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Thursday, 29 May 2025

29th May - Romsey Abbey and Fishlake Meadows, Hampshire

With the failure of the Peregrine pair at Winchester Cathedral over the last two years attention has turned to a pair of Peregrines at Romsey Abbey.  They turned up last year but were unsuccessful in raising their family.  This year though they have had better luck hatching four chicks, three males and a single female.  They prefered the gutter of the Abbey on the north side to a nice box with grit and a web cam!  The chicks were ringed this week and all looks good for them with their fledging expected in three weeks time.

I went along to Romsey this morning, parking in the centre of the town and then walking around to the Abbey.  It was nice to see Swifts using purpose built nest boxes on the Abbey administration buildings.  I walked around to the north side of the abbey where there was a open area and a wild flower meadow at the back.  Turning around, I looked up at the roof and there on the edge was a Peregrine, lording it over all below it.


I noticed that there were blood stains on the throat and belly of the falcon and reckoned that this must be the female, the stains getting on her as she dismembers the prey bought in by the male.



I am not sure where exactly the nest is but it seemed as if she was keeping guard and taking the chance to stretch and preen.



The stretching then resulted in turning around and looking on to the roof.


But also looking up, turning the head almost all the way around, something I only though owls could do.


Some extensive preening.


Wing stretching.


And here bringing the tail under the wing!


It also spent some time cleaning the talons, the dealy talons here covered up and held in a ball.


It called several times, looking out for the male but in the time I was there it didn't appear.


A good shake.





Then there was some wing stretching and then it took off and flew in the direction of Fishlake Meadows away to the north.  I picked it up a little later and then it cruised around the Abbey.


With the Peregrine not about I turned attention to the Swifts that were screaming around the surrounding buildings and the trees.  Swifts are never easy to photograph as they move quickly and switch sides so often following them is not a simple task.

From many shots I managed only a few acceptable ones.





With my car park time up I decided to move the short distance to Fishlake Meadows.  I walked along the Canal Path with Garden Warbler and Blackcap singing and out in the reeds Sedge and Reed Warblers churring away.  Crossing the centre path a Cuckoo called and overhead there was a Buzzard.

At the screens the Cuckoo flew over and two Great White Egrets flew across the open water.  A Hobby was hunting over the water, catching dragonflies on the wing.


There were at least two Hobbies over the reed bed and open water, but the light was awful and they remained very high.

We have now reached the doldrum time and it is all about catching up with the local specialties unto the end of June when hopefully the migrants will start to return

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