Warbler, Aberdeen, Scotland (1 Viewer)

[Andrew Whitehouse]

This is a warbler I saw at Girdle Ness, Aberdeen today (at the Battery). It looks like a Willow Warbler, although I'm happy if someone can persuade me otherwise. Obviously it's a pretty freakish looking one though. We quite often get 'brown' looking Willow Warblers breeding around here but I've never seen one as cold as this and so completely lacking in yellow tones. Can anything be said with confidence about the subspecies involved here?

 

[dwatsonbirder]

Given the prevailing weather, surely it has to be either acredula or even yakutensis? Strong supporting act for the latter option just a few miles to the south this evening. Very interesting bird Andrew!

 

[PYRTLE]

That is one dark, cold toned bird. Interesting images.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Thanks for the comments. Yakutensis is certainly on the radar. I'm not sure whether they're really possible to ID conclusively, but this seems to show the sort of plumage tones they generally show.

 

[KenM]

Here's a Yak type from Canary Wharf 2006, it was IC for a number of years with the BBRC, then eventually dropped for whatever reason, certainly dropped my jaw at the time!

Cheers