Hjälstaviken again

Been a little bit jealous at the people who's been going up to Holmögadd and the White-winged Lark there... but then again, apparently the boat ride to the island is just bloody horrible, so I would probably just have gotten sick if I went.

Instead it was back to Hjälsta again to check if the somewhat bad weather had pressed down anything interesting. Cold day, and rather windy, but some good birds were seen. Not that many geese around, think most were out on the fields grazing. A few thousand Barnacle and some hundreds of Greylag and Bean Geese, with eight Lesser White-fronts were all today. Quite a lot of Pintails though, at least 35, very nice! I really like those elegant ducks. About 250 Dunlins were the most I've seen there for a while, and I don't see Grey Plovers every day in Hjälstaviken, but today four graced us with their visit.
The birds took to the air several times, but it took us a while to discover why... but then two Peregrines swooped down and gave great views. The adult one flew off, but the juvenile one landed right in front of the tower and sat there for a while. A huge bird, surely the biggest Peregrine I've ever seen!


Peregrine (Falco peregrinus), 1cy female. Very windy and a bit dark so it was difficult to get a good photo.

Wasn't entirely over even then, because as we walked back to the car sometime later I suddenly saw a falcon hunting some gulls, and sure enough, it was the young Peregrine... flying so very fast and snatching a Black-headed Gull just like that. Wow! Then she sat on the ground with it for a little while before flying off with the gull in her claws...