I couldn't get down to Carmel Head for the Isabelline Wheatear yesterday, but managed to connect with it this morning after an early start.
I was at Cemlyn for 8.30am, and walked along the coastal path passing plenty of Meadow Pipits, Goldcrest, Robins,Stonechats etc and a rather fetching black and white pig, before getting to the pasture and stone walls the bird has been hanging around - great 'scope views in continuous rain as it fed amongst Northern Wheatears and often perched up on a drystone wall, so I could get some p*sspoor shots through the drizzle.
Superb bird (I've seen 'em before in Lesbos, but this was my first in the UK), much bigger than our own Wheatear, and obviously paler, although this doesn't really come across in the following pics, with a nice black alula, long black legs, and broad black tail band (this shows quite well in the very blurry shot I've included).
In some lights it's face and lores appeared very "open" with an obvious staring big black eye. The bill was very long too, and when it fed in the grass, it appeared to be standing up as erect as a Mistle Thrush.
Watched it for about an hour, after which both the bird and I were suitably drenched.
It was frequently hassled by local Wrens (see first pic bleow) on the wall - presumably it be their land....
Had a quick look at the lagoons after the wheatear - they seemed eerily quiet now the nesting terns have gone for another year, with just a flock of RB Mergs, Barwit, Turnstone, Kestrel, and, er, adult Lesser White Fronted Goose.
Presumably one of the dicey ones from Conway, even the Canadas turned their noses up at it, a shame for such a pretty goose, still if you will go feral.....
Anyway here's the pig, or sow, as us slack-jawed yokels say. What a beauty.
All seems quite back home (Bazzo didn't have much to report from the marsh)....usual ducks and waders - anyone seen anything else to take my mind off the Flamboro' Pechora?
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies....
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Marshside was pretty quiet on Sunday morning certainly.
There were about a dozen pink footed geese in Pollys first thing Sunday morning, but they soon headed off.
The saltmarsh was also quiet other than an abundance of shelducks at the waters edge, a couple of dozen curlew and large flocks of goldfinch and greenfinch in the bushes near Mount Baker. There were a couple of swallows and house martins passing through.
Raptors on the marsh included a juvenile male marsh harrier, 2 merlins, a peregrine showing well on a fence post and 3 kestrels.
No signs of the short eared owl or hen harrier that had been present the previous weekend.
Nothing to match an isabelline wheatear though!
Regards
Carl
Ta Carl, the wheatear was good, but the pig really takes some beating.....
John
WE were (me and the missus) there on the Sunday morning too, we got to the issy about 9-00a.m so were probably there about the same time? My missus wasn't feeling too good and getting soaked didn't help, You can imagine how happy she was when we had to do the walk again to see the Tawny Pipit! though it wasn't quite as far and the weather was a lot kinder.
Having searched for years to find out what litlle birds came into my yard in Holyhead, it now seems they were Isabelline Wheatears. It was a female I believe and baby feeding at the side of the hedge. To me they looked more like a bunting shape, I couldnt see their beaks, very light beige colour, gorgeous little birds.....looked in books now, for at least three years and nothing, then the sighting a few weeks back at Cemlyn just down the road from me, thank goodness.....would love to see them again!
Where are you based?
Happy twitching!!!
Jan
Hi Jan
I'm based at Dempsey Towers, in a parallel universe to you, generally known as Ainsdale, near Southport.
All the best
John