Today i finally tracked down a black redstart on the island (Cobh). I've been searching for one now for a few weeks. I first heard from my unle that a few winter on the island each year.
I entered a bird race on the island yesterday and had heard two were seen at Verolme dockyard. The dockyard is not really used that much these days and thee is alot of scrap metal and scrub around, ideal habitat for black redstart.
So today i decided to head down for a look. I did not really know what to look for. I knew what a black redstart looked like but didn't know what way it would behave. Got a bit excited when I saw a female stonechat, but then realised what it actually was. Before heading home me and my dad decided to check around the corner of one of the old warehouses. Here we were met by a huge expanse of scrub and scrap.
Then out of nowhere a bird flew out in front of us and landed on a post, watching us, and you guessed it - it was a black redstart. It behaved very differently than i had expected it to. It constantly wagged it's tail a little like a wagtail. I could never get closer than twenty feet or so. When i did it would take flight and land another 20 or so feet away on a perch and hop about there.
I got a few decent pics. You can make it out as being a black redstart anyway.
Cheers
