Is this a Pipit?

[Stomperone]

For several days now I have been getting visited by these little fellers, At first I put them down to be female dunnock or finches .. But today I managed to get a quick snap of one on the feeder.. The photo is not very good at all but I think it is enough for some kind person to ID for me...

Would I be far out in thinking it was some sort of pipit and not a dunnock?



Thanks in advance..

[Jolanta Zofia Nowak]

The one in the bath is a male winter Linnet, in my opinion. The others are obviously Goldfinches and Greenfinches.

[Dae]

Well it does look quite a bit like a linnet, doesn't it? Though I'm sort of leaning towards female.

[Jolanta Zofia Nowak]

Isn't the head a bit too grey for a female?

[big bill]

The one in the water dish is a Linnet,two Goldfinch,onthe brickwork I would say a Greenfinch and then the obvious the Starling hope this helps

Cheers ......Bill

[Dae]

Originally Posted by Jolanta Zofia Nowak

Isn't the head a bit too grey for a female?

I'm definitely no expert, I would bow out to anyone who knew better. I've only seen linnets once, and only the females, so I'm a poor judge.

[Adam Cheeseman]

Originally Posted by Stomperone

For several days now I have been getting visited by these little fellers, At first I put them down to be female dunnock or finches .. But today I managed to get a quick snap of one on the feeder.. The photo is not very good at all but I think it is enough for some kind person to ID for me...

Would I be far out in thinking it was some sort of pipit and not a dunnock?



Thanks in advance..

Female or juv Linnet

Cheers,

Adam

[Gill Catton]

wow lucky you! a linnet on your birds table! There are linnets around where my parents live - I hear them but they have never been around in the winter and never on the bird table!

[Stomperone]

Wow.. I am gobsmacked.. I would never have thought I would get a linnet here, but then I never thought I would get goldfinch/greenfinch here either..

Going by peoples reaction I guess it would be worth me trying to get a better picture of it..

Thankyou for making my day with this ID

Peter

[VinceS]

I would go with linnet and probably female. Nice visitor to have

[glsammy]

Originally Posted by Stomperone

Wow.. I am gobsmacked.. I would never have thought I would get a linnet here, but then I never thought I would get goldfinch/greenfinch here either..

Going by peoples reaction I guess it would be worth me trying to get a better picture of it..

Thankyou for making my day with this ID

Peter

That's a selection of birds I'd love to get in my garden! Lucky you!

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by Stomperone

Wow.. I am gobsmacked.. I would never have thought I would get a linnet here, but then I never thought I would get goldfinch/greenfinch here either..

Going by peoples reaction I guess it would be worth me trying to get a better picture of it..

Thankyou for making my day with this ID

Peter

One of the key differences between this bird and a pipit or a dunnock is the beak shape, see how its quite broad? A fat wedge shape - on a bird this size this makes it a finch (and a linnet is a type of finch) or a bunting or a sparrow its all a process of elimination this birding malarky - a dunnock and a pipit have a sharp beak (as do many other birds) so you can quickly rule them out based on that (but you do indeed need a good look )

[Stomperone]

Thank you for that snippet Gill, that will help me in future..

It brings up another few questions though.. Do these birds stay in a group like goldfinch?

The things is I have had these birds visiting my table for about a week or so now and at first (with my eyesight) I thought they were either dunnock or female finches. Apparently it is unusual for them to feed from a feeding station so are they likely to be around long? And would it be likely that I will get them when they are in thier colourful plumage..

I am getting more and more surprised as time goes on with the amount of birds I am getting that are not normally seen often..the pair of black caps, dunnock, and now the linnets. I don't think I have anything special in the area to bring them in.. I am not complaining but why me..

My neighbour Has a feeding station out and its about 8ft away from mine - same model - but only seems to get the occasional bird which is normally on it's way to mine. I don't understand it.

Has anyone got any thoughts?

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by Stomperone

Thank you for that snippet Gill, that will help me in future..

It brings up another few questions though.. Do these birds stay in a group like goldfinch?

The things is I have had these birds visiting my table for about a week or so now and at first (with my eyesight) I thought they were either dunnock or female finches. Apparently it is unusual for them to feed from a feeding station so are they likely to be around long? And would it be likely that I will get them when they are in thier colourful plumage..

I am getting more and more surprised as time goes on with the amount of birds I am getting that are not normally seen often..the pair of black caps, dunnock, and now the linnets. I don't think I have anything special in the area to bring them in.. I am not complaining but why me..

My neighbour Has a feeding station out and its about 8ft away from mine - same model - but only seems to get the occasional bird which is normally on it's way to mine. I don't understand it.

Has anyone got any thoughts?

Yes Linnet flock at this time of year and in family groups in late summer. It is not unknown for LInnest to be garden birds in the summer - they nestsed in the hedge of a B&B I stayed at onec but they did have a lovely bog garden so the hedge wasn't too near the house - I suspect they breed in the hedge in my parent's garden too.

The birds turning up in your garden are probably very influenced by the habitats surrounding your garden - perhaps expanses of wasteground? Or farmland with plenty of set aside or game planting?

[Stomperone]

It would be great if I could tempt them to nest nearby somehow..

As far as I am aware there is neither of those habitats within 1 or 2 miles of me..
But i suppose they could wander that far fairly easily if they had a mind to but if it isn't that then I guess it must be my magnetic personality or maybe the brand of food I am putting out ..

[VinceS]

generally linnets are birds of open country in summer and agricultural land in winter. However, as with most birds they do not always do as the books say. I think it is unusual for them to be seen in gardens at feeders so just relax and enjoy and make me envious!
vince

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by VinceS

generally linnets are birds of open country in summer and agricultural land in winter. However, as with most birds they do not always do as the books say. I think it is unusual for them to be seen in gardens at feeders so just relax and enjoy and make me envious!
vince

I see more and more on browfield sites esp in the winter even within cites! They seem fairly adaptable - shame they have undergone such a decline

[gfilmsuk]

I've got a few bird ID books and I can't get any of them to make this bird look like a linnet. My books all point to a tree pippet. Just shows you how good these books are.
Dave

[Stomperone]

I looked up pipit on rspb and the illustration of the bird there looks nothing like these either but I trust WAB so will go along with these guys, they have not steered me wrong yet.. I started a new thread today on the linnets titled "linnets - as promised".. I have posted pictures in there also.