Willow Warbler?

[poledark]

Blimey..I checked out the Birdforum database and decided it was a willow warbler but that explains the ? mark.

 

Couldnt find a Reed warbler in their list!!

 

Alan,I have seen the little ones with the eye stripe, and it is def not one of them.

 

There were two of those frogs about 40 foot apart(13mtrs for the younguns on here ) and they were literally shouting at each other, making a yacking and yelping sound, and I ended up throwing balls of feeder mix at one of them to try to get it to shut up.

 

Tony, just for you..OK?.

 

 

 

Den

[Tony U]

Den

Nice one b****y big rat, we are all supposed to be no further than one meter from a rat at any time in the UK, makes you think.

Re the bird

I am going to put my two penneth in; I think its a Chiffchaff, why:

1. The supercillium (Eye stripe) is short it only extends up to, rather than beyond the eye and is not as disctinct as a Willow Warbler

2. There is a light patch under the eye.

3. The Cheek is smooth in apearance not spootted or marked.

4. The buff colouring extends on to the breast of the bird.

5.The legs of the bird appear darkish brown

 

These points are as detailed in: The Macmillan Fieldguide to Bird Identification - Harris, Tucker, Vinicombe, when identifying a Chiffchaff rather than a Willow Warbler

or look at:

www.birdguides.com/html/vidlib/species/Phylloscopus_collybita.htm

or

www.birdguides.com/html/vidlib/species/Phylloscopus_trochilus.htm

That said I would only be 100% sure if I heard them singing

 

[ 27. May 2005, 09:38 AM: Message edited by: Tony U ]

[poledark]

Gets a bit more confusing (or maybe not?) but I am pretty sure that there were two slightly different birds flitting about...one seemed to have a longer thinner beak than the one in the pic I posted. I am pretty certain of that 'cos beaks are one of the things I look at to help identification.

 

I am leaning towards Chiff chaff though, and the first comment on the www.birdforum.net seems to think chiff chaff as well.

 

 

Glad you liked my ratshot (?) Tony, But I missed an "Irridescent golden green " beetle which settled on my knee..flew off before I could focus on it...stunning creature.

 

Exciting this fishing lark ain't it ?

 

 

Den

 

[ 27. May 2005, 10:06 AM: Message edited by: poledark ]

[Tony U]

Den

Are you taking the photographs from your garden or when you are carp fishing?

If its the latter things must be slow lets hope the change in weather improves things.

The beetle wasn't a Cockchaffer was it?

[poledark]

No idea re the beetle, but it was a stunner!

 

Taking pics while fishing...not to slow..had a ferocious battle with a lump that finally weeded me and shed the hook in the morning, but they were more interested in sex after that!

 

Anyway what with the hippos that keep taking my mixers life is a bit hectic down here at the moment

 

Den

[Tony U]

Not those hippopotofrogs Den, they can be B*****s.

I am paying the price for the weekend down Folkestone last week and I have got to clean out the shed this weekend.

Will be doing an evening trip with young Matt to a local commercial on Saturday though.

 

[ 27. May 2005, 12:00 PM: Message edited by: Tony U ]

[John Ellison]

We went to the same complex in Tenerife three years on the trot and there was a bird very similar to the picture every year.

It took me forever and a day to identify it. I found some european bird book and identified it as an Icterine warbler. There is very little difference in the above but the fluttering manner in which it moved, habitat,and the noise it made fitted exactly as an Icterine. I hate to see some bird or catch some fish and not be able to identify them.

[blindog]

Chiffchaff

[ayjay]

When I said Chiff-Chaff last night I was only thinking of the distinction between WW or CC but looking at it again it could well be Reed Warbler.

 

It's just not yellow enough for me for Willow Warbler.

 

BTW, I hate warbler IDs.