Wheatear Pair

Anyone driving down a lane in the Cotswolds in the small hours of the morning might have wondered what the green apparition was rising through the car sunroof. Swung into a gate entrance and seeing the red kites circling overhead and road kill in front it seemed just what sunroofs were made for frankly as I waited for the swoop and pounce to get the hapless pheasant which didn't happen I think they were spooked by the whole look! Not easy in the light available but one of the five around is in my Extras.

Not to be deterred I meandered leisurely checking the fields for action - a buzzard on a carcass, deer chewing the cud, crows mobbing other predators, baby lambs, no owls disappointingly but hares gambolling and these two gorgeous wheatears. I've only ever seem a wheatear before which was up on the moors at the lek so I turned into a stoney layby and trained the lens in the field where four hares were well in the distance. After a few minutes both of these females flew in front of the car,  landed bang on the opposite wall - and stayed there! The male stayed in the field. See Extra

Having flown in to see me specially from Africa it would have been rude not to blip them. They are such alert and delicate little birds; a treat to see!