Isabelline Wheatear at Cley Marshes NWT!

ISABELLINE WHEATEAR 

Cley Marshes NWT

 

 

Late this afternoon I managed to see what was originally ID'd as a Desert Wheatear earlier today and has now been re-identified as an Isabelline Wheatear. This just goes to show that you should question everything you see. After news of this new ID came out this evening, I sat studying my Collins bird book and I can see now that it is indeed an Isabelline Wheatear, even from my picture with the black alula contrasting with the wing and looking at the markings around eye! Also someone else had a brilliant set of photos to confirm its identity here.

I arrived a bit too late really, but managed to get this distant record shot (the other pics are dreadful and out of focus). This bird was in the exact same spot as the last one in November 2019 – see my pictures of the first Isabelline Wheatear for Cley here. Lovely walk along the East Bank and saw a big flock of Snow Buntings on the shingle ridge, a Meadow Pipit and a Stonechat perched up. On the way back a Woodcock flew over and I watched thousands of Pink-footed Geese flying through beautiful orange skies.

Pink-footed Geese 

From East Bank at Cley Marshes NWT