WE had just got back from London ahead of Storm Benjamin’s arrival and I was peering out of the conservatory window. What was that on top of the funny bush whose name I can’t recall? It was a male stonechat, which was odd, I thought at that moment, as they are migratory and they would have all pushed off by now.

Firstly, I must say that the male is a very handsome chap, having a striking black head with white around the side of his neck, an orange-red breast and a mottled brown back. It’s a pleasure to see him in the garden.

Secondly, I must add that I remembered not all stonechats are migratory, with many spending winters here.

The travellers head off to the coastal areas of Spain, Portugal and France, obviously lolling about in the trendy spots with the beautiful people. The ones that hang about here tend to move off the moor – we are at an altitude of about 450 feet – so two or three hundred feet lower and that bit milder.

In fact, Bodmin Moor is internationally important as a stonechat breeding area and it’s rare in summer not to see one, perched on top of a gorse bush with its characteristic sharp call. They seem to have benefited from fewer cattle on the moor and more gorse. I hope so, they are a beautiful bird with lots of character.

The whole area around the old Stannon clay pit, a stonechat haunt – now flooded – is a haven for wildlife in contrast to the hurly burly of activity that must have been prevalent prior to its closure in 2002 after almost 100 years: in its time it was the biggest clay pit in the world. Now it’s a Site of Special Scientific Interest and it’s enjoying a wonderful new life.