Mrs. Chaffinch

Question

Help!!!! Has Mrs. Chaffinch been visiting my garden unbeknown to me? 
 I think she has been disguising herself as Miss Sparrow, lurking in the conifer bushes with the real sparrows, posing for photos, and sticking her tongue out at me for well over a week. I was delighted this morning when I first spotted her, and submitted a post saying she was the first Mrs. Chaffinch to visit me. Spurred on by a sparrow photo posted by Littleowl, I had a look through my sparrow pictures this evening - and there she was!!! I took this picture on 21st February along with several others of the sparrows in the same bush, and diligently filed it away in my sparrow folder. I'm not seeing things am I?

seymouraves · Answer

Hi, 
 sorry but the photo shows a female House sparrow- the lower ( greater covert ) wing bar is too narrow for a chaffinch. 
 :)) 
 
 S

Buzzard · Answer

Hi Sparrow, 
 Some interesting comments and Identifications. 
 Never easy trying to identify stuffed birds!!!!! 
 Been able to see certain feathers certainly helps making an identification. 
 As Seymouraves has stated in his reply the Lower Greater Coverts are visible and the breast pattern is clearly visible as the bird is facing the camera. 
 Seymouraves is on the money as he always is! :-} 
 It is a Female House Sparrow, you were correct in filing it with your sparrow pictures! 
 The following links will give you a detailed look at both species. 
 http://www.ibercajalav.net/img/419_HouseSparrowP._domesticus.pdf 
 http://www.ibercajalav.net/img/426_ChaffinchFcoelebs.pdf 
 Regards Buzzard