"Mystery Warbler" - banks of the Rio Guadalquivir, Cordoba, Andalucia, Spain Oct 2019 -- NOW IDENTIFIED AS WILLOW WARBLER

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.

North Norfolk trip - 15-17/11/2014

TITCHWELL MARSH RSPB

 

 

Lovely male Pintail

Little Egret

One of my favourite waders - if not favourite birds - the large flocks of Golden Plover to be found in the winter at Titchwell

Zooming out...

...and out

Common Snipe

 

HOLKHAM GAP - GREAT NORTHERN DIVER TRAPPED IN A FISHERMAN'S NET AND BEING RESCUED BY CONCERNED PASSERS-BY

 

Really trapped

Surprisingly calm

Getting there

You'll be free and off to the RSPCA soon

Blurry, I know, but the closest I've ever been to a Great Northern Diver

 

WALKING TO SCULTHORPE MOOR IN THE RAIN - THANK GOODNESS FOR WELLIES, TREES AND UMBRELLAS!

 

No comment!

 

 

CLEY MARSHES - NOT ONLY INTERESTING BIRDS BUT DRAMATIC LANDSCAPE AS WELL

 

Stonechat

A typical pose

And closer

Dramatic weather added to the landscape

Ditto

And a lovely sunset over Cley village to round off the day and the trip



Coal Tit on garden feeder - 01/11/2014

Suffolk trip - 12-14/10/2014

Lackford Lakes

 

 

Little Grebe

"Does my bum look big in this?"

 

Male Gadwall

Minsmere RSPB

 

 



Brambling (just in off the sea on migration?) on the shingle between Minsmere and Dunwich

 

Wheatears and a Stonechat at the Sluice

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Yorkshire Trip - 18-23/09/2014

POTTERIC CARR YWT RESERVE

 

 

Two insects for the price of one 

Second inland Knot in a month 





Highland beast helping maintain the reserve

 

Grey Squirrel taking advantage of the bird feeders

 

Coal Tit 





Kiss me! 



NORTH SEA CRUISE ON THE YORKSHIRE BELLE FROM BRIDLINGTON HARBOUR

 

 



About to go! 



A motley selection of birders

 

 

Seabirds following the trail of chum behind the boat

 

 

FLAMBOROUGH HEAD

 

 

Redstart

 

 

 

Wheatear