Bird id

gzoladz

http://instagram.com/p/iZIoF7FpD8/

fathead82

looks like a little egret.

gzoladz

Thanks, I thought it was.

Spotted today in cabinteely park if anyone is interested.

Woodville56

Any ideas about this small wader seen today on the west coast - possibly Grey or Golden Plover ? Looks a bit too big for a Dunlin ??
An ID would be great - thanks !

OpenYourEyes

Woodville56 wrote: »

Any ideas about this small wader seen today on the west coast - possibly Grey or Golden Plover ? Looks a bit too big for a Dunlin ??
An ID would be great - thanks !

Sanderling perhaps?

Capercaille

It's a grey plover. can be similar to golden plover in winter but bill much bigger and less golden markings on back. Sanderling dunlin sized and at this time of year breast pure white with no markings. Can be hard to judge size from picture though. Also grey plover in ireland are usually found in single numbers on intertidal marsh, golden plover tend to be in large flocks.

Woodville56

Capercaille wrote: »

It's a grey plover. can be similar to golden plover in winter but bill much bigger and less golden markings on back. Sanderling dunlin sized and at this time of year breast pure white with no markings. Can be hard to judge size from picture though. Also grey plover in ireland are usually found in single numbers on intertidal marsh, golden plover tend to be in large flocks.

Thanks for that Capercaillie ! Was thinking Grey or Golden Plover myself but light was tricky at the time - over at Claddagh beach, Galway- a nice early new year tick !

Woodville56

any ideas on these geese folks ? Spotted on a midland lake today , apologies for poor quality of pics , they were phone scoped from a good distance , thought Greylag at first but noticed pink and black bill pattern and wondering if possibly Pink Footed ?
Any help with ID would be appreciate !

Capercaille

Woodville56 wrote: »

any ideas on these geese folks ? Spotted on a midland lake today , apologies for poor quality of pics , they were phone scoped from a good distance , thought Greylag at first but noticed pink and black bill pattern and wondering if possibly Pink Footed ?
Any help with ID would be appreciate !

Pink-footed geese. A great find, a very uncommon winter visitor.

OpenYourEyes

Woodville56 wrote: »

any ideas on these geese folks ? Spotted on a midland lake today , apologies for poor quality of pics , they were phone scoped from a good distance , thought Greylag at first but noticed pink and black bill pattern and wondering if possibly Pink Footed ?
Any help with ID would be appreciate !

Wherabouts in the midlands, if you don't mind me asking?

Woodville56

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Wherabouts in the midlands, if you don't mind me asking?

No problem, Open Your Eyes , they're on Lough Gowna, about 4 miles north of Granard. On the Aughnacliffe village side of the lake with a few Mute Swans close by reedbeds and flooded fields . First ever sighting of them here.

Woodville56

Still working on my Gull ID skills, phone scoped these today on the west coast :

Gull no 1 - 2 pics - possibly Iceland Gull , shortish bill, round head, longish primaries , or Glacous ??


Gull no 2 - 2 pics - maybe Ring Billed Gull?? looks a bit to chunky to be a Common Gull ??

Any ID help much appreciated !

OpenYourEyes

Woodville56 wrote: »

Still working on my Gull ID skills, phone scoped these today on the west coast :

Gull no 1 - 2 pics - possibly Iceland Gull , shortish bill, round head, longish primaries , or Glacous ??


Gull no 2 - 2 pics - maybe Ring Billed Gull?? looks a bit to chunky to be a Common Gull ??

Any ID help much appreciated !

From what I can remember eye colour is a help when differentiating Common and Ring-billed Gulls - so I think the one you have there is a Ring-billed Gull alright.

*hope nobody comes along and corrects me*

Capercaille

Woodville56 wrote: »

Still working on my Gull ID skills, phone scoped these today on the west coast :

Gull no 1 - 2 pics - possibly Iceland Gull , shortish bill, round head, longish primaries , or Glacous ??


Gull no 2 - 2 pics - maybe Ring Billed Gull?? looks a bit to chunky to be a Common Gull ??

Any ID help much appreciated !

Openyoureyes correct. Ist Iceland and second adult winter ring billed gull. Pale eye adult RB gull, darker in common. Bill yellow with complete black ring, appearing broader than width of eye. In common much less distinctive greyish band.

Woodville56

Capercaille wrote: »

Openyoureyes correct. Ist Iceland and second adult winter ring billed gull. Pale eye adult RB gull, darker in common. Bill yellow with complete black ring, appearing broader than width of eye. In common much less distinctive greyish band.

Many thanks for the ID folks !
Still getting the hang of gulls so great to get the ID confirmation !

Woodville56

Hi all ! Just wondering if anyone can confirm an ID in this raptor phone scoped from a fair distance this morning so apologies for the quality of the pic"a - my own hunch is female Sparrowhawk but also wanted to rule out female Merlin
Thanks !

whyulittle

I'd be going for Merlin myself. Lack of yellow eyes immediately jumps out.

OpenYourEyes

Very falcon-like head on it - Definitely a Merlin

dodderangler

Lovely little Merlin there.
Cracking little birds. Been up close and personal with one and was great experience.
Have yet to see one in the wild though

stevensi

Female Merlin alright...cracking little raptors.

keps

I wonder could anyone id this one for me... this morning high over the Liffey near Lucan.

It seems to be travelling faster than a 'standard' bird.
Could it be a buzzard?

keps

Also taken around the same time this morning

Is this a cormorant?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

First is a hooded crow, a grey crow or scaw crow (spending on where you live!)

Second is indeed a Cormorant.

keps

I was hoping it wouldnt be a bloody crow:D

keps

Also spotted this fella this morning - is it a kingfisher?

keps

Jonathan Wailing Pedestal wrote: »

First is a hooded crow, a grey crow or scaw crow (spending on where you live!)

Second is indeed a Cormorant.

thank you for taking the time to reply:)

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

keps wrote: »

I was hoping it wouldnt be a bloody crow:D

Ash don't be like that!
Crows are magnificent birds and well worth watching.

The latest is indeed a kingfisher. Well caught!

keps

One last question - here is another shot from the Liffey in Lucan this morning. I am assuming this is a cormorant - but is it usual to have such a light coloured chest? Or is this a young bird?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

It's a cormorant that's not quite in full adult plumage yet.

keps

Thanks Srameen you have been very helpful.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

keps wrote: »

Thanks Srameen you have been very helpful.

Not at all! Keep asking. That's what the forum is for. We all learn together and we get to see your wonderful photos as a bonus.

keps

After years of trying (on and off), I was delighted to get my first shot of a Kingfisher today. I am not really a bird watcher or follower and I wasn't even 100% sure it was a kingfisher - but kinda guessed from the bright colours.

keps

If you like bird pics you might like this from along the Liffey today in Lucan( St Catherines Park).
I only discovered this park a few weeks ago -even though I don't live that far away and it is a real treasure trove!

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

You should post some on the "some pictures I took recently" thread. It's at the top of the forum main page.

Great quality shots you have there!

keps

Jonathan Wailing Pedestal wrote: »

You should post some on the "some pictures I took recently" thread. It's at the top of the forum main page.

Great quality shots you have there!

Thanks - I will do tomorrow.
I post a lot on the Random Photo thread too!:)

keps

Ok - this may seem simple to everyone but is this a thrush?
Taken this morning

Woodville56

keps wrote: »

Ok - this may seem simple to everyone but is this a thrush?
Taken this morning

Yep ! Song thrush - they're in full song these days !

keps

Not too clear as it is through some shrubbery
This morning Lucan Demesne

vandriver

I'll throw in the first guess of a grey wagtail.

OpenYourEyes

keps wrote: »

Not too clear as it is through some shrubbery
This morning Lucan Demesne

Grey Wagtail!

keps

This fella(can fella be female?) was building a nest I think

This morning also

OpenYourEyes

keps wrote: »

This fella(can fella be female?) was building a nest I think

This morning also

Dipper!

keps

You would think it should be the Yellow Wagtail!

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

keps wrote: »

You would think it should be the Yellow Wagtail!

You should see a Yellow Wagtail! Now that's yellow!

keps

Obvious to most I guess but can someone give me the breed of this bird from the back garden?

OpenYourEyes

Blue Tit!

...and 'species' is a more appropriate term than 'breed'! The term 'breed is often used for dogs or captive chickens or that type of thing, because they are bred to look very different, but they're still the same species!

vandriver

Lovely pic btw.

Woodville56

Anyone venture an ID on this - phonescoped on west coast today at a distance , thought black guillemot in moult but very dumpy looking ?? Possibly a grebe ??

Capercaille

Woodville56 wrote: »

Anyone venture an ID on this - phonescoped on west coast today at a distance , thought black guillemot in moult but very dumpy looking ?? Possibly a grebe ??

Common Guillemot.
All our grebe species swim on water with their heads elevated perpendicular to body (like the way a swan swims on water). That rules out all grebe species.
The body posture on the water is of a bird lying down. Auks swim on the water in this fashion. Black guillemot are very variable in plumage at this time of year, some in almost summer plumage while some in transitional winter-summer plumage that is often speckled looking. Your bird is not speckled. You can faintly see a post ocular black streak which is good for common guillemot in winter plumage. Long slender bill rules out puffin, razorbill. Your can also see the clear contrast between a black cap on head and white face which razorbill and guillemot show in winter plumage.

yknaa

First time poster here and would like to id a bird spotted in my coastal town garden. Too far away to get a decent pic but it resembled a hybrid of a sparrow's body and perhaps like a finch's head (sounding like Dougal in Fr. Ted now).

The head was bright green/yellow with black markings/stripes over the eye.

Any clue? Thanks

vandriver

Possibly a siskin?