Sunday, November 05, 2006

stonechat paradise



Good numbers of stonechat are back on the Nene washes for the winter. No full co-ordinated count made yet but 20+ certainly present. What they find so attractive in the washland habitat are the numerous ditches that are edged with rank vegetation at the interface with short grazed pastures. Most birds are paired up, an essential part of their winter survival, in my opinion, as one bird is always on the look out (a sentinel) whilst its partner seeks out insects and larvae from the decaying ditch-side plants. Their main predators out here are Merlin and Sparrowhawk.

No comments: