Wheatear with weevil passengers!!

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by RoyW

Yep, definitely not lice - looks like you were correct all along Brian (and thanks for posting the cropped images - I can see them much better now!).

Now can anyone identify the weevils further and/or explain what was going on...



PS. I agree with Meta on the aging thing - I'd prefer to avoid the alternative, at least until I've experienced getting old!

Don't think we can go any further than weevils of the genus Sitona which Dogghound has already stated. I'm wondering whether they crawled/ fell onto the Wheatear's bill as it was feeding around a tussock (possibly on other weevils). One wonders whether they ultimately ended up as luch too?

[RoyW]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

Don't think we can go any further than weevils of the genus Sitona which Dogghound has already stated. I'm wondering whether they crawled/ fell onto the Wheatear's bill as it was feeding around a tussock (possibly on other weevils). One wonders whether they ultimately ended up as luch too?

I wouldn't have thought it was possible to go any further with the ID, not without guessing anyway! It doesn't hurt to ask though.

If they did become a snack, that might explain them disappearing.

[Klaas Reißmann]

Hi everybody,

great photographs. I'm with Dogghound. It is genus Sitona. I guess the bird moved his head into the gras to pick some food and while moving into the gras he peeled the beetles of some gras or other plant. Weevils do have very strong legs and feet so they supponsingly grabbed immediately for anything they could grab and found the birds beak.

This could be a possibility for beetles that are unable to fly, to move into other areas. This is well known of roe, taken by ducks from one pond into another.

This seems to be interresting to write a trade publication and I would like to do this in Germany by using one of these pictures. So let me know, Brian, if it is ok to use one of your photos. If that is ok, let me know your real name to name you in the acknowledgement. I even would like to know where it was (next bigger town and area (f.e. Devon)) and what day exactely. As far as I understood it was a golfcourse!? right.

Brilliant pics.

Regards
Klaas

[brianholland]

Just thank you all for taking so much interest in this upload.

Margaret and I have found it fascinating.

We will keep our eyes open for more unusual subjects.

Thanks again.

Brian.

[brianholland]

Originally Posted by Klaas Reißmann

Hi everybody,

great photographs. I'm with Dogghound. It is genus Sitona. I guess the bird moved his head into the gras to pick some food and while moving into the gras he peeled the beetles of some gras or other plant. Weevils do have very strong legs and feet so they supponsingly grabbed immediately for anything they could grab and found the birds beak.

This could be a possibility for beetles that are unable to fly, to move into other areas. This is well known of roe, taken by ducks from one pond into another.

This seems to be interresting to write a trade publication and I would like to do this in Germany by using one of these pictures. So let me know, Brian, if it is ok to use one of your photos. If that is ok, let me know your real name to name you in the acknowledgement. I even would like to know where it was (next bigger town and area (f.e. Devon)) and what day exactely. As far as I understood it was a golfcourse!? right.

Brilliant pics.

Regards
Klaas

Hi Klass.
We have no problem with you using the images as you suggest but the credit must go to my wife Margaret who has the patience of Job. Her real name is Margaret Holland but her flickr name is Margaret the Novice.

We are in our eighth decade and are determined coffin dodgers.

The wheatear was photographed at Wells Next the Sea in Norfolk on a pullic golf course on the second of September 2011 Towns of Holt and Fakenham are nearby.

We have other images of this bird with weevils so if you wish to send me your email address I can send you others for consideration.

Also have images of Stonechats and Hedge Sparrows with ticks if that is of interest to you.

brianholland@metronet.co.uk should find us.

Regards and best wishes for the publication may we have a copy for the record please,

Brian.

[Klaas Reißmann]

Hi Brian,

thank you so much, to you and Margaret (a bit more to Margaret ).

Of course you get a copy. I try to get the publisher into writing in English and German. That makes more sense and should be better for you to understand. But I guess it will take some time, until it is really published.

Thank's angain!

Regards
Klaas

[RoyW]

Originally Posted by brianholland

Just thank you all for taking so much interest in this upload.

Margaret and I have found it fascinating.

We will keep our eyes open for more unusual subjects.

Thanks again.

Brian.

I'd say that the thanks go to you for posting Brian.

I'd never heard of anything quite like this with any bird before, and now too examples of weevils clinging to the beaks of Wheatears have come to light (I've seen Neils photos, which show a weevil clinging to the under side of the beak - and he's said he'll post them on WAB soon but has been busy!).

I'm going to be checking Wheatears very carefully from now on!

[Ukwildlifeo]

Good to see my just better than guess at the weevil genus was right!

I've cropped the image roy has seen on my blog as you probably cant zoom right in otherwise.

[RoyW]

Originally Posted by Ukwildlifeo

Good to see my just better than guess at the weevil genus was right!

Don't get too cocky yet Neil - Klaas (or someone else who knows their beetles) might yet say that although Brians weevils are Sitona, the one in the photo that you have just posted is quite clearly "X", but not Sitona).
...and if they do I'll never even attempt a beetle ID from a photograph again*!



*I didn't this time either!