[Alan67]

I've just had 4 days off work and have been really lazy, so today I forced myself out into the cold and went around my local patch, Marton Mere.

I was happily rewarded with my first ever female Kestrel - actually, my first ever raptor. That was at 11am and I'm still grinning now!! It was perched in a nearby tree for about 10 minutes scanning the area and occasionally giving me the eye before flying off. Brilliant!

[mikfoz]

You'll see her a lot if you keep going up there. She's often on top of the trees at the western end of the reserve or at the top end of Lawson's Field in the morning and tends to have a hate/hate relationship with the Magpies. There's also a male occasionally. You'll also see the Sparrowhawk regularly buzzing the lake and the reed beds and in and out of the scrub. You'll even occasionally see a Peregrine. Look over the fields and you'll spot Buzzards, too.

They're great birds to watch.

[Alan67]

That's exactly where I saw her, atop the trees at the De Vere end entrance. I've only been birdwatching for a year this March & I think I just haven't been looking properly. Are there many Kestrel's at the Mere? I actually went out with the intention of finding Great Crested Grebe - my favourite, but they seem to have gone else where for the winter. I'm hoping to see the mating dance - any suggestions of where they may be locally?

[Alan67]

PS. Some people I was talking to at the Mere today said they had heard that there was a rare duck on Stanley Park lake, but they had no details - any idea what that may be?

[mikfoz]

Originally Posted by Alan67

That's exactly where I saw her, atop the trees at the De Vere end entrance. I've only been birdwatching for a year this March & I think I just haven't been looking properly. Are there many Kestrel's at the Mere? I actually went out with the intention of finding Great Crested Grebe - my favourite, but they seem to have gone else where for the winter. I'm hoping to see the mating dance - any suggestions of where they may be locally?

The Great Crested Grebe are often on the mere. I see them pretty much every time I'm there unless the ice is bad. You just need to scan the mere with patience as if they're fishing they can spend up to 50% of their time underwater. You get a good few Kestrels over the reserve but the female you saw seems to own the territory.

If the Grebe have cleared off they're often out in the Ribble Estuary along with the other more coastal divers. They'll occasionally crop up on Stanley Park Lake for a spell.

I also see the Sparrowhawk most days.

[Alan67]

Thanks, I'll try the estuary, I usually see quite a few Grebes at the park, less so on the mere, but the only 2 I have seen so far this year were on the mere towards the end of Jan.

Thanks for the advice.

[lmans66]

Originally Posted by mikfoz

You'll see her a lot if you keep going up there. She's often on top of the trees at the western end of the reserve or at the top end of Lawson's Field in the morning and tends to have a hate/hate relationship with the Magpies. .

So what do your magpies look like over in UK...black billed or Yellow or ? ...We have them in the states but they are only west coast birds. The blackbilled is Northwest and into Northwest canada while the yellow-billed is a small section in California.... (must be hollywood as they always try to be different).... In UK?

[mikfoz]

Originally Posted by lmans66

So what do your magpies look like over in UK...black billed or Yellow or ? ...We have them in the states but they are only west coast birds. The blackbilled is Northwest and into Northwest canada while the yellow-billed is a small section in California.... (must be hollywood as they always try to be different).... In UK?

http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/bird...gpie/index.asp

Check this out for the low down on our resident ubiquitous black and white super crow, pica pica. They, like most corvids, will mercilessly mob and harry any raptor that is on their patch, especially Kestrels, it seems. I often use their activity as a signpost as to where a raptor might be ranging or perching as they go into a gang-like frenzy of hopping, darting flights and calling, all focussed on one spot with anything up to ten individuals co-operating to drive off a Buzzard. This is often less about self-preservation and more about securing rights to smaller prey items and carrion.

[lmans66]

Funny.,...how UK has Magpies as does the west coast of US but the east coast of US is void of that lovely bird...actually a very pretty bird (as is the starling--egads to say) if you catch them in the right light. Or in a magpies case, just looking at the tail length in flight etc....

[mikfoz]

Magpies' antics put me in a dilemma of favourites as I've loved watching Kestrels since I was a small boy but Magpies have always been a favourite of mine as I can't help loving their cocky, swaggering ways and the fact they're simply so successful and adaptable.

I have to just remain neutral and watch the show to see who comes out on top. It's a rare Kestrel that can endure more than a minute or so of being mobbed.