ATLAS PIED FLYCATCHER trapped and ringed this evening

A male ATLAS PIED FLY near Ifrane in Morocco late April (Peter Adriaens) and the Flamborough flycatcher in the hand (Andy Hood)

The bird was relocated by Phil Cunningham late afternoon and showed on and off until late evening, at which time it was trapped and ringed. It was released at dusk at South Landing. A couple of tail feathers were retained for analysis (two feathers that were dropped during the ringing process).
The bird most closely resembles an ATLAS PIED FLYCATCHER, a species of black and white flycatcher that sings and breeds in the High Atlas forests and parklands of North Africa. However, the IBERIAN PIED FLYCATCHER of coniferous forests of central Spain is extremely similar and also a possibility. It does not show any features of White-collared Flycatcher although a small percentage of European Pied/White-collared Flycatcher hybrids resemble Pieds. Martin Collinson is analysing the feathers and will report next week

The bird was released at South Landing at Flamborough Head (that is the first right just beyond the crossroads in Flamborough village). There is an obvious car park and the bird can be easily seen from the road (still present for its sixth day Thursday)
Lee Evans