mguy

Sorry don't mean to be a nuisance with these ID's....,
Bird was already in the water when I saw it.
Is about same size as a Grey-backed Thrush (I think)
Poor quality coz photos taken at 06:55 at 13-20's F/4 ISO 1250 - needed to do Shadows/highlights and increase exposure a notch or 2 in PS so a lot of noise in the image


Today, Lamma Island, North facing Hillside near water
D3 w/Nikkor 500mm f/4D

[ Last edited by mguy at 7/12/2010 13:28 ]

fatchun

Would it be a pale thrush? But I am not sure because no back color was shown.
Thank you for your report and nice bird=]

mguy

Crossed my mind.... except no hint of eyebrow, color on back looks same dark brown as head, too much colour on breast and just visible white bits on tail... thought it might be a 1st winter of something

lpaul

Looks like Pale to me.

mguy

Then I guess it must be.... just looked too dark.
Thanks Paul

EricB

Thanks Guy. Not sure how you could misconstrue your wonderful photos as being of nuisance value! They are clearly quite the opposite - they are a great help in focussing our minds on the key ID features of these wonderful garden visitors,  are so useful at teasing out all sorts of hard to see features in the field and often gives us unprecedented views of these shy species.

I am interested in your initial comment. I assume you meant a female/imm Dark throated Thrush (ie Turdus not Zoothera!)- which would have dark fairly broad streaks heaviest on its  breast.It never has any white on its tail.A nice thought...perhaps one post soon!

Brown headed Thrush was once considered a variant/subspecies of Pale Thrush. It  shares a fairly similar looking head/throat pattern(blackish lores,thin pale yellow eyering,lack of a supercilium,pale streaked throat,dark malar stripe and pale sub moustachial stripe) but has orange underparts ( I understand the light was terrible but I think we would see some suggestion of this.)The pale tips to the outer 2-3 tail feathers, as far as I am aware, is pretty unique to Pale Thrush and certainly a great key id feature in the field when faced with a disappearing Turdus.

Looking forward already to your next posting!
Best wishes
Eric

[ Last edited by RUWright at 8/12/2010 08:19 ]

mguy

Thanks Eric and you detailed descroptions.... I think it is largely my imagination getting the better of me coz I have had several new identified & unidentified birds escape my camera that perhaps I am now chasing ghosts.

However one thing I am 99% sure of is that I had a Chinese Flycatcher...., the other 1%... was either a Blue-throated, Hill Blue or Tickell's Blue.
About 5 days ago it suddenly appeared right in front of me in my pond mid-afternoon... I got focus, it was sideways on from me but looking directly away from me, blue back & wings, bright orange breast, white belly......, it looked settled...., so like a photographer instead of a birder I waited for the headturn in case the camera noise scared it and I wouldn't get the headshot......, after several seconds it just flew..., spooked by something else... never to return.
Have been seeing ghosts ever since.

All the best, Guy