Red-breasted Flycatcher at Herdlevær

 Today no wind! But raining steady. I just had to check Herdlevær. First bird I heard getting out of the car was my fifteenth Yellow-browed Warbler of the season. It showed quite well, but it was too wet to take my camera out of the bag, at least for a YBW. A little later I met Olav Moberg and Stein Rune Rise at the sjeldenhagen. I told them about the YBW and they went to check.

After about three quarters of an hour I had done the gardens at the turning point of the road and was on my way back. I saw small light-colored bird disappear in one of the trees. After some ten minutes I saw it briefly, but I immediately identified it as a Red-breasted Flycatcher. But it was raining hard and I couldn't find it back. I called Stein Rune and Olav, who were at Sele. But they decided to come back. I also put it on Band. After doing so I saw it shortly again in the same tree. It was not showing well, though. I waited for Stein Rune and Olav and together we went through the fence to try to take pictures. In that we succeeded. As often, the others had better pictures than me...but I got my own😊

Red-breasted Flycatcher is easy to recognize with its drab plumage in this age, the black-and-wite tail and the nice eye-ring. But what about that other bird from the far east? Of course I had thought about the bird being a Taiga Flycatcher Ficedula albicilla, the much rarer of the two. Differences are subtle. That bird would show an all black bill, a much whiter throat and the upper tail coverts would be very black (blacker than the tail). I couldn't see the rump and uppertailcoverts of this bird, but on one of the photo's taken today one can see that the uppertailcoverts are brownish. Besides that this bird bird called a few times, not the characteristic rattle, reminiscent of Wren, but a plaintive "wee-ip". Taiga would give a drier rattle and  "tic" calls! I think today's bird is a first winter because of the cream-coloured wing bars and tertial edgings. 

The bird stayed for several days, much to the joy of many visitors. On the 16th Stein Rune Risa recorded the bird. On the recording two different types of call can be heard! Thans, Stein Rune, for letting me use the recording!

🎤Red-breasted Flycatcher