Thursday 12 June 2014

Watching Chasers and Hobby.


On Monday I paid another visit to Thursley Common with the faint hope that I might add something to the year list. A male common Redstart was singing from atop a tall pine as I followed the entrance track.

The pools were very quiet with a few Tufted Ducks lazing around so I decided to head onto the heath in search of an elusive Dartford Warbler and failed even to hear one! I did however enjoy the company of  singing Wren, Linnets, Stonechat and Meadow Pipit plus two high soaring Common Buzzards followed by a tantalizing brief glimpse of a Hobby as it disappeared behind a large stand of pines but surprisingly no hirundines in the sky. A few other things caught my eye including lots of day flying Moths and the Orchids popping up everywhere.

On returning to the pools I was amazed at the numbers, probably triple figures, of Four-spotted Chasers dashing hither and thither across the surface and this boded well for another, hopefully closer, sighting of any hawking Hobby.

Fortunately one Four-spotted Chaser decided to take a brief rest close to the boardwalk making my life easier than trying to focus on a fast flying body over the water.

Then a Hobby appeared flying fast over the marsh and before I could adjust the camera settings it gained height rapidly and soon became a speck in the sky.

I hung around for about an hour and whilst it reappeared on several occasions again briefly at low level most of its dragon hunting was done high up in the blue so just a few cropped shots available in the following collage.

I enjoyed the spectacle of watching this consummate avian hunter grabbing and then consuming its prey on the wing whilst looking for its next quarry.  FAB.

8 comments:

  1. You captured some amazing nature landscapes and wildlife. These are a joy for the eyes!

    Mersad
    Mersad Donko Photography

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  2. a beautiful raptor. love the tufteds, too!

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  3. Super series of photos, Frank! Great job on the collages!

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  4. Lovely set of images from your walk Frank. You caught some excellent images of the Hobby 'in action'....and the Four-spotted Chaser, lots of these about at the moment, they seem to be having a good year?...[;o)

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  5. Hi You did get great shots of the Hobby and I love the reflection in that photo in your collage. Have a good weekend.

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  6. Lovely close shot of the chaser and of the low flying Hobby.

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  7. Hi Frank,

    a very nice blog with an attractive range of birds and animals. The lanschapsfoto are also very nice. Then I see geese, crested ducks, a moth, a dragonfly and a four spot schittrende prey. Great to see them.
    Greetings, Helma

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  8. A Hobby is so fast with unpredictable flight that you should be more than pleased with your photos Frank. Wish I had Hobby close by. Guess you're not watching footie.?

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I hope you enjoyed your visit and I always appreciate your comments and feedback.

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