Hi all,
While I have no idea what this mystery warbler is,I have decided to post in answer to this question from Tom McKinney:
'Can you tell Syke's from Booted without trapping it?'
Well,back in 1990 a Hippolais warbler was seen on Cape Clear Island,Co.Cork,and duly accepted as an Olivaceous Warbler.However,in recent years there have been major advances in the identification of Olivaceous and Booted Warblers,with the associated realisation that these were,in fact,best treated as four distinct species:Western Olivaceous,Eastern Olivaceous,Booted and Sykes's.
As a result,the IRBC carried out a review of accepted 'Olivaceous Warbler' records:the 1999 bird was considered exempt,as it had gone through its original circulation at a time when many of the features had been sorted out,and is now referable to Eastern Olivaceous(having seen that one,I can vouch for the regularity with which this species pumps its tail downwards!).
Of the other three formerly acceptable records,the Tory Island record from the 50's was rejected,the 1977 Dursey record became the 1st Irish Eastern Olivaceous,and the Cape bird(which wasn't trapped)?
That was accepted as having been Ireland's first(and,to date,only) Sykes's Warbler,so I'd say that it must be possible to seperate this species from Booted!
[As an aside,at the start of last year I had seen all of the Hippos on the Irish list:this is no longer the case,what with the Booted in September and this Sykes's having been accepted as such...there's always NEXT autumn!]
Harry H
While I have no idea what this mystery warbler is,I have decided to post in answer to this question from Tom McKinney:
'Can you tell Syke's from Booted without trapping it?'
Well,back in 1990 a Hippolais warbler was seen on Cape Clear Island,Co.Cork,and duly accepted as an Olivaceous Warbler.However,in recent years there have been major advances in the identification of Olivaceous and Booted Warblers,with the associated realisation that these were,in fact,best treated as four distinct species:Western Olivaceous,Eastern Olivaceous,Booted and Sykes's.
As a result,the IRBC carried out a review of accepted 'Olivaceous Warbler' records:the 1999 bird was considered exempt,as it had gone through its original circulation at a time when many of the features had been sorted out,and is now referable to Eastern Olivaceous(having seen that one,I can vouch for the regularity with which this species pumps its tail downwards!).
Of the other three formerly acceptable records,the Tory Island record from the 50's was rejected,the 1977 Dursey record became the 1st Irish Eastern Olivaceous,and the Cape bird(which wasn't trapped)?
That was accepted as having been Ireland's first(and,to date,only) Sykes's Warbler,so I'd say that it must be possible to seperate this species from Booted!
[As an aside,at the start of last year I had seen all of the Hippos on the Irish list:this is no longer the case,what with the Booted in September and this Sykes's having been accepted as such...there's always NEXT autumn!]
Harry H
