Sunday, June 12, 2011

Marauder.

This morning was nice and sunny with some cloud, a blessed relief after yesterdays effort. JWR and myself headed off west to do his WeBs count.

The gravel pits looked well in their pseudo-summer finery ( after all we can't string two nice days together to merit the name 'summer') with drifts of Birds Foot trefoil and Sheeps Sorrel dotted with clumps of Ragged Robin. Purple Loosestrife and Knapweed in bud hinted at the next generation of flowers to follow on.

Only a few birds were noteworthy - Great Crested Grebe, Little Ringed Plover and Goldeneye being the main attractions with odd Redpolls calling overhead.

A sweep around with my newly acquired net turned up a few new moths ( see the moth blog for details) then John located this -




A female Adder trying to catch some rays.

Next as we wandered back a bird speeding towards us over the pond prompted the cry 'Hobby!' as subbuteo in full hunt mode dashed by too quick to get a pic. I suggested that it was heading to a Sand Martin colony at our next stop.

Onwards after a pastie and tea, to finish at another pit across the main road when our hooded marauder turned up bang on cue.

This one is from John...



This time, no fly by. It circled the lake and riverside, mobbed a Sparrowhawk harried some hirundines then soared off up into the blue after about 5 minutes of great views. Our pictures cant do it justice. Click on them for a better idea....

This evening as the weather reverts to type, windy and dark with heavy rain spattering the windows, the Cuckoo is calling constantly under pressure right next to our garden...

5 comments:

Ipin said...

the pictures might not do it justice, but they will get it past the CRC!

Nice one (and the adder!)

Alan Gilbertson said...

Dunno about that Iain. I don't see any feather detail, but what the hell do I know? I got knocked back on lack of feather detail on a hobby that passed within 10 yards of me.

It still smarts.

(From one who officially doesn't know what a hobby looks like.)

Alan Gilbertson said...

PS. Nice one, Stewart.

abbey meadows said...

Reminds me of Felton Lane in the early nineties...Hobby, Cuckoo, Purple Loosetrife etc, incidently the last time I was at Felton lane I saw two of those red and black froghoppers, took a pic as I'd never seen them before, identified them presumed they were all over the place and deleted the shot from my camera. They were in a clearing in Colliersdean wood. That Robin would have made a good 400 bird!

Warren Baker said...

Nice to see you enjoying the Hobby Stewart :-)