Photobirder: October 2020

Saturday 31 October 2020

Isabelline Wheatear at Akerøya in Viken (Østfold), Norway on 29th October 2020

During a telephone conversation with a birding companion it was decided to make a day trip to the island Akerøya, Hvaler, our second to Østfold (now known as Viken) this year. The main reason for this was a stationary Isabelline Wheatear / isabellasteinskvett Oenanthe isabellina that had been found several days earlier. However, due to varying poor weather conditions the bird had not been looked for during the two preceding days before our planned visit on 29th October. After an early start we arrived at the harbour at 08:00 and met up with two other eager birders. Shortly afterwards we met our guide and boatman who was also a local birder from the Akerøya bird ringing group. The weather did not look as though it would be kind to us and after a wet crossing we arrived to sunshine and a light breeze thankfully, making birding very pleasant the rest of the morning. We soon found our way to the other side of the island where the wheatear had been stationary earlier and by 09:30 we were enjoying distant but great views of the bird. We were told that several more birders were expected to visit the island during the following days and were reminded we should be careful not to press the bird unduly while photographing, so only distant images were possible. The wheatear did gradually come closer while we sat and patiently waited for it to do so, but time unfortunately did not allow for closer images. After about half an hour, we left the bird happily feeding and we made our way back to the house close to the island harbour and birded in the area around here. Two more local birders arrived in their own boat and walked off to see the wheatear. Later in the morning we were ferried back to the mainland and then drove home after another successful birding trip to Østfold. The long range weather forecast was fine weather for the rest of the day and night but for the following days, very wet and windy and it was wondered if the wheatear would leave in the fine weather during that night. Apparently a larger group of birders could not find the wheatear the next day, so it must have been just that which presumably the bird had done.

While adjusting the images the age and sex of the bird was addressed. At first it was considered to be a first year but according to the literature, aging of autumn birds is only possible with certainty with the bird in the hand and wing feather moult can be studied. It is also not possible to define the sex of this individual because this is only possible on extreme plumaged individuals and where a clear male would show jet black lores, not blackish-brown as this undefined individual.

These images illustrate several diagnostic features that separate it from several other species of female wheatears including Northern Wheatear. The first four images show the black alula. The fourth and fifth images show the species characteristic tail pattern and the sixth image shows the pale, almost white underwing.