Steart Marshes - 15 October 2015 (morning)

Major movement of Redwing this morning with several thousand passing ENE overhead in flocks of 20 - 300 for at least two hours.

2 (or 3?) Peregrine - perched close together on a pylon. Later one seen hunting above Steart village.

4 Kestrel - perched and hover-hunting. One mobbed by a Carrion Crow.

2 Sparrowhawk - juvenile female hunting low near Mendip Hide. Later a probable adult female soaring around high for 10 minutes. Made one unsuccessful vertical stoop at a small passerine, rose up, soared around and repeated the impressive performance and disappeared behind trees.

1 Marsh Harrier - juvenile quartering the marshes.

5 Common Buzzard - loafing about on low perches. Two (dark and medium morphs) perched on the same electricity pole.

Also:

150+ Black-tailed Godwit
1 Greenshank
5 Common Snipe
250+ Lapwing
20+ Redshank
150+ Dunlin
2 Ruff
25+ Little Egret
3 Raven
c5000+ Redwing - moving high ENE in flocks of 20 - 300 birds.
1 Fieldfare - moving high ENE
80+ Goldfinch
60+ Linnet
50+ Meadow Pipit
40+ Skylark
40+ White Wagtail - in vicinity of Mendip Hide.
1 Kingfisher
1 Cetti's Warbler

NPW

Steart Marshes - 15 October 2015 (evening)

2 Peregrine - adult pair hunting cooperatively but unsuccessfully above Wall Common beach.

5 Common Kestrel - perched and hover-hunting.

1 Marsh Harrier - juvenile flew quite high southwards above the River Parrett (migrant?).

6 Common Buzzard - two soaring high (separately) and the others loafing about on low perches.

1 Short-eared Owl - quartering low above the northern part of the marshes.

Also:

150+ Black-tailed Godwit
1 Spotted Redshank - resting in front of the Viewing Screen.
15+ Redshank
2 Greenshank
4 Common Snipe
4 Curlew
30+ Redwing
1 Fieldfare
2 Raven
1 Wheatear
2 Stonechat
4 White Wagtail

NPW