearance, no hint of a warm, rusty tinge to the mantle that a young common seems to show to some extend at this age...young commons also have a thick bill that always (?) shows two tones...

last pic is of a young common for comparison.

[the oilbird]

and the gull....

didnt see many gulls of this age while doing scilly pelagics...guess thats why I took the pics.

Additonal pics show the white in P10 that was requested, also pink legs, and the guys a brute! look at the size compared to the LBBG in these pics

[Sean F]

Interesting that we both got the same two wrong...

Common seabirds are clearly not our thing!!!

I got those wrong as well!

Including the Tern, so I didn't get 12/12 as you have written.

[Ghostly Vision]

Hi Oilbird

My comment about your mis-identification of the tern as a joke - however, from the additional photo's I'd say it WAS a Common tern;

1 dark secondaries (arctic has white secondaries)
2 Greyish on rump (seen in photo 3 & 4 clearly - other photo's have this area bleached out)
3 extent of dark onto forehead from cap
4 Extensive brown scalloping on upper wing coverts and mantle (this is presumably a semi-faded bird - they are much browner when younger).
5 Appears to have a paler base to its bill in photo 2.

All the photo's definitely of the same bird?

Eeek! This has turned into an i.d. thread!

Always willing to be corrected if I'm wrong, of course.

Happy with your gull, though ;)

GV

[the oilbird]

Hi GV,

In my above post #39 - the last photo, photo 4 is of a COMMON tern...

...for comparison with the Arctic in the 1st 3 pics of post #39 and the original photo posted in the quiz...those are all of the same bird.

I can only see the 5 features you mention in photo 4...which is the common tern... the other photos all say arctic to me.

Cheers

BL

[Frenchy]

And this is where it gets really complicated...

I'm actually happy that the tern is an Arctic (don't forget GV, #4 is a Common in Oilbirds new set). The only reason i put Common initially was because i thought i could see a pale area at the base of the bill, but i was wrong.

However, i'm certainly not convinced about the gull, and am starting to panic about common birds in general! Firstly, is it really as big as you think it is? It seems to me that perspective is playing a big part here, and it actually looks smaller to me in one of the photos. Secondly, its the same colour above as a graellsii Lesser Black Back! The adult feathers that are coming through are slate grey, not blackish. Immature LBBG have pink legs as well, so thats not really a feature to go by. Am now realising that i have a sketchy knowledge of GBB Gull! Its never been a problem in the field, honest!

[Ghostly Vision]

To me the clincher is the dark secondaries - visible on my screen in all the pics. Sorry I missed the fact that pic 4 was a Common. At least It proves there's nothing wrong with my eyes - I thought they showed different birds!

It's true I had doubts too about the colour of the grey feathers on the gull being too pale for GGBG. Also, soze illusion is playing a part. But it's clearly a massive bird.

Open to further discussion.

[the oilbird]

Oh god! Trouble at mill! Initially planned easy quiz turns into running thread on the ins and outs of young gull and tern ID! Help me I need a doctor....

Gull 1st, its a couple of years since I saw it and took the photo, seem to remember it being big but then id been at sea for 5 hours almost daily for 6 months so....all the feathers coming through on the wings and mantle appear darker than those on the LBBG alongside to me.

And for the tern...the secondaries look paler than the primaries in all the photos of the Arctic to me.....and the same tone or darker in the photo of the Common.... add to this the thin, dark bill, lack of grey rump and lack of brown scalloping and cant see that its not an Arctic...

Guess we may have to agree to disagree... suppose I could always accept either answer as being correct (arctic/common and LBBG/GBBG) for the quiz and head home to pitch a tent to accomodate all the new winners for their trip to Norfolk! ;-)

Have a great weekend.

[Ghostly Vision]

Hi Oilbird,

Not being contrary, and I'm sure you're correct as you saw the bird in the field. Laptop screens can give poor image rendition, and I've looked at pics in the past on other screens and seen them in a whole new light.

Cheers

Sean

[lou salomon]

just like to confirm oilbird's id-s, i think he's right with both the arctic tern and GBBG.

[the oilbird]

Hi all,

Not a problem, glad the quiz has generated some discussion, think its always good to discuss difficult to ID birds, and its made me look at the pics again...which is always nice to do, even bad ones like these! Still stick with my original ID's

Hope the next quiz....the rest of the world...coming soon(ish) will promote some debate also.

Cheers