Fewer birds - here's the answer......

Arrived at Edderthorpe this morning at the usual time and it was instantly obvious there were far fewer birds on the marsh. There has been a noticeable decline in numbers over the last few days coinciding with the arrival of the recent thunder storms. The real reason for the decline became clear when all the Lapwings and gulls instantly took to the air in panic and a juvenile Peregrine motored across the flash and crashed into a Lapwing. A fast airborne tussle, a few loose feathers and the Lapwing managed to break free and escape. The Peregrine made sure everything else was airborne, landed briefly on the grass before heading off over the fields. By the time I left a hour later the marsh was still fairly devoid of birds (except ducks and geese) . So if you visit and see nothing - there's your answer. Birds I did see pre-Peregrine;- Green Sand 1, Common Sand 5, Dunlin 3, Snipe 2, Shelduck 1.