Blogs

The recent spell of warm sunny weather and light southerly winds has held migration up a little bit, with very few reports of birds such as redwing or brambling that we'd usually expect to arrive in late September. That's not to say that there aren't any winter migrants here yet. Two snow...

Hello All, A few photos from mid -September. A Marsh Harrier , not very nice for the Frog but there is a chance the Frog did survive . A Hobby which could be the last one I see this year due to migration. Buzzard. Nice to see quite a lot of Meadow Pipits about ...

It is officially autumn now and the mornings certainly feel cooler, but we have been blessed with some lovely sunny days this week. Plenty of folk have been out enjoying the sunshine at Strumpshaw Fen and had some great wildlife encounters. My favourite is the family of five hobbies, still busy munching...

As a novice birder, I have really only ever been to the hides at Marshside - and loved the views of Wigeon in the winter, and Avocets in spring. Early autumn tends to be quite quiet I guess, and for a change I thought I'd walk round the perimeter of the reserve including the path from the cattle...

A quick update on recent sightings at Dove Stone. On one of our regular guided walks yesterday, this time up to Chew Reservoir, there were sightings of quite a few Meadow pippits, Wheatear, Sparrowhawk and House martins all seen from the Chew path. Up on the tops there were Red grouse and although we...

High winds and plenty of rain means autumn is well and truly here – so much for an Indian summer! But despite the drab weather, there’s still plenty of colour to see up on the reserve if you look close enough. There have been plenty of sightings of wheatear in the past couple of weeks...

What a gorgeous day with warm sun and no wind. Thirteen Buzzards were our reward for skywatching and the Hobbies performed very well indeed! Fred Roll got some great shots! In for the kill... NB: the insect is in the bottom left hand corner! Tasty!

Another 2 weeks has passed & still no joy in getting onto the RSPB website at Elmley - a real conundrum. I have been sent another possible fix that I will try when I return to Kingshill Farm, but I'm currently at Northward Hill, hence the chance for a further up-date about what's hip &...

August is the month when gardens become still and birdsong is muted as many of our birds disappear into the countryside to feed up after running themselves into the ground raising their chicks. But here at Newport Wetlands there have been plenty of great sightings over the past couple of weeks. ...

Our final day at Burghley House, and what a day it was. An osprey came round fishing on the lake twice (or was it two birds?). The second time sharp eyes spotted two more birds of prey high up above it, hobbies! The other great thing about the day was the number of new members that joined us. It is...

At least one juvenile marsh harrier was hunting across the south brooks yesterday morning - this is typical August bird for us here and this one was right on cue. If previous years are anything to go by, it will stay around for some weeks. A young cuckoo was also present yesterday, eating cinnabar caterpillars...

Hello All, Below are some photos from Elmley last week. Two immature Spoonbill dropped in very briefly Common Sandpiper Green Sandpiper Ruff Avocet Chick Hobby with unfortunate victim. Kestrel Greylag Family And finally...

Hobby pauses from the hunt on the shores of Poole Harbour. Arne, Dorset, UK.

Hobby over Coombe Heath at Arne, with Wytch Farm well head behind. Dorset, UK.

Great two visits to the reserve today. The morning brought a glorious Marsh Harrier and a swooping Barn Owl, the afternoon a Red Kite and a Hobby. Also present were Reed, Sedge, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff. At least two Cuckoos were cuckooing, a handful of Turtle Doves purred away, House Martins...

God they are fast and fly high just out of my range really but had to go for some My first Hobby

One of 24 of these agile birds over Joist Fen

Hi HM Interesting snaps, may i ask where they were taken location and habitat wise? Picture no.1 is confusing me as it looks like the raptor in question has a black tip to its tail, can you confirm that from your observations or is it a trick of the light? The second pic looks good for a peregrine...

Barnsley lad Hi it's the latin names that does my head in' as for hobby I'M sure most of you know, the game subbuteo is named from his latin name Falco subbuteo. Ray Which, in itself, is odd as subbuteo means "less than a Buzzard". Literally true but a strange...

This time of year juvie Peregrines will be fully independent and parental patience with them hanging around will be wearing very thin indeed. Any squabbling may well be the parents telling the now competing offspring to sling their hooks. We occasionally get a bit of Hobby on Peregrine action at Yat...

A young Hobby at Lakenheath Fen on 10th October 2010. It has finished eating a dragonfly that it had caught, and so it has just discarded the uneaten wings.

Hi Seymour Absolutely not. I get quite antsy if anyone refers to me as a twitcher. If something seriously good like a Roller or a Gyr Falcon turned up within about 50 miles I might go and take a look if it's convenient but I'm never going to be spending time and energy chasing ticks. I...

Hi We get both at Symonds Yat Rock. As well as the proportion thing (slender Hobby - sturdy Peregrine) they behave differently too. Peregrines hunt by a purposeful climb up to quite high altitude where they'll loiter as a dot in the sky until lunch flies by causing the Peregrine to do it's...

Hobby near Westbury, Wilts

Hobby just landing taken from bittern hide

taken from Bittern hide minsmere

On my walk into work this afternoon along the River Wye I spotted a bird about the size of a kestrel with long pointed wings, reminiscent of a giant swift. It had a dashing flight and was chasing large insects and small birds like swallows and martins. Prey was caught in its talons and transferred to...