
Systematic list - part 8: Pipits and Wagtails
Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris (3)
3 at Capo Murro di Porco on 2nd May.
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Tawny Pipit, Capo Murro di Porco, 2nd May |
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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.
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Tree Pipit, Portopalo di Capo Passero, 30th April
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Tree Pipit, Portopalo di Capo Passero, 1st May
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Tree Pipit, Capo Murro di Porco, 24th April |
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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.
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Blue-headed Wagtails, Capo Murro di Porco, 4th May (left) and Portopalo di Capo Passero, 1st May (right)
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Blue-headed Wagtail, Portopalo di Capo Passero, 3rd May |
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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?
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!
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.
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Black-headed Wagtail, Capo Murro di Porco, 4th May |
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'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?
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flava Wagtail showing characteristics resembling the Romanian hybrid form 'dombrowski', Capo Miurro di Porco, 4th May |
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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.
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