Bad photos of passerines, Manchester and Yorkshire, UK (2 Viewers)

[stevethehydra]

All taken within the last week (end April/start May).

1. in a park in Manchester - warbler sp?

2. Burniston near Scarborough, Yorkshire coast - I think there's enough here to call it a Linnet rather than other possibilities?

3. Scarborough harbour - pipit sp, but which one?

4. in moorland near a wind farm between Todmorden and Bacup (West Yorkshire/Lancashire borders). I could hear a Skylark singing, but the only bird I could see was this one on a pylon wire. Through the camera viewfinder and on posture it looked more like a Meadow Pipit, but cropped and blown up it looks like a heavier, lark/bunting type of bill. If it is a Skylark, it's the first time I have seen one singing from a perch rather than in flight.

Bonus heard-only/no photo bird - a couple of weeks ago at Media City, Salford (by the Manchester Ship Canal, recently built flats and offices, a few trees and ornamental plants) I heard a distinctive 4-note call that sounded to me like you could write it as "sissichussu", repeated with a few seconds' interval. It sounded like it came from fairly high up on a block of flats. The only birds I could see around (well, besides gulls, swans and cormorants!) were Goldfinch, Pied Wagtail and Starling and this didn't sound like anything I've heard from any of those species (nor were any of them in the right direction). Any ideas?

 

[stevo]

1st A blackcap 3rd Rock pipit.

 

[Stonefaction]

Linnet was my initial impression for the 2nd and Meadow Pipit was my guess for the 4th (before reading description etc). Supporting evidence for the Meadow Pipit idea is the length of the hind claw showing below the wire (something I've noted as being very distinctive even on distant photos of my own). Possibility of heat shimmer causing the wider bill? As for the calling bird, Great Tit?

 

[Butty]

1. Likely a Phylloscopus. Impossible.
2. Not enough to call it anything. Nothing particularly to make it a linnet. I'd guess chaffinch.
5. Pied wagtail quite possible (sound and habitat).

 

[THE_FERN]

1st A blackcap 3rd Rock pipit.

Agree, and 2 looks like male linnet in strong (orangey) lighting. Blackcap's bill looks artificially thin here: photo artifact

 

[stevethehydra]

Any ideas for explaining the apparent thick bill on the last bird if it is a pipit? I just saw a photo of a Mipit on another thread where vegetation behind it gave the impression of a finch-type bill, but there's only sky behind this one...

 

[Stonefaction]

Any ideas for explaining the apparent thick bill on the last bird if it is a pipit? I just saw a photo of a Mipit on another thread where vegetation behind it gave the impression of a finch-type bill, but there's only sky behind this one...

As suggested in my previous reply - Possibility of heat distortion causing the 'wider' bill look (or maybe even poor focus/distance causing the effect).
EDIT: Or perhaps it has something in its beak - food for a youngster etc.

 

[THE_FERN]

Any ideas for explaining the apparent thick bill on the last bird if it is a pipit? I just saw a photo of a Mipit on another thread where vegetation behind it gave the impression of a finch-type bill, but there's only sky behind this one...

Not sure what last bird means: suspect photos appear in different sequence for me. "pipit" is clearly rock pipit, "birdcrop" I'm unsure about but it's not a pipit or a wagtail. Perhaps a f linnet.

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello Steve,
do you have more pictures?

Apart from nr.3, I cant ID them with confidence too, but you know I like quiz-modus:

1. Chiffchaff???? Lesser Whitethroat????
2. Linnet????
3. Agree with all a Rock Pipit
4. Meadow Pipit????

 

[THE_FERN]

Hello Steve,
do you have more pictures?

Apart from nr.3, I cant ID them with confidence too, but you know I like quiz-modus:

1. Chiffchaff???? Lesser Whitethroat????

If you look closely at the warbler (zoom in) you can see its black cap

1. Meadow Pipit????

Surely not: shape is better for a finch (or bunting) imho: tail not long enough

 

[Butty]

If you look closely at the warbler (zoom in) you can see its black cap

Disagree. Light/shadow/whatever + very-low-quality photo (no offence) would be perfectly capable of accounting for that effect.

 

[THE_FERN]

Disagree. Light/shadow/whatever + very-low-quality photo (no offence) would be perfectly capable of accounting for that effect.

? A tightly defined dark cap bordered by grey below in exactly the place you'd find one on a blackcap. Not very obvious how you'd engineer an artifact this specific

 

[Bewick]

Isn't 4 a yellowhammer rather then a pipit or a lark?

 

[Derbyfella]

could the last one just be a song thrush? was my immediate impression (just from the photo)

 

[THE_FERN]

could the last one just be a song thrush? was my immediate impression (just from the photo)

Might be... Bill looks thick even taking account of the blur. I hesitate to id this one: can more easily say what it's not...

 

[Butty]

A tightly defined dark cap bordered by grey below in exactly the place you'd find one on a blackcap

This is absolutely not what I'm seeing.

 

[maplekong]

1. Likely a Phylloscopus. Impossible.
2. Not enough to call it anything. Nothing particularly to make it a linnet. I'd guess chaffinch.
5. Pied wagtail quite possible (sound and habitat).

I respectfully suggest a brambling for the second

 

[Bewick]

I respectfully suggest a brambling for the second

Possibly but it thinks it’s more likely a linnet. Colour doesn’t look right.

 

[maplekong]

Could we each list out suggestions for each bird before continuing? It would be clearer for everyone talking to have everyone else's lists.

 

[Bewick]

Could we each list out suggestions for each bird before continuing? It would be clearer for everyone talking to have everyone else's lists.

I agree with Alex’s list except I believe the fourth is in between a meadow pipit or yellowhammer.