Another red-letter raptor day

Sunday December 22 started off sunny, a bit cold, and breezy. Dave got to the patch before me, but had little to report. We started off with a view of the female Brambling, but as we reached the small pond en route to the main pool it was apparent that it was going to rain. A thick black cloud caused us to clamber over a fence and walk on the sheltered side of the hedge leading to the pool. This was to prove to be a very good idea indeed.

About half way along the hedge a bird flew out and then banked before heading across the field and away. In the short time available we were able to identify, and get excellent views of the bird; a female Merlin.

female Merlin

This was a great pull-back for Dave, and was a far better view for me than the distant dot I had seen a couple of weeks ago. We noted its barred tail and lack of striking head markings. A minute later Dave picked up another raptor, this time flying along the fence on the far side of the field. It was a Sparrowhawk, and we watched as it landed in a bush across the field. A Kestrel and a Buzzard were also seen as we sheltered from the shower.

In the distance, a flock of 25 Wigeon were wheeling around over the flash, so that needed to be our next destination.

The rain eased and we set off again. Only 100 yards further on I picked up another raptor, this time flying over the pool. Close to Buzzard size but with a longer and distinctly rounded tail I called out "what's this?", and then "Goshawk" as it swung round and started to return the way it had come. I realised Dave hadn't seen it at first, so nudged him and pointed as it continued its progress back towards Bannams Wood. He got onto it before it started to get distant, and we watched until it disappeared over the crown of the wood. Fantastic.

The flashes were devoid of any Wigeon, and we recorded only nine Teal, 2 Green Sandpipers, and 21 Snipe plus a few Lapwings and Black-headed Gulls. A few sorry looking Greylags limped around the field, and we suspected they had been shot at.

On the walk back a few large Gulls were seen heading west, mostly Lessers plus four Herring Gulls. Not enough birds to give any realistic hope of something different. With five raptor species under our belts we were already pretty pleased with ourselves, but more was to come.

Scanning across towards Bannams Wood we saw that the Goshawk was visible again, and above it a small raptor turned out to be a Sparrowhawk. I got the scope up for a better look, but the Goshawk had drifted off. However, Dave then spotted another bird and drew my attention to it. He had finally broken his duck for the year as we watched a Peregrine circling over the wood. Our sixth raptor of the morning.

This third sighting of a Goshawk here in the course of a little over a month does raise a few issues. Do I continue to mention its presence if I see it again? On the one hand the species still suffers persecution from egg robbers, but on the other it is still winter and I notice that its sites are mapped on the new BTO Atlas, and that the species is clearly on the increase and spreading its range. I don't really want to suppress sightings from my own blog, but if they start displaying in February I may have to do so.

Tricky one.