After being tied up all morning, I got there early afternoon to the amusing sight of it perched on a timeclock in the garage! I never got that shot but after a brief shower and the weather brightening up the bird spent most of the time on the apex of the house roof :-)
With the obvious yellow gape, clearly a 1st Winter bird and with a wing panel visible in most lighting conditions possibly a male?
Here's the highlights of card one! Starting at the rooftop.....
Occasional brief flights were made down the roof, chasing flies....
Perched nicely on the edge :-)
Here comes another kamikaze fly!
Down the hatch....
A cup of black coffee (cheers Tom!) then on with Card 2 - the bird in familiar territory with a neat job of the flashing :-)
Black Redstarts perch in a no messing upright attitude!
A bit of entomology coming up :-)
This was a bit of a brute - large chequered ?? Flesh fly which took a while to swallow!
Even bigger was this strange ? Hover fly.....
which after a struggle, eventually got away! seems to have a white face and short ovipositor or is it just hairs (answers on a post card please)
Minus one leg!
A nice return home for Tom and just four of the locals turned up today. A couple of Waxwings in Oswestry as well..... I stuck with the Black Redstart until dusk but reckon you will be seeing some Waxwings here very soon?
