Late Swallow Brood at Welney Wildfowl Trust Centre

While many Swallows are getting ready for their migration to Africa, this pair have a quite young brood in one of the hides. Not grat photos as very cark, but good to get the feeding action and the ejection of a faecal pellet. Very smart bee (ID to follow) and  a Hobby with a mouse(140mm lens!) - I thought it was a Kestrel.

Rain Stopped Play at Lakenheath RSPB

The first part of the day was fine and very good for insects as virtually no wind so lots of damselflies (variable and azure shown here), Hairy Dragonfly, Crane flies and Emphid flies. The Hobbies were busy catching the insects but unfortunately too high and the sky too grey by the time I dragged myself away from the insects and spiders. The rain arrived around 1 pm as these wet Goldfinches show.

Welney Wildlife - More Hobbies plus friends

We spent an enjoyable day at Welney recording the birdlife - all a bit distant again but great to see Hobby catching something from the reed beds (several catches observed), Marsh Harrier, family of Cranes, Godwits, Avocet, Snipe and Pochard. Mystery as to what the Hobby was catching - looks like a mole!!

Hobby Catches and Eats Small Bird

A privilege to see and record Hobbies at the nest, catching a small bird (?chaffinch) and flying around. All at quite a distance in dull conditions so quality not great but a record for my blog memory bank.

Southerly Winds and Hobbies etc Move On

Beautiful morning so a trip to Wicken Fen hoping for another feast of Hobbies and Terns to photograph. Just one Common Tern and a single Hobby were present but plenty of warblers including this glimpse of a Reed Warbler and lots of Whitethroats. Wondered if  pair of images are Lesser Whitethroat rather than the previous common Whitethroat.

Hobbies at Wicken Fen

Winds this Spring have been almost exclusively from the Northerly direction and therefore not helpful for birds migrating north. In the middle of this week we had a brief respite of southerly winds which brought in some /hobbies to Wicken. Great to see their antics.

Wicken Fen - Insects, Fox and Returm of the Hobbies

Yesterday was the first bright and relatively warm day for a time, so headed to Wicken Fen for a session with the birds and bugs. Not a lot around on the insect side though Brimstone, Red Admiral and Peacock all active plus as Red and Black Bug Cercopis vulnerata and a Cardinal beetle Pyrochroa serraticornis. An old Vixen fox (obviously with suckling young) watched as things hotted up from the hide - first the Terns and then up to five Hobbies entertained us with their antics (separate blog to follow). Also Buzzard, Marsh Harrier and Courting Great Crested Grebes