Varied Thrush - 28th October 2021 - Papa Westray, Orkney (1 Viewer)

[Paul Chapman]

Much better out there & some superb videos but in case of interest, a few heavy crops of Britain's second Varied Thrush. Three posts of five images.

All the best

Paul

 

[Paul Chapman]

Second set of pics.

 

[Paul Chapman]

Final set of pics.

 

[Scridifer]

Great shots Paul! Many thanks for sharing and congratulations on this wonderful bird!

Chris

 

[James Lowther]

Those legs are something else!
Cheers
James

 

[KenM]

Are we sure that this bird is a female, as the contrast in the plumage ie strength of the orange and Prussian blue look more like a male. Acknowledge that the breast band is incomplete, don’t know how long a male would take to totally mature 2-3 years?

Cheers

 

[Andy Adcock]

Are we sure that this bird is a female, as the contrast in the plumage ie strength of the orange and Prussian blue look more like a male. Acknowledge that the breast band is incomplete, don’t know how long a male would take to totally mature 2-3 years?

Cheers

It's a passerine, shouldn't it be in adult plumage in about a year?

 

[Paul Chapman]

Any decent links to ageing & seeing gratefully received. I did read Pyle but whilst still asleep & it is not very detailed.

All the best

Paul

 

[KenM]

It's a passerine, shouldn't it be in adult plumage in about a year?

I’ve seen presumed 2nd calendar year Autumn Stonechats not in complete adult plumage.😮

 

[Andy Adcock]

I’ve seen presumed 2nd calendar year Autumn Stonechats not in complete adult plumage.😮

That would still make it only just over a year old, certainly nowhere near two.

 

[KenM]

It's a passerine, shouldn't it be in adult plumage in about a year?

I’ve seen 2nd calendar year Autumn Stonechats not in complete adult plumage.😮

That would still make it only just over a year old, certainly nowhere near two.

I’ve also seen 2nd Calendar year Common Redstarts in April with a completely brown back in Cyprus.
To get back to VT, I’ve seen them in April, June, August, October and December.
Although fairly shy and retiring, the female plumage always seemed to be quite muted compared to the males unlike the subject bird whose colours look quite solid and vibrant?

 

[Paul Chapman]

This is all my 1987 edition of Pyle says...

 

[Steve]

Varied Thrush - BirdForum Opus

www.birdforum.net

 

[Xenospiza]

In case anyone cares, the nice greyish breast band makes it a female. Any moult step in the greater coverts and brownish tones to the primaries and especially tail will help age it as a Hatch Year (HY).

Any decent links to ageing & seeing gratefully received.

I hope Julian's remarks in the original thread help.

 

[KenM]

This is all my 1987 edition of Pyle says...

Perhaps it’s all in the name Paul, varied to say the least!
I can recall a single occasion, when I viewed male and female coming to a seed tray positioned high on a tree limb against a viewing window at the Audubon centre Portland Oregon.
Although not easy to approach, the plumage “differences” were seemingly quite obvious at the time.

Cheers

 

[wolfbirder]

I wonder what rules it out as a 1stW male? I would have thought the mantle would have been browner in a female, to my eye it is dark grey.