Notable Recent Sightings

29/05 Pink-footed Goose 1, over Welshpool, photo'd on 09/06
01/05 Red-throated Diver 1, Llyn Clywedog
07/02 Whooper Swan 44, Lake Vyrnwy
31/01 Whooper Swan 51, Haimwood, Llandrinio
17/11 Firecrest 2, Castle Caereinion
07/11 Barnacle Goose 1 among Canada Geese, Llyn Coed-y-Dinas
07/11 Hawfinch a few, Lake Vyrnwy, also Bramblings
01/11 Short-eared Owl 1, Cefn Coch Wind-farm
01/11 Great Grey Shrike Gregynog
28/10 Great Grey Shrike Lake Vyrnwy, also 1 on 30th at Eunant
25/09 Gannet 1 juv grounded near Caersws
07/09 Nightjar 1, photographed near Pontrobert
17/07 Quail RSPB Lake Vyrnwy, also heard 20/06 and 08/07
24/04 Long-eared Owl 2, RSPB Lake Vyrnwy
16/04 Purple Heron 1, Cors Dyfi
05/03 Firecrest 1, Lake Vyrnwy
05/03 Short-eared Owl 1, Lake Vyrnwy
14/01 Pink-footed Goose 1, Dolydd Hafren
03/01 Waxwing 20, Meifod; also 5 Welshpool by canal on 01/01. Last: 6 Bwlch-y-Garreg 17/03
   
See Sightings Archive for older records

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Northern Wheatear

Todays quiz:
The Northern Wheatear does a return migration of 30,000 k - when we see them they are roughly half way.
`Q` What is the meaning of `Northern Wheatear` and where did the name come from?
Posted by at

3 comments:

  1. Anonymous22 February 2012 at 12:50

    Wheatear from Anglo-Saxon Whit = white and Eorse or Earse (or something like that) meaning 'rump'.

    ReplyDelete
  2. tarkamerl22 February 2012 at 14:05

    Comment from Caroline De Carle, via Facebook (www.facebook.com/montwt)...

    northern - nothern hemisphere wheatear - white arse because of the bird's white rump. The Victorians found it too crude a name and renamed it wheatear

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous22 February 2012 at 21:36

      `Thank you both` I lifted this question from a midland paper and posed the Q to another birding site. One reply was something to do with `white grapevine blossom` in Greece - a bit of fun though.
      trev4275

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