Sicily trip report header

Systematic list - part 8: Pipits and Wagtails

 

Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris (3)

3 at Capo Murro di Porco on 2nd May.

click for larger image click for larger image

Tawny Pipit, Capo Murro di Porco, 2nd May

 

Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis (c. 12)

2 at Monti Peloritani and 1 at Cava Carosella. Presumed migrants included several birds at or near Capo Murro di Porco and Portopalo di Capo Passero, and also 1 at Granelli.

click for larger image click for larger image

Tree Pipit, Portopalo di Capo Passero, 30th April

 

click for larger image

Tree Pipit, Portopalo di Capo Passero, 1st May

 

click for larger image  

Tree Pipit, Capo Murro di Porco, 24th April

 

Blue-headed Wagtail Motacilla flava flava (12+)

A male at Portopalo di Capo Passero on 1st May when and where a flock of 8 unidentified “yellow” wagtails flew over too. Also 2 unidentified 'headed' wagtails flew north here on 30th April and at least 1 Blue-headed flew over there on 3rd May. At Capo Murro di Porco there were 4 on 2nd May and at least 3 on 4th, plus another 7 unidentified “yellow” wagtails in this area on 2nd and 4th May.

click for larger image click for larger image

Blue-headed Wagtails, Capo Murro di Porco, 4th May (left) and Portopalo di Capo Passero, 1st May (right)

 

Blue-headed Wagtail, Portopalo di Capo Passero, 3rd May

 

Ashy-headed Wagtail Motacilla flava cinereocapilla (4+)

I assumed that most of the birds at Granelli belonged to this form as they included singing males on territory, however although some matched the expected appearance of Ashy-headed Wagtail (showing only a suggestion of a pale supercilium) one or two showed a much more prominent supercilium than this form is supposed to show. Indeed the bird photographed below is, so far as I can tell, identical to Spanish Wagtail Motacilla flava iberiae - but it was singing and holding territory in Sicily! The two forms are, I believe, more closely related to each other than the other forms of 'yellow' wagtail (and intergrades between the two occur in the far south of France). Do some Spanish Wagtails occur here, or was this a breeding vagrant, or can some Ashy-headed resemble Spanish?

click for larger image click for larger image

apparent Spanish Wagtail Motacilla flava iberiae, Granelli, 3rd May - is this a Spanish Wagtail as it seems, and if so is that unusual for a bird holding territory in Sicily? Or do some Ashy-headed Wagtails come this close to Spanish in appearance?

 

click for larger image  

Ashy-headed Wagtail, Granelli, 1st May - a more 'textbook' Ashy-headed!

 

click for larger image click for larger image
click for larger image click for larger image
click for larger image  

unidentified wagtail Motacilla flava, Granelli, 28th April - when I first saw this I expected it to be Ashy-headed as I'd seen them on territory there, but when I noticed the pale supercilium and pale centre to the ear-coverts my thoughts turned to Blue-headed. But in the end I wasn't sure - the 'blue head' seemed too dark and grey toned for a Blue-headed. What do you think?

 

Grey-headed Wagtail Motacilla flava thunbergi (2-3)

A male flava Wagtail that flew over Portopalo di Capo Passero on 3rd May appeared to belong to this form but provided flight views only; 2 males among 10 “yellow” wagtails at Capo Murro di Porco on 4th May offered better views. Surely one of Europe's handsomest birds!

click for larger image click for larger image
click for larger image click for larger image

Grey-headed Wagtail, Capo Murro di Porco, 4th May

 

click for larger image

possible Grey-headed Wagtail, Portopalo di Capo Passero, 3rd May - seemed to have a hint of yellow on the throat in some images but I'm not convinced Ashy-headed Wagtail is safely eliminated for this bird

 

Black-headed Wagtail Motacilla (flava) feldegg (1)

A smart male among 10 "yellow" wagtails at Capo Murro di Porco on 4th May. The call of this bird was clearly different from the accompanying wagtails.

click for larger image click for larger image

Black-headed Wagtail, Capo Murro di Porco, 4th May

 

'Romanian' Wagtail Motacilla flava 'dombrowski' (1)

A male showing characteristics similar to the form 'dombrowski'' was among the wagtail flock at Capo Murro di Porco on 4th May. Not sure what the latest thinking is around the taxonomy of this form – hybrid flava x feldegg?

click for larger image click for larger image

flava Wagtail showing characteristics resembling the Romanian hybrid form 'dombrowski', Capo Miurro di Porco, 4th May

 

Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea (1)

1 at Cava Carosella.

 

White Wagtail Motacilla (alba) alba (3)

1 at Etna Sud and 2 at Etna Nord were the only observations.

 

Click here to carry on...

Or here to return to the sytematic list index

Or here to jump to itinerary.