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17-05-2008, 06:29 PM
| | New Member | | Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 5
| | | Mystery Bird
Saw a bird today at the river side in Wolfscote Dale in Derbyshire. I cannot find it in my books.
A bit like a ring ouzel but quite a bit bigger, beak longer, quite long legs, the most striking feature was it's amazing white breast, squarish in shape. rest of bird was darkish brown speckled on the back (a bit pheasant like) but smaller speckles.
There were two of them preening themselves.
any ideas on what it might be please ?
thanks |
17-05-2008, 06:35 PM
|  | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 953
| | | Re: Mystery Bird
Welcome to WAB, JM!
Longer beak, longer legs, by a river, a Wader??
I would have said Little Stint for the speckled back and white chest and Pheasant-like speckles but it isn't so numerous.
Wiuth the reference to Ring ouzels (Black, long legs, wader) maybe Oyster catcher? Probably not without a mention of the redness... as you can probably tell, a picture would have been great!
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Last edited by Jason Green; 17-05-2008 at 06:46 PM.
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17-05-2008, 06:38 PM
| | New Member | | Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 5
| | | Re: Mystery Bird
Not sure, they were on the bank side not in the water. |
17-05-2008, 06:41 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Little village called Chedworth
Posts: 4,704
| | | Re: Mystery Bird
dipper - perhaps a juvenillie and hence specklyness |
17-05-2008, 06:45 PM
| | New Member | | Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 5
| | | Re: Mystery Bird
Not a dipper, quite a bit bigger, large white breast but not white throat. |
17-05-2008, 06:50 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Little village called Chedworth
Posts: 4,704
| | | Re: Mystery Bird
Quote:
Originally Posted by jedimaster  Not a dipper, quite a bit bigger, large white breast but not white throat. | hmmmm tricky, perhaps a juvenille coot, otherwise I'm rather out of ideas |
17-05-2008, 06:51 PM
| | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 953
| | | Re: Mystery Bird
So, on to the type. Is it a Wader (big-ish, long legs, bill etc)or a smaller bird (Garden type?)
The Dipper was a good suggestion:
1. Blackbird size
2. Square white chest
3. Aquatic habitat
I can only really suggest checking the RSPBs site and awaiting further posts.
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Last edited by Jason Green; 17-05-2008 at 06:53 PM.
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17-05-2008, 06:54 PM
|  | Member of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Erith, Kent
Posts: 304
| | | Re: Mystery Bird
Common Sandpiper springs to mind....!!!
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17-05-2008, 06:56 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Little village called Chedworth
Posts: 4,704
| | | Re: Mystery Bird
Quote:
Originally Posted by MagpieMick Common Sandpiper springs to mind....!!! | oh that's a good one,
not much bigger than a dipper though - but size can be tricksie..... |
17-05-2008, 07:15 PM
| | New Member | | Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 5
| | | Re: Mystery Bird
Thanks for all the suggestions, not a common sandpiper, not a little stint or oyster catcher, I think juvenile coot unlikely.
The white breast did not stretch into it's underparts, sides or throat. If you can visualise a robin with it's red breast, this was similar but stark white and bigger than a blackbird, but not quite as big as a pigeon.
I've never seen anything like it before.
I've tried the RSPB bird identifier to no avail.
Had the binocs with me, but left the camera in the car, typical!! |
17-05-2008, 07:18 PM
| | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 953
| | | Re: Mystery Bird
Quote: |
...binocs with me, but left the camera in the car, typical!! | It happens to everyone. Or the batteries go. Or the card's full. Or you forget the tripod's quick release plate...
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17-05-2008, 08:58 PM
| | New Member | | Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 2
| | | Re: Mystery Bird
how about, lapwing or plover. |
17-05-2008, 09:03 PM
|  | Active Member | | Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: North Surrey
Posts: 75
| | | Re: Mystery Bird
Quote:
Originally Posted by jedimaster The white breast did not stretch into it's underparts, sides or throat. If you can visualise a robin with it's red breast, this was similar but stark white and bigger than a blackbird, but not quite as big as a pigeon. | Slightly puzzled by this as a robin's redbreast does stretch into it's throat (and face.)
Otherwise can only think of a Lapwing, but then you would probably have mentioned the crest  |
18-05-2008, 04:55 PM
| | New Member | | Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 5
| | | Re: Mystery Bird
All, thank you for all the responses, having spent several hours last night browsing hundreds of bird images, I'm sure now it must have been a dipper, with my description not as accurate as it could have been. Next time, I'll take the camera!
kind regards to you all. |
18-05-2008, 07:13 PM
|  | Member of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 429
| | | Re: Mystery Bird
I was tempted to say Magpie, but no, Dipper sounds good from description and location. Last one I saw was in Austria, they're not very common in Herts.  |
19-05-2008, 07:15 AM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Lancashire
Posts: 1,260
| | | Re: Mystery Bird
Wolfscote Dale is a reliable spot for dippers.
Regards, Chris | | |
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