A Glimpse of Hobby (1 Viewer)

After a whole day of rains the morning burst bright, cooled by the wet but clear and with sunshine. Birds were already busy. Finches jostled and Meadow pipits swarmed above fields soaked and bent. Mistle thrushes and Blackbirds gathered around ripening rowens heavy with fruit. Collared doves perched on posts and wires and Starling flocks jabbed the dung heap.

A young Kestrel, with pristine feathers called and flew to the wood. A Green woodpecker answered. Rooks strutted over stubble. Seven Magpies hopped around a Brown Hare staring at a rival and Jays screeched from the copse.

Suddenly the Swallows swarmed and swirled, calling alarms, the panic spreading, but soon they were high and relaxed, the danger having passed. A Starling's Curlew imitation fluted from the barn.

The sun continued its rise. A Willow warbler flew by to bushes already bustling with Goldfinches. A Nuthatch rang from the wood. A Kestrel passed the reservoir putting up Pied wagtails and a Grey, Meadow pipits crammed on a wire above the meadow.

Then the Swallows alarmed again. They swirled in loops and eights, uncertain of the direction of danger, then scattering low and fast to every point. Meadow pipits, Linnets and Greenfinches joined the melee and Bullfinches alarmed.

Then, up from nowhere, from the hugging ground into the blue a deadly curve described, the blades of its wings slashing as it rises in a tight arc that takes it up amongst its prey, a Hobby, slaty against the sky, dives back towards the ground and is gone.

The sun shines on the calm remains of the shattered morning, Hares staring across glistening grasses, and the world continues.

You've such a great selection of birds around you H2. So jealous of the Green Woodpecker and Nuthatch, both of which we have to travel to find! Don't even get Magpies here would you believe

We had a mixed weather day yesterday, with a chapter of torrential rain!! Looking through one window, now, it looks like it will rain any minute, but out the other it's lovely blue sky!

How frustrating it must be getting those brief glimpses of the Hobby. Are you any clearer yet as to whether it's N,S,E or W, that they're hanging out?

Still none the wiser, Delia.
Been out again all morning & no further signs.

An action packed and beautifully described event. As always - lovely to read.

These just keep getting better each and every time, again keep the coming H2 and there's a place I go to watch Hobbys in your neck of the woods, was there a couple of wks back and connected with the bird, but like yourself only a fleeting glimpse and it was gone.

Damian.