Luddenden Dean

This afternoon, a bit wet and blustery but some fine spells in among.

1 superb male Sparrowhawk at Jerusalem Farm - very pale underparts with hardly any rusty colour on the chest and very white under tail coverts - yes it was a Sparrowhawk! Also its back was pale blue/grey rather than the typical darker slate colour, it was seen in the hedge by the bird feeding area where there were lots of Blue (c25) and Great Tits (c15) then seen crossing the valley to Wade Wood and sitting in a tree out in the open.

Also in the dean one female Merlin hunting along Castle Carr Road then mobbing the Sparrowhawk stooping and diving at each other over Saltonstall. 2 Kestrels also seen in the valley.

Other birds - 1 Green Woodpecker, c2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 5 Bullfinch, c15 Long-tailed Tits. 1 Grey Wagtail and a Siskin over. A large dog Fox seen higher up the valley but no sign of any Dippers (don't seem to be many about?), and no Fieldfares, Redwings or Brambling.