August has by no means been a very stand-out month for our surveys on the ‘little church on the hill’. As we speak, nonetheless, we have been stored busy with an surprising raptor passage.
As quickly as we started recording it was clearly a ‘flying ant day`- giant gulls of their dozens have been circling overhead, often joined by a couple of corvids. As we have been sorting these out, Peter picked up a distant pair of Widespread Buzzards, adopted by ‘kettles’ of ten, seven, twenty and twelve, amongst which have been two Honey Buzzards and a big accipiter. A bit later a considerably tatty Crimson Kite flew low overhead, whereas a Nice Noticed Woodpecker was an excellent, late addition to the day-list.
