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Upton Warren (15 Viewers)

Dave

I appreciate the fact that we have some very knowledgeable experienced birders in our midst, but it may be worth whacking the photo in to the Bird ID section to open the audience.
Personally, I'd have it as a Blue-Headed flava. But as has been said, I know the square root of FA.
 
See attached photo of today's flava wagtail. Note: this has been cropped but not adjusted in any other way.

The throat is yellow - good for Blue-headed Wagtail. However, I'm a bit concerned about the head - perhaps a shade too pale? - suggesting intergrade 'Channel Wagtail' possibly? I'd welcome anyones opinions on this bird.

Cheers.

Interesting bird

pro-flava-features
  • White Chin and Yellow Throat
  • Thin white supercillum

anti-flava-features
  • Pale head colour

Not too sure about the amount of white under the eye/in ear coverts, seems borderline flava/flavissima

Seems close to flava but maybe flavaxflavissma x flava?! was it heard to call?
 
Was with yellow flavissima wagtails calling frequently - nothing stood out as different to my ear.

Be interesting to hear other peoples opinions, I'd go with intergrade type. Maybe other photos will show the head shade as darker, was this how it appeared in the field?
 
6/05
Litttle Gull still at 9:15pm on the way back from London ;)

7/05
Wanted to get better photos of the Gull, so came back, checked out the B-h Wag (Channel wag?) when i arrived, but it had moved onto the broadmeadow, so my photos are crap and worthless 8-P , although the bird had some Pro-Flava features, the pale colour of the head really bothered me, had it been a shade or two darker it would have been more straight forward!
However, at some angles, the head did appear a darker colour than it does side on (such as when it was back on), I wouldnt stick my head out and assign it to a species (I'll let the Big boys do that 8-P) but hydrid seems most likely for me, The pale head doesnt seem pale enough for Channel, but not dark enough for Blue-Head, maybe a back cross of a hydrid as tim says. (Flava X flavissma X Flava)

I did get some photos (which i was quite proud of) of the Gull but after seeing the ones already posted on here, mine arnt anywhere near as good :p


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Also at 4:03pm A GBBG dropped in briefly, got mobbed by everything that was around it, and flew off south at 4:06
DSCN0926.JPG

Also, to bring up the point again, sad news regarding the North Moors hide, but hopefully something good can come from this, and may i say john, the sketches of what could be done look good!
MB
 
Be interesting to hear other peoples opinions, I'd go with intergrade type. Maybe other photos will show the head shade as darker, was this how it appeared in the field?

Yes tim, thats how it was in the field. My photo shows the same shade:
(Deliberatly completly untouched photo)
DSCN0895.jpg
The distance hindered any chance of a good photo for me.
Will post a short crap video which i will link to on here later
MB
 
Be interesting to hear other peoples opinions, I'd go with intergrade type. Maybe other photos will show the head shade as darker, was this how it appeared in the field?

Exactly, Tim - my first impressions were that the head was pale. However, at certain angles it did appear darker. Having seen many Blue-headed Wagtails abroad I would say this bird is at the very limit of the range for pure-bred flava. It is difficult to rule out intergrade, however.
 
a few from today

includes the kite best i could get silhouetted!
 

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a few more

the kestrel in one pic has a mouse or some such, as for all dayer with pics had 54 today in about six hours, very enjoyable half day. ps cheers dave ref coney meadow.
 

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North Moors

The northern end of the NM appears to have an increase in common passerines breeding this year. These include Chaffinch, robin (2 prs), dunnock, wren (2prs), Blackbirds (2prs), Long tailed tit - 2 weeks ago I thought the nest in the NW bramble patch had been predated, however yesterday I saw a flock with fully fledged juvs amongst it, which were possibly from the nest in the NW corner. At least 2 pairs of chiffchaff and 2 possibly 3 blackcaps were also holding territory. There has been intensive management in this area over the last few months and it would nice to think the increase has been as a result of structural diversity created here. Some more summer migrants are overdue so I will revisit with some more intensive surveying at the end of the month. If you are walking around the trail spend a bit of time near the viewing screens and check out the thickets and bramble patches.
I did also the potential for some habitat creation, but more of that at another time.
On a negative point the tit boxes don't appear to be being used in the eastern plantation.
 
See attached photo of today's flava wagtail. Note: this has been cropped but not adjusted in any other way.

The throat is yellow - good for Blue-headed Wagtail. However, I'm a bit concerned about the head - perhaps a shade too pale? - suggesting intergrade 'Channel Wagtail' possibly? I'd welcome anyones opinions on this bird.

Cheers.

The sub ocular patch is within the range for Blue Headed, as is the size and shape of the supercillium, the throat looks yellow and the head does look ashy blue, so I think Blue headed ...whatever the outcome its a yellow wagtail, but a great looking bird. The plight of our yellow wagtails is perilous and hybridization might be the saviour of this species in the UK.
B :)John
 
The sub ocular patch is within the range for Blue Headed, as is the size and shape of the supercillium, the throat looks yellow and the head does look ashy blue, so I think Blue headed ...whatever the outcome its a yellow wagtail, but a great looking bird. The plight of our yellow wagtails is perilous and hybridization might be the saviour of this species in the UK.
B :)John

There have been 14 records of Blue-headed Wagtail at Upton Warren, the last being in 2001. All have fallen in the period 26th April to 13th May.
 
Dave, how many flava wagtails was the interesting bird with?

Comments so far on the ID forum appear to f(l)ava a Channel Wagtail.
 
Just to throw my hat in the ring I feel that it is tending towards a 'channel wag'...but with so many different variants of hybridisation on the Blue-headed's range its hard to be 100%

Anyway just to add to the debate here is a photo of the channel wag that I had at Shenstone last Spring...
 

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