Thursday 15 September 2011

Buzzards Now in Unlikeliest Places

Today was the first day for some time that we were able to visit the originally planned location. This venue is probably the most exposed of any we visit, but for the 1st time in 7 years it was warm, and there was no wind in the morning. We walked along the edge of the Humber from where we saw Redshank, Oystercatcher, Meadow Pipits, Black-tailed Godwits, Dunlin, 47 Ringed Plover, Knot, Curlew, Shelduck, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, Swallows, House Martins, Teal; and heard a few Skylarks. We travelled back a different way, and the highlight there was a family of Long-tailed Tits accompanied by a few Blue & Great Tits with a Chaffinch included.

The afternoon group visited a different section of the site, where they enjoyed a raptor fest. A female Sparrowhawk was seen just outside the car park; and not long afterwards a female Buzzard was spotted hovering over the saltmarsh. This is a species I've never seen at this site before. She was later joined in the air by a mobbing Kestrel, and then 2 male Buzzards also seemed to attack the female – one of them appeared to perform a stoop towards her. The remaining birds were few and far between, but we did see at least 3 Little Egrets, a flock of 50 Golden Plovers, and a few Redshank. A Wheatear near the hide was stunner, while a final high was provided by a distant Spotted Flycatcher. Mammalian highlights were provided by a racing Hare, and this was the second day running we came across a dead Shrew.

Common Buzzard
Wheatear
ditto
ditto
Curlew
Hare
Grasshopper sp.
The Humber was preternaturally calm & pleasant!
ditto

3 comments:

hockeyboy150 said...

Nice set of Pics today Michael.

Michael Flowers said...

Cheers, & that's at one of the hardest places to take decent pics of anything!

Michael Flowers said...

There won't be any pics from Friday, as I didn't take the camera out of the car - because so much rain was forecast!