Saturday 26 September 2015

RAPTORFEST AT MARSH LANE.


I popped over to Marsh Lane Friday lunchtime which was a very good move because there was a Raptorfest going on.I stayed for a couple of hours and saw 5 Common Buzzards 2 Hobbies 1 Kestrel 1 Sparrowhawk but missed by 30 minutes a female Merlin that was seen in the hedge near the CP gate.

Things started a bit slow but I managed a distant shot of the Bar-headed Goose that has turned up again after being away for quite a while (Holidaying in the Himalayas ?) 




My good friend Steve was in the Oak hide and he pointed out a Hobby.It was not playing ball and kept hawking around the wood and the railway track.There were 3 Little Egrets on the RW pool all distant till one decided to come close.






The Hobby meanwhile had landed in the dead tree near the river hide so I set off there hoping to get close but as I left the hide Steve shouted out it was heading our way.As it zoomed pretty close I managed a couple of shots.






For the next half an hour the Hobby hawked around the stream line trees and over and around the oak hide.Steve and I soon got a sighting system going with Steve spotting in the oak hide and me waiting outside the door trying to get some shots as it zoomed by.On one occasion it flew low down the main path and I was forced to duck as it flew over my head.It was showing off ! !

Here are some of my best ever Hobby shots clearly showing a dragonfly in it's claws.Many thanks to Steve for his spotting skills.














When the Hobby flew off very high in the sky I met up with Jeff on the causeway and he had got some great shots of the second bird a juvenile.As we were chatting away a Peregrine flew over but very high in the sky.





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