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Hobby overhead this morning - garden tick!

At about 10:40 today Monday 7th June 2021 at Teigngrace I saw an Osprey atop an electricity pylon. It then took to the air and gently flew off towards Kingsteignton.

During a walk this morning: juvenile Green Woodpecker, Spotted Flycatcher, Whitethroat, 6+ Stock Doves, Kestrel, c10 Small Heaths & 2 Roe Deer.

Several brief watches of the sea produced: 1 Black-throated Diver in full Summer plumage, 115 Manx Shearwaters including a flock of 80, 25+ Common Dolphins, 3 Harbour Porpoise & 2 Grey Seals. A flock of Starlings passing over the headland sadly didn't have any pink in it!

This afternoon a very pale slim bodied raptor flew above me as I was packing up my cameras.  Not a Peregrine, possibly a Hobby.  The local breeding female Kestrel had just made a kill and was returning to her nest when she suddenly accelerated and attacked the other raptor overhead.  The second raptor had a strikingly white throat and breast, very thin moustacial stripes and boldly streaked under tail coverts (only visible in photos) as Hobby.  But I would have expected a Hobby to be vey much more agile in the air so maybe an escaped falconers' bird with jesses?  Any ideas?

Female Kestrel encounter with Falcon

Female Kestrel encounter with Falcon

2 Rose-Coloured Starlings, both adults near East Prawle, c4pm in field with cows right of main road , 2 fields south of water tower, with c20 Starlings 

Great days out on the 1st and 26th May. Millions of bluebells adorn the fields and woodland with 5 cuckoos heard, and delightfully 3 seen in flight at once. Other birds include Redstart, Wheatear, Curlew, 2 Linnet, 4 Meadow pipit, 2 Skylark, Buzzard, Kestrel, Willow and Garden Warbler, 5 Stonechat, Wren, 3 Coaltit, Chiffchaff, GSW and Mistle Thrush. Add to that the ponies, sheep, cattle and roe deer and landscape what a tremendous venue this is!

All photos in the Gallery.

Walked up and back from Ivybridge. Cuckoos heard from 6/7 directions, but probably only 2/3 birds involved. Best view was of one being dive-bombed by a Tree Pipit, one of 3 seen or heard. Also present were 3/4 singing Redstarts, several Willow Warblers, a family of 5 Ravens and, incongruously, an LBB Gull flushed from among the trees along the riverbank (a hatch of fish?). Dipper and Grey Wagtail were in the river, a steady stream of those little green caterpillars were abseiling from the Oaks, and what I took to be a Brown Trout was leaping to catch flying insects. On the way back a Wheatear carrying food dived into a hole in the stone wall and I could hear several young calling.

An out of season Dark bellied Brent Goose with a loose group of 

Shelduck on the bank of river at low tide.

 On Sunday 30th of may My annual family holiday to Paignton started with a shock! Walked on to paignton beach at c7am to do a sweep of the 2 beach’s, right next to the pier with c15 herring gulls was a striking adult laughing gull ( or Franklin’s) still in shock I quickly got out my phone to take a photo but instantly all the birds took off! The yank gull flew towards Preston sands but I sadly couldn’t relocate it!????? in maybe the two minutes I watched this bird and in obvious shock the features I did observe all suggest laughing gull but I can’t 100 per cent rule out Franklin’s. I alerted Mike langham of the bird immediately. Andy shaw.

working near Thornworthy when I first heard and then saw a cuckoo.  I managed to get this very distant shot of the bird before it flew off into some more distant trees.

Cuckoo

This afternoon: Treecreeper, Spotted Flycatcher, Stonechat, Whitethroat, Green Woodpecker, 24 Mandarin Ducks (21 drakes) & 7 Roe Deer.

Little Tern at 15:30

A house martin and two swifts low over Great Torrington town centre this morning

At least four Nightjars at Heathfield last night, at one point three birds together on the wing, the wing clapping and churring was a bit sporadic.

Yellow hammers and Stonechats also noted.

1430 south of A380 by Ideford flying south solitary bird. 

Blaxton Meadow remains pretty quiet with 5 Curlews the only waders at high tide today. Elsewhere on site, 2 Green Woodpeckers, Whitethroat, pair of Stonechats, Shag & 3 Roe Deer. 

2 Red Kite circling over fields near Ugborough

Red Kite flying low over the A388, 500 metres Eaet of Netherbridge over the river Tamar. 11.30 Tuesday 1st June

Red kite flying low over Cator area of Dartmoor around noon on 1 June

A late evening trip to Cann woods, the winds picked up as the sun set, but Nightjars did start up, not too many flying about, possibly because the winds kept their food supply down low.  But heard around 6-7 different birds. 

Also lots of tawny owl calling, young and adults

5.30pm today, a single Red Kite seen flying from SW to NE over our home in Higher Westonfields.

At Yarner several Pied Flycatchers, 2 Spotted Flycatchers, 3+ Redstarts, Marsh Tit, Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Willow Warblers, Garden Warbler; also 3 Brimstones.

Emsworthy Bog:  5+Cuckoos, singing male Redstart; 1st Painted Lady of the year; amazing bluebells.

Just before 5pm, sat down in garden and saw high up a Red Kite moning North to South and dropping, came low past next door.

Then another a few mins later, heading south again and dropping into trees behind.

What a treat!

A return walk from Warren House Inn via Soussons, Challacombe & Headland Warren in the sunshine produced: 8+ Whinchats, 9+ Cuckoos, Crossbill, 2 Redstarts, 3+ Siskins, 2 Green Woodpeckers & just 1 Wheatear. Next-to-no butteflies about.

Out at Powler's piece yesterday late evening. 2 or possibly 3 Nightjars seen, one 'churring' but not until nearly 10p.m.!

2+ Spotted Flycatchers, 2 Whinchat, Redstart, Garden Warbler, Cuckoo, 2 Whitethroat, juv Great Spotted Woodpecker, Dipper, Green Woodpecker and Goosander (f) the highlights this morning.

Spotted Flycatcher

Yesterday around the Vitifer workings: Whinchats 4, Wheatears 3, Ravens 2, Buzzard 1, Willow Warblers 5, Skylarks12, Meadow Pipits 8, and a solitary Nightjar disturbed in the heather and bilberry scrub,

Whinchat

Meadow Pipit

Still not much sign of migrants around me in Great Torrington, but a blackcap has been resident in Caddywell Lane and it may be him that visited my next door neighbour's garden yesterday. A single swift, but no martins or swalllows despite keeping an eye out