Can You Help With Some ID's at the Little Orme Please? (3 Viewers)

[Hettie's Bird Spots]

Hi everyone! I visited Angel Bay on Saturday February 17th 2024. I've two questions please; the first two pics to me look like cormorants, but could there be some shags there, too? The second two pics, my cousin has suggested a rock pipit. I know the photos aren't great, sorry, and I've only been spotting a few years now, so cormorants and shags look practically the same to me, as do the pipits!! Any help would be appreciated, thanks!

 

[wheatearlp]

The first pic looks like they're all Shags, no white thigh patch, generally slimmer & less yellow at the base of the bill.
The second pic look as though they're all Cormorants - white thigh patch & white feathering on head on most.
Third & fourth pics I'd say you're correct with Rock Pipit - legs look dark reddish-pink & bird seems dark and 'smudgy'

 

[Prestdj]

shags in the first photo, the birds against the sea show the clearly steeper forehead, cormorants in second photo more sleeker head shape than shag also they both like different nesting habitat
and yes rock pipit

 

[Hettie's Bird Spots]

Wow, thank you so much for your help everyone! Shags and rock pipits are both lifers for me, so I'm a very happy bunny right now!😁

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello Helen,

welcome to Birdforum from me too!

In this case I just want to add, that there is an adult Great Black backed Gull hiding among the Shags, which you might well already noted. But if not, I hope that you are even happier now!

Wow, thank you so much for your help everyone! Shags and rock pipits are both lifers for me, so I'm a very happy bunny right now!😁

 

[Hettie's Bird Spots]

Hello Helen,

welcome to Birdforum from me too!

In this case I just want to add, that there is an adult Great Black backed Gull hiding among the Shags, which you might well already noted. But if not, I hope that you are even happier now!

Thank you Alexander, I had got it this time, but please keep telling me in case I miss future spots - I tend to get easily distracted and don't always notice everything in my pics!! 🤣

 

[Derbyfella]

Hello Helen,

welcome to Birdforum from me too!

In this case I just want to add, that there is an adult Great Black backed Gull hiding among the Shags, which you might well already noted. But if not, I hope that you are even happier now!

For some reason, even though I knew what it was I couldn’t figure out quite what was going on….I kept thinking penguin 🤣😂🤭it took me a while to figure out there was a shag in front of it

 

[Butty]

Shag: thin even-depth bill, steep forehead.
Great cormorant: deep-based bill, sloping forehead.
Rock pipit: short hind claw (visible in 2nd pic), thus not meadow pipit, on which it's absurdly long (plus features given above).
(It helps the less-well-travelled and non-Brits if you give also country + region.)