lmichael

This looks very like the bird that I saw at Palm Springs on 4th Feb - no red 'wax' tips  (which likely makes it a first winter female) was noted on that bird too.

Have you any photos which show the wing and tail tips, it would be good to check for any evidence of captive origin - with this species this is an issue.

Mike Leven

lmichael

I'm not sure if the tail is damaged or wet in Ivan's photos; an obvious question is whether all Raymond's photos were taken at the time of his original sighting and then Raymond's were taken later.

I'm not sure how significant the fact that the wax tips to the secondaries are irregular (i.e. not the same on both wings)is; but this is something we can check up on. Primaries are worn but perhaps not abnormally so for a first winter bird.

Overall, though, I think that as a single bird with some feather damage it might be difficult to demonstrate that it is definately not ex-captive.

Mike