ID

Identifying small brown birds

Sun 24/04/2022 09:39 From Suzanne to Ali and Ian
Good morning,
This is another of the pictures sent by Cheryl Cronnie, who is a photographer rather than a ornithologist. Is this a twite?

Sun 24/04/2022 15:40 From Ian to Suzanne
Undecided – either a Chiffchaff or Willow Warbler, they look so alike, just the songs to tell the difference.
Ian

[1] Chiffchaff [2] Willow warbler

Mon 25/04/2022 18:10 From Ali to Suzanne and Ian cc: David C
Hi Suzanne, I don’t think so, twite have a finchy sort of a beak, and this looks like an insect eater. Twite are also more upland/northern in their range I think. David what do you reckon? 

On 26 Apr 2022, at 07:01 From Suzanne to Ali, Ian cc: David C
Thanks Ali. Ian thinks it’s a chiffchaff or a willow warbler, but I don’t think so. I would be very interested to know what David thinks.
Suzanne

Tue 26/04/2022 08:58 From David C to Ali, Ian Suzanne
Ali is right, it’s not a Twite, which isn’t seen in the South. It looks like Meadow Pipit which is Dunnock size but a bird of open countryside like Salisbury Plain.   Where did you see it ?

[3] meadow pipit [4] dunnock

Tue 26/04/2022 09:04 From Ali to Suzanne, Ian, David C
Interesting, thanks David. I did look at Meadow Pipit to compare, but I wasn’t sure.

Tue 26/04/2022 09:28 From Ian to Ali, Suzanne, David C
Interesting. In our species list Meadow Pipit is recorded as being photographed by David G on 3 May 2019. I haven’t got a copy of the photo – any joy Suzanne?

Tue 26/04/2022 09:48 From Suzanne to Ali Ian cc: David
Thanks David, it was seen and photographed in the reserve at Southwick. We are getting pictures of birds by a very good photographer who walks in the reserve regularly but doesn’t always know what she has photographed. Some of her pictures are easy to identify but there are all those small brown birds I need help with.
Suzanne

Meadow pipit photographed in the reserve by DKG in 2019

Tue 26/04/2022 09:59 from Suzanne to Ali, Ian cc: David C
Dave Galliers sent me these on 05.03.2019 (not 03.05.2019, Ian) – we identified it as a meadow pipit. Here is the write up.

Tue 26/04/2022 10:51 From Ali to Ian, Suzanne cc: David C
Thanks everyone, I’d forgotten it had been seen back then 😊. I was hoping it was another new species for us. Ali.

Cast List:
Ali Rasey: Countryside Officer. Ian Bushell: FoSCP Works Manager. David Culverhouse: Ornithologist. Suzanne Humphries: Editor.