Nightingales: Luscinia luscinia and Luscinia megarhyncos

Productive nets this morning. Plenty of the usuals but it was good to have both Nightingale and Thrush Nightingale to compare.

First is Thrush Nightingale (Lus lus), faint eye ring, yellow gape line, big the difference in alula with this and Nightingale,

and Nightingale (Lus meg) much more distinct eye ring and less contrasty alula,

back view of both (Lus lus followed by Lus meg), note the contrast between darker grey back and rufous tail of the Thrush Nightingale

and the (comparative) lack of contrast between back and tail in this Nightingale.

Front view of both, (Lus lus followed by Lus meg) the pale throat of the Thrush Nightingale framed by a stripe,  breast mottled,

but the Nightingale is a much 'cleaner' bird with little mottling on the breast,

and the undertail coverts of both, dark tips to some undertail coverts  (Lus lus followed by Lus meg).

 

And for dessert, we had a fall of Wood Warblers, 3 in the nets so there are probably many more around! These are truly stunning little warblers and a real joy to see, both in and out of the hand.