Hobby at Brockholes Wetlands, Lancashire

June 27, 2012:
Today a Hobby was making regular circuits of the pools, sometimes banking and swerving to take insects, probably dragonflies. On one occasion (photo sequence below) it appeared to catch something much larger which so far remains unidentified.

Young Kestrels at Brockholes, Lancashire

July 31, 2010:
As was the case last year, Kestrels have again nested somewhere close to Brockholes Wetland Reserve and now the juveniles are learning to hunt there. Today there were several young ones but all seemed more interested in playing than catching prey.




They chose a recently constructed marl bank for this and their plumage blended in so well with the backgound that it was often difficult to see them. They sometimes glided but rarely hovered and spent most of the time chasing about amongst clumps of Dock (Rumex).








Later, a Hobby made a few passes over the lake before disappearing again.

Hobby at Brockholes, Lancashire

July 24, 2010:
Occasionally, over the last few weeks, a Hobby has been seen near the Brockholes Wetland Reserve close to the River Ribble. Recently, on a daily basis, one bird has favoured an area at the southern end of the Reserve close to the M6 motorway where it watches for prey from perches high on the tall motorway lamp-posts.




From there it makes swift forays, especially for dragonflies, which it either dismembers and consumes on the wing or takes back to a perch on a lamp-post.



It is a juvenile showing rust-coloured undersides rather than the deeper red of the full adult and is thought to be a second-year bird. This area must be a good hunting ground for Hobbys as today it was joined by a second bird which hunted on the opposite side of the motorway. People interested in the Reserve’s dragonflies have noticed a sharp decline in numbers recently!