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Click on any images to enlarge their size. The Pictures are edited to a Low Resolution, so if they are poor hopefully that's the reason :-)

Sunday 14 April 2013

A Selection of Local Specialist Meat Eaters!!

Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)

Kestrel on the hunt for a Slow Worm

Buzzard on Watch from a decent vantage point!

A pair of Merlins, not often seen, especially two!!
( Falco columbarius)


My Resident Sparrow Hawk
( Accipiter nisus)

A Young Peregrine Falcon
(Falco peregrinus)

Buzzard on bits of a young Rabbit
( Buteo buteo)
A Lovely Hobby Resting after dismembering Dragonflies
( Falco subbuteo)

The weathers been a little on the wet and windy side, so I thought I might brighten up the mood with a few old pictures of some local raptors.

Wednesday 10 April 2013

Signs of Spring, New arrivals and Some just passing through!!

Wheatear

Ring Quzel

Hen Harrier at Dusk
An Early Morning Chiff


A few birds from around my local patch over the Easter period. The Hen Harrier picture is of poor quality, due to light and distance. But it's nice just to see one, they always elude me!! One day i will get a decent picture. A bold Wheatear, we are now starting to see quite a number making there way in, this one was rather confident and let me get close. A Ring Quzel, not something we see very often but what a lovely Thrush it is, I think it's a Juv or Female?? And Finally a little ChiffChaff, great to see them arriving in greater numbers despite the wheather conditions, this one was singing it's charming song, a sure sign of spring.

Sunday 7 April 2013

A rather brisk walk on the Lizard!!


On a rather windy Sunday morning at 0700 Sarah and I headed off to the Lizard point to take part in our Volunteer work for the RSPB on the Cornish Chough watch. On route we spotted at full adult Hen harrier whilst crossing Goonhilly. On arrival at the point the wind was a rather cheeky 15-20 Mph, gusting 25 from South, South East straight at us, so for four hours it was rather emotional. We witnessed lots of Red-Billed-Chough activity around the point, followed by a male Kestrel attacking a Fulmar nest which was rather unexpected, the Fulmars saw it off rather swiftly. The resident Ravens were out in force with varying aeriel displays, always a pleasure to watch. Other Birds: Peregrine Falcon, Common Tern, Great Black Back, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Shag, Cormorants, and lots of Gannets diving for fish out at sea. Just in the last 30 minutes of our shift a little inquisitive stoat came out in search of a tasty rabbit and gave us a fun five minutes!! A first sighting for Sarah, all in all a successful mornings work.