Andrew Grey's Westerns Bundle by Andrew Grey

Unfortunately only present in the skies overhead for 15 brief minutes, it was considered to be a Pacific Swift by observers, who noted its large, slim appearance versus neighbouring Common Swifts, a deeply forked tail, pale underparts, and lack of an obvious chin patch. On 5th, a Pacific or White-rumped Swift at Ham Wall RSPB, Somerset, sounded the mega alert. Unfortunately, it followed the established pattern of vagrant spring wheatears and remained a one-day bird, leaving only a few short hours for Irish birders to get down to the country's south-eastern corner for a chance at connecting.īlack-eared wheatear sp, South Slob, Wexford (Tom Shevlin). Young male Western also tends to look more advanced, while the Irish bird shows obvious signs of immaturity. If you 'fill in' these areas, the extent of this feature seems a better fit for Eastern. Although the identification is yet to be resolved, it might be an Easternafter all – black speckling in lower parts of the throat and above the eye suggest that the black throat/mask might not have completely developed. This week it was Ireland's turn to pick up the honours of the week's best find. A first-summer male Western/Eastern Black-eared Wheatearat South Slob, Co Wexford, on 6th led to some head scratching, with birders on site initially identifying it as a Western Black-eared Wheatear. It proved to be another excellent May week as far as rare visitors were concerned, with the breaking mega alert sounding no fewer than four times. Inland areas were treated to some excellent passage wader action – a major movement of Ruff in particular – while the prolonged stay of the Grey-headed Lapwing tempted many to head to Northumberland.

Andrew Grey's Westerns Bundle by Andrew Grey