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| No 'fawn yawns' yet |
Two large flocks, one of linnets and one of starlings, were on the short grass by the entrance, the latter were all juveniles. It'll be worth checking through these starling flocks soon for 'fawn yawns'.A single spoonbill was still loitering on the Budge fields.
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| surprisingly awake - spoonbill on the Budge fields |
Still sedge, willow and grasshopper warblers, whitethroat and blackcap singing and a pair of reed warblers in the little reed bed. This lapwing was showing off in front of the Oddie hide.
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| "Look at me, aren't I smart" said the lapwing |
Beyond the hides, a barn owl took off from the fence, to quick for photo's, incredibly my first of the year on the patch, bird of the day surely?
A walk around to High Chibburn and back to the hamlet and a pair of breeding yellow wagtail, he was feeding the grass, she was going mental at my presence, scolding me until I moved on.
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| "Piss off" said Mrs. yellow wagtail |
Just beyond the hamlet, I simultaneously heard the hirrundines alarm calling and spotted a raptor flying low over the field, sparrowhawk I presumed, until I lifted my bins and saw a moustache...peregrine, no too small, the earlier barn owl was relegated to second best bird of the day. I was watching a hobby. It flew powerfully, low over the field, before banking up to get some height by the barn conversion, showing its red trousers in the process before heading due south, towards Hemscotthill Farm.
With one, probably two, juveniles last autumn and this adult, hobby are becoming more common on the patch than merlin - a sign of the times?
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| meadow pipit |
131 hobby
I'd forget the fawn yawn till later on, I'd be looking for that pink stink right now !
ReplyDeleteGood news on the Hobby Ipin, had my first of the month this evening :-)
ReplyDelete