Green Warbler on Scilly: New to Britain Nigel Hudson
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Green Warbler on Scilly: new to Britain Nigel Hudson Abstract Britain’s only Green Warbler Phylloscopus nitidus was discovered on St Mary’s, Isles of Scilly, on 26th September 1983, where it remained until 4th October. The taxonomic position of Green Warbler has oscillated since then, between separate species and subspecies of the Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides complex, but it is currently recognised as a full species, and is described as such here. A brief review of the distribution, associated weather conditions leading up to its discovery, and taxonomy are presented. Brian J. Small Brian J. lthough it is 27 years since Britain’s (BOU 1992), which concluded that Two- only Green Warbler Phylloscopus barred Greenish Warbler should be treated Anitidus was discovered, at the Garrison as a race of Greenish Warbler. And, further- on St Mary’s, Isles of Scilly, on 26th Sep- more, that ‘Green Warbler… should simi- tember 1983, details of this record have larly be treated as a race of P. trochiloides never appeared in BB. Having been accepted (Svensson 1992). Further research on this by both BBRC and BOURC, the record was group of warblers is desirable.’ It was to take added to Category A of the British List as until 2008 to reverse this position, when Green Warbler (BOU 1986), which was then BOURC accepted the recommendation of its considered a distinct species. Here it Taxonomic Sub-committee (TSC) that remained until Britain’s first ‘Two-barred Green Warbler should, once again, be recog- Greenish Warbler’ P. t. plumbeitarsus was nised as a distinct species. This short accepted, in 1992. This set in motion a summary documents this unique record and review of the taxonomic status of the places it within the context of other arrivals Greenish Warbler P. trochiloides complex on Scilly at the time. © British Birds 103 • February 2010 • 93–99 93 Hudson Undertail-coverts reached halfway down the undertail and the wing-tips extended to the same point. Feeding behaviour fiery and dashing like Greenish Warbler, often hov- ering for short bursts and occasionally flicking wings. A bright warbler, at times recalling Wood Warbler P. sibilatrix in general plumage tones, though this varied greatly according to light conditions. ‘Crown, mantle, nape and rump all appeared uniform, a bright, almost lime green, appearing duller in poor light. Eye- Robin Chittenden stripe narrow and dark. Very slight paler eye- 26. Green Warbler Phylloscopus nitidus, ring where it made contact with the St Mary’s, Isles of Scilly, September 1983. eye-stripe. Ear-coverts surprisingly pale, Possibly the only photograph in existence of coloured in fact as a continuation of the the first British record. throat colour, although a fraction less bright. Scilly, September 1983 Supercilia long, as Greenish Warbler, The following account was written by J. H. reaching to hind crown and coloured bright Ross and published originally in the Isles of yellow, the shade equivalent to that of throat Scilly Bird Report for 1983 (Ross 1983). and of the wing-bar. Also a fraction broader ‘At 13.05 hrs [on 26th September], I was behind the eye, bulging up very slightly above trying to locate an Icterine Warbler [Hippo- the eye, but generally straight except when lais icterina] which we had just lost in the low head pulled back into feathering, when elms along the southeast wall of the Gar- turned up distinctly at the rear. rison, when I heard a strangely familiar call. ‘Wing-bar formed through bright yellow It sounded very similar to [that of] the fringes to greater coverts, rather short, and Greenish Warblers Phylloscopus trochiloides broader than [that of] Greenish Warbler by a which I had encountered earlier in the year in fraction; also a shade broader at distal end. Nepal and, on looking up, [I] saw a medium- Flash of similarly bright yellow at bend of sized Phylloscopus warbler with a rather wing when closed. Secondaries and tertials bright yellowish wing-bar. I immediately centred dark, possibly brownish shade. Both called over my companions, P. T. Bell, A. G. sets of feathers finely fringed yellow, the sec- Ross, P. Holt and D. Richardson and we ondary fringes combining to form a rather obtained excellent views of the bird down to obvious wing-panel. Primaries darkest, about four metres. At this stage we identified fringed very narrowly indeed with the same it as an unusual Greenish Warbler. We were yellow tone. Upper surface of rectrices dark all unsure as to whether that species could (brownish?) with paler, yellowish-green- show rather bright yellow wing-bars, super- toned fringes; outer pair whitish or broadly cilia and throat in some plumage or sub- edged whitish. Tip of tail neatly rounded species we had not yet met. At 13.50 hrs we with central notch. left the bird, having shown it to, amongst ‘Throat and upper breast washed uni- others, B. Reed, as we wished to see the formly rather bright yellow, this colour con- Thrush Nightingale [Luscinia luscinia]. tinuing onto ear-coverts. Rest of underparts During two further viewing sessions we pale yellow, almost uniform but yellower on obtained further good views after it had been sides of vent and undertail-coverts. In shade, re-identified as Green Warbler P. nitidus. The the underparts assumed a much greener following description is compiled from our appearance, especially about the throat. In field notes. good light, the throat and upper breast seemed of equivalent brightness to Wood Description Warbler. ‘About the same size as a Willow Warbler P. ‘Legs pale: pale brown or brownish-flesh. trochilus, but appeared rather shorter-tailed. Bill dark with paler base to lower mandible. 94 British Birds 103 • February 2010 • 93–99 Green Warbler on Scilly: new to Britain Bill rather long and stout when compared to be a regular visitor to his Karachi garden an adjacent Willow Warbler. Eye dark. from early September to the end of February, ‘Call note ‘serweeur’, similar to, but more suggesting that some birds overwinter to the drawn out and rather more emphatically tri- northwest of the main wintering range. syllabic than [that of] Greenish Warbler with Spring migration out of India appears to emphasis on central ‘ee’ sound; high-pitched, follow a more easterly route, through the slurred and shrill.’ eastern peninsula north to western Bengal and Sikkim and west through the foothills of Note that although not mentioned in the the Himalayas (Vaurie 1959; Rasmussen & BOURC report that first published the record Anderton 2005). In contrast to the situation (BOU 1986), the Scilly bird was listed as a in autumn, there are relatively few reports first-winter in both the BOU 7th Checklist from Pakistan at this season (Roberts 1992). (BOU 2006) and Slack (2009), presumably on the basis that the wing feathers, as Prevailing weather conditions and described above, were clearly extremely fresh, associated species in September and also because of the overall brightness of 1983 the plumage. As with most vagrants arriving from the east, it is just not possible to establish the circum- Range and distribution stances which led to the arrival of the Scilly The breeding range of the Green Warbler is bird in Britain. It may have set off from the centred on the mountains of southwest Asia, breeding grounds several weeks before its where it is a common and widespread eventual discovery, or it may have been species. Breeding occurs west to the moun- actively migrating from the outset. Assuming tains of northeastern Turkey, and throughout that it had been on passage since departing the Caucasus Mountains in Georgia, Armenia the breeding grounds, perhaps the most and Azerbaijan, and probably also extends likely scenario was that it left the breeding north into Ukraine (Snow & Perrins 1998). range in easterly winds to the south of an The species also breeds in the mountains to anticyclone over Russia, probably between the south of the Caspian Sea in Iran, then 18th and 22nd September. This high-pressure east through the Kopet Dagh and mountains zone was linked to another over central forming the watershed for the Tedjen and Europe, which became the dominant high by Murghab rivers in western Afghanistan. 23rd, maintaining large cloud-free areas and Breeding may also occur in the mountains of light winds across central and southern southeastern Uzbekistan, western Tajikistan, Europe. By 24th September, the high had and Baluchistan in Pakistan; although birds moved south of the Alps, and a new high have been seen here during the breeding developed over Britain & Ireland, which season, breeding has not yet been proven. moved into Belgium by 25th. The probability The Green Warbler winters entirely in the is that the bird would have spent most of this Indian subcontinent. In India, wintering period of light and variable winds in the fine birds occur mainly along the Western Ghats, anticyclonic weather conditions, heading in a extending from the region of Mumbai direction opposite to that of normal migra- (Bombay) south to Cochin. It is widespread tion with a track taking it over central and often abundant throughout Sri Lanka Europe. Its final leg into Scilly took place in a during the winter months, ranging from light southeasterly wind. There is no sugges- coastal lowlands to the mountains. tion that it encountered any adverse weather On migration, it appears to enter the sub- or that winds were sufficiently strong enough continent from the northwest, passing mainly to affect its course. through Gilgit, Baluchistan and Sind Its arrival on St Mary’s coincided with a Provinces in Pakistan. Roberts (1992) pro- period of fine and settled weather, and light vided a useful summary of its status here, southeasterly winds.