Yellow-bummed warbler, Beige-necked grebe, and a flying yellow dot - Deeping, Lincs (1 Viewer)

[Georgebirds]

A couple of IDs here which are still niggling me a few months on - taken in November, Deeping Lakes in Lincolnshire.

I'm guessing Willow Warbler or Chiffchaff for the first bird, but can't pick which - one of my books shows first-winter Chiffchaffs as a more buffy colour underneath than an adult, not yellow there, but the Willow Warbler first-winters are illustrated more yellow on the chest and white toward the bum. This one seems the reverse, with the yellow being far deeper nearest the tail.

The second set of pictures show a small group of Grebes, I assumed Little Grebes in winter colouring at the time, but I went to the same place the other day, saw Little Grebes, and they didn't look the same as these ones, which made me come back to my previous pictures to compare. I'm still learning all the various age/season variations birds can go through, are these just winter Little Grebes? Black-necked Grebes were seen at this site just a few days before I took these photos, which is making me doubt my ID, when I look at multiple juvenile and winter pics of each there's so much variety from one photo to the next, I can't say for sure which mine look most like!

The final one is a bit of a long shot, in case anyone can identify from such a blurry photo (taken through the car window as we were leaving, hah) - a huuuuuge flock of Chaffinches swirling over a field, with one bright yellow dot amongst them. Yellowhammer jumps to mind based on the colouring, but do they join mixed flocks? I only ever seem to see them alone or in twos at most, and never perching or flying with other species. Are Greenfinches ever that bright that they look yellow not green? Too big to be a Great Tit, and there's no sign of the dark marking on the chest, just yellow and possibly whiter toward the tail, which is grey/brown. Siskin is the only other yellowy bird I can think of, but I never see those, and it would be really frustrating to add a lifer by a fleeting glimpse and a terrible photo I needed help to ID!

 

[kb57]

Aside from the time of year which should exclude WW - dark legs and short primary projection makes it a chiffchaff.

Definitely winter plumage adult little grebes.

The yellow thing is beyond me, if anything I'm seeing more of an orange breast / white vent in the picture, which would suggest brambling. Yellowhammer do sometimes join mixed flocks, but great tits don't tend to join finch flocks (in the countryside, as opposed to around feeders).

If it was a siskin, I personally wouldn't add it to my life list on a view like that - I don't necessarily exclude fleeting glimpses if I know what it is, but you haven't really experienced seeing the bird - but your list, your rules! Others may venture a guess, but I suspect it's going to have to remain one that got away.

 

[THE_FERN]

Very likely male siskin with motion blur for me. Think I can see black cap

 

[lou salomon]

I think Greenfinch or Yellowhammer for the yellow bird. Siskins are not as likely to join large Chaffinch flocks. It looks bulky and short tailed, so I rather guess Greenfinch than Yellowhammer.

 

[KenM]

Aside from the time of year which should exclude WW - dark legs and short primary projection makes it a chiffchaff.

Agreed Chiffchaff. 👍

 

[KenM]

A lightened version, Yellow Bunting for me.👍

 

[THE_FERN]

I wonder what the accompanying birds are. Suspect some at least are linnet (if so perhaps greenfinch for yellow). Don't see Chaffinch I think (but who knows: these might be birds in this pic, or...)

 

[Georgebirds]

Thanks for all the replies on this, much appreciate taking the time to help me out!

With the opposite of a unanimous verdict on the yellow dot, I'll leave that one as unidentified. I'm actually kind of glad I got four different best-guess ideas and not four 'that's a siskin' in a row, cos then I'd have had the dilemma of whether to count it as seen enough or not, hah

I did see the chaffinches close enough to ID them, some landed in a tree beside the car and I got a good look and even a photo to check on later. Not saying everything in that entire flock was a chaffinch, but every bird I saw well enough, was one.

 

[THE_FERN]

Thanks for all the replies on this, much appreciate taking the time to help me out!

With the opposite of a unanimous verdict on the yellow dot, I'll leave that one as unidentified. I'm actually kind of glad I got four different best-guess ideas and not four 'that's a siskin' in a row, cos then I'd have had the dilemma of whether to count it as seen enough or not, hah

I did see the chaffinches close enough to ID them, some landed in a tree beside the car and I got a good look and even a photo to check on later. Not saying everything in that entire flock was a chaffinch, but every bird I saw well enough, was one.

Yes most if not all these are chaffinches (didn't check all). But look at the flying birds in the other pic: no evidence of the Chaffinch's wing white for example and rump apparently different colour