ID this one

[Daveart]

Taken along a cycle path near our house

[rolf]

Nice photo Dave, it's a warbler, but I'm not particularly conversant with all of the species, it would appear to be a Chiffchaff.

[Merlin]

Can't disagree with rolf on this one Daveart. Little brown jobs in the world of 'warblers' are notoriously difficult. The good news is the birds will soon be singing their little heads off, making life for you and I all the more easy.

Best Wishes

Pete

[Chocky]

Looks to me like a Wood Warbler

[Merlin]

Think it may help to narrow this one down. If its not a Chiffchaff its a rarer 'warbler' but my expertise ends there i'm afraid.

Regarding photography, there are often aspects of it that play 'tricks' and one of these to fool us the most is light. I'm already aware that there are good photographers in this group who contribute regular excellent photoghraphs to the website and this is to be seen only as a personal opinion. In this particular case the image shows darker than in reality in my view.

I look forward to feedback on this, in particular from Daveart.

Pete

[Merlin]

How do you get the 'expand to original size' option on your image please Daveart.



Iv'e now discovered - since the above posting - how this option comes to be. It appears to be related to the original size of the image.

Pete.

[Chocky]

Click on the photo and it will magnify.

I only think it may be a would Warbler because . But I may well be wrong. like some books give thee wrong colouring sometimes

[andy b]

firstly daveart, what an excellent picture. i too would tend to go along with chiffchaff. definetely not a wood warbler. chiffchaffs arrive earlier than willow warblers, as a rule. as pete says they will be singing merrily away soon and this will make i.d. very much easier. sand martins have started to arrive back up in our neck of the wood. these are usually one of the first spring migrants back, followed by wheatears and chiffchaffs. obviously the further south you are, timings will be different to us up in't north.

[Daveart]

Hi thanks to you all for your comments, it was singing quit a sweet song too. I looked it up in the latest bird book and it does look like a warbler the melodious warbler looked the closest to its looks.

[rolf]

I'd be surprised if it was that one Dave, as the colouring looks wrong, particularly the beak. They do have quite a complex little song though.

[Chocky]

Melodious Warbler has a pale yellow beak and a Chiffchaff has black legs. Going by the RSPB book

[Merlin]

Dave you say the bird was in song. If it was a Chiffchaff and it was singing the ID is pretty straight forward in that the bird actually sings......chiff-chaff-chiff-chaff-chiff-chaff....often lasting for 20 seconds. If you don't identify your bird in the photograph from this voice we have a rarity on our hands.

By the way Dave, you haven't told us when you took the picture.

Pete.

[Daveart]

Hi all it was singing a whistling song, not the chiff-chaff, it was a song quite musical sweet sounding.

[Merlin]

I'm really interested in this bird now Dave and going to do some research, but any advances on the ID will not be easy if at all possible. Take it from me if it wasn't Chiffchaff - and you say it wasn't - this is a good one.

What are the chances of a photograph sent to me if needed Dave?

Pete.

[rolf]

Perhaps it is an early Willow warbler, just lightened the leg part of the photograph (hope you don't mind Dave) and makes that a little more feasible

[Daveart]

Hi pete, I could send you a larger image of this mystery bird, If you are still interested, just need your email address.

Dave

[Merlin]

Dave

So that everyone knows i'm not ignoring you, i've sent you a private message.

Many Thanks.

Pete.

[Daveart]

Hi pete sent you the photo, hope it helps you better than the small one here.

Dave

[Merlin]

The photo you sent me was superb Dave, as of course is the one on this thread. According to my contact - who is much better than me when it comes to putting a name to something of a mystery - we were more or less correct from the start in naming it as a Chiffchaff.

Always good to reach a conclusion, nothing worse than not knowing, or wondering what it is you are looking at.

Thanks for your co-operation and help Dave. Now lets have another......said the man propping the bar up.

Pete.

[Daveart]

Thanks pete, I will make a note of it and rename the file, and thanks to your friends too.

Many thanks agian
Dave