15th May - RSPB Minsmere, Suffolk - Part Two: The Hobby

As we came back into the woodland from the reed beds we were greeted once again by a Muntjac.  They seem to be everywhere, this one a male with the small antlers.  There is some concern that these deer are eating the undergrowth, and area that is crucial for Nightingale and the worry ids that this will reduce suitable habitat for the Nightingale.

The Bittern Hide was a little more busier than when we had entered this morning, however we managed to find a seat and once you get a good one you hang on to it.

Looking out over the reeds I could see a Hobby perched in one of the many hawthorn bushes dotted amongst the reeds.  It was though a long way off.

It was still cold and maybe a little to early for the Hobby to be out, but there were signs of the sun coming out and the hope was this would bring out the insects and then the Hobby would perform.

In the mean time it was the Marsh Harriers once again that took the attention.  First a male.

Then a nice close pass by a female, showing the creamy yellow head cap.

A close up of the male showing off the eyes and the binocular vision these birds of prey have.

Then with the sun out a Hobby appeared on the dead tree to the left hand side of the hide, but it had found the worst possible perch, completely out of sight.

As well as staying out of sight the other concern was the heat haze.  It seems bizarre that on a such a cold day there would be one, but the sun is very strong now and any radiation is going to set one off.  So we need the sun to bring out the insects and the Hobby, but it also ruins some of the photographic opportunities.

On the right hand side of the hide are several dead trees providing ideal perches for the Hobby as well. At one point there were three perched here.  The heat haze was still a problem, but I was able to get some good images.

The Hobby then began to perform, but stayed out over the reeds which meant long distant shots, but things started to change, one came to the tree on the left hand side.

And then would drop from the perch and fly across the open water in front of the hide, meaning the Hobby was closer and at last the shots began to come.

And they were hunting in front of the hide as well, catching insects, but it wasn't clear what they were to start.

From this shot you can see a dragonfly wing.

This sortie across the water it caught another dragonfly, which was a blue green colour and looked big, possibly an Emperor Dragonfly.

Holding with the claws and then chewing off the head.

Not sure if it just dropped the abdomen.

Incredible to watch, everything happening so fast, a glide and then an acceleration with rapid wing flaps, the legs forced forward and then the eating.

They would perch up in the dead branches, watching all around the area.

Then set off around the reeds and water, almost always in front of the hide.

At one point one flew past literally below the hide.

They are so photographic and normally difficult to catch, but here they were performing very well.

Notice I haven't made any reference to their latin name and a football game!

While there were plenty of dead branches, there was one that curled out closer to the hide.  They had managed to avoid this so far but as our time moved towards an end one so obligingly flew up and perched there.  My day was complete.

We walked around to the I sland Mere were there was a Bittern hiding in the reeds.  I managed to get a glimpse and then watch it fly into the reeds and our of sight.  We waited to see if it would show but it stayed out of sight.  There was to be only one thing we could do about it, come back, which we would do.