Request for help with Yellow Wagtail seen Bulgaria September 2019 (1 Viewer)

[Earnest lad]

Dear colleagues
Please may I seek advice on the attached photos of a bird seen some time ago. I thought it might be a thunbergi but am not sure it is regular in that region.
Also would this bird be an adult or a juvenile please?

 

[Andy Hurley]

I think this an adult male in post breeding molt. The head pattern is starting to lighten, but lacks any white. I got thunbergi in the one time I visited Bulgaria in springtime and it had a narrow white line from below the cheek to below the lores. I think this might be feldegg, but I would rather hear from someone with far more local experience than I.

 

[lou salomon]

should be a local feldegg. thunbergi passes regularly in spring, in autumn it is hardly possible to ID. even in spring many hybrids feldegg x flava are complete lookalikes which makes the identification as thunbergi very hard in south-eastern europe. this looks to be an adult bird and i think a male.

 

[Earnest lad]

I think this an adult male in post breeding molt. The head pattern is starting to lighten, but lacks any white. I got thunbergi in the one time I visited Bulgaria in springtime and it had a narrow white line from below the cheek to below the lores. I think this might be feldegg, but I would rather hear from someone with far more local experience than I.

I appreciate that input because it leans me toward thinking more likely feldegg than thunbergi

 

[Earnest lad]

should be a local feldegg. thunbergi passes regularly in spring, in autumn it is hardly possible to ID. even in spring many hybrids feldegg x flava are complete lookalikes which makes the identification as thunbergi very hard in south-eastern europe. this looks to be an adult bird and i think a male.

Thank you for that helpful insight. I am going to put it down as a feldegg the evidence is strong in that regard based on your and Andy Hurley input