IDs in Berlin, Germany (1 Viewer)

[jocateme]

Having doubts with some birds seen in Berlin in October. Would anyone be so kind as to confirm/correct these IDs?

1 - Tree pipit? (Tempelhofer Feld)
2 - Goshawk? (hovering over Neukölln)
3 - Not sure which treecreeper (Grünewald)
4 - Herring gull? (Wannsee)
5 - Scaup? (Schlachtensee)

I can upload more photos of them, if necessary.

 

[phil baber]

1 Skylark
2 Goshawk (looking at it again? Despite bulging secondaries & overall long-winged appearance? I'd like to see better photos to rule out Sparrowhawk...)
3 Distinct white primary tips & "even-notch?" Short-toed Treecreeper for me
4 argentatus? Herring Gull
5 Female-type Tufted Duck

Others' opinions will follow! I may be wrong of course... :cat:

 

[tconzemi]

Gos imo

 

[P.Sunesen]

Definitely an adult Goshawk and one very instructive photo showing most of the distinguishing characters between it and the much smaller Sparrowhawk.

Peter

 

[jocateme]

Thanks a lot for the help, guys! Sending more pics of the hawk, just in case. And also one of another duck that was in the same lake (Schlachtensee) which I'm guessing is a male tufted duck?

 

[Val35]

Goshawk for me too, and the duck is indeed a male Tufted Duck.

 

[jocateme]

Thanks Val!

I'm gonna ask for you guys' help once more. These hawks were photographed while flying very high above Tempelhofer Feld. There were six of them. I had previously identified them as common buzzards but then, after reading some posts here, I realised there was a possibility that they could be honey buzzards. Is it possible to ID from these pics?

 

[KGS]

Common Buzzard

 

[P.Sunesen]

They were Common Buzzards. Please always state date of the observation

Peter

 

[Xenospiza]

Thanks Val!

I'm gonna ask for you guys' help once more. These hawks were photographed while flying very high above Tempelhofer Feld. There were six of them. I had previously identified them as common buzzards but then, after reading some posts here, I realised there was a possibility that they could be honey buzzards. Is it possible to ID from these pics?

Yes, they are Common Buzzards (among more subtle differences: they all show a white bar on the breast which rules out all other possibilities).
Furthermore, the last Honey Buzzards leave in September.

 

[Sangahyando]

Thanks Val!

I'm gonna ask for you guys' help once more. These hawks were photographed while flying very high above Tempelhofer Feld. There were six of them. I had previously identified them as common buzzards but then, after reading some posts here, I realised there was a possibility that they could be honey buzzards. Is it possible to ID from these pics?

October is relatively late for Honey Buzzard, as they are long-distance migrants (which is what Peter was alluding to). The pictures definitely show Common Buzzard, in any case.
Agree with the others on the rest of the birds. Goshawk is a nice find, even though Berlin is famous for its Goshawk population - normally it's a very shy and elusive bird. The pictures show many distinguishing features - proportionally longer wings than Sparrowhawk (especially the "arm"), only faint barring on secondaries, rounded tail tip, massive build, etc. In general, the proportions are less "extreme" than in Sparrowhawk.
The default Aythya duck in inland Germany is Tufted Duck; Scaup is usually found near the sea (and less common anyway).

 

[jocateme]

Thank you all for helping me once again, guys! Time of year and distinctive characteristics mentioned by Xenospiza and Sangahyando settle it, then!

Please always state date of the observation

Sorry, Peter! They were seen in October 9th. I'd mentioned it in the first post but forgot to do it again in the buzzards' query!

Goshawk is a nice find, even though Berlin is famous for its Goshawk population - normally it's a very shy and elusive bird.

So had I heard, Sangahyando! That's actually the main reason I chose Tempelhofer Feld to go birding, as goshawks are supposedly easy to spot there. I was gladly surprised and partly skeptic (hence my questioning here) to see them hovering over a highly urbanized area!

 

[phil baber]

Thanks a lot for the help, guys! Sending more pics of the hawk, just in case. And also one of another duck that was in the same lake (Schlachtensee) which I'm guessing is a male tufted duck?

Now I see the GOS. Danke! B

So? Just the Treeceeper & Herring Gull to clear up this post question?

Happy days! :cat:

 

[jocateme]

Hi Phil,

Thanks for bringing them up again. I've been reading about how to tell eurasian and short-toed treecreepers and it sure is no piece of cake. I'm uploading more angles of 'my' treecreeper. About the characteristics you mentioned earlier pointing out to short-toed: though I agree that the wingbar is more consistent with short-toed, the primary tips apparently are pale rather than white, judging from these pics I'm attaching. Also, although the photos don't help much on that matter, the alula doesn't seem to be pale margined as expected in short-toed, right?

 

[phil baber]

There's a definite "angled-notch" in the front-edge of the wing-bar. Indistinct grey-white tips to primaries in these pics? So, I'd say Treecreeper with new evidence.

Just the Gull to clear up then?

 

[lou salomon]

wing bar perfect for common (eurasian) treecreeper.
the gull is an adult herring gull.

 

[jocateme]

Glad these new photos allowed a definite ID on the treecreper! Thank you both, and for the gull ID!