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05-09-2008, 05:37 PM
|  | New Member | | Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Wiltshire
Posts: 24
| | | Brown bird, large white rump in flight. Ideas?
Sorry no pics (yet). Brown bird, large finch size, fast and very acrobatic flight and a big solid block of white on the rump (seen when flying away).
There has been a small flock of them in the road for weeks now. It's hard to get close enough to see what they are but today one flew along the road away from me, twisting and turning in flight, before landing on a fence post. I stopped but there was too much foliage to get a good look but could see that the tail was wagging up and down as it was sat there. Then it flew off and landed in the harvested field (this time too far away to get a good look - yes, should have gone to Specsavers  )
The road is a small private road on a private rural estate with arable fields and a small wood either side.
Any ideas? |
05-09-2008, 05:46 PM
|  | Member of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 466
| | | Re: Brown bird, large white rump in flight. Ideas?
Just a suggestion: Bullfinch. |
05-09-2008, 05:47 PM
|  | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: ballachulish/duror/glen coe
Posts: 538
| | | Re: Brown bird, large white rump in flight. Ideas?
could be wheatears!!
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05-09-2008, 05:51 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,904
| | | Re: Brown bird, large white rump in flight. Ideas?
Hi KW,
The tailwagging suggests a Wagtail, try female/juv Pied?
As for the more general behaviour/colour, I'd guess mistle thrushes?
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05-09-2008, 05:51 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: My head's in a lush, isolated valley, but I can't seem to escape Reading!
Posts: 1,863
| | | Re: Brown bird, large white rump in flight. Ideas?
Quote:
Originally Posted by seamusagleann  could be wheatears!! | Wiltshire's not a good location for wheatears is it? According to the RSPB website anyway. I don't know much but could it have been swallows?
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05-09-2008, 05:52 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,904
| | | Re: Brown bird, large white rump in flight. Ideas?
Good idea!
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05-09-2008, 05:58 PM
| | Knight Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 5,451
| | | Re: Brown bird, large white rump in flight. Ideas?
Sounds like Wheatears moving through on migration to me- the pattern is right, the flight + perching on posts seem to fit too. Quite a few going through London area in last couple of weeks where they are only passage migrants. |
05-09-2008, 06:20 PM
| | Member of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 466
| | | Re: Brown bird, large white rump in flight. Ideas?
Yup, I'd agree wheatears. I knew there was at least one other bird of that size which fitted the bill. |
05-09-2008, 07:15 PM
|  | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Fife, Scotland
Posts: 723
| | | Re: Brown bird, large white rump in flight. Ideas?
I think wheatear as well. White rump very obvious in flight and it has a habbit of bobbing.
Tracey  |
05-09-2008, 07:49 PM
| | New Member | | Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Wiltshire
Posts: 24
| | | Re: Brown bird, large white rump in flight. Ideas?
OK I like the idea of Wheatears - it's something I haven't seen before!
Wrong shape bill (and colour) for Bullfinch, definitely not Swallow, Wagtail or Mistle Thrush.
So it would have been a female I saw then (hence the brown colour)? I'll have another look tomorrow with Wheatear in mind and see if I can spot a male to confirm.
Thanks for your help everyone - I was stumped by that white rump! |
05-09-2008, 08:02 PM
| | Knight Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 5,451
| |  Re: Brown bird, large white rump in flight. Ideas?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kittiwake OK I like the idea of Wheatears - it's something I haven't seen before!
Wrong shape bill (and colour) for Bullfinch, definitely not Swallow, Wagtail or Mistle Thrush.
So it would have been a female I saw then (hence the brown colour)? I'll have another look tomorrow with Wheatear in mind and see if I can spot a male to confirm.
Thanks for your help everyone - I was stumped by that white rump! | The males are much duller now, so don't expect to see a spring type male! | | |
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