Sunday, September 26, 2010

Finches




This flock was circling against the light at Booth Steads, below Roils Head on the Luddenden side at dusk yesterday 25th. I had eliminated twite before they landed and felt sure they were linnet, but on their compact shape and tiny bill I'm tending toward redpoll now. I think I can see a suggestion of a black chin on one of them. Their chorus didn't immediately say linnet to me, being a quite soft, quiet twittering. The north wind could have brought them south.
I went back at first light this morning but of course they had moved off to roost somewhere probably yesterday after I left.

4 comments:

David Tattersley said...

Hi Steve

The silhouette does not suggest Redpoll sp to me and I cannot recollect seeing Lesser Redpoll perched on telegraph wires in numbers or perhaps even singly at all. Normally they are extremely active little birds and their call, once familiarised is very distinctive, a kind of stuttering metallic almost mechanical sound.

I am not familiar with the habitat around that area but would Redpoll sp be attracted to that area in the first place, are there coniferous plantations around there?

On the photo with 7 birds the middle one of five on the bottom wire looks more like a Linnet to me than any of the other Finch sp.

I am sure Nick D with his knowledge of the local area will have more idea of which species is likely to be seen here , perched on the wires in these numbers.

AndyC said...

Linnets

heavy birder said...

There as been a large flock of linnets at nearby Highroad Well Moor for the last 2 months, uo to 100 birds. There were still 30 birds there yesterday. Having said this these could be different birds?

Steve Blacksmith said...

Thanks Chaps.