Stonechat

In the UK stonechats breed largely in areas of heathland, particularly in southern and western Britain. But in the winter they can be found more widely, particularly frequenting coastal habitats and the fens, where they are often found near water. Today, after a visit to the farm shop, I went for a walk at Willow Tree Fen NR, where a small group of stonechats and pied wagtails were hunting for insects along the edge of a recently managed ditch. 

The male stonechat is generally considered to be more handsome than the female, having a striking black head with white around the side of the neck, an orange-red breast and a mottled brown back. Females lack the male's black head, but have brown backs and an orange tinge to their chests and I feel they have a subtle beauty of their own. 

These were the most interesting bird I spotted - we probably need more water and more cold weather before the flocks of ducks and geese arrive at the site. But there were good numbers of fieldfares and redwings, shifting restlessly among the hawthorns bushes, and I also found a variety of fungi and lichens to photograph, most of which I've actually managed to identify!