Below are 2 photo's of a strange bird that has just landed in the garden. We have never had a bird like this in the garden before.
Apologies for the lack of clarity but we didn't have time to get the good camera and they were taken through the window.
Have any of you twitchers got any idea what it is?
For scale purposes the baskets below the bird are around 2ft tall.
Sent from my HTC
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI'm no twitcher but from the pic's I think it's
a young Coot.
Hope that helps.
I'm not a twitcher, but it looks like a juvenile moorhen to me. There are loads of them on the Bridgewater Canal.
ReplyDeleteHi Jeff and Martin,
ReplyDeleteThanks to you both for your input. I think it is a juvenile and it's about the right size for either Coot or Moorhen.
I have had a look on the RSPB site and because of the white stripes on the sides, or they may be on the wings, difficult to say, i think it's the Moorhen.
We are only 200 yds from the Bridgewater where there are loads of Grey Lag Geese and Mallard but i havn't seen a Coot or Moorhen on it.
But there are many other places around here that they can nest.
Thanks again guys, very helpful.
Yep,
ReplyDeleteI'll go with Moorhen. Always get mixed up with the two of them.
My specialist subject would be bird's of prey having flown both falcons and hawks in the past.
Had a small male Harris hawk that would take Moorhens and duck's no problem.
Jeff,
ReplyDeleteGlad you agree.
Flying hawks must be fun.
On my previous comment i said i lived 200 yds from the Bridgewater. It should have said Rochdale canal.
Sorry.
You're quite right, the lateral lines and pale undertail are indicitive of a moorhen, probably juvenile. We had an adult visit our garden during the hard winter we had this year, which was very unusual, but nice to get a close up view!
ReplyDeleteHi Louise.
ReplyDeleteSorry for the delay in replying, i have been making a new cone windshield and doing some test work with the stoves.
Yes, a Moorhen it is. I do plenty of local walking and there are quite a few ponds and the Rochdale canal close by, but we have never seen one here let alone in the garden. It was quite a surprise when it landed on the fence.