SOME raptors are leaving Britain; others are arriving here. Ospreys are making their way south from Scotland in a leisurely way. If they find a reservoir or large lake with plenty of fish in it, these large, creamy-coloured hawks will stay around for a while and feed well. They are a magnificent sight as they crash into the water, their talons stretched forward to take the fish that they have in their sights. If they are successful, they fly off with the fish held head first in their claws, in order to streamline their passage through the air.
Hobbies, which are small, fast-flying falcons, are also starting to leave the country, and turning up along the coast or even in towns. There was one hunting over Kensington Gardens, London, yesterday.
Meanwhile, hen harriers are arriving here from the Netherlands. They sail across marshland with their wings held in a V-shape, and drop down to catch mice or meadow pipits. Most of these arrivals are females or juvenile birds, known as “ringtails”. They are brown with a barred tail and a noticeable white rump. The rarer males are silvery-grey with black wingtips.
DJM