Bird project 24 - Wheatear

24/101.
Oenanthe oenanthe Wheatear

Location: Sea defences, North Shore, Blackpool.
Conditions: Warm sunshine, cool persistent breeze, very thin high cloud.
Photograph quality: 1.

Comments: I walked north from the town centre specifically to look for these birds, which have been reported here in the last few days. They'll be returning to Africa soon, so I wanted to catch them. I wasn't quite sure where to look, but I kept my eyes and ears open - but since I hadn't managed to get out as early as I wanted, I wasn't expecting to be lucky.

The tide was out, so the huge expanse of beach hosted the usual birds - scattered flocks of several gull species, the occasional crow, a few oystercatchers, and on a patch of rocks, turnstones. On the 'cliffs' (artificial outcrops between the Promenade and the beach) was a single pied wagtail, and above a lone swallow was feeding. I turned back home.

But then, back towards town, I saw a bird on the steep slope below (there are three levels you can walk on, I was in the middle). It was immediately obvious this was my target - a warm buff-coloured bird, bobbing and feeding amongst the tufty plants. I edged closer, and it continued its business, allowing me to get a couple of hundred shots, mostly pretty good.

I assumed it was a female (the adult males are more strikingly marked), but it was identified as a first-year bird, so could be either sex (autumn wheatears in general are hard to distinguish).