Raptor day

I didn't get any clear sharp photos yesterday but I did enjoy looking through my binoculars. This photo is a Buzzard ( bottom centre) being mobbed by crows including a Raven ( Top Right)

It was a special day for raptor spotting - Buzzards are regularly seen and Kestrels in better numbers this year but we also get an occasional  Red Kite.  In the evening a real (locally) rare summer visitor a Hobby appeared in the trees opposite where we normally see Carrion Crow or Woodpigeon but it is a perch worth keeping an eye on - Woodpeckers, Nuthatch, Thrushes and even small birds love to stop and get the best view all around the area.

It was all a good antidote to reading stories on RSPB website about the gamekeeper prosecuted for shooting 2 Short Eared Owls in 2017  - the last I heard he still has his guns ( well he needs them for his job ! )