Red footed Falcon at Elmley, late Sept 2024

The Red-footed Falcon (Falco vespertinus) is a small migratory bird of prey that occasionally visits the UK. It breeds in Eastern Europe and Asia and migrates to sub-Saharan Africa for the winter. In the UK, it is considered a rare vagrant, typically seen during spring and autumn migration periods. The species does not winter in the UK.

This bird has showed very well at Elmley NR for the last few days. Its hunting pattern is fast and 'darting', so all of my close up shoots were out of focus as the camera did not have time to track and focus the bird!















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