Help me identify birds !

[lil_clowy]

Hello,
I am a keen bird watcher but am new to all this !
I see so many birds and some I find very hard to identify, so I thought I'd seet up this thread to try and see if anyone out there can help me give names to all these wonderful birds I keep seeing, so please if you have any ideas, your comments and advice would be much appreciated !!

The first one I want help with is a brown bird, seems to me to be as big if not bigger than a blackbird. I have seen this bird twice, both times in flight. The flight pattern was very similar to a woodpecker, it was very distinctive. The bird flew quite low to the ground, across a field, in a bouncing sort of way. Just like a woodpecker does, but this bird was definitely brown.

Please help, I am so completely stumped as to what this could be ! Thank you

[Jonners]

Hello Lil and welcome to WAB. Your bird sounds like it could be a Mistle Thrush; they're a bit bigger than a Blackbird, but part of the same family, and often fly with an undulating pattern.

[Alan Livsey]

Hello lil clowy, welcome to WAB. A photograph often helps with identification (if possible) as there are a lot of brown birds round about that size. I would also recommend a field guide, sold in any good bookshop, and a cheap pair of binoculars. Binoculars range in price from £50 to as much as £2000, my first pair were a pair of Opticron bins for £110, bought 8 years ago which i still use. I'm still finding new birds after 8 years of looking and still enjoy it.
Start with the easy birds, Robin,Magpie,Blackbird,Mallard etc... Look around your local area, and progress from there.
Good luck!

[Shrike]

welcome to WAB lil clowey
What type of habitat was surrounding the field?
If it was parkland type area i'd definately agree with mistle thrush.

[bobbarber]

Originally Posted by lil_clowy

Hello,
I am a keen bird watcher but am new to all this !
I see so many birds and some I find very hard to identify, so I thought I'd seet up this thread to try and see if anyone out there can help me give names to all these wonderful birds I keep seeing, so please if you have any ideas, your comments and advice would be much appreciated !!

Hello lil. and welcome to W.A.B. First can I suggest that you get a book on garden birds and familiarise yourself with those and learn to recognise them from any angle and their general behaviour (known as jizz). also a field guide to British birds. There are many titles out there at differing prices but avoid those with Europe in the title as it will include many birds that never occur here or rarely do. Always carry a small notebook and pencil, as later on your memory can play tricks on you. Why not join your local bird club (try RSPB) where more experienced members can help a lot. I live in Ireland but understand that Lidl`s often sell inexpensive binoculars, but most of all enjoy the birds...Bob

[RoyW]

Originally Posted by bobbarber

First can I suggest that you get a book on garden birds and familiarise yourself with those and learn to recognise them from any angle and their general behaviour (known as jizz). also a field guide to British birds. There are many titles out there at differing prices but avoid those with Europe in the title as it will include many birds that never occur here or rarely do. Always carry a small notebook and pencil, as later on your memory can play tricks on you. Why not join your local bird club (try RSPB) where more experienced members can help a lot.

^^^These are the best bits of advice that you can be given when you start birdwatching - learn the birds in your immediate area first, and get help by joining a local birdwatching group and going out with them. Make it clear that you are completely new to birdwatching when you go out with a group and you will no doubt find that all those with more experience will be happy to help. Ask them to explain how they are identifying each bird, and then look it up in your book later - this will help to confirm the ID, and also help the features to stick in your mind for the next time.

[Johnny81]

Might have been a Jay? http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/?q=jay

[caernerch]

most bird guides have a drawing of the taxonomy of a bird in the introduction.
it shows points to look for but especially the bird wings open as well as closed in some species the differences between open & closed look like two different species. finding out what folds/unfolds with what helps a lot.

also start by picturing the bird like a human - head arms legs body - shirt anorac hoodie etc. - spots stripes plain. sounds dumb but its worked for a few people who've asked me for help in the past. you soon learn to call arms wings and you don't have to say anything out loud.
good luck & enjoy
caernerch

[lil_clowy]

Thank you to everyone who has replied to me !

I apologise for being way for so long, I wasn't ignoring anyone! I've been quite unwell

Anyway ... I now have a new question to ask !!

Can anyone help me identify a caterpillar please.

I was in East Mersea, Essex, which is right on the coast (north sea I beleive). Walking up the beach on the 25th Feb this year, I spot a small black hairy caterpillar, and on closing inspection I see it has a birght red face !! I tried to get some photos, but they were not very good as taken on my phone. It has no markings, no spots, no stripes, nothing. Just black with a red face. Hairy, kind of spikey. Small about 5cm long. I can't find anything anywhere and none of my books have any pictures of caterpillars. PLEASE HELP ME!! It's driving me mad !!

Again, thank you for all your help and advice. I am slowly learning more, reading more books, getting out more, and will hopefully soon have some decent equipment.
THANK YOU XX

[Johnny81]

Originally Posted by lil_clowy

Thank you to everyone who has replied to me !

I apologise for being way for so long, I wasn't ignoring anyone! I've been quite unwell

Anyway ... I now have a new question to ask !!

Can anyone help me identify a caterpillar please.

I was in East Mersea, Essex, which is right on the coast (north sea I beleive). Walking up the beach on the 25th Feb this year, I spot a small black hairy caterpillar, and on closing inspection I see it has a birght red face !! I tried to get some photos, but they were not very good as taken on my phone. It has no markings, no spots, no stripes, nothing. Just black with a red face. Hairy, kind of spikey. Small about 5cm long. I can't find anything anywhere and none of my books have any pictures of caterpillars. PLEASE HELP ME!! It's driving me mad !!

Again, thank you for all your help and advice. I am slowly learning more, reading more books, getting out more, and will hopefully soon have some decent equipment.
THANK YOU XX

Try the vapourer moth Caterpillar. You might get better response reposting this in the inverts section