Gary Howard's birds and wildlife

Five hours raptor watching produced a single distant Honey Buzzard, a single Red Kite, several Common Buzzards, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel in rather less than ideal conditions with lots of haze.

Birds were generally in short-supply which is rather in keeping with this time of year -perhaps I should have gone looking for butterflies!

A lunch-stop at Oare was pleasant but also rather quiet, a few Black-tailed Godwits and Avocet and little else.

Nearby at Luddenham church Spotted Flycatcher's are present again this year though today I had brief views of an adult with a small tortoiseshell butterfly in it's bill and far too distant for 'photos.