Monday 21 January 2013

Peregrine

I was getting frustrated again this morning when I arrived at Canons and the sky seemed once again dead but then Fieldfares started to move. Around 305 Fieldfares passed west over the farm over the day. While counting Fieldfares, I noticed the Starlings, feral Rock Doves and Black-headed Gulls on the west side suddenly get up and go high - this would be an odd reaction to a Sparrowhawk and I wondered if there might be a 'Peg' about - sure enough a magnificent adult female Peregrine zoomed past before landing in Lunch Wood, where I got distant scope views of it for a couple of minutes before it once again flew and ended up closely passing me as it departed south west. Woohoo! Peregrine is a scarce bird at Canons and a good year tick to get in January. Two Little Owls showed well at Lambert's Shaw, a Grey Heron flew over and one of the wintering Common Buzzards showed at Death Pit.

Peregrine over Quail Field

Peregrine at Lunch Wood

Little Owls at Lambert's Shaw - first two photos are one bird and the bottom pic is its mate

Common Buzzard at Death Pit