[BobCesme]

This "warbler" was singing in the pepper tree at the bottom of the garden this evening whilst I was watering the lawn,its the first warbler this spring,I thought Willow but it looked a bit to large and the bill looks wrong,and it did'nt sound like any Willow I have heard before.Could it be Olivaceous??

[dbradnum]

I think it probably is Olivaceous, Bob - though I've no experience in the field of this or similar species...

[BobCesme]

Originally Posted by dbradnum

I think it probably is Olivaceous, Bob - though I've no experience in the field of this or similar species...

I certainly hope you are right David as it will be another first for me,fingers crossed the experts will be along soon!!

[Th_SQ]

Looks like a Olivaceous for me also.

[BobCesme]

I actually looked at OTW Keith but I am not sure about the size,lets hope it comes back in the morning

[Keith Reeder]

Sorry Bob - I deleted my post!

Just for clarification: I suggested it might be an olive tree warbler.

Then I started wondering about Upcher's, got confused about range, and bottled it!

I still like OTW, actually.

[BobCesme]

Originally Posted by Keith Reeder

Sorry Bob - I deleted my post!

Just for clarification: I suggested it might be an olive tree warbler.

Then I started wondering about Upcher's, got confused about range, and bottled it!

I still like OTW, actually.

Yes ,I am not sure if thats a whitish wing panel which would be good for OTW.

[lou salomon]

my first impresion was also olive tree warbler but it can't be: primary projection is too short, undertail covs are white instead of marbled with grey and the super goes behind the eye. and i'd expect an OTW to have a longer tail. remains only elaeica olivaceous on range though that wing panel is irritating and the bill looks long too - i can see where keith comes with his upcher's speculation. i'll leave this to hippo-experts. much easier to do them by song.

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I'm actually pretty sure this isn't an Olivaceous. Although the primary projection might not be quite long enough for OTW it seems much too long for Olivaceous and the big pale wing panel and hefty look to the bill also point towards OTW or maybe Upchers. Again I'll leave it to others to sort out, or to Bob to get some more pictures and maybe a description of the song.

[Jane Turner]

What was it doing with its tail....? I know it sounds silly, but its pretty important to the ID. I'm heading towards Upchers!

[BobCesme]

Originally Posted by Jane Turner

What was it doing with its tail....? I know it sounds silly, but its pretty important to the ID. I'm heading towards Upchers!

Jane,it was preening and singing and feeding all within 5 minutes,has'nt come back yet but I will try with the song and better Photo's(angles if poss) and maybe nearer if I am lucky,all the 3 choices would be a lifer for me so - happy days!!
Thanks to everyone for all the expert help.

[BobCesme]

Originally Posted by bobwoodcock

Jane,it was preening and singing and feeding all within 5 minutes,has'nt come back yet but I will try with the song and better Photo's(angles if poss) and maybe nearer if I am lucky,all the 3 choices would be a lifer for me so - happy days!!
Thanks to everyone for all the expert help.

Sorry Jane the tail movement I know is important now I have read my Collins again on all 3,I will check if and when it comes back!!

[Jane Turner]

Upchers swings its tail about like a Shrike - its very distinctive!

[hannu]

First impression : EOW

[JANJ]

Hi all.
Firstly, such an important charachter as tail movements isn´t silly Jane!

Interesting, and a rather difficult angle and light stuation. My vote is elaeica Olivaceous. I agree with Lou, and the reasons mentioned, that it´s not an Olive tree, which would have a stouter bill (compare with Bob´s pic1).Also Lou´s coments about the wing panel and long bill could be understadable, but I don´t think these two characters on the images is that problematic. The wing panel looks brightest in image 3, less so in the other images. In image 2 & 3 the pale greater coverts, together with very obvious pale tipped secondaries, contrasting against darker primaries, rather thin-billed impression in image 1. in my eyes all in favour of elaeica. Check these Upcher´s and notice the broad and long tail.

http://www.birdingisrael.com/birdNew...hers/index.htm

JanJ

[Edward woodwood]

an Upchers would be apparent inthe field on behaviour pretty quickly as Jane says with the tail wagging, an Olivaceous are not too tricky on jizz either - and the broad based bill is often easily seen too

An Olive Tree is a big lumbering warbler, again i found mega distictive in the field. Might be worth trying to find it again Bob and note the behaviour and jizz... and I don't want to plump for anything from just the pics!

[BobCesme]

Originally Posted by Tim Allwood

an Upchers would be apparent inthe field on behaviour pretty quickly as Jane says with the tail wagging, an Olivaceous are not too tricky on jizz either - and the broad based bill is often easily seen too

An Olive Tree is a big lumbering warbler, again i found mega distictive in the field. Might be worth trying to find it again Bob and note the behaviour and jizz... and I don't want to plump for anything from just the pics!

Has'nt arrived back as yet Tim,but as soon as it does I will watch for the tail movement as Jane says, and get a better set of photo's if poss,in the mean time I will just have to sit on the patio with a G&T and wait,phew it's a hard life!!!

[Edward woodwood]

Originally Posted by bobwoodcock

in the mean time I will just have to sit on the patio with a G&T and wait,phew it's a hard life!!!

cheers for that Bob

makes me feel a lot better...

good luck, fingers crossed it'll be back soon... first of many this year i guess

[BobCesme]

Originally Posted by Tim Allwood

cheers for that Bob

makes me feel a lot better...

good luck, fingers crossed it'll be back soon... first of many this year i guess

Sorry about that Tim ,but thats exactly what I was doing after watching the sfc doing their acrobatics in the garden.

[hannu]

In my mind, follow characters fits to Eastern Olivaceous Warbler,e.g....
- long and quite strong-based bill with down-curved tip and all-pale lower mandible
- the hint of a pale secondary panel
- the whitish tips to the folded secondaries
- rather dark primaries and tail-feathers

[lou salomon]

Originally Posted by hannu

In my mind, follow characters fits to Eastern Olivaceous Warbler,e.g....
- long and quite strong-based bill with down-curved tip and all-pale lower mandible
- the hint of a pale secondary panel
- the whitish tips to the folded secondaries
- rather dark primaries and tail-feathers

to me all these features sound more in line with upcher's as far as i can read from books...but i'm a crap in these, saw one single upcher's and id my elaeicas by song and behaviour.

[BobCesme]

Originally Posted by lou salomon

to me all these features sound more in line with upcher's as far as i can read from books...but i'm a crap in these, saw one single upcher's and id my elaeicas by song and behaviour.

Still trying to get some decent photos Lou,it's been flying around all evening but never stopping more than 5 secs-really annoying ,I will try again in the morning.

[The Analog Kid]

Here is level-version from pic 3.I may like to go for Eastern Olivaceous Warbler

[hannu]

Originally Posted by lou salomon

to me all these features sound more in line with upcher's as far as i can read from books...but i'm a crap in these, saw one single upcher's and id my elaeicas by song and behaviour.

yes, they (Upcher's and Eastern Olivaceous) have similarities and the largest EOWs could be confused with Upcher's Warbler, which is not always pure grey as the book imply. Upcher's Warbler has a longer primary-projection, and its darker grey primaries have contrasting pale tips, if not too worn.
Upcher's also has a stronger and more concentrated whitish secondary panel (but some are less marked and more similar to EO), larger head and sometimes stronger bill and the upper tail isn considerably darker grey than on the average EO, etc...

[JANJ]

Originally Posted by hannu

In my mind, follow characters fits to Eastern Olivaceous Warbler,e.g....
- long and quite strong-based bill with down-curved tip and all-pale lower mandible
- the hint of a pale secondary panel
- the whitish tips to the folded secondaries
- rather dark primaries and tail-feathers

First, also applies to languida.
Bill to skull 16-21,8
elaeica 15-17,4 (Svensson)

second also applies to languida
third also applies to languida

The old id-mark, unevenly spaced tertials, where the central one is closer to the outer comp. to the inner one (not without exceptions though), and in any case not seen in Bob´s bird.

The bird looks like an EOW.

JanJ