With a brisk cool wind blowing the wheatear was sheltering beneath a rock when we arrived on site on the first day that it was reported ...
... originally being identified as either an Eastern Black-eared or Pied Wheatear, opinion swayed in favour of Eastern Black-eared on that first day ...
After a short while the bird emerged and gave nice views as it perched on large rocks ... but always returned to near its favoured sheltering place ...
... here it shows the broad slightly rusty breast band and white throat suggestive of Black-eared ...
... the mantle and scapulars show a degree of pale fringing , suggestive of Pied ... but still some overall rusty tones - certainly not predominantly grey ...
... flight views probably add little and tail pattern is similar for both species ...
... the light was variable with intermittent sunshine and also some duller periods ... the colour tones changed to a degree with the light changes ... nevertheless it never looked purely grey ...
Opinion has subsequently swayed in favour of Pied ... some however remain convinced that this is an Eastern Black-eared Wheatear ...
Some faecal samples were apparently taken ... hopefully DNA analysis will give some definitive answers ...
... time will tell ... or will it ? ... is a hybrid possible ?
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