Whinchats on Dartmoor

Male Whinchat

This last few days has seen me trying to get close to Whinchats on Dartmoor.  This is a species of chat that, unlike the Stonechat, is a migrant that winters in Africa.   I have been fortunate enough to see this species in The Gambia which was a thrill.  Dartmoor is a typical breeding habitat for the species. It is an upland area, relatively isolated and quiet.  The habitat is moorland with thick scrubby grass and boggy areas with scattered old hawthorns, bracken and gorse.  Fundamentally I would imagine that seclusion is the primary requirement and good nest sites are part of this.  In common with several other Dartmoor nesting species, such as Meadow Pipit, Tree Pipit and Stonechat they nest on the ground.

A clutch of eggs.

The nest is a small cup of fibre and grasses hidden in the grass and even when you know the location within a few square metres, it can be incredibly difficult to find.  Eggs are a gorgeous vivid turquoise blue and while I abhor the concept of egg collecting I can understand why someone with a less ethical and criminal attitude would be attracted to a bird's egg.  For me an egg is a beautiful  jewel without equal in the natural world.  

Chicks at a few days old.

 

Once eggs hatch the nestlings grow very quickly and will be ready to fledge the nest at around 14 days.  I watched the comings and goings to a nest yesterday and on average the parent birds delivered prey every 12 minutes. Hoverflies, moths, caterpillars, spiders, crickets and flies were all brought to the nest in the 2 hours that I observed. Usually more than one item was delivered on each visit so that equates to around 8 visits an hour for 16 hours and a total 252 prey items a day. It goes without saying that a habitat able to sustain such a rich amount of invertebrates is paramount.

A female Whinchat.