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Crest on Fire!! (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter KenM
- Start date
Simon Wates
Well-known member
They do this when alarmed or in courtship - its fabulous to see and a surprise.
KenM
Well-known member
Yes it was certainly doing the chasing Simon and that crown was most surprising....
Cheers
Spectacular shot! Male Ruby-crowned Kinglets have a similar display when their dander’s up but I’ve never seen one that comes close to your bird’s in intensity and shock value. . ..
https://www.flickr.com/photos/fugl/405332251/in/album-72157654707793348
https://www.flickr.com/photos/fugl/405332251/in/album-72157654707793348
KenM
Well-known member
Thanks Kits...:t:
Thanks fugl, for your enthusiastic response most refreshing. I too once only encountered a male Ruby-crowned Kinglet and that too was in Portland,Oregon (my daughter lives there), and such was the intensity (viewed from behind) that I likened it to a car’s rear brake light (that you’re travelling behind in the rain) suddenly “coming on”. :t:
KenM
Well-known member
Just realised the implication of your reply Simon...apologies I’d have thought that they would have been scarce on the Algarve?
Cheers
Simon Wates
Well-known member
Not at all Ken 
Here in the Algarve, Firecrest is a regular, though not so common winter visitor - a birder living here should see them pretty regularly though - they occur inland but also along the coast, especially where there are good groups of large Stone Pines - folk staying in a number of hotels here can see them in the gardens. Probably most numerous in late autumn, no doubt some passage movement involved. Sagres get lots late Oct and through November and onwards. There is also a small breeding population, inland. Its probably commoner than records suggest. I find them in inland Cork Oak valley bottoms along waterlines especially and with climbers on trees (Smilax aspera usually) - its not even necessary to have any conifers. There is a decent population in inland central Algarve. Near to me in the western Algarve I have found them breeding in about half a dozen locations of the type I described. Its not a bird that visitors see much I guess.
Here in the Algarve, Firecrest is a regular, though not so common winter visitor - a birder living here should see them pretty regularly though - they occur inland but also along the coast, especially where there are good groups of large Stone Pines - folk staying in a number of hotels here can see them in the gardens. Probably most numerous in late autumn, no doubt some passage movement involved. Sagres get lots late Oct and through November and onwards. There is also a small breeding population, inland. Its probably commoner than records suggest. I find them in inland Cork Oak valley bottoms along waterlines especially and with climbers on trees (Smilax aspera usually) - its not even necessary to have any conifers. There is a decent population in inland central Algarve. Near to me in the western Algarve I have found them breeding in about half a dozen locations of the type I described. Its not a bird that visitors see much I guess.
KenM
Well-known member
Not at all Ken
Ah!...the subject bird was a Goldcrest Simon, easily mistaken on that shot, apologies that was the thrust of my post, having never seen Goldcrest with such an intense red crown before, indeed having once espied one with a yellow/orange crown but never realising that it could turn so red and must assume that this is occasionally seen?
Cheers
JWN Andrewes
Poor Judge of Pasta.
I've seen Goldcrest on a couple of occasions with the crown feathers spread out to reveal the full extent of the deep orange that is usually hidden. On both occasions the male in question was enthusiastically soliciting a nearby female.
Simon Wates
Well-known member
A similar thing happens to male Rock Petronias - on displaying they "open" their breast feathers like theatre curtains - I must say I was quite flabbergasted at the lemon-curd intensity
much as I was the first time I saw a Firecrest (aka Goldcrest :-O) do its crest exposing.
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Simon Wates
Well-known member
You are too kind - its obvious its a Goldcrest - but I just looked at that orange fire and thought Firecrest!
Goldcrests are much more scarce in the Algarve. The odd winter we get small influxes, many winters none at all or just one or two records
KenM
Well-known member
I have to presume that there is a very “short” time frame to observe this. Indeed it was chasing another bird and such was the less than perfect lighting that I only got three half decent frames out of a double digit burst in focus, thus I count myself quite lucky in getting this almost enigmatic “face” shot.
Cheers
KenM
Well-known member
You are too kind - its obvious its a Goldcrest - but I just looked at that orange fire and thought Firecrest!
Goldcrests are much more scarce in the Algarve. The odd winter we get small influxes, many winters none at all or just one or two records
To my eye it’s interesting how the centre crown colour for the three aforementioned Kinglets differ, for me the Ruby-crowned Kinglet was by far the most intense and living up to it’s name. With the Goldcrest showing an unexpected flame red core and the Firecrest showing a more vermillion blood red, that’s certainly my eye’s interpretation although others might take a different view. :t:
Cheers
