MARCH 2008'S MYSTERY BIRD ANSWERS

There were only 32 entrants to this months competition, a slight reduction from previous months but still a very good showing for which I am very grateful.

                                                                                        Mystery Bird 5

Too easy or are you all getting good at this? All but one entrant managed this mystery bird correctly and to be fair there isn't much that looks similar but with one entry of Carrion Crow, I can only assume that was caused by computer monitor problems, afterall it doesn't really look that black on mine ☺. So how did everyone get it right? Well, it's pretty 'plump' looking (remember that 'feel' for it from last month), it's greyish on the upperparts with a distinctively, almost bluish rump and has darker primaries with conspicuous white leading edges. What more do you want, it's a Woodpigeon!

                                                                  Woodpigeon, Pennington Flash, February 2008 (Ian McKerchar)

                                                                                                              Mystery Bird 6

Oh my god, a gull, panic! Despite similar reactions from many entrants, all but 4 managed to correctly identify the bird proving just how easy gull identification can be, yeah right! Either way, only three species entered the fray and to be fair, a certain amount of that 'feel' was required again to identify the bird from the above image, afterall it seems there's not much to go. Herring Gull received three votes and despite having a similar looking primary pattern, greyish upperparts and white, streaked darker head, most entrants got the feeling that this was in fact one of the smaller gull species perhaps due to it's rather slender, short-legged appearance (and that Herring Gull in adult plumage would have pinkish legs) and although another entrant went for Iceland Gull, the black primary tips of our mystery bird immediately eliminate that species. So, one of the 'smaller' gulls it is and all the remaining entrants went, correctly, for Common Gull but what of Ring-billed Gull, could it not have been that species, afterall more than a few atleast mentioned it? Our bird displays a very clear white tertial cresent, probably too strong for any Ring-billed and although judging upperpart colouration from images (let alone in the field) with the effects of camera angle and lighting can be very dangerous and misleading, our bird appears to have upperparts too dark for Ring-billed aswell. The first point of call in any gull's identification should really be in it's ageing and it seemed that most did indeed correctly identify this bird as an adult, which given it's very dull, distinctly greenish legs further reinforce that we can be sure it is not a Ring-billed Gull, but some felt the bird was infact a 2nd-winter Common Gull but with such a large white mirror on the outermost primary (p10) and distinct white primary tips the majority were correct in this instance.

                                                                  Common Gulls, Seaforth, Merseyside, February 2008 (Ian McKerchar)

So, too easy afterall? Ian Woosey, Mark Rigby, John Frankland, Brogan Scrimgeour (now leading all other family members, including his dad!), Nick Green, Michel Rogg, John Raynor, Simon Warford, Nick Patel, Dave Broome, Geoff Hargreaves, Neil Calbrade, Paul Cliffe, Tony Coatsworth, Mike Chorley, John Tymon, Ian Bowker, Simon Johnson, Rob and Sonia Adderley, Kane Brides, Henry Cook, Craig Higson, Jimmy Meadows, Andy Isherwood, Dean MacDonald, Peter Rolph and Iain Johnson all managed to identify both mystery birds correctly but with 9 entrants now with a full compliment of correct answers for the competition so far this year, they've got to get harder sooner or later to split that leading pack.