Early this morning, close to St Justinian Lifeboat Station, two male Stonechats, both sporting large white areas of plumage, were seen facing off.
Their large white wing patches, broad white collars, white rumps and limited orange breast patches immediately told me that they were not my usual hibernans patch breeding birds. Their areas of white (I considered) were far too large to be even thought of as rubicolar-types. I'll be listing them as full- on rubicola individuals.
During my fifteen years of patch-birding here at Pencarnan, this is the 2nd or 3rd occasion I've seen such Stonechats during March, always soon after dawn, close to the coast, and quickly lost as they continue their eastward journey.
