Wheater (1 Viewer)

hughredcanary

hugh

• Mar 12, 2010

• #1

Not shore if IV posted this before but can you ID this bird for me, is it a Female Wheater, taken at Elmley Marshes Isle of Sheppey Kent on August 20 2009
Hugh
http://hughsphotoshop.com/

 

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Andy1979

Well-known member

• Mar 12, 2010

• #2

Greenland?

 

phil baber

Clipped Wing

• Mar 12, 2010

• #3

It's a female or 1stCY male Northern Wheatear.

 

Last edited: Mar 12, 2010

A

Andy1979

Well-known member

• Mar 12, 2010

• #4

I'll get there eventually. I'm trying these id issues without referring to a field guide at the moment, as a sort of 'field' test to see how i would have got on. Not very well by the looks of it...

Why is this not a Greenland though?

 

hughredcanary

hugh

• Mar 12, 2010

• #5

so what is it doing down south that time of year
Hugh
http://hughsphotoshop.com/

 

deborah4

Well-known member

• Mar 12, 2010

• #6

Andy1979 said:

Why is this not a Greenland though?

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Perhaps the default question should be 'why is it not a Northern'!? As phil says, F/1cyM Northern, and can't see anything to suggest otherwise.

August is a little early for Greenland leucorhoa imo - they don't leave their breeding grounds until August and seen on passage here Sept/Oct.

I've never personally been able to separate them with any confidence - Northern Wheatear can look very 'orange', size can overlap and posture is always a dodgy one imo!

 

RASHED

Well-known member

• Mar 12, 2010

• #7

Isabelline Wheatear For me

 

phil baber

Clipped Wing

• Mar 13, 2010

• #8

hughredcanary said:

so what is it doing down south that time of year
Hugh
http://hughsphotoshop.com/

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Hugh,

Mid to late August is the start of Wheatear returning South. From then until late October. Sometimes into November. The location and date is not unusual.

Good news! They're already back with us! :t:

 

C

CAU

Well-known member

• Mar 13, 2010

• #9

RASHED said:

Isabelline Wheatear For me

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An Isabelline Wheatear would be a major rarity in the UK. Note the blackish centres of the lesser upperwing coverts, the dark ear coverts and the buffish tone to the frontal part of the supercilium, which rule out Isabelline Wheatear.

 

phil baber

Clipped Wing

• Mar 15, 2010

• #10

For anyone interested in the identification of Greenland Wheatear, there's a fine ID feature in April's edition of Birdwatch magazine. It also contains migration details and some nice photos.