Hobbys

A quick check in the morning. Three Hobbys present. The two juveniles and another bird (age undetermined).

Hobbys

Got a call to say there were two Hobbys (age unknown) hunting Linnets in the field between our house and the station. Got there in time to see one Hobby distantly having a tangle with a pair of Buzzards. Went up to Foxton Woods later and there were no birds present, so it makes sense that they were our two birds, which is good news. Five Swifts went over South.

Hobbys and Dotterel

In Cambridge today so checked on the Hobbys when I got home. The two juveniles were in their usual spot. I left a bit early as there was a message to say there were several Dotterels at Therfield, but riding back on my bike towards Foxton another bird was seen flying on the other side of the hill. Not sure of the age of the bird as it was against strong sunlight.

Got to Therfield just before dusk, and managed to see at least four of the apparent seven Dotterel. A good evening, with Little Owl heard, and Barn Owl seen on the way back to the car.

Hobbys

This morning there were the two ‘youngest’ juvenile Hobbys plus another bird that I couldn’t be sure of given the distance and some haze. This birds was feeding on a bird (unidentified).

In the evening the two juveniles roosted in the trees to the West, along with an adult. Good news that one is still around to look after them.

Hobbys

This email to Marcus Kohler pretty much sums up the morning Hobby watching:

Went this morning and a Kestrel caught a Rodent on the edge of the Woods. It took it back down the hill towards the village, so I followed it as I was interested as to where it was going to take it (heading in direction of the Dovecote so may be worth a look). Never seen this happen before, but all of a sudden it was mobbed by an adult Hobby (that I hadn’t seen), forcing the Kestrel to drop the prey. The Hobby caught it in mid-air and went back to our trees. Raced around on the bike and the juveniles were feeding on it. Didn’t see the other adult or strongest juv. (maybe they’ve departed) but only stayed for a minute as I’ve work to do and the adult bird saw me so thought I’d leave them to it as they probably had a tough day yesterday. Great to see. – Toby

Went back a couple of times in the evening, the first time there were the two usual juveniles. But at dusk they were joined by another (presumably the lingering adult?) Our bird roosted in it’s usual tree (the nest tree), but the other two roosted in trees on the other side of the field.

Hobbys

Went to check on the Hobby a couple of times. First in the morning there was one adult and the two ‘youngest’ juveniles. In the evening there were just the two juveniles. A tough day for them as torrential rain all day, but they are both flying well.

Hobbys and Orchids

Checked on the Hobbys first thing. All five birds were again present and looking well. Good news.

Late afternoon we all went to Knocking Hoe on the Herts/Beds border for a walk and to look for Green-flowered Helleborine and Autumn Lady’s Tresses. Thanks to some excellent directions we found both before enjoying some drinks and a meal at the nearby Raven

 

Hobbys and Dunnock

Went to check on the Hobbys with Marcus Kohler and was delighted to see all five birds. I was not so happy however to see one bird on the ground near to where our bird was picked up. I suspected it was our bird, and after watching the other birds for a while left Marcus and the cover of the wood and entered the field. Again I circled it so that it would fly towards the nest. I got very close to it and so it’s bill was covered in fresh blood. It had been fed. I got very close to it before it took flight and flew into the first (nest-less) tree. Happy that it looked fit, and was able to fly I took a quick photo of it and we left.

Back at home a family of Dunnocks were feeding in the garden when one of them decided to join us in the conservatory. Tom was able to catch it and release it at which point it flew into the apple tree.

I went back to the Hobbys early evening with Michelle. Two juveniles (including ours)  and an adult were present. The other adult and the strongest juvenile presumably hunting.

Hobby

Early morning I head to the tree to check on the Hobby. Great news: As I approach the tree, two adults go crazy and begin to mob me, meaning they’re obviously trying to stop me from getting near. I quickly check our bird: It is looking fine, and has move to a more open branch. I quickly retreat and watch from Fowlmere Road, some distance away hoping to see it being fed.

After a while, one of the adults returns and sits with food (looks like it may be a House Martin) near the top of the tree calling our bird. For the next hour it continues to do so but our bird, despite trying to climb higher fails to get to the adult. Then suddenly from the adjacent tree (one of only two in the field), a much stronger looking juvenile flies out (it’s first flight?) and takes the food from the adult before returning to the tree it came from! Looks like we missed the nest in the other tree! I get back in the car, then walk down to the other tree and see two quite healthy juveniles in a nest below…

 

So needing to make a decision, I contact Dave Salmons to tell him the situation and we decide that, with the help of a borrowed Cherry-picker, we will get our bird out of the first tree and put it as close to the nest as possible.

Around lunch-time, with the help of Tom, we go back to the site. Fortunately the adult birds are away hunting. We therefore move quickly hoping to minimise disruption and manage to get our bird out of the first tree. It obviously hasn’t been fed, so we give it some chicken that we had pre-prepared and go over to the other tree. As soon as we get near the strongest of the two Hobbies flies high some distance. As we get closer the other bird reluctantly takes flight (probably the first time it has left the nest). With no birds in the nest, and the Cherry-picker at it’s maximum height, we decide to put it in the nest. A Woodpigeon is flushed from a nest with eggs in about two-feed below! Potential Hobby food! The bird seems reluctant to go in the nest but we eventually get it in.

Safely back on the ground (it was quite nervy!) we now need to deal with the other juvenile. It’s sitting not too far away on the ground so I circle around it so that if it can fly it will hopefully go back to the nest. I get very close, but just before I get to it it flies high into the air and lands at the top of a tall tree on the other side of the field. Knowing that it can fly and should return to the nest once the parents return, we make a hasty retreat before they do.

In the evening I go back to check, and not wanting to disturb the birds do so from the cover of Foxton Woods. There are only two juveniles in the nest and I’m too distant to see if one is our bird, so needing to see if it on the ground I leave my cover to take a look. The adult which has been sat on the ground some distance away is obviously alarmed, so I quickly take a look. One of the birds is our bird, the one staring at me!

 

Presumably the oldest juvenile is hunting with the adult. Happy, I quickly leave the area. I then sent a message to Marcus Kohler who had been following events from afar and was keen to see the birds when he returned to Foxton in the morning…

Hi Marcus,

The Hobbies are at the top of the tree arrowed red. View roughly from the blue X. You can only see the nest from this side (it isn’t really ‘scope-able from the road as the nest is the wrong side). There’s a bit more cover now than when the photo was taken! Try and keep away from edge of wood; if the adults clock you they won’t return to the nest until you have gone. I really don’t want people to know about this for that reason, along with the fact that it is a schedule 1 species and we had to get to the top of the tree (disturbing one of the siblings) to put it back. I think it will probably be strong enough tomorrow to get back again if it came out, but if not I’d also want to do the same without people watching.

I think it is the runt of three birds. The eldest sibling can fly well and wasn’t seen in the hour or so I watched this evening and may have been with the adult as there was only one around. The middle one probably took its first flight inadvertently when putting our bird in the nest and landed on the ground some distance away. I did think it may not be able to truly fly and thought we may have to put it back too(!) but when I got near, it flew and landed high in trees on the left hand side of the photo so I wasn’t concerned about it. It was back in the nest later in the afternoon. I’ve seen the adults bring in a House Martin, but I think they’re mostly picking out large bugs (cockchafers maybe?) from the recently harvested field.

Hobby

I awake early and the Hobby is still with us. I feed it more chicken and then clear out the old Rabbit hutch which is much more roomy and I use to house rescued birds. I feed it chicken every few hours (best cut into thin strips and then held above the bird, similar to how it is fed by the parents I guess). It seems fit and well, and decide the best course of action is to attempt to find the nest and put it back. So with Tom and Dave Salmons we go back to the tree where it was found and two adult birds fly out. Bingo! I look around for a nest, but can’t see one, though the top of the tree is dense so it presumably high and can’t be seen (Hobby’s often take over old Crow’s nests).

Myself and Tom go back to get the bird and give it a good feed whilst Dave Salmons collects his father’s tractor to lift us as high as possible into the tree. It’s not as high as we would have liked, but get it about half way up. We move away in the hope that the parents who are not too far away and watching events will return. Unfortunately despite waiting for about two hours they don’t return but we decide it’s probably best to leave it in the tree (it’s reasonably well hidden) and return in the morning to see what the situation is.

  

Hobby

Early evening and a knock on the door. David Salmons from the village is asking for help as he has a “Kestrel” that has been sat on the ground in the sun for three days, and is very weak, and is unsure what to do with it. I go to his car where the bird is, inside a cat-box, and it turns out to be a young Hobby.

It is very weak, can’t fly, and probably dehydrated and very hungry. So Tom and I fill a syringe full of water which it takes down, and then feed it ham and chicken which it gulps down. We then roost it overnight indoors in the cat-box.

Final Day in Madeira

Our last day, so we just relaxed around the hotel before heading off to the airport late afternoon. A great holiday.

Porto Moniz

Took a drive along the spectacular North coast to Porto Moniz. Went on a fantastic walk along the Levada de Ribeira da Janela where we decided Madeira is the most beautiful island we’d ever visited. Saw our last Madeiran Firecrests here (hadn’t seen any for a few days) and enjoyed the views. We also saw a couple of Trocaz Pigeons, and Tom found a feather from one.

 

Then a few hours at the natural rock pools with some diving and more Snorkelling before I managed to sneak in an all too brief sea-watch. This was a good one, and picked up some close-in Short-finned Pilot Whales and a Bulwer’s Petrel.

Madeira (Day 8)

No birding. Just messed about around the hotel.

Canical

Spent most of the day at Canical, the North-east tip of the island. Spectacular views and I’d been told it was good for sea-watching. It wasn’t. Found a few new species including Berthelot’s Pipit and Rock Sparrow and enjoyed a long and spectacular walk.

Mountains and on to Santana

Took a slow drive through the mountains. First stop was at the Pico do Ariero. Obviously no Petrels as it was the middle of the day, but it was interesting to see the view in daylight.



Stopped off for an hour or so at Balcoes in the hope of getting some better views of Trocaz Pigeon. Eventually found close birds perched near to a restaurant where we stopped to have a drink. Then headed on to our hotel near Santana at Quinta do Furao where we relaxed and had our evening meal on the balcony overlooking the sea.

Madeira (Day 5)

No birding at all. Aqua pool in the morning followed by more snorkelling at Garajau (with only a single Jellyfish seen!) Did manage to see the first Sparrowhawk of the trip near the chalet at breakfast. Spent the evening watching the stars on our last evening at the chalet.

Trocaz Pigeon

Visited the spectacular gardens at Monte where I managed a couple of flight views of Trocaz Pigeons, tick four out of four. Also managed to find Lang’s Short-tailed Blue amongst the more common Long-tailed Blues.

From there we headed to Funchal where Roseate Terns were by the mariner.

Botanic Gardens and Garajau

Hung around the chalet until late morning. Managed another photograph of the very difficult to take Madeiran Firecrests as well as a photo on my phone of the Madeiran Chaffinch which came around each morning whilst we ate our breakfast.

We then went to the Botanic Gardens where I saw the first Blackcap (only heard up until now) and Canarian Lizard amongst the numerous Madeiran Wall Lizards. I looked out for Trocaz Pigeon which are very occasionally seen in the gardens, but with no luck.

We then headed to Garajau to do some snorkelling. When we arrived a lady was watching a pod of Short-finned Pilot Whales and had just seen Sperm Whales, so we joined her for a while before taking the cable car to the beach to snorkel which was good except myself and Sam got a couple of stings from Jellyfish which we’d seen from the boat trip the day before.

Another half hour sea-watch at dusk produced a Fin Whale, and single Pallid Swift was with the more numerous Plain Swifts. Our first Canaries were also seen.

In the evening I joined a party to listen (and hopefully see) Zino’s Petrel. Fortunately a non-calling (and hence apparently breeding) bird was seen flying in as soon as we sat down. This was the only one we actually saw, but we heard them all evening. With the Zino’s in the bag, and hence no pressure to see it, it was a truly magical experience (albeit cold one!) being on top of a mountain until the early hours of the morning.

Fea’s Petrel

Started the day at Funchal were we went around the market and had a snack before heading off to Machico for the Bird, Whale & Dolphin trip with Madeira Wind Birds. An early shout of Fea’s went up, but it was way too distant to be sure (though apparently Zino’s is never seen in this area?)

Atlantic Spotted Dolphins were constantly swimming beside and underneath the boat, which was great for Michelle and Sam, and we had several views of Bryde’s Whale.

After about an hour we came across a huge feeding frenzy with hundreds of Cory’s Shearwaters on the water. In amongst this I managed to pick up a Pterodroma which eventually came in close enough for positive identification as Fea’s Petrel. Tick number two!

  

On the way back I’m fairly sure that I saw Sei Whale as these photos seem to confirm…?

 

Arriving back at shore, myself and Hugo Romano (the guide) picked up an Osprey, a rare bird for Madeira. This was shortly followed by another rare bird for Madeira, found by Tom whilst I was putting the gear in the car: A Spoonbill in-off the sea. With my camera in the car, I took a phone photo for the record…

A great trip followed by some street food as we happened to turn up on the evening of the Machico Food Festival.

    

Update (13/08/2014): After looking at various photographs, the ‘Sei Whale’ was correctly called as a Bryde’s Whale.