The previous overnight rain has long since moved off into the North Sea leaving behind a day of sunshine and cloud with a fresh, occasionally strong NW wind.
I was working this morning therefore unable to check to see if the rain had brought migrants with it, however, I wanted to check a couple of locations in the Bodney area for possible migrant activity, little seen although the highlights were:
1 Marsh Harrier - male flying north
2 Stonechat singles at two localities
My first stop was along a quiet lane where wide grassy verges and weedy field margins could hold migrant chats. As soon as I set off a calling Buzzard produced two large raptors, the Buzzard, and a mobbing male Marsh Harrier, following this little tussle the Harrier continued to fly north over wide expanses of arable and in doing so, put up lots of Crow species.
Despite the wind I expected to find Stonechat, and indeed, it wasn't long before I found a single bird in typical habitat of tall grasses and weeds, wire fencing and posts. This was a very active little bird, moving from post to wire and back to post, and then off to a tall weed in nearby crops, clearly watching my progress, and occasionally the bird would fly up and hover for a while, again, to observe it surroundings, and me.
I then moved onto a small section of the Watton Brook Valley, again to check for migrants, none visible in the windy conditions, but another single Stonechat (female) was seen on wires and posts alongside the brook. A few Swallows and House Martins also present.
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