Missed it but what was it?

The Safari has had a lazy day today doing not a lot all day. The day started poorly when we emptied the moth trap to find absolutely nothing in it whatsoever, the nearly full moon must have had an effect although the temperature didn't drop that far.

We spent most of the day doing chores and just sitting around in the garden enjoying the sun drinking tea. 

Nothing much was happening, brief visits to the the feeders were made by the Greenfinches and Goldfinches but we didn't see too many by the Great Tits who's nestlings must be close to fledging from the House Sparrow terrace. Musical interludes were provided by the Blackbirds, a Wren and a Robin.

Invertebrate interest was rather thin on the ground even though it was nice and warm and sunny all day. Best was an unidentified small white butterfly, very likely on jizz to be a Small White rather than a Green Veined White. Our Tree Bees didn't seem to be in and out too often.

We took Frank out for his pre-teatime walk and today he decided to go quite a bit further than he's been for a while. On the way back we were 20 yards from the front door we noticed some gulls acting suss. Looking harder we saw they were mobbing a dark raptor about their size coming our way. It was soaring round in circles easing its way northwards trying to avoid the worst attentions of the gulls, didn't appear to have the raised shallow 'V' of a Common Buzzard but it was a bot too far away for naked eye detail to be definitive. So close yet so far, trying to get Frank to speed up is akin to trying to break the speed of light - or more accurate the speed of dark. It seemed an age to get to the front door get through it grab the bins and get back out. By the time we had the bird was over CR's house and going away from us so we couldn't get much detail on it. We phoned him straight away and he grabbed his camera out but by the time he'd got outside with it the mystery bird had disappeared although he said that the gulls were still milling around.

So what was it? We think we might have just missed a Honey Buzzard gently easing its way northwards - did we - dohhhh

Plants in the garden are looking good, our native Bluebells in the back are still going strong but the Spanish Bluebells in the front are coming to an end now.

Where to next? No moth trap tonight, looks like rain, not sure how much safari-ing we'll get done tomorrow Wifey ahas a little something lined up.

In the meantime let us know what was soaring northwards in your outback.