Identification and tricky lookalikes…

Just back from Helgoland. What a place- and also a great bunch of people (all 300+ keen German birders plus few visitors like me). Very grateful to Jochen D. and co. for the invite and lovely welcome. Need to do some catch up blogging but the most intriguing bird was this ‘alba wagtail‘ which we jammed in on finding and struggling to identify. It has a complex pattern of dark in the head which looks very similar to that found on ‘Moroccan Wagtail’  taxon: subpersonata.

I pinched Jochan’s photo from the Helgoland website. At the moment because of extensive black in rump centre and flanks that looked little too dark grey and extensive, (both Pied Wagtail, ‘yarrellii’ characters) I think it is some kind of  well-marked odd bird/ hybrid/ throw back thing. But hey, I don’t know subpersonata in all its variety either. Felix Jachmann and I got  sound recordings of the bird’s call and there will no doubt be more to come, both on this bird, the people and the fab Island of Helgoland.