common/pallid swifts and a couple of other birds in Skiathos, Greece (1 Viewer)

J

jsab500

Active member

• May 28, 2016

• #1

Hi,

My second thread about my recent holiday with the family to Skiathos (13-20th May), the other's about warblers. The pictures obviously aren't very good, but I think that the swifts, in order, are common, pallid (due to rounded tail and slightly rounded wings), and pallid (due to scaly appearance underneath. What do you think?

Also, there are two other pictures, about which I have absolutely no idea! Any help would be much appreciated. I'm afraid I no other information about either of them, as I only noticed them after going back through my pictures... Sorry if the quality of picture and information is just too low.

Thanks very much,
James

 

Attachments

• 
  swift 1.JPG

  65.1 KB · Views: 186
• 
  swift_2.JPG

  72.5 KB · Views: 158
• 
  swift_3.JPG

  109.1 KB · Views: 175
• 
  unsure_1.JPG

  243.7 KB · Views: 191
• 
  unsure_2.JPG

  169.5 KB · Views: 201

lou salomon

the birdonist

• May 28, 2016

• #2

i think 1 and 3 are pallid, 2 possibly also but could also be common.
4 is a female black-headed bunting.
5 juv long-tailed tit.

 

J

jsab500

Active member

• May 28, 2016

• #3

thank you, those two were really irritating me! I did think of juvenile long-tailed tit, but decided it didn't look enough like the pictures, but yes I guess it couldn't be anything else now. I saw a couple of other black headed buntings, but never would have identified that as the female without assitance, thanks!

 

I

Iraq Babbler

Well-known member

• May 28, 2016

• #4

The swift are juveniles common, common also fringed belly, put in pale there is a distinctive pale throat and dark masked eyes

Omar

 

John Cantelo

Well-known member

• May 28, 2016

• #5

1 - looks like Common Swift, 2 - could well be Pallid given the blunt wing tips but I wouldn't be dogmatic, 3 - Pallid Swift - given the date it's surely too early for it to be a juv. Common (incubation is c20 days & fledging 42-45 giving a total of two months or so) and although some adults arrive in Greece in March, most do so in mid-April. 4 - Black-headed Bunting & 5 probably Long-tailed Tit though it's hard to see detail.

 

S

Simon Wates

Well-known member

• May 29, 2016

• #6

1 & 3 are Pallid for me. (wide "hips")

 

S

smiths

Well-known member

• May 30, 2016

• #7

#5 looks more like some kind of juvenile bunting to me due to the (suggested) bill shape and the pattern of the undertail. Probably juv. Rock Bunting (which has a long tail).
This is what the undertail of a juv Long-tailed Tit looks like:
http://www.raywilsonbirdphotography...11/May_2011/2011-05-15_MG_5459_Long-t_Tit.jpg
Despite the bad quality of the photo, the undertail would thus appear very different.

I agree that #3 definitely shows a Pallid Swift.
For #1-2 better photos (in better light) would be needed, I guess.

 

Last edited: May 30, 2016