A local birder Sam Hill saw and photographed this Peregrine flying over. The remarkable thing is the prey item. A bat. Where does a Peregrine catch a bat at 4.30 in the afternoon?
Interestingly when I walked along the canal behind Grimsbury Reservoir last week there was a bat skirting up and down at about a similar time! Warm weather brings the flies out I guess
I saw a bag in-flight at Farley College about 15 years ago flying the length of the main drive from the main entrance to the Bursary at 3:00 PM, very strange
I've seen noctlues hunting late morning in September on warm days when vismigging in the pennines. They can look surprisingly like a distant Merlin when doing this.
I've had Noctules at Otmoor flying around in the middle of the day in previous years. I seem to recall watching one for about 5-10 minutes slowly gaining height over Big Otmoor one day at about 1pm - I have photos somewhere. More recently - had a few pipistrelle sp out fairly early on in the evening in the last couple of weeks at Otmoor
Interestingly when I walked along the canal behind Grimsbury Reservoir last week there was a bat skirting up and down at about a similar time! Warm weather brings the flies out I guess
ReplyDeleteI saw a large bat, possibly Noctule, flying over farmland at 3pm today near Stadhampton. At first glance I thought it was an improbably early Swift!
ReplyDeleteI saw a bag in-flight at Farley College about 15 years ago flying the length of the main drive from the main entrance to the Bursary at 3:00 PM, very strange
ReplyDeleteI've seen noctlues hunting late morning in September on warm days when vismigging in the pennines. They can look surprisingly like a distant Merlin when doing this.
ReplyDeleteI've had Noctules at Otmoor flying around in the middle of the day in previous years. I seem to recall watching one for about 5-10 minutes slowly gaining height over Big Otmoor one day at about 1pm - I have photos somewhere. More recently - had a few pipistrelle sp out fairly early on in the evening in the last couple of weeks at Otmoor
ReplyDelete