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Willow warbler, chiffchaff or something else? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Doggerel
- Start date
paulwfromtheden
Well-known member
Hi folks,
can anyone ID this LBJ seen in mid-Wales recently?
cheers
Steve
Hard one. Does not look like a warbler to me at all, more like a finch.
How big was it? That should help clinch it.
Hi
I would guess the length at approx. 10-12 cm by comparing it to the seed pods on the gorse. I took the pic through a 400mm lens from about 30m so it's hard to give an accurate size. I thought I could make out a dark stripe through the eye and a hint of a paler supercilium which made me think warbler, plus it had a very tuneful song (I am rubbish at song ID so can't be more precise than that)
Hope that helps
Steve
I would guess the length at approx. 10-12 cm by comparing it to the seed pods on the gorse. I took the pic through a 400mm lens from about 30m so it's hard to give an accurate size. I thought I could make out a dark stripe through the eye and a hint of a paler supercilium which made me think warbler, plus it had a very tuneful song (I am rubbish at song ID so can't be more precise than that)
Hope that helps
Steve
Seconded, female Chaffinch (check out the tail shape & white outer tail feathers, plus the headmarkings & jizz...)
Motmot
Eduardo Amengual
Same here. Pale external margins on outer tf can be seen in some images of GW, Chaffinch shows a darker outer margin with white inside:
http://rfst.dk/rfrapp/gfx/hasa7605.jpg
http://www.ruchet.com/index.php?p=pinson-des-arbres&lang=sc
Bill looks slim enough for GW too.
More Chaffinches to compare with:
http://www.ibercajalav.net/img/426_ChaffinchFcoelebs.pdf
Eduardo
Sorry, only had time for one shot before it cleared off.
ps. It's the apparent speckling on the breast that throws me.
Last edited:
birdboybowley
Well-known member.....apparently so ;)
I'd say gw too, no way a chaffinch - look at the bill!
Since when has a Garden Warbler got a notched tail-it is straight across at the end. A feature which is quite clear on the photo
Joan
rockfowl
Mark Andrews
I think the notch may be misleading?
http://www.hawar-islands.com/blog/media/blogs/kuwait/G-Warbler.jpg
http://www.cbwps.org.uk/GardenWarbler1Ninestones.jpg
I'd favour Garden Warbler too
Mark
David Caudwell
Dave C
Tricky one on this view, but I'm going for GW too...unless a flycatching Chaffinch has suddenly evolved an insectivorous bill overnight 
I don't often get involved in ID discussions as I find photos to be too subjective but this is an interesting bird, probably only due to the fact that the angle of the bird makes it very hard to come up with a positive ID. Steve's comment (quoted above) echos my own thoughts but feels hugely unsatisfying from an ID point of view.
I feel this is definitely a warbler and not a Chaffinch or pipit. While Garden Warbler may seem the most obvious, the bird has something of an Acro feel to it or maybe even (at a push) Booted Warbler (are the outer tail feathers white?). That's not to say it's something rare, I still favour Garden Warbler but thought I ought to throw in a couple of other possibilities for good measure!
It may be worth checking if it's still around. Any attempts to describe the song may also be helpful.
Would be good to hear Jane Turner's view...
Chris
Tricky one on this view, but I'm going for GW too...unless a flycatching Chaffinch has suddenly evolved an insectivorous bill overnight
It's all in the angle
Looking underneath, head turned away from the camera...Classic Garden Warb habitat, BTW...
