Western Subalpine Warbler - Sylvia iberiae
On Sunday 3 October 2004 Niels Gillissen was birding on Vlieland at the Oostervallei, where he discovered a male Subalpine Warbler Sylvia cantillans, at that time only a single taxon. He warned other birders who were present on Vlieland in quite a few numbers. For many it was the first autumn record of this taxon and everybody continued birding after seeing this nice male. It stayed till 6 October (I saw it on 3 and 5 October). In 2013 this taxon was split into three species: Western Subalpine, Eastern Subalpine and Moltoni's Warbler after an excellent article by Lars Svensson in the Bulletin of the BOU. I follow IOC (version 10.2) in naming the Western Subalpine Warbler Sylvia iberiae instead of Sylvia inornata.
3 October 2004, Oostervallei, Vlieland Fr; © Han Zevenhuizen.
Note the small, narrow moustachial stripe and the orange brown flanks and belly.
5 October 2004, Oostervallei, Vlieland; © Jan van der Laan.
Note the orange brown of the underparts extends well into the lower belly and flanks and almost into the undertail coverts.
This record was accepted as the second record for Sylvia iberiae, based on plumage feautures and the single 'teck' call. The first record was on 30 May 1998 at the Maasvlakte, Rotterdam ZH.
An overview of all records till 2013 can be found in Dutch Birding 36 (6): 394-401, 2014).
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