I was not planning on going for the Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) in Connecticut until I found out the directions late Saturday night. Subsequently, I packed my gear and prepared for an early morning run the next day. The next day could not not arrive quick enough as I was wired for the run. After sucking down a light breakfast, I was on my way. The directions were spot on and I arrived around 8:50 AM at the Igor Sikorsky Airport. By 9:00 AM, I had my first looks of the bird. I stuck around until 11:30 AM, enjoying the looks, taking field notes and capturing several photos.
The Northern Wheatear or Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae. It is the most widespread member of the wheatear genus Oenanthe in Europe and Asia.
This species breeds in Alaska and remote parts of northern Canada. Without traveling north the best chance of seeing this bird is in the northeastern United States from late-September through mid-October. I consider myself lucky to get this bird here...enjoy the photos.
Tags: 
Northern Wheatear, 
birding
What a beautiful bird.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiul bird!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful shots! I feel the urge to chase, but since I know I can't I feel somewhat better after seeing your images.
ReplyDelete-Mike
Gorgeous! Glad your chase was successful!
ReplyDelete@YsMum - Hi thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. Yes, the Wheatear was a beautiful bird.
ReplyDelete@noflickster - Mike thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. It was a lucky chase and I was happy to get the shots I did.
ReplyDelete@Kerri - Hi thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. The photos are not as sharp as I would like, but they suffice.
ReplyDeleteHow very exciting! Excellent photos!
ReplyDeleteJust back from over a week without internet..hope to catch up on your blog soon!