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  1. Michael Frankis

    Saxicola ID please

    Hi Cyber, Unfortunately H&M isn't available on the net, sad as that is the best way these days to get information across. The new bird is a Grey Bushchat, but (from the mottled mantle and broad buff greater covert bar) a recently fledged juvenile, not necessarily female. Michael
  2. Michael Frankis

    JonB's Tern

    C'mon Tom, you can do better than that . . . you know they don't all look the same !!!! :-O Hi Dave, I wondered that too - my feeling was, yes, they can on occasion, because this photo proves it (as it is so obviously a Caspian). Unless there's bright reflected light from water below it or...
  3. Michael Frankis

    Comment by 'Michael Frankis' in media 'Caspian Tern'

    Hi Jon, This one's a Caspian Tern - very nice pic, too. Michael
  4. Michael Frankis

    JonB's Tern

    I'd agree with Caspian, even though there's hardly any black smudge near the bill tip (which Caspian usually has, Royal doesn't), firstly as the site is inland (near Lake Ontario, Canada), which Royal wouldn't be (exclusively marine), and second, by August, Royal is in winter plumage with a...
  5. Michael Frankis

    Capital Letters??

    Fairly mixed - I've seen both. But I get the impression that capitalising is on the increase. It'll be interesting to see which Lynx do when they start on HMW after they've finished HBW. Whatever they do will become the de facto standard, I expect. Michael
  6. Michael Frankis

    Saxicola ID please

    Hi Cyber, I'd agree with Grey Bushchat (Saxicola ferrea) for your photos Seems to be an error there in Sibley & Monroe, White-browed Bushchat is given as an alternative name for Stoliczka's Bushchat (S. macrorhyncha) Michael
  7. Michael Frankis

    Capital Letters??

    Hi Steve, Yeah, they're full of all sorts of other ornithological errors as well, frequently using invalid scientific names that were dropped 50 years ago, etc, etc . . . I often get the impression that dictionary and encyclopaedia compilers don't have a clue about biology and its standard...
  8. Michael Frankis

    Hovering Falcons ?

    Hi JP, From Lynx HBW: 1 Lesser Kestrel 2 Common Kestrel 3 Madagascar Kestrel 4 Mauritius Kestrel 5 Spotted Kestrel 6 Australian Kestrel 7 American Kestrel 8 Greater Kestrel 9 Fox Kestrel 10 Dickinson's Kestrel (but not Seychelles Kestrel, and Grey & Banded Kestrels only rarely) 11 Red-footed...
  9. Michael Frankis

    White-headed Duck at Salthome pools.

    Hi Stevie, I got a bit excited about one that turned up at East Chevington on spring passage 3 or 4 years ago, as I'd read that too - but I made the mistake of posting a request for info on surfbirdnews, and it turned out that there isn't any feral population in Sweden, or anywhere else. That...
  10. Michael Frankis

    Great Knot

    Unless there has been a peculiar weather situation that has caused several to fly this way . . . we'll never know! Michael
  11. Michael Frankis

    Capital Letters??

    Hi Tim, Not strictly an ornithological journal, but Animal Behaviour doesn't. That's about the only one I know of. Michael
  12. Michael Frankis

    Capital Letters??

    Hi Jason, Doesn't happen with birds that I know of, but with trees, Americans often drop the 's at the end, e.g. Brewer Spruce, Jeffrey Pine (rather than Brewer's Spruce, Jeffrey's Pine); Jeffrey Pine is also now fairly common in UK tree books (which usually tend to include the 's for other...
  13. Michael Frankis

    top ten

    Hi Sparrow, Had to look that one up, I've never been to Australia so don't know about them. Also called Long-tailed Finch. Have you been to Australia and seen them? Found some other pics on the web, though: http://www.efinch.com/birdpix2/shafttailheck.jpg...
  14. Michael Frankis

    top ten

    Hi Sparrow, Too right! - I'd probably find it easier to name a top 100, than a top 10. And yes, it would be a slightly different set each time I listed them. I'd generally only pick from birds I've seen myself; could do either county, country or world, I'd have a different selection for...
  15. Michael Frankis

    Capital Letters??

    Hi Steve, I reckon it already has, to a very large degree. The process is driven primarily by the various field guides, which almost universally capitalise bird (and other animal & plant) names. Major authoritative works like BWP (Birds of the Western Palearctic) and HBW (Handbook of the Birds...
  16. Michael Frankis

    Great Knot

    Methinks you wouldn't confuse them, but given that (according to Bill Oddie) there's people around capable of sending in a report of a Ringed Plover to the BBRC, labelled 'Alpine Swift', well, I guess there'll be some people somewhere who would confuse the two ;) Michael
  17. Michael Frankis

    Capital Letters??

    Far from universal! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cetacea Michael
  18. Michael Frankis

    Suburban birding: Things to keep in mind

    Few years ago there was a Laughing Gull (a major rarity in Britain) over here in Newcastle - it spent most of its time perched on the roof of the Maternity Ward at the city's General Hospital Often wondered what they thought about the line of long lenses pointing in that direction Michael
  19. Michael Frankis

    No more whinging about catches in the trap.

    Hi Harry, How common is Ourapteryx sambucaria up here? - had one (or something that looked just like the pic of it in Chinery! ;)) came in the house couple of nights ago Michael
  20. Michael Frankis

    ID request for a garden visitor

    Hi Aynsley, Welcome to BirdForum! Someone has lost their pet . . . that's a Yellow-fronted Canary (Serinus mozambicus), a popular cagebird originally from Africa Michael
  21. Michael Frankis

    Great Knot

    Yeah, probably could, particularly for someone without any knowledge of Great Knot. In western North America, they could also pass as a rather long-billed Surfbird - very similar plumage pattern in summer plumage Michael
  22. Michael Frankis

    Herring gulls - fledglings

    Hi Finchy, They'll have bred on rooftops, hidden out of view. I guess you could call this a creche, but I don't think it is organised in any way, it is just a good area for them to rest, in the open and with no hiding places where potential predators can sneak up on them Michael
  23. Michael Frankis

    Bulgaria or Scotland

    Hi John, Welcome to BirdForum! Great place Bulgaria, I've been twice, both times in the west of the country Michael
  24. Michael Frankis

    Im back from my holidays

    Hi Euan, Welcome back and glad you had a good time! Michael
  25. Michael Frankis

    Hello ....

    Hi Richard, Welcome to BirdForum! Marsh Sand is nice . . . what else are they fobbing you off with there? (what a weird place name!!) Michael
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