I was only a hundred yards or so from home when I stopped at a T-junction and looked right; there was no traffic but there was a Hummingbird Hawkmoth feeding on Valerian by the roadside. Super! The first I can recall seeing for a couple of years.
There really wasn’t any traffic so I could watch this insect hovering and inserting its proboscis into the flowers. I even pointed it out to a bloke mucking about with his car and he was quite impressed with it too.
Later, as I came out of the bank wearing my Hen Harrier Day T-shirt I was buttonholed, although there are no buttons on T-shirts, by a birding friend. We had a chat, he gave me a tip and then we went our separate ways.
I spent half an hour in a hide with a bunch of chatty photographers listening to their cameras whirring away. I might have stayed longer were it not for the sound of camera clicks. And I should have stayed longer for I see that the Bittern was seen 5 minutes (yes, just 5 minutes) after my Birdtrack session ended. Grrrrr! Never mind, I enjoyed watching the brood of Tufted ducklings, five of them, to which nobody else paid any attention.
When I got home I parked and remembered the tip I’d been given. Apparently a young Peregrine has taken to sitting on my local church spire. I’ve seen Peregrine from the bedroom window once, and I have checked the church spire a few times before, but I ought to step up my checks. Nothing there then, but the next day the Peregrine was often sitting near the top of the spire looking out over our small town of Raunds in east Northants. Super! I wonder when they will nest – and whether the Stock Doves that also use the spire might need to find other accommodation?
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Ahh, not a racing tip then. Some years we’ve young peregrines on St Matthew’s in Perth. Some interesting remains found round about, like a golden plover wing.
Doesn’t go down too well with the weddings tho’
You may have the peregrines from Higham Mark, not been seen here for a while.
Chris – I think that is possible. I’ve never seen them at Higham even though I have looked.
I’m sure Peregrines will float around the various nesting sites on the shoulders of the Nene Valley. Pigeons in the towns and farmland, winter ducks in the Nene Valley.
We currently have an adult and juvenile Peregrine together in our town centre , although they nested out of town (Harrogate), safer there than on the grouse moors to the north and west. Yesterday I was talking to one of my neighbours and she showed me the Palmate Newts in her tiny water features ( I have them too in the pond)and we talked about the local blackbird with his white face patches. Nature is just wonderful and those who are oblivious are missing so much!
No peregrines close by, occasionally see sparrowhawk in near distance, but had a visiting HH hawkmoth in garden, feasting on lavender and buddeleia, first for a couple of years. It was my lunchtime as well as the moth’s – jumped up, rushed into garden and ogled this delightful creature at close quarters for as long as it stayed. It’s been back a few times, fast on the wing, and good to see in the ‘hood!
Mark
On Derby Cathedral tower, peregrines and stock doves get along fine side by side and wood pigeons also nest there. As long as they stay close to the buildings the falcons won’t attack them – far too dangerous!
Plus we had a superb HBHM on our garden buddleia the other day too…..there must be an influx…..
Nick
nick – thanks for that1 best wishes to you both…