ML55838881

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

I saw this bird as I was driving by, so stopped to investigate. It was foraging on a lawn with American Robins. Slightly larger than AMRO, brown back, gray head, yellow bill with black tip, heavily spotted upper breast and flanks. Comments below added on 4/26/2017. Species: Fieldfare Date and time first seen: 4/19/2017, 7:20 AM EDT County and Location: Lincoln County, Town of Newcastle, Sheepscot Road across from Eden lane intersection, the pinpoint for location in this checklist is accurate. Finder: Jeff Cherry Other observers: no one else at the initial observation, seen later that afternoon at a nearby location by multiple observers. I also saw the bird at the afternoon location, but this description is based on my first observation and photographs. Any who disagree with identification: No Optical aids: 8 x 42 binoculars, Nikon P610 camera Distance from bird: 30 feet to 100 feet Was the bird photographed? Yes Have you attached photos? Yes Other species present for comparison: American Robin Observer experience with this and similar species: I saw a few Fieldfares in England in the early 1980’s, otherwise unfamiliar except for basic knowledge from studying field guides and other references. Very familiar with American Robin. Weather: Partly cloudy, calm, temperature in the low 30’s F, good visibility, there was some direct sunlight on the bird when it was on the lawn and in the trees on the lawn. Confidence of correct identification 100%: Yes 100% Circumstances of finding the bird: I noticed this bird as I was driving by. It was foraging on a lawn with American Robins. It stood out as something different that warranted more careful examination. Total time of observation: Ten minutes. I spent most of the time trying to get photos without scaring the bird away. The bird was next to a busy road and it flew into trees when vehicles drove by. Structure: The body shape, proportions, and bill shape were all very similar to American Robin. This bird was slightly, but noticeably, bigger than the nearby American Robins. Bare Parts: Bill was a warm yellowish-orange overall with a small amount of black on the tip. Legs were a blackish-gray. The head and back of the neck were gray. The face had a black wedge that was widest at the base of the bill and that tapered to a point behind the eye. There was a whitish upper and lower eye-arc within the black. Back and wings: A warm brown. There was a small arc of white at the front edge of the folded wing. Tail: black Underside: Dense dark spotting in the upper breast that continued down the flanks. The spots, especially on the lower flanks were V-shaped that gave the flanks a scaled look. The belly was a creamy white. The under-tail coverts were whitish with dark spots. Underwing: The white underwing coverts were quite prominent when I saw the bird fly. Rump: I did not see the gray rump while watching the bird, but the gray rump is visible in a few of my photographs.

Technical information

Model

COOLPIX P610

ISO

400

Focal length

309.6 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/6.5

Shutter speed

1/160 sec

Dimensions

4608 pixels x 3456 pixels

Original file size

2.71 MB