MEGA- SYKE'S WARBLER in Northumberland

[Archenemy]

Yesterday's Booted Warbler/Sykes's Warbler was clinched as a SYKES'S WARBLER late last night and is still present this morning though elusive amongst the dunes there.

The location is Druridge Bay Country Park 2 miles south of Amble.

There's a few lads from the West Midlands heading up now so I will keep the thread up-dated as much as I can with any relevant news.

[Josh Jones]

Presume everyone has seen the photographs on birdguides/birdforum. One of the photographers asks to get 'the ball rolling', so that's what I'll do by posing the question, why is this a Sykes's Warbler?

Presumably those who have seen it in the field have seen enough on it, has it been heard?

Josh

[Pipixcan]

Interesting looking bird in the pics.I remember the Booted/Sykes at Green Farm, St.Mary`s in October 2006.Lots of observers including several BBRC members thought it to be a Sykes and Ian lewington gave a masterclass in the Scillonian club as to why it seemed to be a Sykes.It was later trapped of course and found to be a Booted Warbler...this bird does look good though...on my way to se it now.

[Josh Jones]

this bird does look good though...

Quite a few people have said that; I'm wondering what features validate such comments?

[Archenemy]

Quite a few people have said that; I'm wondering what features validate such comments?

It's a brave fella that clinches the ID of Sykes's in the field especially after the whole 'Green Farm Conspiracy'. Take a look at this....

www.portlandbirdobs.org.uk/bi_hippolais_rama.htm

[forktail]

Quite a few people have said that; I'm wondering what features validate such comments?

It's nigh on impossible to see much bill, tertial or tail etc detail in the pics and jizz won't come across well either. The super looks a tad long in a couple of pics but the bill looks a bit better and I expect it has been seen well, heard and 'nailed'. Hopefully someone will post who has been to see the bird and add some relevant details for us.

F.

[Pieman]

Ah this is where all the sensible people live these days.

Josh. I just foolishly raised similar issues on that 'other' forum! After a few weather reports I did get a reply that made sense!

http://www.ofpiesandbirds.blogspot.com

[Josh Jones]

Ah this is where all the sensible people live these days.

Josh. I just foolishly raised similar issues on that 'other' forum! After a few weather reports I did get a reply that made sense!

http://www.ofpiesandbirds.blogspot.com

Yeah just seen that; not that weather dictates whether birds stay anyway! Amongst the usual "will this bird be there in 3 weeks when I'm on holiday up that way?" there does seem to be some interesting bits filtering through.

To me, the pics are don't show a bird that leaps out as a Sykes's Warbler to me but, as Tim says, they aren't particuliarly good quality for judging anything. That super seems a little concerning (extensive) and not too sure about the overall colouration (though that could be warm light hampering things?). Also not sure it looks particularly long-tailed and theres quite a bit of pale fringing on the tertials? However flanks do look quite clean and obviously the bill would definitely be on the long side for a Booted.

Bailed on going to see this bird this morning due to a slight hangover and not being overly convinced from the pics. Hopefully some better photos will emerge but no doubt I've now missed the opportunity to see this beast...

Has it been calling? Anyone?

J

[Archenemy]

Bailed on going to see this bird this morning due to a slight hangover and not being overly convinced from the pics. Hopefully some better photos will emerge but no doubt I've now missed the opportunity to see this beast...

Has it been calling? Anyone?

Just heard from some fellas on site and the bird as been showing very well for the past hour after being elusive for most of the day. Apparently 'in the feather' the bird shows all of the pro-rama features and is calling away just like a rama should do too.

Sunday night drinking sessions hey Josh? At this time of year you should be getting straight to bed as soon as 'Antiques Roadshow' finishes! ;)

[Josh Jones]

Just heard from some fellas on site and the bird as been showing very well for the past hour after being elusive for most of the day. Apparently 'in the feather' the bird shows all of the pro-rama features and is calling away just like a rama should do too.

Guess in that case it concludes things; hopefully it's there tomorrow. I'll make sure I'm in bed after the news at 10!

[Archenemy]

Guess in that case it concludes things; hopefully it's there tomorrow. I'll make sure I'm in bed after the news at 10!

Hope it hangs around for ya Josh. Nightie Night! :cool:

[MichaelF]

....piest pic you'll ever see . . . . :err:

(well except I've got some more that are even worse)

[MichaelF]

Has it been calling? Anyone?

Yes; a soft 'tacc tacc' every now and then. Guess I heard it call about 6 or 7 times over 4 hours; only audible at fairly close range (didn't help that there was high background noise from the sea).

[Joe stockwell]

It's a better pic than I will manage, I live far too many miles away, without a car (and day off) it's impossible.

[LeeEvans]

I enjoyed two hours worth of viewing of this very active bird this afternoon in bright sunlinght. In my opinion, absolute NO DOUBT over its identification - and an excellent find by local birder Martin Kerby - superb.

As Michael has already stated, the most diagnostic feature is the call - a Lesser Whitethroat like hard but fairly quiet ''tacc' - very unlike the typical call note of Booted Warbler. I heard it calling several times, particularly when it was in the open vegetation at the top of the dunes.

Supporting Characters

Typically milky-tea/pale sandy-brown upperpart plumage, somewhat reminiscent of Asiatic Desert Warbler in tone, with very short primary to tertial ratio, concolorous rather grey leg-feet colour and cold, whitish flanks (lacking any warmth). Furthermore, distinctive long, spiky bill diagnostic of rama and frequently tail cocked, often when calling, followed by light flicking of tail from side to side (never tail dipping). Very long-tailed in appearance when moving about the scrub and favouring the three shrubs rather than feeding on the ground, quite often feeding near the tops.

Never, ever been happy about the decision made on the Green Farm ''Booted'' Warbler - either an intergrade (if they exist) or rama in my opinion. Certainly the two Booted Warblers present on Scilly at that time were 'chalk and cheese' but would need to revisit files for further comments

[MichaelF]

... without a car ... it's impossible.
I went on the bus :smile:

[MichaelF]

Some more rubbish pics

[garry1366]

Yes; a soft 'tacc tacc' every now and then. Guess I heard it call about 6 or 7 times over 4 hours; only audible at fairly close range (didn't help that there was high background noise from the sea).

I would have described the call as hard not soft, and audible from some distance, I took the quieter noise to be the bird bill snapping when feeding.

G

[Alan Tilmouth]

and an excellent find by local birder Martin Kilby - superb.


Just one minor but important correction Lee it's Martin Kerby rather than Kilby that was the original finder.

[LeeEvans]

Morpethbirder thanks for the correction - he's a top man and Sykes's Warbler finds get 12 points for observers on the UK400 Club database. Sadly, with a wet front moving in, the bird sensed the drop in pressure last night and moved on. A really great educational bird and the type of species that birders who want to educate themselves further and enhance their knowledge really ought to make every opportunity to see - if they can. There is nothing better than understanding the subtle differences between cryptic species than getting out there and seeing them - Sykes's Booted and Booted Warblers are uncanningly similar but when showing well and performing, the differences can be easily understood. Once again, if one of the most important clinching features have been detected (eg the call in this instance) - the other features can be used to resolve the identification.

I would also like to thank Tom Tams and Stef McElwee for making every effort to attempt to get some good photographs of this very instructive bird - I am very pleased with their results.

[Harry Hussey]

Hi Lee,

Never, ever been happy about the decision made on the Green Farm ''Booted'' Warbler - either an intergrade (if they exist) or rama in my opinion. Certainly the two Booted Warblers present on Scilly at that time were 'chalk and cheese' but would need to revisit files for further comments

While openly acknowledging the pitfalls of identifying birds, particularly subtle species such as these, from pics, I must say that I felt that that bird was most likely to have been a Booted Warbler at the time, so was not that surprised when BBRC accepted it as such. That said, I would never claim to be massively familiar with Sykes's or Booted...only saw my first Sykes's this year in central Asia, and also renewed my acquaintance with Booted there...so my own opinion may not count for much, I suppose.
Regarding your proposal that the Green Farm bird was either a hybrid Sykes's x Booted or a pure Sykes's, Urban Olsson (as quoted in Lidster (2009)) had this to say: 'Your bird differs 0.5% from published sequences of caligata and 6.6% from rama, which means that there are only two options: either the bird is a Booted Warbler, or it is a hybrid, with a Booted Warbler as the mother. I have no reason to suspect the latter scenario, but the method I use does not rule out that possibility'.
On the other hand, I was happy with the Northumbs bird being a Sykes's, so it is great to hear that so many birders who actually saw it also agree with this identification. Has anyone any sound recordings that they can put online? I agree that the calls seem to be a consistent difference, as stated by Svensson (2001), and well illustrated by Jannes (in 'Calls of Eastern Vagrants') and Constantine et al (in 'The Sound Approach to Birding').
Now, to find, or have someone else find, one here in Ireland, so as to be able to study an individual autumn bird in great detail...we can but hope!
Regards,
Harry

[Alan Tilmouth]

There are now 11 images of the Northumberland Syke's Warbler on the NTBC Sightings page (http://ntbcsightings.posterous.com). Many thanks to all the photographers/birders who have provided these.

Alan Tilmouth

[Martin Scott]

Morpethbirder thanks for the correction - he's a top man and Sykes's Warbler finds get 12 points for observers on the UK400 Club database. Sadly, with a wet front moving in, the bird sensed the drop in pressure last night and moved on. A really great educational bird and the type of species that birders who want to educate themselves further and enhance their knowledge really ought to make every opportunity to see - if they can. There is nothing better than understanding the subtle differences between cryptic species than getting out there and seeing them - Sykes's Booted and Booted Warblers are uncanningly similar but when showing well and performing, the differences can be easily understood. Once again, if one of the most important clinching features have been detected (eg the call in this instance) - the other features can be used to resolve the identification.

I would also like to thank Tom Tams and Stef McElwee for making every effort to attempt to get some good photographs of this very instructive bird - I am very pleased with their results.






A 12 pointer. That makes it a 'Monarch of the Glen'. Is this finding point system somewhere on the web Lee? It would be interesting to have a tally up.

[LeeEvans]

Afraid not Martin - it's one of the UK400 Club files. All I can say is that Chris Heard is at the helm of the list with maximum points, followed closely by Killian Mullarney.

Points are awarded for all manner of birding expertise, not only for impressive field observation findings.