Western Black-eared Wheatear - Oenanthe hispanica
On Saturday 30th October 2004 at the Eemshaven, Groningen, Jacob Bosma was counting migratory birds. The Eemshaven is one of the best spots in the Neherlands along with Breskens, Zeeland. Suddenly he saw a bird sitting on the rocky boulders in front of him. He noticed it was not a normal wheatear and he warned other birders. During the day, when more birders arrived with the identification article by Magnus Ullman in Dutch Birding 25 (2) 77-97, 2003 at hand, the overall general opinion it was a Western Black-eared Wheatear Oenanthe hispanica. The bird stayed for four weeks and was last reported on 28th November 2004.
30 October 2004, Eemshaven Gr; © Jan van der Laan.
30 October 2004, Eemshaven Gr; © Jan van der Laan.
30 October 2004, Eemshaven Gr; © Jan van der Laan.
This record was accepted as the second record for
hispanica. The first record was on 11 May 2001 on Terschelling Fr (cf Dutch
Birding 27 (5): 308-314, 2005). All records of black-eared wheatear taxa were
reviewed in 2003-2004. The result was: two records of O. hispanica, three of
O. melanoleuca and five records as O. melanoleuca/O. hispanica.
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