Female Stonechat (sporting a BTO ring which unfortunately spoils the image).

The morning dawned, it was day 4 since my Gall Bladder Op. I couldn't believe how roughI felt, Mike Tyson would have been proud to have caused so much bruising.  I decided that come what may, I was going to have to get my self moving.  The weather seemed nice and bright, it was almost sunny as well so, like the old man that I felt, I gathered my gear together, rammed a banana in to my jacket pocket and headed out  in the car towards Brixham and specifically Mansands and the Desert Wheatear. The Desert Wheatear that had been perched on the Coastuard Cottage roof since last Friday, and the Desert Wheatear that decided to move on sometime very early this morning, frustrating not only me but the other 'birding" regulars that had decided to come and see it now that the weather was fine.

Oh, but it was so good to be out.  I had worried a bit about the walk down, (and back of course). But it was pleasant, cool, bright air and crisp on the breath, Britain at it's best with luxurious green fields of verdant grass and hedges festooned with berries of all kinds. I met a few  'tramping" men of a similar age, now trudging back car-wards, carrying their disappointment and heir spotting scopes with bowed heads, now seemingly brightened as they passed me, with the opportunity to report that I was wasting my journey in the way that men of my age enjoy….. the Wheatear had flown! I carried on anyway, I was half way there, and who knows, they could have been wrong?  I found out when I had completed my route march that they were right but I wasn't that disappointed.  I immediately saw Black Redstarts, three in total, all on the cottage roof, so not a wasted walk by any means.  I just love Black Redstarts, rare but regular Devon winter  visitors. They spend a lot of time on rooves. That's not too hard to understand. Rooftops catch the sun's rays and warm up quicker than surroundings.  Insects are active on roof tops and in gutters and this is the attraction to the the Black Redstarts here.  I just hate the way that some birders ignore common species or pretend to be blase about others, as though they are immune to a bird like a Black Redstart because they have seen them so often. 

This was more evident with a pair of Stonechat that were feeding close by in the Cottage garden, ignored by most but the centre of my 3 hours as I waited for a good opportunity to get a good image. The Black Redstarts, from time to time would join the Stonechats and I positioned myself close enough, always in the hope that I woud get a special shot of either species. Needless to say, I did, and finished the session with 2 nice Stonechat photoraphs.

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