Reed Warbler h singing
Hobby over Chat Vale
dark morph silhouette!!
Bee Orchid (not -eater) at Beachy
Rodmell
Dunlin 1
Female Dunlin of the nominate form C.a. alpina at Rodmell
Of the regularly occurring forms in the UK both schinzii and artica complete their pre-breeding moult mid-March to late April whereas it is c.1 month later in alpina. The cheeks and foreneck of alpina are often less extensively tinged buff than schinzii. In fresh breeding plumage alpina, especially females, often show broad white fringes to their belly feathers. Appearing so long-billed it invites the possibility of it being one of the seemingly unlikely forms hudsonia or sakhalina but can female alpina appear so long-billed? BWP reveals a range of measurements of 29-36 for alpina and 30-39 for sakhalina. Furthermore, sakhalina is described as having black of feather-centres more restricted than in alpina, with outer scapulars, especially, almost uniform cinnamon that seems at odds with the Rodmell individual.
