Birdwatchers flocked to Irlam to see a rare visitor - Desert Wheatear according to today's Guardian (page 10). Better late than never - eh ?
jason atkinson said
Thu Mar 15 6:56 PM, 2007
you not one for juvenile females in autumn phil !!
cheers jason
-- Edited by jason atkinson at 19:56, 2007-03-15
Phil Woollen said
Tue Mar 13 9:31 AM, 2007
I'm glad my information has proven to be incorrect. Unfortunately there are a lot of people these days with cameras who think of the 'shot' more than the birds welfare. With the advent of digital cameras and large lenses at reasonable prices this is becoming more prevalent. I have a digital DSLR but consider myself a birder first and foremost rather than a photographer.
A cracking bird and a British 'sex' tick for me as previous ones have been autumn juvenile / female types.
Judith Smith said
Mon Mar 12 11:39 PM, 2007
Just to say that there will be an article in the Manchester Evg News about the Desert Wheatear tomorrow (Tuesday) with phots. Incidentally in BWP it says - when flushed, the bird flies off a considerable distance, landing behind a stone or a plant! So maybe we should have looked a bit further afield on Friday! As Graham says, it is a nocturnal migrant, but Friday evg was fine so it probably went then.
Graham Jones said
Mon Mar 12 7:42 PM, 2007
Hello all,
I was watching the Wheatear when it flew off and I can confirm that the bird was not flushed. It was feeding very well right up to 10.45 when it then took flight, gained height and headed off south.
Two people with cameras did enter the ditch next to field at around 11.00 (which they shouldn't have done), but the Wheatear had disappeared 15 minutes before these guys did this.
Admittedly I was surprised that a passerine which would generally migrate at night would decide to move off in such a way especially when it was obvious that it was feeding up very well in the newly ploughed field. But nobody flushed the bird, nobody entered the field, and quite simply the bird went of its own accord.
Graham Jones Greater Manchester Ecology Unit.
Phil Woollen said
Mon Mar 12 8:39 AM, 2007
Ian McKerchar wrote: It appears that nobody was anywhere near the Wheatear when it flew off (and wasn't seen again), it just decided to go, as they sometimes do
Hi all. The quote above was from Steve Young who was at the Desert Wheatear site after I left. It was in response to my request on Surfbirds that the perpetraters be named and shamed. Steve posted a picture captioned and addressed to me stating the bird hadn't been flushed but had just decided to fly off.mI had a phone call at 11.00ish from an irate Welsh birder who'd got to the site and spent 10 minutes watching the bird before two photographers entered the field. It flew off immediately. I have also been told this by at least two other people present on site.
I'm afraid I bleive the version of events I was told.
I'm also told Steve wasn't the photographer in question just to put the record straight.
Ian McKerchar said
Sun Mar 11 2:23 PM, 2007
It appears that nobody was anywhere near the Wheatear when it flew off (and wasn't seen again), it just decided to go, as they sometimes do
Dave Thacker said
Sat Mar 10 4:18 PM, 2007
No sign of it between 1/2 pm this afternoon along Roscoe and Astley Rd.Looks like I have missed it Quite a few birdwatchers looking for it though.
Tom McKinney said
Sat Mar 10 10:45 AM, 2007
Steve Menzie has posted a short video clip on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSxEqpC9bWE&eurl=
Judith Smith said
Fri Mar 9 10:21 PM, 2007
Ian and I think it's well worth having a look for this wheatear tomorrow. Both times it disappeared (today and yesterday late afternoon) coincided with an increase in the wind and drop in temperature. We think they are night migrants so, if it stays tonight, may be active early morning, before the wind gets up. I'm going to look along New Moss Rd at Cadishead as it appeared to fly in that direction - plenty of habitat there - but Roscoe Rd and Astley Rd worth a visit. And there's always the Short-eared Owls at Ringing Pits!
Ian McKerchar said
Fri Mar 9 9:52 PM, 2007
You're not alone Steven, rumour has it that it was flushed by a photographer? Anyone any idea if this is true or not
More great images have been uploaded to the galleries.
Steven Astley said
Fri Mar 9 7:38 PM, 2007
Missed it by 15 mins
Ian McKerchar said
Fri Mar 9 7:14 PM, 2007
"Some excellent photos were obtained by a number of photographers and hopefully the best of these will be on the cover of the 2007 county bird report!"
Unless someone finds something rarer that's as photogenic of course
It'll have to be a real major one though!
Henry Cook said
Fri Mar 9 6:56 PM, 2007
Unlucky! I know quite a few people were going for it this avo!
Judith Smith said
Fri Mar 9 3:11 PM, 2007
The Desert Wheatear was last seen about 1045hrs when it flew high out of the field where it had been feeding and was lost to view. As far as I am aware (1500hrs) it hasn't been relocated since? Some excellent photos were obtained by a number of photographers and hopefully the best of these will be on the cover of the 2007 county bird report!
jason atkinson said
Fri Mar 9 10:55 AM, 2007
got to site 6.15 this morning and it was showing well just on the road up to the farm house .. indeed great find by the farmer makes up for dipping great spotted cuckoo yesterday and on local turf ..
btw .. nice to meet tom mckinney and 2 very old friends from 25 years ago pete & adam (cwp days) great morning
cheers jason
Tom McKinney said
Fri Mar 9 10:54 AM, 2007
Still showing brilliantly today, commuting between Roscoe & Astley Road.
If parking looks to be a problem then the farmer will be opening up a field tomorrow for a small donation which will go to Christies hospital.
Tom McKinney said
Thu Mar 8 7:32 PM, 2007
Was present till 5.05pm then lost behind a hedgerow and no sign up until 6.30pm, so presumably went to roost.
Henry Cook said
Thu Mar 8 7:24 PM, 2007
WOW
indeed. Top find by the farmer! Wish I was there (only 2 weeks till I come back to the homeland!)
Henerz
Ian McKerchar said
Thu Mar 8 5:31 PM, 2007
A male Desert Wheatear was found on Irlam Moss today
The bird is in fields along Roscoe Road, Irlam and has ranged quite widely either side of the road, SJ 713941.
The bird was found in the morning by the farmer who rather commendibly identified it as a Black-eared Wheatear. Fortunately he contacted local birder Dave Steele who corrected the identification and contacted afew local birders. I arrived there just after 3 o'clock and at one point (along with Paul Heaton) even watched the bird running along the road and also catching insects on the farmers house roof!
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT BIRDERS VISITING THE SITE PARK VERY SENSIBLY AND DO NOT IN ANY WAY BLOCK THE ROAD, EVEN IF THAT MEANS PARKING SOME WAY OFF AND WALKING.
Some of my photos of the bird have been uploaded to the galleries on the main website.
cheers
jason
-- Edited by jason atkinson at 19:56, 2007-03-15
I'm glad my information has proven to be incorrect. Unfortunately there are a lot of people these days with cameras who think of the 'shot' more than the birds welfare. With the advent of digital cameras and large lenses at reasonable prices this is becoming more prevalent. I have a digital DSLR but consider myself a birder first and foremost rather than a photographer.
A cracking bird and a British 'sex' tick for me as previous ones have been autumn juvenile / female types.
Incidentally in BWP it says - when flushed, the bird flies off a considerable distance, landing behind a stone or a plant! So maybe we should have looked a bit further afield on Friday! As Graham says, it is a nocturnal migrant, but Friday evg was fine so it probably went then.
I was watching the Wheatear when it flew off and I can confirm that the bird was not flushed. It was feeding very well right up to 10.45 when it then took flight, gained height and headed off south.
Two people with cameras did enter the ditch next to field at around 11.00 (which they shouldn't have done), but the Wheatear had disappeared 15 minutes before these guys did this.
Admittedly I was surprised that a passerine which would generally migrate at night would decide to move off in such a way especially when it was obvious that it was feeding up very well in the newly ploughed field. But nobody flushed the bird, nobody entered the field, and quite simply the bird went of its own accord.
Graham Jones
Greater Manchester Ecology Unit.
The quote above was from Steve Young who was at the Desert Wheatear site after I left. It was in response to my request on Surfbirds that the perpetraters be named and shamed. Steve posted a picture captioned and addressed to me stating the bird hadn't been flushed but had just decided to fly off.mI had a phone call at 11.00ish from an irate Welsh birder who'd got to the site and spent 10 minutes watching the bird before two photographers entered the field. It flew off immediately. I have also been told this by at least two other people present on site.
I'm afraid I bleive the version of events I was told.
I'm also told Steve wasn't the photographer in question just to put the record straight.
More great images have been uploaded to the galleries.
Unless someone finds something rarer that's as photogenic of course
It'll have to be a real major one though!
got to site 6.15 this morning and it was showing well just on the road up to the farm house .. indeed great find by the farmer makes up for dipping great spotted cuckoo yesterday and on local turf ..
btw .. nice to meet tom mckinney and 2 very old friends from 25 years ago pete & adam (cwp days) great morning
cheers
jason
Wish I was there (only 2 weeks till I come back to the homeland!)
Henerz
The bird is in fields along Roscoe Road, Irlam and has ranged quite widely either side of the road, SJ 713941.
The bird was found in the morning by the farmer who rather commendibly identified it as a Black-eared Wheatear. Fortunately he contacted local birder Dave Steele who corrected the identification and contacted afew local birders. I arrived there just after 3 o'clock and at one point (along with Paul Heaton) even watched the bird running along the road and also catching insects on the farmers house roof!
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT BIRDERS VISITING THE SITE PARK VERY SENSIBLY AND DO NOT IN ANY WAY BLOCK THE ROAD, EVEN IF THAT MEANS PARKING SOME WAY OFF AND WALKING.
Some of my photos of the bird have been uploaded to the galleries on the main website.