Falco subbuteo

The game subbuteo got its name from the Falco subbuteo, the hobby as that is what the manufacturers of the table football game wanted it to become. Here endeth the 1st lesson!
A walk back from town today, my first for quite a while had me watching good numbers of chiffchaff but little else along the borders of East Wood. However, in the distance, I could hear juvenile hobbies calling. Last year they were to be found on the pylons between East Wood and Stocking Wood, the same again this year. They are so high up that photos were extreme, as can be seen here.

1st view on fully extended 400mm lens

Closely cropped: who's watching me?

Not only was the distance poor, the light wasn't good either!

Overhead

Two juveniles together

Juvenile, showing pale yellow, not red around the legs

As well as these magnificent birds, little else of note. I continued to walk through Bury Green. Millennium Wood, the polo fields and down the footpath adjacent to Muggins Wood back to home. Green and great spotted woodpecker, nuthatch, more chiffchaffs, goldfinches, yellowhammers along with long tailed, blue and great tits were noted. On the polo field 200+ rooks and plenty of wood pigeons whilst overhead, a smattering of migratory house martins, but little else.
Ruddy and common daters by the River Ash and a migrant hawker near Muggins. Only butterflies were large whites along hedgerows and speckled woods in Millennium Wood.
Lovely walk and great to be out in the parish again.

Distant East Wood chiffchaff