Desert Wheatear
Oenanthe deserti (Temminck, 1825) (9, 1)
Photo © Rob Stonehouse - Whitby, Yorkshire, 17 January 2018
STATUS
Palearctic. Polytypic.
OVERVIEW
BOU (1971) state three between 1880-87, two (1906-07) and (1928-29), one in 1940, with two more from 1949.
All three races (Africa, Asia and Middle East) have occurred here.
RECORDS
1). 1880 Upper Forth Gartmorn Dam, Clackmannanshire, male, 26th November.
(J. J. Dalgleish, Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh 6: 64-67; J. E. Harting, Zoologist 1881: 146; Anon., Proceedings of the Zoological Society 1881: 453; BOU, 1883; Witherby, 1920-24; Rintoul & Baxter, 1935).
History John J. Dalgleish (1881) in the Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh, Vol. VI. pp. 64-67, dated 19th January 1881, says: 'The specimen which has been the occasion of the foregoing remarks, and which is now on the table, was killed on 26th November last, by Mr. Watt, gamekeeper to Lord Balfour of Burleigh.
It was sitting on a stone in moorish ground, at the side of Gartmorn Dam, on the property of the Earl of Zetland, near Alloa, in Clackmannanshire. It fell into the hands of Mr. John Taylor of Alloa, who wrote to me, mentioning that he had a wheatear in his possession, the late date of whose appearance he thought worthy of notice, stating at the same time that the markings appeared to him different from those of the common wheatear. Having asked him to send it to me for examination, it has proved, on a careful comparison by Mr. J. A. Harvie-Brown and myself, with skins from Egypt and India, to be a specimen of Saxicola deserti (Rüpp.), the Desert Chat or Wheatear.
It is a male in autumn plumage, at which period the feathers of the throat, which in summer are of a jet black colour, begin to be edged by a creamy colour, and the margins of the wing feathers are also more distinct; the back is also of a greyer tinge at that season.
Unfortunately ten days elapsed, after it was shot, before Mr. Taylor obtained it for preservation, but although it has suffered a good deal in appearance in consequence, he has been very successful in setting it up. The contents of the stomach consisted of small flies. I may add that this is the second addition to the Saxicola on the British list within a recent period, a specimen of S. rufa, the russet chat, having been obtained for the first time in England, at Bury, Lancashire, on 8th May 1875, as recorded in P.Z.S., 1878, pp. 881, 977.
In connection with the occurrence of this specimen, it may be interesting to mention that some days later, namely, upon 9th December, a male Waxwing (Ampelis garrulus, L.), in fine plumage, was killed in the same neighbourhood, at Howtown, on the banks of the Devon, two miles west from Alloa, on the estate of Shawpark. It had been observed for some time previously. When obtained, it had been feeding upon the hips or seed-vessels of the wild rose.
Writing on the occurrence of these specimens, Mr. Harvie-Brown informs me that, from the returns which he and Mr. Cordeaux have received from the lightships in the English Channel, of the migration period of the autumn of 1880, it appears that, contrary to precedent and to the experience of 1879, the lines of migration were, during the whole autumn of 1880, from the French coast to the English coast; and that Great Grey Shrikes were unusually numerous in Great Britain, and crossing Helisjoland from east to west about the end of November, and Great Snipe not uncommon; while somewhat earlier, or on 21st September, an Esquimaux Curlew (Numenius lorealis, Forst.) was obtained in Kincardineshire, and a Glossy Ibis (Falcinellus igneus, Gm.), on October 4, in Aberdeenshire - these all pointing, in his opinion, to an unusually large wave of migration westwards during the late autumn.'
J. E. Harting, Editor (1881) in The Zoologist, 3rd series, Vol. V. p. 146, says: 'From a paper by Mr. J. J. Dalgleish read before the Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh on the 19th January last (Proc. Roy. Phys. Soc. Edin., Vol. VI. p. 64), it appears that a specimen of the Desert Wheatear (Saxicola deserti, Rüppell), was killed on the 26th November, 1880, near Alloa in Clackmannanshire.
The specimen having been forwarded to Mr. Dalgleish, he compared it with skins from Egypt and India, and satisfied himself as to the identity of the species. This is the second addition to the Saxicolae on the British List within a recent period, a specimen of the Russet Wheatear (S. rufa, Brisson), having been obtained for the first time in England at Bury, Lancashire, on the 8th May, 1875, as recorded in the Proc. Zool. Soc., 1878, pp. 881, 997.'
Anon. (1881) in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society, p. 453, at a meeting held on 5th April 1881, says: 'Mr. H. E. Dresser, F.Z.S., exhibited a specimen of Saxicola deserti (male in autumn dress), which had been shot at Gartmorn Dam near Alloa, in Clackmannanshire, and was in the collection of Mr. John J. Dalgleish of Edinburgh; also an adult male Picus pubescens, said to have been shot in an orchard near Elban (Seine-Inferieure), France, by M. Noury. This specimen had been sent by M. Noury to Mr. E. Hargitt as Picus minor, and was only on subsequent examination found to belong really to Picus pubescens (a purely American form), and not to P. minor.'
Admitted nationally in their first List of British Birds as the first for Britain (BOU 1883).
2). 1885 Yorkshire Between Easington and Kilnsea, first-winter female, shot, 17th October, O. d. homochroa.
(W. E. Clarke, Naturalist 10: 387; Anon., Proceedings of the Zoological Society 1885: 835-836; W. E. Clarke, Zoologist 1885: 479; W. E. Clarke, Ibis 1886: 100; J. A. Harvie Brown, J. Cordeaux & W. E. Clarke, Migration Report 7: 40; Ibis 1886: 100; Nelson, 1907; Witherby, 1920-24; H. F. Witherby, British Birds 24: 22-23; Mather, 1986).
History Wm. Eagle Clarke of Leeds (1885) in the new series of The Naturalist, Vol. X. p. 387, dated December 1885, and The Zoologist, (1885) 3rd series, Vol. IX. p. 479, says: 'Through the kindness of Mr. P. W. Lawton, I received what purported to be "a light variety of Wheatear", shot between the villages of Easington and Kilnsea, on the Holderness coast, on the 17th of October last.
A glance at the specimen at once suggested a rarity, on examination a suspicion that it was Saxicola deserti. This surmise as to the species has been confirmed by Prof. Newton and Mr. H. E. Dresser, who most kindly examined and compared the bird, whose tailless state rendered identification a matter of some difficulty. The specimen, which is a female, though it was too much injured to prove it to be such by dissection, is now in my possession, and was exhibited by Mr. Dresser at the meeting of the Zoological Society on the 17th November.
It is the first English specimen, the second British - one was shot in Clackmannanshire on the 26th of November, 1880 - and, I believe, the fourth occurrence of the species in Western Europe, two having been obtained on Heligoland.
Anon. (1885) in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society, pp. 835-836, at a meeting held on 17th November 1885, says: 'Mr. Dresser was also indebted to Mr. W. Eagle Clarke, for the opportunity of exhibiting a specimen of Saxicola deserti, the second recorded British-killed example, which had been shot between the village of Easington and the hamlet of Kilnsea near to Spurn Head, on the 17th of October this year.
It was at once sent to Mr. Clarke, but it was tailless and so much shot that it was impossible to determine the sex by dissection. Mr. Clarke mentioned, in order to show that at the time the bird was shot there was a considerable immigration to our shores, that a few Woodcocks, numbers of Goldcrests, Robins, Wrens, and Thrushes, and a few Owls had arrived at Spurn Head on the previous night or in the early morning of the same day. Mr. Dresser had no hesitation in referring this specimen to Saxicola deserti in spite of the lack of the tail, which was a distinguishing character, and it was evidently a female, as would be seen by comparison with carefully sexed specimens of the Desert Chat also on the table.'
W. E. Clarke (1886) in The Ibis, Vol. XXVIII. p. 100, in a Letter, says: 'The first occurrence in England of so great a waif as Saxicola deserti may be deemed worthy of record in the pages of The Ibis.
The bird in question was shot between the villages of Easington and Kilnsea, on the Holderness coast of Yorkshire, on the 17th of October last, and forwarded to me as a light variety of Saxicola oenanthe. The specimen is a young female, though too much injured to be proved such by dissection, and was exhibited on my behalf by Mr. H. E. Dresser at the Meeting of the Zoological Society of London on the 17th of November, 1886.'
J. A. Harvie Brown, J. Cordeaux & W. E. Clarke (1886) in the Report on the Migration of Birds in the Spring and Autumn of 1885, 7th report, p. 40, say: 'Spurn, October 17th, one, a female, shot; has been previously obtained once in Scotland.'
Nelson (1907 (1): 25-26) says: 'It was obtained between Easington and Kilnsea on 17th October 1885, and sent to Mr. William Eagle Clarke for identification. Mr. Dresser afterwards exhibited it at the Zoological Society's meeting, and stated it was a female. This bird is now in the collection of Mr. J. H. Gurney.'
H. F. Witherby (1930) in British Birds, Vol. XXIV. pp. 22-23, says: 'In our Practical Handbook, Vol. I. p. 434, it will be seen that of four birds included under (O. d. homochroa only one (Yorkshire, October 17th, 1885) was definitely assigned to this race, the other three not having been critically examined.'
3). 1887 Angus & Dundee Near Arbroath, Angus, male, 28th December.
(H. M. Drummond Hay, Ibis 1888: 283-285; Anon., Proceedings of the Zoological Society 1888: 140; A. N. Simpson, Scottish Naturalist 9: 290; H. M. Drummond Hay, Scottish Naturalist 9: 346; Harvie-Brown, 1906; Witherby, 1920-24; Baxter & Rintoul, 1953).
History H. M. Drummond Hay of Perth (1888) in The Ibis, Vol. VI. 5th series, pp. 283-285, dated 28th February 1888, says: 'As the following notice of what I believe to be the second occurrence of Saxicola deserti in Scotland may be interesting to some of the readers of The Ibis, and as the bird came into my hands in a somewhat chance way, I do not hesitate to send you the full particulars.
On the 9th of last month, in writing on certain matters to an ornithological friend in Arbroath, Mr. A. Nichol Simpson, who is ever observant of the birds reaching our coasts and has already formed a considerable collection, I casually asked him if any rarities had lately been seen in his neighbourhood. On the 13th I received a note in reply to say that he had heard, among other things, that a Wheatear had been shot by Mr. Alexander Marshall, birdstuffer in that town.
Thinking it curious that a Wheatear should appear on the coast in mid-winter, and believing it might turn out to be only a Stonechat, a bird which not infrequently remains with us all winter, I wrote to Mr. Simpson to ask if he could kindly get the bird for my inspection.
On questioning Mr. Marshall on the subject, Mr. Simpson found that, considering the bird to be only a Common Wheatear, though a very highly coloured specimen, Mr. Marshall had not preserved it, owing to part of the head having been shot away, and had left it lying ever since outside his shop, where, most fortunately, it still remained, though some two or three weeks had elapsed.
My friend [Mr. A. Nicol Simpson], being in a great hurry at the time, did not examine it, and thinking it of no use for preservation in the state it was, enclosed it to me in a common envelope, without any protection, so that, on its arrival, owing to the effects of having been well stamped in the various post-offices through which it had passed, the chances of its preservation, as may be imagined, had not increased.
On hastily tearing open the very unpresentable envelope, guess the astonishment of the recipient to find, instead of the anticipated Stonechat, an example of Saxicola deserti! Fearing the specimen might be lost to science, I sent it off at once to Mr. Harvie-Brown, of Dunipace (but a little more carefully packed), to confirm the discovery for me, with the request that he would kindly forward it on immediately to Mr. Robert Small, birdstuffer, Edinburgh, to see if he could possibly do anything with it. Under Mr. Small's able manipulation, I am happy to say it was most successfully carbolized, it being impossible to skin it; nor could the sex be ascertained, but it is believed to be a young male of the season.
It was shot about half a mile east of Arbroath, as it was flying inland across the road leading along the top of the cliffs, on the 28th December, 1887, at about 2.30 p.m., the wind blowing a slight gale from the south at the time; there had been severe frost previous to this.'
Anon. (1888) in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society, p. 140, says: 'The Secretary exhibited, on behalf of Lt.-Col. H. M. Drummond-Hay, a specimen of the Desert Wheatear (Saxicola deserti), killed near Arbroath, in Scotland, on the 28th of December, 1887, being the third instance of the occurrence of this bird in Great Britain.'
A. Nicol Simpson (1888-89) in the Scottish Naturalist, Vol. IX. p. 346, says: 'One was shot here on 27th December, 1887, and forwarded by me to Col. H. M. Drummond Hay, who kindly communicated a note of its occurrence to the Ibis. Col. Hay informs me that this is the second specimen found in Scotland, the other having been got at Alloa, near Stirling.'
H. M. Drummond Hay (1888-89) in the Scottish Naturalist, Vol. IX. p. 346, says: 'A bird of this species was shot about half a mile east of Arbroath by Mr. Alex. Marshall, bird-stuffer in that place, as it was flying inland across the road, leading along the top of the cliffs, on the 28th of December, 1887, at about 2-30 p.m., there being a fresh gale from the south at the time. There had been severe frost previously.
This specimen was exhibited before the Perthshire Society of Natural Science on the 9th of February, and early in March 1888 before the Zoological Society of London by P. Lutley Sclater, Esq., Secretary of the Society. This is the second appearance of this bird in Scotland, one having been shot in the previous year in the Forth district at Alloa. There is no instance as yet, of its having been noticed in any other part of Britain.'
Accepted locally (Harvie-Brown 1906: 69-70).
Comment Once again Drummond Hay has mixed the dates up; the Alloa specimen was in 1880.
4). 1906 Orkney Pentland Skerries, adult male, killed, 2nd June, O. d. oreophila, now at National Museums of Scotland (NMSZ 1906.5).
(W. E. Clarke, Annals of Scottish Natural History 1906: 138-139; J. Paterson, Annals of Scottish Natural History 1907: 134; H. F. Witherby & N. F. Ticehurst, British Birds 1: 54; Witherby, 1920-24; Baxter & Rintoul, 1953).
History Wm. Eagle Clarke (1906) in the Annals of Scottish Natural History, Vol. XV. pp. 138-139, says: 'A male in full summer dress occurred at the Pentland Skerries on the 2nd of June. This appears to be the fourth known occurrence of this species in Great Britain and the third for Scotland.'
Admitted by John Paterson of Glasgow (1907) in the Annals of Scottish Natural History, Vol. XVI. p. 134, in the annual report for 1906, and by H. F. Witherby & N. F. Ticehurst (1907) in British Birds, Vol. I. p. 54, under 'On the More Important Additions to our Knowledge of British Birds since 1899', adding: 'Male adult captured June 2nd, 1906. This is the third record of the occurrence of this species in Scotland, and the fourth in the British Isles.'
Comment The racial identity of this Asian individual was formerly known as O. d. atrogularis.
5). 1907 Norfolk Between Cley-next-the-Sea and Blakeney Point, adult male, obtained, 31st October, O. d. homochroa, now at Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery (Acc. No. 1954Z1.934).
(J. H. Gurney, jun., Zoologist 1908: 132; Eds., British Birds 2: 34; Witherby, 1920-24; Pashley, 1925; H. F. Witherby, British Birds 24: 23; Seago, 1977; Stoddart & Joyner, 2005; Watson, 2010).
History J. H. Gurney, jun., of Keswick Hall, Norwich (1908) in The Zoologist, 4th series, Vol. XII. p. 132, says: 'October 31st. S.W., 2. The Desert Wheatear is a bird which we have been expecting for some time, but it does not appear to have been identified in Norfolk or Suffolk until to-day, when I am informed of one being shot near the sea. This a large example, a male bird, and apparently an old one from its plumage, measuring, after it was stuffed, 6.3 in. from tip of tail to tip of beak; throat richly mottled with black, on the back a delicate buff tint. This is only the second occurrence of the Desert Wheatear in England. The first one, obtained in Yorkshire in October, 1885, was a young female, not so large a bird as the present example; it has appeared oftener in Scotland Heligoland....The wind the day before had been S. 4, from which quarter it had been blowing strong since the 28th.'
In an Editorial (1908) in British Birds, Vol. II. p. 34, they say: 'A male was shot "near the sea" on October 31st. This is only the second recorded occurrence of this southern bird in England, although, curiously enough, three have been obtained in Scotland.'
Pashley (1925) says: '1907. October 29th-31st. On the 31st, Mr. Catling got an adult male Desert Wheatear, the first specimen for Norfolk and the second for England (Scotland also claims two).'
H. F. Witherby (1930) in British Birds, Vol. XXIV. p. 23, says: 'I may mention, therefore, that I have recently examined, by the kindness of Mr. W. R. Lysaght in whose collection, it is, the bird from "near the sea" (Cley, Norfolk) obtained on October 31st, 1907. This bird, like the Fair Isle one, is in fresh autumn plumage, but the sandy colour of its upperparts is of a distinctly rufous tinge and the bird compares well with specimens of the western form (O. d. homochroa).'
Stoddart & Joyner (2005: 21) add: 'M. A. Catling of Cley, and formed part of the Connop collection which is now housed in the City of Birmingham Museum.'
Watson (2010) in detailing the W. R. Lysaght collection in the Birmingham Museum lists a male specimen obtained at Cley, Norfolk, on 31st October 1907, without further detail.
Comment Preserved by H. N. Pashley, Cley, Norfolk.
6). 1928 Fair Isle Houll, male, shot, 6th October, O. d. deserti, now at National Museums of Scotland (NMSZ 1928.110.1).
(J. H. Stenhouse, Scottish Naturalist 48: 180; H. F. Witherby, British Birds 24: 22-23; BOU (1930), Ibis 72: 245; Dymond, 1991; Pennington et al., 2007).
History J. H. Stenhouse (1928) in the Scottish Naturalist, Vol. XLVIII. p. 180, says: 'A beautiful male example of this bird in freshly-moulted autumn plumage was obtained by Mr. James Stout at Fair Isle on 6th October.
The skin, which is now in the Royal Scottish Museum, was sent south with the information that the bird was with difficulty secured, it being very wild, and that it had apparently arrived that day after a strong, south-easterly wind on the 5th. Its measurements were: wing 93.5, tail 60, tarsus 26.5, bill 13.
As there was doubt as to which race of Desert Wheatear it belonged, it was sent to Dr. Hartert at Tring. He has kindly examined and compared it and reports that it "should be called Oenanthe deserti deserti. It fits beautifully into a series of autumn specimens of typical deserti and stands out from the more rufous sandy birds of homochroa"....The above is the first definite record of its occurrence in the British Isles. Representatives of two other races of this species have, however, been recorded; a bird of the Saharan race homochroa having been obtained in Yorkshire in 1885; whilst one of the South-West Asian race atrogularis reached the Pentland Skerries in June 1906 and another was found in Kent in may 1913. Three other British examples of the Desert Wheatear (two of them Scottish birds) have not been critically examined and it is not known to which races they belong.'
H. F. Witherby (1930) in British Birds, Vol. XXIV. pp. 22-23, says: 'A male example of a Desert Wheatear in freshly moulted plumage was obtained by Mr. James Stout at Fair Isle, Shetland, on October 6th, 1928. In chronicling this event in the Scottish Naturalist (1928, p. 180), Surgeon Rear-Admiral J. H. Stenhouse stated that the bird was very wild and that it had apparently arrived that day after a strong south-easterly wind on the 5th. The specimen was submitted to Dr. Hartert, who reported: "It fits beautifully into a series of autumn specimens of typical deserti and stands out from the more rufous sandy birds of homochroa".'
Admitted nationally in their Seventh List Report as the first for Britain of the nominate race, O. d. deserti (BOU (1930) Ibis 72: 245).
Comment Obtained by James A. Stout at Houll on Fair Isle (Pennington et al. 2007) with the specimen being sent to Ernst Hartert at the NHM who identified it as of the nominate race.'
7). 1929 Fair Isle Gunglesund, male, shot, 26th October, O. d. homochroa.
(J. Wilson, Scottish Naturalist 50: 8; Eds., British Birds 24: 84; Williamson, 1965; Dymond, 1991; Pennington et al., 2004).
History Jerome Wilson of Fair Isle (1930) in the Scottish Naturalist, Vol. L. p. 8, under 'Saharan Desert Wheatear and Rose-coloured Pastor at Fair Isle', says: 'A male specimen of this Wheatear was shot here on 26th October.'
[The Wheatear was identified as being of the western race, Oenanthe deserti homochroa, and the identification was confirmed by Dr. Hartert who kindly examined it and compared it with specimens in the Tring Museum. He states that it agrees perfectly with a specimen of similar date from Biskra....The Wheatear is the first certain specimen of its race known to have occurred in Scotland. - Eds.]
In an Editorial (1930) in British Birds, Vol. XXIV. p. 84, they say: 'Western Desert Wheatear (Oenanthe d. homochroa). - A male was obtained on October 26th and its identification as of this race was confirmed by Dr. Hartert. It is remarkable that a year before, a Desert Wheatear of the typical race was obtained on the island (see B.B., antea, p. 22). Two other Desert Wheatears have been obtained in Scotland, but these have not been critically examined (J. Wilson, p. 8).'
P. E. Davis (Williamson 1965) states the year erroneously as 1928. Pennington et al. (2004) add: 'This individual was shot by Jerome Wilson at Gunglesund on Fair Isle.'
8). 1940 Fair Isle No locality, first-winter male, shot, 18th November, O. d. deserti.
(G. Waterston, British Birds 38: 229; Dymond, 1991; Pennington et al., 2004).
History G. Waterston (1945) in British Birds, Vol. XXXVIII. p. 229, under 'Notes from Fair Isle, 1939-45', says: 'Desert Wheatear - Leslie Anderson, of Vaasetter, Fair Isle, obtained a male in its first-winter plumage on 18th November 1940. Mr. N. B. Kinnear to whom the specimen was submitted, writes that owing to the fact that most of the skins at the British Museum are away in the country, he is unable to distinguish the race to which it belongs.'
Pennington et al. (2004) add: 'It has since been assigned to the nominate race.'
9). 1949 Yorkshire Gorple Reservoir, near Halifax, 12th November to 22nd January 1950, trapped 9th January, photo.
(R. Chislett, Naturalist 75: 14; G. R. Edwards, British Birds 43: 179-183, plates 34-36; Mather, 1986).
History George R. Edwards (1950) in British Birds, Vol. XLIII. pp. 179-183, says: 'The week commencing November 7th, 1949, was a period of high winds and rain which developed into a full gale by the morning of November 12th.
On this date a reservoir keeper in the Halifax area reported that on November 9th he had picked up the half-eaten remains of a Little Auk (Alle alle) and had also seen "a wheatear". The latter bird, he said, had been about the reservoir embankment for several days and showed no inclination to continue its migration.
I visited the reservoir on the following day expecting to see perhaps a late Greenland Wheatear (Oenanthe o. leucorrhoa) but failed to see the bird, although within an hour of my departure the keeper saw it again. No further reports were received, and it was not until December 18th, when A.M. and P.C.A., both junior members of the Halifax Zoological Group (now the Ornithological section of Halifax Scientific Society), visited the reservoirs that they learned from the keeper that the wheatear was still present. They soon located it on the reservoir embankment feeding on insects, but unfortunately it was standing with its back towards them and took flight while they were still some distance away. However, they noticed through their field-glasses that the rear plumage pattern consisted of a buff-white rump and an almost completely black tail, instead of the normal pure white rump and black tail with half white outer tail-feathers of the Common Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe).
While these two boys were having lunch in the keeper's house, and unknown to them, R. C. (also of the junior H.Z.G.) arrived and located the bird himself. He was fortunate enough to see the bird at close range and at once noticed its black face and throat and also the tail pattern and tight markings on the closed wing. He then met the others, and together they took very full notes and made numerous sketches throughout the remainder of the daylight hours. That same evening they consulted The Handbook and came to the conclusion that the bird was a Desert Wheatear, then brought the sketches and notes for me to see.
These were sufficiently accurate for me to say conclusively that the bird was indeed one of the forms of Desert Wheatear, so the following day (December 19th) A.M. and I visited the reservoir and had excellent views of the bird from a few feet distance - and often up to the focusing limit of the x 9 binoculars. Beyond confirming the record it was not possible to do more than make observations on this occasion, although in view of the fact that all three forms have been recorded on less than eight occasions in this country, this in itself was an event.
A few days later Mr. R. S. R. Fitter was able to add his confirmation to the record on December 24th. The bird was seen between Christmas and New Year by several, members of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union, and also by P. A. D. Hollom, but while the bird was definitely established as a Desert Wheatear, it was obviously impossible to determine the subspecies without first procuring the bird. Two methods of doing this were open to choice - shooting or trapping; but, as we are against the former practice on the grounds that it would have deprived our visitors and all other ornithologists of the unique opportunity of seeing a Desert Wheatear alive in this country, we trapped it.
The bird was carefully examined, photographed, plumage details sketched and notes taken. It was then ringed (No. F 3270) and released. This took place on January 9th, 1950, and the bird was seen, and its ring noted, on January 15th, and on several later dates by the keeper and his wife. It was last seen on January 22nd by myself when the reservoir was partly frozen over.
Habitat. - The area chosen as winter-quarters by this presumably lost migrant consists of bleak grass and heather moorland at an altitude of between 1,000 and 1,500 feet above sea level and is some sixty miles from the coast. The ground is given over to grouse, and a few sheep roam the hillsides, but its main function is as gathering grounds for a group of reservoirs. Because of this there are a number of derelict farms in the area, and sections of blackened stone walls in various states of disrepair surround these remains. Other parts of the ground are bare and stony, and there are considerable outcrops of rock on the steeper slopes, but much of the land consists of peat bog, especially in the area immediately around the reservoir edges. The only inhabited house is that belonging to the reservoir keeper, and this lies about a hundred yards from the nearest point of the reservoir itself. The wheatear rarely moved far from the area covered by the reservoir embankment, the final 100 yards of the catch-water leading into the reservoir, the keeper's garden, and a ruined farm building which was in process of demolition by a gang of workmen.
Field Characters and Habits. - This bird was an adult male in winter plumage and therefore possessed little of the warm sandy colour apparent in the breeding plumage. The form and carriage were typically that of the Common Wheatear, although several observers remarked on its small size. The tail was constantly in motion and a good deal of bobbing and posturing took place during intervals between the capture of passing insects. The blacks of head, wings and tail were less intense, and overall the bird displayed practically nothing of the brilliant contrasting tones of a "Thorburn" specimen. Coupled to this must be the inevitable coating of West Riding grime which most birds in the industrial area acquire in a very short space of time, and of which the Desert Wheatear appeared to have more than its fair share. From these remarks it will be obvious that to the few people, other than ornithologists, who happened to see this bird, it appeared singularly unattractive. Two panels of dull white - roughly oblong in shape - were the most conspicuous feature of the closed wing. In flight these light patches, together with the white on the inner webs of the primaries, superficially resembled the markings on the wing of a Chaffinch. The wing was, therefore, considerably different in appearance from the plain wing pattern of the Common Wheatear. The rump (even in breeding plumage) is not pure white, but in our grimy example the contrast between rump and tail was even less marked. The bird spent most of its time along the embankment, darting from the wall-top to take insects on the path, at the water's edge, against the vertical face of the wall, or in mid-air after the manner of a flycatcher. The wall top was a favourite feeding area unless high winds forced it to take shelter, and it obtained a surprising number of insects in this situation.
The whole moorland area boasts only one tree, but the bird was never seen to perch on this, although it is said to do so in its native habitat. It was interesting to discover that when the workmen ceased work for a period (e.g. the dinner hour) they stopped the petrol engine operating their stone-crushing machine and as soon as the noise had died away, the wheatear would leave the embankment, fly up to the ruined farm and enjoy a spell of insect hunting there until the machine was re-started. During one of these visits it was seen to extract a worm from the earth, but on all other occasions it appeared to concentrate on winged prey. Frequent visits were paid to the keeper's garden, which enabled us to observe its movements even during meal times, and although the soil was recently turned over and quite soft, it preferred to secure its food from the concrete pathway leading up to the house door. Towards the end of January the weather became much colder and the reservoir surface was frozen over for some distance from the embankment. Through the field-glass it was possible to see small insects on, or flying over, the ice in fair numbers.
The wheatear flew out to capture these on numerous occasions, and perched without hesitation on the ice. However, this unique experience must have finally convinced it that the " sands of the desert " do grow cold, for this was the last occasion on which the bird was seen! No sound was heard from the bird in the field prior to being trapped, but during the few minutes of its captivity it repeatedly opened its bill uttering a rather nondescript sound as though it had lost its voice and was making a brave attempt to call. The result was a soft coughing or sighing sound. On the day the bird was last seen (January 22nd) the same repeated opening and closing of the bill was observed on several occasions, but only on two of these was it possible to hear the attempted "call".
Description. - (Taken from live bird in the hand). Crown of head and nape, greyish-buff; back, orange-buff (but difficult to determine accurately owing to grimy state of plumage); rump, grey or buff-white; the basal half of the tail-feathers, hidden by the tail-coverts, was found to be pure white. Sides of face, cheeks and throat, sooty-black with a good deal of white speckling (the winter plumage) which rendered these areas much less contrasty than in the summer plumage; upper breast, tinged orange-buff, showing darker than the rest of the breast and under-parts, which were dirty buff to greyish-white; the dull white eye-stripe was more conspicuous behind the eye than between the eye and the base of the bill, although there was a slight suggestion that this area and the lower part of the forehead were lighter than the greyish-brown crown. Iris, black; legs and bill, black; primaries, black on the outer webs (not intense black at this time of the year), and smoky-brown with darker tips on inner webs. The first four primaries showed little or no white on the basal half of the inner webs (see Plate 35), but the amount of white increased towards the innermost primaries; secondaries, smoky-brown, well-edged and tipped with buff; the four innermost of the greater-coverts, edged broadly with white, the last of these showing considerably more white than black, while the three remaining inner coverts were broadly edged with white, but had jet-black centres; the remaining (outermost) of the greater coverts were brownish-black edged buff; median and lesser coverts were orange-buff shading to white. The latter formed a conspicuous light patch near the carpal joint. Three of these lesser coverts were also jet-black and edged with white; the basal third of the tail-feathers was white and the remaining two-thirds, sooty-black.
A selection of skins comprising the three forms of Desert Wheatear on the British List and also the Tibetan form, was examined and compared with notes and photographs of our bird. The Tibetan form (Oenanthe deserti oreophila) and the Eastern Desert Wheatear (Oenanthe deserti atrogularis)* both showed considerably more white in all the primaries and can, I think, safely be ruled out., but no definite conclusion could be arrived at with regard to the typical form (Oenanthe deserti deserti) and the Western Desert Wheatear (Oenanthe deserti homochroa). Separation between these two forms rests upon the colour of the upper-parts, which in deserti is "greyer and less rufous-sandy" than in homochroa. Our bird being grimy and in winter plumage, was impossible to assign to either. We have, nevertheless, the greater satisfaction of knowing that this particular bird can be identified, should it ever be recovered, and although such a possibility is always remote, we believe in its having that chance.
Grateful acknowledgement is due to J. Crossley, reservoir keeper who first reported the bird; to A. Mitchell, P. C. Andrews, and R. Crossley, the junior members who correctly identified the species; to R. F. Dickens and P. E. Davis of the Y.N.U., without whose assistance the bird would not have been trapped and who were also responsible for the detailed plumage notes; and to R. Patterson, Director of the Halifax Corporation Museums for obtaining a series of skins from the British Museum.'
* [The "List Committee" of the British Ornithologists' Union has decided that when adequate material is compared O. d. atrogularis is not separable from O. d. deserti, so that the former becomes a synonym of the latter. - Eds.]
1950-57 RECORD
10). 1955 Co. Durham Jarrow Slake, male, 4th to 18th December, trapped 17th December, photo.
(F. R. Gray, British Birds 50: 77-79, plates 12 & 13; G. W. Temperley, Transactions of the Northumberland, Durham and Newcastle-upon-Tyne Natural History Society 11: 206; Bowey & Newsome, 2012: photo).
History Fred R. Gray (1957) in British Birds, Vol. L. pp. 77-79, says: 'From 4th to 18th December 1955 a male Desert Wheatear (Oenanthe deserti) was watched by many observers on Jarrow Slake, which lies on the boundary between South Shields and Jarrow, Co. Durham; there is no previous record of this species in the county and it appears to be the twelfth for Britain. The Slake is a tidal mud-flat of 130 acres on the River Tyne, in a completely industrialized area; there are extensive timber-yards on its eastern and southern sides, and its edges are little more than heaps of slag and ash where small patches of grass and weeds maintain a sickly existence.
On 4th December D. Watson visited the area and saw what he felt confident was a "wheatear", but of a species other than O. oenanthe; he immediately reported the occurrence to the writer. D.W.'s accurate description and field-sketches, along with reference to the account of the Desert Wheatear near Halifax in 1949-50 (antea, Vol. XLIII. pp. 179-183), led to the surmise that the bird was of that same species and prompted an immediate return to Jarrow Slake, but during the whole of that afternoon it was not seen. However, on 5th December A. Nelson and D.W. had very close views of the rare visitor; and on the 6th the writer also saw it well, concluding that it was indeed a Desert Wheatear.
During the next twelve days the identification was confirmed by the following, who saw the bird as a result of the kind permission granted by Mr. G. H. Brown, the manager of the timber-yard: - G. W. Temperley, Dr. H. M. S. Blair, Mr. and Mrs. T. H. Alder, J. Alder, A. Baldridge, B. Little, A. Blackett, L. Holloway, J. H. Arthur, P. Stead, A. Jones, R. Lowe, M. Bell, Mrs. Martin, Dr. Barnes, Dr. Spence, A. Frizzell and J. Frizzell.
In the field the bird was perhaps slightly smaller than O. oenanthe, but resembled it in shape and carriage, as it did also in its characteristic actions. Since it seemed unperturbed by the noisy bustle of the timber-yard or by the presence of the watchers, remarkably close views were obtained and the following is a summary of the main plumage details:
The crown, neck and dorsal area were a sandy-brown, the wings being the same colour with an edge of black which broadened on the black primaries. In good light this black was seen to have a brownish cast about it, and the buff edges to the dark feathers were noticeable. There was a small patch of very pale sandy colour, almost white, in the carpal region. The underparts were pale sandy with a greyer tinge than the upper-parts, shading to grey under tail-coverts. A noticeable head-on feature was an orange tinge on the breast plumage. The head-pattern was distinctive, with the yellowish-buff superciliary stripe, more prominent behind the eye, and the dark feathers of the ear-coverts, malar region, chin and throat. At a distance this area of dark feathers appeared uniform dull grey, but closer views showed that there was an admixture of black streaks and patches. The most diagnostic feature was the tail, very different from that of O. oenanthe, since the black area extended almost up to the rump, which showed in flight merely as a paler grey area instead of a white patch. It called very infrequently and then only a subdued "tchuk". One of its characteristics was its frequent hovering, seen by J. Alder on one occasion as high as about 10 feet. A pile of pit-props was often used as a perch, as were stones and, less frequently, the dry stems of mugwort.
On 17th December the bird was trapped; and it was then ringed, examined in detail by J. Alden, T. H. Alder and the writer, and photographed before being released. A copy of the plumage description taken when the bird was in the hand has been sent to British Birds with this note, and four of the photographs taken by J. Alder are reproduced on plates 12 and 13.
The bird had a warm buff tone on the back and scapulars and this led us to believe that it was of the western race (O. d. homochroa); while the definitely brown appearance of the tail and remiges seemed strong evidence for distinguishing the bird as a first-winter male. On 18th December the ringed bird was seen hunting diligently for food, but apparently with little success, in the nooks and crannies of the bank edging the Slake. Presumably it was hunting for spiders, though on one previous occasion it had been seen to resort to pulling a worm from the ground.
A. Baldridge noted that it was repeatedly opening its beak without emitting any sound. Fears were expressed about its survival, the weather at the time being very severe, with snow lying and temperatures as low as 26.1°F, and the bird was in fact not seen after the 18th by any reliable observer, so far as is known.'
NOT PROVEN
0). 1892 Yorkshire Spurn, seen, 18th September.
(J. Cordeaux, Zoologist 1892: 424; J. Cordeaux, Naturalist 19: 7; J. Cordeaux, Zoologist 1895: 57; Cordeaux, 1899).
[Nelson, 1907].
History John Cordeaux of Eaton Hall, Retford (1892) in The Zoologist, 3rd series, Vol. XVI. p. 424, says: 'Mr. H. B. Hewetson, of Leeds, sends a sketch of the head of a Wheatear seen by himself and two sons on Sept. 18th, near the chalk bank at Spurn. He says, "I was quite close to it for a long time; as we walked along, it flew on with a party of Common Wheatears". It was russet-coloured, with sides of the head and throat black. It may have been an adult male Saxicola stapazina or S. deserta. Presuming, however, that Mr. Hewtson's sketch is quite correct, as to the extension of the black to the lower part of the throat, it is suggestive rather of S. melanoleuca (Güld.), the eastern form of the Black-throated Chat.'
J. Cordeaux (1893) in The Naturalist, Vol. XIX. p. 7, under 'Wheatear', says: 'On Sept. 18th, Mr. H. B. Hewetson, of Leeds, in company with his two sons, observed a russet coloured Wheatear with the sides of the head and throat black, near the chalk embankment at the Spurn; he wrote, "I was quite close to it for some time as we walked along, it flew on with a party of Wheatears".
It may have been an adult male of Saxicola stapazina or perhaps S. deserti; but presuming that Mr. Hewetson's sketch of the head of this bird, which he sent me shortly after seeing it, is absolutely correct as to the extension of the black to the lower throat, it is suggestive rather of S. melanoleuca (Güld.), the eastern form of the Black-throated Chat.'
J. Cordeaux (1895) in The Zoologist, 3rd series, Vol. XIX. p. 57, says: 'A russet-coloured Wheatear, with the sides of the head and throat black, apparently an adult male, was seen by Mr. Hewetson and his sons on Sept. 18th, 1892, near the chalk embankment of the Spurn. Mr. Hewetson wrote, "I was quite close to it for some time". If the sketch of the bird, which he obligingly sent me, is quite correct as to the extension of the black to the lower part of the throat, it is more probable that this was S. melanoleuca (Güld.), the eastern form of S. stapazina (Zool., 1892, p. 424; Nat., 1893, p. 7).'
Nelson (1907 (1): 26) placing the record in square brackets, says: 'The late J. Cordeaux stated that he was of opinion Mr. H. B. Hewetson saw an example of the Black-throated Wheatear at Spurn on 18th September 1892. This record is merely quoted for what it is worth.'
Comment Not specifically identified. Not acceptable.
0). 1913 Kent Scotney Gravel-pit, male, obtained, 21st May.
(H. W. Ford-Lindsay, British Birds 7: 117; W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 34: 179; E. N. Bloomfield, Hastings and East Sussex Naturalist 2: 98).
[E. M. Nicholson & I. J. Ferguson-Lees, British Birds 55: 299-384 HR].
History H. W. Ford-Lindsay (1913) in British Birds, Vol. VII. p. 117, says: 'On May 21st, 1913, a fine male specimen of the Desert Wheatear was obtained at Scotney, in Kent. It was shown to me in the flesh on May 22nd. This is the first record for the county, although there have been five previous records for the British Isles - three in Scotland, and two in England.' [By the kindness of Mr. J. B. Nichols, in whose possession it is, I have examined this specimen carefully in company with Dr. E. Hartert, and find it to be an example of the Eastern Desert Wheatear (Oenanthe deserti albifrons). Only one identified specimen of this form of the Desert Wheatear has previously been recorded for the British Isles. - H.F.W.]
W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, Editor (1914) in the Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club, Vol. XXXIV. p. 179, on the unexpected occurrences for 1913, says: 'Eastern Desert Wheatear. Male shot, Scotney, Romney Marsh (Kent), May 21st.'
Comment Hastings rarity. Not acceptable.
0). 1923 Sussex Pevensey, male, 30th March.
(W. R. Butterfield, Hastings and East Sussex Naturalist 4: 3; Walpole-Bond, 1938).
[E. M. Nicholson & I. J. Ferguson-Lees, British Birds 55: 299-384 HR].
History W. R. Butterfield (1924) in the Hastings and East Sussex Naturalist, Vol. IV. p. 3, under 'Western Desert Wheatear', says: 'A male was shot at Pevensey on March 30th and sent to Mr. G. Bristow. This subspecies occurs in the Sahara and is not known to have strayed to Sussex before.'
Accepted locally (Walpole-Bond 1938 (2): 89).
Comment Hastings rarity. Not acceptable.
0). 1950 Cornwall Marazion, female, 29th August.
(B. King, British Birds 44: 313-314; B. King, Cornwall Bird-Watching & Preservation Society Report 1950: 15-16; Penhallurick, 1978).
[D. I. M. Wallace, C. Bradshaw & M. J. Rogers, British Birds 99: 463].
History B. King (1951) in British Birds, Vol. XLIV. pp. 313-314, says: 'Cornwall. - Mr. E. R. Jones and the writer visited the Marazion Marshes, Cornwall, at 6.45 (B.S.T.) on August 29th, 1950. We had been watching a Greenshank (Tringa nebularia) for some time, when suddenly a wheatear, which appeared noticeably dark in flight, was observed to alight on a gorse bush, only twenty yards distant, and remain on the outermost branches for at least a quarter of an hour. Though it perched in rather a squatting attitude, a few feet from the ground, it did allow us to obtain exceptionally good views, and by using x 8 binoculars and a x 30 telescope full plumage details were noted. Such unusual characters as generally ashy-brown plumage, tail almost wholly black, buff barring on wing and well defined whitish pattern on wing coverts, were clearly seen. It was on consulting The Handbook later that morning that we felt convinced we had been fortunate enough to have seen a female Desert Wheatear (Oenanthe deserti). Details of plumage are given below:
Head, nape and mantle ashy grey-brown; rump white; practically whole of tail, which was slightly forked, deep sooty-black without any white margins down the side. Upper wing - primaries black-brown; secondaries same colour with feathers margined buff, showing bars across the wing; wing-coverts defined by much white, forming an even and noticeable pattern. Side of head - eye-stripe and behind eye buff, ear-coverts grey-brown. Under parts - throat buffish-white; slight rufous brown on side of neck; breast dirty grey-brown with lower belly whitish. Soft parts - bill, legs and iris, black. Altogether the bird was under observation for about one hour and a half and on no occasion did it call. The greater part of the time it remained on the lowest branches of the gorse and bramble bushes, seldom bobbing and jerking as is characteristic of the commoner species. Twice, whilst on the ground, and in a rather thrush-like manner, large green caterpillars were picked up and stunned before being swallowed. The bird was flushed on three occasions when finally it was seen to fly over a high wall and so was lost to view. Mr. A. G. Parsons, Joint Hon. Secretary of the Cornwall Bird Watching and Preservation Society, forwarded the field notes to Mr. W. B. Alexander and Mr. P. H. T. Hartley for their expert opinion. It is desired here to express our thanks for their kindness on our behalf.'
B. King (1950) in the Cornwall Bird-Watching & Preservation Society Report, Vol. XX. pp. 15-16, say: 'On Marazion Marsh, on August 29th, I saw a Wheatear with appearance as given below. Plumage details: Head, nape and mantle ashy grey-brown, rump white, practically whole of tail deep sooty black. Upper wing: Primaries black-brown; secondaries same colour with feathers well margined buff; wing coverts defined by much white, forming an even pattern (and this very noticeable through 8x binoculars and 30x telescope). Side of head: eye-stripe and behind eye, light buff; ear coverts, grey-brown. Underparts: throat, buffish-white; slight rufous brown on side of neck; breast, dirty grey-brown with lower belly whitish. Soft parts: Bill, legs and iris, black. General Notes: Tail slightly forked. In flight looked generally dark. For at least two-thirds of the time (having been observed for 11 hours) the Wheatear kept to the outermost branches of the stunted gorse bushes only a few feet from the ground. It was seen on two occasions to pick out green caterpillars from tufts of grass nearby. We flushed it three times and no notes were heard. A point which kept me puzzled was a darkish mark on the centre of the upper neck and throat, but finally put it down to moult of feathering and should, I feel, not be counted as "Black patch on throat".'
[This record was submitted to Mr. P. H. T. Hartley who, together with Mr. W. B. Alexander, confirmed the identification. It is the first record for Cornwall and one of very few for the British Isles. - Eds.]
Admitted locally (Penhallurick 1978).
D. I. M. Wallace, C. Bradshaw & M. J. Rogers (2006) in British Birds, Vol. XCIX. p. 463, in a review of certain rarities during the period 1950-57, found this record to be unacceptable.
