Lesser Whitethroat, November, Cornwall UK (1 Viewer)

Present for its second day at Stithians Reservoir, Cornwall. Watched it this afternoon for c. 1 hour clambering around mid height in 2 medium sized conifers.

Given the date presumably of some kind of eastern origin. Appeared to have white outer tail feathers when seen side on, although spread tail not seen.

More (worse) pics available.

Thoughts? ...

I also have a brief video of the same bird giving two "chck" calls in the first few seconds. Lots of background noise so turning up the volume might be necessary. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKdhDVLGfCQ

Call on the u-tube sounds fairly normal S. c. curruca, not tit-like, - so maybe not an eastern one?

Samuel Perfect said:

I also have a brief video of the same bird giving two "chck" calls in the first few seconds. Lots of background noise so turning up the volume might be necessary. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKdhDVLGfCQ

Click to expand...

Yep, gave a 'gentle'? 'chek' call on occasion. From what I've read (and I could have got it wrong), all races can give this call? In some of the photos the mantle appears a warmer 'russety' colour brown than recall in the field! At any rate, the mantle colour continued concolourously up the nape towards the crown ...

Looks like a blythi jobbie. Seemingly plenty of them.

Interesting points on here: http://portlandbirdobs.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/29th-october.html

Rather fortunate that I happen to have the Helm guide on Sylvia Warblers so thought I'd brush the dust off it and try and add something to the conversation. In it is a great little sketch of the outer tail feathers of both S. [c.] curruca and halimodendri (p. 132). The former seems to indicate that adults "almost invariably have a dark shaft-streak or dusky patch near tip along shaft" and "juveniles have very little pale on outer tail feathers". S. [c.] halimodendri (as well as "our" bird) seem to lack this feature but still have a grey wedge extending down the centre of the inner web of r6 (as is also the case for nominate LW). Since it's a clinal species, it's likely blythi which sits between both nominate and halimodendri ranges will show intermediate features and be a more likely occurrence. My suggestion is that the largely white r6 of the bird in question is perhaps an indication of eastern origin so might belong to blythi but since the Helm guide also states that "more than 25% [of the Siberian population] are inseparable" I wont try and call it either way.

It's also interesting to note that it spent a large part of its time in two coniferous trees several metres from the ground. Perhaps an indication of it's attachment to it's home breeding range or maybe an attempt to find a similar habitat to where it usually overwinters in semi-arid environments that include Acacia.

Some more pics:

https://twitter.com/CornwallBirding/status/532634623168507904

http://www.cbwps.org.uk/cbwpsword/tuesday-11th-november-2014/

Hi Dan and Sam, i with Dave Parker and Mike Spicer went to see this bird yesterday. The impression i had was that the piccies (JStL's) that we published on Tuesday seemed to show a warmer brown back than we noticed in the field, or in fact my own photos. Also i have a shot showing a black shaft on the outer tail feather. The inner web is dusky black but with a white tip. No white tips on the inner tail feathers.

http://www.cbwps.org.uk/cbwpsword/2014/11/12/

I must admit, what I wrote earlier should actually relate to the upperside of r6 but I was relying on #3 which of course shows the underside of r6 instead. Tony, if you are happy to post your images of the outer tail feather I'd be very grateful.

Cheers,