Birder’s Twitter S3E19

Shore Lark - Minsmere - 14th October 2023

DDL and Jonny burst onto the call - with the most tuneful rendition of happy birthday you’ve ever heard. Listen again to S3E19 here:

We have a loose agenda and all three of us have been birding this week! Stunning stuff.

DDL has been guiding UAE side and filling his face with Pin-tailed Snipe. Plus, lots of Sand-sand Grouse.

Jonny H has found an area first!!! ROCK PIPIT!

Jonny H's New Park Springs Vis-migging event produced 450 Redwing, 5 Crossbill, Corn Bunting, Redpoll, 100 Linnet, Mipits and Skylarks:

How great are the toes on a lark? Greater Short-toed Lark? Who has short toes? Long Short-toed Lark?

Jonny R is enjoying building wildfowl numbers on patch and the first Redwing of the autumn. A birthday visit to Minsmere produced Red-throated Diver and Shore Lark:

Wigeon - Blythburgh - 15th October - 2023

Jonny R had no problem identifying a 2nd calendar year Common Gull and at no point mistook it for anything else.

Jonny R’s homework…

1. Black tail band;

2. Grey mantle limited to the body;

3. Lack of white window in the primary/ wing tip; and

4. Elongated 'pear-shaped' head as opposed to 'bumped' forehead on Common Gull.

Tune in next week to hear what mark I was awarded for the above homework.

We indulge in some serious Snipe chat:

DDL takes us through recent learnings based on two individuals he has persistently observed:

Listen to Pin-tailed Snipe call c/o DDL here:

Top ID tips from DDL include:

• Lack of white trailing edge on wing;

• Appear Woodcock like. Larger than our Common Snipe;

• Shorter billed;

• Heavily barred underwing;

• Call, mixture between a grunt and a fart, nothing like our Commons;

• Prefer drier habitat and flush at close range; and

• Outer tail feather, thing and ‘pin-like’ - whereas Swinhoe’s are rounded.

Jonny R saw Pin-tailed Snipe earlier this year, but no one thinks to ask him anything:

Pin-tailed Snipe - Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - 29th January 2023

Pin-tailed Snipe (Peter Arras) - Al Ain - 29th January 2023

Swinhoe’s Snipe has summered in Finland!!!

Scilly season was sweet AF! Ian Bennell knows what's up:

It’s now BEAST COAST RISE O’ CLOCK! Beast coast - beast coast - beast coast RISE!

Remember, White-cheeked Tern ID guide is still there for your attention and UK Birding Pins have got your UK 250 pin-badge needs covered.

We talk pipit ID including the Sound Approach Olive-backed Pipit ID and make our predictions for the week.

Listen again to S3E19 here: