Isabelline Wheatear
Oenanthe isabellina (Temminck, 1829) (1, 0)
Photo © Kris Webb
STATUS
Central and Eastern Palearctic. Monotypic.
OVERVIEW
BOU (1971) only accept the 1887 Cumbria record.
RECORD
1). 1887 Cumbria Aigle Gill, Allonby, first-year female, shot, 11th November, now at Natural History Museum, Tring.
(W. H. Flower, Proceedings of the Zoological Society 1887: 579; Eds., Field 10th Dec., 1887: 907; H. A. Macpherson, Ibis 1888: 149-150; H. A. Macpherson, Zoologist 1888: 329; Macpherson, 1892; H. A. Macpherson, Zoologist 1896: 294; BOU, 1915; Witherby, 1920-24).
History W. H. Flower (1887) in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society, p. 579, at the meeting held on 6th December 1887, says: 'Mr. Howard Saunders, F.Z.S., exhibited, on behalf of the Rev. H. A. Macpherson, a specimen of Saxicola isabellina, shot on Nov. 11 near Allonby, in Cumberland, being the first recorded occurrence of this species in Great Britain or Western Europe.'
In an Editorial (1887) in The Field of 10th Dec., Vol. LXX. p. 907, under 'Zoological Society', they say: 'At the last meeting of this society on Dec. 6, Professor W. H. Flower in the chair, Mr. Howard Saunders exhibited (on behalf of the Rev. H. A. Macpherson) a specimen of the Isabelline Chat (Saxicola isabellina) shot in Cumberland, being its first recorded occurrence in Great Britain or Western Europe.'
H. A. Macpherson of London (1888) in The Ibis, 5th series, Vol. VI. pp. 149-150, undated, says: 'I have pleasure in stating that an example of the Isabelline Wheatear (Saxicola isabellina) was shot at Aigle Gill, near Allonby, Cumberland, on the 11th November, 1887. The bird was first observed on that day by Messrs. Thomas and Richard Mann, tenants of Aigle Gill Farm. The weather was fine but dull, with a slight wind from the north.
The bird made its appearance in a field which Messrs. Mann were sowing with corn, and was quite alone. It perched upon clods of earth after the habits of S. oenanthe, but appeared to be less lively in its movements than that species. It was unsuspicious of danger and was easily approached.
Having had a visit from Mr. Senhouse and myself only six days earlier, when I begged my friends to continue to search for doubtful Wheatears, and struck by the light colour of this late bird, Messrs. Mann decided to shoot it for me. It was therefore shot by Mr. Thomas Mann, and posted to me the same day.
I received the bird the following day in fine condition, and took it to Mr. Howard Saunders, who kindly pointed out to me its identity with specimens of S. isabellina in his possession. The bird was also examined in the flesh by Mr. Sharpe, but especially by Mr. Seebohm, who compared it in my presence with his extensive series of Saxicolinae. Mr. Harting saw the specimen before skinning, so did Mr. G. E. Lodge, who made a coloured sketch of it.
The bird was also exhibited on my behalf by Mr. Howard Saunders, at a meeting of the Zoological Society of London on Dec. 6th. It proved on dissection to be a female, and the retention of some delicate bars upon the lower breast seems to indicate that it is a bird of the year. The irides were dark hazel, legs and bill black. Total length 6½ in, wing 3¾ in. The stomach was empty. The Isabelline Wheatear is new to Western Europe.'
H. A. Macpherson (1888) in The Zoologist, 3rd series, Vol. XII. p. 329, undated, says: 'Saxicola isabellina, Isabelline Wheatear. - Female, shot at Allonby, November, 1887, by Mr. J. Mann. Sent in the flesh to me, and presented to the National Collection, as the first example detected in Western Europe. (Ibis, Jan. 1888).'
H. A. Macpherson of Carlisle (1896) in The Zoologist, 3rd series, Vol. XX. p. 294, says: 'The unique British specimen of the Isabelline Wheatear was given to the National Collection before the present Carlisle Museum was opened.'
Admitted nationally in their second List of British Birds as the first for Britain (BOU 1915).
NOT PROVEN
0). 1905 Sussex Near Rye, seen, late August.
(Walpole-Bond, 1938).
[E. M. Nicholson & I. J. Ferguson-Lees, British Birds 55: 299-384 HR].
History Walpole-Bond (1938 (2): 93) says: 'Although not obtained it was identified by that very skilled observer Michael Nicoll near Rye, in late August, 1905 (in litt.).'
Comment Hastings rarity. Not acceptable.
0). 1911 Sussex Rye Harbour, male, shot, 17th April.
(N. F. Ticehurst, British Birds 5: 74; W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 30: 185; E. N. Bloomfield, Hastings and East Sussex Naturalist 2: 2; Walpole-Bond, 1938).
[E. M. Nicholson & I. J. Ferguson-Lees, British Birds 55: 299-384 HR].
History N. F. Ticehurst (1911) in British Birds, Vol. V. p. 74, says: 'I have, with Mr. J. B. Nichols's kind permission, the pleasure of recording the second British example of the Isabelline Wheatear (Saxicola isabellina). The bird, a male, was shot at Rye Harbour on April 17th, 1911, and sent to Mr. Bristow. I examined the bird while he was skinning it, three days later, and its condition agreed with the length of time that it had been dead. It is now in Mr. Nichols's collection.
This Wheatear is very generally distributed in summer from south-east Russia and Asia Minor eastwards, while it winters in southern Arabia, western India, north-east and east Africa. The present specimen and the one obtained in Cumberland in November, 1887, would seem to be the only ones that have wandered to western Europe. It must not be overlooked, however, that its great similarity to the female of the Common Wheatear, renders it quite possible that others have occurred without being identified.'
W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, Editor (1912) in the Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club, Vol. XXX. p. 185, on the unexpected occurrences for 1911, says: 'Male shot at Rye Harbour (Sussex), April 17th.'
Accepted locally by Walpole-Bond (1938 (2): 93) who adds: 'Now in the Booth Museum, Brighton, from the Nichols collection.'
Comment Hastings rarity. Not acceptable.
0). 1912 Sussex Rye Harbour, male, shot, 28th March.
(H. W. Ford-Lindsay, British Birds 5: 328; W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 32: 177; E. N. Bloomfield, Hastings and East Sussex Naturalist 2: 42; Walpole-Bond, 1938).
[E. M. Nicholson & I. J. Ferguson-Lees, British Birds 55: 299-384 HR].
History H. W. Ford-Lindsay (1912) in British Birds, Vol. V. p. 328, says: 'The third British example of the Isabelline Wheatear (Saxicola isabellina) was secured at Rye Harbour on March 28th, 1912. I examined it in the flesh the next day and upon dissection it proved to be a male. I agree with Mr. Ticehurst (Vol. V. p. 74) that this species is no doubt overlooked, which fact is substantiated by both this and the specimen recorded by himself being shot by the same man, who was on the look out for this species.'
W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, Editor (1913) in the Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club, Vol. XXXII. p. 177, on the unexpected occurrences for 1912, says: 'Two males shot, Rye Harbour (Sussex), March 28th, and St. Leonards-on-Sea (Sussex), May 10th.'
Acceped locally by Walpole-Bond (1938 (2): 93) who adds: 'Now in the Booth Museum, Brighton, from the Nichols collection.'
Comment Hastings rarity. Not acceptable.
0). 1912 Sussex St Leonards-on-Sea, male, shot, 10th May.
(T. Parkin, British Birds 6: 89; W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 32: 177; E. N. Bloomfield, Hastings and East Sussex Naturalist 2: 42; Walpole-Bond, 1938).
[E. M. Nicholson & I. J. Ferguson-Lees, British Birds 55: 299-384 HR].
History Thomas Parkin (1912) in British Birds, Vol. VI. p. 89, says: 'An Isabelline Wheatear (Oenanthe isabellina) shot at Rye Harbour on March 28th, 1912, has already been recorded in these pages (Vol. V. p. 328). I saw this specimen almost, I might say, in the flesh, as Mr. Bristow had just finished removing the skin from the body. On May 10th another bird of this species, a male, was shot in a quarry at "Old Roar", St. Leonards-on-Sea, and was examined in the flesh by Mr. W. Ruskin Butterfield. This specimen was secured by Mr. W. H. Mullens, and is now in the Hastings Museum amongst the fine collection of local birds presented by him to that institution. The two birds above recorded make the third and fourth examples of this species obtained in Great Britain.
According to the recently published Hand-List of British Birds there are only two other records, viz. Female, Allonby (Cumberland), Nov. 11th, 1887; male, Rye Harbour (Sussex), April 17th, 1911.'
W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, Editor (1913) in the Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club, Vol. XXXII. p. 177, on the unexpected occurrences for 1912, says: 'Two males shot, Rye Harbour (Sussex), March 28th, and St. Leonards-on-Sea (Sussex), May 10th.'
Accepted locally by Walpole-Bond (1938 (2): 93) who adds: 'Now in the Hastings Museum.'
Comment Hastings rarity. Not acceptable.
0). 1916 Sussex Westfield, male, obtained, 6th May, now at Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery (Acc. No. 1962Z10.222).
(Watson, 2010).
[KAN].
History Watson (2010) in detailing the J. L. Auden collection in the Birmingham Museum lists a male specimen that was obtained at Westfield, Sussex, on 6th May 1916, adding that it was examined in the flesh by Ruskin Butterfield and later bought from G. Bristow on 26th May 1916.
Comment All the "Hastings rarities" fraud team are involved here. Not acceptable.
0). 1920 Sussex Pevensey, adult female, obtained, 10th September.
(W. R. Butterfield, Hastings and East Sussex Naturalist 3: 161; Walpole-Bond, 1938).
[E. M. Nicholson & I. J. Ferguson-Lees, British Birds 55: 299-384 HR].
History W. R. Butterfield (1920) in the Hastings and East Sussex Naturalist, Vol. III. p. 161, says: 'An adult female, shot at Pevensey on September 10th, was sent to Mr. G. Bristow, who brought it to me for examination before skinning it.'
Walpole-Bond (1938 (2): 93) says: 'Obtained at Pevensey on September 10th, 1920.'
Comment Hastings rarity. Not acceptable.
0). 1923 Sussex Hove, seen, 8th September.
(Walpole-Bond, 1938).
[Not in BOU, 1971].
History Walpole-Bond (1938) Vol. II. p. 93, says: 'On September 8th, 1923, I believe - further than this I dare not trespass - that I saw an "Isabelline" at Hove. It was consorting with Yellow Wagtails on a large expanse of grass, and even at a distance I was very much struck by its excessively pale appearance and, nearer to hand, by its comparatively large bill, long legs and rather short tail, all three of which are good characteristics of the species when in the hand.'
Not admitted nationally (BOU 1971).
0). 1928 Caernarfonshire Great Orme, seen, 13th May.
(G. F. Gee, British Birds 22: 40-41).
[BOU, 1971; Jones & Dare, 1976].
History George F. Gee (1928) in British Birds, Vol. XXII. pp. 40-41, under 'Probable Isabelline Wheatear in Carnarvonshire', says: 'On May 13th, 1928, whilst examining the Wheatears (Oenanthe oenanthe) on the Great Orme's Head, Llandudno, I noticed one bird that was very much lighter in colour than the other female Wheatears. When I put the glass on it I saw at once that it was a new species to me. I watched it feeding with the other Wheatears within a range of twenty yards. I also saw it resting on one of the numerous limestone boulders and had good breast, side and back views. It was quite as large as the Greenland Wheatears and was both larger in the body and higher on the legs than the Common Wheatears, both of which were present at the time. Altogether, I had it under observation for over three hours, and when I left it was still there. On my return home, I looked up the plate of Wheatears in Thorburn's British Birds, and the one he figures as Isabelline Wheatear (O. isabellina) is a similar bird to the one I had under observation. The next day I went to the Manchester Museum and was shown the specimen of Isabelline Wheatear in the Dresser collection by Mr. T. A. Coward. It is in exactly the same plumage as the bird I had seen.'
Not admitted nationally (BOU 1971).
0). 1929 Cambridgeshire Burwell Fen, two, seen, 27th April.
(H. R. Kirkwood, Cambridge Bird Club Report 1929: 7-8).
[Lack, 1934; Bircham, 1989].
History H. R. Kirkwood (1929) in the Cambridge Bird Club Report, pp. 7-8, says: 'E.A.R.E. sends the following note: On April 27th I saw a pair of Isabelline Wheatear in Burwell Fen close to "Priory Farm"; I found them quite tame and got within a dozen yards of them. They were flitting about along the border of a field adjoining an overgrown ditch, and occasionally the cock bird would fly up and alight on some low-growing sallows. The cock looked rather like a large Whinchat, but the sexes were not so dissimilar as in the Whinchat, and they certainly were not the Common Wheatear. On looking up a coloured plate of the birds I have no doubts as to the identity. I looked for them on my next visit, but could not find them.'
Lack (1934) p. 69, says: 'E. A. R. Ennion reported a pair of Isabelline Wheatears from Burwell Fen in April, 1929. He gave a good description, but without a specimen of so rare a bird the record cannot be allowed to stand.'
Not admitted nationally (BOU 1971) or accepted locally (Lack 1934; Bircham 1989).
0). c. 1932 Hertfordshire No locality, male, shot, undated.
(M. T. Witt, Field 5th Nov., 1932: 694).
[Sage, 1959].
History M. T. Witt of Constables, Uppingham, Rutland (1932) in The Field of 5th Nov., Vol. CLX. p. 694 says: 'I thought it might interest you to know that I shot by mistake at my home in Hertfordshire a bird which after examination proved to be a male Isabelline Wheatear. I should be interested to know if this is a rare occurrence.'
[The Isabelline Wheatear is of extremely rare occurrence. Its large size and uniform pale sandy appearance are distinctive, but, as Witherby's Practical Handbook remarks, some very pale examples of the Greenland Wheatear (a regular visitor on migration) might easily be mistaken for it in the field. Additional information, date and exact locality, would be interesting. - Ed.]
Sage (1959) says: 'Malcolm T. Witt (Field) states that he shot a male of this species in Hertfordshire, but he does not give any date, locality or supporting details of identification, so the record cannot be allowed to stand.'
Not admitted nationally (BOU 1971) or accepted locally (Sage 1959).
0). 1948 Sussex Pett Level, seen, 21st March.
(N. F. Ticehurst, Hastings and East Sussex Naturalist 7: 140).
[des Forges & Harber, 1963].
History N. F. Ticehurst (1949) in the Hastings and East Sussex Naturalist, Vol. VII. p. 140, says: 'One, Pett Level, Mch. 21st, a long legged Wheatear with upright stance, sandy above, pale buff below, no visible eyestripe or black edge to wing by naked eye, but both faintly visible with glasses (A.D.W.).'
Not admitted nationally (BOU 1971) or accepted locally (des Forges & Harber 1963).
0). 1948 Sussex Pett Level, two, seen, 3rd May.
(N. F. Ticehurst, Hastings and East Sussex Naturalist 7: 140).
[des Forges & Harber, 1963].
History N. F. Ticehurst (1949) in the Hastings and East Sussex Naturalist, Vol. VII. p. 140, says: 'Two, Pett Level, May 3rd (R.C.).'
Not admitted nationally (BOU 1971) or accepted locally (des Forges & Harber 1963).
