Sunday, 22 July 2012

Garden HobbyFest!!

At 8.40-8.42 I saw an excellent Hobby fly due east and then north over Fallowfields, disappearing behind next door's house it then flew back low seconds later right over the garden giving superb views. I then tweeted this and went outside the front of the garden hearing a falcon-like kee-kee-kee call surely the call of the Hobby. At 9.02 I then saw an incredible 2, a pair of Hobbies, that were continually flying around Fallowfields and sweeping right over the garden, presumably after the 10 or so Cockchafers that were flying just above our trees at the back. They put on an incredible aerial acrobatic display for the next 31 minutes, which is very likely to be repeated tomorrow night! They were scything the air so majestically, turning suddenly and then flapping their wings to fly to put on a spurt to fly very quickly through the air, usually when they were flying past/ right over the garden. They were definitely catching some of the Cockchafers. They were flying sweeping low and then high over Fallowfields, over to the edge of Parkhill Hotel grounds and then regularly flying right over the garden. I watched one Hobby take a Cockchafer in flight right over the garden (I was watching from the best vantage point our bedroom window) it wheeled round right over the garden, clasping the Cockchafer in its talons it started to eat it! Incredible! Is it a coincidence that as soon as our very noisy neighbours go on holiday the wildlife comes back to the garden/ area?

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