Wheatears in early Autumn

----- Original Message -----
From: "PAUL KING" paulcking
To: "David Barker" daveb
Sent: Tuesday, August 09, 2005 4:17 PM
Subject: Wheatears

Dave,
I've just been up to the Fly Flats area and there were at least four juvenile Wheatears flitting about on the walls below the reservoir. Seems quite early for these birds to be moving, but Shaun had one on Hawksworth Moor at the weekend.
Cheers,
Paul King.

Hi Paul
In some years Wheatears start to be seen here in places where they haven’t bred from mid July. This year my first was last week in July (can anyone beat that this year?), but seem to be coming thick and fast now with two at Fly Flats on 4th August (BV), one at the watchpoint on 6th August (DCB), closely followed by six at Cold Edge (BS) and four at the watchpoint on 7th August (DCB) then six in the area of the watchpoint on Monday 8th (DCB) and then yours and Shauns today and weekend. So they are without doubt now dispersing, congregating, staging and on the move once more through the South Pennines. This movement ties in well with what it says in BWP etc, so its Autumn, upon us once more before we are ready!! Although Peter Conder (The Wheatear) suggests that dispersal starts from early July and also quotes records that confirm post breeding dispersal changes to migration in late July.
Hope this assists,
Dave.