Well, I got a real surprise yesterday, when the DNA results were announced on the “Flamborough ficedula Flycatcher” – see Probable Atlas Flycatcher – they pointed to nominate Pied Flycatcher!! What !!! I must confess I found it difficult to believe but who am I to argue against the Science. Nevertheless I am glad I went to observe this intriguing bird and all may not be over yet. Personally I still think it is not a straight forward Pied Flycatcher. Consensus of opinion is still leaning towards an Iberian Pied Flycatcher. Our usual team […]
Photographs were posted on a regular birding forum of what appeared to be an unusual plumaged ficedula “Black & White” Flycatcher. It clearly looked, from the photos posted, that this was not an ordinary Pied Flycatcher f. hypoleuca. More eminent birders than myself were muting that it could be an Atlas Flycatcher (A potential first record for Britain) or a “Hybrid”. Watching with interest, discussions were leaning towards the bird being a possible Atlas Flycatcher. The Black & White range of ficedula flycatchers are notoriously difficult to identify,especially when they are females, immatures or, as in this […]