
Western Osprey
Garganey
Garganey
The pond held few birds, excepting the Garganey, although the Western Great Egret was still present. I had a quick look at the wet pools where the crakes had been seen yesterday and saw three Little Crakes and two Spotted Crakes in the same place as the day before. A green Sandpiper was present on its favourite pool and allowed closer than normal approach alongside two Bluethroats. The flock of Red-rumped Swallows and Pallid Swift were still present as was a single Barn Swallow, but numbers had dropped from the day before to about 25+ of each species.
Green Sandpiper
I had arranged to meet Phil at the spray fields to try to locate the Corn Buntings that I had seen a week or so before. On the way there I saw a male Daurian Shrike sitting on top of a bush and four Tawny Pipits in the desert area. A walk through the spray fields did not turn up any Corn Buntings but we did see a flock of 25+ Yellow-wagtails flying over including a number of Black-headed Wagtails and flushed four Common Quail as well as hearing a couple of other birds calling from the long grass. Four Skylarks were still present as were a number of Stonechats of different sub-species. A Caspian Stonechat (variegatus) was showing very well alongside the more usual Siberian Stonechat (maurus) and nearby was a European Stonechat (rubicola). A male, showing plumage characteristics of maurus but the tail pattern of variegatus was an odd bird and caused confusion – something to look into later when I have more time. Other good birds seen included at least two Woodchat Shrikes, six Song Thrushes, two Isabelline Wheatears and 30+ Water Pipits.
Daurian Shrike
Nice to see plenty of migration under way - i'm intrigued, what's a 'Western' Osprey? I did'nt know that Palearctic birds could be split - is there a difference?
ReplyDeleteLaurie -
Laurie,
ReplyDeleteThis is a good question. I follow the nomenclature of OSME - The Ornithological Society of the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia. They name the bird Western Osprey Pandion haliaetus. Pandion cristatus — Eastern Osprey is regarded as a different species by some. Christidis and Boles (2008): Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds: Eastern Osprey (Pandion cristatus), however, Clements 5th edition (as published): Pandion haliaetus cristatus.
Cheers
Jem
Thanks for that Jem - that is the first mention i have heard of a Western and Eastern split. If it has been split either at specific or sub-specific level i would be most intrigued on how and if this is discernible in the field. I find it hard to believe it has been done on just biometrics! I mean, how many adult Ospreys get trapped and rung?
ReplyDeleteLaurie -
Laurie,
ReplyDeleteThis is what I have found on the sub-species of Osprey.
P. h. haliaetus (Linnaeus, 1758), Eurasia.
P. h. carolinensis (Gmelin, 1788), North America. This form is larger, darker bodied and has a paler breast than nominate haliaetus.
P. h. ridgwayi (Maynard, 1887), Caribbean islands. This form has a very pale head and breast compared with nominate haliaetus, with only a weak eye mask. It is non-migratory.
P. h. cristatus (Vieillot, 1816), coastline and some large rivers of Australia and Tasmania. The smallest subspecies, also non-migratory.
Cheers Jem - this clarifies things somewhat.
ReplyDeleteWith such a large global range it is not surprising that there are splits - i just havent heard of them and it's not as if they are recent either! - I am surprised that the, relatively small, Caribbean archipelago has its' own sub-species. There again i suppose non-migratory forms will be more likely to develop specific characteristics due to the indigenous nature of their populations altho these could, of course, be augmented by migratory birds....
Thanks again -
Laurie -