AUGUST 2010'S MYSTERY BIRD ANSWERS

Twenty nine entrants this month saw a positive backing of the competition from birders within several counties throughout the UK and included yet another two new entrants, with one of Seaforth NR and Lancashire's finest birders plus one of our very own best photographers entering the fray. This round was perhaps less about feather minute and detailed study though and more about off the cuff identification, so it was heartening to see many entrants comment about doing just that!

Mystery Bird 15

Deciding on a mystery species in the midst of a dark conifer wood could well have been influenced by the choice of habitat in many entries but was this mystery bird a conifer 'specialist' or was that just a red herring? Seven species saw themselves in the line up offered by our entrants and typically, some appeared to fit the bill more than others. Explaining why it was what it is, is no mean feat but I received the image from the photographer on my iPhone whilst travelling in a car on my way home from work along the East Lancs Road (as a passenger I might add!) and yet I still managed to guess the right species, so I knew it was possible! There is little plumage to go on, we can atleast make out some strong white edges to the very dark centred tertials but there is something very familiar about the bird, something which, even without any particular plumage characteristics, enables it to be identified. It has, to my own eyes, small and compact characteristics. It's difficult to see the bill but the culmen looks quite short and well curved, the head and neck seem to flow into the mantle and overall it certainly has the feel of one of the tit or perhaps crest family to me. With that we have to loose four of our suggested species:

Common Crossbill (2 entries, perhaps swayed by the habitat?) usually lack any tertial markings although of course it isn't perhaps that unusual for them to show some white edges, but our mystery bird has patently thin legs and an apparently quite contrasty look to the plumage which eliminates Crossbill.

Robin (one entry) lacks any pale edges to the tertials and doesn't portray our mystery bird's small and compact jizz.

Chaffinch and Lesser Redpoll (one entry each) are eliminated using the same features as Robin above, although both show some pale edges to the tertials they are clearly not as starkly white and contrasting as our mystery bird.

That leaves three: Coal Tit, Goldcrest and Long-tailed Tit. One feature which is not actually apparent as such in the mystery bird image but which for which there is an impression of, is the birds tail. Viewing angle when assessing certain features from images especially can often lead to trouble but the strong sunlight reflecting off our mystery bird's tail does give the impression of it being quite long does it not? Whilst Goldcrest (3 entries) and Coal Tit (2 entries) could be argued all day off plumage alone perhaps, take another look at the image and think of Long-tailed Tit whilst you do. That 'flying teaspoon' ball of feathers complete with excessively long tail and upperparts of contrasting colours. Hopefully, like the 68% of entrants who managed to guess the mystery bird's correct identity as this species, now so will you.

Long-tailed Tit, Binn Green, 24.07.10 (Dennis Atherton)

Mystery Bird 16

Similarly with the mystery bird above (which is now of course no mystery at all!), this is one of those 'take a step back and squint' mystery birds. The features required to identify it are all there it just depends on which way you interpret them! So, look at it this way. The bird is obviously a duck (we all got that far!) and is facing towards the muddy bank (away from the camera) but to the left slightly, so we're getting a full on view of it's arse-end (as always!), flanks and left side of it's head. Despite the very strong sunlight affecting the image, the flanks look very pale and there are some very long and lanceolate shaped scapulars on view which can be seen hanging over the wing. The head looks very dark in colouration and, this is the crux of the matter, towards the top of the head (squint now, squint) there appears to be a very obvious white cresent running across the side of it. Put all that together and you have indeed got yourself a very fine drake Garganey as 70% of this months entrants guessed. Incorrect answers included Pochard (3 entries), Pintail (2 entries), Wigeon (2 entries) and Long-tailed Duck and Coot (with an entry a piece).

Garganey, Hope Carr NR, 21.05.09 (Ian McKerchar)

This was yet another round which challenged identification skills on various different levels and thirteen entrants, the highest for some time, managed to correctly identify both species. Hopefully they've all stopped squinting now but well done anyway to Mike Cooper, Geoff Hargreaves, James Latham, Michel Rogg, Neil Calbrade, Denis Latham, Henry Cook, John Frankland, Paul Brown, Gary Crowder, John Tymon, Pauline Greenhalgh and Mike Howard.

There is still no change at the top though as Orkney's Paul Brown leads the way with a full suite of correct answers so far. Can he, will he, slip up with only four rounds to go? The pack is hot on his heals, led by his old pal John Tymon!

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