wgeoff

Can somebody give me some help on this warbler, seen on the South Peninsular grasslands of Po Toi this morning. It seemed quite large in flight but I don't think its an Oriental Reed?



The head pattern seems to fit Paddyfield Warbler but I've never seen this species before so I don't know if the rest is right

Jonathmartinez

i go for Paddyfield Warbler. Nice dark wings and tail feathers contrasting well with the mantle color,pale fringe on tertial. The head pattern is perfect, supercilicium broader behind eyes bordered below by dark eyestripe, the bill seems to show dark tip, with dark upper mandible and pinkisk lower. Long and nice rounded tail...

lpaul

Looks like an Oriental Reed warbler to me.

wgeoff

Jonathon has listed all the reasons why it could be a Paddyfield Warbler but the master has spoken.

ajohn

I agree with Paul. The bird looks too bulky and heavy-billed for a small acro, and you noted it seemed large in flight.
The plumage pattern seems perfectly normal for Oriental Reed, and the behaviour suggested from these photos (i.e. staying in the open long enough to photograph it several times) also supports that species.

wgeoff

Thanks to all for their comments.

I had thought the supercillium too long behind the eye, the throat and upper breast rather too cleanly white and the tail too dark and oddly shaped for an Oriental Reed.
I should have looked in the Photographic Guide where there are some very similar photos of Oriental Reed. I'm not too experienced with Oriental Reed on Po Toi - one of the problems of patch birding.

And I put the bird's static behaviour entirely down to my excellence at pishing.

Jonathmartinez

i should have note the heavy bill. Ok i will review my acrocephalus lesson :-)

tmichael

It's an interesting point, that Geoff seems to be making, that they are not very regular on Po Toi/and or not common there.

I suppose that'd be expected of a wetland species, and I guess heaviest migration in this species is in autumn, when conditions won't usually force down large numbers in a place like Po Toi. I suppose a typhoon in the last few days of September, which certainly used to see heaviest passage, might be interesting (but also destructive of course).

They are, I believe, fairly widespread on migration though, and I had a few at the top of Mount Austin when I watched that "hot-spot" regularly.

Mike Turnbull

Jonathmartinez

i also get a few sighting of Oriental RW during migration in Hunan on totatlly unexpected area as well as hill with bushes or small patch of wood in suburban Yueyang even have fiew Square Kilometer of reedbed very close to the place...

wgeoff

I see one or two a year, mostly in spring, quite rare in autumn - see this chart



This shows how much we need a proper wetland feature on Po Toi. I tried to create one a few years ago where there used to be paddyfields but it's too much effort for one person to maintain. It would open up a new set of species.

[ Last edited by wgeoff at 16/10/2010 08:12 ]

tmichael

What about Black-browed Reed? Aren't they a bit commoner, and what's the pattern there?

Interestingly in the bigger picture I don't think I've seen it at Mt Austin or in Sai Kung, but I have seen it in LTV, where I think it's occurs occasionally in very small numbers, doesn't it?

Mike Turnbull

ajohn

Black-browed seems to be more wetland-dependent than Oriental. Even in the Deep BAy area, Black-browed is rarely seen away from reedbeds or grasses close to water. Oriental is fairly regularly seen in bushes, trees, etc. even in relatively dry locations. This also relates to the fact that Oriental is also more 'showy' than the other reed warblers (as I mentioned before).

I would expect Black-browed to be harder to see away from the Deep Bay area than oriental. Even at sites like Long Valley, I don't remember seeing many Black-browed in the past.

tmichael

I think we're in broad agreement John, but I reckon I've seen quite a few at Long Valley - in suitable tall grassy clumps - and that more than one or two occur each year at Po Toi.

Mike Turnbull

wgeoff

Black-browed Reed Warbler is much rarer on Po Toi than Oriental Reed Warbler - no records in spring, only a few in autumn



including this bird seen last November



Paul Leader also had one on 23rd October 1997 in his original survey of Po Toi but these are the only records to my knowledge.

The reason there are no spring records is probably because Black-browed Reed does not winter in The Philippines (whereas Oriental Reed does), and most of the birds seen on Po Toi in spring are from The Philippines.
If I had a Black-browed Reed in spring, it would be worth looking at carefully as a possible Streaked.

[ Last edited by wgeoff at 18/10/2010 18:27 ]