White arse

I went to the Lapwing field again today and was very happy when I saw 3 pairs of Lapwings- I saw two of them hunkered down, fingers crossed they were brooding eggs.

Im quite proud of my little Lapwing population! :)

I also saw two Grey Partridges- actually they were the best views of that species i've ever had. Lots of song including mechanical Starlings and repetitive Chiffchaffs. THe male Lapwings adding their lovely "peewit" to the chorus. I got quite good pics of two species of butterfly- Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell. I saw a couple of Cabbage White fly-bys two.

The best sighting however was of three stunning Wheatears (see the pic)- a female and two males. I was scanning the field for the Lapwings when I noticed three brownish splodges. On closer inspection I found they what they were. They're lifers for me, wanted to see them for ages so it was great to see! Wheatears have been elevated to my current favourite bird, though im sure it will change tomorrow!

Wheatears (or Northern Wheatears, to give them their "proper" name) are one of the first migrants to return back to the UK, wintering in Sub Saharan Africa. I'd love to go and see African migrants in their Wintering grounds- Ospreys fishing on the Senegal coast and Swallows flitting in and out between Giraffe legs! Surprisingly, their name has nothing to do with wheat, or ears, but is actually a version of their Old English name "White Arse", which refers to its distinctive white rump and explains the title to todays Blip!