AUGUST 2009'S MYSTERY BIRD ANSWERS

Another sterling endeavour saw 25 entries this month, not bad for a generally busy bird month where the comp is at the back of your minds, so fair play to you all. With one of the mystery birds fairly easy to narrow down to a few species and the other apparently anything but, how did you get on?

Mystery Bird 15

Now then, straight down to business. Not too much difficulty involved here by all accounts and this mystery bird was easily narrowed down to two species by all, those being Golden and Grey Plover. Though some had carefully considered American and Pacific Golden Plovers, no one suggested them as the correct answer, nice work all round. Well, either that or....

Anyway, Grey Plover and Golden Plover it is. I was actually pleasantly impressed by the lack of takers for what I assumed many would incorrectly guess the mystery bird was, afterall it does look distinctly golden spangled on the upperparts and wings which surely a Grey Plover wouldn't? Of course, no fooling you as it appeared 78% atleast knew that juvenile Grey Plovers were rather neatly spangled yellowish-buff on the upperparts too. It was though, the bird's structure which struck a chord for those 22 entrants with the correct answer and this was the whole intention of the photo. Our mystery bird's bill is frankly just far too heavy looking for Golden Plover (and for either of the two old money 'Lesser' Golden Plovers) and whilst one could wax lyrical about the finer identification pointers there really is little point as our nail has clearly been well and truly struck on the head. The bird is indeed a Grey Plover.  

Juvenile Grey Plover, Pennington Flash, September 2004 (Ian McKerchar)

Mystery Bird 16

Synchronised up-ending of ducks, we all managed that far but five species were presented as answers, so let us delve into the murky world of wildfowl bottoms to sort this one out! Common Scoter managed a single vote and although I can't recall seeing or hearing of them up-ending for food, in the world of wildfowl anything seems possible so it's not a bad shout. The birds admittedly look all dark with varying hues of black or darkish brown, they have particularly dark blackish vents, uppertail coverts and rumps plus an apparently conspicuously pointed black tail. Their legs are black but the flanks look a darker brown and clearly paler than the extreme 'back-end' and there is an evident rather silvery-grey 'panel' on the primaries. So, some of those might fit Common Scoter (perhaps a first winter bird anyway) but others, particularly that silvery-grey primary panel visible on the closed wings, don't. I'm afraid Common Scoter it is not. Shoveler also received a single vote and Teal got two but they were both wrong also. Both species lack the overall darkness of our mystery birds and are rather buff ventrally with obvious darker spotting. Pintail managed a surprising 6 votes, no doubt due to the apparent length of the tail on our mystery birds? However, it clearly doesn't fit in any age or plumage, for similar reasons as the previous two incorrect answers, not unless they were covered in soot from some passing paddle steamer and I'm not that evil! Fifteen entrants correctly identified the mystery up-ending duo and despite their initially surprising feeding method, their overall dark plumage, especially that rear end with that obvious pale primary panel led the triumphant bunch to the answer of Pochard. They were Dave Broome, Mark Rigby, Tim Wilcox, Nick Godden, Caroline Clay, John Frankland, Mike Passant, Phil Greenwood, Dennis Latham, Paul Brown, Mike Horwood, Helen Garwood, Rob and Sonia Adderley, Simon Warford and Iain Johnson.

Pochard, Cley-next-the-Sea, Norfolk, July 2009 (Ian McKerchar)

Out of the 25 entrants, just over half managed to correctly recognise both mystery birds answers. Congratulations to Dave Broome, Simon Warford, Mark Rigby, Tim Wilcox, Nick Godden, Caroline Clay, Rob and Sonia Adderley, John Frankland, Mike Passant, Nick Latham, Paul Brown, Mike Horwood and Helen Garwood.

Paul Brown's clean sweep again this month leaves our leader board unchanged as North Ron's finest proves his worth and continues his dominance but with mist nets surely due to be heaving with loco's towards the end of the month atleast, there's still time for him to forget this month's entry or of course get one or more wrong! Keep at it people, you're doing great ☺