Subalpine Warbler sp.
Curruca cantillans sp. (1, 4)
Photo © By Gary L. Clark - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45230187
STATUS
Europe.
OVERVIEW
Below, under the species history it is referring to when there was only Subalpine Warbler. It is now split into three species.
RECORD
1). 1935 Highland Tarbat Ness Lighthouse, Ross & Cromarty, male, killed, 3rd May, now at Natural History Museum, Tring.
(C. H. B. Grant, Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 56: 5; Eds., British Birds 29: 292-293; I. D. Pennie, Fair Isle Bird Observatory Bulletin 1 (11): 29).
History C. H. B. Grant, Editor (1936) in the Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club, Vol. LVI. p. 5, at the 384th Meeting of the Club held on 9th October 1935 at Pagani's Restaurant, London, says: 'Mr. Hugh Whistler exhibited a female Subalpine Warbler which was killed with other birds (Meadow Pipits and a Sky Lark) at the Tarbatness Lighthouse, Ross-shire, on May 3, 1935.
The bird has a wing-length of 58.5 mm, and belongs to the typical race.
This is the fifth record for the British Isles, the previous ones being St. Kilda, June 14, 1894, Fair Island, May 6, 1908, Hook Tower Light, Wexford, Sept. 17, 1933, and Isle of May, May 30, 1924. The specimen has been presented to the British Museum.'
In an Editorial (1936) in British Birds, Vol. XXIX. pp. 292-293, they say: 'At the October meeting of the British Ornithologists' Club Mr. Hugh Whistler exhibited a female Subalpine Warbler which had been killed with other birds by striking the Tarbatness Lighthouse on May 3rd, 1935 (Bull. B.O.C. LVI. p. 5). Mr. Whistler stated that the bird, which had a wing of 58.5 mm., belonged to the typical race, but females of Sylvia cantillans cantillans and S. c. inornata cannot, so far as we know, be distinguished.
This is the fourth reported occurrence of the bird in Scotland, while a fifth has been recorded from Wexford, and so far none from England or Wales.'
1950-57 RECORDS
2). 1951 Fair Isle Vaadal, adult male, 2nd to 9th June when trapped.
(K. Williamson, Fair Isle Bird Observatory Bulletin 1 (3): 3; K. Williamson, British Birds 45: 260-261; Williamson, 1965; Thom, 1986).
History K. Williamson (1952) in British Birds, Vol. XLV. pp. 260-261, says: 'A feature of the spring, 1951, migration at Fair Isle was the capture of two adult male Subalpine Warblers (Sylvia cantillans), the seventh and eighth records of the species in the British Isles. An account of the trapping of these two birds was given in Fair Isle Bird Observatory Bulletin, Nos. 2 and 3, 1951, but it may be of interest to publish the main points here, together with a note on the meteorological conditions prevailing at the time....
When my wife and I made the routine evening visit to the Vaadal Trap on June 9th a small grey warbler with white outer tail-feathers rose from the streamside and entered the trap. It proved to be a second male Subalpine Warbler, in even more abraded plumage than the first.
There were some slight differences between the two: the dark chestnut of the breast did not appear to be so rich in the second case, and the white moustachial streaks were less well-defined. There was also a complete absence of pale fringes on the worn tertials and inner secondaries. The wing-formula of both specimens agreed in that the second primary was 1-5 mm. shorter than the fifth, which suggests that they belonged to the typical race rather than Sylvia c. albistriata of S.E. Europe and Asia Minor, in which the second primary is longer than the fifth. Both birds had a chestnut "eyebrow" set in the grey of the head directly above the eye. The legs were pale brown, the soles yellowish and the eye-rims brick-red. The colour of the iris itself was pale brown. The bill was black with the basal half of the lower mandible purplish-flesh and the tomia yellow. The weights and measurements were, respectively: 10.11 g. and 9.28 g.; wing-length 64 mm. and 57 mm. - the latter extremely worn, however; bill from skull 11 mm. and 10.5 mm.; tarsus 19 mm. in both cases.
The Weather. Examination of the Daily Weather Reports of the Meteorological Office, London, suggests that both birds reached the British area from the north of Italy rather than from the Iberian Peninsula or South of France. The first may have travelled via a col between two high pressure systems, as already described elsewhere (p. 248).
There were more arrivals at Fair Isle on the 20th, during the day, than on any other date in spring, and they included Lesser Whitethroats (which reached their peak with over 50 birds), Common Whitethroats (building up to peak on 21st), a male Blue-headed (Motacilla f. flava) and three female flava wagtails, and three male Red-spotted Bluethroats (Luscinia s. svecica).
Somewhat similar conditions obtained during June 7-8th, although in this case neither of the anti-cyclones was so extensive. A shallow low covered France and western Germany, and there was again a S.E. airstream from the north of Italy through central Germany, backing easterly in Denmark and the Netherlands and the North Sea area. It is possible that the continuance of anticyclonic weather, with light winds favourable to migration, failed to inhibit the urge to migrate when the breeding-area was reached, causing the birds to overshoot their normal range and drift N.W. across the Continent between the two highs.'
3). 1951 Norfolk Cley-next-the-Sea, male, 11th June.
(Anon., Wild Bird Protection in Norfolk 1951: 26-27; R. A. Richardson, British Birds 45: 242; P. J. Hayman, British Birds 45: 262; Seago, 1977).
History P. J. Hayman (1952) in British Birds, Vol. XLV. p. 262, says: 'At 3 p.m. on June 11th, 1951 as I was about to enter Cley Bird Observatory, a small warbler flew past me and dived into some barbed wire. The bird was flushed easily, and upon alighting in a bush near by was recognised as a male Subalpine Warbler.
I drove the bird, with ease, into the Heligoland trap, but unfortunately the trap was unmanned and under repair, the catching-box door being closed and the swing door to the catching chamber missing. Despite my efforts to catch the bird it flew past me out of the trap.
The following description was obtained whilst the bird was in a bush sheltered from a strong east wind. Bill dark, yellowish at base; eye noticeably red in the field, and at under three feet range in the trap it appeared very red. The whole of the upper-parts blue-grey, deepest on the head. Wings grey-brown, primaries darker, secondaries edged light buff. Tail decidedly browner than upper-parts, outer tail-feathers white, faintly tinged buff. A thin, but quite distinct white moustachial stripe from the base of the bill, separated the grey of the upper-parts from the pink of the under-parts. The pink of the under-parts was deepest on the throat and faded out on the flanks. Under tail-coverts white, faintly washed dirty yellow. Feet bright yellow-flesh. The bird was left at 4.30 p.m. and at 5.30 p.m. it was flushed by P.J.H. and R. A. Richardson, who confirmed the above description. All other efforts to trap the bird failed, and it was last seen by R.A.R. at 7.0 p.m.
This is the first record for England and Norfolk.'
4). 1953 Pembrokeshire Skokholm, first-winter female, trapped, 1st October.
(P. J. Conder, British Birds 47: 245; P. Davis, British Birds 47: 421; R. F. Ruttledge & J. Weaving, Fair Isle Bird Observatory Bulletin 2: 274; Betts, 1992; Lovegrove, Williams & Williams, 1994).
History P. J. Conder (1954) in British Birds, Vol. XLVII. p. 245, says: 'On October 1st, 1953, a Subalpine Warbler (Sylvia cantillans) was caught in the Heligoland trap on Skokholm, Pembrokeshire. On examination the bird proved to be a first winter female. It weighed 9.7 grammes. Very little was seen of the bird before it was caught and it disappeared immediately after release. This is apparently the first record for Wales.'
[Mr. Conder has also sent us an exact copy of the very full laboratory description that was taken down at the time. This fully supports the identification and is being filed for reference. - Eds.]
5). 1955 Norfolk Blakeney Point, first-winter male, 29th to 30th September, photo.
(G. H. Acklam, J. Shepperd & R. A. L. Sutton, British Birds 49: 86; M. J. Seago, Norfolk Bird Report 1955: 53; Seago, 1977; Stoddart & Joyner, 2005).
History G. H. Acklam, J. Shepperd & R. A. L. Sutton (1956) in British Birds, Vol. XLIX. p. 86, say: 'At about 11.30 a.m. on 29th September 1955 at The Hood, Blakeney Point, Norfolk, we had excellent views of a Subalpine Warbler (Sylvia cantillans). Although skulking, the bird was tame and allowed us to approach quite closely.
After one unsuccessful attempt it was trapped and its plumage compared with the description noted while we were watching it. After examination it was released. Later it was trapped again by R. A. Richardson who ringed it and made detailed notes of its plumage. We understand that the bird was still present on 30th September, but that it could not be found on the following day.
The following is a description of the bird. Smaller than a Whitethroat (Sylvia communis) and resembling a Dartford Warbler (Sylvia undata) in general shape and in flight although it had a noticeably shorter tail than the latter species. The tail was frequently cocked slightly and appeared rounded when spread. Whole of the upper-parts blue-grey, brighter on the head, the mantle and rump being tinged brownish. The blue-grey colour extended below the eye. In direct sunlight the colour of the upper-parts reminded us of the back of a Nuthatch (Sitta europaea). Tail dark greyish-black with noticeably white outer feathers. Wing-feathers grey-brown, with paler edges. Chin pinkish-buff; throat, upper breast and flanks orange-buff. There was a marked whitish moustachial stripe. Belly and under tail-coverts greyish-white. Bill grey. Legs light brown.
At times the eye appeared a brilliant red. At close range, however, it seemed more brownish and it showed as this colour in the hand. A ring round the eye appeared buff-white but on the captured bird it was pinkish. The bird was silent except that once while in the hand it uttered a quiet "tec-tec".
[Mr. R. A. Richardson has kindly sent us a summary of his, notes on this bird which was also seen by Mrs. M. Meiklejohn, Miss D. Steinthal and Messrs. P. R. Clarke, P. D. Kirby and P. F. Le Brocq, among others. The detailed plumage description, taken, in the hand, fully confirms the identification of this, the second record for England; the first, an adult male, was seen at Cley on 11th June 1951 by P. J. Hayman and R. A. Richardson (antea, vol. XLV. p. 262).
The 1955 bird was considered to be a first-winter male. When trapped it weighed 8.17 gm. - Eds.]
Stoddart & Joyner (2005: 191) add that it was photographed.
NOT PROVEN
0). 1945 Isles of Scilly No locality, seen, 7th April.
(B. H. Ryves, D. Valentine & H. M. Quick, Cornwall Bird-Watching & Preservation Society Report 1945: 56).
[B. H. Ryves, D. Valentine & H. M. Quick, Cornwall Bird-Watching & Preservation Society Report 1945: 56].
History B. H. Ryves, D. Valentine & H. M. Quick (1945) in the Cornwall Bird-Watching & Preservation Society Report, Vol. XV. p. 56, under 'Isles of Scilly', recording the record in square brackets, say: 'Some migration notes, 1945, by A. A. Dorrien Smith. April 7th. Subalpine Warbler. - It was reported to me by Capt. E. G. Hayes that he had one close view of this bird, but was unable to see it again.'
Comment Third-hand report. Not specifically identified. Not acceptable.
