post 73, pic. #11 and pic. #12, post 119
Your change of mind is interesting.:t:
I have to admit that these pics can easily lead us to wrong conclusion, but I have still feel that they are Reeds!
- the colour of the legs:
> the legs (tarsus) looks indeed paler than perhaps on the average in Reed, but in the same time they are not so paler that we can use them a clear reference to the Marsh. [We should use this feature in the situation, where the colour of photo is almost natural. The feature clearly refers either species, when we have an extreme individuals. I must also mention that the use of this feature in the field demand us often rather good experience.]
- length of longest tertial compared with secondaries:
> The longest tertial is in the same line as 6S, thus tertial is not longer than some of other outer secondaries (1-6S). Tertial is also clearly shorter than 10P, which match well Reed.
- paler lower mandible
> match well also Reed!
- darker primaries
> In my mind, the level of colour in primaries is sligthly paler than or similar as Upcher's ones! The colour of primary centres appears to be more brown (compare to Upcher's ones, which are clearly more greyish) than blackish, which does not match well for Marsh. I have a view that this bird should be perhaps sligthly darker primary centres than Upcher's and more contrast to the mantle. But I say this sligthly prejudiced, because I have not experience from Upcher's, so I don't know what is the reality in Upcher's. Also the fringes of wing feathers are perhaps more rufous /pale brownish than yellowish tinged.
In addition to I admit that the length of bill looks rather short,
but it's possible to meet rather short billed Reeds too.