Soaring Shreaks

I must admit I do like some of the local names given for birds and 'Shreak' is a local name for Buzzard in Gloucestershire. I think I mentioned in a previous post that I am starting to wind down the winter feeding at Rawcliffe Moss as the Tree Sparrows have started to disperse and I will shortly switch ringing operations to a coastal migration site.

When I called at the 'Moss' yesterday I just happened to look skywards, shortly after getting out of my car, at a passing aeroplane and noticed a buteo thermalling high in the sky. I got my bins on it and I could see that it was a Common Buzzard. As it was thermalling it was slowly drifting north on the light south-southwesterly wind. I then picked up another soaring Buzzard that was even higher, and again it was drifting north. Then right across my view at a similar altitude to the first bird another Buzzard flew purposefully west.

Buzzard courtesy of Simon Hawtin

Walking down to the feeding station the first birds I had were five Yellowhammers followed by 107 Tree Sparrows. A few Blackbirds fed on the apples I put out and about a dozen Chaffinches were with the Tree Sparrows.

Driving back up to the barn I noticed that a single Lapwing was prospecting the cereal field just to the north of the barn. On the way past the tree favoured by our resident Little Owl I stopped, as always, to have a look and it was perched out in the open in the glorious sunshine. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me to take a shot.

At the moment the forecast for weekend is looking like we might get out and perhaps do some ringing, but we'll have to wait and see.