Remarkably (and excitingly), I watched this bird drop in from out of the blue on on the 8th (48 hours ago) during an early morning vismig session on my chosen clifftop VP at Reighton Sands, on the border of the Filey and Flamborough recording areas. I was fortunate to get a series of shots as it did so, and while it flicked around for a short while in a small hawthorn. Pretty soon it flitted up and, so I thought at the time, off; not so, however, as when I returned for another session of looking up this morning, its continued presence had me looking down.
Establishing it as a blythi (Siberian) would've been great - a vismig Sibe! - but those first impressions, and photos, had me concerned: the bird looked dinky, warm brown (well beyond the nape and onto the crown), big-headed, and short-winged, and most interestingly, had what appeared to be totally white outer-tail feathers. I sent photos around various learned birder friends (thanks all for feedback), who all suggested and agreed halimodendri was indeed most likely. This morning, I spent a lot of time checking (and attempting to photograph) the bird and its various features, and with better views and photos, the alarm bells are still ringing....
Posted / discussed this with the usual caveats, most obviously the lack of bullet-proof criteria (at least presently) to nail Central Asian halimodendri in the field. However, it seems to be a good candidate, based on various features: the all-white outer-tail feathers - supposedly found only on halimodendri - being particularly compelling, along with a small-billed, large-headed, small-bodied, short-winged, long-tailed overall impression, which, while subjective and 'supporting only' as ID features, are I think pretty clearly evident on the photos. As is the warm, pale brown hue; sunshine exaggerates this of course (esp on photos), but in shade, the same impression applied. Unfortunately (and despite best efforts), the bird hasn't called; it did, however, react instantly to a playback of the halimodendri churr, and apparently ignored the playback tacks of curruca and blythi.
So here it is, for reference only, for now at least - a small, dinky, pale brown late autumn Lesser Whitethroat, with totally white outer-tail feathers and a tantalising little aura.... On present criteria I wouldn't want to call it 100% either way (unlike what I think is a bolt-on example here almost exactly three years ago - see here and here), but worth putting out there at least.
