Raggalds Flood and Meadow Pipit Bonanza

15:00

While I was driving past the Raggalds this morning I was greeted with the pleasant sight of water in the flood field. There looked to be some Mallard and possibly other birds about, but without the bins I could not tell.

After a messy morning cleaning etc, with the house up side down due to the plastering, I took a 30 min break and had a walk up Raggalds Flood.

Alas the bird population had diminished from my earlier perusal with no duck or waders in sight and just 4 Linnet and 4 Goldfinch knocking about in the very strong breeze.

Then the possible culprit for the lack of birds appeared ,in the shape of a Sparrowhawk like bird gliding very low over the water and over the walls. The bird looked bigger than a Sparrowhawk with light colouring under the wings and a very ungainly flight.

The wind was strong so the ungainly flight might have been normal behaviour?

This is the second "Sparrowhawk" type bird seen recently, the first being a few days back on Soil Hill.

Hopefully I'll get the camera on it one day.

On the way home a lovely surprise with at least 50 Meadow Pipit in the fields, on the walls and in the air around the bottom of Taylor Lane ..... the migration is here. Also, a bird that I though was a Mistle Thrush, but looking at the photo I guess it’s a Starling and a bushful of House Sparrow.

Pool first job after tea - looking forward to it.

Mystery Sparrowhawk top right (probably just out of camera shot!!!)