So it was back to Fishlake once again. The Hobbys yesterday were not performing and I had to leave early so I had a bit more time today and was prepared to have another go. It was another hot and sunny day, definitely warmer than yesterday, hard to believe it was only the last few days of April.
The car park was full and I was lucky enough to find a space just outside. Walking from the car park, a Blackcap was singing in the hawthorn.
Then on the canal path a Goldcrest was also singing from a Hazel tree.
There was a crowd of people on the canal path waiting to catch a glimpse of the Grasshopper Warbler. There were claims of there being at least three present, but only one sang at one time. It came a little closer, into the cut willow branches, but as always the branches were in the way.
A little further along the canal path was a female Cuckoo, probably the same bird as seen yesterday. It perched on the dead trees in full sun.
A rare sight was that of a Muntjac Deer in amongst the reeds, seen from the canal path it watched us as we watched it.
At the gate to the cross over path a Cetti's Warbler.
The first Hobby seen was just after 12:30, it was from the cross path and was joined by another as they soared around the trees and the reed bed. They were catching insects and for the first time we saw dragonflies in the air.
Not the best conditions, as with the hot weather came heat haze, but I managed some acceptable images.
They would soar and then flap hard to accelerate on to any insect, throwing the legs forward to catch the prey.
The prey eaten on the wing, the insects ripped off and then the head, thorax and abdomen eaten.
The best views were seen from the canal path, we spent sometime on the central path but nothing came close or low.
Probably the sharpest image.
Hobby time was a little better today, but I think the heat kept the birds high where the insects were. Temperatures are due to fall to a little more normal ones, hopefully the insects will emerge and stay a little lower.
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