Fast and lethal, the hobby plucks a martin from the air
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Version 0 of 1. Golden grass heads nod up and down in flowing waves at the insistence of the breeze. Lapwing are collecting around the edges of the pools in greater numbers than before, and there are also more gadwall and mallard paddling on the water as autumn draws in. Clouds of soft brown and cream sand martins and black and white swallows – hirundines – dance low over the water. They turn and turn, wings flickering, then suddenly still, as they stall, float, and snatch at the midges rising into the air among them. The lapwing and ducks cry and leap up into the air, scattering in small groups, squealing and quacking as they fly in different directions. A dark bird flaps and glides above the pools. The sparrowhawk turns and rises up against the clouds, where it joins another, larger female. The two raptors soar together in circles, spiralling over my head and “yikkering” to each other. More ducks panic and fly. Unconcerned, the martins and swallows swoop as before, focused on feeding. The sparrowhawks head towards the woods by the river. The young bird lands on a bough, but the adult disappears into the trees, making a rapid “yikker-yikker-yikker” call. The young sparrowhawk answers and then follows her. I sit on the river bank and watch the martins and swallows, and listen to their chitter-chatter calls. Another bird of prey joins them, this time with intent. Scything through the flock, sleek and fast-moving with flapping, black, pointed wings, the hobby pursues a martin, jinking right, then left, then up – faster than I can follow with my eyes. It’s chasing the migrating hirundines as they head south. The hobby flaps harder, more slowly, climbing, then it levels and circles, before climbing again, until it becomes a black cross orbiting against the cloud. Then it plummets, fast and lethal, into the swarming martins, plucking one from the air. I’ve seen hobbies hunt smaller birds in fast, level flight many times, but not this way, diving as a peregrine would. The hobby, holding the prey in its talons, flies away over the tree-tops. The Birds of North Wales, this year’s memorial lecture in honour of the late Country diary writer William Condry (thecondrylecture.co.uk), given by Jonathan Elphick, is at Tabernacle/MoMA, Machynlleth, 1 October, 7pm for 7.30 |