25/6/13 Kestrel V Hobby !!

Another Lovely day on the reserve

a lot of activity all around the reserve 

Draper Hide

Large numbers of Gadwall got to around 200 and gave up

100+ other ducks including Pochard one very nice female with 5 chicks

Tufted Duck- Mallard- Shoveller

Lapwing- Heron - Cormorant

Black Headed Gulls - Common Tern

Green Sandpiper - Little Grebe - Coot - Canada Geese

Shelduck

Trails

Canada Geese with young

Magpie - Chaffinch - Dunnock

Reed Warbler - Sedge Warbler Cettis (H)

Great Tit - Blue Tit - Long Tailed Tit - Robin

Swift

Lagoons

8 Swans - Cormorant 

7 visible Coots nests dotted over water at the Tern Hide

Tufted Duck - Pochard - Gadwall

Lesser Black Backed Gull

Common Tern with chicks - Black headed Gulls chicks at lots of different stages

Reed Warbler- Tufted Duck - Cormorant

Kingfisher Hide

At least one Kestrel chick just visible at the back of the top box on the pylon, there was some movement but could only

make out one for now

Warbler Hide

As I reached the Hide I stopped outside on the ramp, flying across in fron of the hide was a Hobby with

what i first thought was a duck , in its talons as it crash landed in front of me i saw it was a female Kestrel

they had they talons locked together, they was a bit of a commotion then they flew off in  opposite directions, the Hobby looking quite dishevelled, not sure what was going on there at all

After that excitement

Reed Warbler - Reed Bunting -Sedge Warbler all showing really well

Buzzard - 2 Hobby hunting low over meadow