Thursday 3 February 2011

Popcorn Makes the News!




Almost a year to the day that we first spotted Popcorn - Leabank Square's very own kestrel, he has finally made the news!

Remember back to this: http://leabanksquare.blogspot.com/2010/02/birds-of-leabank-square-kestrel.html - when Popcorn paid us his first visit? Well - as he has done most days since then - he stayed for about a half an hour last Sunday (see the last posting about the RSPB bird count).

This time we didn't see him catch anything, but maybe all the cats had got to any mice before him.
Since this story was included in this weeks Hackney Gazette (http://www.hackneygazette.co.uk/news/rare_bird_of_prey_spotted_in_hackney_wick_1_792018)
- we have had twitchers all over north London sending emails asking for more information.

Although we've answered the first 14 - it's getting a little bit crazy now - so for all the rest - here goes:

Popcorn can be seen most days either on the Leabank Square Purple Garden Riverbank - or on the towpath opposite. He chooses the highest bird branch on Leabank Square's side - and the highest branch of the magnificent Sycamore tree on the towpath. He sometimes settles on the horrible CCTV poles along the Olympic electric fence.

Richard remembers him & a couple of others - before the trees were chopped down in Arena Fields. Seems like only Popcorn has survived the Olympic slash & burn.

He seems to stay longer on slightly overcast days - but maybe this means that rodents & nesting coots & moorhens are a little more skittish on those days.

But - he is magnificent!! Absolutely majestic and lovely to see. You won't need to bring very powerful glasses - as he doesn't seem to mind getting close to us. Our kids really love him most when he does that hovering endlessly - with sudden swoop thing. Fascinating.

I hope that answers all your questions - if not - post a comment and we'll answer them that way.

Thank you very much to Emma Bartholomew from Hackney Gazette for writing the story up. And a very special thanks to Leabank Square's friend - Tim Webb from the RSPB for all his useful comments & suggestions over the years on this blog.

Happy twitching.




4 comments:

Anonymous said...

We recently saw him guarding Lefevre Walk, near to Roman Road and the A12.

Anonymous said...

What a picture of him on top of all that electronic gadgetry - hopefully symbolic of LBS indomitable in the face of intrusive machinations.

Matt said...

Yayyyyy! Go popcorn! Owens right - I think we should swap the sunflower symbol for Popcorn. He seems more appropriate somehow.
Matt

Fiona said...

Oh he is a magnificent specimen isn't he? What is going to happen when Thames Water take down the trees he stops over in? Maybe that's why he's using the cctv pole. By the way, is the Sycamore on our side of the electric fence safe?
Fi