Although still windy from the east it was a touch warmer today, so much so that not only did I see my first Wheatears of the year, I also opened my yearly ringing account of the species. Pilling Lane Ends was the venue where a loose party of six or seven very mobile Wheatears were feeding behind the sea wall with 35+ Meadow Pipits.
Wheatear
At least five of the Wheatears were bright, colourful males, so trust me to catch the only female I saw, a second calendar year. In the cool breezy conditions the males weren’t for hanging about my favoured catching spot on the stretch of rocky shore and seemed to prefer the grassy slopes behind the sea wall where they make it much harder for me. There’s sure to be other days soon to catch up with a few males.
Wheatear
Wheatear
Just as a few days ago the pool here held singles of Spotted Redshank, Greenshank and a common Redshank.
Spotted Redshank
Redshank
And there’s nothing much else to report for what proved to be a quick and windswept outing: 3 Little Egret, 400 Pink-footed Geese, 2 Kestrel and small numbers of wildfowl - 10 Teal, 8 Pintail and 6 Shoveler.
Look in soon to Another Bird Blog for pictures of Little Owl plus news of a brand new essential reading bird book.
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4 comments:
Perhaps spring is finally on its way, Phil. Swap a Wheatear for a Willow Warbler?
The wheatear is a beautiful bird. Wonderful captures. :)
1 Willy Sunday, 2 Willy's Monday.
Those Wheatears are such gorgeous birds...their feather colouring is lovely! Those Redshanks are really neat looking birds...I do not get to see many wading type birds, but did see one from a distance the other day...still trying to ID it;') sometimes that takes me a while~
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