14 September 2008 - The airways over Larkfield Lakes

With just so many Honey Buzzards being reported down the East coast of Britain - this was surely going to be THE day for raptors over the house. Could I really find a Honey Buzzard for the house list? With chores to do for the impending arrival of 'Junior Baldie' in to this world, I volunteered to sort the cot out that had been loaned to us from elder sister.

Of course, whilst outside cleaning said item, I could scan the airways for large flying objects - Item No. 1 wasn't quite what I was looking for, but at least shouldn't present too many ID problems.

Item 2 was a Grey Heron, doing its best to look broad-winged as it headed south - and if you half closed your eyes and ignored the long neck and ruddy great legs trailing behind it, you could kid yourself, you'd found a raptor (OK, perhaps not).

Back on the the plane front, several of these also flew South on broad wings. ID was of little difficulty and could be separated from raptors on call.

Get in on the game were several Starlings.

And Racing Pigeons...

And Woodpigeons....

BH Gulls - Not trying to look like raptors.

About 50 Swallows logged - all heading E/SE. It was about this time that news came on the pager 'Kent Osprey flew south over New Hythe GPs at 10.58am'. Bollocks - I'd missed it. I was pleased that one had been seen - I felt justified in spending ages scanning the sky. But a bit gutted - I moved to the upstairs bedroom to get a better view of the the sky - ready for the Honey Buzzard that was surely about to appear...

Cormorant - several of these chaps put in a showing and tried to look big and dark and vaguely interesting - apart from the fact that they were Cormorants!

Immature Herrings Gulls - hundreds of these were seen over the day, all shouting 'Check me out' as they tried to look more raptor-like than the Cormorants. There were hundreds of large gulls - and today, I hated every one of them!

And then at 1.30, miracle of all miracles, an Osprey came over from the NW heading due South-East. Total elation after missing the one early - a wonderful rush, I called to The Good lady Wife, we ran out to the front door to get better views - we searched and then slam went the front door! Bollocks, again!

After gaining entry to the house, I then found this Hobby circling overhead - the latest record this year.

A Sparrowhawk then put in an appearance (and actually looks more interesting in this picture than it did in real life). But certainly no Honey Buzzards.

And then, miracle of all miracles (and a slightly bigger miracle than had already occured earlier) at 2.48 a much higher Osprey circled overhead, very slowly tracking South-East.

To have two Ospreys from the house is, in my books, pretty damn good - that three Ospreys flew over the site today is excellent. I assume the Steve Nunn got the first...