Willow warbler, chiffchaff or something else? (1 Viewer)

[nickderry]

Whitethroat !

If there hadn't been a photo, that would have been my guess too, but with that dark beady eye, brownish throat and bulkier shape and bill, it's not a whitethroat.

 

[rob stoff]

If there hadn't been a photo, that would have been my guess too, but with that dark beady eye, brownish throat and bulkier shape and bill, it's not a whitethroat.

not to mention the darkish legs...no guarantee of course that the same species is concerned in both sightings.

Rob

 

[jimmyg]

Is it possible to be certain that this isn't a booted warbler (unless there were several birds of course!)?

 

[Colin Jones]

As we all know colours can appear very different in strong sunlight, but surely the apparently whiter outer tail feathers are real and not a visual effect.
Still a whitethroat for me.

 

[Mole1]

I would have expected to see a striking white throat in the photo if this was the case. The bird shows a duskier throat with ear coverts that resemble GW rather than WT. And as Rob says, the eye is just completely wrong for WT.

 

[hannu]

The photo is taken in a strong light ("over exposed" pic), so the overall greyish colour of Garden warbler "dissappear" easily.

 

[Doggerel]

Another photo which may help.

Steve

 

[birdboybowley]

It's still a Garden Warbler.....!

 

[KnockerNorton]

The white on the tail feathers is only on the outer margin, which rules out chaffinch immediately (not even looking at the bill). Mipit is nowhere even close.

It's clearly a warbler, and the white outer margins to the tail mean it's a Sylvia. So that's garden warbler, whitethorat or lesser whitethroat. Booted is unlikely enough to be discounted, and it hasn't got a cap so not a blackcap. Dark legs rule out whitethroat (and mipit! and chaffinch!). Lack of clear eye-ring rule out lesser whitethroat, and dark lores doesn't extend onto the cheek either. So that only leaves Graden Warbler.

Elementary, my dear Oddie.

 

[ausmar]

Another garden warbler for the reasons given by KnockerNorton...

 

[Mole1]

Agree Garden Warbler.

 

[Doggerel]

Thought so too, just enough detail in second pic to clinch it. They certainly live up to their description in one of my books "keeps well hidden in the foliage, even when singing" it took me hours to get two pretty awful long distance shots. Thanks for the help.


Steve