On the way home I decided to take a look at a site just over a mile up the hill off Pump Lane, which is also about a mile from home. I don't watch here regularly, but it is a favoured spot for Whinchat and Wheatear and used to hold Corn Buntings not too long ago. In fact, a Wheatear and Corn Bunting from the previous day were the reason for my visit. I walked the path on the west side of Pump Lane and failed to find either. On the way back up the lane, I decided to look at the horse paddocks on the east side, again a site I have looked at a handful of times in the past. The first birds I saw were Fieldfare, 4 feeding. I walked 50 yards down the path and then noticed 2 pale birds in the top corner of the near paddock - a pair of Wheatear. This was better. I scanned the paddocks and fences and a few minutes later another couple of Wheatear appeared in the valley. Then suddenly, below me in the valley, I caught sight of a red-tailed bird alighting on the fence - a lovely male Redstart - this was getting even better. I grabbed some record shots as the bird fed along the exposed fence line. It was showing extremely well and seemed little concerned with me, though I wasn't moving from my position. As I watched him working along the fence line, a female Redstart appeared on the ground in the paddock and after sitting on the fence a couple of times flew into the near hedge line.
Conscious of my work commitments, I had to leave, so couldn't give this site a full working over, but put the news out. Alan S and Mick M were the first people on site not long later and found a further female Redstart, a further Wheatear and a White Wagtail feeding around the horses (wish I'd taken a closer look at the wagtails I'd seen earlier, as I didn't give them a second glance!). A great morning and a site I shall be checking more regularly in the future!
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