Wheatear.

A walk last night on the heath around my roots looking for Yellowhammers & Stonechats was unsuccessful.
It's worrying that these two species that where common a few years ago appear to be absent.
It's also personally a disappointment.
There is little more beautiful than a cock Yellowhammer in full sun singing his "A little bit of bread & no cheese please."  & the sound of the stonechat, just like its name, the sound of two flints being hit together is a sound I've grown up with & I miss it.
I was looking forward to capturing some good images to share.
Hopefully this is a blip & they will return another year.
A lot of the heathland birds like stonechats, yellowhammers, skylarks & meadowpipits   nest on or near the ground.
This makes them very vulnerable to predation & disturbance so if you are walking in these areas please watch where you put your feet & those of your hounds too.
It's an even bigger dissapointment to not see the cuckoo at Carn Grey.
I think this is the first year I've not heard one or seen them sitting on the wires above the heath.


One nice interaction was the discovery of a pair of Wheatears.
Not a rare bird, but not common locally.
The name has nothing to do with Wheat.  They are very much a moorland bird & not agricultural
It's actually translates from old English as white ass.  Under its tail it has a very white rump.
The male showed first & it is probably my imagination but I think he was deliberately leading me away from his mate.
He kept flitting away a few feet then looking back at me to check where I was.
Bold bright male plumage has more use than just impressing the girls.
It also acts as a lure to draw predators from the more muted sitting hen.
It wasn't until I was walking back that I spotted the hen.
Lets hope they are successful &  there will be more in the future.

The Male first then the female.