Common Buzzard passage

Hello

This morning was dominated by an unprecedented passage of Common Buzzards over Harrington Airfield, first noticed at about 9am.  An estimated hundred birds moved south in an hour, most of them skirting down the western edge of the complex and heading towards the Brampton Valley.  'Kettles' of birds included 18 at a time and on one horizontal scan it was possible to see 50 birds in the air at the same time.  Although Common Buzzard passage has developed over the last ten years as the population has increased, this seems unusual inasmuch that it is very early in the autumn when many begging juveniles are clearly still reliant on the hunting skills of their parents to sustain them.  Whether these birds are from further afield or are failed breeders etc is pure speculation but a remarkable local record in any event.

Other birds of note included c6 Red Kites, an adult male Merlin flying south at 9.15am, the 'cream crown' Marsh Harrier again and a Redstart on the airstrip between the chippings compound and first bunker.

At Pitsford Res this morning, three Red-crested Pochard were on show in the Scaldwell Bay which also hosted an adult Yellow-legged Gull, 1-2 Common Sandpiper(s) and a Hobby.

Regards

Neil M