Whinchat
When I started birding in the 1970s, Whinchats could be found breeding quite commonly in lowland marshy areas in Northumberland, but nowadays, birders have to venture up inland river valleys for an encounter with what is one of Britain's smartest and perhaps underrated birds. A spring male is a fine bird, with its striking white eyestripe, dark cheeks and peach-coloured breast.
Nowadays, we are most familiar with the Whinchat as a passage migrant, mostly in late summer. The bird shown is a well-marked juvenile which was one of three in a mixed flock with Stonechats at East Chevington in September 2020.
Where to see Whinchats
The breeding range is becoming more restricted, but they can still be found in upland areas in England and Wales, and at lower levels in Scotland. The river valleys in the North Pennines and Cheviot hills in Northumberland remain reliable areas to find them in summer. During autumn, they can turn up on any farmland or coastal site as they stop off en route to Africa.
How to identify Whinchats
Whinchats can always be distinguished from Stonechats by their creamy eyestripes and white flashes at the base of their tails. They are also rather less stocky and longer-winged than Stonechats, which reflects their longer-range migration. This migration behaviour can also help with identification - there are a few records of overwintering Whinchat but as a rule, any chat which is met with during the winter has to be a Stonechat.