Hobby

Hobby chicks

I was lucky enough to be able to take some pictures of three young Hobby chicks being ringed in the Forest of Dean during early August 2008 when the chicks were between 10 and 20 days old.

Hobby's like other Falcons nest in the old nests of other birds (in this case a Crows nest). These Hobbies were at one of approximately 10 known nest sites in the Forest Of Dean which all had the baby Hobbies ringed in 2008. Each pair of Hobbies uses a nest site which is at least 5 - 10 km away from other Hobby nests.

The licensed ringers have to collect the precious birds from a nest 40 feet up the tree and then lower them down in ringing bags in a rucksack before placing two rings on the leg of each bird. One ring is the standard BTO ring, whilst the other three are plastic and are for re-identification at a distance. Obviously the procedure ends when three young birds placed back in the nest.
The whole process of putting ladders, ropes, etc up the tree, lowering the chicks, ringing them and recording the details is not fast and it takes over two hours during which time the adults watch from a tree at least 1/2 mile away and certainly to far away for any pictures of adult birds.

The baby Hobbies already weigh between 200 and 250g each and are therefore already at a very similar weight to an adult bird. It is usual to have three chicks in a Hobby nest and in a good food year it is usual for all three to survive to fledge.