Raptor rumble

With good numbers of tired, mal-nourished and dehydrated, slow-moving passerines all over the decks it rarely takes long for the passage raptors to notice this floating slow-food takeaway! Over the last few days I have observed 3 kestrels, 4 red-footed falcons and a single sparrowhawk cause mayhem through the ranks of chaffinches, pied wagtails, redstarts and red-breasted flycatchers. Unfortunately the RBF's seem to be the preferred prey item of the sparrowhawk that has been resident for 5 days and undertakes at least 3 or 4 successful hunting sorties every day! 

red-footed falcon (juvenile/1st winter)

Contrary to the ample food supply available, the sparrowhawk and one of the kestrels decided to have an aerial altercation concerning the ownership of one of the menu items- in this case I was not sure of the ID but it was certainly an LBJ to go!

kestrel (upper) and sparrowhawk

sparrowhawk on top!

red-footed falcon (juv/1st winter)

sparrowhawk

red-footed falcon (juv/1st winter)

red-footed falcon- at speed!  (juv/1st winter)

sparrowhawk

red-footed falcon

vis mig flurry

It has been quiet of late with just the terns obviously flying north. Today was better with a kestrel, 2 turtle doves, 2 collared doves, a very nice garden warbler and a pipit sp. I think it is probably a very worn and abraded (from the desert sand) tree pipit? The pink bill looks right and the hind claw is relatively short but in truth I struggled to ID this one. I often struggle to ID birds on a ship- the habitat gives no clues!

I have been at sea for sixty days and am due off in 2 or 3 days time- can't wait for a cold beer and the chance to get back to the British isles for some quality spring birding!

16.04 update- thanks to Kriss Webb (Scilly spider), and Paul Stancliffe (BTO migration blog) for IDing the pipit as a Tawny

garden warbler

Tawny pipit

turtle dove

collared dove

kestrel