Monday, November 22, 2010

Withens Head

Total surprise late afternoon when we came across the Wheatear again around Withens Head Farm - opposite the wind farm car park.

I am sure this is the same bird that's been here for a few weeks now and I am convinced it's a Northern form - however due to the bird being so late I would value a second/third.... opinion.

I cannot turn it into Isabelline or Desert Wheatear but the nearest other Wheatear would be female Black-eared as this bird does have a really orange breast and looks quite darkish underneath. I know this is very unlikely as they should also be in Africa long since but I would hate to get it wrong.

Not able to get any photo's this afternoon as the light was so poor and perhaps that's why the bird looked so dark. HELP!!!!

2 comments:

AndyC said...

Looks like a first winter greenland.???Could do with some decent photos..

martynbirder said...

it's a first winter Northern Wheatear Dave, the tal pattern on the photo's illustrates this

the photo's are not clear enough to tell if it's the Greenland race and given the late date it probably is not, it gets very cold early in Greenland and it has probably come from the east

a great late find though, beats my latest bird on Cold Edge (12th November 1996) by quite a bit

nice one

Martyn