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Steart Marshes - 28 April 2014

Steart Marshes - 28 April 2014 (mid-afternoon - evening)

2 Peregrine (adult male and female - age undetermined). The female was located perched on a pylon drying out after a thunder storm. The male appeared from the West late on and flew fast above the lagoons, adopted an active hunting attack flight but pulled out at the last minute. He flew back and landed on the pylon adjacent to the viewpoint.

3 Kestrel - hover-hunting, soaring and one perched on the pylon only 3m from where the male Peregrine landed.

21+ Common Buzzard - superb weather for soaring with singles, pairs and groups of up to 7 hawks 'kettling' together. Lots of vocalisations and impressive aerial display. All appeared to be local birds (not migrants).

1 Short-eared Owl - hunting by quartering low over the marshes late afternoon. Twice it was mobbed by single Carrion Crow and both times it slowly rose up higher and higher until the Corvid gave up. It then drifted back down and began hunting again. One the second occasion an immature Herring Gull mobbed the Owl three times as it was descending.

Also:

5 Raven
8 Little Egret
1 Dunlin - landed in the main lagoon just prior to a thunderstorm.
1 Greenshank
6 Whimbrel - landed in the main lagoon just prior to a storm.
2 Curlew
2 Lapwing
2 Pintail
2 Teal
150+ Shelduck
15+ Mallard - including 1 female with 11 chicks on the main lagoon.
8+ Grey Heron
120+ Barn Swallow
30+ House Martin
25+ Sand Martin
1 Cuckoo - calling from the direction of Combwich.
1 Wheatear
1 Lesser Whitethroat
2 Whitethroat
1 Yellow Wagtail - main lagoon.

NPW