I was so excited to see this little bird when I walked right up as far as Hill Farm down Wood Lane this morning. I was glad that I had walked along further as I came across this little fellow. I have never seen a stonechat before and I had to look him up in a book to check to see what it was. I wasn't sure whether it was a stonechat or a redstart but after looking in my bird book realised what it was.
That was exciting enough but a friend popped round to ask Steve to service his mower and told him that there was a very rare Asian bird along the way from Meadow Lane called a Penduline tit. I have never heard of one before but as I am now considered to be quite a proficient birder, I went along this afternoon to see it. It involved walking about three quarters of a mile part of the way along a muddy track (I didn't take my wellies with me!) but it was worth it to see the dear little bird in the reed bed by one of the lakes. I didn't get any shots today but did see him through one of the guys scopes. He was just such a pretty little bird. Everyone there was male so they were very kind to me and the chap who gave me a lift along Wood Lane to see the hoopoe recognised me and spoke. People had come from all over and there was a chap from Stoke on Trent - quite some distance to come to see the little bird.
Stonechats are robin sized birds. Males have striking black heads with white around the side of their neck, orange-red breasts and a mottled brown back. Females lack the male's black head, but have brown backs and an orange tinge to their chests. Birds are frequently seen flicking their wings while perched, often doing so on the tops of low bushes. As its name suggests, birds utter a sharp loud call that sound like two stones being tapped together. They breed in western and southern parts of the UK, but disperse more widely in winter.
Latin name Saxicola torquata
Family Chats and thrushes (Turdidae)
Where to see them Heaths, conifer plantations or coastal sites, especially in southern and western counties.
What they eat Invertebrates, seeds and fruit (eg blackberries)
Population 59,000 breeding pairs
Thanks for all your kind comments and Favs. It is always much appreciated.
Wow - what a superb shot of this sweet little bird. I've been doing a Christmas quiz recently and one of the answers is a stonechat. I hadn't hear of it before, but we found him in a book and he fitted the clue perfectly. (Rock gossip I think it was) I'm impressed that you're becoming famous as a birder! Fav!
Beautiful photo, nice detail fav.....Thank you for looking at my photo's and for all the fav's and follow it it much appreciated, you have some lovely photos and I would like to follow back.
