• Last sight of the summer falcon

    It was almost the last weekend of the summer – August 25th. The Swifts were long gone and family groups of Swallows were feeding low over long meadow. The next day they had left for the south.

    Just as I walked down the old track from Brampton to Oxnead, I spotted the unmistakeable profile of a falcon just over Keeper’s Wood. Its flight was erratic. Just at treetop height, interspersed with rapid spiraling changes of direction. I had seen this before – a Hobby hunting for dragonflies. With ease and grace it flew west to east along the spine of the wood and back again before disappearing from site towards the Ash Plantation. The whole show lasting no more than a couple of minutes.

    Later that day, whilst walking along the railway line and admiring the sunset, a dragonfly – a Southern Hawker, I think – was diligently hunting midges and other small flying insects. Its flight path formed a triangular pattern, broken only by rapid spiralling changes of direction as it homed in on its prey. The similarity with that of the falcon, the next step up the food chain, was remarkable.

  • Brampton Summer: the arrival of the Hobby Falcon

    The combination of speed, grace and agility make any glimpse of this
    small falcon an exhilarating one. Hobbys are summer visitors to the
    parish. Every year, when I see one, I tend to get over-excited about it.
    For obvious reasons small birds, their prey species, would not agree. This
    wariness manifests itself in the almost perceptible electric tension in the air as the
    Hobby appears – bird song stops and are replaced by their alarm calls as they
    dive for cover. This morning’s target – a Meadow Pipit on the Common
    – was lucky, quickly diving for cover and safety.

  • Brampton Summer: the return of the Summer Falcon

    The familiar flight silhouette. An insistent call, loud and chattering, high up around the upper branches of a swaying Poplar, following by an effortless scything flight. The Summer-visiting Hobby Falcon was back. In this case, two of them – the first the agile flier, the second (presumably the female) slightly shy, keeping the branches between it and us as we gazed up. The call changed to the more familiar repetitive falcon kee-kee-kee-kee.. as the male completed an arc, in sight then out of sight, before returning along the far side of the trees, his wings at first spread in a fast approval and then folded in a shallow dive towards his mate. To us this seemed like the start of Summer. To them, no doubt, the start of the serious business of the breeding season.

  • Brampton Spring: still waiting for the Cuckoo

    In most years the Cuckoos arrive in the Bure valley on or around St George’s Day. This year is an exception. Even though the radio-tracked BTO Cuckoos are starting to reach the UK, we have yet to hear the first call of a Brampton Cuckoo. Even David Humphrey, who lives as close to the river meadows as anyone and is usually the first to notice, has not heard one yet. The winds have been slightly chill and northerly-ish, so this has probably had something to do with it. We keep waiting and listening.
    Other summer migrants are settling in. A Blackcap has settled in the copse next to the cottage and announces his presence with his complex warbling song. The Chiffchaffs have been here for seemingly ages. A few Swallows hawk over the river as we walked past this evening. More surprisingly, as I walked down the road this lunch time a series of alarm calls from various small birds made me look up to see a Hobby sail over Street Farm. Spotting these little Falcons never ceases to cause that tingle of excitement – possibly because of the collective alarms calls which great their appearance. But once again this felt a little out of sequence – I usually expect to see them after the House Martins have arrived, assuming that they follow them northwards for the summer. But assumptions are so often wrong.

  • Flight of the Summer falcon: For me Summer of 2012 ended at 8.45 on 2nd September.

    For me Summer of 2012 ended at 8.45 on 2nd September. The swallows were gathering in groups around Hall barns. Further down Church Lane a single Swallow circled the doctor’s house uttering an urgent hawk-alarm call. Looking up we spotted the cause of it’s concern, a falcon was in the vicinity and was climbing the thermal-free air. The effort was obvious; with wing beats which reminded my of a trapped butterfly against a window pane, the falcon worked to gain height in a wide upward spiral. It was surely reaching for height, seeking the support of a constant breeze.
    The Hobby is a summer visitor and this year it’s electrifying presence had been very evident. A hunting territory seemingly centring on the village with it’s plentiful food supply. But now it was time to go – probably to follow the favoured prey species, the Martins, Swallows and Dragonflies. The cooler night air was already encouraging their departure and the Hobby must follow suit.
    I followed the falcon’s progress. As it crossed the orb of the Sun, it started to diminish to a dot and eventually melted into the upper air.

  • Street falcon

    The Hobby flew down the village street at eaves height. So fast did it appear and disappear that I was left dumbfounded as I stared into its wake. The small hawk, sickle winged, jinked and swerved in its run. Its wings alternately swept back and outstretched in that fluid flight that it so characteristic of this type of hawk. I assume that the blustery conditions had forced the usual quarry – whether it be House Martins or large insects – down to street level. In any event this visit was fruitless for the hawk, but at this speed it will cover a large area and eventually successfully strike.

  • Hunting Hobby

    Saturday afternoon and with clear predatory intent a Hobby is circling the lower end of the village.  Swallows call in alarm and seem to dash about in panic. The falcon circles effortlessly in a wide arc and, when it seems to be satisfied that there are no potential targets, it drifts southwards towards Dudwick. The Swallows seem to take some time to calm down. There was a collective holding of breath.

  • Variety in the village

    One of those mornings in Brampton. Two sightings of birds which were distinctly out of place.  The unmistakeable, whirring shape and arrow like flight of a Kingfisher. It caught me out somewhat – we were walking along the railway line and at least 400 yards away from the river as the bird flew towards Dudwick. A flash of turquoise blue confirmed it’s identity.

    A little further round and the scything wings of the Hobby shot between the Church and Brampton Hall. Travelling at speed at roof height – as when I last saw one in the village back in June – this small falcon almost seems to leave an electrical charge in the air in its
    wake. Such speed leaves you wondering whether you had actually seen it or not.

    Then, as we sat over a cup of coffee upon our return, there was a rush of wings and a cloud of feathers in the garden as a female Sparrowhawk struck a Collared Dove. Both disappeared towards Street Farm at such speed that we were unable to see how this ended.

    Later on, the Roe Doe accompanied by two fauns grazed quietly on the margins of the wheat field. All watched us carefully from what they felt to be a safe distance.

  • garden Hobby

    An audible tension, a pause and an alarm call made me look up in the garden. The cause was a Hobby, a small falcon, which in the songbird world is seen as a real threat. It’s route was marked by a Swallow which flew in pursuit, albeit at respectful distance.

    The Hobby’s wings which a sickle-shaped, seem excessively long for a bird of its size,  allow it to row through the air at considerable speed.  I saw it perhaps for only three seconds as it sped through the air of the quiet village. Apart from glimpses during the migration season, my only similar memory was from watching a pair of these birds pursuing dragonflies over a broad-leaved wood in the Parish.

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