There have now been three attempts at the first Dabb-le and six attempts at the latter set of three Dabb-les, so it is about time to give the solutions.
Only Steve Holliday got the last three correct, and he also put in a late, correct identification for the first Dabb-le.
Those of you who have noted previous posts will know that I am living in Tunis (North Africa) this year, which is why the birds may not be those that you see out of your windows / from your balconies.
The solutions are:
1. Common Bulbul (Pycnonotus barbatus).
2. Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto). Neither the African Collared Dove nor the Barbary Dove are found in Tunisia (according to Avibase), being mainly sub-Saharan species.
3. Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala). While the photo gives this bird a yellowish eye (typical of a Western Orphean Warbler), it is a trick of the light - the eye is actually reddish - photographs can lie. It is also not a Western Orphean Warbler because it is too small, and the cap is black rather than darkish grey.
4. Spotless Starling (Sturnus unicolor), although it is impossible to differentiate it from the Common Starling from this photo. Both are found here, but the Spotless is considerably more common (the Common actually being quite unusual!).
All three are common garden birds at home, although for the Sardinian Warbler, this is only the case in the cooler months (smart bird - we had seven days over 40 in summer, including one that hit 44).
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