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Redwing (1 Viewer)

jeff

jeff

Well-known member
Whilst out and about at my local NR this weekend i saw quite a lot of Redwing, but one stood out from the rest. It looked just like all the other Redwing, but the rusty red patch was an orange colour and the supercilium was also the same orange colour. Is this variation in colour normal?
 
Jeff

I hadn't realised you lived so close to me as well as Monkeyman. Any way, the Redwing. I have seen birds with a more orangey colour patch but the supercilium throws me a bit. I have seen it more off white and I class those as possibly first autumn birds.

What do the others think?
 
I've noticed exactly the same thing in that intensity of colours and markings does seem to vary markedly amongst a flock of birds. I put it down to different ages / DNA and the such like.
We've noticed something similar amongst Bullfinches which have different intensities of red chests amongst the males. Chaffinches seem to be the same too, with some birds having more vibrant colours than others.
 
John & Ian,

Thanks for the replies, John yep only down the A45, it was hard to tell if there was more than one with this colouration, but it was the only one I saw out of the 50 or so i spotted. As i stood there looking, they just kept on flying in from the fields to eat the many berries in the trees, much to the anyonce of the blackbirds, then my attention was drawn away to the kingfisher fishing for the next few minutes, the more i looked at it (sorry cant tell male from female yet) the more shades of blue and orange i could see, they never fail to amaze me.
I must admit the the few bullfinch i have see this year, the males have been unmissable, even by a novice like myself, and there's usually a female not too far away.
 
Nice one Jeff. You have just hit mer where it hurts. You might not know it but with all the brilliant birds I have seen this year one bird still remains firmly off my year list, the Kingfisher. Every body and their dog seems to have seen them except me!!

Oh well!! back to the drawing board.
 
John,

I have to admit, its one of the birds of have seen quite a lot of this year, maybe because i'm a fisherman? When fishing at Warwick on the Avon, they pass me many times during the day, sometimes they land on nearby branches and sometimes as happened to a friend two pegs down the river, it landed on his pole, he couldn't believe how heavy this small bird was, probably felt even heavier as it was sitting at 10m, but made his day.
Sorry, this can't be helping.
Got some good views at Snettersham RSPB reserve earlier this year, certainly worth the walk round to the hides.
Regularly seen at Brandon Marsh, probably seen 7 out of 10 visits, or at least by me and the lass, guess were just lucky.
Hope your luck changes.
 
Bobby dazzlers

Kingfisher sexes are alike, Jeff! I think you can only tell the difference if you study 'em close up and "scientifically"! Maybe Annie could help with this one!

Their colouration does appear to change, but it's just a trick of the light. I got a beaut of a view of one at Rutland in September! (Sorry John, couldn't resist rubbing another one in!!! :) )

But lucky you seeing the bullfinches! I've only seen one pair this year, and that all too briefly! I remember as a kid growing up in Scotland seeing them on a daily basis . . . now there IS a cause for concern!

B :)

Al
 
Jeff

<it landed on his pole> that sounds dodgy: lol

Seriously though. I was a very experienced angler for many years. I ran my own club for a few years and started the very first fishing club on Chelmsley Wood way back in 1968, (boy that is a long time ago). I fished the open circuit for many years and one of my claims to fame was when I beat Kevin Ashurst in an open at Evesham, and he was sitting at the next peg to me. I ended up a speciman Barbel angler but in 1995 gave it all up after trying, and likeing, a spot of birding. I haven't looked back since then, plus my back doesn't ache so much as my bins and scope are nowhere near the weight of my Brilo Box and rod holdall and net bag etc.

I too have had Kingfishers in close attendance and one also on my rod on the River Teme at Puddleford. The weir at Pershore is also an excellent place. thinking about it, perhaps I should start walking some of my old beats.
 
MM:Kingfisher sexes alike, you think they'd have made the female brown like most other birds, what about Robins, they all look the same to me as well.

JJ:Given up fishing!! I must admit, my attention tends to wander when i'm out fishing, watching the birds go by, never make the match circuit i'm afraid, I'll stick to club matches, not so intense.

Well its off to Brandon Marsh this weekend to hopefully get a look at those 2 long-eared owls, being showing all week so i here, maybe I'll get a glimps of those Cetti's warblers as well, I keep hearing them but have never yet seen, but then again it took me 6 months to eventually see the Water Rail. If nothing else, should be plenty of Redwing and Teal.
 
And robins, too! But you can tell the difference between male and female Great Tits . . . the male has a broader stripe. But you probably knew that already! :)

Good luck at Brandon with the long-ears. Don't they have short-eared owls there, too? sounds an ideal place!

B :)

Al
 
Jeff

I have seen the Cetti's a few times here as this is one of my favourite reserves. I have also seen Long eared owl here as well but not for about 4 years now so good luck with your search.

I would love to go there myself this weekend but I am trying to sell a car and I have put it into the Birmingham Mail for a few days. Hopefully it will sell and if so I will have free time to go somewhere myself and I must admit the draw of those owls is quite strong.
 
Interesting that you should bring up the subject of sexing the Kingfisher recently had this same discussion with tchagra after he posted the picture of one (to be found in ringing forum) which he described as male, I challenged him on it because of the lower mandible. According to my Collins the female has the red base to it's mandibel and tchagras pictured bird had this very colouring. However, after having another look at his notes he came back to me on it and said no it was definitely a male. Adult male has at least two thirds of lower mandible black, female two thirds orange. The bird in tchagras picture did not have enough orange to make it a female - so you see it's all down to thirds!!! He gave me 10/10 for questioning him tough - lol

Did I get it right this time tchagra??

El Annie :t:
 
Now that's what I call optimistic! I was fortuneate to see a small flock of these birds in Thailand earlier this year, I must admit that Redwing did not cross my mind! just to continue the grip, the Eyebrowed were with a Dusky and a couple of Grey-sided for good measure.

Good birding and dreaming

Paul
 
I too have read in my Collins guide that on a breeding pair, the male has an all black bill, does this mean that if it has ²/3rds black it a non-breeding male?

Thanks for the tip on the great tits, someone had told me this applied to blue tits.

I think the orange coloured Redwing, was indeed a Redwing, everything was the same a regular Redwing, with the exception of the orange colouring.

Yep, did manage to see the Long-eared owl, wrong side of the tree for great views, but none the less it was visible, could only see one though, not too sure where the other was hiding.

Not too sure about the short-eared owl though, but i've only been going there for 6 months or so.

And was that my first glimps of Cetti's? I could hear it then something brown showed itself for a fraction of a second, before disappearing into the reeds one more, possibly.
 
Last edited:
jeff

Glad you got the Long eared owl and you can bet that that was a Cetti's. Notoriously difficult birds to see but if you heard it, then saw it by where you heard it, then chances are that that brown bird was indeed a Cetti's. That is usually all you see of them at the best of times.
 
Cant take any credit for the photos, they're just links to where they were posted.
I too have only seen the long-eared owl at a reserve - Brandon Marsh Nature Reserve or is it called Brandon Marsh Nature Centre?
 
Thanks for that Jeff. When I said reseres, I should have said 'falconry centres' where they are on display in cages rather than being at least free spirits in a nature reserve.
I thought the ntlworld link may have been yours.

That's a great guide to Brandon Marsh that you have on your website, very useful for anyone who maybe visiting - a bit far for me though :(

Also interesting navigation bar of the left side, I've never seen that done before. I had great fun tying to click on the home page link at the bottom (not that I needed to) - I guess my monitor must be a bit on the small side.
 
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