Bird discussions and identification

I’ll check them out Sue!

Look pink to me :slight_smile: that would exclude the Chiffchaff (which doesn’t have a beautiful song or a pink beak) .

Striped underbelly, not an icterine warbler then. All bets are off :grinning:

Managed to get a recording of its song - a burst lasting continuously for about 20 seconds. Have sent photos and audio to RSPB.

Have uploaded smartphone video + audio to Youtube - https://youtu.be/q2gSjD1YDNw

Anyone familiar with birdsong?

Ignore Youtube video above - I uploaded wrong one!!!

NO I DIDN’T! Just doesn’t sound so good on Youtube. The video above is the best I can do.

Sounds fine on my computer Bruce. What with that and your super photos I’m sure they’ll be able to get an answer. Your lucky that yours sings happily on an aerial. Very easy to see it.

I think it’s a Melodious Warbler which would be seen more in South West Europe and the very similar Icterine Warbler would be seen further north ie: Germany and up through Scandinavia an western Russia. It’s called melodious because of its song, listen long enough and you’ll hear a variety of Warbler choruses.

I think you might be right Lyn, thank you. My little warbler seems to have taken up residence nearby, so will get better opportunity to record its song more clearly. It’s very loud and continuous.

I live in SW France, almost - Charente Maritime, near Saintes. Don’t think I’ve noticed such a loud bird song before in this area.

Latest video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh3K6tfTNck

There are 6 short bursts of song in this video, but in the previous video there’s a 20 second continuous burst.

I imagine birds of the same species in different countries will have their own separate nuances.

New Bird! Captured by my garden camera - 30 second clip. https://youtu.be/_e-s8Ks-KkQ

I’ve enlarged the bird but definition not that good, but clearly shows what appears to me to be a Cape Bunting - but is it?

bunting 01
bunting 02

I think a Cape Bunting is an African bird, but maybe it can migrate to Europe?

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Hi Bruce… you raise the same sort of question I did…when I saw a bird which had no right to be here (according to the books)…

my brother (the family expert) told me quite firmly that if the conditions are right… habitat, food, weather etc… there is no reason why such-and-such should not be right there.

thus, I feel it is quite possible that you do have the Cape Bunting visiting your neck of the woods…

be interesting to discover if others have noticed it… :upside_down_face: :relaxed:

My goodness! It’s obviously heard about the good weather we’re having. I should be careful who you tell about that one Bruce. You’ll have a garden full of twitchers! Lockdown or no lockdown!

Cirl bunting
https://www.google.com/search?q=cirl+bunting&prmd=ivsn&sxsrf=ALeKk03UvJrWcgxTyOsXkyUDW_qsSV8Fiw:1591006970682&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjb3snqsuDpAhURfBoKHQcbC-0Q_AUoAXoECBQQAQ&cshid=1591007002895&biw=768&bih=1024

Well that’s a relief Alex. I had visions of Bruce being invaded with twitchers in their hundreds :slight_smile:

By the way Bruce, did you get confirmation from the RSPB that it was a Melodious Warbler?

Haven’t heard yet from RSPB Sue about the Melodious Bunting.

Alex, you might be right about it being a Cirl Bunting, however the RSPB shows it as having quite marked yellow markings as seen here…

However, if you look at my latest video, 10 second clip - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRMa59EXW7w - you will hear a short song just before my Cirl or Cape Bunting appears, and this song is the same as the Cirl Bunting’s song on the RSPB’s web site here - https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/cirl-bunting/

It could be that the yellow markings are of a mature breeding male, and that mine is immature?

The song might clinch it but I’m confused about the yellow colouring. What else might clinch it? The Cape Bunting is an exclusive resident of South Africa and doesn’t migrate.

I shall send my videos to the RSPB and await their vedict!

Ahah! The reason I haven’t heard from the RSPB Sue is that I just found my email in the ‘drafts’ folder - not sent!

Just sent email to RSPB for both birds, the Melodious Warbler and the Cape or Cirl Warbler, and received an immediate reply! RSPB staff are all working from home and have a large influx of emails waiting to be answered, due to the coronavirus.

Will report back as soon as I get a reply!

I have had one just like it my own garden recently:

Nature always seems to be one step ahead of me. I see that the sun is at last shining and then see that blackbirds have mated, nested and have raised their young!

Only realised that today from my daily garden cam video footage. Two healthy confident young blackbirds at the bird bath - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow-VQj81v-g

Incidentally you can hear a Cirl Bunting (!) in the background.

Nb. I did notice Dad following very close behind me in weeks gone by, unafraid and picking up disturbed insects as I meandered around mowing the grass. He was no doubt feeding his young. Glad I could help!

There’s an app for that in the Google Play catalogue : It’s a reverse dictionary : -You upload a photo or a graphic, -they compare it with the content of a bigdata images bank, -they then download to you id data of what - in form and/or color - is most aproaching shape and color of your sent material .

[ A simiesque system might also exist … for sound. ]

Please search for this app !

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Same reverse dictionary pattern exists for plants ( VEG world ), distributed by same Google .

Reverse image search :grinning: it has been around for a bit I think.