Late last year we’d been monitoring a pair of Hobbys and had high hopes that they would be nesting in a tree line. Hobbys don’t build from scratch, being environmentally conscious, they tend to reuse old Magpie or Raven nests.
With food being constantly brought in and lots of Hobby cackling and the female taking up residence in the tree it seemed like the spot was ideal. Both made wide ranging fast flights across the open surrounding paddock that offered good views for photos
Then.
They simply disappeared. Perhaps it was the wet cold weather, or the nesting of three other raptors close by in area. A Collared Sparrowhawk, Brown Falcon and Black-shouldered Kite. We did spend sometime checking the surrounding areas, to no avail.
A couple of weeks ago we were travelling onto the area from a different access road to normal. EE cried, “Hobbys”, and pulled IamGrey off the road and looking back we saw two young Hobbys sitting enjoying the early morning light.
Just as we were getting ready to move on, the young both started calling and peering down along the roadway, and a third and fourth bird flew past in full cry. It all happened so fast but it seems it was an adult followed by another young one. The first two took to wing and joined in the chase. After a couple of laps of the tree the adult moved on leaving one of the young to land and again sit in the sunshine.
There is no way of telling for sure, but as it’s in same area as the first pair we pondered if they had moved further down range to a better nesting spot.
Which ever way it was good to know that a pair had a successful season.
Enjoy
Birds as Poetry —— Just because I WANDER doesn't mean I'm LOST 