THE CHATS ARE STILL GOING STRONG

As with the Redstarts our Stonechats have had a good breeding season. As Stonechats are resident birds they don't have to rush to raise chicks in time for them to be strong enough to migrate by late summer early autumn. So they tend to be in a good year double or even treble brooded. We've got at least four pairs nesting around the farm and it seems by the way they were alarming at me today and how close they came in that they still have either eggs or chicks somewhere nearby.

male stonechat

and the female

There was quite a bit about bird wise with Willow Warbler and Redstarts still about fattening up for their long migration ahead. Green woodpeckers were yaffling loudly and most of the commoner birds such as Tits, Nuthatches, Dunnocks, Robins, Thrushes, Wrens, Meadow pipits and our now very successful Swallows (remember lonesome George) were in good numbers.

swallow

wren

meadow pipit

robin

The breeding season is coming to an end now and it won't be to long before we'll be welcoming our winter visitors with the start of the autumn migration, but for our Stonechats who will be staying with us throughout winter they still have a bit of work to do yet in raising their young.

I'm off to Norfolk soon where hopefully I'll be visiting both Titchwell and Snettisham bird reserves if I do get anything worth blogging about I'll look forward to sharing it with you.