Whitethroat Lesser Siberian 327 Holy Island 2510

There was a Lesser Whitehroat present in the Willows at the north end of the Straight Lonnen on Holy Island for much of my week there. Some one also reported a Com mon Whitethroat there which I didn't see. However I did wonder if it was this bird which was unusually brown for a nominate Lesser Whitethroat. Year ago I wrote and article on identifying vagrant "eastern" Lesser Whitethroats and came up with the following fairly rigorous criteria.

 

•We should ONLY CONSIDER those that are trapped and those that have detailed photos that allow some assessment of wing-formula and relative lengths of primary projection, bill etc.

 

•We should thus be prepared to accept only birds that fall within both the plumage and biometric range as ‘Central Asian’ Lesser Whitethroat.

 

•Field-only claims if ever acceptable would require

Watched for a protracted period of time with close views

Brown on nape

Lack of contrast between crown and mantle

White throat contrasting with peachy or buffy flanks and breast

Lack of clear dark mask

Lores paler than usual

Sandy or pale to mid-brown upperparts

Short-winged/long-tailed jizz

Tit-like call

If exact tail pattern not noted then at least tail noted as lots of white in outer tail and centre not contrasting with mantle.

 

This bird falls outside the 'Central Asian' group but I suspect falls squareely in the blythii Siberian group as it has most though not all the criteria I previously set out.

 

Recent DNA studies of Lesser Whitethjroats from the UK show that a significant number [maybe up to 50%] of later birds from Oct onwards are blythii

 

Done