A collection of wheatears

I've been waiting an awful long time to see Pied Wheatear in the UK, let alone Cornwall.  I narrowly missed one in Shetland back in 1995 and I couldn't get to the male at the Dodman because I was working away. 

 

So its taken 34 years from seeing my first rare wheatear at Portgwarra to the recent Pied Wheatear at Trevose.  The male Desert Wheatear in November 1984 sticks in my mind most.  I think it was just the seventh UK record at the time and many top name listers made the overnight journey to Porthgwarra to tick it.  It was found by Laurie Williams and Rod Hirst on the moor just past the stone wall.  I can remember now as it stood out like a beacon in the heather.  What a find.

 

The adult male Black-eared Wheatear was found by Martin Elliott in the fields at the top end of Nanquidno valley in March 2002.  Despite its striking black and white plumage, this bird is of the Western form.  Its the only Black-eared I have seen in Cornwall.

 

The Isabelline Wheatear was found by Paul Freestone in October 2016 whilst birding on Godrevy Head.  It stayed just one day and was admired by scores of local birders.  It was the second record following a short stayer bird seen at Church Cove Lizard and by John Martin, a visitor birder.

 

So there you have it. A 34 year span to notch up the four rare wheatears.  Will there be more? Yes.  Wheatears are responding well to the increasingly hot summers.  A White-crowned Black Wheatear would be nice...

 

First year female Pied Wheatear at Trevose Head

(Text edited, video added, 5pm 15th Nov).

A Pied Wheatear was found on Trevose golf course on Thursday 8th November.  It was sadly suppressed (by instruction from the golf club manager) for three days as it was on the course whilst machinery was in use.  News eventually leaked out on the Sunday but it was too late to connect with it. Pete Roseveare got a tip off from Clive Thomas that it had been relocated on Dinas Head, about a half mile from its original location.  Thanks to Clive's nod, Pete and Bob saw this super rarity on Wed 14th early morning and duly let the news out for all to share and enjoy.  I managed to see it today (15th Nov) and got stunning close views with a dozen or so others. 

What a cracking bird it was and I am so pleased that the news came out.  For me its a first for Cornwall as I missed the 1991 male at Dodman Head.  And of course the Botallack male in October 2015 was identified retrospectively from photographs, so no one had any chance with that.  So the Trevose bird is the third for Cornwall and the first female. In birding slang, its an unblocker for me.

In context, two others turned up in the UK at the same time; a well watched male in the Wirral and another in the Northern Isles.

The species breeds as close as eastern Europe (Romania/Bulgaria) but the range extends well east towards Iran, Iraq, Caspian Sea, Afghanistan and onwards towards China.  It winters in India and north east Africa.

Video by John Chapple.

First year female Pied Wheatear, Trevose, Nov 2018. Nikon D850, 500mm F4 plus 1.4x Converter. Tripod.