Tuesday 22 December 2009

Peregrine?

I gave West Hartford a good thrash at midday today. I checked the still completely frozen pools first, where a few Common Gull had landed.
The ice is still thick on the pools as deer tracks could be seen with no cracks around them.
15 Long Tailed Tits flew from the trees next to the pools and a vocal Fieldfare was sitting at the top of the dead trees.
A Buzzard flew low to the ground over the fields, I was hoping that sunday's Red Kite would be around.

Next I chcked the fields behind the small pool. A group of 10 Fieldfare were flying overhead and seemed to follow me everywhere I went as did a pair of Stonechat.
The sound of wings flapping soon caught my attention as the Woodpigeons which roost in the woods along the river Blyth took to the sky.
All 70+ birds were flying in different directions and diving into the tree tops. Soon the reason why appeared as a raptor came into view.
At first glance I thought it was a Peregrine but as it flew directly overhead it's body didn't look muscular enough and its wings didn't seem as broad.
It's underside was silvery grey and it was slightly bigger than a Kestrel but it just didn't look like a Peregrine.
It ignored the Woodpigeons completely and flew south west quickly.

The addition of niger seed to my bird feeders has been successful as yesterday a Siskin was feeding with a group of 5 Greenfinch and 4 Chaffinch.

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