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When an Isabelline Wheatear came hop, hop, hopping
By Taya F. Diaz
Wheatears belong to the order Passeriformes – the perching birds and to the family Turdidae, to which chats and robins belong. The three species of Wheatears that visit the country are vagrants; that is they can be sighted one year but could go missing for many years thereafter.

A single Isabelline Wheatear was observed at the Bundala National Park (at the far end of the saltern where visitors are allowed to alight from their vehicles) on November 16, this year, at around 10.15 a.m.

There was a burst of bright sunlight through some threatening rain clouds at the time. The observation was with the aid of binoculars (10x40) and through a telescope (20x60).

The bird was first perched on a small rock 12m away. Then it ran across the sandy bund in pursuit of a winged insect, which it caught and devoured immediately. It had an upright stance very much like a pipit but unlike a pipit it wagged its tail somewhat like a wagtail. It was this strange behaviour that caught my attention. My hasty field notes at the time were as follows;
Beak – dark black, sharply pointed
Lores – Slight broken black markings

Supercilium-faint white
Tail-fanned out in flight revealing a broad black tail end and a white base.
Overall body colour – sandy brown, no markings, like the body colour of a silver bill
Feathered up to the hock joint. (i.e. all of the tibia covered in buff coloured feathers.)

Running was very vigorous; when it stood upright its tail almost touched the ground.
Size–it was about the same size as a pipit but slightly bulkier.
Vocals– no callings were heard

Observations time– had about 10 minutes of observation. Then it flew quite speedily to another baulk in the saltern some distance away.
Number sighted-only one bird
We refered John Harrison’s field guide and compared my above notes for confirmation of identity.

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