The Lincolnshire Bird Club

A late afternoon visit produced:-

Bardney pits
6 Pink-footed Geese, with Greylags but flew off when I appeared on bank
1 female Scaup and 1 female Long-tailed Duck, both present since 26/12.

Nocton fen
1 Common Buzzard
4 Barn Owls hunting. 1 seen to catch a vole and was "mantling" it's prey when a female Kestrel dropped onto the back of the owl. A tussle ensued and the owl flew off with the vole shrieking in it's talons. The Kestrel followed and attacked the owl again on the ground before flying off. Shortly after the owl started hunting again and it seems as though the vole had escaped in the attack.

Neville wood
1 Raven heard calling

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Regards,

Andy.

female Scaup and Long tailed duck still present Saturday am 24th.
1 Common Buzzard over Southrey wood.

Hello Andy

Twice in the past I have seen female Kestrel successfully rob Barn Owl of prey in flight, harrassing the owl before snatching the prey from its talons; once at Covenham and once at Wasps Nest. On another occasion on Nocton Fen I was watching a female Sparrowhawk feeding on a small passerine on the ground when a female Kestrel drove it off its prey and proceeded to tuck in while the Sparrowhawk adopted a threat posture about six feet away for a minute or so and then flew off. It seems female Kestrels are adept at kleptoparasitism, though I was surprised to see one dominant over female Sparrowhawk.

Regards,

John Watt