Bird ID

[hammerman]

Another one for you experts. Saw a small bird yesterday in grass/parklnd....on a cricket field to be exact. There was a pair of them on the ground presumably going through the grass as it had just been cut.

The birds were the size of a sparrow....infact i thought they were sparrows at first until they flew off. They then revealed a yellow flash either down their sides and /or on their wings.

They also flew like blue tits...flap wings for a second, glide for a second and so on. Their underlying colour was similar to a female sparrow.

Any ideas? This was in Lewes, East Sussex.

ta

[notasyoungasiwas]

Could be female yellowhammers.

[bensmum]

Maybe siskins? Their movements are similar to that of a blue tit
http://www.thewestern...-siskin-female-1a.jpg

[Frank97]

Sounds like a Goldfinch to me.

[hammerman]

could well be a siskin....think there's probably not enough yellow for a yellow hammer and definately not a goldfinch.

I'll go back this week and see if they're still there and try to get a better look.

Thanks

[Frank97]

Sorry I meant to say baby Goldfinch.
http://i791.photobuck.../yy197/D97x7/0026.jpg

[hammerman]

Hmmmm....now that's thrown a spanner in the works. I didn't actually see the bird on the ground as it was too far away. Ive not seen any adult goldfinch there but that baby one is fairly similar. I'll pop back this week.

[ethandron]

greenfinch?

[notasyoungasiwas]

That's why I said female yellowhammer - they don't have as much 'yellow' on them as the male.

[hammerman]

definately not a greenfinch ethandron....we get loads of those beauties at work.

Thanks again guys