Red footed Falcon, Worth Marsh, late May 2024

The Red-footed Falcon (Falco vespertinus) is a small raptor primarily found in eastern Europe and Asia, but occasionally sighted in the UK as a rare vagrant. These falcons are characterized by their distinctive red legs and feet, with males having slate-grey plumage and females sporting a blue-grey back with a rusty orange underside.

In the UK, the Red-footed Falcon is an uncommon visitor, often spotted during spring and autumn migration periods. Their appearances are sporadic and generally involve single individuals rather than flocks. The estimated number of Red-footed Falcons observed in the UK annually ranges from a handful to about 20 sightings per year, depending on migration patterns and weather conditions that might bring them into British airspace.

Up to three have been reported on Worth Marsh in May, so it was well worth an early morning visit for a chance to see one, or more, of these birds for the third time. My first was also on Worth Marsh, with the Elenora's Falcon, and the second was a late staying juvenile at Elmley.

I managed to get a few shots of one bird, before it spiralled upwards and moved out of sight.







Miscellany





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