Whilst birding the Jebal Hamrah area in
March I came across seven species of Wheatear in a single day including Black-eared
Wheatear, Hooded Wheatear, White-crowned Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, Isabelline
Wheatear, Pied Wheatear and Desert Wheatear. The week previously, I also saw an
Eastern Mourning Wheatear, making a total of eight species in a week. The birds
were found in varying habitats with the Jebals holding Hooded Wheatear and
White-crowned Wheatear, the pivot fields holding Northern Wheatear, Isabelline
Wheatear and Pied Wheatear and the surrounding stony desert having both
Black-eared Wheatear and Desert Wheatear. This location is proving to be a very
good one for wintering birds as well as residents and passage migrants and is
certainly worth looking at more regularly from my point of view.
Eastern Black-eared Wheatear |
Hooded Wheatear - female |
Isabelline Wheatear |
Pied Wheatear |
White-crowned Wheatear |