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Any ideas? - Irvine Coast, Ayrshire, Scotland (1 Viewer)

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I think the point is that it could be either species, depending on how the individual sees the photo. Certainly there is no 'clear cut' feature visible which puts it as either one. Both species occur in the area it would seem.

It's a blurry long-distance pic of a diving bird (we think ;) ). Too much can't be read into any of it really, as the camera can and does lie, and single shots can seem to show a pose which might not be truly representative of the bird actually out there.

Interesting to note the last few comments re the id on the above tread, not sure how experienced the OP is with divers, and getting better views in the future they may become happier with their initial id suspicions. Or they may not.
 
Hi Phil! |=)|
I think we need a 'Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer' smiley - "You just couldn't let it lie"
;)

In all seriousness, we have notes of 'seen to dive' and 'white flank', combined with a photo of a bird that looks like a Cormorant swallowing a fish, and a notebook entry of R-T Diver crossed out for B-T Diver.

I think everyone who is likely to be interested has seen it and chosen to comment or not. I doubt anyone's going to change their minds. I know some birds just can't be ID'd.

Dave, opinion is split - we're all sorry we couldn't help you definitively.
 
I haven't read the original thread (naughty, naughty I know!) - so I've no idea what the concensus is/was. The first impression I had when opening the link was red-throated diver; this probably gives much added weight to the argument that it isn't one! ;).
 
I dont know why you cant see that its an old fashioned kettle submerged in 6 inches of water with just the top and spout showing .. the original poster has been cunning enough to remove the handle so as to confuse us as to if its a cormorant or diver kettle .. I googled and found a whole colony of them

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?i...g.mozilla:en-GB:official&channel=s&tbs=isch:1

I like the little half one ... its just come into breeding plumage if im not mistaken
 
Last edited:
harr1y said:
I dont know why you cant see that its an old fashioned kettle submerged in 6 inches of water with just the top and spout showing .. the original poster has been cunning enough to remove the handle so as to confuse us as to if its a cormorant or diver kettle .. I googled and found a whole colony of them

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?i...g.mozilla:en-GB:official&channel=s&tbs=isch:1

I like the little half one ... its just come into breeding plumage if im not mistaken
Click to expand...
Excellent point and well made, H. I should have spotted that! ;)
 
phil baber said:
Then maybe we'll get some more rational responses this time?
Click to expand...

More rational than these?

dantheman said:
I think the point is that it could be either species, depending on how the individual sees the photo. Certainly there is no 'clear cut' feature visible which puts it as either one. Both species occur in the area it would seem.

It's a blurry long-distance pic of a diving bird (we think ;) ). Too much can't be read into any of it really, as the camera can and does lie, and single shots can seem to show a pose which might not be truly representative of the bird actually out there.

Interesting to note the last few comments re the id on the above tread, not sure how experienced the OP is with divers, and getting better views in the future they may become happier with their initial id suspicions. Or they may not.
Click to expand...

The Kerreran said:
In all seriousness, we have notes of 'seen to dive' and 'white flank', combined with a photo of a bird that looks like a Cormorant swallowing a fish, and a notebook entry of R-T Diver crossed out for B-T Diver.

I think everyone who is likely to be interested has seen it and chosen to comment or not. I doubt anyone's going to change their minds. I know some birds just can't be ID'd.

Dave, opinion is split - we're all sorry we couldn't help you definitively.
Click to expand...

We're split into three camps - some see only a white square on the cheek, some see a huge white throat down to the water, and some can't see the point in even trying. We can't change what each other sees.
 
To be honest laughter is the best medicine with this quality of picture ... we can guess and speculate and see small white bits ..it really doesnt matter ...i have a question

Q: Who in all honesty is going to stake their mortgage on an identification

A:No-one

Its an Ayrshire diving thingy ..cormorants number thousands off the Ayrshire coast and divers are pretty commonplace ...get one that views down to a couple of hundred metres or less scope it and enjoy it ...i personnally have no interest in identifying every blob that i see

btw The wifes just asked what i was typing ..i showed her the picture and said nothing .. .she said " Loch Ness Monster " ..i rest my case
 
I would say it's without a shadow of a doubt, definitely, 100% certain, unshakeably...


a bird. I think... maybe.
 
As the OP, I'm happy to accept it as anything anyone wants to see! Let's move on to someone else's lousy pic.
Thanks for the fun. 3:) :t:
 
It's still a Black-throated Diver, Phil. The width of the upper hind neck, coupled with the shape of the neck ( making it look almost "inflated" ) rules out Cormorant - unless it's in the process of swallowing a large fish, and even then it wouldn't look quite like the photo.
chris
 
chris butterworth said:
It's still a Black-throated Diver, Phil. The width of the upper hind neck, coupled with the shape of the neck ( making it look almost "inflated" ) rules out Cormorant - unless it's in the process of swallowing a large fish, and even then it wouldn't look quite like the photo.
chris
Click to expand...


That's what I said in the first place.:king:
 
Well, I guess that a concensus has been reached after all. The voices of reason and all that ...

(And I'm not referring to the posts above indicating Nessie ;) )
 
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