Tuesday 25 November 2014

Abietinus?


Siberian Chiffchaff - Orcombe Point - 10/11/13 - a very grey 'fee'-calling tristis classic and my only record to date on Orcombe Point.
 
An interesting piece on Martin Garner's fantastic 'Birding Frontiers' website immediately brought to mind an interesting chiffie that I saw on Orcombe last year. The Scandanavian race of chiffchaff, abietinus is a bit of an enigma in Britain but they simply must occur. Any thoughts on the bird below?
 

An interesting chiffchaff photographed on Orcombe Point during the freezing spring of 2013. Photographed in the dung field on 24/3/13, it appeared very grey and white and tristis-like but note the yellow tones in the super and olive tones in the mantle. The call wasn't written down at the time but I'm pretty certain it uttered the typical 'hweet'. The grey collar on this bird is particularly arresting.
 

A typical colybitta-type olive and yellow bird photographed on Orcombe this autumn.


A Siberian Chiffchaff photographed in the back garden on 29/3/14. This bird always gave the bullfinch-like 'fee' call, perfect for tristis.

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