Striking birds

Every autumn, Cambridgeshire Bird Club coordinates a ‘raptor watch’ at the same time at various spots around the county. For two hours everyone scans the skies for birds of prey. The records from this co-ordinated count help illustrate local breeding successes and migration.

This year the watch is taking place tomorrow morning, Saturday 22 September, and we're looking forward to finding out what we see at Fen Drayton Lakes.

This dashing chap, a hobby, is one to look out for:

Image: Richard Allen (rspb-images.com)

Hobbies are about the size of a kestrel and look a bit like giant swifts when you see them flying. At this time of year you often see them at Fen Drayton Lakes zooming around after our many dragonflies, a delight to watch - as the picture suggests, hobbies love a good dragonfly and are such skillful flyers they can snip the wings off and eat the body in mid flight.

Fingers crossed we'll also see kestrels and buzzards, perhaps a sparrowhawk and if we're really lucky maybe even a marsh harrier.

Why not join us? We'll be at the Discovery Zone from 10 am-12 pm, with binoculars you can borrow and a couple of telescopes, so do drop by for a look.