Raptors galore!

9/9/07
I went to Whin Common for three hours this morning and there were loads of birds about. 11 Goldcrests were busy feeding before Winter, 2 Green Woodpeckers were in histerics. A flock of 13 Goldfinch flew over and I saw a raptor fly past quickly. A Hobby! I heard another one call to my right and on turning my head to see, I locked onto a Marsh Harrier! It soon dropped below the line of trees so I looked towards the area in which I had just heard a Hobby call from. 3 Hobbies were playing in the air together! 4 Hobbies and a Marsh Harrier - it was going well! The other highlights were; 6 Blackcap, 1 Great-Spotted Woodpecker, 8 Chiffchaff, 1 Whitethroat, 2 Mistle Thrush, 1 Nuthatch, 1 Stock Dove, 3 Bullfinch (2 males and a female), 1 Sparrowhawk, 11 Long-Tailed Tits, 1 Jay, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, and a Wood Warbler (by the A10)! 9 Meadow Pipits and a Swallow went over too. James went down afterwards and got 2 Common Buzzards! There were loads of raptors today!
(Simeon)