Calling any twitchers...

[papercorn2000]

I spent a very pleasant week in the Cairngorms over New Year. In the garden of the house were loads of squirrels (red), a couple of crested tits and loads of other birds. Anyway, I also spotted a strange looking bird in the garden. It was starling sized, black and it had a thin pointy beak which was dark coloured. It also had a woodpecker-like crest.
I thought "woodpecker" but it doesn't correspond with any woodpeckers in my bird book.
Can anyone shed any light on what it might be?

 

[Cycling Naturalist]

Great spotted woodpecker is the obvious suggestion but woodpeckers don't have crests. Was the impression, black, white and red?

 

[Cycling Naturalist]

Crested tits have crests but aren't starling size.

 

[papercorn2000]

No, it was all black and too big to have been the crested tit. It was also perched on the ground.

 

[Cycling Naturalist]

Hmmm......the nutcracker is a rare winter visitor from Fenno-Scandia, and has a black cap which can look like a crest.

 

[papercorn2000]

Is that not brown and white?

 

[Cycling Naturalist]

Is that not brown and white?

In the field in winter plumage, it looks at a distance like a slightly gray starling, albeit bigger and chunkier. Closer, you can see the white markings. They never look anything like the photos.

 

[papercorn2000]

This was only about 3 metres away and definately black.

 

[rich p]

Maybe a juvenile starling or blackbird on a windy day?

 

[laurence]

i'd say blackbird with a mohawk. think the younger ones have black beaks. could be a starling - especially as it was starling sized.

 

[Fnaar]

Try bird identifier on www.surfbirds.com (which unfortunately does not have any tanned Aussie lovelies on it)
If you cant find identifier on front page, google "bird identifier"

 

[Paulus]

I've just looked through my book and the best I can come up with is either a Nutcracker, or a juvenile male Blackbird. In their first year they are a darkish colour, but not black and have a dark beak.

 

[laurence]

the rspb site has a bird indentifier as well

 

[laurence]

jackdaw?

 

[papercorn2000]

Not a starling. Do juvenile blackbirds have dark coloured beaks?