A few days ago Peter and I were out in the garden and noticed that one of our local Robins had taken to perching on the roof. It was there for several hours and between bouts of weeding I gradually began to realise that it was not really behaving like a Robin - quite a lot of wing and tail flicking and sallying out to catch flies. I went to get the binoculars and was surpised to see it was a male Stonechat. He has been there on and off for the last few days, whenever the weather is fine. His white collar seems to have slipped a bit round to the front! He has not called at all.
This is our first Stonechat actually in the garden, though we have previously had distant sightings on the scrub down on the marsh. The rooftop habitat seems slightly unusual and he is sharing it with a Pied Wagtail.
Also in the garden at the moment are two overwintering Chiffchaffs - we have had them here before but not for several years.
