Just Another Shopping Trip – 2 Goshawks, 2 Red Kites, 5 Buzzards & 60 Hares

A Loop Off The A1065 At Cockley Cley Warren To Westgate Street, Hilborough

Saturday 25^th April 2015 

We left home to do some shopping in Swaffham at 3.20pm when it was bright and breezy and the temperature was showing 19˚C on the car’s thermometer but we didn’t actually start observing until we turned off the A1065 Brandon Road on to the Cockley Cley Road.

As we drove along the road a Hare ran parallell to us in the field next to the road. We stopped just after the Pig Farm and the unploughed field where we had seen the Stone Curlews just a couple of weeks ago now had a green covering of a new crop. There were plenty of Corvids (Crows, Rooks and Jackdaws) along with Pheasants, Partridges, Lapwings, a Stock Dove, Skylarks and 1 Hare on our nearside and on the offside there were Wood Pigeon, Corvids, Pheasants, Partridges, Skylarks, Lapwings and 2 Hares.

Moving on perhaps 200 metres we stopped at a rough track between a Rape field and a conventional crop primarily to identify a Butterfly that was flitting about the Rape, unfortunately we didn’t see it again but what we did see was a pair of Grey Partridge that were coming down the track towards us but they were having to travel along a gauntlet of about 6 Cock Pheasants who were all taking turns at flying at each other. At one time 5 Pheasants were involved in a fracas while the Partridges were cowering in the grass ridge in the middle of the track between them, eventually they high tailed it to safety into the Rape field. Shortly afterwards a Buzzard took off from a nearby tree. In the distance we could see another Buzzard circling above the farm reservoir.

We hadn’t got very far when we saw another pair of Grey Partridges the male with his chestnut head standing guard over the female while she was feeding. It was good to see these two pairs today after the disappointment of missing the last pair the other week.

Hare

We have done this route several times now and it is always amazing how many Hares we see and today was no exception, in fact it was the highest number we’ve seen in one trip. We saw no less than 60 Hares today and now some of the fields have a growing crop and it would be difficult to see the Hares even if they sat up.

As we travelled around we saw various birds which are listed below but then we had a stop to have our flask of coffee, as we do. This particular spot was at a ride in the forest where last year Jan saw 2 Goshawks take off after she accidentally disturbed them. The last time we stopped here the ride entrance was alive with small birds but this time, although we could hear some birds we didn’t see one and then the reason came into view, a male Goshawk effortlessly gliding from the adjacent field and rising to the tree tops before gliding around a few times before disappearing over the forest canopy.

Male Red Legged Partridge

Further on and now heading towards Hilborough we saw a Red Kite circling above a field but now the weather was looking like rain and the light was going. We watched the Kite a true master of the air circling above about 5 Hares before he glided off out of site.

Another Hare

It couldn’t get any better than that, could it? When just before we got to the gates of Hilborough House we stopped to see if we could see the Grey Partridges we missed filming a few weeks ago when right in front of us another Goshawk but this time a female flew from left to right, briefly chased a Wood Pigeon before disappearing into the next field. Even that wasn’t the end because just as we came into the village in Westgate Street we saw another Red Kite flying towards the Ford at Hilborough.

Even More Hares

It was now 7.40pm and we had had just under 3 hours of top quality nature watching so we decided to head straight for home, no more detours but just one short look at the water meadows beside the cut through road between the A1065 and the B1108 revealed 2 Greylag Geese, a pair of Mallard and a Lapwing with 2 Mute Swans on the River Wissey. Not bad for just under 3 hours of nature watching locally and not getting out of the car.

The Little Known Tulip Fields Of Hilborough

This is what we saw:

2 Goshawks (male & female)

6 Buzzards

2 Red Kites

Grey Partridge (2 pairs)

4 Oystercatchers (probably 2 pairs)

5 Greylag Geese

4 Skylarks

Pheasants (lots)

Red Legged Partridge (lots)

Wood Pigeon (lots)

Crows (lots)

Rooks (lots)

Jackdaws (lots)

10 Lapwings

Blue Tit

2 Egyptian Geese

Stock Dove

Mallard (4 pairs)

2 Muntjac Deer Hinds

60 Hares

4 Grey Squirrels

Keep your eyes peeled and good spotting.