23/07/2020 Birds of Prey

Thursday 23 July 2020

Shaun invited out me late morning to go looking for raptors in the area around his home.  Conditions were ideal with a light breeze with a bright, sunny outlook. We had immediate success, which was great, but it did mean the later stages were inevitably an anti-climax.

• The first birds we saw were not raptors at all but a superb, small family of mistle thrush, comprising parents and a juvenile.
• Just after this, a sparrowhawk flew overhead and not long after another 2 joined it.
• Several buzzards were seen.
• A hobby also graced us with its presence.
• Pride of place went to a honey buzzard that showed well high in the sky quite close to us.

We visited several other viewing points close by but we were unable to replicate anything like this.

• The best we got late on were 3 yellowhammers which we heard then saw high in the trees close to where we were standing.

Thanks for a great couple of hours birding Shaun.