Stonechats!

It was raining, but not too hard when I got out at 08:45, a Kestrel and 12 Meadow Pipit from the bottom of the car park field, plus heard Chiffchaff and 1 Blackcap, over 100 Wigeon left the balancing pool I thought I should check them all properly, noting a Little Egret flying over LFGP North.

It looked like it was going to rain harder so I went on to LFGP quickly and then counted the Wigeon, 130 is still a good count, 50+ Shoveler is too. It began raining much harder and felt I should leave soon, so I quickly scanned and counted some of the other birds, 2 Little Grebe, 2 Snipe, 4 Swallow buzzing around low.

Then something small looked like it dropped on the lake edge in the far NE corner, scoping I couldn't see anything, other than the second Snipe running for cover. Then I noticed a small bird perched on the only piece of bramble there, an adult Stonechat...nice, then suddenly a second...a juvenile, extra nice.

Looking back into those archives, the first time I have found more than 1, plus there have only ever been 4 records of 2 and one of 3, back on Oct 4th & 6th 1989. With so many records of Stonechat since 2005 in October, it is the best month to look for them.

Here are the Sept to November records, earliest to latest;

Sept : 1/1st & 22nd 2014
Sept : 1/16th, 19th, 21st & 31st 1989
Oct : 3/4th & 6th 1989
Oct : 2/6th 2014
Oct : 1/9th 1998
Oct : 1/11th 2006
Oct : 2/11th 2007
Oct : 1/11th 2012
Oct : 1/14th 2009
Oct : 1/22nd 1980
Oct : 1/27th 2005
Oct : 1/27th 2010
Nov : 1/4th 2001

October species total is on 74 species, 7 more to match 2006, 13 more to match 2007, just one more than that to match 2013. Lots more to happen yet and I hope for something unexpected and exciting.