help me2 (1 Viewer)

[Steve G]

Your probably right Michael, got caught up in the plumage but looking at the beaks the centre pic especially shows a fairly long thinish bill. Possibly could be a scalped Crested/Thekla. In Spain the Theklas seem to prefer more hilly scrub whilst the Cresteds prefer more open plains though I could never convincingly separate the two. In Extremadura there were Cresteds on almost every fencepost - though I seem to recollect that they all had obvious crests (same with the birds I saw on Lesvos this summer). I should avoid these ID threads I rarely get it right!

 

[Michael Frankis]

Hi Andy,

True there's Water Pipits in the Pyrenees, and some of the other Sierras of northern Spain, but this bird's in Andalucia, way down south, and on a fence wire beside what looks like a very dry stubble field - hardly Water Pipit habitat at the best of times, and Water Pipits wouldn't be there in August anyway

Michael

 

[Steve G]

Here's a Lesbian Crested Lark (from the Island not its sexual orientation!) -a juvenile pictured in august of this year. Suck it into photoshop Michael, give it a haircut & see how it compares.

 

[CJW]

A No.1 all over......

 

[Charles Harper]

Can't see the breast spotting adequately here, can't see the pale-tipped wing coverts there.

 

[Brian Stone]

I thought this was a lark at first but if it is a pipit then migrant Tree Pipit might be coming through the area by August. I would still have my money on a lark but I wouldn't exclude Sky, Wood, Crested or Thekla on these pics.

Not much help really. Sorry!

Brian

 

[Steve G]

Your right Charlie, Crested/Thekla losing credence since Chris's crewcut. But what can it be?........... Can someone put an end to this torture?

 

[logos]

Have to say that I thought the initial call of Crested or Thekla was probably the correct one. I can't see anything which would definitely exclude Crested/Thekla but I can see several features that point towards one of those two, in particular the bill structure and proportions (looks very bad for Skylark and Woodlark) the nature and extent of the breast streaking and the prominent supercillium which is broken before the eye so that it forms two separate features, a supercillium proper (behind the eye) and a discrete supraloral (above the lores).

The lack of a crest doesn't bother me, especially given the date at which it was taken (moult), the quality of the images and the behaviour of the bird (the crest of Thekla is often sleeked down when they perch up).

Thekla's do show a much greater tendency/aptitude for perching on twigs and wires than Crested's but that is not to say that the latter never do this.

Spud