More bird ID help

[kro]

Can anyone help with each of these three? I'm sure they're nothing unusual but they've beaten me as usual...thanks! All in the countryside around Guildford.

[jimred]

whitethroat
Baby BLackbird
Coal Tit???? but not sure

[Picidae]

1. Common Whitethroat
2. Recently fledged Blackbird (note pale edges to wing coverts giving slight wingbar impression - these will disappear in it's first moult)

3. I get the impression it's a Wren rather than a tit - shape wise and length of tail. Bill looks a little long and pointy too.

[Fieldfare95]

Definitely whitethroat and young blackbird, would say a wren for the third one

[ron1863]

I go along with Whitethroat and baby Blackbird but not sure about the last. It's shaped like a Wren but the tail's wrong - not sure what it is.

[Picidae]

Originally Posted by ron1863

It's shaped like a Wren but the tail's wrong - not sure what it is.

Wren don't always cock their tails - surprising how many people get stuck IDing wrens when their tails aren't sticking up!

[Hedge Witch]

Wren was my first thought too.

[jerryh]

I think the last one's a Robin.
Jerry

[Picidae]

Originally Posted by jerryh

I think the last one's a Robin.
Jerry

The wingtips would reach to the end of the undertail coverts on a robin. Wings are very short and so is the tail.

[jerryh]

Well, Picidae, I bow to your superior knowledge of a Robin's physiology, but it still looks like a Robin to me. Forshortened by the view from below and behind, but still a Robin.

Could be wrong, though

Edit: perhaps I should say it "feels" like a robin - the impression I get is of a bird with it's head slightly back singing.

[Picidae]

Perhaps this might be clearer (or not!)

[Picidae]

Originally Posted by jerryh

Well, Picidae, I bow to your superior knowledge of a Robin's physiology

No need to do that

I might be pushed into going for a recently fledged Robin or a just out of the nest something else for that matter, with such a short tail etc but my impressions on the gizz/posture and size really does strongly suggest a Wren with it's tail down. Compare the wing length in these two images:

Here's a Robin in a similar pose


and this is where the Primary tips appear to end on subject bird

[jerryh]

This is a good game, but I'll just say this last thing, agree to disagree and wish you a good night.

Here's a shot of my own of a Robin in what I think is an even more similar pose.



This shot is from slightly below, but not as far below, and from forward of the bird, not behind as I think the subject was shot. With the forshortening and different perspective that that different angle would give, this bird would look shorter and "chubbier" and the wingtips would move forward. Add a raising of the head feathers and it would look quite a lot like the subject.

I've given a "technical" argument, but the truth is that in a single photograph the instantaneous position of a bird could easily make it look unlike a typical pose.

For me the jizz is still a singing Robin.

A good game, anyway - have fun
Jerry

[Jenny W]

Interesting - I have to say I've only just looked at this thread but my initial thought was Robin before I read any posts, purely from jizz. I would have found it hard to tell the position of the wingtips were from the original photo - just me not looking hard enough! - undecided now.

[Picidae]

Nice comparison shot of Robin and Wren together showing winglength differences nicely at the top of this page:

Iris

May be a recent fledgling of something other than Wren but the wing length just doesn't do it for me otherwise if we're looking at an adult bird of some description. Lots of various small round fluffy fledglings birds with short tails and short wings at the moment!

[Picidae]

... and one final thought for the night

I'd be very surprised indeed if Kro (or anyone for that matter) would not recognise Robin if they saw one given the amount of Christmas Cards we get every year (unless of course it was a recently fledged juvenile - they're a bit harder (and shorter winged/tailed )

[hel1985]

cudnt be a cold robin puffed up??,,wat about a bearded tit?just head shape...stab in the dark....i say robin tho.

[FUDGEY]

I'm going for a Peregrine.. Or maybe a Hobby

[Hedge Witch]

Originally Posted by FUDGEY

I'm going for a Peregrine.. Or maybe a Hobby

Don't be daft!!

It's obviously a Marsh Tit!

[Pigeon feather]

I'd say Wren for the last one too, if you look closely at the pic you can just make out the stripes on the primaries which Robins don't have.

[Tursiops2]

Pic 3: a tricky one, obviously, but the size of the head in proportion to the body, and the high nape giving the head a "crested" look, say "Whitethroat" to me.
T2

[Jason Green]

This is good...

100% wren for me!

[Fieldfare95]

Kro, the bird in the picture appears to be singing, can you remember what it sounded like? as robins and wrens sound very different

[kro]

Thanks everyone for your help. Terrible admission, I know, but I have to say that I was so taken with the third one as a photo - the plane tracks in the background appeared just at the right moment - that I paid almost no attention to the bird at all. It certainly didn't register as being anything remotely unusual. So that doesn't help at all...if I had been paying attention, hugely poor as my birding skills are, I would certainly have been able to differentiate between a robin and a wren!

[Jenny W]

If you zoom in on the image quite far in - is it just me or (dare I suggest this!) can anyone else get a bit of colour on it, or is it an optical illusion....