Willow Warbler with white/pale edging to all the flight feathers observers grdn.NEast London. (1 Viewer)

[KenM]

At this time frame, I get Willow Warblers almost on a daily basis, that said I can’t recall getting one with such edging to tertials, secondaries and prims. before.
Presume this is an “irregular” feature?

Cheers

 

[Steve Lister]

Is it a Willy or a Chiff Ken? Black legs and short wings.

 

[KenM]

Is it a Willy or a Chiff Ken? Black legs and short wings.

I can only see emarginations on p3, p4 and p5 Steve.👍

 

[THE_FERN]

The thread the sewer used (for the needlework) was too light in colour and didn't actually match the real bird. [Looks like a photo artefact to me—or perhaps your back of camera pixels are malfunctioning]

 

[davewalters]

Here we go, I thought things were getting nice and pleasant now we were one less, apparently not. No problem with BOC shots here, please carry on. And as to photo artefacts or not being able to judge size - what a load of old toilet. We'd have given anything for these type of shots in the 90's. Back when everyone carried a telescope and the only photographers were less than 10 or so mainly professionals.

 

[KenM]

I’m sure everyone will agree that these originals from the camera are far, far superior to the initial back of cam shot.😮

How about back to the original question regarding contrasting pale edges to the flight feathers?

Cheers

 

[jogresh]

I’m sure everyone will agree that these originals from the camera are far, far superior to the initial back of cam shot.😮

How about back to the original question regarding contrasting pale edges to the flight feathers?

Cheers

What colour would you say the tail is Ken?.. 🙂🐦

 

[THE_FERN]

I’m sure everyone will agree that these originals from the camera are far, far superior to the initial back of cam shot.😮

How about back to the original question regarding contrasting pale edges to the flight feathers?

Cheers

That's more like it. This demonstrates that the pale isn't lighting related and is real bleaching.

 

[KenM]

What colour would you say the tail is Ken?.. 🙂🐦

It appears to show a white outer tail margin to my eye?

 

[Richard Dale]

That's more like it. This demonstrates that the pale isn't lighting related and is real bleaching.

It is just lighting related - see also the light reflecting off any leaves that are at the same approximate relative angle to the observer as the bird's wings and tail, unless all those hawthorn leaves also have unusual white bits. The fringes to tertials, remiges and rectrices on fresh willow warblers can be quite pale and sometimes greyish, but this is a clear case of light reflecting off the feathers due to the angle causing these areas to be over-exposed by the camera s the rest of the image is quite dark.

 

[THE_FERN]

It is just lighting related - see also the light reflecting off any leaves that are at the same approximate relative angle to the observer as the bird's wings and tail, unless all those hawthorn leaves also have unusual white bits. The fringes to tertials, remiges and rectrices on fresh willow warblers can be quite pale and sometimes greyish, but this is a clear case of light reflecting off the feathers due to the angle causing these areas to be over-exposed by the camera s the rest of the image is quite dark.

That's what I thought based on the original photo. But the later 3 under different lighting / exposures show this can't be true. I don't believe there's anything especial going on with this bird though—individual variation with some feather wear, nothing more.

 

[dantheman]

Any more photos of the same bird Ken? (different pose perhaps)

 

[Richard Dale]

That's what I thought based on the original photo. But the later 3 under different lighting / exposures show this can't be true. I don't believe there's anything especial going on with this bird though—individual variation with some feather wear, nothing more.

Agreed that there's nothing unusual about the bird. Though whatever you think is causing the apparent paleness, it won't be feather wear - WWs are as fresh as they get at the moment, appearing pretty immaculate without any significant wear to the plumage.

 

[jogresh]

Yes it's just light reflecting on the feathers, which is why the tail seems pale too.

 

[KenM]

Any more photos of the same bird Ken? (different pose perhaps)

I’m afraid just the one burst of four Dan, I’m finding it difficult to dismiss “all” the fringes as purely light reflection, particularly on the tertials where there is a contrasting “depth” of white.
Too much consistency there imo, even more so than the “white eye-arcs” as shown.

I’ve noted contrasting pale flight fringes on imm/fem Common Redstart, Lesser Whitethroat and Icterine Warbler in the past and in “brighter lit” conditions.
Thus to show “that much contrast” in particularly dull light as it was this morning just doesn’t stack up imo.

FWIW here’s another bird shot on the previous day under much brighter conditions (which should mute out any contrasting pale fringes to the tertials in particular).
I believe this shows the tertials on this morning’s bird to be “actual” rather than an exaggeration of reflected light.

Cheers