Arriving home from 4 days Sea watching with Phil Chantler at Estaca de Bares very early this morning left me in abit of a bleary eyed daze, however I was pretty wired so went straight up the cliffs, a circuit of Foxhill down and Langdon before meeting up with Rich to have a quick skywatch. 2 Common Buzzards moved NE and a Pied Flycatcher appeared in the dying Ash tree behind us but little else of note.
We gave it a little while and gave in, after saying our goodbyes I took a phone call at the SW end of Fox hill down and just after this a beautiful striped juvenile Honey Buzzard appeared in the airspace over the Eastern docks, motoring in towards the headland with couple of Gulls in pursuit.
An almost direct overhead hit and one of the closer encounters with a juvenile here for me.
It made landfall and circled over Foxhill down, eventually moving NW towards Whitfield, I managed to call Rich and get him on the bird from somewhere towards there.
Later in the afternoon I was at home and heard the Gulls going crazy, when the Peregrines joined in I knew it would be a Raptor, I ran outside with bins and got onto an Adult (unsexed) Honey Buzzard going West over the houses infront of mine, It contiued West round the corner and towards town. My 10th of the year here at the coast. Still not close to last years total.
An afternoon walk up the cliffs was quiet but this smart juvenile pale phase Common buzzard was nice to look at,
PERDIX BIRDER 