Warbler sized Garden bird ID needed Crewkerne Somerset UK (1 Viewer)

[earleybird]

I know this is going to be next to impossible to ID from my pathetic description but I have exhausted my books and online ID sites so hoping someone might be able to suggest something......its driving me nuts not knowing

The bird I saw briefly in a hazel tree in my garden this morning was small and slim around Warbler /Coal Tit size .
Viewed against a bright sky 10 metres away it was very difficult to pick out colour and detail but I noticed that it had a thin dark pointed beak around 15mm long similar in size and shape to a Dunnock or Goldcrest

My overall impression of the body colour was indistinct grey/brown but I was unable to see the back or belly.
The most distinctive features were a clear thin jet-black streak or collar separating the head and body and a dusty yellow colour to the cheeks

Without doubt the most distinctive thing about this bird was its song which was rich and melodic and very extensive in tone and pitch .The song was so unusual and striking that when I heard the bird from inside my shed it made me open the door to see what bird had such a beautiful song .

I now have my camera with me as I work and will grab a picture if it returns but in the meantime can anyone shed any light on what i saw .?

 

[KenM]

Hi earleybird,

You say that it was reminiscent of say Dunnock or Goldcrest, these birds are “markedly” structurally different, thus you are coming from two extremes, one fast moving and mostly rotund looking, the other bigger and more attenuated, can you perhaps be more specific to size and shape?…..and while your at it, get off a few shots ASAP!

Cheers

 

[earleybird]

Hi Ken thank you for your reply.
Please allow me to clarify as my post was clearly not clear.

I said quote ' thin dark pointed beak around 15mm long similar in size and shape to a Dunnock or Goldcrest'
Apologies if that wasn't clear . Just to confirm......I was referring specifically to the beak.

 

[Richard D]

Female yellowhammer sort of fits your description

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Struggling on this one. The song doesn’t fit with what’s been suggested so far. IMO.

Rich

 

[Butty]

I said quote ' thin dark pointed beak around 15mm long similar in size and shape to a Dunnock or Goldcrest'
Apologies if that wasn't clear

It was crystal clear

 

[antbird53]

Female yellowhammer sort of fits your description

Not with a "song which was rich and melodic and very extensive in tone and pitch"

 

[dantheman]

If you can't get a photo, drawing a quick pic might be useful.

Sounds more like an escaped cagebird than anything native. Thin insect eating bill rules out finch/bunting types.

 

[KenM]

I know this is going to be next to impossible to ID from my pathetic description but I have exhausted my books and online ID sites so hoping someone might be able to suggest something......its driving me nuts not knowing

The bird I saw briefly in a hazel tree in my garden this morning was small and slim around Warbler /Coal Tit size .
Viewed against a bright sky 10 metres away it was very difficult to pick out colour and detail but I noticed that it had a thin dark pointed beak around 15mm long similar in size and shape to a Dunnock or Goldcrest

My overall impression of the body colour was indistinct grey/brown but I was unable to see the back or belly.
The most distinctive features were a clear thin jet-black streak or collar separating the head and body and a dusty yellow colour to the cheeks

Without doubt the most distinctive thing about this bird was its song which was rich and melodic and very extensive in tone and pitch .The song was so unusual and striking that when I heard the bird from inside my shed it made me open the door to see what bird had such a beautiful song .

I now have my camera with me as I work and will grab a picture if it returns but in the meantime can anyone shed any light on what i saw .?

Apologies earleybird, not unknown, but I missed the “salient bill point”……have you ruled out Jenny Wren?

Cheers

 

[Richard D]

Not with a "song which was rich and melodic and very extensive in tone and pitch"

True - I'm stumped!

 

[Torchepot]

If you can’t get a picture, a recording of it’s song might solve the mystery. Not too many melodic songsters active at this time of year.

 

[Richard D]

If you can’t get a picture, a recording of it’s song might solve the mystery. Not too many melodic songsters active at this time of year.

I was confused by an over wintering Blackcap when the sun was out last week - not the full summer song I'm more familiar with

 

[earleybird]

thanks everyone for your thoughts and suggestions. I know it is a near impossible ID request .

I rather hoped that the song might be a good clue in narrowing down the possiblilities. In the 25+ years I have been feeding our garden birds I am sure I have never heard such a rich and diverse song before.

The thin dark beak and general body size was so similar to a warbler or possibly a small female Blackcap (without the brown cap) but against a bright sky in a mess of twigs and only one side of the bird visible from below it was challenging to say the least.
The odd thing was the narrow strip of black between its head and shoulders . ? As I couldn't ID the bird I assumed it was possibly a visiting migrant.

One of my books has an image of a Chiffchaff which has the right beak shape and also buff/yellow hints and is about the right size AND the image shows a thin black stripe over the shoulder separating the head and body !.... I think that this has to be the closest match visually .

I'll keep an eye out tomorrow and hopefully it will return.

 

[dwatsonbirder]

Determining size is particularly difficult, particularly if the bird is alone, or at a distance. The combination of brownish plumage, melodic and varied song and "the narrow strip of black between its head and shoulders" sound like this could be a good match.
If anyone is feeling particularly racy, this is the only other species I could come up with that partially matches your description... though that would make your garden one of the most desirable locations in the UK at present! Stranger things have happened...
A recording or photo (no matter how poor) would be helpful in resolving the ID.
Hope this helps!

 

[earleybird]

Determining size is particularly difficult, particularly if the bird is alone, or at a distance. The combination of brownish plumage, melodic and varied song and "the narrow strip of black between its head and shoulders" sound like this could be a good match.
If anyone is feeling particularly racy, this is the only other species I could come up with that partially matches your description... though that would make your garden one of the most desirable locations in the UK at present! Stranger things have happened...
A recording or photo (no matter how poor) would be helpful in resolving the ID.
Hope this helps!

A Redwing seriously ?
No its definitely not a Redwing .... we have many in the garden in the Autumn eating the apples in next doors orchard .Redwing

This is what i think it must have been ...a Chiffchaff

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello earleybird,

I hope you get a picture of this bird! And I hope for you and british birders (or even more?) , that Daniel is right.

I must admit, after reading your description an abnormal coloured Great Tit (or a Blue Tit?) came into my mind. Tits are the only usual species with a clear-cut blackish line seperating the head from the body (I am aware of). But that clearly too much guessing, here.

Please note, that the Chiffchaff in your picture is a juvenile one and the appearant dark stripe at the neck is an artefact or some kind of blown feathers resulting in a shadow/darkish areas shining through.

 

[THE_FERN]

thanks everyone for your thoughts and suggestions. I know it is a near impossible ID request .

I rather hoped that the song might be a good clue in narrowing down the possiblilities. In the 25+ years I have been feeding our garden birds I am sure I have never heard such a rich and diverse song before.

The thin dark beak and general body size was so similar to a warbler or possibly a small female Blackcap (without the brown cap) but against a bright sky in a mess of twigs and only one side of the bird visible from below it was challenging to say the least.
The odd thing was the narrow strip of black between its head and shoulders . ? As I couldn't ID the bird I assumed it was possibly a visiting migrant.

One of my books has an image of a Chiffchaff which has the right beak shape and also buff/yellow hints and is about the right size AND the image shows a thin black stripe over the shoulder separating the head and body !.... I think that this has to be the closest match visually .

I'll keep an eye out tomorrow and hopefully it will return.

If it is a chiffchaff it's not that uncommon in winter although I've seen / heard fewer this year so far.

 

[dantheman]

If it is a chiffchaff it's not that uncommon in winter although I've seen / heard fewer this year so far.

Rather at odds with this statement in the OP though?

"Without doubt the most distinctive thing about this bird was its song which was rich and melodic and very extensive in tone and pitch .The song was so unusual and striking that when I heard the bird from inside my shed it made me open the door to see what bird had such a beautiful song"



Perhaps something from the Indian Subcontinent. Any congeners of Paddyfield Pipit that could fit the criteria??

 

[Richard D]

If it was later in the year I'd wonder at Willow Warbler, but I'm not aware of any over-wintering.

 

[earleybird]

sorry if the song description didn't seem to fit.......... I do hope I wasn't over-blowing the song which I thought was rich and quite expansive and captivating enough to bring me out of my shed .

I guess that some birds of any species have a richer song than others of the same species, depending on time of day, month ,weather, breeding , calling for a mate etc .

I kept a couple of rescue Tawny Owls many years ago and I was surprised how many different calls and types of behaviour they had that wern't recorded in books, particularly the male which we fed from a chick. I have no doubt that they developed those specific sounds and behaviours in response to me being their constant companion and daily feed source