2cy in Israel

[marsmuusse]

Two images of birds that are a bit away from the standard 2cy birds in Israel.
First image was taken recently by Amir (Ashdod 04 Febr 2011), a bird with grey new scapulars and wing-coverts and only a dark shaft streak. Relatively fresh juvenile coverts with the white notches not really worn and much pattern on head and breast.

I can't really make much of it, and it reminded Amir of another bird, seen at Beit Shean, on 11 Oct 2009.

Any comments / thoughts are much welcomed.

[Theo Muusse]

Can the Moskou colony somehow be responsible for this 1st winter?
Or should I think in the armenicus camp better? What is exactly wrong for armenicus, despite the fresh plumage ad the head-streaking?

The 2nd winter with its small head, long wing and yellow legs suggests me of barabensis we saw in Bahrein...\

Theo

[Hans Larsson]

My guess for #1 would be a neat female heuglini. Plumagewise it´s not too far from this bird: http://www.gull-research.org/heuglini-i ... ini12.html Maybe it´s difficult to completely rule out a late hatched barabensis however. I agree that it seems a bit too fresh and also the overall look is very neat and "beautiful" in away compared with armenicus. Additionally armenicus seems to sport a litte more "rugged" style overall. I feel the head and bill shape is different from the blunt and squarish "micha-look" that I associate with armenicus. #2 seems to have this micha-feeling though (also the body looks quite atlethic), and I´d put my bet on armenicus here. I suppose that yellowish legs is more regular among armenicus (and micha) than, lets say, barabensis of this age class.

[JanJ]

As for the second bird, which was featured here a couple of years back (http://www.surfbirds.com/forum/showthre ... ull+israel) I would also go for armenicus if anything.
The first one I´m rather clueless to but perhaps as Hans mentioned - a late hatched barabensis but there´s something about the structure and heavily marked neck and underparts thet might lead in another direction...

JanJ