Did I see a Puffin? (bird experts, help!)

JackMcIntyre

JackMcIntyre

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Jack McIntyre
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I was out yesterday up on the hills above my town, they're set back on a quite tall plateau covered in all sides by woods. It is a mainly farmland area, about a mile away from the sea. As I ventured across the fields I came across a really strange birdcall, I could see the flock that it was coming from - initially I thought it was a hunter sat in a hide with a little plastic cuckoo call or something along those lines, but upon further investigation it was coming from actual birds.

The birds looked like puffins - Black feathers all over the top, white feathers on the belly area and a quite short mean looking orange beak.

As I knew at the time, when I came to post this I would have inevitably forgotten the call - but I do remember it being quite like some kind of kids toy, more like a beeping noise rather than a call. They were also making small beeping sounds as they were flapping their wings swooping about.

If anyone has any clues it'd be great - I'm always thinking in the back of my mind I've discovered a rare colony of Puffins miles away from where they should be, however when listening to the Puffin call on the RSPB bird identifier it doesn't really sound too similar.

Unfortunately I only had my 17-40 on hand, and with a full frame sensor the birds were probably going to be 1 pixel wide so I didn't even bother.

Cheers,
Jack
 
Very unlikely to be puffins I'd have thought. At this time of year the puffins will have large multi coloured beaks,pretty much unmistakeable really and are probably still at sea, not having returned to land for breeding (although it is March, getting towards the time). They are also quite small, smaller than you think if you've not seen one before.

Lapwing perhaps? Although not orange beaks on them. Oystercatcher I'll go for. They have a loud piercing double call.

Perhaps try this though it may help:
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdidentifier/
 
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Jack as Keith said it could be Oystercatchers

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Martyn... said:
Jack as Keith said it could be Oystercatchers

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It's a strong possibility, although they don't sound much alike after listening to some clips. Also - would Oystercatchers be walking around pecking at farmland?

Cheers,
Jack
 
JackMcIntyre said:
. Also - would Oystercatchers be walking around pecking at farmland?

Cheers,
Jack
Click to expand...

Yes they would they eat worms amongst other things, a Puffin wouldn't be doing that.

Oystercatchers have a call similar to what you describe, they are loud and vocal.
 
Apart from the orange beak my guess would be lapwing, would probably write off oystercatcher as you describe quite a short bill and they don't tend to swoop about calling. Te flight call is a piercing call and it is unusual to find flocks on farmland usually two's or threes, try this link for a lapwing call http://www.birdforum.net/opus/Northern_Lapwing
 
Thanks for the replies everyone - it seems we have found out culprit, however I'm going to venture back up tomorrow (weather permitting) to see if they're there, and this time I'll take my little 350d and my 70-300 to see if I can get some shots!
 
siomn said:
Apart from the orange beak my guess would be lapwing, would probably write off oystercatcher as you describe quite a short bill and they don't tend to swoop about calling. Te flight call is a piercing call and it is unusual to find flocks on farmland usually two's or threes, try this link for a lapwing call http://www.birdforum.net/opus/Northern_Lapwing
Click to expand...

I missed the short bill part ... Lapwing do swoop about in flight ... I think you are correct with your identification
 
siomn said:
Apart from the orange beak my guess would be lapwing, would probably write off oystercatcher as you describe quite a short bill and they don't tend to swoop about calling. Te flight call is a piercing call and it is unusual to find flocks on farmland usually two's or threes, try this link for a lapwing call http://www.birdforum.net/opus/Northern_Lapwing
Click to expand...

Aha! Just seen this and its exactly the right call. I could have sworn their beaks were bright orange but maybe the one I was trained on had eaten a Satsuma.
 
Blimey, I'd never have got lapwings from the initial description!

The call is distinctive - they're not called peewits for nothing ;)

The flight is a good diagnostic too. They have very broad wing tips and they'll be starting to do their mating display flights which are highly acrobatic - they look like they're tumbling out of the sky.
 
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