Bird identification help?

[British Red]

Hi all,

saw this little fellah today and would like some help with a positive ID - our suspicion is Golden Oriel but I'd be very grateful ifsomeone more experienced at "twitching" could let me know what it actually is

Thanks in advance

Red

 

[wingstoo]

Good grief Red,

Have you a rough size on the bird, in comparrison to a sparrow, thrush?

LS

 

[JonnyP]

Looks like it could be Red, this is the time of year to see them. I can't be positive as it is a distance shot, did you here a call at all, was it blackbird sized?...............Jon

 

[Ketchup]

Golden oriole it must be. Congratulations, make a wish.

 

[British Red]

Jon,

I'd say smallish blackbird / thrush sized. I have listened to the call on my CD and couldn't be absolutely clear. There was a lot of calling going on, but if I picked it out correctly it was a about 4 repetitions of a single note and a rising fifth note repeated which doesn't sound identical to the one on my CD - if is an Oriole its a new one on me!

Red

Thanks for the help Ketchup mate - pretty things aren't they?

 

[scanker]

I think it's a yellowhammer. It looks like one to me, but a yellowhammer is more "big sparrow" sized than "small blackbird". Depends how much margin there is there! If you've a bird CD have a listen because your song description sounds quite like it -it's often described as "a little bit of bread and no cheese". I've not lost the plot - have a listen.

Found a link to the song: http://www.garden-birds.co.uk/birds/sounds/yellowhammer.mp3

 

[Fenlander]

It's a Yellowhammer Hugh

 

[stovie]

little bit of bread and cheeeeese!

 

[British Red]

Just listened to the call - yelly hammer he is

Thanks very much everyone!

Hugh