id from this? Near West Yorks/Lancs (UK) boundary (1 Viewer)

J

Jeffk

New member

• Sep 18, 2019

• #1

I found this on top of a fence post not far onto the moor from the top of a deciduously wooded clough, which included rowans in fruit, near the West Yorks/Lancs boundary (near Todmorden).

It looks like it's mostly fragments of rowan berries plus what are probably insect fragments.

I'm not sure if it's pellets or scat, but I'm pretty sure it is from a bird as it's on top of the post

Any thoughts on the species & which end it's from?

Thanks in advance

 

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Steve Heath

Well-known member

• Sep 18, 2019

• #2

I think this might be a pellet from an omnivorous bird, possibly a corvid - carrion crow or magpie. Pretty sure its not faecal. I'm really interested to hear what others think.

All the best with your scatological investigations.

Steve

 

P

petectid

Well-known member

• Sep 18, 2019

• #3

Rosehip maybe?

 

J

Jeffk

New member

• Sep 19, 2019

• #4

There weren't any rosehips nearby that I could see, but there were rowans, so that seems more likely.

Were you thinking that rosehips it would indicate a different bird species then if it's rowan berries?

 

Nutcracker

Stop Brexit!

• Sep 19, 2019

• #5

Rose hips are too large for some birds to swallow - I know Waxwings struggle with them, so anything smaller probably couldn't manage them. But agree, these look more like rowan berry skins than rose hip skins.

 

A

aeshna5

Well-known member

• Sep 19, 2019

• #6

Nutcracker said:

Rose hips are too large for some birds to swallow - I know Waxwings struggle with them, so anything smaller probably couldn't manage them. But agree, these look more like rowan berry skins than rose hip skins.

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Greenfinches certainly manage them- very partial to Rosa rugosa in particular!:t:

 

Nutcracker

Stop Brexit!

• Sep 19, 2019

• #7

aeshna5 said:

Greenfinches certainly manage them- very partial to Rosa rugosa in particular!:t:

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They peck them open and eat the seeds, not the fruit pulp :t:

 

Steve Heath

Well-known member

• Sep 20, 2019

• #8

As kids we used to dry out rose hips and use them as itching powder. Misspent youth. :-C

Any thoughts what bird this may be? I was using the hand in the photo for scale, hence corvid.

 

Andy Adcock

Worst person on Birdforum

• Sep 20, 2019

• #9

I'm not at all sure a bird did this.

Mustelids will deposit scats at prominent points and they eat berries seasonally I believe?

 

Nutcracker

Stop Brexit!

• Sep 20, 2019

• #10

andyadcock said:

I'm not at all sure a bird did this.

Mustelids will deposit scats at prominent points and they eat berries seasonally I believe?

Click to expand...

I was having similar thoughts, but wasn't sure enough to say so :t:

 

Steve Heath

Well-known member

• Sep 20, 2019

• #11

You've got a good point Andy. I couldn't see any other features typical of mustelid scat, such as bones or hair or black sticky matter, but if the animal ate a glut of berries the Scat would reflect this. I just don't know enough about mammals to be sure either way.

 

P

petectid

Well-known member

• Sep 21, 2019

• #12

Birds generally open Rosehips eat the seeds but also some of the flesh, though out and about yesterday came across something identical, Rowan Berries that a corvid had eaten.

 

J

Jeffk

New member

• Sep 22, 2019

• #13

For some reason I've not had any notifications about posts in this thread after the first couple of replies to my original post....it's great to see that people are still responding!

andyadcock said:

I'm not at all sure a bird did this.
Mustelids will deposit scats at prominent points and they eat berries seasonally I believe?

Click to expand...

Nutcracker said:

I was having similar thoughts, but wasn't sure enough to say so :t:

Click to expand...

As I initially said, I'm fairly confident it's from a bird as all the samples I found were on top of fence posts about a metre from the ground, so it seems unlikely that it's a mammal....

(a) why would they climb on to the top of a fence post? &

(b) even if one did, it would have to be a small-ish animal to perch there & the 'samples' look too big for the small mustelids

Please tell me if my reasoning there is incorrect, & why...I'm keen to learn!

I'm interested to read peoples' thoughts on what different bird species it could be. Judging by the size of the pellets compared to the medium sized female hand my guess would be a larger bird. I had originally thought of kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) as there are a couple in the area but do they eat berries? I’ve seen no mention anywhere of them being omnivores.

 

Nutcracker

Stop Brexit!

• Sep 22, 2019

• #14

petectid said:

Birds generally open Rosehips eat the seeds but also some of the flesh, ....

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Waxwings swallow them whole, though with difficulty! Thrushes too.