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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Recent content by Simon G

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    Unusual visitor?

    There used to be a regular contributor to one of the birding magazines from Northern Ireland. His wife once reported that a friend of his had phoned with news of a "rare wee deer". It sounded strange so he ignored it and never got to see the rare Wheatear.
  2. S

    Hello, new to birdwatching in the garden

    True enough, but I was really addressing the tangle of naming brought up by the OP's book and what the heck an Ultramontane Sparrow is, rather than expressing an opinion on which interpretation is correct. Which I'm not qualified to do. Though at least in this case we're looking at forms which...
  3. S

    Hello, new to birdwatching in the garden

    Yes, more than five if you include birds from outside Europe. Your book classifies Italian Sparrow as a subspecies of Passer domesticus, whereas in other places (including the Opus entry that Delia linked above) it would be regarded as a full species Passer italiae. What your book calls...
  4. S

    Gordano Valley, Bristol today chiffchaff

    Bumping to note I heard a Chiffchaff giving swee-oo type calls (very similar to the ones later in the above recording) on the Marlborough Downs this morning.
  5. S

    Brabant Netherlands - Now more likely a Willow Warbler than a Chiffchaff ?

    The second photo shows 4 emarginated primaries as well (Willow Warbler has 3).
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    Redpoll in Warwickshire

    Carduelis is a genus that formerly contained most of the familiar European finches, but was split up following genetic research, with Redpolls being moved to the genus Acanthis. The 3rd edition of Collins reflects this change. It also partially reflects the split of Redpoll into separate...
  7. S

    Brabant Netherlands - Common Chiffchaff or ...?

    Was there anything in particular that made you think it might not be a Common Chiffchaff, or just general uncertainty?
  8. S

    merzouga morocco

    And dark loral line dividing the eyering.
  9. S

    Help with warbler ID in El Rocio, Spain

    Could be, but that's a very broad supercilium for a chiffchaff and the undertail coverts appear long compared to the undoubted phyllosc in the picture below. Also it looks like it might be singing which would have been a good guide to id.
  10. S

    German Accipiter Identification

    But check out this article, linked from a recent thread: Northern Goshawk flight identification and ageing in the UK - Revised and updated, particularly what the author refers to as "second plumage". Secondary barring still needs care and may well not be definitive in field observations.
  11. S

    ID please goshawk or sparrowhawk? october 30th north-east Italy

    Don't strongly barred secondaries argue against a Goshawk in adult plumage?
  12. S

    Bird ID clifftop Coast East Sussex Newhaven

    I think the most probable Robin-like bird given location and date is still Stonechat. It also has the virtue in this case of being relatively featureless compared to a Black Redstart (red tail) or Wheatear (white rump), both of whose distinguishing features would very likely be noticed if the...
  13. S

    UK- Wiltshire- Fovant- January- Eurasian or Short-toed Treecreeper

    Apparently it can :)
  14. S

    3 birds in Rouen, France

    Doesn't the second picture show rather a long tail for either warbler? I'm thinking another Redstart but not sure which one.
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    Kos Greece Sept 2023

    Dunlin. Note the blackish streaking on the breast and belly, also the dark centre of the rump (Curlew Sandpiper has a white rump).
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