Stonechats on the Moor

This pair of friendly Stonechats keep me company and posed well on the Cornish Stone wall that I was using for cover while waiting for birds of prey on the Moors yesterday

Seven Birds of Prey on Cornish moors yesterday

Went up on the high ground for a little more Short-eared Owl action yesterday and was delighted with a fine aerial dispute shown in the previous blog but this visit proved to be about more than one species with no less than six other bird of prey recorded on the day.


Birds posted below include Merlin, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Buzzard, A Ring-tailed Hen Harrier being harassed by the Merlin and a fine looking male Peregrine.

What a Day !    For the first time in years due to the number of shots taken and constant focusing and reviewing I ran out of battery power and had to go home early but I was one...... Happy Chappy

Kestrel Verses Short-eared Owl

A female Kestrel was out hunting over rough grass on the Cornish high ground when she spotted a Short-eared Owl take prey,

The Kestrel immediately turned and dropped down to attack the owl to steal the prey but the ever alert Owl saw it coming, dropped the Vole and rose up from the rough grass to defend her prey,

The Kestrel slammed into the Owl head to head with talons raised and its flight momentum balled the Owl over and both birds ended up in a flurry on the ground.

The Owl quickly departed minus its prey and a few feathers,  The Kestrel spent time looking but could not find the Vole so this time it was   Owl...0,     Kestrel...0,   and perhaps Field Vole..... Won !

What a privilege it was to watch and capture this struggle for survival by two of the UK's wildlife icons !

Aerial Encounters on the Moor

The two Short-eared Owls that I saw hunting in rough grass fields on the moors today were involved in several aerial disputes over the territory and then their joint attention was diverted towards a female Marsh Harrier that occasionally passes through but they stopped short of any body contact on this powerful bird

Head-on Hunting

With a brisk wind from the South-East all day two Short-eared Owls on the high grounds were hunting into it and provided many opportunities for Head -on Hunting portraits

Buzzard on the Heath

A stiff southwesterly wind was just what this fine buzzard that was perched on a heathland stone wall needed to take off and hover hunt over rough grass fields.

The weather eventually added a little sunlight which was all that I needed to capture this lovely birds hunting behaviour in the sequence of images shown below.

Owls in Rough Grass

I saw just one Short-eared Owl on the high ground on Tuesday afternoon.   The winds were very light so to conserve energy the Owl was only making short low flights and hunting at every opportunity.

I saw it take and stash to voles in an hour without raising them above the grass line before it moved off across the moor to try its luck elsewhere.