February 2020 at Gramborough (1 Viewer)

29: 4♂♂, 2♀♀ Stonechats.
28: only 1♂ Stonechat visible today. (CBC: 3 Woodcocks.)
27: 5♂♂, 2♀♀ Stonechats.
26: 4♂♂, 1♀ Stonechats, in a’noon.
25: Meadow Pipit in 1st of year parachute song-flight.
17: Ringed Plovers (pair) seemingly occupying territory (Brackish Pool). Extra ♂ trying to get in on the act. 13 Snow Buntings.
13: Ringed Plover male slow-flapping display flight (Brackish Pool) – 1st time observed this year.

firstreesjohn said:

29: 4♂♂, 2♀♀ Stonechats.
28: only 1♂ Stonechat visible today. (CBC: 3 Woodcocks.)
27: 5♂♂, 2♀♀ Stonechats.
26: 4♂♂, 1♀ Stonechats, in a’noon.
25: Meadow Pipit in 1st of year parachute song-flight.
17: Ringed Plovers (pair) seemingly occupying territory (Brackish Pool). Extra ♂ trying to get in on the act. 13 Snow Buntings.
13: Ringed Plover male slow-flapping display flight (Brackish Pool) – 1st time observed this year.

Click to expand...

Your application does you credit! March should be more rewarding...
MJB

MJB said:

Your application does you credit!

Click to expand...

More like 'desperation', Mike. These new Stonechats are behaving a little differently from previous ones* and, in addition, are pushing at the maximum count for the Hill.

MJB said:

March should be more rewarding...

Click to expand...

It already has been.


[* more to follow]

I was mildly ecstatic on 2nd, when a (the ?) male Stonechat re-appeared and engaged in some ‘frisky’ behaviour with the female, in bright sunshine and the ridiculously mild temperature. This was not ‘full-on’ and neither song nor churring/clacking calls were emitted.

Apart from this, February was even less exciting than January. Can the observation of incursive Calcariids on 13th really be the sole item of interest for a whole month ? The answer, sadly, was ‘yes’. With a seemingly unrelenting south-west or westerly gale, blowing through the Bowl.

An extraordinary record on 17th: one of the Elders had a floret – months early.

After I’d penned this, there was a significant influx of Stonechats, on 26th – with more visible the next day. The new birds (all unringed) favoured the area to the W and SW of the Hill and some hung around for a few days.