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

Recent content by smiths

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    UK, Horsell Common, Surrey bird call identification

    At 41-44 seconds there are some clicking sounds added to the 'pew' calls, which I have never heard from Bullfinch. Perhaps it is a Jay mimicking the call of Bullfinch?
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    White or Pied Wagtail (UK)

    Like Alex, I would not exclude yarrellii here. In fact, there is a hint of a few grey stripes on the belly. If these are not the mere product of noise reduction in the photograph, they are strongly indicative of yarrellii. As for the Evans & Cade paper, keep in mind that some of the birds in...
  3. S

    Raptors - Samarkand, Uzbekistan

    Photo #1 shows a female Lesser Kestrel, in my opinion: long P10, plain head lacking dark eyestripe, white 'flash' at base of outer primaries (contrasting strongly against the dark primary coverts). Photo #2 could be either kestrel species... Bird #6 gives me mainly the impression of a dark...
  4. S

    Can I just confirm ID please?

    No; kittiwakes retain their juvenile plumage until spring. They do not moult into a 1st-winter plumage. The term 'first winter' should refer to plumage, not time of year. It is used to indicate that the bird is no longer juvenile. A bird can be in 1st-w plumage already in August, i.e. summer...
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    Blue-winged vs Cinnamon Teal

    First photo (255163a) shows a Green-winged teal, judging from the head pattern and the typical sliver of white below the tail side.
  6. S

    Can I just confirm ID please?

    Yes and no. Kittiwakes do not have a separate 1st-winter plumage.
  7. S

    Whitethroat? Warbler? Oman Feb 2024

    I agree with Menetries's Warbler. Lesser Whitethroat is easily excluded by the reddish leg colour, the typical cocked up tail, complete white eye ring (not just below eye as in Lesser WT), black tail feathers, lack of dark ear coverts and so on...
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    Saunders's vs Little Tern Id help please, Muscat, Oman, Mar 23, 2024

    For the Common Terns? The head pattern, with extensive black nape and rear crown, as well as the typical, downward black 'curl' reaching below eye level. Bill shape, with rather strong base and straight lower mandible, helps to separate from White-cheeked tern.
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    Saunders's vs Little Tern Id help please, Muscat, Oman, Mar 23, 2024

    Hi bhutjoe, the first two photos (or rather, one photo uploaded twice) show a (presumed second calendar year) Little Tern. Saunders's Tern is actually easy to exclude, based on the pattern of the inner primaries, the head pattern, the colour of the outer primaries and the colour of the greater...
  10. S

    Can anyone recognise these two terns, amongst the gulls.

    Three Med gulls. Also a Lesser black-backed and one or two Common gulls. :)
  11. S

    Can anyone recognise these two terns, amongst the gulls.

    Three Sandwich terns actually.
  12. S

    Wagtails - (Cyprus)

    Isn't YW1.jpg a female feldegg? The dark head and pale eyering certainly look good for that option.
  13. S

    Med Gull? Norfolk UK today

    With such a bold white eyering and blackish 'hood', I doubt that. Also, I would expect the orbital ring to be darker red in that case.
  14. S

    Help with warbler ID in El Rocio, Spain

    It is certainly a Sedge Warbler. The head pattern is far too contrasting for chiffchaff, and the nape and flanks show a distinct rufous-brown hue. Also, the white throat is too extensive and too obvious for a chiffchaff.
  15. S

    Two questions from Trondheim, Norway, Sept 15: Sprawk or Goshawk? and which 1C "Comic" tern?

    The OP photo was taken in mid September. Juvenile goshawks moult their body feathers in spring/summer of their 2nd calendar year, starting in May. By July already they don't show any stripes on the underparts anymore, so you must be seeing things in the (poor) photos that are simply not there.
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