Eurasian Hobby

Hobbies have been seen in Beckenham for a second successive year. This adult bird is standing on a perch overlooking the Park at about 10:30 in the morning. Major changes have been made in Beckenham Place Park in recent years, including the development of a lake. The Hobby’s favourite prey species are Common Swifts and dragonflies which can regularly be seen flying near the lake.

The species migrates to Europe each year arriving in the UK in May and departing in September. It winters in sub-Saharan Africa and travels as far as South Africa. Its numbers have increased in the UK in recent years but it is not a common species in the London area.

A Common Buzzard was seen overhead at the same time, another species whose numbers and range have increased in south east England in recent years.