Help with warbler ID in El Rocio, Spain (1 Viewer)

[vgarland]

Hi,

Help with identification of these birds would be appreciated......images captured today.

 

[Butty]

8. Looks like sedge warbler.
The rest look enough like chiffchaffs to keep me happy.

 

[Owene]

When I was there we only saw Iberian cc but I’d guess regular passes through

 

[gerald762]

Lovely photos!!

 

[ryckfour]

When I was there we only saw Iberian cc but I’d guess regular passes through

I was in Lisbon last week and parks and gardens were full of overwintering/passage Common Chiffchaffs with no sign/sound of Iberian.

 

[vgarland]

Thanks All.....much appreciated!

Victor.

 

[kb57]

When I was there we only saw Iberian cc but I’d guess regular passes through

El Rocio isn't a million miles away from the Algarve, where common chiffchaffs are superabundant in winter, especially in the sort of Typha / reedbed habitat shown here, so I'm guessing things are similar there. Numbers seem a lot lower now as they're clearing off north, but there's still a few about. Iberian CC records are just starting to trickle into the local eBird reports. I'd agree with @Butty these all look OK for common chiffchaff.
Also agree that no. 8 looks very like a sedge warbler; these on the other hand seem to be very much a passage migrant - I was hoping to see / hear one today in fact that had been reported at Aldeia Nova, but there was no sign.

 

[Owene]

El Rocio isn't a million miles away from the Algarve, where common chiffchaffs are superabundant in winter, especially in the sort of Typha / reedbed habitat shown here, so I'm guessing things are similar there. Numbers seem a lot lower now as they're clearing off north, but there's still a few about. Iberian CC records are just starting to trickle into the local eBird reports. I'd agree with @Butty these all look OK for common chiffchaff.
Also agree that no. 8 looks very like a sedge warbler; these on the other hand seem to be very much a passage migrant - I was hoping to see / hear one today in fact that had been reported at Aldeia Nova, but there was no sign.

I've only been to el Rocio in early April but sedge warbler was very common around the lake. Like I said all the chiffchaffs I saw there were Iberian but I'd imagine the extra month makes a difference

 

[kuzeycem]

8 looks like 'just' another chiffchaff to me, with an impression of a lateral crown-stripe due to shade

 

[Simon G]

8 looks like 'just' another chiffchaff to me, with an impression of a lateral crown-stripe due to shade

Could be, but that's a very broad supercilium for a chiffchaff and the undertail coverts appear long compared to the undoubted phyllosc in the picture below.

Also it looks like it might be singing which would have been a good guide to id.

 

[smiths]

It is certainly a Sedge Warbler.
The head pattern is far too contrasting for chiffchaff, and the nape and flanks show a distinct rufous-brown hue.
Also, the white throat is too extensive and too obvious for a chiffchaff.

 

[kuzeycem]

Yes, on a second look legs seem sturdier as well 👍

 

[vgarland]

Thanks for all the input! I am sure I would have been able to differentiate the Sedge Warbler by song, but as I was shooting this sequence of shots my camera made a sound that cameras have no right to make, and an error response appeared in the viewfinder "Err 20 - A mechanical malfunction has been detected". I am definitely more of a photographer than a birder (although 99.9% of my photos are of birds) so that was the end of my fun. Instead of arriving in El Rocio at 3.00 PM on Friday, my flight was delayed. Then add in the camera drama, and that turned my 5 day trip into a 3 day trip! So my 6 month old Canon R7 has been returned to the factory and my walks for the next few weeks will be for watching, not photography! Thanks again for responding, the level of expertise is impressive!