(Short-toed?) treecreeper and (ringed?) teal -- Thuringia, Germany (1 Viewer)

[Henry_Flower]

Hi,
It would be great if anyone could help clear up a couple of IDs. Is it possible to tell from the plumage whether this treecreeper is short-toed? The bird guide suggests ominously that there's a lot of variation possible!



Earlier this winter someone helped us by IDing a ringed teal here; is this small duck also ringed teal? Alone, then with mallards for size:



Thanks!

 

[Xenospiza]

Short-toed and Common Teal.
Not a lot of variation in the treecreepers, just subtle differences.

 

[Henry_Flower]

Great, thanks. I need to practise telling the difference between the different treecreepers.

 

[THE_FERN]

In this photo the even steps in the zigzag buff wing bar and the large white tips to the primaries are perhaps the most apparent characters. The wing bar would have a "break" in it and the white tips would be smaller in the other species