Bird ID clifftop Coast East Sussex Newhaven (1 Viewer)

[SussexSeabird]

Hello - small bird robin sized and similar nature - pinky brown colour no pics - very distinctive bobbing up and down like it’s bending it’s knees - may be nesting in our roof or neighbours - cliff top location - very few trees locally - very relaxed - spent many minutes hanging about on wall - flying up to roof. Late autumn: Delayed posting, apols.

 

[Kits]

Welcome to Birdforum.

Might it be a male chaffinch?

Common Chaffinch - BirdForum Opus

www.birdforum.net

 

[SussexSeabird]

Welcome to Birdforum.

Might it be a male chaffinch?

Common Chaffinch - BirdForum Opus

www.birdforum.net

Thank you let me have a look 👀

 

[SussexSeabird]

Yes looked very much like that knee bending was very much what made me notice it - do they do that?

 

[01101001]

Habitat and behaviour makes me think winter-plumage Stonechat. Overall brownish with an orangey breast, and a year-round resident.

Stonechat

The male in winter

www.birdforum.net

That would, then, mean that its nest would've been somewhere else than the roof: probably in some grass or weeds.

European Stonechat - BirdForum Opus

www.birdforum.net

They're very confiding towards photographers.

Stonechat 029.jpg

female Stonechat

www.birdforum.net

You should soon be able to spot the other bird of the pair because they stick closely together.

A pair of stonechats

A pair of stonechats enjoying afternoon sun.

www.birdforum.net

 

[delia todd]

Hi SussexSeabird and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators.

I was going to say.... bobbing up and down is nothing like Chaffinch behaviour I've ever seen. I'd go more with Karol's (above) idea if I were you. Though another possibility could be Brambling, which would look more like the second picture down on the attached link, which shows the winter plumage: Brambling - BirdForum Opus

I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I look forward to hearing your news.

 

[dantheman]

Hello - small bird robin sized and similar nature - pinky brown colour no pics - very distinctive bobbing up and down like it’s bending it’s knees - may be nesting in our roof or neighbours - cliff top location - very few trees locally - very relaxed - spent many minutes hanging about on wall - flying up to roof. Late autumn: Delayed posting, apols.

(If unlikely to be Chaffinch, probably even less likely to be Brambling tbh, sorry!)


You should check out Black Redstart (a bright female) - they can live or feed around buildings, autumn a good time for them along the coast, and they very distinctively 'bounce' up and down. Robin sized.


(They are a rare breeder on buildings in the SE - but that may be a bit of a red herring.)

 

[01101001]

I also thought about Black Redstart but, then, considered them not Robin-like enough. I don't know.

 

[paddyluke]

wheatear?

Wheatear

www.bto.org

 

[dantheman]

I also thought about Black Redstart but, then, considered them not Robin-like enough. I don't know.

I'd say the most Robin-like of anything mentioned so far, followed, less closely, by Stonechat (!)

 

[paddyluke]

Hello - small bird robin sized and similar nature - pinky brown colour no pics - very distinctive bobbing up and down like it’s bending it’s knees - may be nesting in our roof or neighbours - cliff top location - very few trees locally - very relaxed - spent many minutes hanging about on wall - flying up to roof. Late autumn: Delayed posting, apols.

here's a video of wheatear,have a look at the movements

 

[Simon G]

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 bird was flitting between a wall and roof.

 

[delia todd]

You should check out Black Redstart (a bright female)

Ah!! Completely forget about Black Redstarts as I never see them up here!

Only seen one male in the UK and that was on a rooftop at Dungeness!

 

[SussexSeabird]

Thank you so much everybody that's a lot of homework for me to look into. I shall have a look at all the evidence and get back to you! I might have to wait to see them again, not too much activity around here at the moment.

 

[01101001]

It would be best if you managed a photo, even with the phone.

 

[SussexSeabird]

here's a video of wheatear,have a look at the movements

Thank you, unfortunately I'd say no, it was knee-bending not tail bobbing!!

 

[SussexSeabird]

Hi SussexSeabird and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators.

I was going to say.... bobbing up and down is nothing like Chaffinch behaviour I've ever seen. I'd go more with Karol's (above) idea if I were you. Though another possibility could be Brambling, which would look more like the second picture down on the attached link, which shows the winter plumage: Brambling - BirdForum Opus

I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I look forward to hearing your news.

Thank you, I would say it was definitely not a Brambling.

 

[SussexSeabird]

It was definitely bobbing exactly the way the redstart does, I found a video online. It says the females are more muted in colour which would also fit.

I saw it/them on several days last year and so I'm hopeful that it/they will return!

 

[SussexSeabird]

I found a photo - not very clear, taken with phone. I thought I had deleted. Taken Oct 10th 2023. It was also on the ground, but hung around on the wall there for several minutes. Unphased by me looking out!

 

[Butty]

Northern wheatear