Sunday August 27 - Gosh !

 Strictly speaking this post covers two visits to Morton Bagot. On Wednesday I slogged round for nothing better than a couple of Willow Warblers and two Kingfishers. 

Today was altogether different. Dave joined me, and as we made our way from Netherstead a calling Siskin flew south, our first of the autumn. Already better than Wednesday.

For a while it still looked like this would be another quiet one, but then we had a bit of luck. After scanning the flash pool and seeing only the regulars we noticed a blob of a passerine on top of a bush along the ridge line to our left. It looked a good bet for a chat so we diverted across the field to check it out. As hoped, it proved to be a Whinchat.

The Whinchat, very nice

I often consider the role of lady luck in birding, and it was shortly to play its part. We would never have been there, standing in the middle of the field in prime position to witness a very unexpected visitor, had we not headed for that Whinchat.

What happened was that I heard Dave say "Is this a Peregrine, being chased by those Ravens"? I spun round to see three birds moving rapidly across the new scrape field. I struggled to see which was the smaller one for a second, but when I got onto the raptor being harassed by the Ravens I saw it was not a Peregrine at all. I could just make out the lack of a black head, then a suggestion of streaking on the breast and finally barring on the upper tail and shouted "Goshawk! It's a juvenile Goshawk". Dave immediately concurred as it swung around revealing accipiter-like wings and a longish round edged tail shape.

It started to circle above the horizon as I tried for some kind of record shot. We actually had it in view for about five minutes because after getting distant and high and then disappearing behind Bannams Wood, it reappeared to circle some more (even further away), before leaving the stage again. These are the best shots I could get in the circumstances.

Goshawk 

A blue sky would have helped.

This was the first Goshawk here since 2012 (pre-camera), and 2011 (pre-blog) and we were utterly chuffed. Shortly afterwards a Sparrowhawk made its way across the field. Talk about chalk and cheese.

We made our way back to the flash field to record 24 Teal, 21 Lapwings, four Snipe, and five Green Sandpipers. In other words the usual stuff.

But today was elevated by that one bird. Fantastic.

There was one final twist in the tail. I got onto a Cormorant as we neared our cars, and as there haven't been any lately, pointed it out as it headed towards the church in the distance. Suddenly the Goshawk reappeared, and actually moved towards the Cormorant with apparently malevolent intent. This was two hours after the original sighting so we drove to the church hoping for a better view. This time we were not successful, but there's got to be a chance its still around.

It may bode well for next Saturday's Westmidsalldayer.