Lesser Whitethroat - Sylvia curraca
I think this is the last of my new to Crossley photo-science birds from a camping trip to Oman at New Year. This bird is lacking the white eye ring and on the basis of the distribution information I have seen I would hazard an uneducated guess at Lesser Whitethroat. Well I would say that wouldn't I as I already listed Whitethroat a goodly while back at the start of the Daily Bird.
I think distribution information is very good with similar species - if my book tells me something is "rare" in Oman but that a similar species "overwinters" then I think we are on the money. Equally there is a subspecies "Desert Lesser Whitethroat" which is a "Winter visitor occurring in much of Arabia" in "Acacia and Semi-desert". Well here we are in an Acacia in a semi-desert. You can tell I am not sure but I hope I am not "stringing" this. To string a bird is to make it into something it isn't to suit a ticking purpose if that makes sense - to a birder its a well known syndrome. You want so much for something to be something else you make it so.
I fully intend to go back for a better shot. I was never clear of the absolute diagnostic differences between Whitethroat and Lesser in the UK. I am clear though that this bird lacks the much warmer brown colouring to upper wing coverts and the edges of the secondaries that are required for a Whitethroat. Through the magic of the Daily Bird you can zoom back in time to a cliff top in the North West for this picture of a Whitethroat here . This bird is grey and white not grey brown and white and in my rather simplistic way I settle the issue. There is something about a flatter and rounder head as well if that makes sense. I will get more scientific at some point if challenged. I have to say the recent picture of a whitethroat on the older post is a much better picture of a warbler. I have to get used to using a tripod or monopod again with the long lens. Just a smidgeon of shake upsets the photo.
I often wonder if a miracle occurred and I actually made it to some photographic record for bird species if somebody would delve back into my earlier years to overturn the record. Lets hope some of these can stand up to the professional birding scrutiny that would be heaped upon my head on the day of judgement.
I think I really am out of new pictures now - I may have to have a delve about but we are at the bottom of the barrel which is probably a good thing. Time to get in the field and its right that I have should have to work hard for my "300". Lots of Spartan cries and shouting and gore as I head off to the desert to claim 3 more prizes !
On a less shouty note camping was fun and very rewarding in the round. Fun to sit in a chair and watch these mad English and South African people scrambling up this lot ! I think they bulked at the matterhorn like final ascent. These mountains are properly big !
I am hopefully going back in the next few weeks - I also have a trip on a Dhow up the North Oman/Musandam coast planned for half term. March is a business trip to Las Vegas - if I could get a days US birding sorted somewhere that could be rich pickings. The big Summer trip is likely to be Canada - somewhere the family has decided would be a nice chilly antidote to two years of safaris. Hopefully no "Polar Vortex" in June ! A friend told me we will have to wear "bear bells" to let the bears know we are coming. I am used to being in a vehicle with a guide when there are large "eaty" things about. I guess thats the way forward - getting down on the ground. As if by magic a copy of Sibley on North American birds appeared this Xmas in my stocking. A nice new chunky continent with a few hundred new birds should get some gas in the tank for this year.
Meanwhile one of my clear objectives for 2014 is to log more birds than in 2012 which was the biggest year for the site last year. 2013 was a bit of a damp squib. I got out of the habit of just putting myself out for my birds. It does take an investment of time. Not everything will fall into my lap while on family trips or business trips.
Lesser Whitethroat, Sylvia Curraca
Oman, Hajar Mountains (Near Hatta)
31 December 2013
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