Farm Tick 98

Thursday 29th March 2012

"Forgot to mention, I saw a Red Kite floating over Wisbech yesterday. Surely only a matter of time before I see one in the skies over the farm."

That was what I wrote 3 days ago. Guess what I saw today! No, not kidding, nor suffering from delusion.

I got home from work at about 3.45, bringing with me two day old chicks which had hatched in the incubator at school. After introducing them to the others, I headed down to the chickens to collect the eggs and to see if Elvis' eggs were showing any signs of hatching.
As one of the resident buzzards circled low, my mind went to the possibility of a Red Kite drifting over on a day like today. The time of year is good, the weather has been perfect and today there was just enough cloud to ensure that not all migrating raptors would pass over as unseen dots in the sky. I scanned around with my binoculars on the off chance, as I so often have, and there, over by Coy Bridge, was a Red Kite not six feet off the ground.

Farm Tick 98!

It went out of view and I presumed it had landed. Whether to risk losing it by driving round for closer views, or to view from the farm. I attended to the chickens, then scanned again. Just over the bank of South Holland Main Drain, I saw two huge wings flap and was just able to see the bird on the ground. However, without my scope views were never going to be great, so I dashed back to the house. I returned and climbed up onto the haystack for a better view. As I did so, the Red Kite flew and steadily gained in height as it circled, before gradually heading off over Holbeach St John's. All in all I watched it for about half an hour.
I'm sure it won't be the last I see here, but it is the first. And that's the most important!

The Goldcrest (or another) was around again today too.

ed. This evening I watched 2 Short-eared Owls hunting and tussling over the back fields. More of a surprise were 9 Redwings in the Ash trees as the sun was setting. I've only seen a couple in the garden all winter. They'll be well on their way to Scandinavia by tomorrow morning.

A sunset pic for a change.