Can't identify this bird!

Dinasaw · #1 (**permalink**) 13-09-2009, 07:50 PM

Saw a bird yesterday on Southsea seafront on the grassy-slope-with-rocks near the Castle. It was about the size of a thrush, maybe a little smaller. There was a pied wagtail on the shore too. The 'new bird' had a flitting and perching flight something like a robin, wagging its tail on landing but gently, not rapidly like the wagtail. It had quite unusual markings in 'blocks' rather than stripes or blotches, with a creamy breast. I've looked in my bird books, and on the RSPB website bird identifier, with no success!! Has anyone else seen it?

Jenny W · #2 (**permalink**) 13-09-2009, 07:59 PM

Wheatear?

Dinasaw · #3 (**permalink**) 13-09-2009, 08:49 PM

Thanks for your reply! That was quick!
No I don't think so, looking at the photo on this site the tail was longer and the whole bird bigger. Wish I'd photographed it - too quick!

Jonners · #4 (**permalink**) 13-09-2009, 09:24 PM

Hello Dinasaw (great name

) and welcome to WAB. I hope that someone here can help you. What other colours did your mystery bird have apart from a creamy breast e.g. top of head/whole head, wings, back, tail etc. The more detailed you are able to be, the better chance someone will have of identifying your bird.
Wheatears can look quite large birds, and depending on gender, season and maturity, can look quite different. I would suggest doing a search in the Birds Gallery for Wheatear and seeing whether you recognise any of them. Here's one of them that was taken just the other day and posted by Brian Holland

nakedgardener · #5 (**permalink**) 14-09-2009, 05:17 AM

That's a perfect location and discription for a wheatear!

And they are the size of a small thrush, they can look quite vqriable, so they might not look exactly like the pictures in the bok.

Dinasaw · #6 (**permalink**) 14-09-2009, 06:43 AM

Thanks everyone for your help! What a great website! Looked at all the members' pics of wheatear, and am now sure that's what Dinasaw!! Hubby is certain, and his eyesight is more reliable! It's a lovely bird, with a beautiful Latin name too.

bobbarber · #7 (**permalink**) 15-09-2009, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dinasaw

Thanks everyone for your help! What a great website! Looked at all the members' pics of wheatear, and am now sure that's what Dinasaw!! Hubby is certain, and his eyesight is more reliable! It's a lovely bird, with a beautiful Latin name too.

It is a nice Latin name, but the common name goes much further back to Middle English and meant the not quite so charming ``white xexexexe``

...Bob

bobbarber · #8 (**permalink**) 15-09-2009, 12:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobbarber

It is a nice Latin name, but the common name goes much further back to Middle English and meant the not quite so charming ``white xexexexe``

...Bob

Oi! who is the over sensitive censor? My dictionary gives the meaning of the censored word as``the posterior parts of an animal`` what is wrong with that?

Dinasaw · #9 (**permalink**) 15-09-2009, 06:52 AM

Har Har, yeah, we'd like that old name!!

Gerel · #10 (**permalink**) 15-09-2009, 06:58 PM

In Welsh the Wheatear is still called tinwen (or tinwen y garn) which roughly translates as white a**e (of the hillside).

Just thought you'd like to know that

Steve

(BTW the redstart is tingoch for a similar reason, with goch (mutation of coch) meaning red. Makes me think the original English name was also changed for reasons of modesty, although I haven't checked this).