Given clear views on the ground adult crow species generally present few ID problems... but throw juveniles into the mix, and birds in flight at distance, and they become surprisingly tricky.There are clues you can use to identify crows accurately even in these situations. In this video the BTO run through the common crow species -- all of which breed here in Ireland, with … [Read more...] about Know your crows — how to identify corvids with the BTO
BTO
Bird Identification: telling black redstart and common redstart apart
The BTO (British Trust for Ornithology) has produced a superb series of bird ID videos to help birders tell commonly confused species apart. The latest instalment in the series tackles the differences between black redstart and the rarer (in Ireland) common redstart.The most likely time to encounter either of these birds in Ireland is on passage during spring and autumn … [Read more...] about Bird Identification: telling black redstart and common redstart apart
Bird Atlas 2007-2011 — save 33% before 31 July
If you're a birder in Britain or Ireland then chances are you already know about the upcoming publication of "Bird Atlas 2007-2011".The culmination of one of the most ambitious citizen science projects ever undertaken, Bird Atlas brings together data on bird populations collected by tens of thousands of dedicated volunteers across the British Isles. It has been described … [Read more...] about Bird Atlas 2007-2011 — save 33% before 31 July
Know your Winter Thrushes: Fieldfare and Redwing ID from the BTO
Every winter our resident blackbirds, song thrushes and mistle thrushes are joined by an influx of visiting northern European thrushes: fieldfare and redwing.The birds usually start to arrive from late September / early October, and stay until early March... with some lingering a little later.Redwing are songthrush sized, and are possible to confuse with song thrush if … [Read more...] about Know your Winter Thrushes: Fieldfare and Redwing ID from the BTO
Green Sandpiper V Wood Sandpiper: how to tell the difference
A few weeks ago an osprey making its way south for the winter decided to stop off for a few days at White’s Marsh near Clonakilty. It’s only 15 minutes up the road and the chance of seeing my first osprey in Ireland was too much to miss. So bright and early one Sunday morning in late August I headed for Clonakilty, and duly bagged me an Irish osprey. Fantastic stuff. There … [Read more...] about Green Sandpiper V Wood Sandpiper: how to tell the difference
Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler: Spot the Difference
Chiffchaffs and willow warblers have been back in the country for a while now, and are singing their little heads off… which is a good thing… because the song is the most reliable way of telling these two very similar species apart. If you don’t hear them, getting a positive ID on that willow-chaff can be a tricky proposition. Luckily there are some pointers to look out for. … [Read more...] about Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler: Spot the Difference
