Isabelline Wheatear Colyford Common

Well what a turn up for the books!  The first BBRC rarity on patch since American Herring Gull on 14th Feb 2020, and it is a BBRC rarity that is extremely rare on south west mainland! Only Devon's second ever record (first on Lundy as recently as 18th Oct 2019!) with no records at all in neighbouring Dorset.  

This is the third Isabelline Wheatear to have been found in the UK this year, with a fourth record from Ireland.  What a fantastic mid-winter treat...

I find that head/eye so endearing!

 

Although I saw the first messages yesterday morning about a Wheatear on Colyford Common, frustratingly there was nothing I could do about it as am getting over a really nasty chest infection - I would usually be all over a late Wheatear! The next thing I know I am woken by a phonecall from Phil asking if I had seen his pics as the word Isabelline had been uttered. So I dragged myself up, spent about five minutes with the bird then went home back to bed!  ID had been sorted by the time I got to the bird - which was handy.

I've always hoped my first Izzy Wheatear would look tall and leggy...this one really didn't! But the bird was a lovely colour, a mix of sandy browns, buffs and off-whites, reminding me of a female Desert Wheatear more than a Northern. Really loved that subtle but distinctive face pattern too.

A pale lump

Such a concolorous bird, with just a bit of black in the wing and that famous alula!  Note its short-winged appearance too, primary tips falling way short of the tail-tip. 

A better view of its wing (and the alula!) but check out that face pattern! Eye and black bill connected by dark lores forming a dark line, with a neat pale supercillium above extending from behind eye to over bill base.

The only photo I managed of it standing taller.   Doesn't that face pattern look great from the front! At some angles the bird showed a lovely warm buff wash to its upper breast contrasting with a paler lower breast/belly, as shown in this pic.

 

So this is the second Wheatear I have seen on patch in the month of December, thanks to a Northern Wheatear on Seaton Marshes from 2nd - 16th Dec 2011.  There's no point comparing the above Izzy Wheatear photos with a spring male Northern Wheatear, so let's compare it with a Northern Wheatear photo taken on 7th Dec...

I remember thinking at the time this looked very Greenlandy as it was such a tall and long-winged bird

 

Isn't it so much easier when there is actually a bird to compare it with!

Looking at the above photo after looking at the photos of the Izzy Wheatear, how different is that head! Note the darker ear coverts with orange tones, the white supercillium opening up behind the eye and a grey crown.  There is so much more grey on this bird in general in fact, and look how long the wings are - primary tips overlapping the tail completely.   You can see more pics of this bird HERE. 

I can't tell you how thrilled I am the Axe has finally scored with a rare Wheatear!  The least likely of the regular rare Wheatears you could say too?