Overcast conditions with showers were promising birding conditions but it was a long while till any decent level of light filtered its way through the clouds! However, the birding didn't take long to kick off with two vocal Ravens flying east at 07:20. At 08:42, an interesting raptor appeared over Broadfield with several corvids on its tail, quickly resolving into a juvenile Honey-buzzard! It was a fairly pale individual and represents our fourth record, following birds in 2012, 2013 and 2016. The corvids pushed it west before it double-backed and lost height behind Ruffett Wood. It seems very likely that the bird had roosted on site or very close-by.
Our first Stonechat of the autumn was found on the edge of Bog Field while a Whinchat was seen in Owl Meadow. Seven Meadow Pipits and 10 Swallows flew over the farm, along with 10 Black-headed Gulls. Three Rooks were amid the corvid swarm at Gunman's Shaw and the Tawny Owl was hooting again in Lunch Wood. Two Blackcaps, a Whitethroat, a Chiffchaff, two Sparrowhawks, three Buzzards and two Yellowhammers were also in the CF sector. The southwestern section of BW held a further four Blackcaps and three Chiffchaffs.
A video of the Honey-buzzard can be seen here
David Campbell, Paul Goodman and Ian Jones
