There was an interesting melange of birds on the outskirts of La Tache this morning. A nightingale sitting on a barbed wire fence was an unusual site as they become very secretive after all their noisy singing earlier in the year. On the fence post next to him was a short-toed treecreeper. Not only was he out in the open but he actually walked down the post rather than up it---a first for me. Also nearby was a firecrest, a lesser spotted woodpecker, a male common redstart and a noisy family of nuthatches. The stone curlew count on the plains was five and a female hen harrier was hunting there.
Once again I watched two red deer at very close quarters as they ran around me, seemingly unsure of quite where to go for at least 5 minutes.
We can down there late this morning and also saw a small finch-like bird with a bright red head and breast. Could it be a scarlet rosefinch?
ReplyDeleteI very much doubt it. It's far more likely to be a male linnet.
DeleteI thought that at first, and I didn't have the scope for a better look, but it was exceptionally red...perhaps 'higher testosterone' then the british?! Ta. ;-)
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