any ornithologists around?

[sahona]

Intreagued by a bird I met on my morning meander.
sat high in a tree, about the size of a pidgeon, but maybe lighter in colour ( I couldn't get a good view).
I would call it a mimmic bird, as it did just that - singing (what I assume to be) other birds songs, very diverse but just the pretty ones - no crows, herons or magpies.
It was alone - maybe looking for a mate, - and not too particular which kind?
Sounds like a few chaps I've met along the way.
Anyone know what it could have been?

[aquaplane]

Stormy is the ornithologist on our ship but it sounds like a Slapper or a Tart to me.

[Arghiro]

Not a lot of info to go on, but if slightly smaller than a pidgeon, might it have been a thrush? About the size of a blackbird, light chest speckled with small dark spots. Like blackbirds & starlings, they can be mimics.

[lady_stormrider]

Stormy is the ornithologist on our ship but it sounds like a Slapper or a Tart to me.

How dare you!!! I'll tell Kate Humble not to show you her tits now!!!

Anyway you could try http://www.surfbirds.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I should warn you it could be an atlantic refugee - in which case it could be anything

[sahona]

Thank peeps. seemed bigger than any thrush I'd seen up to now, but there you go.
Not going to lose any sleep over it - unless I tell you different in the morning!

[claymore]

Fieldfare?
Normally a few of them though.

[sahona]

Definately pidgeon sized. If it was any of the afore-suggested bunch, it hadn't suffered malnutrition over the poor winter which could be a first.
We had a heron stealing toads from the neighbours pool on Sunday, which we think indicates a scarcity of normal food.

[Telo]

[thread drift] I agree with Arghiro that blackbirds and thrushes can be good mimics; trimphone (what they?) birdcalls were very popular for a few years. Last year, we had one doing the first four bars of Miles Davis' "All Blues". In the right key, too. [/thread drift]
















OK, I made that last bit, about the key, up.....

[Julian]

I reckon a blackcap


have a look Birdsong (listen to the whole thing, at the end the call changes quite a lot)

If you are interested in orne...orhna....ornaf... birds, I have the two series from radio 4 in mp3 (ipod ready too) that I will happily post you.

Orne... birds was more me dad's bag, but some must have rubbed off as I do like to at know what I am hearing looking at.

J

[sahona]

Thanks Julian, but I was just curious.
I occasionally get interested and then something else pushes it all to the back burner.
Mainly interested in all the stuff that's thrashing about making noises when we're anchored.