UK Wildlife Blog

The day was cloudy with bits of sun, which made photography interesting! I glimpsed this sparrowhawk, but the sun was behind it

I went and sat int he hide where I saw some lapwings with their backs to me and some distant snipe, but little else so carried on for a short walk. Then I saw the unmistakable shape of a raptor...and a naother, it was a couple of late hobbys, which have usually headed south by now

Photographing was difficult, especially getting the exposure right against the bright sky with the sun going in and out and the birds flying either side of you and the sun. Consequently, on a close pass all I could manage was a silhoutte

While trying to garb some photos of these hobbies an large raptor appeared....marsh harrier!Except it Isn't! I even edited it, thinking it was a marsh harrier, since they are commonly seen in Stodmarsh, Ive seen them plenty of times there, so it didn't even occur to me it could be something else, until someone pointed out the forked tail! its a Red Kite! I went all the way to Wales and back without a photo and ended up getting one in one of my frequent haunts!

On the way out I spotted a kestrel in the distance, 4 different raptor speciesin a day may be a record for me!

I sawa few waders on the way out too. The lapwings were more co-operative in flight

And a greenshank flew past