Wheatear photographed at Pleinmont on 2/5/2008 Photo: © Steve Levrier (visit site)

The Northern Wheatear is the most widespread member of the wheatear genus Oenanthe in Europe and Asia. It is migratory breeding in open stony country in Europe and Asia with a foothold in eastern Canada and Greenland as well as in western Canada and Alaska. All populations winter in sub-Saharan Africa.

Formerly a 'numerous' summer visitor to Guernsey and Alderney this species has declined as a breeding bird since the late 1800s. Smith describes great numbers nesting in the Vale and Dobson also found many pairs breeding in old stone walls on Guernsey in 1939 and also birds breeding in rabbit burrows on Herm. Little information is available from Sark or Alderney but Dobson reports finding a "mere handful of birds" on Alderney between May 21 and August 12 1946, although it was a common passage migrant and summer visitor between 1879 and 1920 (Smith, Dobson). On Sark, Dobson mentions only a few sightings of birds on passage but no breeding records. Rountree (1973) describes the Wheatear as only a passage migrant on Sark and confirms that it has never bred on the island.

The Wheatear is now a common migrant throughout the Bailiwick, first appearing in March. There appears to have been a shift in the average first date for this species. In the seventies the average date was the 13th of March, in the eighties the 10th of March. In the nineties the average date was the 6th March. This shift is in common with several other species of migrants and is a response to warmer and earlier springs in northern Europe. After the first few birds in March, birds continue to pass thorough Guernsey until early June. Occasionally large falls of 100+ birds occur at coastal sites, generally in late March and April. The last spring migrants are found in first week of June.

GRAPH OF ARRIVAL DATES HERE

The number of breeding pairs on Guernsey since 1969 is shown below. In the 1970s Wheatears were a rare but fairly regular breeder but in the eighties and nineties birds only very rarely stayed to breed, reflecting the general decline in southern Britain (Gibbons et al. 1993). It is difficult to categorise 'possible breeding' as late spring and early summer migrants tend to confuse. In this case, 'possible breeding' refers to birds seen in suitable habitat between the 8th and 21 June. Some of these sightings may well refer to late birds on migration and probably do not reflect the true number of breeding attempts. One record on 25 July 1987 has been counted as a possible breeding attempt as the bird was in heavy moult. Adult birds carry out a complete moult before migration (Ginn & Melville 1983) strongly indicating that this bird had over-summered. The decrease in breeding numbers may well be due to increased disturbance of suitable breeding areas. Favoured breeding areas include L'Ancresse, Lihou and the west coast headlands, all of which have become more disturbed in the past twenty years. It has apparently never bred on Sark and is only a "fairly common" passage migrant. (Rountree 1973,1992).

BREEDING PAIRS TABLE HERE

The return passage in autumn tends to be less spectacular and reports of 50+ birds at any one site are rare although falls of 100+ birds have been occasionally recorded in September at coastal sites such as Pleinmont, and L'Ancresse. Juvenile birds start occurring from as early as late June and continue though July. The main passage occurs in August and September with some birds in October and November. The average last date is 10 November (extreme dates 29 October to 6 December) and this has not changed significantly in the last 25 years. Occasional winter records are received. One bird over wintered at Pleinmont and was seen between the 12th December 1989 and January 5th 1990.

Birds described as being large and bright are observed most springs and these are attributed to the Greenland race O. o. leucorhoa. These are generally noted in late April and May and in September and October. Analysis of the Channel Island Ringing Scheme's data for Wheatears shows a very different timing of migration for the two races Analysis of ringing data clearly shows at oenanthe birds pass through earlier than leucorhoa. By approximately the 15 April for males and 20 April for females the ratio of the two races are approximately equal. By the end of April virtually all the nominate race have passed through the islands and it is Greenland birds that are seen throughout May and into June. Assuming that the sample of birds caught is representative, it can also be seen that males pass through the islands earlier than females.

GRAPH OF WING LENGTHS HERE

Several recoveries and controls of birds have been generated by the ringing scheme indicating the origins of the birds passing through the islands. One bird of the race O. o. leucorhoa ringed at Godthaab in Greenland in June 1966 was recovered on 28 April at Jerbourg in 1968. The majority of birds that have been trapped on the islands are of the race oenanthe and birds have been caught in Guernsey from breeding areas in northern Scotland, Wales and north-eastern England showing that birds from a wide range of breeding localities pass through the island.