Monday 15 April 2013

Black Redstart Norton Green.

Spent an hour at lunchtime at Norton Green. Darrel had found a Black Redstart along with six Wheatear earlier. I got there around 1230, and saw a couple of birders at the north end. It was sunny, but a bit windy as I walked along the bank. A yellow bird flew up and over my head with a bounding flight and calling-a Yellow Wagtail. It landed on the telegraph wires bobbing it's tail and for a moment I had doubts as there were lots of Yellowhammers around which are more expected on wires. Luckily I met up with Tony Hukin who had seen three Yellow Wagtails not long before in the same area. At least three of the Wheatears were still present, though I suspect I saw four different birds but the Black Redstart-my bogey bird for the site had not been seen.
Tony's companion and the other birder left so we decided to do a complete circuit, picking up lots of Yellowhammers and Skylarks, a Linnet, some Blackbirds-unfortunately not Ring Ousels, a Pied Wagtail and not much else. We got to the southern end and I was ready to leave when a chat flew out of the brambles and into a small Elder. It was grey with some white and for a moment thought it might be  a Wheatear, until it landed in the bush . We approached the Elder but when we were still some way off it flew out and I saw the red tail and white in the wing of a male Black Redstart  . Tony saw it but did not get good views as it flew in front of us, landing on the bank. It then seemed to fly up and over the bank, but despite further searching we were not able to locate it again. I understand that it was searched for later in the afternoon but with no success.

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