Fishlake Hobbies, Swifts, Buzzards and the like

Although it was a rather unimpressive overcast day, I decided to disappear off to Fishlake Meadows at lunchtime for a poke around, in hope of finding a passage Hobby or two and getting a half decent photo. I succeeded in only one of these ambitions, but had an interesting couple of hours nevertheless. Firstly I found not one but two Grasshopper Warblers reeling away quite happily, and secondly there was a large fall of Swifts which filled the air around the main pool. Although lunchtime is not the best time for birdsong, my slow walk was interrupted by 6 Cettis Warblers, 4 Blackcaps, 1 Garden Warbler, around 20 Sedge Warblers, 4 Whitethroats, just 1 Reed Warbler, 2 Cuckoos, 5 Chiffchaffs, 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker and all manner of the usual fare.
On my way round the back I found this cock Pheasant whose slightly odd colouration with its silver back and tail is typical of this particular area

Back to the Hobbies. Well yes they were there alright, I counted 4 chasing insects over the main pool and putting on a great show. Unfortunately, I wasn't over the main pool at the time but about a quarter of a mile away. However, quite suddenly, two of them decided to come towards me as it turned out to chase off a cuckoo in a tree a few hundred yards away which wisely moved to more cover.

One of these fast and very agile Falcons gave me a fleeting closer view as it twisted in my direction as if to check me out me while I panicked and waved my lens in its general direction hoping for some luck. Not brilliant, but my best to date.

The sky over the main pool was full of Swifts, which although impossible to count, but probably numbered around 100 so I decided to head back and try and get closer views of the Hobbies and admire the aerial display going on.
The main pool is difficult to view except from a few difficult to get to spots, one of which I struggled to and settled down to watch. On the water were mostly pairs of Pochard, Gadwall, Tufted Duck and the inevitable Mallard. 2 Great Crested Grebe were also present, together with six Greylags, a couple of Canada geese, Coots, Grey Heron, and a sizeable and flighty gull flock comprising (mostly) of Herring Gull, with the odd Lesser Black-backed thrown in.

The Hobbies however had disappeared although a Sparrowhawk floated over causing a little consternation among the Swifts

While I sat and waited, I passed the time trying photograph Swifts, no easy task with a weighty 400mm lens, and I took plenty of images of the sky whilst the lens worked overtime doing its best to focus on these ridiculously manouverable and speedy birds.
Every now and again a single Hobby would briefly appear, but they seemed to have lost interest in feeding on the whole, but I managed to grab a couple of shots

A flash of white amongst the Swifts immediately had me thinking Alpine Swift, but turned out to be a solitarity Swallow when I relocated it amongst the swarm of mesmerising aerial activity

The stars of the sky this day were undoubtedly the Swifts and I can only apologise to them for being unable to portray the spectacle they put on in any meaningful way.

Heading back with camera turned off, lens cap on, monopod folded away, I suddenly stumbled across this Buzzard in a tree quite close by, and I set up again as quickly as I could, and fortunately the bird showed some patience and waited watching me with a little suspiscion

A few moments later it took off and surprising flew towards me rather than away and gave me great views, a lovely way to end the walk. I couldn't decide which image to include, so put most of them in.