Tag Archives: Wheatear

This year’s Wheatears

04 Saturday Oct 2025

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Judging by the numbers I’ve been seeing in Cardiff Bay during this autumn’s migration, Wheatears have benefitted from a good breeding season.

These birds don’t breed locally, preferring the wide open spaces and heathland in upland areas like the Brecon Beacons National Park (Bannau Brycheiniog) and the Snowdonia National Park (Eryri).

As well as northern England and parts of Scotland, Wales is a stronghold for the British population of Wheatear, together with other members of the chat family, the Whinchat and Stonechat. This was confirmed by a specialised survey conducted by volunteers across Wales in 2012-2013; the BTO website has an abridged scientific paper available on its website for anyone interested in reading further.

We are lucky to see them on passage, as they pause briefly on the south Wales coast before heading across the Bristol Channel en route to their over-wintering locations in Africa.

Did you know their name refers to their white rear end, which flashes when they fly and is one of the best ways to identify a Wheatear seen at distance? Wheat comes from the Old English for ‘white’ and ear comes from the word for ‘arse’.

Greenland Wheatear

12 Saturday Apr 2025

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I struggle to distinguish between the ‘usual’ Wheatears we see passing through my area and the Greenland Wheatear, one of four subspecies that has the scientific name Oenanthe oenanthe leucorhoa and is usually seen only in the spring as it heads from its overwintering locations in African countries like Kenya to its breeding grounds in Greenland, Iceland and north-eastern Canada. So, when one of our more expert local birders announced the arrival of this Greenland Wheatear on Cardiff Bay Barrage, I went down for a look.

It was certainly a very handsome bird, and I’ve since tried to familiarise myself with some its key features. Given the requirement for its long-haul flight, it’s probably no surprise that Greenland Wheatears are longer winged than the subspecies that fly from Europe to Britain to breed. The Greenland’s relatively large size, longer legs and upright stance are also diagnostic.

They are often described as rotund and pot-bellied, which this bird didn’t really seem to be, but then it had just flown all the way from central Africa so probably needed to feed up to replenish its fat supplies. Fortunately, it wasn’t too bothered by the numerous people and dogs walking in the area, and did seem to be finding plenty of insects to snack on. I’m not sure I could yet confidently identify a Greenland Wheatear without expert help, but this was certainly a stunning bird to see and watch and photograph.

Finally, a Wheatear

03 Thursday Apr 2025

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Maybe it’s because we’ve had a lot of fine clear weather and, rather than dropping down to rest in Cardiff Bay, they’ve continued their flights north. Maybe they just don’t like the look of the place, with the increasing numbers of people and out-of-control dogs. Whatever the reason, there’s been a notable absence of migrating Wheatears around the Bay this year, with just one bird noted a couple of days ago and then two, a male and a female, this morning. And that’s around two weeks later than usual – for three of the past four years, I’ve seen my first Wheatears on 20 March. Fortunately, I had already decided to walk around part of the Bay this morning so was there when I bumped in to the birder who’d just seen the male Wheatear, and here he is (the bird not the birder) …

A six-Wheatear walk

10 Tuesday Sep 2024

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I can’t recall whether I’ve ever seen so many Wheatears in one day so Saturday’s walk around part of Cardiff Bay, with good views of six Wheatears, was certainly a walk to remember.

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It was a flash of the white rump feathers of a Wheatear flitting from one rock to another that alerted me to the first group of four birds, moving together along the embankment of the River Ely.

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And then, on the other side of the Bay, two more Wheatears were foraging for food along the edge of one of the old docks. What a thrill to see so many of these beautiful birds during their brief migration stopover!

Two Wheatears

21 Thursday Mar 2024

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When Spring migration draws nigh, I start watching more closely the social media posts from birders living along England’s south coast, as that gives me a fairly good idea about what might turn up on the south Wales coast a day or two later. So, after seeing reports of the first Wheatears arriving 7-10 days ago, I’ve been focusing my walks in the area of Cardiff Bay, as that’s the most likely place for me to spot one. And, finally, yesterday I spotted the first two on the Barrage, initially on the grassy banks but, as so often happens, loose dogs racing madly about scared the birds into seeking refuge amongst the outer barrier of huge boulders. These were two handsome male Wheatears, returning to breed after having spent their winter in sunny central Africa.

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My first autumn Wheatear

26 Saturday Aug 2023

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I went looking and hoping for a Yellow wagtail – found none – but, all of a sudden, a bird flitted up from the grass not far ahead, disturbed by a passing dog, and my eye picked out a flash of white at its rear end. I had my binoculars to my eyes in seconds, scanned all around, but couldn’t relocate the bird. I walked on, keeping a careful eye out, noting the prospecting Pied wagtails and browsing Linnets, but no sign of that white bottom. I was about to turn around and head home when another roaming dog put all the birds up and she of the white rear end, this beautiful Wheatear, popped down quite close to me. My first of the autumn!

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A line-up of Wheatears

30 Thursday Mar 2023

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Another birder reported seeing two Wheatears in this particular field so I went for a look. And lo and behold, there weren’t just two Wheatears but three, happily lined up along the fenceposts (when they weren’t flitting down into the grass on either side, grabbing any insects they spotted).

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And then, blow me down, I spotted a fourth bird lurking on top of the bushes in the background – only a blurry photo of that one, so here’s the line-up again from a different angle, from when they flitted up to the top of the field. Birding magic!

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The days of the Wheatears

16 Friday Sep 2022

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I’ve been trying to work out what the optimum conditions are for bird migration, and it seems to be a combination of a clear night followed by a sunny day, with just the right amount of wind – at least, that seems to be what Wheatears like as, both on Wednesday and today, they have been moving through in reasonable numbers, with some stopping off locally en route to their southern over-wintering grounds. These are a few I’ve been privileged to spot in recent days …

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First Spring Wheatear

12 Saturday Mar 2022

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I was just about to head home from Cosmeston when I got word there was a Wheatear in the southern end of the west paddock – I was at the northern end. Back I stomped and splashed – it’s exceedingly muddy there after all the recent rain – and enjoyed close views of this very handsome bird, as well as a lovely catch up with a female birding friend. I’ve since seen reports of Wheatears in other locations today – Spring migration has begun!

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Confiding Wheatear

01 Friday Oct 2021

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During a recent circuit of Cardiff Bay, I spent a wonderful 30 minutes with this very confiding Wheatear.

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Though it was naturally very wary of the noisy people and dogs passing by, as I was quiet and non-threatening it allowed me to get quite close.

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As I watched, it went scurrying across the grass after flying insects, dipping and flashing the white under-tail feathers it’s named for, constantly checking the sky for signs of danger.

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And I particularly loved how, when there was no higher object to pop up on, it hopped on to a small rock to try to survey its surroundings. Magical moments with a special little bird!

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