tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3182075007676974436.post1533309326667602305..comments2024-03-07T08:23:35.893-08:00Comments on Black Audi Birding: It's somewhere under the Rainbow 8th December 2015Ewan Urquharthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04053632254016984946noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3182075007676974436.post-2433876977000958932015-12-09T08:52:09.029-08:002015-12-09T08:52:09.029-08:00Hi Steve
Yes I agree with you about the origins of...Hi Steve<br />Yes I agree with you about the origins of Hoopoes that visit Britain so late in the year. I would think an examination of skins in the BMNH at Tring would be a good start to see if there are any plumage differences between those from Iberia and those from former USSR.We do have here in Oxford Ian Lewington who is very knowledgeable on plumage variations so next time I see him I will ask if he knows of any consistent differences<br />Best wishes<br />EwanEwan Urquharthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04053632254016984946noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3182075007676974436.post-36128793188915424712015-12-09T01:08:43.385-08:002015-12-09T01:08:43.385-08:00Hi Ewan
Clearly the spring Hoopoes passing t...Hi Ewan<br /> Clearly the spring Hoopoes passing through Dorset, Sussex are European overshoots coming up from Africa. <br /><br /> As to the winter individuals, then there must be a reasonable chance they have come from what would be the former USSR. We get Desert Wheatears & the occasional Asian Desert Warblers in late Autumn, so why not the Hoopoes that bred there. <br /><br /> The problem seems to be trying to prove it. A sat tracker on a few caught winter birds might be needed. When Ive looked into this in the past, there doesnt seem to be a lot of plumage diffs to go on. But maybe somebody of Martin Garner's id skills could do better than me. <br /><br /> But they would be more hardy living in one of the soviet republics than a southern European bird.<br />SteveStudland Birderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13588632407717175521noreply@blogger.com