Members watched a Raven and a Red Kite in an aerial contest over a dead vole carried by the Raven in its beak. The Kite snatched at the prey in a stunning swoop, only to lose it in turn to the Raven. In a swoop and a spin, the Kite attacked the Raven, forcing it to relinquish its grip on the vole, catching its prize in mid-air, carrying it off to devour in peace. A Merlin wielded its way across the moor offering a stunning sight while shimmering flocks of Golden Plovers twisted and turned in the sky adding to the magic of the morning. Larks and Pipits, loose flocks of songbirds and moorland birds ended a terrific morning before the rain set in for the afternoon.
Birds seen:
Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Golden Plover, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Herring Gull, Kestrel, Linnet, Meadow Pipit, Merlin, Raven, Red Kite, Rook, Skylark, Starling, Woodcock, Woodpigeon.
Report by Nick Armstrong
