Sep 272019
A friend of mine in Lincolnshire, Ian, recently published his photo of this bird and I wonder if you can I D it.
No clues just yet and no prizes for guessing correctly.
Open to all and the answer will be revealed next week.
Have fun and give it a go.
14 Responses to “Time to don your thinking cap”
Comments (14)
Juvenile Bluethroat?
Wren
Interesting guesses and I am tempted to say that it could be a wren, but is the bill long enough? I can also see why Julie thinks it may be a juvenile blue throat. Sorry I can’t come up with any original guesses of my own.
Got me stumped, but it does look like a juvenile.
I think there’s a clue in the title of this post. It’s a baby blackcap! Oh all right, a juvenile.
It is a UK breeding bird. The photo was taken this month.
The clue is in the title, it’s a baby blackcap!
Around 35 to 44 different subspecies of this bird have been identified worldwide, which differ in size, overall colouration and the extent of barring on the plumage.
Gravesend RSPB Local Group Barring?!
If you look closely on the right hand side of the bird, you can just see it 🙂
I always find it is best to make detailed notes on the plumage – especially paying attention to the ear coverts, the mantle and the amount of wear on the scapulars. Then I just guess. I was going to say juvenile booted warbler but a UK breeding bird? How about Zitting Cisticola juvenile. Have they started breeding in the UK yet?
It is a UK resident. Between 1 – broods per year. First one normally late April.
The last clue : cave dweller. Answer to be announced later today 🙂
Thank you for your excellent attempts at the bird ID and congratulations to Sue who guessed it correctly 🙂
It is in fact, a juvenile wren. The Latin name for the wren is Troglodytes Troglodytes, which translates to ‘cave dweller’ and although it isn’t the UK’s smallest bird, it is the shortest. One mute swan weighs approx the same as 1400 wrens! It is a Green conservation status bird with over 8,600,00 territories.
Wrens lay 4-7 white eggs with brown spots that she incubates alone for 12-10 days. Chicks fledge after 3 weeks and both parents feed them for a further 40 days. .
At first, I was thinking along the lines of a spotted flycatcher and I can see where Julie was coming from.
Thanks again hopefully more to follow.