Saturday 7 April 2012

A Pandi-On Passage

Dan here.

I caved in to peer pressure today and trekked up to my old Aldcliffe vantage point to look for migrating ospreys.

Got lucky and after three and a half hours of scanning one put in an appearance over the Scotforth area.

In any future osprey finding efforts I think I'll give my eyes a rest and just listen out-- it's usually a particular call from the local lesser black-backs that gives them away and so it was today; a few deep and doleful notes that larids seem to reserve for larger raptors.

Unlike a lot of spring ospreys this one was moving quite slowly in wheeling flight, at about 125 metres off the ground and in no particular hurry as it brushed the Eastern fringes of Aldcliffe International Airspace and carried on North over the town centre.

Seemed to me be to rather a large and heavily-built individual and some of my exquisite shots (enjoy!) seem to bear this out.

The only other vis mig noted was 11 swallows, 2 sand martins and 4 meadow pipits. A blackcap was heard in Freeman's Wood.




DH.

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