HELP PLEASE -claw marks etc. in snow

[deerathome]

Hi CAN ANYONE HELP TO IDENTIFY.

I live out in the stix. over the moors in yorkshire. We have a lot of bird visitors which I feed but we have some claw marks in the snow - not very deep. About 5 inch long marks, are like nail/claws scratching the surface in one go, but very lightly. Like if I had five long fingers with a pin on the end of each and I did a mark in the snow really lightly. These are away from any other bird marks/deer/my footprints marks etc.

There are quite a few over all the back garden.

They face in different directions too. Very puzzling.

I will try & upload photos. No good it states cannot upload.

[The Woodman]

Hi deerathome and welcome to WAB.

I think I know what you describe and have been looking at some similar marks yesterday in snow. They might be the marks left by the primary feathers at the ends of each wing of the bird as it either lands or takes off. Mine were from Woodpigeon and Crow.

I might be back in the area tomorrow and will take a pic or two if they are still there.

[Fauna]

Funny enough, I had the same today from a Song Thrush in my garden, was going to take some photos but got side tracked...

[wizzo]

Hiya Deerathome and welcome to WAB - from me...Wizzo

[deerathome]

Hi

There are no landing marks (i.e. feet marks from a bird or anything).

They are at least 3ft or so away from any other marks in the snow.

[The Woodman]

Likewise, I've seen some of the wing marks without any feetmarks and cannot imagine how this is done until I see it happen. One thing is pretty definate, they are wing marks (the marks I've seen).

I chucked some dead mealworms onto the suface of four inch deep powdery snow yesterday and watched a Blackbird hop towards them. With each hop, the feet sank into the snow and the bird quickly outstretched it's wings and touched the snow leaving primary marks.

[deerathome]

Hi

I understand that you had (watched) a bird making landing marks in the snow before making these wing tip marks.

Were there two sets of marks, one at each side of the feet marks then??


With mine there have not been a set of two matching scratch marks anywhere - JUST ONE faint set of scratch marks, almost all of them facing different directions.

There have been no feet mark, from birds or anything else anywhere near these scratch marks, approaching or leaving.

I have some photos but cannot for the life in me upload them for some reason or another.


IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED I WILL GLADLY E-MAIL THESE PHOTOS TO THEM.

[The Woodman]

Hi deerathome

OK, we might not be on the same wavelength with the snowmarks and I can't help you post images except point you in the direction of threads wih good advice.

I'll send you a private message with my email a/d and if you'd care to send me an image I'll do what I can to help.

[The Woodman]

On behalf of deerathome, here are two images as described in post 1.



and a close up from the above shot



What do you snowtrackers think?

[Farplace]

feather prints from a small bird.