Phylloscopus proregulus

This species is a yearly visitor in small numbers in W-Europe. Some (mostly juvenile) birds seem to follow a migration route opposite to the 'normal' direction, bringing them in our region, instead of in SE-Asia, where their usual winter quarters are.
A spring record is much more uncommon: this bird was found in the town of Vlaardingen, close to the city of Rotterdam. It had a distinct preference here for hawthorn Crataegus  trees. With spring approaching it even started to sing: by the first week of April, it could even be heard singing louder than many a Blackbird Turdus merula  in the neighborhood. Click here to hear a small song fragment. I also recorded several call types.
As can be seen in the pictures, the bird is in active moult of its body feathers. This is most obvious on the head, which almost completely lacks the otherwise so contrasting eye-stripe, supercilium and crown stripe.

Copyright ©Teus Luijendijk 2001