Foreside Lane, Denholme saunter and Raptor excitement

18:25 - 20:00

After a busy day today but I finally got the car out and had a run over to Foreside Lane.
Thunderstorms were forecast but they never materialised so waterproofs were carried about for nowt.

Birds were once again thin on the moor.
No Chats, No Pipits, not even a Dunnock.
There was, however, some action to keep me occupied for the 90mins or so.

A couple of Curlew were calling and one was seen.
The call sounded unusual to me the usual 'Curlew' followed by 3 click,click,click calls.

A good few Kestrel about, also 6 Red Grouse.
Gulls were overhead and some in the fields.
A single Linnet flew past calling in flight.

c12 birds, distant, flying fast > W towards Oxenhope Res (TMR).
They were a cross between Starling and Pigeon and they appeared 'bright' in the evening sun.
I'd guess at Golden Plover but no chance of a pic as they disappeared behind a high wall.

A bit of excitement as I drove home.
Approaching Thornton Traffic Lights a small Grey backed Raptor flew low in a field below me.
I anchored on and jumped out of the car, grabbing bins and camera.
I immediately found a Kestrel on a nearby wall, but I knew it was not a Kestrel.
Some more scanning then Swallow gave the game away as they called and the bird appeared.
It flew directly into the sun (it would wouldn't it) making any meaningful photo tough.
It landed on a wall for 2 mins before leaving.
In one photo the bird resembles a Cuckoo.
In another photo the brown is more noticeable.
And on the wall the bird looks dark blue!
All tricks of the evening light. 
After all that, It's probably a Sparrowhawk.
But it got the heart going a bit, hoping it was my first ever Hobby!! - wishful thinking.
(all this assumes that there was only one bird).

Lesser Black-backed Gulls over:-

Kestrel

House Sparrow

Soil Hill afar

6 Red Grouse on the horizon

Very Distant Kestrel

The Sparrowhawk…….

The 'Sparrowhawk' looks like a Cuckoo here

The above pic was cropped from this

More Brown on this pic, cropped from above

Here, on the wall, the bird looks blue, in the sun.