Whinchat photographed at Colin Best NR [CNR] on 23/9/2013 Photo: © Mike Cunningham (visit site)

Whinchats are a regularly occurring passage migrant throughout the Bailiwick. In the second half of the nineteenth century, Smith records them as being local in distribution and 'never so numerous as the Stonechat'. Notably he goes on to say 'it is only a summer visitant, and I doubt it always remains to breed, though it certainly does so occasionally'. Smith saw Whinchats in Guernsey in June and July, mostly near Pleinmont, and given the spread of dates over which it occurs today, breeding is a possibility. Holloway (Historical Atlas) shows that Whinchats were certainly more widespread at that time in southern Britain, especially in lowland farming landscapes similar to that in the islands at that time. It is certainly feasible that Whinchat occasionally bred in the islands but there is no conclusive proof. In Britain, agricultural change has removed much of the suitable lowland habitat and birds are now almost entirely restricted to upland areas.

In the Bailiwick, Whinchats are now a regular spring and autumn migrant and, as with many passerine migrants, the majority of records are from the autumn. The spring passage spans 6 weeks and the first birds are generally seen during the third or fourth week in April, although there are exceptional records from the first week of April. Autumn passage is more protracted and lasts approximately 2-3 months. The first returning birds are seen in August and the main passage period is over a 4-5 week period from the last week in August through to the end of September. A few birds are regularly seen in October and exceptionally into November. Ringing has shown that the majority of the ringed in autumn caught are juveniles.

In Guernsey, the majority of records are from common land and coastal headlands on the west coast. Birds favor areas of coastal scrub with clumps of bramble, gorse and low bushes, especially blackthorn and Tamarisk. Birds are also regularly seen in marshy ares and Whichats are regularly caught and seen at La Claire Mare in spring and autumn and also at the Vale Marais and Vale Pond. There are a few records from the south coast, e.g. Bon Port, Mont Herault and a few inland records from areas such as the airport, Fauxquet Valley and the Reservoir. Approximately a third of records are from Pleinmont but this probably reflects the higher degree of coverage this site gets and it is likely that as with the Redstart, this species is widespread on passage.