There is exciting news from the reserve this week, as a Whinchat which was ringed here has turned up in Hampshire! The hardy, little bird, often seen hopping or running on the ground or perching in the top of low bushes, was spotted in Romsey and photographed by birdwatcher Pete Appleton. It is the just the second spring migration record of a Whinchat from RSPB Geltsdale elsewhere in the UK.
Whinchats are slightly smaller than Robins, with a relatively large head and a short tail. They make a soft, clicking call and can be found in open meadows and wasteland, wet habitats and dry heath. They look similar to Stonechats, but are generally paler, with a distinctive eye stripe, a pale throat and a pale patch at the base of the tail. Males are streaky brown on top with an orange chest, while females are paler.
Whinchats are summer visitors to the UK, breeding in upland areas of northern and western Britain and wintering in Africa, travelling hundreds of thousands of miles each way in spring and autumn. RSPB Geltsdale’s data on the migratory movements of Whinchats has come largely from the work of two dedicated volunteers, Amanda Proud and Martin Ketcher, who have come here every year for the past 12 years to study them. They have looked into how many adult Whinchats survive each year as part of a British Trust for Ornithology project called Retrap Adult Survival.
Amanda and Martin colour ring the Whinchats so that we can identify each one as an individual, and have ringed a total of around 15,000 birds. The five oldest known Whinchats are recorded here at RSPB Geltsdale as a result of their work, and they have increased the age of the oldest known Whinchat from three to six years. We get regular resightings of Whinchats here at RSPB Geltsdale each spring and summer.
On autumn migration, Whinchats travel south from the UK, through Spain, to Africa. On spring migration they head straight north across the Sahara. One Whinchat on spring migration was recorded in Shetland and then came back to RSPB Geltsdale to breed. This sighting in Hampshire is the second recorded sighting of a Geltsdale bird on spring migration.
As a result of Amanda and Martin’s work, RSPB Conservation Science launched a project to put geolocators on birds. These tiny devices record light and time, so that we can work out sunset and sunrise and therefore where in the world the birds have been. The geolocators have to be removed from the birds before the data can be retrieved, however, so, although we have geolocated around 40 birds here, we have only managed to get five or six of the geolocators back. The information gained shows exactly the routes that the birds take.
Whinchats are incredibly hardy, travelling thousands of miles through difficult conditions. Those that stay late in Africa even catch up with those that left for migration earlier, and can make the journey north in spring in as little as two weeks, arriving here in late April and early May. The journey is tough, however, and not all Whinchats make it. Whinchat numbers in Britain more than halved between 1995 and 2008, likely due to habitat degradation. Numbers have fallen steadily since and the species is now on the UK Red List, so seeing this individual thriving and most likely taking time to refuel before continuing north is a joy. Keep your eyes peeled for colour ringed Whinchats when out and about on the reserve, hopefully this bird and many more will be back with us soon!