29 June 2009

There are often reports of second-calendar year (2cy) Hobbies in Devon, although basing identification on a slight brownish tinge to the uppers may not rule out adults, which can show this feature when well lit. You really need a good underside view such as this shot, taken by Mark Darlaston.

Mark writes: "This bird shows the buff trousers of 2cy (some birds may be more advanced in body moult and already have some nice red trousers!), but crucially the underside of the tail shows strong barring (retained juvenile feathers), thus eliminating an adult. Not all 2cys come back from Africa, and many that do don't return until they are full adults the following year."

Hobby – Devon – © Mark Darlaston – June 2009