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 Warbler originally identified as Icterine, now re-identified as Melodious, Bear Cross, © Tim Shaw |
Martin Cade, from Portland Bird Observatory, has re-identified the warbler seen in Bear Cross earlier in the week as a Melodious warbler. Helpfully he's offered the following reasons:
"I should have mentioned why it’s a Melodious. I guess the observer was going on the presence of a wing-panel and the seemingly blueish legs which are indeed usually associated with Icterine; however, spring Melodious in particular often have a much stronger panel than they’re usually credited with, whilst leg colour is a really ropey feature (pretty well all the Melodious we catch at Portland have blue legs). The fine detail of the primary projection isn’t really visible in this photo but I think that’s as much because the projection is short (=Melodious); had it have been long (=Icterine) we might actually have been able to see that in the photograph.
For some instructive photos of a spring Melodious (taken on the same day as the Bear Cross bird) check out David Walker’s photos on the Dungeness Obs website http://www.dungenessbirdobs.org.uk/lateframe.html ; note on these how the the wing-panel varies in prominence depending on angle of view/lighting etc"
