Chats
A group of small songbirds of woodland and open counryside. Mainly Summer migrants.
Nightingale - One of our fastest declining species. They're a Summer migrant which lives and breeds in scrub areas. Difficult to see as they like to remain hidden for most of the day. The best time to see them is early morning in late April or May, when the males are belting out their incredibly diverse song. They have one particular phrase which makes their song unmistakable.
Redstart - A stunning species, especially the males, like the one in the photos. Summer migrants who often share the same habitat as Pied Flycatcher and Wood Warbler, that of ancient woodland.
Stonechat - One of my favourite little birds. They are real characters. They are often seen on open heath or bog where they like to keep an eye on what's going on around them by perching on look-out plants, posts or shrubs. Especially the males. Stunning birds, particularly in their breeding plumage. Resident year round.
Female
Wheatear - Another lovely bird. This time a Summer and passage migrant. They are quite a bit larger than Stonechat. They like their feet on their ground. You can often see them using our countryside paths, just running on ahead. They like coastal areas. Always tending to stand very upright, like thrushes.
Female
Whinchat - A very similar bird to the Stonechat but with a prominent white stripe above the eye. These are only Summer migrants though. They like similar terrain to Stonechat. The photos show birds on Autumn passage, having lost their much bolder breeding plumage.
