When I first saw this from 200-300 yds away I thought Thrush wnen I got closer I thought female Blackbird then I thought female Ring Ouzel, your opinions please guys
http://suffolk.activeboard.com/f528553/birds-of-suffolk/
Unusual colouring, but a Blackbird, I think, though would be very happy to be proved wrong!
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I would be happy with blackbird. It has a bit of an eye ring and the wing pattern should have shown a bit. I suspect Seymouraves would have commented on the shorter wing length. I notice it has been ringed.
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My thinking too Rach but Ouzels have been seen here recently and it is ringed too
I see you're from Suffolk, and I'm really surprised you have Ring Ouzels there, - just wouldn't have thought it was the right terrain!
I don't think your bird is dark enough for an Ouzel, nor is the white crescent as extensive or bright as it should be.
I did look again because first winter females can have the breast band absent. Still think the feather edges would show up better on Ouzel and the wing slightly longer so am still with BB.
Several R O have been recorded in Suffolk again this year Rach, often Landguard, Felixstowe is the first landfall for many birds from the Continent, plus with the huge number of container ships arriving at the nearby port some hitch rides from far away places, we once had Snowy Owls [53 of them] from Canada most jumped ship off Ireland but one ended up in felixstowe
I would opt for female Blackbird as apart from the lack of the breast crescent the feather patterning on a Ring Ouzel has a "scaley"pattern and the bill on this bird is too orange in colour.Quite happy to be proved wrong though.
Pete
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The general rule of "if you are not sure if you have seen a common species or a rare one it is almost certainly the common one" would suggest blackbird to me as well. I too agree with rach about the darkness of the body and the brightness and extent of the breast band not being quite right. So I'm also going to say that it is a slightly abnormally plumaged blackbird, sorry.
Def female blackbird.
Ray
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Thank you all, just looked a little unusual through my lens
Hi-
female BB, note the nice warm rufous on the breast and also the pale breast patch is too high up for an ouzel :)
Female Ouzels tend to be a more earth brown in tone .
:)
S
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