Within the next 2-3 weeks now someone will have turned up the first Wheatears as they arrive on the uplands on their way through to breedings grounds.
Spring is the only time of year locally to see the males in their cracking breeding plumage as on their return through in the autumn males and females look alike.
The Wheatears hang around till into May and then are rarely seen again till they start to return in August although this last summer we were lucky enough to hold some birds which bred.
Greenland Wheatear, which are bigger brighter birds are rarely seen in spring but are becoming a commoner sight in the autumn, possibly due to birders being more aware of them now.
Wheatears are still reffered to by local farmers by their old name of White Arse so if you see a bobbing white rump on a moorland dry stone wall you know you,ve got a Wheatear.
The earliest spring Wheatears picked up from local sights I watch are Soil Hill, Fly Flatts, Leeshaw reservoir,
Trough Lane Oxenhope, and Tracys Wheatear field by the trailer park.
Lets see who gets the earliest sighting.
Queensbury today was a birding disaster with dense fog from start to finish, hence the Wheatear article in desperation to keep the blog going.
BS