Common Hoopoe and a Pair of Peregrine Falcons Staying On (video)
The Common Hoopoe that appeared on Christmas Eve is now on its third day. It shows no wariness and isn't being pestered by birders, so I have a feeling it will stick around.
The pair of Peregrine Falcons (former subspecies Siberian Peregrine) that wintered here last year are back again, terrorising the paddies and hunting Eurasian Coots and herons relentlessly. Eurasian Coots are well down on last year's numbers, and Eurasian Teal are completely absent. The Upland Buzzard wintering in the same area alongside the falcons may be a factor.
Common Snipe have moved in all over, including a flock of 47, but they are all Common Snipe.
A Eurasian Hoopoe with little wariness. There is a fair amount of foot traffic, but no birders come, so it is never chased off and is well into wintering mode.
The prey item the Hoopoe was eating here was, again, cockroaches.
An adult male Peregrine Falcon with a large Intermediate Egret it had caught.
Just as it had nearly finished eating, a passing vehicle startled it into flight and the prey disintegrated in the air….
A flock of 47 Common Snipe. All of them Common Snipe, even with that many. At this time of year, any newly arriving snipe are all Common Snipe.