Hobby Thread 2009 (1 Viewer)

[John Barber]

H

I knew I should have gone back with you !

You obviously have sixth sense when it comes to these birds. I'm sorry I missed the Peregrine's as well. I haven't seen one since February on the Wirral.

Hopefully, if you're fit, I might catch up with you on Sunday morning and perhaps you may bring me some luck.

Incidentally, I did see the Little Owl back near where we park our cars. It just sat in the small tree twenty yards away, watching me, watching it, for about five minutes.

JB

 

[halftwo]

H

Incidentally, I did see the Little Owl back near where we park our cars. It just sat in the small tree twenty yards away, watching me, watching it, for about five minutes.
JB

There you go John, I've not seen those owls in months - and was looking for them today too. I thought they'd moved elsewhere.

I'll see how I go on Sunday - maybe you could help me hobble out there!

 

[Gretchen]

In case anyone's missed it (and I haven't spotted any previous announcement on this thread) now that the New Forest gatway webcam Goshawk family have gone off for the season the camera has turned its attention to another Hobby nest.

Here it is http://www.rspb.org.uk/webcams/birdsofprey/newforest.asp

Happy viewing.

I'm not sure exactly when it happened (last 24 hours?), but it seems their first egg has hatched o - cute little white chick and there's still an egg in this nest.

Yours were a little earlier H2 - enjoying seeing those ones from your view - on the ground, helps one know what to look for when there's not a camera

 

[halftwo]

July 16th.

I'm not sure exactly when it happened (last 24 hours?), but it seems their first egg has hatched o - cute little white chick and there's still an egg in this nest.
Yours were a little earlier H2 - enjoying seeing those ones from your view - on the ground, helps one know what to look for when there's not a camera

Thanks for the update Gretchen, I seem to recall that my pair were earlier than the New Forest birds last year too.

07:00 - 09:15.

Cool, overcast, but improving.

Just returned from over two hours - and not a sign of him.
She was looking out for him - if possible even impatient/anxious - if that's not an anthropomorphosis too far. At one point a Crow or two came too close to the nest and she (silently) mantled the nest - spreading her wings over it - and stretched her head over the lip to watch the intruders.

Anxiety over she settled to a preen and resuned her vigil. At one point she gave a series of calls and I thought he'd returned - but no - maybe he had passed within sight of her.

The only other enlivening happening was the appearance of a Little owl nearby.

Well, I'll be out of action for a couple of days now - as soon as can hobble out there I will.

 

[joannec]

Nice surprise from my garden this afternoon; a distant hobby high catching insects. It's only about the forth or fifth time I've seen them from the garden. Watched it in the scope..... I love the way they so coolly catch them, reach down with their bills and seem to pull the wings off before they eat them. Good raptor day all in all from my garden today, kestrel, sparrowhawk and buzzards as well.

Hope you're feeling OK H.

 

[halftwo]

Thanks, Joanne,

Op tomorrow. Have to be at the hospital for 7:30 am.!

 

[halftwo]

Hobby webcam, New Forest.

Just had a quick look at the website (on Mrs.H's laptop) and the female moved and one youngster showed briefly. And it looks sunny down there! Miserable here.

 

[John Barber]

H

Went to check the hobbies this morning. The female was feeding the chicks. Just missed seeing the male.

Jb

 

[John Barber]

H

A more complete report on this mornings visit.

Hope the operation went well and your recovery takes place quickly. I know you will want be be with your Hobbies asap.

Arrived at the ' car park ' without incident this morning, unlike earlier in the week when I was almost run down by four tractors in one trip.

You know how narrow those lanes are, and some of the bends are completely blind because of the high hedges. One young guy in his tractor come around a blind bend at speed- with a smile and a mobile on the side of his face - only the application of emergency braking saved the day. I can honestly say that tracking leopard and lion on foot in Africa is less hazardous and dangerous than navigating those lanes at times.

Looked for the Little Owl on arrival, but he was nowhere to be seen. However, bumped into a couple of the afore mentioned tractor boys by the gate. They were telling me that a local farmer shoot 180 wood pigeon last week, and sold them to a local restaurant in the village.

Arrived at the viewing field to find 70 cows in it ! - most of which were along the path. Spent 15 minutes watching the female not doing very much before heading around the back. However, because of the number of cows down the side of the field, sheltering from the strong south westerly wind, I decided discretion was the better part of valour, and opted to roll under the electric fence and head up the field on the other side of the hedge.

Still no sign of the male on the far side, but lots of swallows and swifts circling above and despite the best efforts of the local farmer, dozens of wood pigeon were to be seen as well. Scanning 360 degrees I spotted a Hobby sized raptor a third of a mile away to the north west. I quickly trained my scope, but by now it was hovering, and it's colour distinctlybrown - a Kestrel ! Coming back through the barley field I spotted a large number of wood pigeon feathers under the public footpath sign - a plucking post for a sparrow hawk ?

Heading back to the viewing meadow, I heard the male calling - but I was on the wrong side of the hedge again, avoiding the cows - bugger ! I hurriedly scrambled back under the electric wire and set the scope up in record time. I could see the female stood on the edge of the nest - what was she doing ? I zoomed in to maximum magnification, but the strong wind and swaying branches made it difficult to see. Then a brief lull in the wind allowed me to see something for the first time - the female feeding the chicks. Lovely. I missed the male bringing the food in but maybe I'll get lucky next time.

Then it was time for home. A trip to Sainsbury's beckoned !

 

[halftwo]

Nice account John,

I've been fearing the pigeon shooters starting this year - the pigeon numbers have been climbing steadily all year - and if a Hobby came past at the wrong time...
Hopefully the woodies will disperse now they have been decimated and the shooters will move on. Last year a bloke set up a hide with decoys in that back field (once the crop had been harvested) - and the shooting went on all day.

I'll be out there as soon as I can - probably weather dependent - if it's wet it will be nigh on impossible.

 

[SueO]

H

Looked for the Little Owl on arrival, but he was nowhere to be seen. However, bumped into a couple of the afore mentioned tractor boys by the gate. They were telling me that a local farmer shoot 180 wood pigeon last week, and sold them to a local restaurant in the village.

Oh no! Hopefully the Hobbies will stay away from the pigeons.

 

[halftwo]

Have been looking at the New Forest nestcam today: there's something wrong there.
One chick - now a few days old - and two unhatched eggs. Presumably these two are infertile - they should have hatched by now.
Anyone else been watching?

 

[Jos Stratford]

Found another nest site today, not an amazing shot, but one of the adult birds nearby.

 

[halftwo]

Nice male Hobby there Jos, note the relatively large head, and slender body. Female on nest no doubt.

 

[John Barber]

Sue

Wood Pigeons are in almost plague proportions in this part of the world and I don't blame the farmers for trying to keep the numbers down. But as you inferred, it's the danger of other passing birds becoming victim to over enthusiastic hunters which is always the danger.

However, H's birds seem pretty smart to me, and they are much more difficult to approach than Mr pigeon - definately one notch up in the IQ pecking order I think. Fingers crossed, that will keep them safe for there return to Africa.

 

[halftwo]

July 20th. Chick(s) Visible, Intruder Female!

09:00 - 10:30

Warm & sunny, light breezes.

Wrapped my bandages up and taped a plastic bag over the lot, put my stuff in a backpack for ease of carriage - and off I set, one crutch for support.
Dodging cowpats a little difficult. Two Sand martins flew south.

A movement as soon as I arrived: the female had been off the nest and returned as I watched. Then the male was up (perhaps he'd just passed a small item to his mate - she wasn't carrying anything visible) and powering up at a slant to the south.
For the next twenty minutes he kept in view as he hunted the local hirundines - switching direction, height and speed, looking for an opportunity to strike.
At one go I thought he had succeeded - stooping in ever-increasing steepness at a bunch of panicking Swallows - as one foolhardy bird tried to buzz him before his speed outpaced it.
Typically he was below the horizon as the pounce crescendoed - but then he was back up in the blue, empty-clawed.

His flight pattern brought him back towards me - and he had purpose in his movement: then I saw a female Hobby that he was headed for - but not his mate! (A quick check confirmed her presence still at the nest.)

With a strange staccato "tirr-tirr-rir-rir-rir" call he went for the intruder - but kept a safe distance as he flashed past her. She seemed unconcerned and continued to circle and move around the sky immediately over the nest site. For several minutes she was there - as he danced around her - occasionally calling - then she drifted off to the south.
I watched her until she was distant - when she turned and came back. Once again the male engaged with her - stooping twice from above - and she responded by rolling to present her talons to him. Both were gaining height and eventually I lost them trying to keep both in sight.

Just a few minutes later and the distinctive begging loud and insistent call from the female: he had returned with prey. She got up to take the bird from him, flying excitedly around the trees, before landing out of sight.

Two minutes later and she flew back to the nest with the plucked prey. As she began to feed the young I could see one fluffy white head sticking up in front of her!
The breeze was obscuring the view by blowing small leafy branches in the way - but I imagined that there could have been two little heads showing at one point. The female moved around the nest to distribute the dwindling prey - until it had gone and she settled on the nest again.

And while this feeding was going on a Little egret flew past distantly, roughly north-south. (Still rare in there parts.)
Newly emerged Painted ladies brightened the lanes as I hobbled back - well pleased with my return to Hobby watching.

 

[joannec]

Great stuff and a joy to read! Well done for hobbling out to see them today H.:king:

 

[halftwo]

Great stuff and a joy to read! Well done for hobbling out to see them today H.:king:

Thanks Joanne.
Have you had a look at the New Forest nestcam recently - did you read my post re same?

H

 

[Gretchen]

Have been looking at the New Forest nestcam today: there's something wrong there.
One chick - now a few days old - and two unhatched eggs. Presumably these two are infertile - they should have hatched by now.
Anyone else been watching?

Yes, I've been looking in a bit, a break from work on the computer

I believe there's only one egg, and it looks quite unchanged. I've "heard" people on the osprey blog anticipating the hatching of this egg for at least 2 days, so I guess this is a bad sign.

It is rather cute that the chick has gotten big enough to try to cover the egg - very small for incubation duties - but clearly it had grown a lot in just a few days. I wonder if the parents will take the egg out of the nest soon?

 

[halftwo]

Thanks for the update Gretchen.
That pair aren't doing so well, then.
Wonder if one or both are old?