Harvest raptor fest

Yesterday the deep continuous sound of distant thunder could be heard around Cuddesdon. The weather was beautiful, so the noise could only mean one thing: harvest has begun. And harvest means habitat change and habitat change is only a good thing in these parts. Early this morning the opportunistic raptors were already gathering:

I spent an hour in the large field to the south of the village, which was harvested yesterday:

Raptors were constantly hunting over the fields: 5-6 Red Kites:

♀ Kestrel:

Red Kite and Hobby:

Hobby:

There was also a flock of 35-40 Gulls, although I suspect these birds were roosting here rather than feeding. Most were Lesser Black-back Gulls, with a few Herring Gulls mixed in:

And then the gulls became the focus of another predators attention:

On the way back I surprised a couple of local residents on the park. ♂ House Sparrow:

♀ Green Woodpecker, photographed from behind the roundabout.