A quick morning visit to LMGP found little of note – plenty of Common Terns in now though.
I decided to check out Pump Lane for yesterday’s Wheatear and Corn Bunting and also drew a blank. I then checked the paddocks at the north end of Pump Lane to the east of the Three Horse Shoes, an area I watch too infrequently. First birds I saw were a pair of Wheatear and 4 Fieldfares. 10 minutes later and another 2 Wheatear appeared, then a flash of red and quivering red tail and a fantastic male COMMON REDSTART was on the fence posts. Whilst trying to grab some record shots, another red-tailed bird hopped onto the ground – a female Redstart – Wow! Should come here more often.
For anyone going, the male Redstart in particular is showing really well feeding off the exposed fence line. Walk about 50 yards along the footpath on the east side of Pump Lane just past the Three Horse Shoes pub. The path drops into a valley at the bottom of which is a a pile of debris surrounded by a square of fence posts – the Redstarts were around here. I stayed at the top of the path looking down into the valley to avoid disturbing the birds.
Adam Bassett