A new hobby

This is a bird I have wanted to see for a long time.  A small falcon that specialises in catching dragonflies, the hobby (Falco subbuteo)* is a summer visitor from Africa.  This bird had been putting on a show at East Chevington at Druridge Bay, Northumberland for a couple of weeks.  I was alerted to its presence by Tim W and on the day we went to see it last week the weather was calm, warm and sunny, perfect for dragonflies and perfect for the hobby.

This bird is a juvenile, with only a hint if the rusty red "trousers" of an adult.

Watching the hobby was like watching a small peregrine except that it stayed in view for two hours (and was still flying when I left).  Several times it stooped in a vertical dive like a peregrine, difficult to catch on camera.

The hobby was very acrobatic swerving and diving to catch dragonflies which it ate on the wing.

Like most raptors, the hobby is regularly mobbed by other birds.  This one was given a hard time by crows, gulls and a kestrel.  Sometimes it was chased by the crows and at other times it did the chasing.

Hobbies are rare this far north, as can be seen on the distribution map from the BTO Atlas, although the data are a bit out of date.  This one is probably locally bred.  Climate change is causing northward movement of several dragonfly species and warmer summers may increase overall numbers of dragonflies.  Perhaps this means hobbies will also move north to a take advantage of an increased food supply.

The hobby was last seen on Friday and is now probably well on its way to Africa.  Next on my wish list is an even smaller falcon, a merlin, a bird that stays for the winter.

*  The name Falco subbuteo comes from the Latin falx for sickle, referring to the shape of the wings, and sub, below, buteo, meaning buzzard.  The football game Subbuteo was so named by its inventor Peter Adolph, an ornithologist, because he was refused permission to trademark his product "Hobby".