The ploughed field and grass slope where the Wheatears were this morning
The Wheatears were also along the edge of the ploughed field
Wheatear
They were very flighty as well, and when I first saw them they were in the ploughed field. But when I walked round to get a better view, trying to spot them through the small trees along the path was very difficult. So I climbed my way up the slope and to my amazement they popped over the trees and landed about 50 metres away on the grass slope. Yet again the right place at the right time.
And on the grass slope
Wheatear
Wheatear
Wheatear
I had intended to walk down to the copse, follow the trail along the lower slopes and then pop up onto the Ridgeway and head back towards Liddington Hill, before walking back down the road. Instead and for the second time this morning I changed my mind and having got to the end of the ploughed field on my right I doubled back to Folly Farm. And yep in the copse that I'd walked through an hour earlier, was a male Ring Ouzel. He'd been feeding in the field, but a Horse and Rider spooked it and lo and behold it flew up and landed in a Hawthorn Tree. Talk about being in the right place at the right time.
A male Ring Ouzel
Ring Ouzel
I managed a few photos and then did the tweet thing. Something spooked it again, they are very shy birds, and it flew off towards the slope up to the Folly Farm entrance. However by the time I got through the copse I saw it fly back and drop into another tree behind me. One last photo and left it to enjoy the sun undisturbed.
Same bird different perch
The Ring Ouzel was in the hedgerow and field to the right of the path
All in all it was a fantastic morning and I didn't get back to the car until about 10:00am. In 2 hours I didn't need to walk far and a lot of the time I just sat on the slope watching birds around me. Other highlights were a Chiffchaff in the hedgerow, Yellowhammers and Corn Buntings just about every where, Meadow Pipits, a pair of Buzzards tumbling, a pair of Ravens and a single Redwing.
Corn Bunting
Yellowhammer
And another
Birds Recorded: 2 Buzzards, 2 Pheasants, 1 Red-Legged Partridge, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, 3 singing Skylarks, 3 Meadow Pipit, 1 Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, 3 Wheatear, 1 Blackbird, 1 male Ring Ouzel, 1 Redwing, 1 Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, 2 Ravens, Starling, Chaffinch, Linnet, Goldfinch, Corn Bunting and Yellowhammer
Mammals: 2 Rabbits
Today's Photos Here