skylark and reed warbler and a nest. Maybe

[Lemars]

G'afternoon all.

Could someone please confirm (or laugh at ) my identification of these two birds - photos taken at considerable distance ?

I think they might be a reed warbler (male) and a skylark

I also came across this nest - also a considerable distance and height in the tree. There were no others nearby, but most nests I notice at this height are corvids and untidy. This one appears more mossy and neater. Any ideas please ?


Many thanks
C

[Ferret]

Your first photo is a Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis and the second is a male Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus, I cant really tell the size of the nest from the third shot but if it was quite big I would guess at Grey Squirrel dray.

Ferret

[FUDGEY]

Yes I agree with Squirrel, far to thick for a Magpie.

[Lemars]

Thank you both so very much. I've wanted to find a squirrel dray for years !!! At long last !!

I have further questions though..............I've never seen a grey squirrel here (some might think I'm lucky!!), but I know for a fact that there are reds in that wood.

I thought they made smallish drays and although there are 2 - 3 others like this nearby (a couple of hundred yards away, lower in the trees and quite close together - do they do that?) which are smaller, the one in the photo is really quite large and apart from the others. I would think that the basic structure of it is about the same size as a magpie nest.

It's also very, very high up in the tree - I was trying to guess how high, but could only 'guestimate' a figure of about 70 feet (thinking two houses or so high). It's probably the tallest tree in the wood - and very exposed to the elements.
Does that all make sense for a squirrel - and could it be a red squirrel? Would it be possible for the large one to be a grey squirrel and the smaller ones belong to reds? The photos I took of the others were against the sun and hopeless to capture.

C

[Billabong Karen]

My feeling is that you don't often find greys and reds living in close proximity. But others will know more about that.

[Lemars]

Lots of options, I guess, Karen

That's what I wondered - either the large one is a grey squirrel dray and the smaller ones aren't drays at all (maybe - it was hard to tell against the sky, but they certainly were very similar) OR the large one IS a red dray - OR I'm completely wrong and the whole thing is unrelated and it's just one big grey squirrel dray with some - bird or other - nests dotted about a bit further away.

I wouldn't have thought they'd willing live in the same small wood when the options hereabouts are enormous.

I hope someone can throw some light though.

If it weren't chucking it down, I'd go out now and try to get a photo of those smaller ones again - the wet stuff would make it as useless as the sun did, though.

[Ferret]

Sorry but I am not familiar with Red Squirrel drey’s as we only have Grey squirrels where I am, I only said Grey Squirrel as the Red didn’t even occur to me as the trees in your photo are not Conifers and that is where there strongholds are in the UK (yes I do know that Red Squirrels are not restricted to coniferous forests UK but that’s where I have seen most of them) I can find very little about squirrel drey’s on the web and I cannot find any distribution information for Grey’s in France so I am not sure if you have them in your area, if you do I should make the most of the Reds as they will not coexist for very long and the Reds will be out competed.

Just as an aside it might be a good idea if you reminded us that you requests for ID’s are not UK based, as I am now assuming these aren’t, as there are numerous species that are present in France that are not found in the UK and we may not then consider them.

God luck

Ferret

[Lemars]

Thank you Ferret. I should have mentioned my location and usually do when it's something I think is likely to have a bearing on the question (early lesson learned). I thought I'd get away with it for this one.

I'm aware that greys will drive out reds, but - as I mentioned - I've not seen any here. I asked a friend, tonight, who lives half an hour away and nearer the estuary. He tells me he's seen many greys over there, but has also noticed only reds near where I live.

Perhaps we're just lucky here - for the moment - because now I find myself hoping that drey belongs to a red squirrel.

C

[billybirder]

All the dreys I've seen (grey squirrel country) are much more leafy. Never seen a mossy one like that. Also doesn't look like a corvid nest..