The Lincolnshire Bird Club

A pleasant trip to Rimac yesterday with nice numbers of returning waders, including;

Adult Curlew Sandpiper
Adult Sanderling
4 Whimbrel south
c 100 Golden Plovers south
Grey Plovers - a mix of adult & juvenile.
Good numbers of Dunlin & Oystercatchers but no Knot.

In addition, there were huge numbers of Silver Y moths nectaring on the Sea Lavender.
This may have been what was attracting several Kestrels that were hunting over the marsh.

Roy

Hi Roy
I have been photographing Aug/Sept kestrels over the marsh for last three years and found they are feeding on fairly large green caterpillars. I wish I could find the caterpillars but just can't see them so no id there. Have pics of Kes' with caterpillars.

Hi Colin,

Sorry about the delay in replying to your comments but, as you know, I have changed my email address and the consequences have been very time consuming!

I note your comments about the Kestrels taking caterpillars but they do also take insects from the ground. I recall seeing juveniles catching and eating crane flies on the golf course at Market Rasen many years ago. It would not be surprising if they had a go at Silver Y Moths - they would be more of a beak-full than a crane fly.

Regards,
Roy

...and those black rain beetles, the juvs are so desperate to discover food they seem to eat anything that moves don't they. The farm tracks are favourite hunting grounds for them for beetles, easy to see as they come off a field and exposed when crossing the rd.

In the same vein, I remember on a Gibraltar Point Ringing Course in the 1980's that Potter Traps baited with mealworms were set on the concrete blocks outside the Field Station to catch Whinchats and Wheatears. The only success was a very underweight first year Kestrel in poor condition. It was apparent it was desperate for food and was probably an inexperienced hunter. This may well have been the case in the Rimac and Market Rasen instances.