Surely a Hippolais (or maybe Iduna????) species, but with puzzling features which prevent me, with my limited knowledge, from assigning a definite ID.
About Reed Warbler size. General colouration olive-green above with darker primaries/secondaries (light-fringed) - yellowy-white below.
Long bill, fairly slim - pink/orange with suspicion of dark tip. Sloping forehead.
Orange legs?? Long.
Head pattern?? Dark lores? Yellow supercilium?
I know that primary projection may be a big clue, but wouldn't like to say whether it's short, medium or long on this bird.
Any help sincerely appreciated.
MANY THANKS TO JONNY MAITLAND AND HIS CONTACTS AT THE ANDALUCIAN BIRD SOCIETY, AND TO PAUL IN THE UK, FOR HELP IN PINNING DOWN THE ID OF THIS BIRD. I AM SURE THAT IT IS A WILLOW WARBLER - INITIAL PLUMAGE AND BARE AREA DETAILS MADE THIS LIKELY. I WAS FOOLED IN THE FIELD BY WHAT I TOOK TO BE ITS LARGER SIZE OVERALL, SLIMMER AND LESS ROUNDED APPEARANCE THAN I AM USED TO WITH WITH SPECIES AND THE BILL SIZE INTO SUSPECTING IT MIGHT NOT BE A PHYLLOSCOPUS SPECIES. YOU LIVE AND LEARN.
