A Red Kite spent over an hour around the moss on Saturday afternoon, seen by several birders - unfortunately not me! A female Stonechat was on the moss on Monday afternoon, not a regular visitor these days. Fifteen Shoveler were seen flying along the boundary to the SE today, and c50 Skylarks flushed from the arable beyond the same boundary. A late dragonfly was also seen today! Several Merlin sightings over the last two weeks too, along with the usual Buzzards, Sparrowhawks and Kestrels.
11-12 Usuals at the woodland hide. Highlight being a Willow tit, not seen one for a while From the Tower hide, loads of Wood pigeon Jay Mallard f Lots of Crows Distant Kestrel Cheers Jay Don't twitch and drive
Three skeins of Pink-footed geese over this afternoon - 50, 18 & 18. A drake Wigeon dropped into the moss yesterday. Plenty of Common snipe buzzing around at the moment. No Hobbies have been seen this week so far.
Three Hobbies at one point this afternoon - the usual 2cy bird hawking dragonflies, another probable 2cy on a post and a third bird up high over the tip, mobbing a Peregrine carrying prey. Usual Common buzzards, Sparrowhawks and Kestrels around too. A large flock of mixed tits and warblers (inc. at least one Willow tit) moved through the wood at the back of the watchpoint.
Secondly, the 2cy bird that has been with us throughout the summer appeared, seemingly carrying a bird. If it was a bird (it was certainly a large item) this is the first time I've ever seen a Hobby at Risley with avian prey, though others who've watched there far longer than me have seen Hobbies chasing birds over the moss on a few occasions. As we watched, an adult Hobby (probably the one seen earlier) flew in and attempted to grab the prey from the other bird. Both birds spiralled down to the ground, one bird (I think the adult, I missed it!) flew off across the moss a few seconds later, don't know if it was carrying prey.
Jonathan - do you think, that although a little late in the breeding cycle this could possibly have been a food pass between a male and femalle bird?
Hi Sid,
Personally I don't think it's too late for food passing to be taking place, there'll still be unfledged Hobbies around. However, I think one of the Hobbies involved today was a 2cy bird whereas the other was an adult - it's possible for 2cy birds to breed, but unlikely. Also, it didn't look like a food pass, the adult smacked into the other falcon and grabbed the prey, then both birds spiralled down from about 70yds up, as far as we could see they hit the ground! I don't think there are any Hobbies nesting in the immediate vicinity of the moss this year. Apart from spring passage we've not seen many adults, I took pics of three perched Hobbies several weeks ago, all three were 2cy birds. The 2cy bird from today has probably been around all summer, it's been quite distinctive over the last few weeks as it's now moulting. There isn't any aggression shown by adults towards any of the 2cy birds, or any other raptors for that matter; nor do we ever see adults chasing birds - other indications perhaps that no breeding is taking place locally.
Secondly, the 2cy bird that has been with us throughout the summer appeared, seemingly carrying a bird. If it was a bird (it was certainly a large item) this is the first time I've ever seen a Hobby at Risley with avian prey, though others who've watched there far longer than me have seen Hobbies chasing birds over the moss on a few occasions. As we watched, an adult Hobby (probably the one seen earlier) flew in and attempted to grab the prey from the other bird. Both birds spiralled down to the ground, one bird (I think the adult, I missed it!) flew off across the moss a few seconds later, don't know if it was carrying prey.
Jonathan - do you think, that although a little late in the breeding cycle this could possibly have been a food pass between a male and female bird?
-- Edited by sid ashton on Tuesday 5th of August 2014 03:02:23 PM
Couple of odd Hobby-related incidents today. Firstly, at least one juv. Sparrowhawk was calling just to the left of the watchpoint. I wandered over to see if I could spot it and flushed an adult Hobby from the trees, the bird was presumably perched a few yards from the watchpoint. Had the Hobby flown in because it had heard the young Sparrowhawk and if so, why?
Secondly, the 2cy bird that has been with us throughout the summer appeared, seemingly carrying a bird. If it was a bird (it was certainly a large item) this is the first time I've ever seen a Hobby at Risley with avian prey, though others who've watched there far longer than me have seen Hobbies chasing birds over the moss on a few occasions. As we watched, an adult Hobby (probably the one seen earlier) flew in and attempted to grab the prey from the other bird. Both birds spiralled down to the ground, one bird (I think the adult, I missed it!) flew off across the moss a few seconds later, don't know if it was carrying prey.
A quick hour this morning from 10.30 in decent sunny weather. Three Hobbies were active over the moss and giving great views, both in flight and perched on treetops/posts. Also, a single Buzzard was circling higher up.
15.30 - 16.45, 24 degrees and sunny certainly had the Hobbies flying. In the time I was there there seemed always to be at least one bird up and just before I left 4 were chasing insects. Also present Kestrel and Buzzard.
13.00-15.00 Buzzardx4 Sparrowhawkx2 Single yellowhammer Reed buntingx3 Carrion crowxloads Great spotted woodpecker at the woodland hide Nice to meet John Doherty on his Birthday as well. Cheers Jay Don't twitch and drive
12.00-14.00 Woodland hide Nuthatchx4 Coal tit Blue titx4 Great titx2 Chaffinchx3 Bullfinch m Reed buntingx2 Viewing tower 3 very active and noisy Buzzards Reed buntingx3 Mallardx3 Moorhenx2 Carrion crowx2 As I was leaving 4 more birders turned up, might be a better idea to go a bit later. Cheers Jay Don't twitch and drive
Lesser Redpoll numbers have been (very!) slowly building up over the last few weeks. Today there was a flock of 30+ flying around the watchpoint - the largest flock seen there for several years.
11.30-13.30 Woodland hide Great spotted woodpeckerx2 m and f Nuthatch Usual tits Bullfinch Jaysx2 Chaffinchx5 Dunnock
Tower hide Reed bunting Long tail tit Wren Buzzard on a post Sparrowhawk f Toughest lookin Cat in Risley hunting the moss Cheers Jay Don't twitch and drive
Good numbers of raptors showing over the moss recently. Today we had five species - Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Kestrel, Hobby and Peregrine. The Peregrine was seen catching dragonflies today, likewise a Kestrel yesterday. Buzzards and, rarely, Sparrowhawks take them occasionally too.
Two Hobbies hunted briefly together over the moss yesterday, earlier another bird (probably a different one) had bombed through heading south. A juvenile Marsh Harrier was seen on Sunday and a Merlin earlier in the week. Sparrowhawks have recently fledged and can be heard - and occasionally seen - from the watchpoint.
Hi Jonathan, I saw a Harris Hawk on my way to work near Southport on March 28th, sat on a lamp post. If the views hadn't been so close giving quick identification I would probably have crashed the car. The bird I saw had jesses so may not have been the same one.
A large raptor being mobbed by two Common Buzzards confused a large group of visiting birders momentarily - it was an escaped Harris Hawk. No sign of jesses so it's either out of an aviary or has been loose for some time. Otherwise,lots of Common Buzzards soaring, Sparrowhawks and a Kestrel, no sign of Hobbies since last week.
Late PM Hobby-1 Kestrel-1 Sparrowhawk-1 f Common Buzzard-3 (including 1 very white individual) Oystercatcher-1 Meadow Pipit-1 Nuthatch-3 plenty swallows through Sand Martin -1 and no Dogs :)
A Short-eared Owl has been showing in the afternoon for several days. It was out for an hour between 2-3pm today, and was hunting for prolonged periods on Saturday and Sunday afternoons too.
Flushed a Woodcock from the side of the path, about ten yards from the watchpoint this afternoon. No idea what it was doing there and why it flushed when I walked past, apparently many other folk had walked along the path. Gave decent views to the other birders as it flew within a few yards of them. A Merlin put in a couple of appearances too.
A small male Peregrine over the moss today. The male Hen Harrier has been seen every day this week - though not by me unfortunately! Generally appears mid to late afternoon.
Very quiet bird wise, just a few crows on the moss, and a huge flock of Woodpigeon flying over.
At 15.45 though a Short Eared Owl flushed from the moss.
After quartering the Northern end of the mossland a couple of times it climbed very high, and with a crow in pursuit flew off in a North-Westerly direction.