Saturday, 20 October 2012

20th October 2012 Beachy Calm & Overcast

Stonechat 3
Siberian Stonechat 1 first-winter/female ex.
Chiffchaff 1
Corn Bunting 11

It frequently reminded me of a late Autumn 'rare' Wheatear with its peachy-blushed rump contrasting with its black tail being very Desert'esque!

Note the long primary projection virtually matching the length of the exposed tertials

Flanks uniform with underparts lacking any diffuse dark patterning. Also a strong contrast between its dark upperparts and very pale underparts.





Viewed head-on its supercilium was at its most prominent as was its whitish throat.


Note the unmarked peachy-coloured rump and uppertail-coverts

In flight it revealed a conspicuous white patch on its inner greater coverts



In flight it frequently offered glimpses of its dark underwing coverts and black axillaries contrasting with its whitish undersides of its flight feathers




 
First-winter/female Siberian Stonechat at Birling
We timed our return to the County well thanks to RJF finding this beauty and thinking to phone JFC to find out if we were home as DC hadn't yet charged his mobile!