This Chiffy was ringed today on the Teifi Marshes Reserve. It is very different to/from the usual ones we get here.
* On the face, back and upper wings the overall colour is markedly paler and greyer than the usual olive-brown.
* On the belly, flanks, and under-wing there is no sign of the usual yellow or green tones, the only suggestion being a few yellowish-buff feathers in the inner axilliaries.
* The complete white eye-ring stands out particularly prominently.
This is a bird fledged this year - it has four unmoulted juvenile greater coverts on each wing. Biometrically it is indistinguishable from a 'normal' Chiffchaff, and it didn't call. Did it come over with the Yellow-brows? We'll probably never know.
Certainly not from around here. Got lots of good Tristisy features going for it. I think there might be a paper on Tristis ID on the WOS website.
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